Village Living August 2020

August 2020 | Volume 11 | Issue 5

VILLAGELIVINGONLINE.COM

WE’RE READY. LET’S SHOW!

MOUNTAIN BROOK’S COMMUNITY NEWS SOURCE

MAKING IT WORK

On Her Way

Mountain Brook merchants using every tool to reach, support customers during pandemic

MBHS alumna Caroline Moore prepares to attend film school in New York with dreams of producing films.

See page A20

Football Preview

“

The Cook Store owner Wesley Lassen, right, speaks with Katie Patrick about an item inside her shop in Mountain Brook Village. Lassen has steamrolled her social media presence since quarantine shut the doors of many businesses in the area. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Equipped with experience, Spartans ready to try their hand in a new class and region: 6A, Region 5.

See page B1

INSIDE Sponsors........... A4 News....................A6 Business........... A10 Community..... A26

Sports.................B4 Schoolhouse......B8 Faith....................B11 Metro Roundup....B12

By JESSE CHAMBERS

... The sun is going to come up tomorrow and the next day. We will make it through this for sure.

”

KATIE SMITH

M

ountain Brook Chamber of Commerce President Tonya Jones recently called the city’s small businesses “the heart of our community.”

In mid-March, however, the COVID-19 pandemic forced non-essential businesses in Jefferson County to close.

It took courage for merchants to fight

through the depressing early days of the closure and find a path forward.

“I recall turning out the lights, and literally it was like a movie,” said Katie Smith, owner of Please Reply, a stationery and gift shop in Crestline Village with 11 full- or part-time employees. “It was sad. It was emotional.”

The pandemic’s uncertainty made things worse. “I felt like just the unknown was hard,”

See WORK | page A28

2020 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS facebook.com/villageliving

Few hats in the ring for mayor, City Council seats up for grabs

By JESSE CHAMBERS Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch, City Council President Virginia Smith and Councilman Philip Black announced jointly in February that they would seek to retain their offices in the

Aug. 25 municipal elections.

At the time, Welch said he viewed the current City Council as a “dream team.”

“I look at the composition of the City Council,

See ELECTIONS | page A30

Mountain Brook City Hall. Election Day will be Aug. 25, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Staff photo.

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A2 • August 2020

Village Living

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August 2020 • A3

A4 • August 2020

Village Living

About Us Editor’s Note By Jesse Chambers The year 2020 has been, so far, arguably the most turbulent in America since 1968.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States and, as of our press time, continues to spread rapidly in many states.

The death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police in May inspired a massive new nationwide movement to fight systemic racism.

In short, it’s a time of tension and uncertainty in our country.

Therefore, this is likely not the most advantageous time to operate a small or locally owned business — especially because most of those businesses were forced to close for weeks due to the pandemic.

But businesses in Mountain Brook

clientele during the closure, how they are adapting to the safety protocols they must follow and whether they are optimistic about the future for local operators.

This is also an election season, so we’ve included an election guide and preview in the current issue.

We are getting ever closer to football season, as well. So Sports Editor Kyle Parmley contributes a preview of the coming year for the Mountain Brook High School Spartans. have been reopening since about Memorial Day. We thought it was time to do a deep dive and see how a variety of business people in the three villages are doing.

We talked to them about how they tried to stay engaged with their

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

A pollinating bee moves from one rose to another in the Dunn Formal Rose Garden at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Publisher: Dan Starnes Director of Operations: Mindy Dent Community Editors: Jesse Chambers Jon Anderson Leah Ingram Eagle Neal Embry Ingrid Schnader Sports Editor: Kyle Parmley Digital Editor: Cathlene Cowart Design Editor: Melanie Viering Photo Editor: Erin Nelson Page Designers: Kristin Williams Ted Perry Intern: Ann Douglas Lott Contributing Writer: Kari Kampakis Creative Director: David McMath Account Managers: Layton Dudley Ted Perry Emily VanderMey Multimedia Marketing Consultant: Morgan White Sales and Distribution: Warren Caldwell Don Harris Michelle Salem Haynes Ethan Lynch Rhonda Smith Business Administrator: Anna Jackson

For advertising contact: dan@starnespublishing.com Contact Information: Village Living P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@starnespublishing.com

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

Published by: Village Living LLC Legals: Village Living is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or

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

Please recycle this paper.

Please Support Our Community Partners Abenoja Orthodontics (A10) Alabama Mold & Mediation (A30) Alabama Power (A28) Always Best Care: ABC Senior Services (B3) Amy Maziarz, Red Hills Realty (B12) Amy Smith Gardner, State Farm (B10) Ascension/St. Vincent’s Health Systems (B7) Atchison Gallery & Village Framers (B15) Bayshore Retreat (A26) Bedzzz Express (A32, B1) Betsy French, Ray & Poynor Properties (B5) Blankenship & Seay Consulting Group (A13) Brandino Brass (B1) Bromberg’s & Company Inc. (A27) Byars-Wright Insurance (A23) Canterbury Gardens (A31) Chen Express (B4) Children’s of Alabama (A22) Crestline Pharmacy (A9) Davis, Word & Taylor Wealth Management (A25) Dish’n It Out (A31) ENT Associates of Alabama (B6) Evans Tree Service (B5) Floss Family Dentistry Crestline (B14) Forstall Art Center (B8) Fred Smith Group (A1) Gardner Landscaping (A6) Gaynell Hendricks - Tax Assessor (A26) Grand Bohemian Mountain Brook (A11) Guin Service (B9) Gunn Dermatology (A5) Highland Design + Build (A18) Hufham Orthodontics (A24) Issis & Sons (A25) Kathryn Reaves, Red Hills Realty - Homewood (A12) Katie Crommelin, Ray & Poynor (B3) LAH Real Estate (B15) Law Orthodontics (A8) Linscomb & Williams (B7) Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce (B11) Mountain Brook City Schools (A22) Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation (A30) Mr. Electric - A Neighborly Company (A27) Murphree’s Market & Garden Center (B4) OLLI - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (B2) One Man and a Toolbox (A12) Otey’s Tavern (A18) Over the Mountain Glass (A16) Pearly White Dentistry (A7) Phillip Black Campaign (A8) Piggly Wiggly (B6) Publix (A15) Ray & Poynor (B10) Renew Dermatology (A3) Ridout’s Valley Chapel (B12) Riverpeak Partners of Raymond James (A19) ROME Study, UAB Division of Preventative Medicine (B8) Ronald McDonald House Charities (A10) Sewing Machine Mart (A20) Southern Home Structural Repair Specialists (A6) Southern States Bank (A21) Strong Lands/Strong Realty (A17) Sun Business Development (A29) Taco Mama (A16) The Grow Group (A11) The Highlands Community (A21) TherapySouth Crestline (B16) Thomas Andrew Art (B2) Trocadero Salon (A20) TrustCare Urgent Care (B13) TrustMark Bank (A2) University of Alabama/Culverhouse College of Business/Executive MBA (A1) Village Dermatology (A13) Vulcan Termite & Pest Control (A23) Whale of a Sale (A26) Your CBD Store Mountain Brook (B14)

VillageLivingOnline.com

August 2020 • A5

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A6 • August 2020

Village Living

City Council votes to begin renovation of City Hall service mall area The Mountain Brook City Council voted June 22 to make some improvements to City Hall, including the renovation of the existing transaction windows and counters, and the addition of bulletresistant doors and windows.

Photo by Erin Nelson.

By JESSE CHAMBERS The Mountain Brook City Council voted June 22 to make some improvements to City Hall, apply for federal dollars to help pay for emergency expenses caused by COVID-19 and commission a study of a long-standing flooding problem at Mountain Brook Junior High.

The city will pay Meadows Contracting Inc. $107,751 to make some improvements in the service mall area at City Hall on Church Street.

The work — expected to begin by late July or early August — involves the renovation of the existing transaction windows and counters, the addition of bullet-resistant doors and windows and some other improvements.

The changes are intended to make city personnel feel safer, especially when court is in session and they are handling money, City Council President Virginia Smith told Village Living.

The city will submit an application for financial assistance through the federal CARES Act COVID-19 Disaster Relief program. The application is submitted through the Jefferson County Commission. The expenditures submitted for reimbursement were used to prevent, prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 emergency and were not accounted for in the city’s budget, according to information in the agenda packet.

The council voted to accept a professional services proposal from Schoel Engineering to study a long-standing problem with flooding at Mountain Brook Junior High. William Thomas of Schoel told the council that the study would likely be done in three or four weeks.

The flooding stems from the installation of a detention pond on the campus in about 2000, according to the proposal from Schoel. The pond almost immediately was overtopped by

storms, but it is believed the pond can be modified to alleviate the flooding.

Mountain Brook Schools has agreed to pay for half of the cost of the study, which will cost $16,500, MBS Director of Facilities Tommy Prewitt said. “It's really needed,” he told the council. “Since February, we have flooded three times back there.”

The council appointed three people to the city’s Board of Landscape Design. Brooks Sanders will serve through June 12, 2023, replacing Stephen Gidiere, whose term expired June 12. David Lyles and Mary Evelyn McKee

will serve as supernumerary members of the BLD through June 22, 2023.

The council also gave approval to Maurice Papietro of Brick & Tin restaurant, located at 2901 Cahaba Road, to temporarily set up five tables for seating outside the restaurant on the Culver Road side. The eatery reopened in May but seating inside the restaurant is limited by the state health rules still in place due to COVID-19. “We are just trying to get back as many of our seats as possible to make up what we lost inside,” Papietro said. He told members he was inspired by Golden Age Wine and a

similar arrangement they began recently after receiving council approval.

OTHER BUSINESS

► The council authorized the execution of an agreement with a contractor, Alabama Guardrail Inc., that will install 475 feet of wooden guardrail along Mountain Brook Parkway starting west of Overbrook Road for the sum of $35,625. ► Members passed a resolution authorizing the installation of a 35-watt LED street light with 2-foot arm on Sedley Drive.

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VillageLivingOnline.com

August 2020 • A7

Council, board take measures to change name of public library

The Emmet O’Neal Public Library in Crestline Village will now be called the O’Neal Library following a July 13 vote by the Mountain Brook City Council. The council’s action followed a resolution adopted by the fivemember library board, which said it had the O’Neal family’s support to change the facility’s name. Staff photo.

By JESSE CHAMBERS The Mountain Brook City Council — at its regular meeting for July 13 — voted unanimously to pass a resolution changing the name of the Emmet O’Neal Public Library in Crestline Village to the O’Neal Library.

In recent weeks, it has been widely discussed that Emmet O’Neal, a Florence native who was elected governor of Alabama in 1910 and died in Birmingham in 1922, was an ardent white supremacist.

He was a delegate to the 1901 Alabama Constitutional Convention and, in a speech that year to the Democratic State Executive Committee, said the “paramount purpose of the constitutional convention is to lay deep and strong and permanent in the fundamental law of the State the foundation of white supremacy forever in Alabama,” according to bhamwiki.com The council’s action in changing the name of the library follows a resolution adopted by the five-member library board.

“Recent events in our state and country have turned our attention to opportunities for change and improvement and have challenged us to reconsider some long-held symbols,” the board’s resolution states.

The board said it was asked to change the name of the facility because of Emmet O’Neal’s role in “perpetuating segregation” in Alabama.

The board said it has discussed the matter with the O’Neal family and has their support in changing the name of the facility.

The Elizabeth and Kirkman O’Neal Foundation donated a library building to the city of Mountain Brook in 1965. The O’Neal family also helped fund the new library that was built

in 2002, according to the council’s resolution.

The resolution was brought to the council July 13 by Councilor Lloyd Shelton, who serves as the council’s liaison to the Emmet O’Neal Library Board.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

The council approved three appointments to the city’s Board of Zoning Adjustment.

Members reappointed Norman Orr to a threeyear term ending March 24, 2023 and Richard Simonton to a three-year term ending July 25, 2023. Orr and Simonton “have been very good members” of the BZA, said City Council President Virginia Smith.

The council appointed Noel Dowling, a former BZA member, as a supernumerary member.

They also voted to change Gerald Garner from

a supernumerary to a full board member.

EXTENSION FOR CHESTER’S

Members passed a resolution extending a conditional office use for Chester’s International Test Kitchen, which is located at 2037 Cahaba Road in English Village. Chester’s, which operates several chains of franchise restaurants, has its headquarters nearby, at 2020 Cahaba Road.

The temporary approval for the office use, which the council approved in May 2017, was set to expire Jan. 30, 2021.

The space was formerly occupied by Cafe Iz and is meant for either retail or restaurant use.

Members have expressed a desire to stimulate foot traffic and vibrancy in English Village.

The council, by a 3-2 vote, extended the

conditional use for one year, until Jan. 30, 2022, with the majority expressing the belief that it is wise to allow Chester’s to remain as a tenant in the building during the economic downtown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think that’s a wise decision because there are so many vacancies in the village,” said Shirley Kahn, who owns the property.

OTHER ITEMS

► Members passed a resolution authorizing the execution of an agreement for the installation of a water fountain at the Irondale Furnace park. ► The council recognized Mike Cobb and Scooter Hammers, long-time co-owners of Crestline Pharmacy, upon the occasion of their recent retirement after 30 years.

A8 • August 2020

Village Living

Grant to provide virtual training, connectivity for area fire departments The Mountain Brook Fire Department will soon be able to virtually connect to the Alabama Fire College and other area fire departments thanks to a $98,000 federal regional assistance grant. Photo

by Erin Nelson.

By NEAL EMBRY The Mountain Brook Fire Department will soon be able to virtually connect to the Alabama Fire College and other area fire departments, allowing for more training and educational opportunities.

A federal regional assistance grant was recently awarded to the Mountain Brook Fire Department, Vestavia Hills Fire Department, the Rocky Ridge Fire District, the North Shelby Fire District and the Cahaba Valley Fire District.

Mountain Brook Fire Chief Chris Mullins said the city’s portion of the grant, $98,000, will pay for equipment to help the department conduct virtual training with Alabama Fire College as well as other departments, including the ability to livestream training at their own site to nearby departments.

Mullins said the change helps streamline training for area departments.

“We found we were reinventing the wheel,” Mullins said. “Everyone was doing their own thing.”

Rocky Ridge Fire District Chief Jon Lord said the equipment can also help connect fire departments to the Alabama Fire College, which provides educational courses and ongoing training for firefighters.

Grant Wilkinson, public information officer for the Cahaba Valley Fire District, said while some required training courses at the college must be done in person because they are more hands-on activities, there are many classes that are more classroom-type settings. About half of the standard classes firefighters take can be done virtually, Wilkinson said.

Vestavia Hills Fire Chief Marvin Green said the fire college is expanding their virtual classes, including EMT courses, paramedic courses, fire instructor and fire officer courses.

Those 40-hour courses are now available online, he said.

Vestavia Hills received the largest portion

of the grant at $121,000, while Rocky Ridge received $83,000 and both North Shelby and Cahaba Valley received $54,000.

Lord said having the equipment, due to be delivered by mid-August, includes cameras, speaker systems, computers, smart TVs and more. It helps save on wear and tear on fire department equipment, and also helps keep firefighters physically separate while bringing them together virtually, a much-needed blessing in the time of COVID-19.

“Anytime we get to work with neighboring departments, it helps us get to know each other

more,” Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson said since the departments often help each other during emergencies, it helps to get to know other firefighters. Cahaba Valley, he said, has gotten to know firefighters in Liberty Park, Vestavia’s No. 4 station located in the backside of Liberty Park.

Green said that during the pandemic his department has focused on more online training, but has kept up its required hours of training.

Department leaders can use the technology for morning meetings, and since the equipment

will be installed at each station, firefighters no longer have to leave their stations while on duty, which, in the past, would mean someone else would have to replace that firefighter.

“It absolutely will help us save money,” Wilkinson said.

Green said being able to broadcast information more quickly means battalion chiefs don’t have to travel station to station, cutting down on travel time and cost to the department.

“This will be a game changer for us in terms of training and how we get out information in the future,” Green said.

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August 2020 • A9 A sign posted in the front window at Golden Age Wine in Mountain Brook, seen June 29, lets patrons know that in order to enter the store a face covering must be worn. Photo

by Erin Nelson.

Mayor’s Minute

By Stewart Welch III Effective June 29, the Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) mandated that employees and customers or patrons must wear a face covering while in public buildings such as grocery stores, pharmacies and retailers — and restaurants, while not at your table dining. The city of Mountain Brook immediately issued its own ordinance strengthening the JCHD mandate.

Most of the feedback I have received has been an overwhelming sigh of relief and thank you for helping keep everyone safe. I have also received a Stewart Welch III handful of angry emails stating that requiring a mask both infringes on people’s rights to make our own choices and that masks are scientifically proven to be ineffective.

While there is some debate about the effectiveness, or even harm, of wearing a mask, my reading suggests that the most prominent research strongly favors them, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Much of this research indicates that wearing a mask can reduce the spread of COVID-19 by 50% to 75% or more.

In my “other life,” I own an investment management and financial advisory firm, and much of our work is assessing various forms of risk versus return. Ideally you are looking for a strategy that is “low risk with a potentially high return.” If I could relate this to wearing a mask, my assessment would be “very low risk with potentially very high return.” The risks of wearing a mask could be classified mostly as follows: ► Annoying ► Harder to talk ► Harder to understand someone who is wearing one The high return is the reduction of the likelihood of unknowingly spreading the virus to a vulnerable person who could become severely ill, be hospitalized or die.

The bottom line: Wear a face covering when in public buildings (or elsewhere as required by the JCHD mandate). It is a smart return on investment.

Mountain Brook businesses ordered to require face coverings for patrons

By JESSE CHAMBERS At a called meeting June 29, the Mountain Brook City Council voted to amend the city code and mandate that businesses require patrons to wear face coverings or risk having their city business licenses revoked. The ordinance took effect July 3.

The intent is to help battle the still-spreading COVID-19 pandemic.

The city’s action came in the wake of an order by Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson, which said everyone ages 9 and older in the county would be required to wear a face covering in most indoor public spaces. Wilson’s order took effect June 29.

However, Mayor Stewart Welch stressed that the city doesn’t want to punish businesses.

“I do think it’s critical that we communicate this as a support tool and not us being heavy handed

with the business owners,” he said.

The ordinance is meant to empower merchants to protect their employees and customers by giving them back-up if a customer refuses to wear a mask, according to Welch and some council members.

Councilor Phillip Black said he was in favor of the ordinance and noted many people at some of the businesses he visits are not wearing masks.

“I think it’s good that we’re developing some consistency throughout the city so people know what the expectations are and so do the business owners,” he said.

City Clerk Steve Boone noted any suspension or revocation of a license would not be instantaneous and would require a process lasting from 10-20 days.

In addition, City Attorney Whit Colvin said those situations might involve some “mitigating circumstances” that the council could take into account.

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A10 • August 2020

Village Living

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Now Open The Blueroot Company opened a pick-up window at 2822 Petticoat Lane in July. Owned by Jennifer Ryan, Blueroot offers fresh, healthy food, including salad and grain bowls, specialty toasts, breakfast bowls, sides, snacks and baked sweet potatoes. Ryan, a Mountain Brook resident, also recently announced Blueroot will open its 1,700-square-foot flagship brick-and-mortar restaurant location at Pepper Place in Lakeview later in 2020. That Pepper Place facility will also house Blueroot’s catering and production operations. bluerootco.com, @blueroot.co on Facebook

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Post Office Pies — the popular pizza parlor in Avondale — was scheduled at press time to open its new location in Lane Parke by the end of July, according to Lane Parke developer John Evans.

205-599-9900, postofficepies.com

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Coming Soon Dr. Holly Gunn, a board-certified dermatologist and Mountain Brook resident, will soon open her practice, Gunn Dermatology, at 32 Church St. Gunn told Village Living she is planning a soft opening for Aug. 3 and a grand opening for the fall.

205-415-7536, gunndermatology.com

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149 the House Gala Heart of

Prints Charming Soho, a new boutique offering fine art and unique antiques, will open in the former Bearden Designs space at 1903 Cahaba Road in English Village in late

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August 2020 • A11

September or early October, according to the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce and a spokesperson for the realtor. @printscharmingsohonyc on Instagram Amparo Fine Living, offering high-end home furnishings, furniture and accessories, will open this fall in the former Jordan Alexander space at 2003 Cahaba Road in English Village, according to a spokesperson for the realtor. It will also offer classes on how to make fine linens. amparofineliving.com or @amparofineliving on Instagram

5

Built Capital, a company that helps the builders of large housing developments obtain funding, is opening a new office in the Lane Parke development at 210 Rele St. At press time, the company was completing the buildout of the space and expected to open by the end of July, according to Lane Parke developer John Evans. The 1,000-square-foot office will be located in the former home of Annabelle’s Southern Boutique.

205-999-6903, builttoinvest.com

6

Relocations and Renovations

nonprofit’s work for children with autism.

205-957-0294, mitchells-place.com Brick & Tin restaurant, 2901 Cahaba Road, received approval June 23 from the Mountain Brook City Council to temporarily set up five tables for seating outside the restaurant on the Culver Road side. The eatery reopened in May but seating inside the restaurant is limited by the state health rules still in place due to COVID-19.

205-502-7971, brickandtin.com

9

Anniversaries 10

Kevin J. Alexander P.C., 48 Church St., is celebrating 31 years in business.

205-871-7361, kjadmd.com

Closings 11

Ann Taylor LOFT, 603 Brookwood Village, permanently closed July 26.

12

Jason’s Deli, 583 Brookwood Village, announced in mid-July that its location was closing permanently.

Trouvé, 2004 Cahaba Road in English Village, is closing, according to the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce. Opened in November 2012, Trouvé carried gifts, jewelry and home furnishings.

13

GreenWise Market at Lane Parke, 1000 Jemison Lane, was nearing completion as of press time of a $500,000 renovation that included some rebranding and cosmetic changes, according to Lane Parke developer John Evans.

205-802-9189, greenwisemarket.com

7

News and Accomplishments

Grand Jete Barre Fitness and Boutique, 2008 Cahaba Road in English Village, is closing after 10 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The owners made the announcement in a Facebook post. “It is with great sadness that we share this news but also with great thankfulness for the wonderful times we shared at the barre and beyond,” the post stated.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mitchell’s Place has canceled its second annual Dragon Boat Race & Festival, which was scheduled at East Lake Park for Aug. 22. However, a spokesperson for Mitchell’s Place, 4778 Overton Road, said the organization is looking forward to hosting the ninth annual Mitchell’s Golf Chili Championship, set for Oct. 12 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Founders Course at Greystone Country Club.

The event raises money for the Mountain Brook

Continental Bakery, 1911 Cahaba Road in English Village, is closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Owner Carole Griffin announced the closure on Facebook on June 27. Griffin's bistro Chez Lulu, located adjacent to the bakery, is also closed temporarily. “We will be closed until we can figure out how to do business safely in a public health catastrophe of this magnitude,” Griffin said in the Facebook post.

205-870-5584, chezlulu.us

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Kam Patton 205-504-9333 Laurie Trimm 205-862-2711 Jill Taylor 251-513-2311 Leigh Ann Cooch 205-441-0984

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A12 • August 2020

Village Living

Business

New name, new look

Miss Dot’s becomes Craft’s on Church Street with new dishes plus old favorites

By ANN DOUGLAS LOTT

The Mac Stack, a fried chicken breast topped with mac ‘n’ cheese, pickles and ranch, served with a side of fries is one unique item on the menu at Craft’s on Church Street, formerly Miss Dot’s. Photos by Erin Nelson.

“Welcome home” has a whole new meaning when it’s your home.

When Miss Dot’s changed its name to Craft’s on Church Street a few of months ago, Mountain Brook citizens were curious to know the story behind the chicken restaurant’s name change — and what new changes to expect from it.

It turns out that the new owner, Craft O’Neal Jr., and his father of the same name had played a role in Miss Dot’s since its beginning.

O’Neal and his father become partners with Tyre Stuckey and Tim Ferguson, former owners of Miss Dot’s, a few years ago. In December 2018, the O’Neals took over the management of Miss Dot’s before officially assuming full ownership of the restaurant in August 2019.

“The restaurant business just runs in the family,” O’Neal said. His grandparents started Zoës Kitchen in 1995, making O’Neal a third-generation restaurant owner.

The first change O’Neal decided to make after taking the reins was to remodel the interior of the restaurant. It felt like a breakfast and lunch place, he said, and he wanted a more comfortable feel for nighttime dining.

The restaurant exchanged its bright green booths for more modern seating and décor.

There are also new dining tables on the sidewalk for customers to enjoy the views on Church Street while they chow down on fried chicken.

The menu has undergone a makeover as well.

The restaurant has gotten much more creative by offering more than a classic chicken sandwich.

Customers can expect to see the same delicious Southern dishes they enjoyed before the renovation in addition to some exciting bonuses.

Since revamping the menu, Craft’s on

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August 2020 • A13

The Baja Bowl, one of the new items on the menu at Craft’s on Church Street, features a bowl of rice topped with grilled chicken, black beans, roasted corn and cheddar cheese with sides of salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

Church Street now offers wraps, bowls and different sides, O’Neal said. Other new menu items are an improved macaroni and cheese recipe, a honey hot chicken quesadilla and more frozen cocktails.

The real inspiration for the restaurant’s new menu items is family recipes, O’Neal said.

For example, customers can look forward to ordering Greek chicken dinners inspired by those of Zoës Kitchen, which will be available to order soon. O’Neal’s mother also introduced some new recipes.

Another popular new option is the Marky burger, which features O’Neal’s grandfather’s special sauce.

For diners wanting something healthier, Craft’s on Church Street offers an array of salads, bowls and the option to substitute grilled chicken for fried.

Longtime fans of Miss Dot’s classic fried chicken recipe have no need to fear — a glance at the menu will prove that homestyle southern chicken recipes still take center stage.

Leola Rogers, the original “Miss Dot” and source of many of the original recipes, still works for O’Neal’s uncle, John Cassimus,

O’Neal said. Cassimus was an original owner of Miss Dot’s before turning over his role to Tim Ferguson.

The new menu items aren’t the only reason that business has been booming lately.

“We’ve built a bunch of momentum over the past year,” O’Neal said. “We’re doing better than we were this time last year.”

Additionally, in the midst of a pandemic and an economic crisis, people have been quite eager to order meals and drinks for pick-up over the past few months.

Tips alone have nearly tripled in recent months, O’Neal said. Mountain Brook residents have been extremely supportive to the local businesses they have missed while in quarantine.

The caption of an Instagram post shared by @craftsbhm in May announcing the new developments says it all: “New name, some new menu items, but the same friendly faces!”

Craft’s on Church Street is available for curbside pickup or dine-in from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday through Thursday and until 9 p.m. on Fridays. To order ahead, call 205-739-2232.

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A14 • August 2020

Finnley Buchanan, 4, walks down a concrete slat in the creek at Jemison Park along Mountain Brook Parkway on July 6. Photos by Erin Nelson.

SPLISH SPLASH Beating the heat at Jemison Park Clockwise, from right: Samson, a 5-year-old Irish Setter, looks up as his owner, Audrey Rice, rubs his neck after playing in the creek. Camp, 20 months, splashes in the creek as he and his twin brother, Wells, play in the water. Sawyer, a 6-month-old black Labrador, runs through the creek while chasing rocks thrown by children.

Village Living

VillageLivingOnline.com

August 2020 • A15

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Good news, friend. You’ll now see more of your tried-and-true favorites in-store. Subs, fried chicken, Oreo cookies, and more are all here. The best part? They’ll be easy to find in our curated aisles. Discover more of what you love at GreenWise Market.

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A16 • August 2020

Village Living

Foundation grants help schools through COVID-19 closure Chromebooks given to students provide means to learn from home

By JESSE CHAMBERS The nonprofit Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation, founded in 1992, has given more than $7.1 million in grants to Mountain Brook Schools, according to Rachel Weingartner, the foundation’s executive director.

The grants supplement state and local funding and focus on technology, professional development and library enhancements. The schools benefit greatly from these grants even in normal times.

However, the foundation’s recent investments in technology in the schools proved to be critical when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived.

The virus forced the schools to close for the spring semester and switch entirely to electronic or distance learning.

Fortunately, the foundation’s grant in 2019 provided $200,000 to help provide a Chromebook computer for every Mountain Brook student. Thus the school system was able to respond quickly and effectively during the switch to electronic learning.

“Everyone being able to use the same type of device was instrumental in moving to the e-learning platform efficiently,” Charles Smith, foundation board president, told Village Living.

During the pandemic, MBS was able to provide a Chromebook to every student in the system — including elementary students — for distance learning. Mountain Brook Elementary alone distributed 455 Chromebooks to its students the first week of April.

Electronic learning still has its “challenges,” said Key Hudson, foundation board president-elect. “But I can’t imagine how much harder it would have been if my

Liz Fry, a counselor at Crestline Elementary, carries a Chromebook. The Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation’s 2019 grant of $200,000 helped provide a Chromebook computer for every Mountain Brook student. Photos courtesy of Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation.

children had been sharing our home computer, without their apps preloaded,” said Hudson, who graduated from Mountain Brook High School and has a daughter and son who attend

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Mountain Brook Elementary.

Hudson also praises the “foresight” of Superintendent Dicky Barlow and others at the school system who realized a few years ago that each

student needed to have his or her own device.

“No one foresaw a global pandemic [but] the system did see the need for students to use a consistent device for homework, testing and classroom use,” she said.

“I can’t imagine a school system better prepared than Mountain Brook,” Hudson said, referring to the relative ease of the transition to distance learning.

The Chromebooks were not the only technology purchased using foundation grants that proved important during the pandemic.

Barlow and Mountain Brook Junior High Principal Drew Clayton recorded podcasts from the school's new studio as a way to communicate with students and families.

“What the podcast has allowed us to do is to just let people know that we really are concerned for their children, that we’re trying to do everything that we can, and that everybody in the community — teachers, parents, students — needs to just show a lot of grace toward one another,” Barlow said.

There is also Seesaw, an app that allows elementary students to share their work with teachers. Hudson told Village Living in 2019 that the app allowed her to “see real-time” how her daughter was performing at Mountain Brook Elementary.

A smaller chunk of the foundation’s grant money goes to the school system’s libraries.

Each library uses the funds it receives to update its collection of books, magazines, software and supplies.

“We are really what keeps our libraries funded,” Hudson said.

There’s a good reason that the foundation focuses its grants in technology, professional development and library enhancements, Smith said.

For any public school system in Alabama, there just isn’t enough money in the budget to cover all of the discretionary spending for those items, he said.

“Along with our friends in the PTO, the foundation helps fill the funding gap every

VillageLivingOnline.com

year,” Smith said.

The foundation provides MBS with “a stable source of funding in these areas even when there is fluctuation in state and local tax dollar funding,” Hudson said.

It provides funding for “gap needs” in years when other sources are tight,” she said.

The foundation raises funds from local community donors through annual campaigns such as Give 180, the Grandparent’s Club and the Senior Class Legacy Gift.

The foundation also hosts a track meet in May as an annual fundraiser. In 2019, the event raised more than $50,000 for the foundation.

However, the meet was canceled this year due to COVID-19.

Despite that cancellation, the foundation raised a record total of about $508,000 from community donors in 2019-20, an increase of more than $23,000 from the previous year, according to a foundation news release.

The foundation was able to successfully conclude both the Give180 and Grandparents Club campaigns before COVID-19 hit, Smith said.

The Grandparents Club — in its third year and led by Mimi and Fred Renneker, Becky and Doug Rollins, and Margaret and Kip Porter — has provided “fundraising momentum” for the foundation, Smith said.

Perhaps most important to the success of the foundation’s fundraising, “the Mountain Brook community cares deeply about our school system,” Smith said. “Families here want their children to receive an exceptional education, and they understand the school system needs

August 2020 • A17 Elementary student Drennen Nichols, left, Polly and Louise Mayfield, far left, and James Trotter, right, with their Chromebooks used for class instruction.

Electronic learning still has its “challenges,” said Key Hudson, foundation board presidentelect. “But I can’t imagine how much harder it would have been if my children had been sharing our home computer, without their apps preloaded.”

their financial support.”

A Mountain Brook resident, Smith is a 1998 graduate of Mountain Brook High School and has three sons in the city schools in the sixth, seventh and ninth grades.

“The most gratifying part of serving in this role is seeing firsthand the impact the foundation has on the school system,” Smith said. “One of my favorite experiences has been participating in the Institute for Innovation, where teachers present grant requests from the foundation. I have been beyond impressed with their passion, enthusiasm and creativity.”

The foundation gets “really excited when we can fund innovative teaching ideas,” Hudson said. “By funding the Institute for Innovation, we are able to support the teachers’ great ideas about how they can engage students more effectively.”

“We hear that some of our best teachers choose to come to Mountain Brook because of the professional development that they get,” she said.

“It is incredible to see teachers who care so much about teaching that they will give up their time during the summer to attend the Learning and Google Tech conferences,” Hudson said.

The foundation can also experiment and test ideas for the schools by hosting pilot programs.

“We were able to fund reading coaches at the elementary schools before the system saw the impact they had and were able to take them into their budget,” Hudson said.

The organization also hosted a pilot when the schools were searching for the best technology device for students, eventually picking the Chromebook. This saved a lot of money by making sure the right type of device was being funded, Hudson said.

She also praises Barlow and MBS for the approach they’ve taken to technology in the schools.’

“Our students don’t use technology for the sake of technology or to have the ‘coolest’ new toy,” she said. “The system uses technology to engage students, communicate with families and enhance the learning environment.”

Hudson has seen this at work with her own children. “When I ask my kindergartner what he learned in school that day, he often says ‘nothing,’ but when I ask him what he did, he tells me all about the things he played at school,” she said. “He doesn’t even realize he is learning because he is so engaged.”

The foundation has a board of 36 community volunteers and a $9 million endowment.

Each year, the foundation provides a grant from its endowment fund to be used in all six Mountain Brook schools: Brookwood Forest, Cherokee Bend, Crestline and Mountain Brook elementary schools, the junior high and the high school.

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A18 • August 2020

Village Living

Local attorney invents training tool to help make football safer The H.U.T. Strap connects a player’s helmet and shoulder pads and breaks free when a player uses improper technique and looks at the ground.

When a player lowers his head, he increases his chances of head injury, inventor Ken Thompson said. Photo courtesy of Ken Thompson.

By JESSE CHAMBERS Ken Thompson is an attorney and Mountain Brook resident who loves football, calling it “the ultimate team sport.”

“Players from different backgrounds learn trust and rely on one another to accomplish their shared goal,” and the athletes are taught “self-discipline and teamwork,” he told Village Living.

In addition, “the element of physicality in tackle football is unique,” Thompson said. “It raises the stakes and quickly exposes weakness in the team.”

However, that physicality can cause injury, and there is an increased awareness in today’s world of concussions, CTE and other football-related head injuries, Thompson said.

This awareness on the part of parents has heavily contributed to the sharp decline in participation in youth tackle football in America.

Village Living reported in September that Mountain Brook Athletics youth football saw a roughly 30% drop in participation from 2015-18.

But Thompson has a new invention he believes can help young players stay safe while also improving their game. It’s called the H.U.T. Strap, which stands for “heads-up training.”

The strap connects the back of the helmet with the shoulder pads and has a safety snap that breaks free when a player uses improper technique and looks at the ground.

“It is the first-ever training tool that assists players in learning and retaining proper heads-up technique,” Thompson said.

Every time a player lowers his head, he exposes the crown of his helmet to impact and increases his chances of getting hurt, Thompson said.

“The H.U.T. strap is going to help make the game much safer,” he said.

Thompson wants to help save youth football, which he calls “the wellspring for our high school and college football programs.”

Thompson played tight end at Carroll High School in Ozark, graduating in 1986, and his son later played at Mountain Brook High School.

He spent well over a year developing the strap and talked to doctors, coaches, trainers and engineers. He began showing the strap to coaches in spring 2019 and was granted a patent in June 2020. The strap, which is made in the United States, costs $40.

The H.U.T. Strap’s greatest effectiveness will likely be in youth leagues, Thompson said.

“We want players to develop good habits,” he said. “We don't want to have to break bad ones.”

But it can be an important teaching tool for

high school and college players. “There are problems at the higher levels of play,” Thompson said, citing the number of targeting penalties as an example.

“There’s also an important performance element,” he said. “If you don't have your head up, you are not going to perform your job as well.

You have to see what you hit.”

Mountain Brook High School began using the H.U.T strap during spring practice in 2019 and has 22 straps they use mostly for their linemen, said MBHS Head Coach Chris Yeager.

Yeager is convinced that the H.U.T. strap is effective, calling it “a simple, low maintenance piece of equipment that effectively trains the most foundational skill in athletics — keep

your head and eyes up.”

Thompson equipped the third- and fourthgrade youth teams in Mountain Brook with the strap last fall. “Both won their grade championships,” Thompson said.

Over the last year and half, Thompson has made presentations about the strap to several colleges, as well as such high schools as Helena and Gardendale.

His plan had been to introduce the H.U.T. Strap throughout the Birmingham area this spring. “COVID-19 prevented me from doing it,” he said.

“I’m now working remotely to generate awareness of the H.U.T. Strap at the high school level,” Thompson said.

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VillageLivingOnline.com

August 2020 • A19

The recent pandemic has changed the workplace and many people are either being offered an early retirement package by their employer or are considering voluntarily retiring early.

Here are some things to consider before you make that decision: Are you financially ready to retire?

Retiring with financial confidence is something we help our clients with every day. The process begins with a conversation outlining projected income and expenses in retirement, and analysis of your current savings and investment portfolios. With this information we develop an investment strategy and plan that allows you to confidently make the transition into retirement.

If delaying social security is financially advantageous long-term, is it possible?

A family of four looks at the array of roses in the Dunn Formal Rose Garden on June 29 at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Photos by Erin Nelson.

Botanical Gardens reopens, takes wedding reservations

By ANN DOUGLAS LOTT Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Birmingham, many brides and grooms in the area have had to postpone their weddings or get married without many of their loved ones present. It seemed as if those were the only options — until recently.

After a three-month closure, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens reopened to the public June 15. The popular event space also announced June 1 that it would begin A mother and daughter walk through the Dunn Formal Rose Garden. offering wedding reservations for the coming year. Engaged couples looking to have their wedding at the gardens in the next year can now reserve dates between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 31, 2021.

So many of the plants The gardens provide a beautiful backdrop for are in full bloom, and family gatherings, meetings, fundraisers and more, but weddings make up a large portion of our visitors are going reservations at the facility, according to Stanley to have many pleasant Robinson, public relations coordinator for the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board. surprises.

Brides in Birmingham and beyond have been VIRGIL MATHEWS eager to book their wedding dates at the Botanical Gardens, said Cheryl Henderson, administrative assistant to the director of the gardens.

Saturdays have been filling up quickly in addiwe were closed and had the safety of the public tion to bookings for other types of events.

However, there are new health and safety in mind,” he said. Since reopening, most visiguidelines engaged couples must follow while tors have come in wearing masks and abided by planning their big day. Typically, engaged cou- social distancing guidelines very well.

Upon entering the gardens, visitors are met ples have been able to walk in and make reservations without calling ahead. Now they must by a sign telling them that they may only use the gate at the main entrance. Different buildmake an appointment.

The event staff also advise anyone wishing to ings and rooms each have maximum occuhold events at the gardens to ensure that people pancies and hours, which are provided on the sitting at the same tables are family, Henderson Birmingham Botanical Gardens website.

“We have had our gates closed since March said.

The Botanical Gardens can only operate at 16, so we are excited to again welcome happy 50% capacity, she said. Even at popular outdoor faces walking through our doors,” said Virgil spaces such as the Japanese Garden and Dunn Mathews, director of the gardens, in a June 1 Formal Rose Garden, visitors must practice news release. “So many of the plants are in full bloom, and our visitors are going to have many social distancing.

About half of weddings at the Botanical Gar- pleasant surprises.”

The gardens attract more than 350,000 guests dens take place outside, Henderson said. But while many people may think it’s safer to be annually, Robinson said. The staff at the facility in these outdoor spaces during the pandemic, put in a lot of time and effort into ensuring that precautions must still be taken to ensure all the gardens would be safe for visitors to return.

“When we initially closed, we took the guests’ safety. Couples must also have a backup plan for bad weather and book a room for the opportunity to clean the facility and get the staff reception in an indoor space where more social accustomed to the new guidelines,” he said.

After prepping the staff for the new operadistancing is required.

Closing the facilities to visitors back in tions, it was a relief to finally open up and see March was a difficult decision made by the people admiring the gardens again, he said.

To reserve a space for a special event, call Birmingham Park and Recreation Board and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens at 205-414city leaders, Robinson said.

“People were very understanding as to why 3900 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

“

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While in some cases it is necessary and may even make sense to file for social security early, in many cases it makes sense to wait until full retirement age or beyond. We can help evaluate your social security options and help you decide the most advantageous time to file for your benefits.

Are your life and health insurance benefits portable once you retire?

If your life and health insurance is through your employer you should check to see if you can keep these benefits after retirement. If not, it is important to shop for replacement coverage to ensure that you will be able to cover these risks before entering retirement.

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A20 • August 2020

Village Living

ON HER WAY MBHS grad Caroline Moore to attend film school in NY, dreams of producing films

By JESSE CHAMBERS Mountain Brook High School graduate Caroline Moore really wants to be a feature film producer.

“So much I could scream it from the nearest rooftop,” she said. “Being the woman behind the curtain, making sure that a story has the proper footing to stand tall, is my dream,” she said.

Moore is well on her way to reaching that goal.

Graduating summa cum laude from the University of Alabama this spring, Moore earned a degree from the College of Communication and Information Sciences in communication studies with a concentration in creative producing and a minor in business administration.

While attending Alabama, Moore gained production experience by working for Crimson Tide Productions (CTP) in the school’s athletic department during her four years at UA. In addition, she gained admission to one of the most prestigious graduate film programs in the world in the School of the Arts at Columbia

Caroline Moore, a recent graduate of the University of Alabama and alumna of Mountain Brook High School, sits on the floor in her parents’ house holding a vintage camera. Moore will be attending the School of the Arts at Columbia University in New York City in the fall as she follows her dreams of screen writing and directing films. Photo by Erin Nelson.

University in New York, which she’ll attend this fall.

Moving to the Big Apple fulfills another of Moore’s dreams. “This is really a culmination of what I have wanted since I could remember,” she said.

When Moore was 4 or 5 years old, she told her grandmother she was going to be a dancer in New York but that her grandmother shouldn’t worry because she could come visit her.

“I made good on my word in some ways, I suppose,” Moore said.

She also has a strong conviction regarding the social importance of film and aspires to do more than merely entertain her audiences.

“I see a film as much more than a way to spend two hours,” she said. “It acts as a mirror in that it should reflect our culture, the bad and the good, in a way that cannot be ignored and is revered for the honesty it portrays.”

While working at CTP, Moore amassed valuable training and experience — more than she “can fully express” — that will help her in the film business, she said.

“It really started from the ground up: the etiquette of a production, the chain of command, when to stick to it and when to break it, the excitement a group of people with one common goal can feel,” she said.

Working about 20 hours a week, Moore did

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VillageLivingOnline.com

August 2020 • A21

Moore is shown in action on a video shoot with Crimson Tide Productions at the University of Alabama. Moore graduated from UA this spring and will attend film school at Columbia University in New York City. Photos courtesy of Caroline Moore.

audio and video production for all sports and often worked for ESPN and the SEC Network.

The job was both fun and challenging, and Moore made a lot of good friends and found some valuable mentors.

“I always felt like my skills were being furthered by those people we refer to as full-time staffers,” Moore said.

Justin Brant and Wyatt Caruthers encouraged her to pursue audio engineering, and she was inspired by Kaye Proctor, who was “shining the light ahead for all females in CTP,” Moore said.

The work at CTP taught Moore “how important the energy of the crew is to the sustainability of the production,” she said.

CTP also provided her with some lessons about the tough side of production work. “I learned how to take a hit when it came to errors because we were students,” Moore said. “We needed to be tossed into the madness in order to persevere, to give our utmost effort and, for lack of a better phrase, leave it all out on the field — or court, depending on the sport.”

It makes sense that she was involved in

sports. Moore, who graduated from Mountain Brook High School in 2016, was a four-year starter on the Spartans softball team.

“Sports run deep” on her father’s side of the family, she said. Moore’s grandfather, Bud Moore, was a college football head coach and is a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

While at CTP, Moore came to honor and value the people with whom she worked and realized “how important it is to be invested in people and their purpose within the production and outside of it,” she said.

“A production, whether it’s sports or narrative film, requires humans of all different backgrounds and different positions to meld together and make it great,” Moore said. “I learned what a team looks like at CTP, and I aspire to build one as strong and diverse as I have had the pleasure of serving on.”

This belief in teamwork feeds directly into Moore’s vision of what film producers do.

“Producing is making sure that the ideas are heard and people know what they are getting into and they are excited about it,” Moore said.

A producer must put herself “in everyone else's shoes, understanding the integrity of their position and giving them the credit they deserve,” she said Moore is confident she has the personal attributes, including good people skills, that she needs to succeed in the film industry.

“My effort is contagious, and I think that is an integral part of why I want to manage story and people together,” she said. “I am a very active listener, and I invest myself in conversations and things that are important to other people in order for them to know how invested I am in them as a person.”

She has a “forceful personality” and can “feed off of other people’s energies,” Moore said.

She looks forward to working with the “many eclectic creative professionals” in the business. “I can’t help but think that I would fit and communicate well with them,” she said.

A strong sense of values undergirds Moore’s approach to her creativity, as well. “I’ve never been good with putting up with intolerance or

injustice, and it definitely shows,” she said.

Storytelling is also a critically important way to bring people together, Moore said “If I don’t create and build connections between people, then I might as well cease to exist,” she said. “My empowerment hinges on that of human storytelling. I have no desire to stand idly by and be the only character in my own story because that isn’t what life is. Life is in the crossovers and connections and the parts that we can’t handle alone.”

This applies to social movements such as the Black Lives Matter movement, which “needs those connections between all peoples to make their platform stronger than it already is,'' Moore said.

Film is part of that platform, she said, citing the documentary “I am Not Your Negro” and the TV series “When They See Us” as examples.

Film is “a reflection of the culture we fight to make our own,” she said. “I am in service to these stories and the people they shine light on.

My purpose in life is to empower people, and film is how I choose to do that.”

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A22 • August 2020

Village Living

THE SHOW MUST GO ON Crestline’s Central Alabama Theater continues virtually during COVID-19 pandemic

By JESSE CHAMBERS Central Alabama Theater, based in Crestline Village at the iconic Steeple Arts Academy of Dance, is marking its sixth anniversary in 2020, certainly a cause for celebration.

“As you well know in Theater, when you can start from the ground up and still be here six years later, that is an accomplishment in itself,” said Carl Peoples, the theater’s executive artistic director.

CAT had to cancel some live events this spring — two booked shows and five weekly cabarets — due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When it first happened, we were devastated like everybody else and sulked in the corner for a couple of weeks,” Peoples said. “Then we realized we can cry about it or turn our creativity on its ear.”

Peoples began hosting a weekly series of old CAT video clips called “CAT Close-Ups.” The episodes gave people an escape from the pandemic and “something you didn’t have to think about, something that made you smile,” he said.

Then the theater celebrated its anniversary in a grand style with the “CAT Cyber Cabaret,” presented virtually via Facebook Live in late May. The event was a mix of Alabama and national acts, some of whom Peoples met during his years working in show business in New York and Los Angeles.

The 90-minute show included winners of Grammy, Golden Globe and Emmy awards, as well as “American Idol” runner-up and

“The Bikinis,” a kitschy reunion concert of a fictional ’60s girl group called “The Bikinis,” was one of the shows that has been presented at Central Alabama Theater. Photos courtesy of Central Alabama Theater.

Birmingham native Diana DeGarmo.

“We had people from every spectrum of the entertainment world,” Peoples said.

“CAT Cyber Cabaret” helped the Theater generate positive attention and reach out to its audience while its venue was closed. The show’s success also showed the CAT board a way to continue reaching that audience in the coming months made uncertain by the

continuing pandemic.

In August, CAT will present the first installment in a monthly series of online shows, “CAT Cyber Cabaret the Series,” with Peoples as the host. The shows will be free of charge and available on Facebook Live among other social media outlets.

People can donate if they want to, Peoples said. “The cool thing is that we divide the

donations with the artists because they are also not working right now,” he said.

CAT Cabaret will be similar to other talk shows, Peoples said. “There will be opening monologues, and then we will have a JAB [Junior Artistic Board] member open the show, and then we have a special guest,” he said. “They come in, and we do a 10-15 minute interview, and they do five or six songs.”

Child Find Notice ChildrensAL.org Special education services for children with disabilities are provided in accordance with the Individual with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Amendments of 2004 and Alabama Act 106. Child Find is an attempt to locate and provide appropriate educational and related services to all children with disabilities between the ages of birth to 21. If you are the parent of a child with disabilities who is not receiving services, or if you would like more information, please contact Dr. Missy Brooks at the Mountain Brook Board of Education, Special Education Department, 205-414-3836.

Career Tech Course Offerings Mountain Brook High School offers several courses in the areas of business administration and finance: Business Technology I and II, Accounting, Business Law, Management Principles, Business Finance, Leadership Mountain Brook, Career Focus, Career COOP and INCubatoredu.

Mountain Brook Junior High offers Project Lead the WayGateway to Engineering courses as semester electives for seventh, eighth and ninth grade students. These courses include the following: Automation and Robotics (AR), Design and Modeling (DM), Intro to Computer Science (ICS) and Foundations of Engineering.

No student will be denied admission to these courses or discriminated against based on race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability or age.

(Still) Serving Children Safely It has always been our priority to ensure the safety and well-being of each child in our care — and that remains our commitment as we continue our mission during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Here’s how we have redesigned our operations to keep our patients and their families as safe as possible: q All visitors are screened immediately for signs of illness and fever. q We follow Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting our facilities. q Our staff practices safe hand hygiene. q We are wearing masks for your safety.

Thank you for wearing your face covering. q All visitors to campus are required to wear masks. q Waiting rooms have been reconfigured to accommodate social distancing guidelines.

VillageLivingOnline.com

August 2020 • A23

Above: This celebration of Kwanza was part of the Central Alabama Theater’s holiday show at UAB’s Sirote Theater in 2018, “A Not So Silent Night.” Right: Country music star Ty Herndon also appeared at “A Not So Silent Night.”

The Theater’s original plan was to host the May 26 event in 2021 for its seventh anniversary, because seven “is a more magical number,” he said. ”But the pandemic hit, and we were forced to rethink some things.”

Rather than flying in People’s entertainment friends from around the country, CAT could do something online, so the event got moved up a year.

“We think it’s the universe’s way of making things happen as it is supposed to, so we try to go with the flow,” he said.

The show featured well-known performers such as Reeve Carney, Ty Herndon and Ace Young, as well as Miss Alabama Tiara Pennington and others.

The CAT Cabaret will be presented monthly at least through the end of the year, Peoples said.

“It will probably be 2021 before we are doing anything live again,” Peoples said, citing the Theater’s desire to keep people safe during COVID-19.

“People are not going to buy tickets to sit next to people they don't know,” he said.

In addition, CAT does not rely on volunteers to stage its shows. “We never ask people to work without being paid, so it's even harder for

us to mount something during a time like this,” Peoples said. “Nobody is giving out grants and nobody is sponsoring anything and nobody is buying tickets.”

“We will do whatever we can to stay relevant and give our patrons and our audience something to watch,” Peoples said.

The Theater board also hopes to present a holiday show, even if it has to be done virtually.

“The holidays are a big time for us,” Peoples said.

In 2018, CAT presented “A Not So Silent Night” in the Sirote Theater at The Alys Stephens Center at UAB. By spring of 2021, Peoples hopes to present the family-friendly play “Daddy Longlegs,” one of the shows the theater had to cancel this spring.

The musical director will be Broadway conductor Abdul Hamid Royal, known for hit shows such as “Five Guys Named Moe” and “The Gospel at Colonus.” Royal performed at CAT early this spring in the last live cabaret before the venue closed.

“It will feel good when we do get back to the Theater,” Peoples said.

CAT began offering shows in 2014 at The Clubhouse on Highland. In 2016, the company

moved to Crestline in 2016 at the invitation of Deanny Hardy, who runs the Steeple Arts Academy of Dance.

The Academy was run by her mother and grandmother before her, and she told Village Living in 2016 that she was happy to welcome CAT. “Years ago, my mom had a vision of this being a center for the arts, not just dance,” Hardy said. “We think it’s great for the community. It makes the arts accessible for everyone.”

Inspired by the church-style architecture of Steeple Arts, CAT presented “Smoke on the Mountain” — the story of a gospel sing at a Baptist church in the Smoky Mountains in 1938 — as its first show in its new home.

Mountain Brook has been “a perfect setup” for the Theater, Peoples said. “You can park at Steeple Arts and go have dinner and come back to the show. “It's easy, accessible.”

Mountain Brook is also “very centrally located to all of Birmingham and Jefferson County,” he said.

A Gardendale native, Peoples moved back to Birmingham in about 2012 to be closer to his parents.

People spent about 14 years in Los Angeles working in TV and enjoyed it, but the industry

“turned into reality TV,” he said.

“When you're in the Theater, it's about storytelling, and TV can be about faster and cheaper,” he said.

At CAT, Peoples said he and the board want “to bring quality stuff and spark conversation.”

“We want to bring experiences to the community that they can’t find anywhere,” he said.

“We want to do things that are appropriate for our audiences but different and fresh.”

“Unique and clever are our two favorite words,” said Peoples, who notes that CAT also likes to present Alabama premieres.

CAT seeks to get young people involved in the Theater with its Junior Advisory Board.

Each year the Theater picks 12 applicants, from rising high-school juniors through age 26, and gives them the opportunity to gain real-world experience while shadowing theater professionals, including dressers, stage managers, music directors and lighting and sound technicians.

For more information, including dates for CAT Cabaret the Series, go to centralalabamatheater.org

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A24 • August 2020

Village Living

Local author, blogger Kari Kampakis pens 3rd book Author Kari Kampakis, center, and her daughters, from left, Camille, Sophie, Ella and Marie Claire, pose with her latest book, “Love Her Well,” which will be released Aug. 18 but can be preordered on Amazon and other online retailers. Photo courtesy of Kari Kampakis.

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Kari Kampakis is a mom of four daughters from ages 10 to 17. The author, blogger and speaker has written two previous books for teenage girls and her third book, “Love Her Well,” which releases next month, is geared toward moms of teenage girls.

Kampakis began writing articles for two community newspapers in 2010. In March 2013, she launched a blog. Four months later, a post titled “10 Truths Young Girls Should Know” went viral.

That post caught the attention of Thomas Nelson, a Christian publishing company, who contacted Kampakis and said the company was interested in turning that post into a book, which was released in 2014. Two years later, her second book, “Liked: Whose Approval Are You Living For?” was published.

While doing promotional book and speaking events, Kampakis began connecting with fellow mothers. Many of them asked when she was going to write a book for them. Although she had a heart for teenage girls, Kampakis said she didn’t feel equipped to write a parenting book.

But as her own daughters grew up, Kampakis soon realized there weren’t many books available for parenting teenage girls. It was then she decided that she would write one.

“When they’re babies, people tell you to just wait until they are teenagers,” she said. “It made me dread them growing up. But those stereotypes are not helpful and not true.”

Kampakis said it made her think about the message to parents. Even with her share of bad days, she said she is enjoying this stage more than when they were little.

“I want them to finish strong in their final years at home — setting the stage for long-term adult relationships,” she said. “If we fight all the time and don’t resolve conflict, that leads to dysfunction in mother-daughter relationships as adults.”

Her latest book begins with a big “mom fail” that happened when her oldest daughter

was 13. Kampakis said her daughter had the typical teenage attitude, but she herself was dealing with pride. Over a few months, the gulf between them started to grow wider.

“We had this fight, and she went to school and an hour later, I broke down crying in my closet,” Kampakis said. “That was my wake-up call. I knew that something had to change, and it had to be with me taking a deep, hard look at myself. That was a turning point for me.”

She said that was a testimony that God meets us where we are, and He can redeem and restore anything.

“This generation has it so hard,” she said.

“There are so many more challenges than we faced at their age. They need strong adults in their corner to love them through

their mistakes.”

Kampakis said she reiterates in the book that while parents have to enforce rules, they also have to have a relationship with their children.

Parents also need to apologize when they are wrong.

That seventh-grader from her first book is now a senior in high school. Kampakis said she looks back and is thankful for the way their relationship has grown.

“It’s in the way we approach it,” she said.

“Not taking things personally. If we want a stronger relationship, we have to make the first move.”

Kampakis says she loves her girls even more in this season of life as their personalities shine and their conversations deepen.

“Being their mom brings me the ultimate

joy,” she said. “I feel completely undeserving … yet eternally grateful.”

Her purpose in writing these books is to empower girls through faith and to empower moms to help their daughters. In building relationships with each of her daughters, knowing their individual personalities helps her both correct them and connect with them.

“My hope is that people can read this book and pull ideas from it and that it helps moms come together in unity and find a starting point,” she said.

“Love Her Well” will be released Aug. 18.

It can be preordered on Amazon and other online retailers. For more information, including speaking engagements and book signings, visit karikampakis.com or follow her on social media.

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VillageLivingOnline.com

August 2020 • A25

A26 • August 2020

Village Living

Community Have a community announcement? Email Jesse Chambers at jchambers@starnespublishing.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.

MBA baseball, softball enjoy record participation, success in summer competitions With record participation — more than 650 boys and girls — for baseball and softball with Mountain Brook Athletics (MBA) last spring, the cancellation of those seasons due to COVID-19 was certainly disappointing.

However, the reconstruction of all of the youth baseball and softball fields at Mountain Brook High School and their conversion to artificial field turf this summer, thanks to funding from the Mountain Brook City Council, will modernize the facilities and minimize rain-outs.

“Participation in baseball and softball has really increased the past few years,” said Brad Hart, executive director of Mountain Brook Athletics. “The younger ages are especially strong. We expect a big turnout this year for fall baseball and softball.”

Many communities have converted dirt and grass fields to artificial field turf, which has the advantage of minimizing maintenance requirements and, most importantly, significantly reducing the return-to-play time after rain. The refreshed facilities at MBHS are expected to be among the best in the area and will be a great long-term asset for the city.

While the overall sports landscape is undoubtedly changing due to the coronavirus, not to mention limited field space at MBHS due to the construction, 11 baseball teams from rising second through seventh grades competed in local, state and regional tournaments this summer.

Two teams from rising second grade competed in tournaments in Homewood and Montevallo, highlighted by a 20-5 win by the AAA team over Hoover in an elimination game.

Teams in each of the AAA, AA and A divisions from rising third grade competed in the Homewood and Vestavia tournaments, with all three teams earning third-place finishes in the

Coach Blake Russell’s rising fourth graders won the AAA championship in this summer’s Homewood Invitational tournament. Kneeling from left: Paul Juliano, Trent Griffin, Charlie Little, Taylor Johnsey, Nolan Frazier, William Lee; Middle row: Mac Russell, Sam Cripps, Trey Compton, Graham Welden and Ford Birchall. Coaches: John Johnsey, Joseph Welden, Blake Russell, Philip Little, Paul Juliano. Photos courtesy Mountain Brook Athletics.

Homewood tournament, beating teams from Oak Mountain, Homewood and Vestavia.

“While competing against our neighboring communities is always fun, just giving these boys the opportunity to play baseball was the real victory,” said Hughston Nichols, one of coaches of the AAA team. “These are special years and to save part of this year, with all that’s

going on, was great.”

Kindergarten through second grades play coach-pitch in the fall and spring. The transition to kid-pitch occurs in the fall of third grade.

Three teams from rising fourth grade competed in the Homewood tournament and brought home championships in the AAA and A divisions, as well as a runner-up in the AA

division. Coach Blake Russell’s AAA team, which was also runner-up in the USSSA June Jam tournament in Southaven, Mississippi, went 3-1 in pool play and 3-0 in the tournament bracket, beating Hoover, Vestavia, Homewood and Trussville in the finals.

“I’m so proud of these boys,” Russell said.

“This is a talented team, but more importantly, they enjoy playing together and supporting each other.”

Coach Dale Meadows’ A team rode strong pitching to an undefeated 7-0 pool play and bracket schedule to claim the A championship and second overall for the rising fourth graders.

“Like the other rising fourth grade teams, this team has played together for several years now, and it’s fun to see the hard work and team chemistry combine to produce great results,” Meadows said.

Not to be overshadowed, Coach Tyler Holt’s AA team finished runner-up in the Homewood tournament and also in the Vestavia tournament. With some talented newcomers, strong pitching is also a strength of his team.

“The talent pool in this grade is deep,” Holt said. “Having three really competitive teams is fun because we all support each other, practice together and try to get better.”

Coach Grant Robichaux’s rising fifth grade team practiced against other Mountain Brook teams and prepared for next year. The rising sixth-grade team competed in three tournaments this summer and brought home a runner-up finish in the prestigious Grand Slam State Tournament in Tuscaloosa. The rising seventh-grade team also won two state tournaments in Lincoln and Vestavia, out of only three tournaments that they played.

The success of the younger teams does not go unnoticed by coaches Judd and Gavin

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VillageLivingOnline.com Golsan of the junior high Spartan Baseball Club. “We are always excited to see strong participation numbers in the rec leagues and enjoy following the competitive teams as they progress,” said Judd Golsan, a former Mountain Brook High School baseball star and 2009 draft pick of the New York Yankees. “We can’t wait to coach all of these boys when they get to seventh grade.”

Spartan Baseball Club is the baseball team for seventh and eighth graders and is the competitive link between elementary school and high school baseball.

“We are especially looking forward to the rising sixth and seventh grade groups joining Spartan Baseball Club over the next two years,” Gavin Golsan said. “We know they have a lot of experience and have had a lot of success.

With new fields and record participation, the future is certainly bright for Mountain Brook baseball.

– Submitted by Lee Birchall, Baseball Commissioner, Mountain Brook Athletics.

August 2020 • A27

Coach Dale Meadows’ team of rising fourth graders won the A championship at the Homewood Invitational. Kneeling from left: Harry Smith, JD Morris, Henry Meadow, Parker Neighbors; Middle: Richard Kinney, Ticer Young, Slate Mange, Coats Griffin, Price Moorer and Beck Neuendorf. Coaches: Carrington Moorer, Dale Meadows, Mike Neuendorf.

Amy Haycox, an animal care professional with the Birmingham Zoo, puts crisp rice cereal into a PVC pipe interactive toy as the staff continues enrichment training sessions and everyday care during COVID-19.

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Zoo reduces operating hours, cites lower-than-expected attendance The Birmingham Zoo reduced its daily operating hours from seven days a week to five days a week beginning July 13. The zoo is now closed Mondays and Tuesdays until further notice.

Guests and members can visit the zoo from Wednesday through Sunday during the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The zoo closed to the public March 19 to help reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus in our community.

On June 8, the zoo reopened with significant changes to our operating procedures that included strict health and safety guidelines for visitors. Social distancing and other enhanced protocols have been successful, and visitors to the zoo continue to follow measures set in place.

However, despite the engaging visitor experience, daily attendance has been lower than anticipated, and revenues continue to decline as a result.

Administrators have now made the decision to close two days out of the week to further control costs and allow for a reduction in expenses.

As a nonprofit organization, the zoo relies on its 600,000 annual visitors for the revenue critical to maintaining our daily operations and infrastructure. This year’s significantly lower levels of attendance have a tremendous impact on zoo operations.

In the early stages of the pandemic, the zoo established an Emergency Animal Fund to aid with the $1,000 a day it costs to feed over 550 animal residents, which include many endangered and sensitive species.

In addition to nutrition, it costs the zoo an average of $30,000 per day to operate and provide vital animal care.

All guests and Members of the zoo will still be required to follow our health and safety guidelines, including face coverings for individuals 2 and older.

Limits on attendance and one-way traffic patterns remain in place to provide for better physical distancing.

The zoo will continue to operate as a pleasant outdoor experience in a park environment with buildings remaining closed.

Timed admission tickets are no longer required, but visitors are encouraged to pre-purchase tickets to help minimize physical contact with zoo staff.

The Red Diamond Express train and Protective Life carousel opened daily starting July 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and tickets are available for purchase onsite and online at the zoo website.

For the health and safety of our staff, guests, and animals, the zoo will continue to monitor and evaluate our operations and modify our procedures as needed.

For more information, including safety protocols for visitors, call 205-879-0409 or go to birminghamzoo.com.

HIGHEST RATING

The Birmingham Zoo also announced July 14 it has received the highest rating of four stars from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, for the eighth consecutive year. This award is given for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency.

The zoo is one of only 12 nonprofits and 501(c)(3) organizations in the Birmingham metropolitan area to receive this highly coveted distinction.

In addition, the Birmingham Zoo is one of only six zoos and aquariums out of 240 in the United States accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to have received this award for the last eight review years. The other zoos that received this rating are Cheyenne Zoo, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Columbus Zoo, Detroit Zoo and the Houston Zoo. Receiving this four-star rating indicates that an organization adheres to best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities, while consistently executing its mission in a fiscally responsible way.

The Birmingham Zoo’s rating and other information about charitable giving are available at charitynavigator.org.

To see the zoo’s annual report, go to birminghamzoo.com.

– Submitted by the Birmingham Zoo.

MOUNTAIN BROOK • 205-871-3276 THE SUMMIT • 205-969-1776 WWW. BROMBERGS. COM

A28 • August 2020

Village Living

Above: Elisabeth Branch wraps a purchase for a customer in the back room at Please Reply in Crestline Village. Left: Lassen takes photos of products in her store to post on social media. Photos by Erin Nelson.

CONTINUED from page A1

“We live in a wonderful community with wonderful people who really support the small businesses,” Lassen said in April.

Smith said.

Wesley Lassen, owner of The Cook Store on Cahaba Road, agrees. “It’s scary,” she said. “I cried. Like what is going to happen here? But then you just tough it up and say, ‘I’m going to make this work.’”

Lassen and other merchants did everything they could to make their businesses accessible to customers.

They used new methods, or ones they had employed only sparingly, including delivery, curbside pickup and social media.

They took advantage of some of the steps taken by the city of Mountain Brook to help businesses.

They also networked and supported each other.

But perhaps most important, they found tremendous support from their customers.

Lassen said she talked to Bezshan Dolatabadi, co-owner of the BPrince clothing store at Lane Parke, in the early days of the pandemic, and they inspired each other to fight.

“We were really not going to let this stop us,” Lassen said.

“We helped each other a lot,” said Dolatabadi, who eagerly followed Lassen’s posts on social media as she continued to promote her products.

“There were some stores … that just shut down and put their head in the sand, so seeing her posting inspired us every day,” Dolatabadi said.

Businesses also partnered for joint promotions. Mon Ami, a children’s boutique in Crestline Village, did a promotion with Sugar, a candy shop, during the #ReopenMB event

WORK

STAYING ENGAGED

in June.

Table Matters, a gift shop, and Mountain Brook Creamery did a joint promotion on Instagram in June called "Puzzles and a Pint.”

ADAPT AND SURVIVE

Lassen, like many other local merchants, used every tool at her disposal.

“I’m working social media everyday to give people ideas of what they might need or want to buy as gifts,” she said in April. “I am FaceTiming, texting and emailing pictures. I offer curbside pickup, free delivery within the area and shipping via UPS.” Social media “does not come to me naturally,” Lassen said, but she found success by being “a real person” and using Instagram or Facebook to make “a connection personally, whether I know you or not.”

“I decided I could talk on social media just like I could talk to you if you were standing in front of me,” she said.

Lassen also did more than merely feature

products, she said. “‘I’ve also got a great recipe that you can use that cookie sheet for.”

Smith relied on Facebook and particularly Instagram, which allowed customers to see items such as graduation gifts “instantly,” she said.

Please Reply also began offering curbside pickup and “definitely increased our sales on the internet from all the years past,” Smith said.

Dolatabadi, who operates BPrince with his wife, Andrea, and his sister, Simin Regina, said they only began selling online in summer 2019.

“It was perfect timing,” he said, noting that online sales “really took off during COVID-19.”

Dolatabadi said they also called, emailed and texted customers each day, often sending them pictures of new garments, and presented a daily fashion show on social media.

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VillageLivingOnline.com

August 2020 • A29 Smith said.

“No one wants the smalls to fail,” Lassen said, noting that the businesses in the villages are not chain stores. “I think our community really appreciates that.”

“I know my family is certainly trying to buy more from locally owned shops than we do from the big-box stores,” added Aja Powanda, owner of Mon Ami.

The merchants are a family, and we don’t want to see another business struggling or going out of business, so I feel like we are kind of in this together.

”

OPTIMISM

KATIE SMITH

adapted by putting all of their retail wine selections — about 750 varieties — online.

“You can shop our website and do curbside pickup [and] you can also get cheese and charcuterie boards to go curbside,” Loper said.

SUPPORTING BUSINESS

The city of Mountain Brook made efforts to aid local businesses during the pandemic.

In May, the City Council voted to help restaurants more easily expand their use of sidewalk dining and to temporarily designate a few parking spaces on most blocks in the villages for curbside delivery for restaurants and retailers.

“If there was ever a time when we need to support our businesses it would be now,” Mayor Stewart Welch said.

On May 26, the council granted a request by Loper and Stewart to use some parking spaces in front of their establishment in the afternoon and evening to increase their seating capacity, since they’re required to keep their tables at least 6 feet apart due to COVID-19 health guidelines.

Golden Age added five “beer garden-style” tables holding six people each, in addition to some sidewalk seating, Loper said.

In June, the council granted a similar request for Maurice Papapietro of Brick & Tin. The chamber is also taking donations for the Mountain Brook Merchant Relief Fund

Guests wine and dine in the outdoor dining area at Golden Age Wine in Mountain Brook Village. Golden Age added five “beer garden-style” tables holding six people each, in addition to some sidewalk seating.

through a recently created nonprofit.

KEEPING CLEAN

Mountain Brook business owners are working hard to follow state and county health guidelines during COVID-19.

“We’ve always cleaned our store, but now it’s a totally different level of cleaning,” Smith said.

On June 29, the Mountain Brook City Council mandated that businesses require patrons to wear face coverings — as ordered by the Jefferson County Health Officer — or risk having their city business license revoked.

Lassen supports the ordinance. “We all need to protect each other, so I’m on board 100%, and I hate the mask as much as everybody else,” she said.

Loper said he and Stewart are “thankful” for the mask ordinance. “It’s helpful to reinforce them so that we don’t necessarily have to do that,” he said.

A NEW WAY TO SHOP

In April, Lassen said curbside pickup and other techniques represented a “new way

to shop.”

“I think people are attached to their phones and computers, because they’re staying in,” she said in July.

Smith agrees that some of the changes in shopping during the pandemic will remain. “I think curbside and delivery are here to stay,” she said.

“We’re still doing anything that people need us to do if they don’t want to come in,” Lassen said, citing curbside pickup and sending pictures of gifts to customers.

She’ll also continue her social media, including recipes. “I’ve had people stop me on the street and say, ‘I love your social media,’ so the pressure is on,” she said, laughing.

FEELING THE LOVE

Smith said her customers provided the critical support she needed, often ordering items just to help the store.

“They kept us going, because every day we were doing curbside pickup and had two or three sheets full of orders every day,” she said.

“It makes me emotional thinking about it,”

Lassen said she felt “optimistic” about the fate of most of Mountain Brook’s small businesses. “I think the community is trying to do their part,” she said.

She said some businesses — such as clothing retailers — are probably hurting, but that she feels fortunate. “I’m in a business that people need right now,” she said.

The restaurant business is a tough sector right now, Loper said.

“The health department qualifies us as a restaurant, so I’ll just say being in the restaurant business, I think it’s very challenging,” he said.

Like a lot of establishments, Golden Age received a federal loan under the Paycheck Protection Program, allowing it to bring back its staff, but the PPP ran out in May, Loper said.

“We’re doing maybe 35%, 40%, of the bar business that we were doing,” he said. “People are very cautious about going out, plus it’s the summer.”

“We feel fortunate that we have a retail side to our business,” Loper said.

Smith discussed the common spirit that binds the businesses in Mountain Brook.

“The merchants are a family, and we don’t want to see another business struggling or going out of business, so I feel like we are kind of in this together,” she said.

“We are all going to just work hard right now and get through it, but the sun is going to come up tomorrow and the next day,” Smith said. “We will make it through this for sure.”

“You have to be accessible to your customer at all times, and you have to dig in and work hard,” Lassen said.

To donate to the Mountain Brook Merchant Relief Fund, go to onemb.swell.gives.

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A30 • August 2020

Village Living ELECTIONS

CONTINUED from page A1 and the talents that each of them bring to the table are all unique and uniquely needed,” he said.

This election will determine whether that “dream team” will remain intact.

At the end of candidate qualifying on July 21, Welch and Smith remained unopposed. Black has one challenger in Gerald A. Garner, a member of the Board of Zoning Adjustment.

Smith, who holds Council Place 4, and Black, who holds Council Place 2, are the only Mountain Brook council members whose terms expire this year.

The terms of the other three council members — Billy Pritchard, Lloyd Shelton and Alice Womack — continue until 2022.

The following are brief discussions of Welch and the other candidates. We also include dates and other information regarding the election, including the procedure to be followed if a candidate is unopposed.

restaurants — after the COVID-19 shutdown in mid-March.

The city has also been “very swift in relaxing lots of regulations” to help businesses, he said.

This effort to support business will continue. “My number one goal is to support our businesses and do everything we can to get them up to full speed,” he said.

As to the budgetary impact of COVID-19, Welch said property tax, which likely won’t be affected this year, is the city’s largest source of revenue.

However, sales taxes are important, and the city will be cautious in the next budget year, he said.

“We will likely postpone some expenses that otherwise we would have moved forward with, and those are being looked at on a project-by-project basis,” he said.

MAYOR STEWART WELCH III

Mayor Stewart Welch listens as members of the Alabama House of Representatives and Senate discuss topics at an Aug. 27, 2019, Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Photo by Erin Nelson.

A Mountain Brook native, Welch was a political newcomer when he succeeded former Mayor Terry Oden in November 2016.

Welch runs his own company, The Welch Group, a fee-only financial advisory firm. He has also written books on personal finance.

The mayor said he enjoys working with the City Council and the other city employees.

“They just care about the community and they care about each other,” he said. “They’re just good people.”

2020 has been a turbulent, challenging year, with the COVID-19 pandemic and other events, but Welch said he believes the city has handled its response to events quite well.

That response “has been very much a collaboration,” said Welch, who credits the important roles played by the City Council, City Clerk Steven Boone, City Manager Sam Gaston and other department heads, as well as the city's employees and first responders.

Welch said he’s proud the city acted quickly to get help to local businesses — including

COUNCIL PRESIDENT VIRGINIA SMITH

A retired attorney and Mountain Brook native, Smith has been on the City Council for the past 20 years and has served as council president for three of her five terms.

In February, Smith told Village Living she

ASK THE MILDUDE

“HOW DO POLLUTANTS ENTER MY HOME?”

Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation

Supports Our Students

On Aril 6th, Mountain Brook Students began distance learning in response to Covid-19. Through a partnership with the Foundation, Mountain Brook Schools were able to provide a Chromebook to every student in the school system. Mountain Brook teachers and faculty also utilized resources funded by the Foundation such as Seesaw and a Podcast Studio to communicate virtually with families and students.

The Foundation was created more than twenty-five years ago to support our schools, especially during challenging times. Thanks to your donations, the Foundation will continue to help meet the growing needs of Mountain Brook Schools.

To learn more or make a donation, please visit www.MBGives.org.

Hello again! It’s your trusted advisor, Mildude.

In this article I wanted to write about pollutants in the home. Why should you care? The EPA’s website states “Health effects from indoor air pollutants may be experienced soon after exposure or, possibly, years later. These effects, which include some respiratory diseases, heart disease and cancer, can be severely debilitating or fatal. It is prudent to try to improve the indoor air quality in your home even if symptoms are not noticeable.” Being adamant about “cleaning for health,“ I want you to be aware of how pollutants enter your home. Pollutants can be created inside our home as well as enter from the outside.

Let’s start with the inside. Humans and pets make deposits in the house which affect the Indoor Air Quality in our home. One way is from dander. These flecks of skin can trigger reactions in people with these allergies. Researchers predict that skin flakes would account for a significant portion of the material in house dust.

Also in dust, there could be dirt, hair, fibers from clothes or materials, dust mites/droppings, pollen, and microscopic specks of plastic, bacteria & mold. When moved around, it stirs up into your breathing space.

We also create indoor air pollution by the everyday products we use in our home, as well as the building materials we use. These types of products release gases or particles in the air.

For example: fuel burning appliances like the stove, heating and air system, burning candles, VOC’s from oven cleaner, drain cleaner, laundry powder, paint thinners, strippers and removers,

pesticides, grease and rust remover, tobacco products, newly installed flooring, upholstery or carpet, and cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products.

Outdoor air flows into the house through joints and cracks in walls, floors, ceilings, around windows and doors. This effect is known as infiltration. You could say that our building is breathing in outside pollutants such as ozone, particulate matter, radon, and carbon dioxide.

The basement or crawlspace is also an area of concern. Building scientists say that up to 50% of the air you breathe on the first floor is air that came from your basement. Some pollutants in our crawlspace are vapor, mold, radon, insects or pest droppings. These pollutants are being trapped in our home through dust, air ducts and our fabric textiles, or possibly still floating in the air.

Finally, let’s talk about water or extra humidity. I have seen water create major damages whether it started inside the house, came from the outside, emitted through a block wall of the basement, or rose from the crawlspace.

If you feel like you have any water issues or indoor air quality issues in your home feel free to reach out to my staff to what sort of series we have that may help you.

Stayed tuned for next month’s article titled “What to do when water gets in your home?”

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VillageLivingOnline.com pointed to the opening of Cahaba River Walk Park, the development of Lane Parke and the installation of sidewalks as a few projects she’s proud of. However, “It’s all a team effort,” she said in July.

Perhaps the most important objective for the council moving forward will be supporting local businesses affected by the pandemic and encouraging residents to buy local, Smith said.

The council will also deal with the budgetary fallout from COVID-19, Smith said.

“Our budget is more reliant on property tax, so we will not feel the impact ... as much as other communities will from a drop in sales taxes,” she said.

However, the city will still “have to make some hard choices,” Smith said.

August 2020 • A31 and his knowledge of the impact of large commercial projects, both good and bad, to help the council and Planning Commission make decisions about development.

He expressed pride in the council’s “almost real-time efforts” to help local businesses during the pandemic. Regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the city’s budget, Black said the city can look at its revenue projections and build some “contingencies” into its new budget.

There may be some capital projects that can be delayed and allow the city “to stay in the black,” he said.

A resident walks to City Hall during the 2018 primary elections. Staff photo.

2020 Municipal Elections: Key Dates

CHALLENGER GERALD A. GARNER

COUNCILOR PHILIP BLACK

A commercial architect who owns B Group Architecture in Birmingham, Black is wrapping up his first term on the City Council.

Black was a member of the Board of Zoning Adjustments for 10 years and served as chairman about half that time.

He then served on the Planning Commission for four years and, after winning Place 2, became the council liaison to the commission.

Black said he uses his training as an architect

Gerald A. Garner, a former long-time member of the Parks and Recreation Board, is challenging Black for his council seat. Garner was also made a full member of the Board of Zoning Adjustment by the City Council on July 13.

If elected, Garner said he wants to help “advance and take care” of city facilities, including the roads, parks, athletic fields and the library, and keep them as up-to-date as possible. He said the city government should “advocate for commercial growth” and “wave the flag” for local businesses.

Garner wants to make the streets and schools safer by increasing support to first responders.

► Aug. 10: Last day to register to vote in the municipal general election. ► Aug. 20: Last day to apply for a regular absentee ballot. ► Aug. 24: Last day to apply for an emergency absentee ballot. ► Aug. 25: Election day. Polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ► Sept. 1: Election results will be counted, and certificates of election

Mountain Brook should lend “unwavering support” to the city’s “award-winning” schools, Garner said. He said he would also “condemn any and all actions that may attempt to alter the history and ideals” of the city.

A graduate of the University of Alabama, Garner works as a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services.

ELECTIONS INFORMATION

Mountain Brook elections — held every two years — are at-large, meaning that City Council

will be issued to all candidates who receive a majority. Runoffs will be planned for any seats where no candidate received a majority vote. ► Sept. 7: Last day for candidates to contest election results. ► Oct. 6: Runoff election day if runoff is needed. ► Nov. 2: Newly elected officials take office.

candidates do not represent specific districts, City Clerk Steven Boone said.

The offices are four-year terms, and all officials serve on a volunteer basis, Boone said.

If a candidate is unopposed, the members of the City Council sign a document called a Certificate of Election, and the candidate takes office the first Monday in November.

The signing of these certificates was to take place, if needed, on July 27, Boone said.

We will provide election updates on our website, villagelivingonline.com.

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B AUGUST 2020

Editor’s Note

Sports B4 Schoolhouse B8 Faith B11 Metro Roundup B12

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As of press time, the high school football season was still set to begin Aug. 21. It was unclear whether the season would be altered due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

MOUNTAIN BROOK FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Equipped with experience, Spartans ready for new region Mountain Brook’s Strother Gibbs (12) looks to pass the ball during a game against HewittTrussville.

Gibbs’ ability as a running quarterback has been the strong point of his game over the past couple of years, but head coach Chris Yeager said he has taken another step in his consistency throwing the football. Photo

by Erin Nelson.

By KYLE PARMLEY For the first time in school history, the Mountain Brook High School football program will not compete in the state’s highest classification.

The Spartans competed in Class 4A from 1966-83, then played in 6A from 1984 until 7A was formed in 2014.

But with the latest round of the AHSAA’s biennial reclassification, Mountain Brook drops down to 6A for at least the next two years. The move out of 7A’s Region 3, arguably the toughest region in the state, coincides with a Spartans team entering 2020 with a reason for high hopes.

“We’ve got great ingredients,” head coach Chris Yeager said. “This team has been fun.”

The Spartans have plenty of experienced talent returning to a team that won at least eight games for the fourth consecutive season last fall.

Mountain Brook posted an 8-3 record, losing only to Hoover and eventual state champion Thompson in the regular season before a heartbreaking defeat to Florence in the first round of the state playoffs.

OFFENSE

Part of Yeager’s optimism centers around senior quarterback Strother Gibbs, who enters his third year as the full-time starter for the Spartans.

Gibbs made his first appearance with the

See SPARTANS | page B6

B2 • August 2020

Village Living

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VillageLivingOnline.com

August 2020 • B3

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B4 • August 2020

Village Living

Sports

Left: Mountain Brook’s Celie Field (10) helped the Spartans to the Class 7A state championship in 2019, the first for the program in three years. Photo by Erin Nelson. Right: Mountain Brook’s Emma Karcher during the Class 7A state tennis tournament in April 2019 at the Jimmy Johns Tennis Complex in Decatur. Photo by Kyle Parmley.

Rising seniors denied chance to play in all-star games

By KYLE PARMLEY The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt in the high school sports world.

Even as school teams were permitted to begin working out once again on campus in June — with social distancing restrictions — a staple of the Alabama High School Athletic Association summer calendar will be missing.

Each July, the AHSAA conducts its All-Star Week in Montgomery. Part of the activities of the week include games and competitions involving the North-South All-Star teams from each sport. Teams are named from the rising senior classes in each sport, split by geography.

That event didn’t take place this year, but the all-star teams were still named, and several Mountain Brook athletes found their names on the list.

C

In fall sports, Parker Balzli and Elizabeth Robertson were named as all-stars in cross-country. Both are highly-regarded athletes for the Spartans’ cross-country and track and field programs. Robertson finished ninth in the Class 7A girls race at the 2019 AHSAA cross-country state championships, helping Mountain Brook to a second-place finish. Balzli was 17th overall in the 7A boys race, as the team placed fourth.

Mountain Brook coach Michael McGovern was also named one of the all-star cross-country coaches.

From the volleyball court, rising senior Celie Field was named to the North All-Star team.

Field helped lead the Spartans to the 7A state championship last October, the program’s first in three years.

EXPRES N E H S

“It’s a huge honor to be selected for the allstar game, so it means a lot to me that I was chosen to be a part of it,” Field said.

Field admitted there is a sense of letdown that she won’t be able to play a game with the top players in her class across the state.

“I’m definitely disappointed I won’t get the opportunity to play in the all-star game,” she said. “I believe I would’ve loved the experience.”

The other athletes from Mountain Brook were chosen from spring sports. Patrick Neil and Lindsey Smith T are soccer players who were key components of successful Spartans squads in an abbreviated 2020 season. The boys held a 9-4-4 record when the season was halted, while the girls were 7-2-2.

Four other Spartans were selected from the highly successful tennis program. On the girls

side, Margo Belden and Emma Karcher were named to the North All-Star team. Karcher won state titles in singles and doubles last spring as the Lady Spartans rolled to their third straight 7A title.

“I am incredibly honored to be selected for this game,” Belden said. “It is a huge blessing and I’m very thankful.”

Ethan Shunnarah and Thomas Woodall were named all-stars from the boys program. However, none of the four tennis players will be able to compete with and against some of the top talent.

“It’s so upsetting that the game was canceled,” Belden said. “I would have loved to meet the others involved, and I’m sure it would have been a great learning experience.”

The 2020 fall seasons were still slated to begin in late August as of press time.

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VillageLivingOnline.com

August 2020 • B5

Davis aims to continue Spartans’ winning culture

By KYLE PARMLEY

Tyler Davis addresses the media during a June 11 press conference at Mountain Brook High School.

Davis, the former assistant coach for the boys basketball program, has been named the new boys basketball head coach. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Mountain Brook High School’s next boys basketball coach is no stranger to the Spartans’ championship culture.

In fact, he helped create it.

On June 8, Tyler Davis was officially named the Spartans head coach. He has been associated with the Mountain Brook basketball program since 2008, when Bucky McMillan took the reins and elevated the Spartans to national prominence over the next 12 years.

“The last 12 years of me working at Mountain Brook have been the best of my professional career,” Davis said at a press conference June 11. “This place is special. The relationships that I’ve made with teachers, parents, colleagues, coaches and students has been stuff that has been life changing.”

In Davis’ first year at Mountain Brook, he was the head coach of the ninth-grade team. The following year, he became the junior varsity head coach and a varsity assistant, a position he held for the last 11 seasons.

McMillan took the head coaching job at Samford in early April, after leading Mountain Brook to seven state finals and five state championships over the last eight years. In 2019, the Spartans finished the season ranked as the No. 5 team in the country according to USA Today.

This past season, the Spartans finished with a 32-3 record, their 40-38 loss to Lee-Montgomery in the state final their only loss to an in-state foe all season.

“Tyler has the distinction of being the only coach who has been a part of the era from when Coach McMillan began to his resignation and taking the job at Samford

University,” Mountain Brook Athletics Director Benny Eaves said.

Davis played high school basketball in Indiana before a college playing career at Samford from 1994-98. His first coaching job was at Vestavia Hills High School in 1999, where he served as an assistant coach for nine years before coming to Mountain Brook.

“When I first started coaching at Vestavia and learning under Coach [George] Hatchett and doing some of those different things, I took some things that I liked from him and built that into what would be my mindset. And then coming over and working with Bucky the last 12 years, the detail of what he’s done [is incredible],” Davis said.

During his 12-year run in charge of the Spartans’ program, McMillan won 333 games, averaging nearly 28 wins per season. After posting an 18-12 record in his first season as head coach, McMillan’s teams won at least 23 games in each of the next 11 seasons.

“Tyler knows the program. He was and has been an integral part of the success of the program from the beginning to this point,” Eaves said. “His knowledge of the game, the players, the community and where we came from and how we got to where we are as a program now, that knowledge that he possesses is priceless.”

Davis has had a front row seat to all of that success, and doesn’t plan on deviating from the attacking style of basketball the Spartans have had so much success employing.

Davis and his wife, Ashley, reside in Mountain Brook with their three children: Ty, Trey and Avery.

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B6 • August 2020

Village Living

Paulson Wright (1), left, catches a pass and Braxton Wetzler (57), right, pressures the opposing quarterback during a game against Tuscaloosa County on Sept. 6 at Spartan Stadium. Both Wright and Wetzler will be leaders for the Spartans this fall, with Wright a returning productive receiver and Wetzler the cornerstone of the defense along the line. Photos by Jimmy Mitchell.

SPARTANS

CONTINUED from page B1 Mountain Brook varsity team as an eighthgrader, when he started a spring jamboree game.

He has progressed each fall, blossoming into a leader and one of the most productive signal callers in the area.

“We’ve always built everything around the quarterback and what he can and can’t do,” Yeager said. “He’s just added to his game every year.”

Gibbs’ ability as a running quarterback has been the strong point of his game over the past couple years, but Yeager said he has taken another step in his consistency throwing the football. Stacking the box against Gibbs may no longer be a viable option for opposing defenses.

“He’s truly wanting to become a dual threat and that’s happened,” Yeager said.

Michael Brogan steps into the lead tailback role vacated by Sam Higgins. George Cain and Michael Lorino have also emerged as options

out of the backfield. They will do that behind an experienced offensive line with the likes of Will Grant, Jack Smith, Drew Elliott, Ryan Kampakis, Wilder Hines, Miles Waldrop and Charles Law Schilleci all set to contribute.

“The thing I like about the front is that it’s a cohesive group,” Yeager said.

Paulson Wright and Jake Thompson were productive wide receivers last year that return to provide Gibbs with reliable options. Yeager mentioned Ethan Shunnarah and Sims Brown as players who will also contribute out wide.

Turner Welsh is set to take over at the tight end spot that was so valuable last year with Crawford Golden there.

DEFENSE

Mountain Brook’s defense has allowed fewer than 20 points per game in each of Robert Evans’ first two seasons as the Spartans’ defensive coordinator.

But this will be Evans’ first fall without linebacker Clark Griffin, the team’s leading tackler the past three years. But Yeager said the unit was

progressing well in the summer and meshing as a group.

Now, the cornerstone of the Spartans defense will likely be nose tackle Braxton Wetzler. John McKimmon and Rob Gunn are experienced linemen who will flank Wetzler on either side as well.

“That’s a pretty good start right there,” Yeager said.

Yeager feels good about the secondary, with cornerbacks Blake Pugh and Rhyne Hogue back for another season. Safety James Nichols will step into a bigger role this year on the back end, with Brock Payne, a new face set to step in with the safeties as well. Payne transferred from Vestavia Hills last year.

Mountain Brook has some questions at linebacker, with Matt Holloway back after missing much of last season with a knee injury. John McMillan, Preston Horsley, Trent Wright, Win Horn and Calvin Wilbanks are among the others looking to lock down spots in the rotation.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Reed Harradine is a sophomore who has

impressed Yeager immensely. He stands 6-foot-2 and has measurables that could have premier colleges knocking on the door soon. He is capable of handling the kicking and punting duties for the Spartans, with Trenton Hirn also a candidate to help out.

“If he works, he can be something special,” Yeager said of Harradine.

SCHEDULE

Mountain Brook’s schedule looks much different than it has in quite some time, as the Spartans make the transition to 6A, Region 5. Outside of region play, Mountain Brook will play four 7A foes, beginning the season with Vestavia Hills and Huntsville, playing Thompson in the middle and capping the year at Austin.

“We’re playing all 7A non-region teams to make sure the axe is sharp. We wanted that,” Yeager said.

In region play, the Spartans will now face the likes of Woodlawn, Huffman, Shades Valley, Briarwood, Homewood and Chelsea.

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August 2020 • B7

WORTHWHILE CONVERSATIONS APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING… UNDER THE FIDUCIARY STANDARD, DOES PAYING A FEE FOR FINANCIAL ADVICE ASSURE AN ADVISOR IS ACTING IN YOUR BEST INTEREST? People assume that, of course. But, just because a financial advisor is associated with a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firm does not mean all advice will be fully subject to the fiduciary standard. The majority of financial advisors working under an RIA firm also affiliate with a brokerdealer and routinely “switch hats” from advisor to broker when working with clients. This switch may be unapparent, but it means the legal standard for advice has been lowered.

WASN’T THE LAW RECENTLY CHANGED SO THAT BROKERS ARE UNDER A FIDUCIARY STANDARD? You are referring to the new Regulation BI (“Best Interest”) that does indeed apply to brokers. It IS a step up from the old “Suitability” standard, but it stops short of applying a fiduciary standard to brokers on all of their activities for clients. So, this means the client must understand when their broker is offering investment advisory services (and acting as a full fiduciary) versus when they are functioning in a product-selling mode (and under the new, but lower, BI standard).

THAT SOUNDS A BIT CONFUSING TO SORT OUT… It can be confusing. Firms are now required to provide a simple disclosure to you called a “Client Relationship Summary”. In plain language and just a few pages, this must answer key questions about fees and potential conflicts of interest.

IS THERE A SIMPLE WAY CLIENTS CAN ENSURE THEY ARE ALWAYS UNDER THE FIDUCIARY UMBRELLA? Ask your advisor to answer one question, in writing: “Will 100% of the recommendations you make to me in all of our business interaction be subject to the fiduciary legal standard?” Imagine how a “Yes” response can eliminate a myriad of concerns in the client-advisor relationship. This is

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B8 • August 2020

Village Living

Schoolhouse Have a schoolhouse announcement? Email Jesse Chambers at jchambers@starnespublishing.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.

Schools to open Aug. 11 with traditional, virtual options

By JESSE CHAMBERS At the July 13 meeting of the Mountain Brook School Board, Superintendent Dicky Barlow announced an “initial plan” for the reopening of Mountain Brook Schools (MBS) this fall during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Classes are set to begin Aug. 11.

There will be a traditional school option — with strict social distancing and other protocols observed in the schools — and a virtual school option, Barlow told the board.

The virtual school will consist of two different programs — one for pre-K through eighth grade and one for ninth through 12th grades.

These programs would allow students to continue the distance or learning that MBS used in the spring after COVID-19 forced schools to close in mid-March.

Parents were given until July 24 to notify MBS if they wish to enroll their children in one of the virtual programs, Barlow said.

“Keep in mind this is our schools’ initial reopening plan,” Barlow stressed, noting the “fluidity” of the COVID-19 pandemic could cause MBS to alter the plan even before the beginning of school.

However, “at some point the community members need to know information on how they can best respond for their families,” Barlow said.

Barlow told the board about the “safety expectations” for the operation of the traditional school facilities. He said MBS will do everything possible to “maximize” physical distance of 6 feet between students in their classrooms.

The schools are also creating distance plans for large common spaces, such as libraries, gyms, cafeterias and playgrounds. “And we are going to avoid large group gatherings as much as possible,” he said.

Mountain Brook Schools Superintendent Dicky Barlow recognizes the students of Leadership Mountain Brook in January during a Mountain Brook chamber luncheon.

Barlow said the district will do everything possible to “maximize” physical distance of 6 feet between students in their classrooms this fall. Photo

by Erin Nelson.

He said the schools were developing plans “to ensure safe traffic flow into, out of and within the buildings.”

The schools will be kept thoroughly clean, Barlow said. Custodians are being provided with special training, and needed cleaning

supplies are being obtained.

“We will make sure schools are as clean as they can be as far as surface areas,” he said.

Desks and instructional workplaces will be disinfected after every class, and high-touch areas will be cleaned multiple times during the

day, he said.

School staff will also look for ways to minimize the sharing of supplies and equipment, such as pens, pencils and art supplies, he said.

In addition, all teachers and students will be required to wear masks during the school day in situations where physical distancing is not possible.

According to all the health information he has heard, Barlow said “face coverings are essential” to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

In the virtual option for pre-K through eighth grades, students will use the SchoolsPLP learning platform and will be assigned to teachers from MBS. When students submit all of their assignments by the end of a week, that will satisfy their attendance requirement. They’re also eligible to participate in extracurricular activities if they meet all the other requirements.

In the virtual option for ninth through 12th grade, students will use the Access Learning Platform, a state platform, and the teachers will come from around the state of Alabama, not necessarily just from MBS. MBS will provide internet access and Chromebooks for students.

Barlow said the school system asks that if parents sign up their children for the virtual curriculum that they remain in the program for at least one full semester. “They can choose to return to the traditional school at the beginning of the second semester,” he said.

Barlow also stressed that when parents opt for virtual instruction, they and their children assume personal responsibility for the time management, self-direction and discipline to complete the course and the school requirements.

“We do understand that this is a difficult situation,” Barlow said. “This is not easy for

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VillageLivingOnline.com anyone. What I really want people to understand, the heart of this, what we’re trying to do is to keep people safe in every situation.”

Barlow said he and his staff took input from “a whole lot of people” in developing the plan he presented to the board.

They heard from parents in two surveys as well as a lot of emails. They spoke to doctors in the community, as well as principals, a group of teachers and a group of school support staff.

Barlow said he talked to Dr. Mark Wilson, the Jefferson County Health Officer. He consulted with the Alabama Department of Health and the Alabama Department of Education. He also examined guidelines for school reopenings developed by numerous local and national organizations.

Barlow also emphasized the need for students and parents to practice safety precautions even outside of school.

“We can put all the safety guidelines we want to in place and it won’t mitigate the spread of COVID-19 unless we have everybody join in and all the stakeholders — the parents and the students and the teachers — join in together to take the needed precautions,” he said.

For example, he said students should wear

“

August 2020 • B9

This is not easy for anyone. What I really want people to understand, the heart of this, what we’re trying to do is to keep people safe in every situation.

”

DICKY BARLOW

masks when needed on weekends and while riding in car pools and that people should wash their hands.

“That’s what we’re asking: that everybody would take this very seriously so we can move forward,” he said.

MBS sent the complete guidelines on the traditional and virtual options to parents July 17.

The guidelines and updates are also available on the MBS website at mtnbrook.k12.al.us.

Assistant Principal Josh Watkins wins Crestline Elementary faculty award The administration of Crestline Elementary named Assistant Principal Josh Watkins as this year’s recipient of their annual faculty award, The Jerome Lewis Legacy Award.

This high honor, which is voted on by teachers, was created in 2017 after the passing of Jerome Lewis, Crestline’s beloved head custodian who was known for his positive attitude, gentle spirit and giving heart. Recipients of the award must demonstrate a strong work ethic, have a joyful disposition, seek to ensure other people’s needs are met before their own, have a humble spirit, serve as an encourager and inspire others to find greatness within themselves.

“Josh just has that willingness to help wherever there’s a need. He always wants to make things better, and he goes above and beyond with any endeavor that’s presented before him,” said Christy Christian, principal of Crestline Elementary. “I met and knew Jerome Lewis in my work with Mountain Brook Schools, and Josh reminds me of him in that he knows the families, he knows the building and he knows the community so well that he’s willing to do anything to help it go further.”

Watkins has been assistant principal of Crestline for 10 years. He started his career with Hoover City Schools, serving as both a teacher and administrator, and holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Samford University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Watkins also worked closely with Lewis during his years at Crestline. “I feel so

Josh Watkins, assistant principal of Crestline Elementary School and winner of the 2020 Jerome Lewis Legacy Award.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Thuston.

undeserving to be mentioned in the same sentence as Jerome Lewis,” Watkins said. “When I think about Jerome, I think about his big smile, his intense humility and his ceaseless empathy. On my best day I don’t reflect half of the light and joy that Jerome brought to this building. So to say I am humbled is an extreme understatement.”

– Submitted by Jessica Thuston.

Carol Hollis retires from MBS Mountain Brook Schools has bid farewell to one of its longest-tenured and most highly respected central office employees.

Carol Hollis, who joined the school system in 1992, retired June 30.

“This job was an answer to prayer,” Hollis said. “I’m grateful for the relationships that I’ve formed through these 28.5 years. These have not just been my coworkers; they’ve been my family.”

Hollis worked as a receptionist her first three years in Mountain Brook before becoming administrative assistant for curriculum and instruction in Carol Hollis, who joined the Mountain Brook 1995.

Schools system in 1992, retired June 30. Photo In 2011, she became executive courtesy of Mountain Brook Schools. assistant to the superintendent and remained in that role for the last nine years.

Hollis plans to spend more time with her “She’s a rock of a person and the wisest indi- family in retirement. She’s married with two vidual in the building,” MBS Superintendent sons and five grandchildren.

Dicky Barlow said. “That type of wisdom next Cyndi Griffin has assumed Hollis’ role as to you can do nothing but make you a better executive assistant to the superintendent. She person, and that’s what I’d say about Carol. In previously served as the administrative assismy years of being around her, she has made me tant for special education. a much better person.”

– Submitted by Mountain Brook Schools.

B10 • August 2020

Village Living

School system honors teachers, staff with 2019-20 performance awards Mountain Brook Schools recently named its performance award winners for the 2019-20 academic year. Performance awards are distributed annually and are intended to spotlight professional excellence among teachers, specialists, supervisors and support staff.

Mountain Brook High School English teacher Catherine Lowe is this year’s recipient of the Ann Pritchard Award for Teaching Excellence. The award honors the memory of longtime Mountain Brook Board of Education member Ann Pritchard and represents the highest level of recognition in the MBS Professional Incentives Program. Lowe, an MBHS alumna, also sponsors the high school’s award-winning student newspaper, Sword and Shield.

“Catherine is an outstanding teacher who pours her heart and soul into what she does,” MBHS Principal Philip Holley said. “She loves her subject and her students, and it shows every day. Not only does she strive to be a better teacher each day, but she also pushes her students to achieve at higher levels.”

Crestline Elementary School guidance counselor Leah Treadwell is this year’s recipient of the Margaret Spencer Ragland Award. The honor recognizes a professional staff member for superior contributions above and beyond the call of duty and is sponsored by the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation. The award was established in memory of Margaret Spencer Ragland, a member of the MBHS Class of 1980.

“I can’t think of any aspect of this building that has not been influenced by her. Her warm personality and whimsical nature are a breath of fresh air,” Crestline Principal Christy Christian said of Treadwell. “Anything she leads, participates in, or guides is met with 110% effort. She impacts every student, family and staff member at our school.”

Crestline third grade teacher Carly Morgan is this year’s recipient of the Promise of Excellence Award. The award, which goes to an educator with no more than five years of teaching experience, is sponsored by former Brookwood Forest Elementary teacher Diane Waud and her

Left: Crestline third grade teacher Carly Morgan is this year’s recipient of the Promise of Excellence Award. Middle: Mountain Brook High School English teacher Catherine Lowe is this year’s recipient of the Ann Pritchard Award for Teaching Excellence. Right: Crestline Elementary School guidance counselor Leah Treadwell is this year’s recipient of the Margaret Spencer Ragland Award. The award recognizes a professional staff member for superior contributions. Photos courtesy of Mountain Brook Schools.

family. Morgan, another MBHS alumna, just completed her second year at Crestline.

“Carly’s sweet, mature and engaging personality illuminates any classroom,” Christian said. “She is very conscientious and intentional when designing instruction for the students she serves.”

The rest of the school system’s performance award winners are below:

Elementary ► Cynthia Maldonado, Mountain Brook Elementary ► Heather Fitch, Mountain Brook High School ► Alessia Sartorio, Mountain Brook High School ► James Salvant, Mountain Brook Junior High

CERTIFIED PERFORMANCE AWARDS

SUPPORT PERFORMANCE AWARDS

► Sally White, Brookwood Forest Elementary ► Kelsey Church, Cherokee Bend Elementary ► Barbara Parker, Cherokee Bend Elementary ► Elizabeth Gwaltney, Crestline Elementary ► Claire Lampkin, Crestline Elementary ► Katherine Brown, Mountain Brook

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► Cece Hartley, Crestline Elementary ► Glen White, Crestline Elementary ► Libby Sims, Mountain Brook Elementary ► Stevie Taylor, Mountain Brook High School ► Dorothea Moss, Mountain Brook Junior High

RELEASE DAYS

► Kristi Moncrief, Brookwood Forest

Elementary ► Sara Katherine Janecky, Cherokee Bend Elementary ► Michael Dudley, Mountain Brook High School ► Angela Knox, Mountain Brook High School ► Casey Lancaster, Mountain Brook Junior High ► Beth Lippeatt, Mountain Brook Junior High Founded in 1959 Mountain Brook Schools is a K-12 public school system that serves more than 4,300 students.

The system consists of Brookwood Forest Elementary School, Cherokee Bend Elementary School, Crestline Elementary School, Mountain Brook Elementary School, Mountain Brook Junior High School and Mountain Brook High School.

– Submitted by Mountain Brook Schools.

Let us help spread the news! Email jchambers@starnespublishing.com to submit your announcement.

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VillageLivingOnline.com

August 2020 • B11

Faith Life Actually By Kari Kampakis

Talking to your daughter about identity A few years ago, I started to see research that says a girl’s self-esteem peaks at 9 years old.

Sadly, that is third grade.

While I’m glad to hear little girls feel good about themselves, it breaks my heart that big girls do not.

What causes the shift? There are many factors involved, but I believe a big one is self-consciousness. As little girls grow up, they become keenly aware of what people think. They begin to tune into cues and reactions, caring deeply about people’s opinions of them. And because relationships are important to girls (and friendship is essentially oxygen to them in the teen years) girls often sacrifice what they really like — or who they really are — to fit in or belong.

This is why an academically gifted girl may want to take regular classes to be with her friends.

Why a fifth grader may stop playing with American Girl dolls because someone called her a baby.

Why middle schoolers dress like clones.

And why your daughter may delete silly old videos because she’s embarrassed by how awkward or childish she used to be.

As your daughter hits adolescence, you may see a shift in her self-esteem. You may wonder: How can I help her be confident in who she is?

How can I encourage authenticity? Why does she worry so much about what people think? Why does she exhaust herself chasing approval? How can I teach her to think for herself? Who is she trying to impress? Doesn’t she realize she has nothing to prove?

Teen and tween girls often care more about what their friends think of them than what

they think of themselves. They let the world tell them who to become and then bury the best part of themselves.

But God designed your daughter (and the rest of us) to grow into His image. He wants your daughter to live for His approval, not the world’s approval, and find her identity in Christ. The closer she gets to God, the more unique she’ll become because God made her different for a purpose, to serve her generation like no one in the universe has ever served before.

The saints illustrate this concept well, because they were all holy yet original. As C.S. Lewis said, “How monotonously alike all the great tyrants and conquerors have been; how gloriously different are the saints.”

How does your daughter find her identity in Christ? The first step is to make Jesus her rock, the center of her universe and to know that He is the only One who will never let her down.

Overnight, she can lose everything the world tells her to base her identity on: her beauty, her talents, her wardrobe, her place in a friend group, her place on a team, her achievements, her material possessions, her grades, her attention from boys, even her Instagram account. She can be stripped of every earthly trapping that we humans put our faith in.

But what nobody can take away is her status as a child of God and the promise of heaven she is given through a relationship with Jesus.

In Him, she has the hope of eternal life and a joy to cling to in all circumstances. Even if her worst nightmare came true, she’d still be standing with Christ as her foundation.

When discussing identity, you can tell your daughter: ► She is special because she exists – period. Nothing can change God’s unshakable love for her. Even at her worst, He loves her at maximum capacity. ► She has inherent worth and dignity as God’s child. She was made in His image and is His masterpiece. ► The best part about her is God’s spirit inside her. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is what God uses to draw her heart to His. ► She is meant to run her own race, to live authentically and not identically to anyone. ► Her real identity is built from the inside out, beginning with Jesus in her heart. ► What God creates, God loves. And what God loves, He loves forever.

Your daughter will spend a lot of time in the teen years figuring out who she is as an individual and as part of a group. She’ll want to be true to herself yet also fit in.

Be patient as she wrestles, and remember how most of us build identities on what the world applauds us for. Many of us need a wake-up call to realize our mistakes. Your daughter may need to lose the center of her universe — her friends, her boyfriend, her status as a star — to realize how she built her identity on quicksand. She may need to struggle with insecurity to find lasting security through God. When my priest was in fourth grade, his teacher told him, “Every morning when you wake up, I want you to look at your reflection in the mirror and say, Thank you, God, for making

me beautiful.” To this day, he repeats this affirmation daily, not in a vain way, but in appreciation for the fact that he is God’s masterpiece.

Anyone can benefit from this habit. And because your daughter lives in a universe where girls often express confidence with an egotistical attitude, it’s a reminder to stay humble and see her blessings through God’s lens.

As your daughter grows up, and as she feels the need to reinvent herself, prove herself or test-drive identities to see what attracts the most attention, remind her that living for human praise will exhaust her, but living for the quiet peace of pleasing God and growing into His image will lead to deep and lasting inner joy.

And should your daughter forget who she really is or what she honestly loves to do, it may help her to tap into her 9-year-old self, remembering that confident little girl who once believed in herself, her abilities and her dreams for the future planted intentionally in the depths of her heart.

Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Mountain Brook mom of four girls, author, speaker and blogger. Her new book for moms, “Love Her Well: 10 Ways to Find Joy and Connection With Your Teenage Daughter,” will release Aug. 18 and will be available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold. Kari’s two books for teen and tween girls — “Liked” and “10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know” — have been used widely across the country for small group studies. Join Kari on Facebook and Instagram, visit her blog at karikampakis.com, or contact her at kari@karikampakis.com.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8

SALES, TRUNK SHOWS, & SPECIAL EVENTS

Please remember to put your money where your house is! *Check with individual merchants to see their sale operations *Please shop safely by wearing a mask and social distancing

B12 • August 2020

Village Living

Metro Roundup HOOVER About 150 of the top-rated high school baseball players in the eastern United States showed off their skills to hundreds of Major League Baseball scouts, college coaches and sports agents at the 2019 East Coast Pro Showcase at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on Aug. 1-4, 2019. Photos courtesy of Sports Facilities Management.

East Coast Pro Showcase agrees to 2-year extension in Hoover

By JON ANDERSON The East Coast Pro Showcase, an event that allows the top high school baseball players in the eastern United States to display their talent to hundreds of Major League Baseball scouts, college coaches and sports agents, has agreed to stay in Hoover through at least 2022, an East Coast Pro representative said.

Plus, chances are good that the organization will stay even longer, officials for East Coast Pro and the Hoover Metropolitan Complex said.

The event comes back to the Hoover Met for the third time Aug. 2-5. The original contract was for three years, plus an option to extend

for two more years, and that option has been exercised, said John Castleberry, a scout with the San Francisco Giants who is heavily involved with East Coast Pro. hooversun.com Now, the two parties are in serious talks for another three-year deal extending to 2025, Castleberry said.

“Chances are pretty good we’re going to do it,” he said.

Hoover Met Complex General Manager John Sparks said Hoover is excited about it. “They don’t want to go anywhere, and we don’t want Brought to you by our sister paper:

’em to,” Sparks said. “They’ve been a good partner for us. They love Hoover, and they’re a very classy organization, classy group of guys.

It’s a win, win for everybody.”

The showcase features the top 150 to 160 high school players in the eastern U.S. They are divided into six teams representing different regions of the eastern part of the country. They practice together and play games against one another as the scouts and coaches evaluate them.

Last year, nearly 490 scouts were present, but those numbers may be lower this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Castleberry said.

Pro teams serving as sponsors for the six teams this year are the Cincinnati Reds

(Ohio Valley states), Colorado Rockies (Southeast states), Milwaukee Brewers (Georgia and northeast Florida), San Francisco Giants (Florida and Puerto Rico), Arizona Diamondbacks (mid-Atlantic states) and Boston Red Sox (Northeast states).

There typically are three games each day, some with seven innings and some with nine.

Most of the showcase is closed, but the public typically is invited to watch games on the final day. Admission would be free, Sparks said.

More than 90 percent of the players who come to East Coast Pro end up signing contracts to play professional baseball, said Castleberry.

For more information about the showcase, go to eastcoastpro.org.

VillageLivingOnline.com

August 2020 • B13

280 CORRIDOR

Local podcaster Knox McCoy releases 2nd book

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Knox McCoy was working as a screen printer when he first heard about podcasts.

“It was seven hours of folding T-shirts, and I thought [listening to podcasts] would help me pass the time,” he said. “Then, I thought maybe I could do something like that.”

McCoy began podcasting in 2010 and currently has three podcasts: The Popcast, The Bible Brought to Binge, and you by our All Things sister paper: Recapped.

McCoy and his family moved from 280living.com Chattanooga to Inverness two years ago. Both of McCoy’s podcast business partners were in Birmingham, and he said making the move made sense and has been super helpful, as being in the same office makes things more manageable. His three children attend Briarwood Christian School.

However, this isn’t his first experience in Alabama. McCoy attended Samford University for a year and loved it. He finished at Lee College with an English degree and knew he wanted to write. He is now the author of two published books.

His first book, “The Wondering Years: How Pop Culture Helped Me Answer Life’s Biggest Questions,” was published in November 2018. In

it, he tried to reconcile growing up as an evangelical Christian, but not having the same experiences that he felt others had.

“I could see them finding God, but that wasn’t my experience,” he said. “I loved movies, books and TV shows, and I wrote about how I was able to find God through pop culture.”

Because he had signed a two-book deal, he began working on his second one just three months after the first was published.

“I started in February 2019 and had five months to write the book,” McCoy said. “Over three months, I took three trips on Amtrak from Birmingham to New Orleans. I would write all the way there, get a hotel and write all the way back. It’s some of the most productive work I’ve done.”

His second book, “All Things Reconsidered,” was released June 2.

In it, he uses everything from Bible stories, pop culture references and personal stories to show how asking tough questions and approaching life with a willingness to reconsider ideas can allow people to grow in their faith.

“The heart of the book is taking serious topics and silly topics and tearing them apart,” he said. “I’m not saying this is the truth of what everything is, but doing for myself.

People can agree or disagree, but also be inspired by how I’m doing this with my own life.”

It was blogging that brought him and his business partner, Jamie

Inverness resident Knox McCoy recently published his second book, “All Things Reconsidered.” He also is the host of three podcasts. Photos courtesy of Knox McCoy.

Golden, together in 2013. They were part of a blogging platform that helped people learn how to be better writers. After they met at a blog conference in Nashville, McCoy said he knew she was someone he would want to work with.

“We came from the blogging world, so it was a natural transition [to

podcasting],” he said.

The gig went from part-time to full-time in 2017. McCoy handles the editing and producing and Golden does all the marketing and finances.

Their schedule allows them to record three days per week, and the other days are spent editing, recording videos and in meetings at their

office in Vestavia.

McCoy said he will probably start working on another book next year.

“It’s always been a dream for me, and no matter how difficult it is, I love it. It’s hard to complain. I get to watch TV shows and write books.

Now, I just need some sports to come back,” he said.

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B14 • August 2020

Village Living

VESTAVIA HILLS

United Ability CEO leaves legacy in Birmingham area United Ability CEO Gary Edwards poses with Caroline Hornsby at the Hand in Hand Preschool graduation.

Edwards, a Vestavia Hills resident, died June 5 after 38 years of leading the Birminghambased United Ability organization.

Photo courtesy of David Barry.

By NEAL EMBRY Susan Lee said United Ability CEO Gary Edwards always remembered her daughter Alyssa’s name, from the moment he met her until the day he passed away.

Alyssa has Rett syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes infants to rapidly lose Brought to coordination, speech you by our and use of their hands sister paper: after about six months.

The people involved with Hand in Hand, a United Ability early vestavia intervention program voice.com for children with disabilities, walked with Alyssa through her diagnosis and worked with her to help her develop as she grew, Lee said.

Edwards played a large role in that, she said.

“He was never too busy to take time with the kids and with the families he served,” Lee said.

“It wasn’t a job for him; it was truly his life’s mission.”

Even when he had surgery, Edwards didn’t pass up a chance to play Santa for the children at United Ability, Lee recalled. His love for people with disabilities extended to every area of his life, she said.

Edwards, a Vestavia Hills resident, died June 5 after 38 years of leading the Birmingham-based United Ability organization.

“He was probably the most honorable man I’ve ever known,” said Meredith Hankins, who works as a speech-language pathologist at United Ability.

Edwards’ passing has had a major impact on the organization, Hankins said. “We are grieving him like a family member.”

When Brian Barksdale first heard of United Ability, he didn’t know much about the

organization but encouraged his daughter to take his granddaughter, Caroline, there if she felt they could help her with her cerebral palsy.

The first time he showed up at United Ability, he saw immediately what made it such a special place, and it started with Edwards.

“He didn’t have to say a word. You could see it on his face,” Barksdale said.

Edwards had a passion for helping people with disabilities live meaningful lives, providing early-intervention therapy, other therapies and many more resources for them, Barksdale said.

“He always showed a tremendous amount of

pride in the staff there.”

Hankins said she would always tell people she had the best job because she had the best boss, and said he was always open to new ways of helping people, not making more money or a name for himself.

When the iPhone came out, Edwards was convinced it was going to help those with disabilities, Hankins said. He bought an iPad, well before any applications were made to help those with disabilities.

Yet, reflecting years later, Hankins said Edwards’ vision came to pass. Those with

disabilities can use an iPad for augmented speech and other needs, she said.

Before he died, Edwards asked Hankins to look into teletherapy, something Hankins said she doubted.

“Guess what I’ve been doing for the past four months,” Hankins said.

Barksdale said Edwards was always looking to the future.

“He was never content with maintaining what we had,” Barksdale said.

Nothing was too small for Edwards, Hankins said. He knew all of her clients and would often call on their behalf to get something done.

Edwards spent time tirelessly advocating for disability rights in Montgomery, as well as making United Ability a state-of-the-art program that serves a large number of people, Hankins said.

Barksdale, the immediate past chair of United Ability’s board, said he remembers going to Caroline’s graduation from the Hand in Hand program.

He saw Edwards, in a full suit, on his knees with her, hugging her and smiling with her for a photo.

It was another picture, literally, of Edwards’ commitment to those he served, Barksdale said.

Lee said even for those who haven’t yet come to United Ability, Edwards has already made their life better because of his work.

Edwards changed how people with disabilities are viewed and helped ensure they would have the right and the opportunity to receive an education and get a job, she said. “He showed the whole community that they can do more.”

While Lee said Edwards’ impact on the community as a whole will live on through the staff at United Ability, his legacy is personal for her and her family.

“I was given hope that my child would … be the best version of Alyssa that she can be,” Lee said. “My family’s life is better because of Dr. Edwards.”

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August 2020 • B15

280 CORRIDOR Right: Mayhem on the Mountain fitness competition will take place Aug. 22-23 at Oak Mountain State Park.

Staff photo. Far right: Runners participate in the 2019 Ridge 2 Blazing Ridge Run at Oak Mountain State Park.

Photo courtesy of MRuns.

Fitness competition, trail race return to OMSP

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Two annual events will be held the weekend of Aug. 22 at Oak Mountain State Park.

MAYHEM ON THE MOUNTAIN

Alabama’s largest outdoor functional fitness competition will return to Oak Mountain State Park this month.

Mayhem on the MounBrought to tain will be Aug. 22-23 you by our and bring in more than sister paper: 500 competitors from around the Southeast who will compete as individuals or on a 280living.com four-person team.

The team competition will be Saturday, Aug. 22, and individuals will compete Sunday, Aug. 23. Athletes will be divided by age and skill level and include: ► Individual divisions: Male RX, Male Scaled, Women RX, Women Scaled, Men’s

Masters (35-39), (40-44), (45+), Women’s Masters (35-39), (40-44) and (45+). ► Team divisions (four-person): Male RX, Male Scaled, Women RX, Women Scaled, Men’s Masters Mix (two athletes must be 35+), Women’s Masters (two athletes must be 35+), COED RX, COED Scaled, COED Masters Mix (two athletes must be 35+), Men’s ALL Masters (four athletes must be 35+), Women’s ALL Masters (four athletes must be 35+).

Individual registration is $40, and team registration is $130. For information and a link to registration, visit facebook.com/ mayhemonthemountain.

RIDGE TO BLAZING RIDGE

The fifth race of the 2020 Southeastern Trail Series will be Aug. 22 at Oak Mountain State Park. It will feature a 10.5- and 21-mile race that will take place beginning at 7 a.m.

During this event, runners can enjoy miles of backcountry trails, run through the old rock quarry, climb through several cliff bands,

descend down the back side of Double Oak Mountain into the “Outback” and make the descent into and climb out of Shackleford Gap, affectionately known as “Barkley Hill.”

Last year’s race had 81 runners registered and 37 finished. Race organizer David Tosch said this is one of the most difficult races that can be run, and some say it is the hardest. The course features 10,892 feet of elevation change and racers must start the race with 40 ounces of water.

Late registration and packet pickup will be at the Mountain High Outfitters store at The Summit on Aug. 21 from 4:30-6 p.m. and Aug. 22 at the Redbud Pavilion at OMSP from 6-6:50 a.m. Both races will start at 7 a.m. and there will be no registration at the race. Registration for the 10-mile race is $50 and $65 for the 20-mile.

Price increases by $10 after Aug. 14.

For information and registration, visit southeasterntrailruns.com/ridge-to-blazingridge.html.

The XTERRA event scheduled for Aug. 29-30 has been canceled.

Mayhem on the Mountain • WHERE: Oak Mountain State Park • WHEN: Aug. 22-23 • COST: Individual registration is $40 and team registration is $130 • WEB: facebook.com/mayhem onthemountain

Ridge to Blazing Ridge • WHERE: Oak Mountain State Park • WHEN: Aug. 22 7 a.m.

• COST: Registration for the 10-mile race is $50 and $65 for the 20-mile.

Price increases by $10 after Aug. 14.

• WEB: southeasterntrailruns.com/ ridge-to-blazing-ridge.html

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