Village Living January 2015 by Starnes Media

Village Living neighborly news & entertainment for Mountain Brook

Volume 5 | Issue 10 | January 2015

A look ahead

Mountain Brook’s Welden, Benck lead World Games bid

Find updates on the Grand Bohemian Hotel and other projects underway for 2015 in our Year in Preview.

Special page A13

National champions

Mountain Brook residents David Benck, far right, and Edgar Welden, second from right, are leaders of a group working to bring the 2021 World Games to Birmingham. Last fall the group took the World Games committee to the Alabama vs. Texas A&M football game in Tuscaloosa, pictured here. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.

By DAVID KNOX

An MBJH student holds a national title in a sport called goalball. Learn more about the game and his team inside this issue.

Features page B1

INSIDE Sponsors ........A4 City ..................A6 Business ........A10 Community ...A16

School House...B5 Sports ...............B9 Faith .................B13 Calendar ........ B14

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No, it’s not the World Cup of soccer. And it’s not the Olympic Games. But the World Games are a big deal. And if Edgar Welden and David Benck are successful in their efforts, the 2021 World Games will be in Birmingham. The two Mountain Brook residents are co-chairmen of the local organizing

committee along with Scott Myers, executive director of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Welden, the chairman of the board of the ASHOF, has long been a champion of sports in the metro area. Benck is vice president and general counsel for Hibbett Sporting Goods and legal counsel to the ASHOF. Birmingham is one of just three cities still under consideration; the other two are Lima,

Peru, and Ufa, Russia. The World Games is a multidisciplinary sporting event consisting of non-Olympic sports. It’s been held every four years since 1981. It includes approximately 36 sports with more than 100 countries participating and 4,000 athletes. The event takes place over 11 days.

See WORLD GAMES | page A19

Vine Street Pig plans move forward Construction could begin by February By MADOLINE MARKHAM The Pig is coming back. The City Council approved rezoning that will allow for a Piggly Wiggly to be built on Vine Street in Crestline at a specially called meeting on Dec. 16. The project could start construction as early as February and will take about eight months to complete. During that time, construction fencing will be placed on Vine Street so that no construction workers or vehicles enter through the street. Brasﬁeld & Gorrie is the proposed contractor for the Piggly Wiggly. The store will replace three existing buildings, the Scout

See PIGGLY WIGGLY | page A18

Basim Ajlouny, Andy Virciglio and Naseem Ajlouny are co-owners of the new Piggly Wiggly planned for Vine Street in Crestline Village. The store will be similar to the location at River Run, where this photo was taken. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.

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A2 â&#x20AC;˘ January 2015

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A4 • January 2015

About Us Photo of the month

Please Support our Community Partners A Little Something (A9) Alabama Gaslight & Grill (A14) Alabama Power (A5) Amy Smith (B5) At Home Furnishings (B13) Batts’ Chimney Services (A6) Bedzzz Express (B16) Birmingham Duplicate Bridge Club (A14) Bromberg & Company, Inc. (A13) Canterbury Gardens (B7) Construx (B11)

Mountain Brook High School cheerleaders and Dorians participated in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as a part of a Spirit of America production that included 650 girls from around the country. Back row: Mary Rives Drake, Findlay Shelfer, Mary Farley Stevens, Claudia Rose Keating, Walton Stivender, Evelyn Bargeron, Emily Owen Mendelson, Annie Somerville, Mary Pat Rodrigues. Front row: Katherine Harris, Callie Anderson, Mary Katherine Moore, Paley Smith, Kara Gravlee. Not pictured: Sidnie Adair.

Send your submissions for Photo of the Month to jennifer@villagelivingonline.com

Dish’n It Out (A13) Early Arts Preschool (A14) Family Share Massage (A8) Fred Smith Group (A16) Garage Experts (B14) Granite Transformations (A6) Great Smiles Orthodontics (B1) Hufham Orthodontics (B7) In Shape MD Wellness Clinic (B15)

Editor’s Note By Jennifer Gray January brings the start of a new year, and we are looking forward to sharing it with you. As you start planning your year, goals and dreams, you might ﬁnd some inspiration in the pages of this month’s issue. New York Times columnist and author David Brooks is coming to town this month. The St. Luke’s Claypool Lecture series will host Brooks at Samford’s Wright Center. Come hear Brooks speak on “How people with inﬂuence use their faith as a moral center to change the world.”

The villages have lots going on in way of development. Read all about the latest on the Piggly Wiggly, and we also take you on a tour of what the new Grand Bohemian Hotel will be like when it opens in June. You can also learn what else to watch for in 2015, including sidewalks, condos and the new Cahaba River Walk, in our Year in Preview. This month’s chamber luncheon will honor a special individual. Wilmer Poynor will receive the Jemison Award. Wilmer’s journey and the impact he

Indian Springs School (A8)

has had on this community and beyond were the focus of an Spirit of Alabama report last year as well. The chamber has also made a change this year to the annual Village to Village run. Typically held in January, the run is being moved to March 7. What a great goal to work toward for those of us who have New Year’s resolutions to fulﬁll. We hope you enjoy this month’s issue as you kick off 2015. Happy New Year!

Issis & Sons (A9) Jacqueline DeMarco (B9) King’s House Oriental Rugs (A17) Lane Parke - Evson Inc. (A19) Marguerite’s Conceits (B3) Monkee’s of Mountain Brook (A16) Morningside at Riverchase (A18) Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce (A12) Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation (A11) Mountain Brook Trading on Dexter (A17) On Time Service (B12)

Village Living Publisher: Creative Director: Editor: Managing Editor: Sports Editor: Staff Writers: Editorial Assistant: Graphic Designer: Advertising Manager: Sales and Distribution:

Contributing Writer: Published by:

Dan Starnes Keith McCoy Jennifer Gray Madoline Markham David Knox Katie Turpen Jessa Pease Sydney Cromwell Madison Miller Emily VanderMey Matthew Allen Rhonda Smith Warren Caldwell Michelle Salem Haynes Morgan Robinson Nathan Pearman Kari Kampakis Village Living LLC

School House Contributors: Catherine Gasque - Cherokee Bend, Collins Clegg - Crestline, Kathleen Woodry - Brookwood Forest, Elizabeth Farrar - Mountain Brook High School, Hilary Ross- Mountain Brook Elementary, Dena Berte - Mountain Brook Junior High Contributing Photographers: Karim Shamsi-Basha, Image Arts Contact Information: Village Living #3 Ofﬁce Park Circle, Suite 316 Birmingham, AL 35223 313-1780 Dan@VillageLivingOnline.com

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

For advertising contact: Dan@VillageLivingOnline.com

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, faith, 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) 370-0732 or by email.

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Otey’s (B12) Project Share (B9) RealtySouth (A20) Renasant Bank (A3) Sweat and Gears (A11) Swoop (A17) Taco Mama (B11) The Cook Store (B9) The Maids (B10) The Scribbler (B10) TherapySouth Crestline (B2) UAB Division of Urogynecology (B6) Uptown Nail Spa (B3) Urban Home Market (A2) Village Dermatology (A7) Village Sportswear (B5) Vitalogy Wellness Center (A15, B8) Weigh To Wellness (A10) YMCA of Greater Birmingham (B4)

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A PUBLIC NOTICE FROM ALABAMA POWER

Tree crews working in city through early 2015 Alabama Power contract crews are working in several Mountain Brook neighborhoods, removing trees and other vegetation that threaten the safety and reliability of our electrical system. As part of this process, Alabama Power goes to great lengths to talk with individual property owners. Company representatives are going door-to-door, leaving notices at locations where work is needed. If you have any questions before crews come by your home, please call Alabama Power at 205-257-2155 and ask for someone in the Vegetation Management Group to contact you. Or you can email us at apcvm@southernco.com. Work in Mountain Brook and nearby areas is expected to continue through early 2015. Also, you can go online to http://alpwr.co/vm where Alabama Power has further information about these safety and reliability measures, as well as resources for property owners who would like recommendations about planting the right tree in the right place. Thank you for your understanding. We appreciate your business.

POWI-3795 TreeTrimmr15-MB Homewood.indd 1

11/14/14 4:09 PM

Village Living

A6 • January 2015

City City to fund All In programming The city is planning to grant $10,000 to All In Mountain Brook. At a December City Council meeting, board member Leigh Ann Sisson presented information about the organization’s mission and plans, and the council agreed to grant the funding as soon as a formal contract had been created for it. The community-based service is targeting parents, students and the community to enhance and protect the lives of Mountain Brook youth, focusing on factors that put students at risk, including substance abuse, high-risk behavior, violence, preventable accidents and mental health issues. The requested funding will go toward programming to be planned by appointed PTO representatives at each of the six

Mountain Brook schools. Mountain Brook High School will receive $5,000, and MBJH would get $3,000 and each elementary school $500. All In is also selling memberships to increase its revenue for programming. For more information, visit allinmountainbrook.org. During a recent All In Mountain Brook event, speaker John Beede asked the students to reach their hands around their backs as far as they could, then stop, visualize themselves stretching further and try again. The students were able to reach their hands farther the second time. All In will provide similar programming at Mountain Brook schools with new funding from the city. Photo by Madison Miller.

Kindergarten enrollment scheduled for this month Mountain Brook Schools is starting enrollment for children who will be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2015. As of Jan. 26, parents can visit mtnbrook.k12.al.us to create a student account for their children. Completing this online portion first speeds up the registration process in-person. Next, parents should plan to come

to their child’s school, according to the dates below, to complete the enrollment process. Original copies of the child’s birth certificate or other proof of the child’s age, social security card and blue immunization form will be required. If your child does not have a social security number, call 877-8304 to have a student number assigned.

Families who do not currently have students in the Mountain Brook school system or who have not filed a new address with the school system’s office will need to provide proof of residency. Accepted residency documentation can be found on the website. Enrollment organizers said the

online portion prior to coming to the school will greatly speed up the process. Registration will be from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on the following dates: }} Brookwood Forest Elementary: Feb. 11 }} Cherokee Bend Elementary: Feb. 18

}} Crestline Elementary: Feb. 25 }} Mountain Brook Elementary: Feb. 4 If you have any questions, call your child’s school or the board office at 871-4608.

VillageLivingOnline.com

January 2015 • A7

Beech flooding solutions move forward By MADOLINE MARKHAM Improvement for storm runoff issues around Beech Street and Beech Circle could be coming soon. Residents had previously complained that storm runoff in a creek near their homes had increased significantly since Tapestry Park apartments had been built. Walter Schoel of Schoel Engineering presented findings from a study of drainage in the area at the Dec. 8 City Council meeting. Schoel’s study found that the impacts from the Tapestry development are so small that they would be difficult to measure. However, they found that a retention pond created as a part of an expansion at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church’s capacity to hold water has been obstructed by a beaver dam. The dam has since been removed, and future attempts to build another one will be monitored. Schoel estimates that the system is about 50 percent oversized. To alleviate the drainage issues, Schoel’s report said that the best remedy would be an entirely new box culvert system but that it would be beyond the scope of

the study, which was commissioned to address solutions that would not disturb adjacent residential properties, and that there might not be room for it anyway. Instead Schoel recommended making the channel cross-section more uniform where it is narrow, in need or repair or has unusual bends. Schoel explained specifically where these changes could be made using a map. As a result of the improvements, the area will still flood but will hopefully flood less frequently and less severely than it currently does, Schoel said. The city’s Public Works department said it could make the improvements in-house. Residents at the meeting said that their primary concern is children’s safety in the area but that they don’t have specific ideas about solutions to improve the safety. In response, Schoel said that he believes the access to the creek cannot be closed and that these changes will not change the safety issue. Council members said they are concerned that anything put up to keep kids from falling in could create more flooding in the area but suggested the residents look at installing a fence

Children who live on and around Beech Street gather on the first day of school on a bridge that is in front of Karly Martin’s house at 224 Beech Street. The bridge runs over a culvert where past flooding has concerned parents about the safety of their children. The city is now taking steps to alleviate future flooding issues in the area. Photo courtesy of Leah Rice.

on their property if Schoel determines that it will not affect the water flow too severely. Schoel did say that the proposed changes shouldn’t increase the speed of the water. “We are so pleased with the improvements the city is planning for the area,” Beech resident Leah Rice said. “The speed and velocity of the water run off now is quite dangerous and as Mr.

Schoel said always will be with an open culvert system. Hopefully, if we can lessen the frequency of these events and hasten how the system empties, this will reduce water levels in the culvert. As residents we try diligently to teach our children to never play in the ditch, especially after rains, when water levels can rise quickly.”

Tree recycling at the zoo

Old Trace property to be de-annexed

The Mountain Brook Tree Commission and the Birmingham Zoo are partnering for the 7th annual Christmas tree recycling event. Residents are encouraged to drop their trees off at the zoo’s picnic area next to the parking lot during normal business hours from Dec. 26-Jan. 12. Only “clean” trees, free of

The city of Mountain Brook typically does not de-annex property, but the City Council determined a parcel on Old Trace is a worthy exception. At its Dec. 8 meeting, the council approved a resolution to de-annex a parcel of the property at 2712 Old Trace in the Abington area subject to changes that were on the record during the meeting.

decorations and wire, can be processed by the chipper. Garland, wreaths and other small debris must be hauled away as trash. Organizers ask that residents help the volunteers and help prevent damage to machinery by removing foreign objects before bringing your tree.

The Bruno family had a home on the property, and it is now owned by the Bruno Trust. A buyer has been secured for the property who plans to create estate-style lots on this parcel and adjacent property that is located in Vestavia Hills. Lawyers have worked with neighbors on the street to develop covenants and a buffer as part of the agreement.

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Village Living

A8 • January 2015

CRIME REPORT Nov. 14-20 Theft of Property Between Nov. 18-19, a theft occurred in the 2900 block of Shookhill Road. Building materials were taken from a construction site. Between Nov. 14-16, a theft occurred in the 300 block of Overbrook Road. Unknown suspect(s) stole an air condenser unit. Unlawful Breaking Entering Vehicle Between Nov. 17-18, unknown suspect(s) entered an unlocked vehicle in the 100 block of Mountain Park Drive. A computer, checks and credit cards were stolen. On Nov. 16, a UBEV occurred in the 100 block of Peachtree Road. Unknown suspect(s) entered an unlocked vehicle and stole currency, credit cards and a purse. Theft of Vehicle Between Nov. 17-18, unknown suspect(s) stole a vehicle from the 100 block of Mountain Park Drive. Nov. 21-26 Theft of Property On Nov. 25, a theft occurred in the 16 block of Office Park Circle. Unknown suspect(s) stole credit cards and currency from an office. Between Aug. 14 and Nov. 20, unknown suspect(s) stole silver and jewelry from a residence on Cross Creek Drive. Theft of Services On Nov. 24, a theft occurred in the 2800 block of Cahaba Road. A white female failed to pay for food at a business. Assist Other Police Department On Nov. 22, Homewood Police Department began pursuit of a stolen vehicle that entered Mountain Brook. The pursuit covered Mountain Brook Village to Crestline and then back to Cahaba Road, where the suspect wrecked the vehicle and was taken into custody. Officers from Mountain Brook Police Department assisted

in the pursuit and the arrest of the suspect. Nov. 27-Dec. 4 Theft of Property Three Cahaba Village thefts occurred on Dec. 2 and 3. On the 3100 block of Cahaba Village Plaza, an unknown black female stole food items from a business and an unknown black male stole alcohol from a business. In the 2800 block, an unknown white male stole several items of clothing from a business. Between June 1-Nov. 20, a theft occurred in the 500 block of Olde English Lane. Currency was stolen from the victim. Detectives conducted an investigation and obtained arrest warrants on Daphne Lakisha Wright, age 39 of Birmingham. Wright has been charged with financial exploitation of the elderly, identity theft, theft and forgery. Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card On Nov. 25, two unknown white males used a stolen credit card in the 2700 block of Culver Road.

Understanding ADHD series to start this month A series of classes on Understanding ADHD will be offered starting in late January. Mountain Brook Schools Student Services Director Dr. Dale Wisely, a child/adolescent psychologist since 1983 is teaching the series for parents and others interested in a deeper understanding of ADHD. The program is co-sponsored by All In Mountain Brook and the school system. Wisely evaluated and treated children with ADHD for 25 years before beginning his position with the school system. “I feel strongly that a critical part of treatment — in fact, as critical as any other piece — is for parents to get a really good understanding of the nature of that disorder and how it affects the child and the family,”

he said. “The greatest blessing in the life of a child with ADHD is adults around them who understand the disorder. Sadly, almost no parents get that kind of education about the disorder, thus this series.” The class topics and dates are: }} Part I: The disorders: Jan. 28, 9-10:30 a.m. }} Part II: Treatment: Feb. 4, 9-10:30 a.m. }} Part III: Managing home and family: Feb. 11, 9-10:30 a.m. Classes will be held in the Charles Mason Board of Education Building at 32 Vine Street in Crestline Village. The program is free, but space is limited. Register by contacting Janice Grammer at 877-8349 or studentservices@mtnbrook.k12.al.us.

Dec. 5-11 Burglary / Business A business burglary occurred between Dec. 9-10. Unknown suspect(s) forced entry through a rear door of the business. U.S. currency was stolen. Unlawful Breaking / Entering of a Vehicle A UBEV case occurred at the intersection of Cahaba Road and Heathermoor Road between Nov. 9-Dec. 9. Unknown suspect(s) entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and stole a checkbook. Theft of Property Another two thefts occurred in Cahaba Village Dec. 5-8. In the 2800 block of Cahaba Village Plaza, unknown suspect(s) stole a ring, and unknown suspect(s) stole U.S. currency and gift cards. A theft case occurred in the 3100 block of Overton Road on Dec. 4. Unknown suspect(s) stole a wallet and all of the contents. -Submitted by Mountain Brook Police Department

New turn light coming to 280 and Overton Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has installed a new turn light on U.S. 280 at Overton Road. The change is being made to alleviate some of the line that forms for cars waiting to turn left from 280 onto Overton. ALDOT plans had planned to begin installation Dec. 18 after rush hour if all parts are in and the weather is appropriate.

On the new signal, a flashing yellow arrow will indicate that drivers are allowed to turn left after yielding to oncoming traffic. It will not, however, allow drivers to make a U-turn at the intersection. As it has been before, a steady red arrow will indicate drivers must stop, a steady yellow arrow that the signal is about to turn red, and a green arrow that drivers in the turn lane have the right-of-way.

VillageLivingOnline.com

January 2015 • A9

Schools Foundation searching for new director

Anne Womack has served as the foundation’s director but will be leaving at the end of March.

Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation is looking for candidates for its full-time executive director position. The executive director will be responsible for overall management, fundraising, creation and implementation of projects and programs of the foundation. Current Executive Director Anne Womack announced in November that she would be leaving by March 31, 2015. Womack is engaged to be married, and her fiancé lives and owns a business in another city. The foundation is a nonprofit corporation that supports Mountain Brook schools. Since

1995, the foundation has given more than $5 million to the school in the areas of technology, professional development and library enhancement. Applicants for the position should have a bachelor’s degree and three to five years experience in fundraising or non-profit administration among other qualifications. To apply, submit a resume and letter of interest to mbcsfoundation@bellsouth.net with “Executive Director Search” referenced in the subject line. Applications will be accepted through Jan. 15.

Council updates By MADOLINE MARKHAM At its recent meetings, the City Council: }} Approved conditional (service) use for Mountain Brook Trading to establish a drop-off pick-up and showroom at 2 Dexter Ave. under Mafiaoza’s. The council, City Planner Dana Hazen and Police Chief Ted Cook all said they thought the location was appropriate for the showroom. }} Approved a lunch operation application for a quick-serve smoothie and sandwich shop at 2724 Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook Village. City Planner Dana Hazen said she approved of parking availability near the space. }} Renamed “Cahaba River Park” as “Cahaba River Walk.” }} Discussed Cahaba River Walk pedestrian crossing signals and traffic. In a meeting with Nimrod Long, Ken Boozer with the City of Birmingham had agreed to accept installing a single crosswalk at the Mountain Brook’s desired location between Oakdale and the walk that goes under the bridge. He also agreed to let Mountain Brook put in all the curbs along the park and on both sides of the road at the bridge. The council approved an authorization for Stone & Sons Electrical Contract to complete the signal project. }} Approved a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for five-year Parks/Recreation master plan that would “provide guidance for future development and redevelopment for the city’s parks, recreational opportunities, waterways, open spaces, trails and

facilities.” }} Appointed Ken Key to serve on the Tree Commission through Dec. 12, 2017. }} Appointed Stacey Turner to serve on The MRIDD 3 10 Authority, a board that addresses people with intellectual disabilities in the Birmingham area, through Dec. 8, 2020. }} Recommended beer and wine retail licenses to the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board for CVS’s future location in the former Piggly Wiggly in Crestline at 93 Euclid Ave. }} Approved a variance request for Perry Given, who owns a residence at 3829 Forest Run Road, from the 2012 International Building Code. Given is undertaking renovations to the 1968 home that would require the change in variance to reuse a terrace railing. }} Heard a presentation of proposed modifications to the city’s IRC Section 115 Retiree Medical Trust documents. City Clerk/CFO will make a few amendments and bring it back before the council. }} Authorized a parking pad to be removed to add a sidewalk at the Wilson residence. }} Received a presentation for the city from Catherine Pittman Smith regarding her book, Images of America: Mountain Brook. }} Approved a subscription agreement between the city and ESO Solutions, Inc. for of software and electronic patient care reporting services for the Fire Department.

Village Living

A10 • January 2015

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Now Open La Catrina Mexican Cantina is now open at 2031 Cahaba Road in English Village.

290-5270. lacatrinarestaurant.com. Family Share Massage, 2816 Culver Road, is now open in the Mountain Brook Mall. It offers massage services and membership plans that may be shared by more than one person.

445-0448. familysharemassage.com.

New Ownership Little Flower Day Spa has changed its name to Wildﬂower Hair & Nail Studio and is now owned by Molly Cummings.

490-1926. wildﬂowerhairandnailstudio.com.

Hirings and Promotions 4

January 2015 • A11 Euclid Ave., has welcomed Suzanne Hughes as a new agent. 879-6330. realtysouth.com. Lauren Hughey, MD, has joined the staff of Village Dermatology, 2900 Cahaba Road. Dr. Hughey is board certiﬁed in dermatology and previously was the director of the Dermatology Consult Service at UAB.

877-9773. villagedermatology.net.

Anniversaries Ruby Ansley Interiors, 2806 Petticoat Lane, celebrated its 51st anniversary in November.

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Closings Bug’s Boys Boy’s Apparel and Gifts, 200 Country Club Park, closed at the end of December.

The RealtySouth Mountain Brook Crestline Ofﬁce, 105

Career Opportunity Executive Director Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation, Inc. Background: The Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation is a non-profit corporation created to mobilize community support for the Mountain Brook City Schools. The Foundation is operated independently from the school system and secures resources from individuals, corporations and foundations. Since 1995, the Foundation has given over $5 million to the school system that serves approximately 4500 K – 12 students in the areas of technology, professional development and library enhancement. Position Summary: The Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation is looking for an innovative and highly engaged Director to lead the organization and implement fundraising goals. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in meeting and exceeding fundraising goals. The candidate should be an exceptional relationship builder, collaborator, and a committed fundraiser capable of working with donors of varied backgrounds. This is a full-time 12-month position with a primary focus on fundraising and stewardship. The Executive Director will be responsible for overall management, fundraising, creation and implementation of projects and programs of the Foundation. The Director is not a Mountain Brook City Schools employee and will be employed directly by the Foundation. Some night and weekend work is required. Responsibilities:  Direct and oversee the Foundation’s fund development plan including: major gift solicitation, planned giving, special events, annual giving campaign, endowment campaign, and donor relations.  Manage and monitor day-to-day operations of the Foundation ensuring fiscal accountability and the maintenance of records. Oversee the implementation of a process to ensure timely and effective reporting on all funds. Maintain a database for donors and potential donors fully utilizing fundraising software (i.e.

Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge)  Serve as a liaison between the Board of Directors, volunteers, Foundation administrators, principals, teachers, PTOs and community groups. Represent the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation at community events.  Oversee Foundation funded programs, prepare annual budgets, develop annual goals and fund development plan, monitor program revenue and expenses in relation to budget.  Serve as a member of all subcommittees of the Board of Directors and direct and oversee the preparation of reports and required forms to ensure legal compliance. The Executive Director will serve as “chief compliance officer” for the Foundation, verifying that all state and federal filings are completed correctly and on time as required of a 501(c) 3 public charity. Compensation: Salary will be competitive and commensurate with education and experience. Preferred Skills and Quali�ications:  Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in business, public relations, marketing, non-profit management or equivalent experience.  3-5 years of experience in fundraising or non-profit administration.  Exceptional presentation and written communications skills.  Strong organizational and planning skills with the ability to take initiative and effectively handle multiple tasks, changing priorities, and complex assignments.  Proficiency in Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and QuickBooks for non-profit Experience with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge and website planning desirable. To apply, please submit a resume and letter of interest to mbcsfoundation@ bellsouth.net. Please reference “Executive Director Search” in the subject line of your e-mail. Closing date January 15, 2015

2015

A12 • January 2015

Year in preview

Village Living

What to watch for around Mountain Brook this year

Traffic improvements in the works The city should be taking next steps to address residents’ concerns traffic congestion as expressed in a survey conducted last year. The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB) is working with the city to conduct a citywide traffic study that began this fall. The study will ultimately determine eight intersection project locations to

Antique cars process through Mountain Brook Village at a previous Legends of Motorsports event. The event could return to the village this May.

Car show in the Village Legends of Motorsports could be coming back to Mountain Brook Village in May. Barber Motorsports is looking to hold an event in conjunction with its antique race car weekend. The Mountain Brook Village event would be held Friday, May 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. and would invite local car clubs.

A similar event was held in the Village in 2010 and 2011. Hannon Davidson of the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce is working with Mountain Brook Village merchants on event details and will confer with the police and fire chiefs before moving forward.

conduct low-cost improvements. The city is hoping to secure an Advance Planning Programming & Logical Engineering (APPLE) grant to pay for $40,000 of the approximately $45,000 project. RPCGB will hold a public involvement meeting to solicit public input on the intersections, but a date has not been set.

More sidewalks coming Phase 9 of the city’s sidewalk master plan is set to begin this summer or fall. The last of the master plan’s 12 phases was completed in early 2014. Phase 9 will add sidewalks starting at Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church on Brookwood Road and then running to Crosshill Road, Woodvale Road and Oakdale Drive in front of Mountain Brook High School, where it will link with two other sidewalk sections.

In this year’s city budget, $829,205 gross was awarded for grant-funded sidewalk construction, with grants anticipated to fund $656,000 of that cost. Like other sidewalk projects, 80 percent of this one will be federally funded, with the city picking up 20 percent of the bill. Also in the plans for this year is a sidewalk connector to be installed at Poinciana Drive in Homewood. The city has allocated $100,000 for this in the budget.

2015 Year in preview

VillageLivingOnline.com

Joe Saling, regional director of sales and catering for the Kessler Collection, points out where a restaurant and other amenities will be located on the Grand Bohemian’s third floor.

January 2015 • A13

A Christmas tree is lifted atop the Grand Bohemian as part of a Dec. 12 Tree Topping ceremony. Photos by Madoline Markham.

Grand Bohemian hotel to open, Lane Parke retail moving forward After years of planning, the first parts of Lane Parke will open to the public this year. Hotel details The Grand Bohemian hotel is scheduled to be ready for business in June. During a Dec. 12 event, a tree topping ceremony was held to mark the point of construction where interior work begins on the building. The ceremony is based on a Scandinavian tradition that pays homage to the spirits of the trees that were used to create a building. Inspired by the Bohemian Club in San Francisco, the Bohemian is part of the Kessler hotel collection, which was created to celebrate arts and culture. In addition to its 100 hotel rooms, the $35 million building will feature amenities for the community to use.

A freestanding 2,200-square-foot art gallery, the largest of any of the Kessler hotels, will be located adjacent to an outdoor sculpture garden. Nearby, a swimming pool will double as a fountain, and area residents will be able to valet park their cars and walk directly into the spa on the first floor. Up on the third floor, a restaurant that will feature farm-to-table menu items made with regional ingredients opens up to a rooftop terrace that overlooks Mountain Brook Village. Next to the restaurant, a cooking school will accommodate 12-20 people at a time. “You get wonderful views up there,” Kessler CEO Richard Kessler said of the terrace. “We’ll have fire pits out there for [colder] days like this.” A 6,000-square-foot ballroom will be able to accommodate 300-350 people. Private parties

can book a dining room that seats up to 42 people. After dinner, parties can use the adjoining billiard room and outdoor terrace. During a time of opening remarks, Kessler Collection CEO Richard Kessler said that the city has been a great partner and supporter of the project. “We want to be a great partner with you in the long term,” he said. Retail update Developers are anticipating a release of the tenants who will be coming to the first retail phase by early 2015. Village Design Review approved this part of the development last year. “With Kessler [Collection] coming on board, interest from high end retailers percolated up,” John Evans of Evson Inc. told the City Council

last year. “We have a pretty good pick for the community.” At the same meeting, Robert Jolly of Retail Specialists said that all the first phase among tenants will be opening their first location in Alabama at the Bohemian. Evans also said he estimates that the new Western Supermarket in the phase will be ready for the store to occupy about nine months after construction begins. Rounding out the development, the city will be completing road improvements this year. This year’s budget calls for $1 million for Lane Park Road improvements and $2.5 million for Cahaba Road improvements. Additionally, the majority of the apartment construction was completed in 2014, with many residents moving in.

See more YEAR IN PREVIEW | page A14

A14 • January 2015

2015 Year in preview

Village Living

Wedgeworth is planning to start building out the Village Place development off Montclair Road this year.

New development Be on the lookout for new buildings around Mountain Brook this year:

The pavilion at Cahaba River Walk, previously known as Cahaba River Park, will complete its first phase of development by February.

Final touches on Cahaba River Walk A new pavilion will round out the first phase of features in the new Cahaba River Walk at Overton Road and River Run Road. The pavilion is scheduled for completion by February, just in time for spring events. A nature path similar to ones on Jemison Trail is also planned as an Eagle Scout project for the first part of this year, as is a reworking the pedestrian crossings at the intersection of Overton Road and Oakdale Drive/River Run Drive.

The 4.7-acre property now boasts a parking area for 20 cars, a loop walkway and a walkway down to a natural stone beach on the river. Native plants were scheduled be placed in disturbed areas to create a bioswale, which will filter water that flows from the parking lot to the river. Another trail will go under the bridge and could eventually connect to the Carraway-Davie House and Conference Center, which was recently purchased by Cahaba Park Church.

Condos on Cahaba Road The Manning development will build 14 condominiums on Cahaba Road just north of the Birmingham Zoo. The twostory, 33-foot-tall wood frame building will house residences between 1,800 and 3,000 square feet. There will be outdoor parking for 11 cars with additional parking underneath the building for 21 cars. Landscaping will be added as a buffer between it and Lane Parke Road. The property was previously home to eight small single-family dwellings that will be demolished to make room for the new building. Preschool Partners building Preschool Partners will soon have a building of its own. Its property is located on Montevallo Road across from McElwain Baptist Church. For the past 20 years, the nonprofit organization has shared and rented space as it has worked toward its mission to equip families of at-risk preschool children with

the necessary skills to achieve school readiness. The 12,000-square-foot space will allow the organization to expand its programming by 60 percent to serve more families of rising Birmingham City Schools kindergarten students. It will also allow the program to be in the same location all week and provide a rainy day activity room, offices for all staff and an enlarged playground. For more, visit operationschoolhouse. com or call 951-5151. A denser Village Place The Pilgrim Place subdivision on Montclair Road should soon be more populated. The development, currently home to two residences, will be known as Village Place and other changes will come as a new developer works to build out the area. The subdivision’s street will change names from Pilgrim Place to Village Place. Plans also call for widening the entryway to allow for gates, reducing width of the road to allow for deeper lots, closing setbacks from 12.5 to 10 feet and resurveying some areas.

VillageLivingOnline.com

January 2015 • A15

Chamber Wilmer Poynor to receive Jemison award By MADOLINE MARKHAM There’s a reason the vote for Wilmer Poynor to receive this year’s Jemison Visionary Award was unanimous. Just ask Forrest DeBuys, a fellow New York Life agent who has known Poynor most of his own 48 years. “He was the icon of the insurance industry here in Birmingham and the guy who I have modeled my practice after,” DeBuys said. “His integrity is solid as you can ﬁnd, and his knowledge for the business unparalleled. He’s done it all and done it so well that his reputation and name recognition is unbelievable.” Poynor will receive the award on Jan. 15 at the annual Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce luncheon at The Club. Each year the community provides nominations for the award, which is named for Mountain Brook planning visionary Robert Jemison. DeBuys noted that Poynor was a “little bit on the old school side” in his industry, in a good way. Much of the insurance industry is moving toward automation in its customer service, but not Poynor. He called every one of his customers, and sometimes their wives and children, on their birthdays every day until his stroke. “He’s the guy who kept that personal touch,” DeBuys said, noting that he now calls his own customers on their birthdays.

Preview of

January Luncheon Thursday, Jan. 15 11 a.m. doors, 11:30 a.m. lunch Jemison and Tynes awards will be given Tickets at welcometomountainbrook.org

Wilmer Poynor walks through Brookwood Village each week and bumps ﬁsts with employees and shoppers he passes. Photo by Alec Dixon.

Another thing that stands out to DeBuys is not just Poynor’s involvement in the community but his motivation for doing so. His primary reason for serving was because his heart was in it; any business and networking connections might be a result but not the driving force behind them. The Poynors ﬁrst moved to Mountain Brook when they bought their

ﬁrst home on Delmar Terrace in Crestline after Poynor served in the Army. All these years later, all three of their children are only minutes away from their home of nine years just outside Mountain Brook Village. At age 71, Wilmer lost the function of the right side of his body when a stroke affected the left hemisphere of his brain. Each day his wife of 56 years,

Carol, sees his dedication to being as active as possible. Wilmer walks Brookwood Village regularly. His friends who work there know him and return his ﬁst pump when he greets them. Mike Royer, an anchor at Alabama’s 13, ﬁlmed a “Spirit of Alabama” segment about Poynor’s Brookwood walk. Royer will serve as emcee for the chamber luncheon

this month. “From the moment we met, it was a pleasure following him around the mall,” Royer said. “Some people were leery at ﬁrst but realized he was just spreading a smile. There is a friendliness in the way he approached people. I think it’s therapy for him, therapy for people he ﬁst bumps with, and therapy for me.”

Village Living

A16 • January 2015

Community Village 2 Village run moving to March

Speaker who lost daughter to a drunk driver to come to Canterbury In May 11, 2002, Renee Napier’s daughter Meagan and her daughter’s friend Lisa Dickson died after a drunk driver hit their car. The driver, Eric Smallridge, was sentenced to 22 years in prison. In the midst of grieving, Napier came to forgive Smallridge, and less than two years after Meagan’s death, Napier began giving presentations about her journey and DUIs. On Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m., Napier will bring her message to Canterbury United Methodist Church. Since 2004, more than 100,000 people have heard

Napier share the story of and account of the power of forgiveness. Since April 2010, Smallridge has been granted permission to join Napier in her speaking campaign. While still an inmate, he shares about the crash and his life in prison. He will join Napier for her Jan. 26 presentation, which is hosted by All In Mountain Brook. For more information about Napier and her work in Meagan’s memory, visit themeagannapierfoundation.com. For more information about All In, visit allinmountainbrook.org.

Renee Napier

Zoo sets new attendance record Runners participate in a previous year’s Village 2 Village Run. Photo by Ivey Jackson.

The annual Village 2 Village 10K is moving to a warmer weather month. The event had previously been held in January, but this year is scheduled for March 7. A trail run option will also be added in addition to the traditional route through Mountain Brook

neighborhoods. Mountain High will be the presenting sponsor for the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce event. For more information, visit welcometomountainbrook.com.

The Birmingham Zoo set a new, all-time attendance in late 2014 and was on pace to set an overall attendance record for 2014. In October, 66,449 visitors made their way to the Zoo, a 2.6 percent increase compared to the previous record in October 2010 when the Zoo saw 64,753 visitors. A big draw for guests in this fall was the annual Wells Fargo Boo at the Zoo event and the Zoo’s all-new Monster Slide. This event welcomed 29,500 visitors, an 8.45 percent increase compared to the previous attendance record in 2010. “The annual Wells Fargo Boo at the Zoo exceeded our expectations,” Birmingham Zoo President and CEO Dr. William R. Foster said. “We would not be

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able to have such successful events without the support of the community.” In November, the Zoo set a new attendance record of 26,739 visitors. This is a 19.4 percent increase compared to the previous year when 22,393 visitors made their way to the Zoo. The new Yuletide Slide attraction and several special Zoo events helped attribute to this all-time attendance record for November. As of mid-December, the Zoo hoped to reach 600,000 attendees in 2014, which would set another record over the previous record-breaking years in both 2012 and 2013. For more information, visit birminghamzoo.com.

VillageLivingOnline.com

January 2015 • A17

New York Times columnist David Brooks to speak Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church Claypool Lecture Series Featuring David Brooks By MADOLINE MARKHAM In the fall of 2013, Rich Webster found David Brooks’ email address at the bottom of his column in The New York Times. He decided to email him about Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church, where he serves as rector, and Birmingham. The next day, Webster got a call. Brooks was intrigued. The colleague of Brooks who called wanted to clarify one thing, though. Did Webster know Brooks was Jewish? He did. “I also knew he quotes Christian authors and seems to know more about Christianity than most Christians,” Webster said. “The [Claypool] lecture series has always intended to bring interesting people to Birmingham, people on the forefront of faith and of

Tuesday, Jan. 13 6:30 p.m. Wright Center Samford University $25

creative culture and leadership.” At the time, Brooks was finishing a book on humility, so Saint Luke’s wasn’t able to book the political and social analyst to come until this January. Brooks is now scheduled to speak on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at Samford’s Wright Center as a part of Saint Luke’s Claypool Lecture Series. In the past, the series has brought speakers such as Brené Brown and the authors of Same Kind of Different As Me to honor the service of the Rev. John Claypool, a preacher and Christian author who previously served as rector at Saint Luke’s. Webster specifically wanted Brooks to know the context of Birmingham in addressing the topic, “How do people with influence use their faith as a moral center to change the world?”

“The mountain that separates Birmingham is wonderful and terrible,” Webster said of what he explained to Brooks. “It can easily divide haves and have nots.” Webster believes Brooks is the ideal person to speak to the topic. He has long admired Brooks’ thoughts and passions and, most recently, seeing him emerge as a consistent moral voice for people in leadership roles. “I think people will find in David someone who is universally admired for his capacity to listen to different points of view,” Webster said. “He is that rare public figure who doesn’t retreat into the camp of the likeminded. That’s the kind of diversity we need to have in this city.” Webster said this is evident in hearing Brooks speak on television and

New York Times columnist David Brooks will be this year’s speaker for the Claypool Lecture Series presented by Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church.

radio programs. “His colleagues adore him and don’t agree with him on anything,” Webster said. “I am not sure we adore our political opponents anymore. That’s good behavior to model.” Brooks has been an op-ed columnist at The New York Times since 2003. His columns are currently published in the paper on Tuesdays and Fridays. He is also a frequent commentator on NPR and appears on the PBS Newshour. He is the author of Bobos In Paradise:

The New Upper Class and How They Got There, On Paradise Drive: How We Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future Tense and, most recently, The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement. Webster hopes the city will rally behind Brooks’ visit and that the Wright Center will sell out for the Jan. 13 event. Tickets are $25 and available at tickets.samford.edu or by contacting Nancy Cain at 802-6200.

Village Living

A18 • January 2015 PIGGLY WIGGLY

CONTINUED from page A1 House, Please Reply and the Early Learning Center, all of which are now zoned for commercial development following the meeting. In all, it will feature 28,250 square feet of gross floor area with 90 parking spaces; 49 spaces would be in adjoining gravel lots, 14 in a shared Regions lot and 27 along Vine Street. The approved plan reflects changes made based on resident input at public hearings. A service entrance for truck deliveries was moved to the alley that runs parallel to Vine Street south of the store; previous plans called for the entrance to be directly on Vine Street. With this plan, trucks will only enter from Church Street instead of traveling on West Jackson. Furthermore, traffic will only be allowed to exit the store parking lot onto Vine Street and turn left away from the school, not right toward the school. “We vetted the plan with Vine Street access closed, and the traffic experts agreed keeping it open is an important part of the plan,” architect Jeffrey Brewer said during a presentation to the council. Traffic consultant Richard Caudle of Skipper Consulting said the access is necessary for cars to exit in proper traffic flow and to allow better access for those living nearby without driving around to Church Street. The plan also offers a direct pedestrian crossing from Crestline field or Crestline Elementary to Church Street as well as a new fence and hedge installed between Vine Street and Crestline field. Also at Dec. 16 meeting, the council approved an economic incentive

The Vine Street Piggly Wiggly developers reconfigured its site plan for the service entrance to be located on the alley south of the store instead of off Vine Street. This should route truck traffic through Church Street instead of near Crestline Elementary.

agreement with the developers. Pritchard outlined the three primary provisions of the drafted agreement at a council work session on Dec. 5. First, the developer will convey two pieces of property to the city for $1.2 million after the developer makes improvements to them. These properties are a parking lot not currently owned by city and the “Pig Trail” that will act as the access point to the new store from Church Street. The second provision splits sales taxes between the city and the

developer at the beginning of the store’s life. For the first five years, the split would be 75 percent/25 percent, and after that the split would be 50/50. The total amount would be capped at $4 million. The city entered a similar agreement for the Piggly Wiggly at River Run, Publix on Overton Road and Cahaba Village, and all were paid earlier than their 15-year expiration limit. Lane Parke’s expiration for a similar agreement is 20 years. The funds under discussion will

have to be earned by the developer before they receive it, City Attorney Whit Colvin clarified. The final provision is regarding ad valorem tax, which is also similar to previous agreements. If the store performs better than projected, it will have the opportunity to receive a portion of city’s ad valorem tax that could be around $26,000 depending on the property value assessment. The tax abatement provision would end after 15 years. “All the previous developments

have satisfied early, but there is no guarantee this one will,” City Clerk/ CFO Steven Boone said. “But the cap protects you in this case.” An additional provision of the document gives the city an option to purchase the grocery building if it were to cease to operate as a community grocery store. This was not in previous agreements with developers, but Colvin said it seemed appropriate because of the store’s location. Check VillageLivingOnline.com for updates on the start of construction.

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January 2015 • A19

World Games Committee members tour Birmingham on a recent trip to the city. The host city for the 2021 event will be announced in January. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.

WORLD GAMES

CONTINUED from page A1 The very first World Games were held in Santa Clara, California, but they haven’t been back to the States since. The 2013 games were in Cali, Colombia; the 2017 games are in Wroclaw, Poland. It was a trip to the Cali games that planted the seed for Birmingham’s bid. Benck, who also serves on the board of directors for USA Gymnastics, and Myers were invited to attend the World Games. USA Gymnastics has disciplines in both the World Games and the Olympics. “Scott and his wife and me and my wife went down to the games,” Benck said. “When we went down there, we were not looking at it as something we would pursue. We were mostly down there enjoying ourselves. We had all-access passes, so we were able to see the operational side of things and the behind-thescenes working of the games. We were mostly just enjoying the sporting events. It wasn’t until we got back that we began to consider it.” They immediately decided to bring Welden, a longtime champion of sports in the metro area, into the mix. “They came back all excited and came up with the thought that maybe we could do it in Birmingham,” Welden said. “Scott and David approached me as chairman of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and asked us to help lead that effort. And of course, I love sports and was all excited about it and thought it was a great thing for the city of Birmingham and the state of Alabama.” Said Benck, “Edgar has spent half his life doing community service and doing things to benefit the greater Birmingham area and Alabama, and most of his endeavors have been in the sports area. So this has really been in his sweet spot. He’s been a huge, huge part of this thing trying to put it together. We certainly would not be where we are if it were just Scott and I.” The venues Birmingham has to offer is one of the committee’s biggest selling points. “Birmingham is really fortunate to have the venues we have,” Welden added. “They’re outstanding, and the important thing is we don’t have to go spend money creating, building and investing in venues. We already have the venues we need.” The community’s institutions and municipalities have stepped up with an impressive show of cooperation. “Some people seem to have a low estimation of Birmingham and what Birmingham presents,” Benck said, “but we have commitments from Birmingham-Southern, Samford and UAB to provide all of their venues complimentary, including their residence halls and their cafeterias. And of course, the city

of Birmingham is kicking in the BJCC and the CrossPlex and even Legion Field. Having those four pockets of locations, we’re able to put together a proposal to have mini-campuses for the athletes… and link them with transportation.” Said Welden, “I’ve been involved in a lot of projects over the years, and I’m not sure I’ve seen one with such universal support. From the city, City Council, board of education, mayor and his staff, county commissioners, legislators, the business community have all reached out and shown great support and unity in this.” Another plus is that Birmingham is a very convenient city to get around in. “We have a very condensed and tight footprint,” Benck said. “The distance from the CrossPlex to Barber Motorsports Speedway to Oak Mountain would be the farthest anyone would have to travel, and what is that, 20 minutes? In Colombia, we had to drive 45 minutes to an hour to get from venue to venue.” Among the participating sports are aikido, archery, billiards, bowling, canoeing, dance sport, flying disc, gymnastics, handball, karate, kickboxing, lacrosse, orienteering, powerlifting, racquetball, rugby and softball. Each city can add up to five “invitational sports” of local interest. Among the possibilities that have been recommended here are 3-on-3 basketball, cricket and sporting clays. World Games executives toured the city and its facilities — sports venues, hotels, restaurants and college campuses — in October. The representatives from each city will go to Lausanne, Switzerland, for the final presentations on Jan. 21, and the next day the decision will be announced. Birmingham’s presenters will include Benck, Welden, Myers, Birmingham Mayor William Bell and Larry Probst, chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee. The presentation will take place at the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee. The estimated cost to host the games is $75 million. Two studies were done to estimate the economic impact. The Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau study projected a $256.5 million impact. Sam Addy of the University of Alabama Center for Business and Economic Research estimated a low of $230 million and a high of $280 million. “If we win this bid,” Welden said, “I think one of the most important things is how we’ve been able to come together as a city and a community to work on a project, and we’ve just had no pushback from anybody. I’m just proud of our community, and I hope like heck we can be selected. But if for some reason we did not win, we’ve already won in that Birmingham has gone out all over the world as being a finalist. “We’ve gotten millions of dollars of publicity out of this already.”

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Village Living

SECTION B School House B5 Sports B9 Faith B13 Calendar B14

Lakeshore goalball team repeats as

national champion By DAVID KNOX

Josh Welborn, Nick Rollins and Parker Stewart show off their gold medals and celebrate their Youth Goalball National Championship. Photos courtesy of the Lakeshore Foundation.

When the Lakeshore Foundation youth goalball team captured its first national championship, coach Cliff Cook hoped the team’s three returning members would still be hungry enough to shoot for a repeat. They were. Lakeshore won its second straight high school national championship by defeating the Georgia Academy of the Blind in St. Augustine, Fla., in the sport that is for visually impaired athletes. “We set out this season with that as our goal. We did feel that we were the favorites coming in,” said Cook. “For one thing, we had three of our four athletes returning, so we had a veteran team and my fourth year as coach, so we built on that. “Every guy on the team wanted it. They worked hard for it.” Goalball is a sport that is played 3-on-3. A team can have as many as six players on the squad, but Lakeshore’s team had just the three: Parker Stewart, a 15-year-old who attends Mountain Brook Junior High; Josh Welborn, a 16-year-old who lives in Pelham and is home-schooled; and Nick Rollins, a

16-year-old who lives in Irondale and is a junior at Shades Valley High. Stewart and Welborn were named to the High School All-American Goalball team and Welborn was named the most valuable player. Goalball is not a sport that was adapted from a sport already played by able-bodied players; it was invented in Austria after World War II to help in the rehabilitation of visually impaired veterans. Players throw a ball, which has bells inside it, past the other team’s players into a net. Defenders listen for the bells and try to judge when and where to dive for it. Players also pass the ball to each other to set up plays. The sport is played on a volleyball-sized court with a goal on each end that covers the length of the court and is 1.3 meters (about 4 feet, 3 inches) high. A contest has two 12-minute halves. Since the players can have varying degrees of vision, all players wear shades to block out all sight. The floor has tactile markings on it for the players to feel their positions. Crowds must root silently during

See GOALBALL | page B12

Village Living

B2 • January 2015

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VillageLivingOnline.com

January 2015 • B3

Krewe Ball Princesses 2015 By MAGGIE CARTER O’CONNOR When Feb. 13 arrives, so will the Beaux Arts Krewe. As hosts of the 48th annual Beaux Arts Krewe Ball, these gentlemen will don the red velvet regalia as they welcome guests of this year’s royal court. Since its inception in 1967, the ball has featured a King and Queen as well as their courtiers: Guards, Dukes, Ladies-in-Waiting, Princesses and Pages. In the spirit of Mardi Gras, the festivities center around the King and the presentation of the Queen and her Court. The Princesses all wear ball gowns of white accessorized with long white gloves. Each is presented by her sponsor from the Krewe and wears a Mardi Gras mask handmade by the ladies of the Krewe. The 48th annual Krewe Ball will present the following 28 Princesses: Anne Fairly Alison, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Fairly Alison III; Ann Floyd Stevens Ashton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Jackson Ashton; Helen Cumbee Corey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Allen Rushton Corey; Victoria Jane Crenshaw, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. James Hill Crenshaw; Sarah Elizabeth Dodson, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Cecil Calvert Dodson III; Virginia Hagood Drennen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hagood Drennen; Virginia Lockett Farlow, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Nance Farlow; Emily Irene Gardner, daughter of Reverend and Mrs. H. Huey Gardner; Eulalie Crommelin Draper Given, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.

Gracie Hawkins, Caroline Gray, Anderson Pearce, Adelaide King, Katie Kirkland.

Emily Gardner, Virginia Smith, Virginia Grisham, Lela Welden, Anna Patterson.

Robert Sommerville Wilkerson Given; Caroline Nabers Gray, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Eugene Gray; Mary Virginia Grisham, daughter of Mr.

and Mrs. James Ernest Grisham III; Grace Evelyn Hawkins, daughter of Ms. Katherine Bentley Hawkins and Mr. William Dale Hawkins III; Mary

Elizabeth Hobbs, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Whitehead Hobbs; Adelaide Harling King, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Steven King;

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See KREWE | page B4

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Village Living

B4 • January 2015 KREWE

CONTINUED from page B3

Addison Pollard, Katie Tynes, Fallon Wilson, Virginia Drennen, Libby Hobbs, Anne Fairly Allison.

Anne Pell, Lelie Given, Sarah Dodson, Virginia Farlow, Sarah Grace Sparks, Elizabeth Miller. Photos by Madoline Markham.

Kirkland; Mary Aileen Mackin, daughter of Mr. Brian Williams Mackin and Mr. and Mrs. William Arthur Bridell; Hallie Preuit Mauldin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Macke Buchanan Mauldin; Elizabeth Lee Miller, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Mark Lyle Miller; Anna Anglin Patterson, daughter of Mrs. Ellen Tate Patterson and Mr. Burton Roe Patterson; Anderson McGuire Pearce, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas McCallum Pearce Jr.; Anne Sloan Pell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Byron Pell Jr.; Addison McKay Pollard, daughter of Dr. Andrew Emil Pollard and Cameron Gaede; Sadler Ross Sanders, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Rutledge Sanders Jr.; Virginia Gilder Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Michael Smith; Sarah Grace Sparks, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Michel Davis and Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Davidson Sparks; Katherine Shields Tynes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ingram Dickinson Tynes; Mary Harmon Bryant Tyson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Marc Bryant Tyson; Lela Ellen Welden, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Bowen Welden; and Emily Fallon Wilson, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Alexander Symington Wilson Jr. One of these ladies will be revealed as the Queen at the Ball, while four others will be presented as the Queen’s Ladies-in-Waiting. To usher in the week of Mardi Gras preceding the ball, the Beaux Arts Krewe members fly flags at their homes. Although these flags were at one time given solely to those Krewe members who had been King, they now grace the homes of each member of the Beaux Arts Krewe. Each flag boasts the Beaux Arts Krewe Coat of Arms emblazoned with symbols that represent the organization’s commitment to the Birmingham and the arts.

VillageLivingOnline.com

January 2015 • B5

School House MBE students help fund holiday project

Fifth-grade friends Greer Golden, Lawsie Jolly, Elizabeth Kohn, Ellie Shelfer and Frances Vandevelde sold cupcakes that raised $600 for the MBE Holiday Project.

By HILARY ROSS Every year during the holiday season, Mountain Brook Elementary adopts children from the Salvation Army Angel Tree Program. Historically, students have raised funds for the Holiday Project through selling lemonade or hot chocolate and through chores. This year, student involvement reached a new level with many students participating in outside-the-box fundraising ideas and contributing heavily to overall funds raised. One such group were fifth-grade friends Greer Golden, Lawsie Jolly, Elizabeth Kohn, Ellie Shelfer and Frances Vandevelde, who were inspired by the show Cupcake Wars to challenge themselves to bake, decorate and package 500 cupcakes. Each assorted pack of five cupcakes

was sold for $5. They raised $600 total. Another duo had the idea to sell art and music in Overton Park. William Stringfellow and Jackson Nunneley, third graders at MBE, raised $60 selling William’s dinosaur drawings and receiving tips from Jackson playing violin on two weekend afternoons. Additionally, several fourth-grade students held a bake sale in Triangle Park on a weekday immediately after school. In about 20 minutes, the group raised almost $200 selling rice crispy treats, brownies and other baked goods. Throughout the school, more than $12,000 was raised to allow each classroom to spend $300 on each of its 30 adopted angels ranging in age from 10 months to 10 years with the remainder donated to the Salvation Army to fund other angels and further its mission.

BWF studies 1920s

Madeline Baltz, Hannah Halpern, Emma Hill, Caroline Carwie and Sophie Barkan.

By KATHLEEN WOODRY Sixth grade students at Brookwood Forest Elementary celebrated their studies of the 1920s by participating in a 1920s Day in their social studies classes.

Students dressed as guys and dolls from the Jazz Age; listened to music of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Bessie Smith; and learn to dance the Charleston. It was a fun way to bring the decade to life and celebrate their studies.

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Village Living

B6 • January 2015

Drama plays a role at MBJH

Annual Expressions Art Contest kicks off By CHRISTY LEE

Drama students at MBJH. Front Row: Clay Harkins, Will Lockett, Blake Fields, Mason Hemstreet, Bailey Sellers, Anna Elizabeth Byrnes, Margaret Kennedy, Abby Russell, Emma Lindsey. Back row: Tessa Allen, Camille Clingan, Katie Vise. Not Pictured: Christopher Thagard, Liam Aberle, Elizabeth Harris

By DENA BERTE Students at Mountain Brook Junior High have the opportunity to bring out their inner actor or actress from the very beginning of school. In the Introduction to Drama class, seventh graders are given the opportunity to work on various projects involving different aspects of the stage. Lighting skits allows the students to design a nonverbal skit focused on enhancing a story with lights. Sound effect skits bring sound to the stage to highlight parts of a story. Students focus on their ability to write and create characters in monologues and group skits. To

help develop their skills, students play improvisational games and learn the basics of theatre such as stage directions and vocal projection. For the ﬁrst time this year at MBJH an Advanced Drama class is offered to students who are in eighth or ninth grade and have already taken the Introduction course. This class allows students to do similar activities, but at a faster and more intense pace. “It has been wonderful as it is composed of only 15 students who truly enjoy the art and wish to know more about it,” drama teacher Anna McCain said. “I was able to take them to the Alabama Theatre where we took a behind-the-scenes

tour and were treated to a short, but sweet, Big Bertha [organ] concert.” In November students performed two 20-minute skits they wrote, produced and choreographed themselves. Look for another opportunity to see these students perform in the play version of Beauty and the Beast in March. “These kids are absolutely wonderful; they work hard to reach their goals, yet they manage to have fun along the way,” McCain said. “We have a great time together and have become somewhat of a family this semester. I am excited to see what the rest of the year holds for us.”

It’s that time of year again. The Expressions Art Contest is returning with an opportunity for elementary students in Mountain Brook Schools to showcase their creativity and talents through art. There are five categories which students can enter original artwork – Visual Arts, Creative Writing, Photography, Instrumental Performance and Video. The deadline for entries is Thursday, Jan. 22. Expressions Art Contest was started in 2009 as a way for Mountain Brook Schools to work together and support the arts in our community. Each elementary school’s PTO conducts the Expressions campaign to encourage creativity and participation in the contest. The winners of each school’s Expressions campaign will compete in the district competition. The contest will culminate on Tuesday, March 3 when the district winners will be announced at the district Expressions exhibition hosted by Mountain Brook Elementary. For more information, check any Mountain Brook elementary school’s website or PTO website for a Program Rules and Entry Form.

VillageLivingOnline.com

January 2015 • B7

CES holds Pumpkin Run

Pumpkin Run overall winners Grace Knight, Lucy Redden and Ann Winston Morano.

By COLLINS CLEGG The PE department at Crestline Elementary held the annual Pumpkin Run in October. More than 500 students K-6 ran the mile as parents and siblings cheered them along. The first Pumpkin Run was held in the fall of 1995, which means next October will mark the 20th anniversary of the event. The students are allowed to use this mile run as part of their physical fitness test. There

is an entry fee for the run that covers the cost of a special shirt, but the majority of the proceeds goes to purchase equipment for the PE department that would normally not be in the budget, such as a climbing wall, scooters, a sound system and this year’s “GaGa pit.” Overall boy winners for 2014 were Nicholas Miller, Thomas Comini and Spence Morano. Overall girl winners were Grace Knight, Ann Winston Morano and Lucy Redden.

MBE kindergarten class seen in UA parade

Mitchell Nelson’s class participated in a float in the Homecoming Parade at the University of Alabama.

By HILARY ROSS A kindergarten class from Mountain Brook Elementary recently participated in the University of Alabama Homecoming Parade. Teacher Mitchell Nelson, an avid Alabama fan, said he was thrilled when one of his students organized a homecoming parade float.

Current students were joined by siblings and former students to represent Mr. Nelson’s Bama Nation. The children had fun decorating the float and tailgating after the parade. The float was shown on television during the parade, which added to the excitement of the event.

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Village Living

B8 • January 2015

Annie Reich crowns Sophie Brint 2015 Miss Olympian

Miss Olympian finalists are pictured in the front row: Congeniality Award winner Marley Barnett, fourth alternate Charlotte McRae, first alternate Emma Rollins, Miss Olympian Sophie Brint, second alternate Lucy Wolter and third alternate Emily Sink. Photo by Image Arts.

By MADELINE MITCHELL In the 47th annual Miss Olympian Pageant, a panel of judges selected Sophie Brint as Mountain Brook High School’s 2015 Miss Olympian. Emma Rollins placed as first alternate, Lucy Wolter as second, Emily Sink as third and Charlotte McRae as fourth. Marley Barnett won the Congeniality Award. Sixteen girls competed in the Hollywood-themed pageant including seniors Mary Kathryn Parrott, Virginia White, Emily Sink, Autumn Robinson and Lucy Wolter; juniors Sophie Brint, Charlotte McRae, Bailey Coates, Emily

Rollins, Callie Wilson, Sophie Barnes and Sarah Beth Daniel; and sophomores Caroline Cross, Brooke Holloway and Marley Barnett. Brint performed “Czárdás” by Vittorio Monti on the violin and excelled in the dance, beauty and interview portions of the competition to gain her title. Miss Olympian 2014, senior Annie Reich, passed her crown to Brint after singing Ella Fitzgerald’s “Cry Me a River” and making her final walk as the reigning Miss Olympian. Seniors Cile Baker and Sam Lidikay were the emcees for the night. A cappella group A Bunch of Guys (ABOG), Bill Perry, Adam Thomas, James Franklin, Drew

White, Caleb Edwards and Hugh Rowe Thomas, provided a segue between portions of the competition. Tucker Deaton, Will Freeman, Charles Hoyt and Andrew Frese served as escorts to the competitors during the beauty portion of the pageant. The girls practiced twice a week to prepare a dance for the show that was choreographed by Erin Rector, Emmie Stutts and Carlton Cooper. Seniors Emma Abele and Catherine Turner directed the production of the pageant with the help of sponsors Jill Covington, Tessa Childs and Rachel Rich. Senior William Pankey managed the stage crew.

CBS honors veterans By CATHERINE GASQUE The fourth-grade students at Cherokee Bend Elementary presented the annual Veterans Day Program honoring those who have helped serve our country to allow us our many freedoms. The program was put on by the students and helped instill a sense pride in being an American. Many students had veteran family members in attendance and honored them for their service.

John Harper Hendry with his grandfather, John Harris Harper, who served in the Army.

Colonial Day at CBS

Teachers Rollins Thorpe, Hanna Peters, Amand Malachowski and Brooke Gossett at Colonial Day.

By LULU NULL Cherokee Bend fifth-grade students bared the cold weather to learn about the Colonial Times recently. They heard Harold Batie talk

about the Revolutionary War. He is a member of the Sons of the Amerian Revolution and goes around to schools and teaches the children. The children also learned how to make quilts.

VillageLivingOnline.com

January 2015 • B9

Sports MBJH players selected for All Metro

Dive team competes at state

MBJH students Alec Johnston, Wills Black, Hughes Thomas and Hannon Tatarek. Not pictured: Coach Brooke Gibbons, Mallie Lundberg, Caroline Selesky and Lilly Martin.

These Mountain Brook Junior High football players were selected for the 2014 Metro South. Back row: Eighth graders Edward Cain, James Burkett, Michael Mancuso and Hamp Greene. Front row: Seventh graders Beau Hubbard, Clark Griffin, Crawford Golden and Alex Belt.

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The Mountain Brook varsity dive team competed in the state meet at Auburn’s new Olympic pool in December. The team took 16th, 13th and eighth-place titles for the boys division, and 10th, 14th and 15th placement for the girls. Mountain Brook’s varsity team is on the younger side with most of its members attending Mountain Brook Junior High, but they competed against seventh through 12th graders and said they were thrilled to be there for the experience. The team competed in Sectionals at the Birmingham Crossplex in November to qualify for the state finals.

Village Living

B10 • January 2015

Sara Carr named state’s Gatorade volleyball player of the year

No. 24 Sara Carr is a member of the MBHS 2014 state championship volleyball team. Photos by Keith McCoy.

By DAVID KNOX Mountain Brook High School volleyball player Sara Carr has been named as the 2014-15 Gatorade Alabama Volleyball Player of the Year. Carr, a 5-11 junior outside hitter, helped lead the Spartans coached by Haven O’Quinn to a 49-10 record and the Class 7A state championship this past season. Carr slammed 648 kills while recording a .441 kill percentage and .340 hitting percentage.

A returning First Team All-State selection as named by the Alabama Volleyball Coaches Association, she also amassed 513 digs, 81 service aces and 48 blocks this past fall. In the 3-1, title-clinching victory against Hoover, Carr collected match highs of 16 kills, 14 digs and three blocks, capturing Class 7A state tournament Most Valuable Player honors. Also a basketball standout, Carr has maintained a 4.21 weighted GPA in the classroom and serves as junior class secretary. A member of

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the Spanish Honor Society and Future Business Leaders of America as well as her school’s Spanish, Outreach and National Beta clubs, she has donated her time as a youth volleyball instructor. Carr has also volunteered locally on behalf of her church, a youth literacy-outreach program, a food pantry ministry and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. “She’s just a solid all-around player, but the No. 1 thing that stands out about her is that she’s a natural leader,” said Birmingham Volleyball

Club director Tien Le, for whom Carr plays in the summer. “She’s one of those players who you love watching play — the way she plays, the way she celebrates, the way she interacts with her team.” MBHS Athletics Director Benny Eaves said, “What an awesome honor for both her and Mountain Brook. We are so proud of Sara and all the positive accolades she has received. She is a wonderful example of what Mountain Brook Athletics is all about — the student-athlete.”

VillageLivingOnline.com

January 2015 • B11

Spartans’ Carroll throws TD pass in Alabama win

Mountain Brook Spartans quarterback Jacob Carroll looks for running room against Hewitt-Trussville. Carroll threw a touchdown pass in the Alabama All-Stars’ win over the Mississippi stars in Montgomery last month. Photo by Dan Starnes.

By DAVID KNOX Mountain Brook quarterback Jacob Carroll tossed a touchdown pass to help the Alabama All-Stars win the 28th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game 36-30 in Montgomery. Carroll, who was the starting quarterback, was 5-of-12 passing for 42 yards and the TD. He also was intercepted twice. The Spartan senior rushed four times for 15 yards. Hoover High’s Justin Johnson hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline on the ﬁnal play of the game from Foley’s Tyler Cameron to lift the Alabama team to the win. Alabama claimed its seventh straight win and its 21st in the series. The game was played Dec. 13 at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl. Mississippi looked like it would end the

streak, jumping out to a 14-3 lead after one quarter and building a 28-17 halftime lead. But Alabama took the lead when Carroll threw a 7-yard TD pass to Jalen Harris with 5:10 to play in the third quarter. Mississippi tied it up on a safety with 3:22 to go in the third, and the score remained tied until the ﬁnal seconds. The game was tied 30-all with nine seconds remaining when Cameron hooked up with Johnson, who caught three passes for 49 yards. Defensive back Michael Jackson of Spain Park led an Alabama defense that didn’t allow a second-half touchdown. Jackson made 11 solo tackles and 12 overall with one for a loss. Hoover’s Darrell Wilson had three tackles and broke up a pass and fellow Buc Christian Bell had one tackle and a half-sack.

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Village Living

B12 • January 2015 GOALBALL

CONTINUED from page B1

play, since vocal communication between the players and being able to hear the ball are vital. Goalball was introduced to the world at the 1976 Paralympics in Toronto and has been played at every Paralympics since. World Championships are played every four years. Goalball is now played competitively in more than 100 countries. Welborn said that he’s been playing the sport since he was 7 and has been on the youth team since he was 9. “It’s all about communication,” Welborn said. “And if you get along with your teammates, that’s a serious help. I’m good friends with both of these guys and it really helps in the overall strength of the team.” When it comes to hearing and reacting, you do think about it a lot at first … but it’s become more about instinct. My body just does the rest of the work. It’s become a natural thing. I’ve been playing almost 10 years.” Stewart hasn’t been playing quite as long. “I got started playing goalball about three years ago when I first came here to Lakeshore … they offered some sports for people with disabilities … I got involved in a lot of sports and Josh’s mom came up to me and said they’d love to have a new player on the team. “It takes a lot of commitment. We practice twice a week for an hour and a half, but the three of us are so invested in the sport … I know I’m always thinking about things about the sport, constantly thinking of how I can improve, how can I get faster.” Welborn is the team’s best offensive player. “I think it’s because I have the most time on the court and in the sport, as well as just speed and strength, I probably

have the fastest and most accurate shot.” Stewart is the defensive star. “My coach says I’m the best defensive player in the nation,” Stewart said. “I don’t necessarily agree with that, but I do think defense is my strongest point. It’s the timing at which you dive. You have a split-second to decide where you think it’s going to go. You have to judge the distance by just hearing how far it is away from you and where it’s going. The ball can be thrown really fast. You have to make some very quick decisions.” Rollins is the oldest team member, but he’s the newest to the sport. He has been on the squad for two years, but this was his first time to be part of the starting three. He essentially took the spot of Alex Richmond, who played on last year’s team as an Oak Mountain High senior. “He had a very solid tournament,” Cook said. “He was a great addition to the team.” Rollins said his strength is his offense. “I throw it pretty hard.” Rollins said winning the championship meant all the hard work paid off. He said besides the twice a week practices, he works on his own twice a week. And he echoes what they all say about their coach. “He’s great. He makes it fun. When we’re practicing he’s hard on us but he kids around with us too.” Said Welborn, “Coach Cook has taught me a lot about perseverance and sticking with things even when they’re not what you usually do or enjoy. Sometimes you have to do things for the greater outcome.” So what about a threepeat? “All three (players) return next year,” Cook said. “We’re excited about that. I asked them when we got back if they wanted to go for the threepeat. And they do.” Stewart concurred. “I’m so proud of my team. I definitely think we can threepeat.”

Josh Welborn prepares to roll the ball in a game in the national tournament in St. Augustine, Fla. The team is based out of Homewood’s Lakeshore Foundation.

Making People Happy For 25 Years,

It’s An Institution!

224 Country Club Park 871-8435

Live music every Fri. and Sat. night starting @ 9pm.

VillageLivingOnline.com

January 2015 • B13

Faith Life Actually By Kari Kampakis

The child who makes me brave Do you have a child who’s the opposite of you, and when they’re little you don’t know what to do with that, but then they grow up and you realize what an extraordinary gift you’ve been given? That’s how I feel about my Sophie Bear, who turns 10 this month. While I’m a scaredy cat, Sophie is fearless. While I’m sensitive, she is tough. While I’m an introvert who loves to stay home and nest, she’s an extrovert, always up for an adventure and any excuse to get out. Sophie’s courage and passion for people and life inspire me every day. When I grow up, I want to be like her. I must admit, however, that what makes Sophie great now made her a hard baby and toddler. Back then I couldn’t keep up. I couldn’t stop her for 10 seconds because from morning to night she had sparks coming off her. Sophie was desperate to keep up with her big sister, and when she got left behind...oh, it was tragic. At Mother’s Day Out, Sophie’s teachers often caught her crawling out of the baby room. The second she heard big kids passing in the hall, she’d try to escape. In her mind she was three years old. Whatever those kids did, she could do, too. Sophie was born with a lot of extras — extra energy, extra spunk, extra smiles and extra love. Early on, many of our adult friends would see a kindred spirit in Sophie. With a twinkle in their eye and a knowing smile, they’d tell me and my

Kari Kampakis with her daughter Sophie.

husband, “I really like that Sophie. She reminds me of myself as a child.” Their remarks gave me hope when Sophie’s spirit wore me out. Those who related to Sophie were always fun-loving, big-hearted and well adjusted adults, and through them I learned to see what her enthusiasm could eventually

translate into. I learned to recognize Sophie’s zest as something to embrace and channel, rather than stifle and suppress, for people like her are made to move mountains. Today, Sophie has a great personality and high emotional intelligence. Fiercely loyal to friends and loved ones, she isn’t scared of hard things. If a tough situation comes up, she’s there. If a conversation needs to happen, she’ll address it. Sophie would walk through fire to help someone. She is a protector. She is also perceptive. She notices everything and asks 100 questions to find out what she doesn’t know. If ever you need a detective, this is your girl. Her curiosity leaves no stone unturned. There’s much to love about my Sophie Bear, but her best asset is her heart. Her deep love for people begins with her deep love for God. Sometimes when she’s upset, she’ll go to her room to pray or write to Him in her journal. Her faith at age 10 amazes me. It’s as genuine as it gets. So if you’re raising your own Sophie, a tenacious toddler who keeps you on your toes and your knees as you pray for help, remember there is hope. Remember that what leaves you exhausted today may be exactly what leaves you in awe tomorrow. As for my Sophie, let me end with this: You entered this world on your terms. Unlike your three sisters, all induced, you arrived two days early. Your middle-of-the-night delivery was fast and unexpected, a perfect beginning for you.

From the start I was smitten. I was proud to call you mine. A happy baby, you attracted friends everywhere we went. People thought it was just them making you light up and bounce, and of course I never had the heart to say, “Oh, she smiles like that at everyone. She’s very social.” The challenge began at 10 months when you began walking. You went looking for action and wanted off my hip for good. That independence and longing for adventure was hard to accept because I wanted to keep you close. Only in time would I understand that God wired you a certain way as part of His plan for you. I love you, Sophie Bear, and I thank you for making me a better person and mom. You stretch me beyond my comfort zone and make me brave. When I’m with you, I feel strong and fearless, too, because you rub off on me. Keep shining your light, spreading your joy and sharing your laughter. This world needs you, and so do I. You might only be 10, but I look up to you. I thank God for the life we’ve built together and the memories still ahead. Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Mountain Brook mom of four girls, columnist and blogger for The Huffington Post. Her first book, 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know, is now available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold. Join her Facebook community at “Kari Kampakis, Writer,” visit her blog at karikampakis.com or contact her at kari@karikampakis.com.

Village Living

B14 • January 2015

Calendar Emmet O’Neal Library Events 50 Oak St. 879-0459, eolib.org

Adults Wednesdays: Brown Bag Lunch Series. 12:30 p.m. Jan. 12: Great Books Book Group. 6:30 p.m. Discussing short story “Shiloh” by Bobbie Ann Mason. Jan. 13: The Bookies Book Group. 10 a.m. Discussing The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. Jan. 20: Documentaries After Dark. 6:30 p.m. Will view a film about Lipizzaner stallions.

Jan. 23: Pine Hill Haints and Henry Dunkle Concert. 7:30 p.m. Free admission, but tickets required. Jan. 27: Genre Reading Group. 6:30 p.m. Discussing short stories.

Teens Jan. 3: Game On Tournament. 1-3 p.m. Jan. 8: TAB. 5-6 p.m. The monthly meeting of the Teen Advisory Board. Jan. 31: Game On Tournament. 1-3 p.m.

Children

Thursdays: SNaP. 3:30 p.m.

Mondays: *Toddler Tales Story Time. 9:30 and 10:30 a.m.

Saturdays: Family Story Time with Mr. Mac. 10:30 a.m.

Tuesdays: Together Time Story Time. 9:30 and 10:30 a.m.

Jan. 13: Family Night: AtsMagic with Arthur Atsma. 5:30 p.m.

Tuesdays: Evenings at EOL. 6 p.m.

Jan. 21: After-School Special: Mateys and Mermaids. 3:30 p.m.

Wednesdays: *Mother Goose Story Time. 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Thursdays: *Patty Cake Story Time. 9:30 and 10:30 a.m.

Jan. 22: *Bookmania: The Greenglass House. 6 p.m. *Space is limited. Please call 879-0497 or visit eolib. org.

Mountain Brook Events Jan. 6: Mountain Brook Varsity Basketball vs. Vestavia. Girls 6 p.m. Boys 7:30 p.m. Mountain Brook High School. Jan. 9: Mountain Brook Varsity Basketball vs. Spain Park. Girls 6 p.m. Boys 7:30 p.m. Mountain Brook High School. Jan. 11: Live Up in 2015 Day. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Levite Jewish Community Center. The day is designed to encourage and inspire individuals and families to live up in 2015. Free group fitness classes, health seminars and more will be available. Visit bhamjcc. org.

Jan. 15: Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. 11 a.m. doors open, 11:30 a.m. lunch. The Club. The Robert Jemison Visionary Award will be given. Visit welcometomountainbrook.com. Jan. 19: School’s Out Days. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Levite Jewish Community Center. The LJCC offers a safe, fun environment with many activities led by qualified counselors on days when school is out. Visit bhamjcc.org. Jan. 23: Mountain Brook Varsity Basketball vs. Hewitt-Trussville. Girls 6

p.m. Boys 7:30 p.m. Mountain Brook High School. Jan. 26: All In Speaker Renee Napier. 6:30 p.m. Canterbury United Methodist Church. Napier’s will speak about losing her daughter and DUIs. Visit allinmountainbrook.org.

Brook Schools Student Services Director Dr. Dale Wisely, a child/adolescent psychologist, will teach a three-part series for parents and other interested individuals. Free, but space is limited. Contact Janice Grammer at 877-8349 or studentservices@ mtnbrook.k12.al.us to register.

Jan. 26: Mountain Brook Varsity Basketball vs. Leeds. Girls 6 p.m. Boys 7:30 p.m. Mountain Brook High School.

Jan. 29-31: Steel Magnolias. 7 p.m. Mountain Brook High School Theater. Visit mtnbrook. k12.al.us.

Jan. 28: Understanding ADHD Part I: The disorders. 9-10:30 a.m. Charles Mason Board of Education Building, 32 Vine Street. Mountain

Jan. 30: Mountain Brook Varsity Basketball vs. McAdory. Girls 6 p.m. Boys 7:30 p.m. Mountain Brook High School.

January

sales Find great deals at these retailers

20% - 50% OFF (in stock only)

Marguerite's Conceits January 5th - 10th 2406 Canterbury Road, Mountain Brook 205-879-2730

20% OFF

(some exclusions apply see store for details)

The Cook Store

January 9th - 17th 2841 Cahaba Road, Mountain Brook 205-879-5277

January inventory sale 20% OFF most toys Homewood Toy & Hobby 2830 18th Street, Homewood 205-879-3986

50% OFF all winter merchandise The Clothes Tree

Starting Jan. 10 2880 Rocky Ridge Road 205-822-1902

Contact stores for exclusions and other details.

VillageLivingOnline.com

January 2015 • B15

Calendar Area Events Jan. 1: New Year’s Day Hike. 10:30 a.m.1p.m. Ruffner Mountain Nature Center. Join the Birmingham Pledge Foundation and Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve for the third annual hike to Hawk’s Ridge Overlook for a communal reading of The Birmingham Pledge. Call 245-4146.

samford.edu/wrightcenter. Jan. 17, 18: BrickFair 2015. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. LEGO models, display and winding trains sprawled out over 58,000 square feet. $10 at the door. Visit brickfair.com.

Jan. 3: Stories Under the Stars. 7-8:30 p.m. Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve. Listen to stories around a fire told by storyteller Zechariah Hook. $4. Call 833-8264, ext. 13.

Jan. 17, 18: Swan Lake. Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. The Alabama Theatre. $25-$55 each. Visit alabamatheatre.org.

Jan. 4: SoHo Bridal Show. 1-4 p.m. Rosewood Hall, SoHo Square. $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Visit thebridalmarket.com.

Jan. 21-25: Ringling Bros’ Circus Xtreme. Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. Visit ringling.com.

Jan. 4: Birmingham City Pokemon Championship. 1-7 p.m. Mad Doctor Game Shop, 1318 20th St. S., Suite 100. Call 334-434-0241.

Jan. 22-25: Birmingham Boat Show. Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center. With more than 250,000 square feet, the show highlights the latest in boats, motors, fishing gear, guides, outfitters and related outdoor gear. $10. Free for children. Visit birminghamboatshow.com.

Jan. 6: Beer, Burgers and Bingo. 8-11 p.m. Black Market Bar and Grill. Visit evilbartenders. wix.com.

The State Ballet Theatre of Russia performs Swan Lake. The Alabama Theatre is hosting a production of the ballet Jan. 17-18.

benefit the Ronald McDonald House. Call 638-7264 or visit redshoerun-bham.org.

Jan. 8: Sketching in Oils with David Baird. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Forstall Art Center. This one-day class will consist of a demonstration by the instructor and individual one-on-one critiques as students work from a live model. Visit forstallartcenter.com.

Jan. 10: Birmingham Spotlight Gala. 7-11 p.m. McWane Science Center. Fundraiser with the mission of empowering the city’s non-profit organizations. $65. VIP $80. Visit spotlightgala. eventzilla.net.

Jan. 10: Red Shoe Run. 7 a.m. Rosewood Hall, Homewood. The 10 mile, 5K and family fun run

Jan. 11: Southern Bridal Show. 4 p.m. Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. $10 in

advance, $15 at the door. Visit eliteevents.com. Jan. 11: Birmingham Boys Choir Concert. 4 p.m. Brock Hall, Samford University. Visit birminghamboyschoir.com. Jan. 16: New Works Concert. 8-10 p.m. Leslie S. Wright Fine Arts Center, Samford University. Enjoy an evening of exciting new works by regional choreographers from across the Southeast and beyond. $15, $8 for students. Visit

Jan. 23, 25: Hamlet. Friday 7:30 p.m. Sunday 2:30 p.m. Leslie S. Wright Fine Arts Center, Samford University. Presented by Opera Birmingham. $20, $35, $65, $90. Visit operabirmingham.org. Jan. 25: A Slippery Slope: The Consequences of Hate. 3-5 p.m. Carver Theatre. Presented by Birmingham Holocaust Education Center and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Visit facebook.com/events/157909749897 1209/?ref=22.