Village Living Newspaper

Village Living

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

|

October 2011 |

neighborly news & entertainment for Mountain Brook

Dr. David Hufham pg 26 -pg

Alabama Forever -pg 10

Volume 2 | Issue 7 | October 2011

A mystical tradition Hitting Home

Parents invited to anti-drug discussions

MBHS cheerleaders kick off last year’s Mystics of Mountain Brook Parade in Crestline. Photo by Dan Starnes.

By RICK WATSON Casey Horn and her brother Trent Wright brought a taste of Mardi Gras with them from Mobile when they moved here and started the Mystics of Mountain Brook Halloween parade. What started out eight years ago as one car driving down Dexter

October Features Editor’s Note City Council Kari Kampakis Salsa Senorita Finley Evans Larry Wilson Village Sports School House Business Spotlight Restaurant Showcase Around the Villages Calendar of Events

4 5 13 14 16 17 18 21 26 27 29 30

Like us

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

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Avenue tossing beads to people on the street has grown to 25 floats and thousands of people along the parade route.

Even though the parade is always on Halloween, it has a Mardi Gras feel to it. Paraders throw Mystics of Mountain

Brook T-shirts, beads, stuffed animals and footballs to bystanders as the parade passes.

According to Casey Horn, some people go all out with their floats. In years past

See MYSTICS | page 15

After an unprecedented turnout for last year’s event, the Mountain Brook Anti-Drug Coalition and Mountain Brook Schools are inviting parents to home discussions for their second Hitting Home program.

“We have always felt that parent involvement is one of the most critical weapons for combating underage drinking, and we want to do what we can to encourage conversation about this topic,” said Leigh Ann Sisson, co-chairman of the Mountain Brook Anti-Drug Coalition. “We hope to see many parents this year.”

The event will held in homes on Monday, Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Last year, about 210 parents met in six homes around town, on the same evening and at the same time.

“The remarkable thing about that level of participation is that we have not been able to come close to that number of parents coming to programs on this kind of topic when we’ve held them in school facilities,” said Dale Wisely, director of student services at Mountain Brook Schools. “In

See HITTING HOME | page 31

Emma’s dreams of balance beams

By MADOLINE MARKHAM

When Lori Planson approached Mountain Brook Gymnastics about her daughter, Emma, taking gymnastics, the gym’s staff didn’t hesitate to say yes. It didn’t matter to the coaches and board of directors that Emma was blind.

“When she came to me, it wasn’t a question of if we would teach Emma but of how was the best way to go about it,” board of directors vice president Chantal McManus said.

Emma, a kindergartner who attends public school, was born with Bilaterial Microphthalmia. She wears prosthetic eyes with a clear pupil, which allow her to use her residual vision.

Just as Emma learns Braille and other non-visual methods at school, she learns gymnastics through auditory and tactile methods.

Often gymnastics skills are taught to children by visually modeling them, but Emma must learn by repetition so that she can develop muscle memory for the positions.

In order to best teach Emma, the gym consulted with a teacher for the visually impaired as well as a cheernastics gymnast who is blind. Leila Owen, a gymnastics coach with 25 years of experience, started showing Emma how she should interpret

Emma Planson, who is blind, learns gymnastics techniques with assistances from Hailey McManus at Mountain Brook Gymnastics. Photo courtesy of Lori Planson.

words like “vault” and “backbend” in private lessons.

“Even the first time she just grabbed a bar with her hands and hung on was exciting for her,” McManus said. “It seems

WE CLEAN.

you shine

a very simple thing, but it is one that you wouldn’t know about if you hadn’t seen it.

Gymnastics has opened up a whole new venue of life experiences for Emma.”

See GYMNAST | page 31 Call now to receive your free, no-obligation estimate

871-9338 www.MAIDS.com

...JUST LIKE OUR REPUTATION.

Referred for a reason.

2

|

October 2011 |

Village Living

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Village Living

|

October 2011 |

Get floored by rates as low as

% 3.25 APR*

Ask about our special Home Equity Line of Credit!

Big dreams can require big money. A Renasant Home Equity Line of Credit can make the difference. Use the equity in your home and secure a line of credit with a floating “no floor” variable rate as low as 3.25% APR. Now is the time to put your home to work for you!

renasantbank.com

DOWNTOWN 205-716-3475

CRESTLINE VILLAGE 205-868-2800

GREYSTONE 205-980-2287

*The variable Annual Percentage Rate (APR) may be as low as Prime when the Current Loan to Value (CLTV) does not exceed 85%. Rate subject to change. Rate offer expires October 31, 2011. All loans are subject to credit and collateral approval. Some restrictions apply. Request for a new Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) is subject to a minimum line amount of $2,500. Your APR may be higher than the advertised rate based on CLTV, credit history and other factors. Your APR can vary monthly based on the Prime Rate published daily in the “Markets Lineup” section of The Wall Street Journal. Prime was 3.25% as of March 1, 2011. Your rate can never exceed 18% APR. All lines subject to a $50 annual fee. Property insurance required and flood insurance where necessary. Closing costs apply.

3

4

|

October 2011 |

Welcome Friends

Village Living

Mountain Brook High School Principal Vic Wilson with the varsity cheerleaders. Photo courtesy of Christa Likikay.

Staff & Friends Contributing Writers Susan Matthews | Christiana Roussel | Kari Kampakis Rick Watson | Laura Canterbury | Will Hightower Holley Wesley | Maggie Carter O’Connor

School House Contributors Frances Watts -Cherokee Bend Alussa Monson - Crestline Bama Hager -Brookwood Forest Sherrie Futch- Mountain Brook High School Hilary Ross - Mountain Brook Elem. & Mountain Brook Jr High

Contributing Photographers Image Arts | Alison Gault | Catherine Pittman Smith Photography

Intern Anne Wood

Editor’s Note If you are like me, you great cause. The folks I talked always dreaded school to that went last year said it was fundraisers. I was not a fan of lots of fun in addition to raising door-to-door sales of wrapping money for an important cause. paper or chicken dinner tickets We also have several when I was in school. But women highlighted this month things have really changed. with unique stories of how they Boosterthon is the biggest and have used their talents and most successful fundraisers experiences.

Salsa Senorita that the elementary schools is the amazing salsa product have undertaken. What sets created by a Cherokee Bend it apart from other fundraisers lady who spent much of her is that you are not asked to life in the Southwest. Your Jennifer Gray buy something, and lessons on mouth will water reading about character, teamwork and leadership are her delicious salsa and all the ways it can taught to students over the course of the be used in cooking. Poet Finley Evans fundraiser week. If you aren’t familiar with has written a memoir about the beginning this phenomenon, you will want to read of life with her twin boys, Two of ‘Em in our story on page 21. Learn about the guys There, and will be having a book signing behind Boosterthon and the difference they at Little Professor Book Center on Oct. are making in the lives of children as well 28. Madoline Markham tells both of these as the fundraising results that put money women’s stories this month. back into the classrooms.

Annie Bloomston is a younger member October is when fall-themed events of our community but also talented. Learn really get into full swing. You won’t want how Annie has taken her creativity and to miss this year’s Mystics of Mountain turned it into a business. Annie makes Brook’s annual Halloween parade in ponytail holders, necklaces and rings that Crestline. If you haven’t seen the parade any little girl would love to wear. Her items before, this should be your year. Come have been carried locally and in Rosemary see the floats, the cheerleaders, and all of Beach. The best part is that she donates a the adorable spectators dressed in their portion of her profits to charity. costumes ready for trick or treating. It is Fall seems to get busier each year. a great way to kick off your Halloween As we barrel towards Thanksgiving and festivities.

Christmas, please send us any events that Many neighborhoods hold block you may know of in Mountain Brook for parties or other family friendly events our calendar. There seems to be so many prior to trick or treating. The Bentley wonderful things to take advantage of this Hills neighborhood in Crestline has been time of year. We don’t want to miss a thing! hosting a parade on a smaller scale for Submissions must be sent by the 15th of the many years. This year’s event marks the previous month.

13th year. Mountain Brook resident Maggie Carter O’Connor has all the details on this event and also the Juvenile Arthritis Bone Bash event that will be held at Park Lane on October 28. Come out and support this

Editor’s Top 5 1. Grab a pumpkin from the Pumpkin Patch at Mountain Brook Baptist Church. It’s a fun trip to make with the kids and supports a great preschool too.

2. Pick up a jar of Salsa Senorita and serve it at one of your football tailgates. You can find it at the Piggly Wiggly or Oak Street Garden Shoppe.

3. Support the Spartans for their Homecoming game October 28 against Buckhorn. Game begins at 7 p.m., but

you won’t want to miss the parade at 2 p.m. either.

4. Snatch up some bargains with your Junior League Shop, Save and Share card. Details on where you can get one and the hundreds of stores participating found in this issue.

5. Take your family trick or treating around your neighborhood or stay home and enjoy all the ghosts and goblins that stop by your house.

Please Support Our Sponsors

Publisher

Creative Director

Dan Starnes

Keith McCoy

Editor

Published by

Jennifer Gray

Village Living LLC

Managing Editor

Sales and Distribution

Madoline Markham

Dan Starnes | Angela Morris

A Tiny Kingdom (15)

Mountain Brook Chamber (26)

Amy Smith State Farm (19)

Once Upon A Time (12)

A’mano (6)

Antiquities (25)

Architectural Heritage (29)

Birmingham Botanical Gardens (8,28) Brandino Brass (21) Bromberg’s (2)

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 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.

Please recycle this paper

Brookwood Medical Center (30) Clean Technique (20)

Dyron’s Lowcountry (17)

Emmet O’Neal Library (18) Escape (19) Etc. (10)

Four Corners Gallery (9)

Hufham Orthondontics (22) Isbell Jewelers (24) Issis and Sons (7)

Junior League of Birmingham (31) King’s House (8)

Max’s Delicatessen (11) MedHelp (15)

Middle Mediation (20)

Neighborhood Hops and Vine (12) Otey’s (14)

Piggly Wiggly (14) RealtySouth (32)

Renaissance Consignment (5) Renasant Bank (3) Sew Sheri (9)

ShopMountainBrook.com (16) Snoozy’s Kids (23) Saint Luke’s (25)

The Briarcliff Shop (13) The Cook Store (13)

The Diamond Dealer (22) The Hornsby Family (21) The Lingerie Shop (6) The Maids (1)

The Ridge (13)

Town And Country (24) Tutoring Club (23)

Village Dermatology (21) Vogue Cleaners (18)

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Village Living

|

October 2011 |

5

City Council updates

By ANNE WOOD

New playground for Crestline Elementary in the works Crestline Elementary School hopes to build a new safer and handicap-accessible playground. PTO President Kaye Emack is seeking financial support from the City Council in building the new playground, which will be open for public use, not

just Crestline Elementary students. TThe council’s decision will depend on results from the school’s biggest fundraiser, Boosterthon Fun Run, which will be presented to the council at the September 26 meeting.

Moving forward with the new park on Overton Road The council has discussed selecting a design firm to create a master plan for the proposed park at Overton Road and Oakdale Road. The council discussed three different possible firms: Kelly Landscape Architects, KPS Group and Nimrod Long and Associates. The Council informally

stated that they liked Nimrod Long and Associates’ master plan. Nimrod Long and Associates will bring a contract and any new designs for the park to the next City Council meeting on September 26. No official decision has been made yet.

New appointment to mental retardation and developmental business Russel McElroy has been appointed to the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Health Care Authority of Jefferson County, Inc. He will fill the

unexpired term of Joan S. Bergman and will serve without compensation through the end of April 1, 2015.

Rezoning for Mountain Brook Club approved The council approved a petition to rezone part of Mountain Brook Country Club’s property to the Recreational-2 District to allow the club to expand. This

district can be used for country clubs and golf courses with or without dining options.

The Mountain Brook Club is located at 19 Beechwood Road.

Board of Education formalizes policy for moving schools

BY JENNIFER GRAY When families move within Mountain Brook, they are often concerned about whether their elementary-age children will have to change their elementary school.

Up until recently, the Board of Education’s policy simply stated that if the child had completed the fourth grade, they were allowed to apply to the superintendent for permission to finish elementary school where they were currently enrolled regardless of zoning for their new home.

Those requests have typically been approved.

“The policy didn’t address the issue of younger siblings in the home,” said Dr. Dale Wisely, director of student services for the Mountain Brook schools. “It was unclear what the impact would be on those children.”

In the past, the practice had been for that family to petition the Board, and the Board would typically approve those

younger siblings staying at their current school until the older child finished the sixth grade, according to Wisely.

At the August meeting of the Board of Education, the Board passed the new policy making this old practice the official policy. Now, if a family moves to another elementary district in Mountain Brook, there is a clear procedure that is followed.

If the family wishes for their fifth or sixth grader to remain at the old school, they petition the superintendent. If permission is granted, then the younger siblings can also remain at the school. Once the oldest child completes the sixth grade, all other children in that home must change their attendance to the school their home is zoned for.

“Hopefully this new policy will clear up any confusion for families moving within our community,” Wisely said.

Pliner • Ectetera • Ed Hardy • Ferragamo • Free People J Crew • Joe’s Jeans • Juicy • Kate Spade • Laundry • Lily Pulitzer • Louis Vuitton • Marc Jacobs • Matt & Nat • Michael Kors • Michael Stars

to the environment, people and pets if not disposed of properly. The Council has expressed interested in this proposal but are concerned with finances. The Council decided to look more into the expenses and how “At Your Door” would be accepted in Mountain Brook. A decision will be made at a later date.

We are now open late on Thursday nights until 9pm!

Got Dresses ?

Need $$ ?

Need

Dresses ?

Over 1,000

Save $$ !

prom, pageant and home coming gowns!

Over 300 wedding gowns! Over 300 Mother of the Bride/Groom gowns!

One of the best NEW and consigned after-five selections in the Southeast!

Don’t forget, we carry all your favorite designer brands and everyday fashions too!!!

6801 Cahaba Valley Road (Hwy 119) 1/4 South of Hwy 280 Along with Bellini’s, Cantina, and Edgars Bakery

205-980-4471 RenaissanceConsignment.com

• Dana Buchman • David Meister • Diesel • Dolce & Gabbana • Donald

Waste Management’s “At Your Door Special Collection” was discussed for Mountain Brook at the Sept. 12 City Council Meeting. The company would collect household waste that is not easily recycled such as paint products, electronics, batteries and household cleaners. Some of these items can prove to be hazardous

7 for Mankind • Anne Klein • Anthropologie • Antik Denim • BCBG • Betsey Donald Pliner • Ectetera • Ed Hardy • Ferragamo • Free People J Crew Johnson • Burberry • Carlisle • Chip & Pepper • Christian Louboutin • Citizens of Humanity • Coach • Cole Haan • Cynthia Steefe

Recycling program could expand to accept unusual items

6

|

October 2011 |

Village Living

Gear for tailgating and more.

Available at

Call for spirit photos Now that we are in the height of football season, both high school and college, Village Living wants to showcase your photos. Whether you are a Spartan fan, an Alabama fan, an Auburn fan or a fan of your out of state school’s team, we’d love to see your pictures.

As you set out this fall to enjoy tailgating, pep rallies and watching your favorite team play, please send us your pictures displaying your best game-day outfits, headgear and even crazy body paint in support of your team.

Photos may be emailed as a jpeg attachment to content@ villagelivingonline.com.

Please include a caption naming those in the photo and describing the scene. We look forward to sharing your pictures, young and old and even the family pet that might get into the action. We will print some of our favorites in upcoming issues.

Addie and Anna Hobbs celebrated their eighth Birthday with a cheerleading party at Brookwood Forest. Two MBHS cheerleaders did a mini-clinic with the girls and then Big AL surprised them. Photo courtesy of Kim Hobbs.

Dentist to collect Halloween candy for troops

By ANNE WOOD

2707 Culver Road • 871-9093 • amanogifts.com

T H E A Soft Cotton Nights

Every Halloween, children end up with a surplus of candy from traditional trick-or-treating. This Halloween, instead of letting this excess of candy take up space in your kitchen or damage your kid’s teeth, why not give some of it back?

This Halloween season, Mountain Brook dentist Dr. Kevin Alexander has provided an outlet to do that. He and his office are holding their second annual Candy Buy Back philanthropy on November 1.

The candy that they collect will be sent to the Operation Gratitude program, who will then send it to troops overseas. As an added incentive, the office will be giving out goody bags for every candy donation they receive as well as offer door prizes.

This event will take place at Dr. Alexander’s office, located in Crestline Village at 48 Church Street. For more information call 871-7361 or visit www. drkevinjalexander.com.

City of Mountain Brook Crime Report

By LT. JIM COLE Lt. Cole sends out a weekly crime report email to interested residents that Village Living has begun to share.

Report for September 1 We had one home burglary this past week and no Unlawful Breaking and Entering Vehicles (UBEVs).

This past week was a good week for us. Our thefts from vehicles and homes were reduced to one incident and one item.

The burglary occurred on Park Lane Court South near Mountain Brook Village between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Aug. 26. A thief entered an apartment by prying the back door open. A laptop was taken.

There were no UBEVs this past week, and I am sure that is due to our detectives identifying the suspect in the previous week’s rash of UBEVs.

THE LINGERIE SHOPPE MOUNTAIN BROOK VILLAGE (205)871.8994

Report for September 8 This past week was a great week for us. No home burglaries and no Unlawful Breaking and Entering Vehicles.

Our detectives obtained several warrants for the suspect in our recent rash of UBEVs. The suspect’s bonds total $75,000. Perhaps that will keep him in jail a while. Since he was identified, we haven’t experienced any UBEVs. However, don’t get too optimistic because someone else will take his place in the next few weeks or sooner. We have to maintain our vigilance to defend ourselves from the next culprit.

Report for September 15 This past week was another good week for us. No home burglaries and only one Unlawful Breaking and Entering a Vehicle.

On Sept. 7 we took a criminal mischief

report on Buckingham Place. Since that report was taken, we have changed the report to a burglary. We received information that two juveniles from our community had bragged about being involved in this incident. We hope that this was an isolated event. This situation has been resolved between the victim and the parents of the children.

We had one UBEV this past week. It occurred on the Mountain Brook Country Club lot on September 8 between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. According to the victim, she parked her car near the tennis courts and doesn’t remember if the car was locked or unlocked. There was no forced entry, so it was most likely unlocked. A purse, cash, credit cards, iPad and jewelry were taken from this vehicle.

Report for September 22 This past week we had one home burglary and one Unlawful Breaking and Entering a Vehicle.

The burglary occurred on Sept. 16 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. A thief entered a residence on Montclair Road after breaking a rear window. The thief ransacked the home and took jewelry and electronics.

The UBEV occurred on Cambridge Road (at Mountain Brook Elementary School) on Sept. 17 between 3:45 p.m. and 4 p.m. The thief entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and removed her purse,which contained credit cards and other valuables.

The purse was found in an area not far from where it was taken. The credit cards and other contents of the purse were still inside.

To receive Lt. Cole’s weekly crime report update, email colej@mtnbrook.org.

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Village Living

Juvenile Arthritis affects local family 4th Annual Bone Bash to benefit the Arthritis Foundation

William, Copeland, Beth and Mary Russell Wood. Photo courtesy of the Wood family.

BY MAGGIE CARTER O’CONNOR When Copeland and Beth Wood’s 7-year-old son, William, mentioned feeling pain in his ankle after his school’s field day, they sought advice from an orthopedic doctor to ensure it was not a serious sprain or break. After four months of patience and persistence while symptoms remained, William was given a diagnosis of Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (Polyarticular JIA).

William’s diagnosis led to many changes in the Wood family’s life. As parents, Copeland and Beth absorb any and all information available. When asked how arthritis has changed their lives, they readily admit that the past two years have been a whirlwind of doctor and hospital visits as well as conferences and meetings.

“We rely on God’s strength to see us through and know in our hearts that God has been with him [William] every step of the way,” said Beth and Copeland.

“As parents, we do everything we can to educate ourselves so that we can be William’s best advocates.” In addition to flooding their brains with books and articles on Polyarticular JIA, the Woods also attended the Juvenile Arthritis Conference to increase their understanding of their son’s diagnosis.

Another way that the Woods delved into their education was through the Alabama chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. Conveniently located off of Highway 280 in Office Park, the Arthritis Foundation sponsors workshops and organizes fundraisers like the upcoming Bone Bash. Only months prior to William’s diagnosis, Alabama was not home to even one pediatric rheumatologist. In 2007, the initiatives of the Arthritis Foundation brought the first pediatric rheumatologist to Children’s Hospital, and today there are four in our city.

According to Anna Blanche Young, Development and Services Coordinator

for the Central Alabama Arthritis Foundation, there are 1.1 million adults and 4,500 children in Alabama that have doctor diagnosed arthritis. With no family history of Juvenile Arthritis, Copeland and Beth were surprised to meet so many families who are on a similar journey with their children. Through the Arthritis Foundation, the Woods have befriended families who are an invaluable support system and resource.

Research from the Arthritis Foundation shows that regular exercise greatly benefits children and adults with forms of arthritis. In fact, their website proudly states, “Movement is the best medicine!”

In keeping with this philosophy, William Wood stays active. As a fourth grader at Crestline Elementary School, William swims year round, rides his bike and plays golf and lacrosse. The Woods juggle these everyday activities with doctors’ appointments and hospital visits. “Most people looking at William would have no idea what this child has faced and is still facing,” said Beth.

The 4th Annual Bone Bash will be “a good cause masquerading as a good time,” said Young. Held Friday, October 28 at Park Lane in English Village, the annual costume party will feature live music, silent auction, food, beverages and, adds Young, “spinetingling interactive fun.” Doors open at 7 p.m.

Guests of the 2011 Bone Bash will support the Arthritis Foundation’s mission and programs like Camp M.A.S.H (Make Arthritis Stop Hurting) for children and Life Improvement Series workshops for adults and families.

For more information regarding the 2011 Bone Bash, visit www.arthritis. org/chapters/alabama/ or contact Anna Blanche Young at the Arthritis Foundation, 979-5700.

Autism Society to host 14th annual Frog Affair

By BAMA HAGER

Loneliness and uncertainty are what Jenny Stephens felt when her son Patrick was first diagnosed with autism. Jenny’s initial feelings are far too common among families who have a loved one diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Jenny along with others throughout the state find support, understanding and acceptance by becoming involved with a local Autism Networking Group.

Autism Networking Groups sponsored by the Autism Society of Alabama are just one of the many programs that the 14th Annual Autism-Asperger FROG Affair supports. ASA will host the FROG Affair on October 7 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at WorkPlay, 500 23rd Street South.

“This event will be a time to celebrate while embracing a disorder that now affects one in every 110 individuals,” said

Melanie Jones, Executive Director of the Autism Society of Alabama. The FROG Affair got its name from the ASA mascot and stands for “For Research, Outreach and Giving Support” to the autism and Asperger syndrome community.

This year, the FROG Affair will offer live music by Blind Dawg, dinner buffet

by Imperial Catering, a signature cocktail provided by Sobeski Vodka and both silent and live auctions. Auction items include a “Luck of the Irish” Package, a 7-night stay in an “International Penthouse” in Kinsale, Ireland; a “Magic City” Package for dinner, hotel, and a car; gift certificates; jewelry; and more.

Reserved seating is available for sponsors and tickets are $85 per person.

You can purchase tickets at www.autismalabama.org.

|

October 2011 |

7

8

|

October 2011 |

Village Living

Q&A: New BOE member

By ANNE WOOD

FALL SALE! IN PROGRESS

Third Thursday Oct 20th at 11:30

Dynamic Duo Sarah Jernigan and Charile Thigpen bring in the fall with tips on outdoor entertaining! visit our website for information on third thursdays kingshouseorientalrugs.com

The King's House Oriental Rugs and Antiques 2807 2nd Ave S, The Pepper Place 205.244.1933

en ha n c in g l if e w it h p l a n t s

will always be a priority in our community but, believe me, if it wasn’t for the We spoke with the newest leadership of the past boards, Board Of Education member superintendents and others and president/CEO of Luckie dedicated to maintaining the & Co. Tommy Luckie about his high standards in our schools, new position, Mountain Brook it would not happen on its schools and his hopes for the own. future.

When one considers all the variables of state funding, Congratulations on being the local ad valorem taxes, newest BOE member! How ever-changing educational did you get appointed to this Tommy Luckie protocols, engaging and position?

Gary London, who was the board motivating the staff, it takes the support chairman for a number of years, approached of our community, the support of our me in the spring to see if I was interested. I city council and many other stakeholders was flattered that they would consider me, pulling in the same direction. and at the time I had three children in the system, still have two, and was previously What improvements could be made to the very involved in the Mountain Brook City schools?

As it relates to funding, in many ways School Foundation. It has been interesting to see how the school system operates, and we are at the mercy of the economy, but, I felt like it was really important to serve given all the economic uncertainties and the community that I grew up in and that challenges, the Board, Dr. Barlow and his staff have done an outstanding job we all love so much. maintaining the essentials in our budget How has your experience with Luckie & and not allowing budget to compromise Company prepared you for your role as a what we provide our students. For the last couple of years, we have cut our board member?

Technology plays a huge role in my capital maintenance budget in half due to company, particularly as it relates to the economic pressures. We cannot continue to digital space, and there are countless do this as things will breakdown and wear examples of utilizing technology in our out, and we will be in a pickle. schools that have benefitted our students and will continue to benefit them in the What do you hope students will take future. Just as we have a lot of professionals away from their experiences in Mountain that work in our company who are Brook Schools?

I have heard parents say in the past that passionate about what they do, the same can be said for fellow board members, the our schools cater to the extremely gifted administrators, the superintendent and, of children and those who are struggling and course, the teachers. I am around a lot of need extra help, while the great majority of likeminded people both at my office and students, who are in the middle of the pack, get lost in the shuffle. After being involved my role on the board. in the Foundation and now on the Board, What have you been particularly pleased that perception is not true.

We have a great thing going with our with in terms of Mountain Brook Schools’ schools, and those involved will continue operation?

Often those who have been around to raise the bar and always keep pushing Mountain Brook for a number of years to be sure that our children leave as well just assume that since our schools have rounded people prepared to give back to always been great that they will continue society. to always be great. No doubt our schools

Shop, Save and Share

5:30-8:30 p.m.

Scan the tag for a video about the event.

Get the free mobile app at

http:/ / gettag.mobi

October 13 featuring

Rollin in the Hay “A Haunted Affair” Signature Drink: Caramel Apple Martini

2011 Sponsors New for 2011: V.I.P. Area $25 Members & Non-Members

Includes best views of party, upgraded food, fully stocked cash bar and limited to only 100 per event.

General Admission: $15 Members of The Gardens: FREE* Cash Bar • Complimentary Hors d’oeuvres

*Visit www.bbgardens.org/cocktails for restrictions.

2 0 5 .4 1 4 .3 9 5 0 b b g ard ens.org/ cock ta ils

The Junior League of Birmingham is pleased to partner with Mountain Brook retailers with the sale of their Shop, Save and Share card. With the card, the organization will be raising money to support its 35 community projects, which improve the lives of women and children in Birmingham.

Local Mountain Brook stores participating include: Billy’s Bar and Grill, Richard Joseph Salon Spa, Bug’s Boys Inc., Canterbury of Crestline, Crestline Bagel Company, Dyron’s Lowcountry Restaurant, Grandmother’s Joy, Ivory and White, Jewelry Specialty by Katz, LLC, Lamb’s Ears, Ltd., Laura Kathryn, Mobley and Sons, Mountain Brook Sporting Goods, Norton’s Florist, Otey’s Tavern, Please Reply, The Scribbler, Smart Skin Med Spa, Snap Kids, Snoozy’s Kids, Sugar, Town and Country Clothes, A’Mano, Another Broken Egg Café, ANTIQUITIES, Avo, Beverly Ruff Antiques and Linens, Bromberg’s, Charlotte Woodson Antiques, Christine’s, Circa Interiors and Antiques, Constance Longworth Collection, The Cookstore, The Dande’ Lion, Leaf and Petal at The Gardens, The Lingerie Shop, Little Hardware, Lulie’s on Cahaba, Marella, Marguerite’s Conceits, Mountain Brook Creamery, Mulberry Heights Antiques, Olexa’s Café, Over Easy, Paige Albright Orientals, Smith’s Variety, Stella Blu, Suite Dreams, Table Matters, A Tiny Kingdom, Tracery, Village Dermatology, Village Firefly, Village Press, Village Sportswear, Western Supermarket/Wine Market, Canterbury Nails, Diamonds Direct, Fleet Feet Sports, Hollywood Feed, Maki Fresh, Mountain High Outfitters, Newk’s Express

Meleesa Jack of JLB, Halle Ray of Stella Blu, Meredith Lavender of M. Lavender Clothing and Lauren Stewart of Lulie’s on Cahaba are participating in Shop, Save and Share. Photo courtesy of the Junior League of Birmingham.

Café, Nothing But Noodles, Schaeffer Eye Center, Taziki’s Mediterranean Café and Yogurt Mountain as well as many others.

Interested shoppers can purchase their card for a $40 donation to the Junior League of Birmingham and receive a 20 percent discount at these retailers and restaurants, October 26 - November 6.

Besides local Mountain Brook merchants, the card features businesses throughout the local community and online retailers.

This is the sixth year of the fundraiser, which started in 2006 with only 88 stores.

Last year the sale raised more than $78,000 for the Junior League of Birmingham’s Community Projects.

Interested card buyers can review a list of participating merchants or purchase a Shop, Save & Share Card at www.jlbonline. com or www.shopsaveshare.net.

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Village Living

|

October 2011 |

Lane Parke plans What do you think?

By ANNE WOOD The issue of whether Lane Parke should be developed has been debated since its proposal. As plans have started to become increasingly concrete, there was another change made. John Evans, whose family owns the property, chose to invite Daniel Corporation on board. Although all details of the newest revision have yet to be finalized, the newest plan will be on a smaller scale than previous proposals.

To gain a better understanding of how the residents of Mountain Brook are feeling about the current development plan, we spoke with several people around Mountain Brook Village. Several people chose not to comment or simply to say they opposed it without going into why. This is what the others had to say: “We are all for it. We might actually buy into the development. Have you spoken with any of the store owners? I’ll bet most of them would be all for it. It will bring in so much business.”

-Jim Bradley

“Sure, it would be a little busier, but it needs to happen.”

-Daphne Bradley “Mountain Brook is so quaint. I think hotels and developments would take away from the suburban, homey, quaintness of Mountain Brook Village. I would be comfortable with an inn or a bed and breakfast. That would be great.”

-Julie Gotlieb “I think it will be good for Mountain Brook. It will bring in revenue and be a great thing. I do hope that the developers stick to the Tudor style of the Village. But, I just like growth. The traffic here is already bad, what’s going to get worse?”

-Ashley McLaughlin

Antiques at The Gardens to feature Charlotte Moss

Antiques at The Gardens begins its sixth year on Friday, October 7 and extends through Sunday, October 9. The antiques show will feature dozens of dealers from across the United States in The Garden Center at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The retail market will be filled with American and Continental furniture, jewelry, majolica, art, rare books, Oriental rugs, silver, garden accessories, porcelain and more.

The market will be open Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $10.

The Sterne Agee First Look Party kicks off the weekend’s festivities on Thursday, October 6, 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $125 and include admission for the show.

This year’s Red Diamond Lecture Series will feature renowned interior designer Charlotte Moss on Friday at 10:30 a.m. Moss has written seven books and designed collections of china, fabric, carpet, decorative accessories and home fragrance. She will be signing copies of her most recent book, Charlotte Moss Decorates, which will be available for purchase at the event. Tickets for the lecture are $30 and include admission for the antiques show.

Proceeds from Antiques at The Gardens support educational programs at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Since

Interior designer Charlotte Moss will speak as a part of Antiques at the Gardens. Photo courtesy of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

2006, the event has raised more than $1.6 million for The Gardens.

For more information, contact Shelly McCarty at 414-3965 or smccarty@ bbgardens.org or visit www.bbgardens. org/antiques.

Top Notch Design, Home Fabrics & Interior Materials at Birmingham’s Best Prices On Demand Bolted Fabrics & Special Order Fabrics Onsite Workroom & Fabrication Center Slipcovers, Draperies, Bed Linens & Accessories Interior Design Services, Monogramming

Pink Heals Tour for breast cancer October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and what better way to do your part in the battle against cancer than to wear pink?

Members of Mountain Brook Fire Department and the Homewood Fire & Rescue Service teamed up to raise cancer awareness at Brookwood Mall on August 28.

The Pink Heals Tour of 2011 made a stop for a few hours to spread a message of hope and encouragement. What makes these trucks special is not that they are pink; it is the thousands of signatures that can be found covering them. Each name on the truck is the name of a cancer survivor, or is a written tribute by a family member or friend of a cancer victim.

In Alabama alone nearly 10,000 people per year die from cancer and in the United States the death rate exceeds half a million people per year. The rate of newly diagnosed cancer patients across the nation

Also e Home of Dorm Suite Dorm Custom Design Your Dorm Room Today www.dormsuitedorm.com The Pink Heels Tour truck outside of Brookwood Colonial Village

for all cancers is over 156 per 100,000. The goal of the Pink Heals Tour is to spread a message of love and hope.

To find out more about the Pink Heals Tour 2011 visit www.pinkfiretrucks.org or contact your local fire department.

Sip 'n Stitch classes this month!

October 6th,10th, 13th, 17th, 20th & 24th

Space is limited! So call or come by the shop to reserve your spot today.

2832 Culver Rd. • 879-8278 • Mon- Sat 2832 Culver Rd., Mountain Brook 35223 879-8278 • Mon- Sat

9

10

|

October 2011 | Village Living

Alabama Forever continues momentum for relief and recovery in state

By LAURA CANTERBURY No one in the state of Alabama could have predicted the outcome of the April 27 tornadoes that ripped through so many communities in our area. Many people were moved to help the cities that were affected, but not too many people I know quit their regular job to truly make a difference in the lives of people who they didn’t even know.

Alex Sokol did just that.

“On the afternoon of April 27, I had no idea my life was about to change,” he said. “As I watched James Spann report on the outbreak of tornadoes in our state, I realized something bigger than the state of Alabama was happening.”

He went along to help a friend the next morning in Tuscaloosa clear debris, and he couldn’t believe what he saw.

“No pictures, emails, videos, or newscasts can properly explain what I saw, total and complete destruction,” Sokol said. “However, even in the midst of total destruction, I saw a scene of extraordinary beauty: Everyone was helping everyone in any way they could. Neighbors helped neighbors, friends helped friends and strangers helped strangers.”

Over the next two days with the help of Sokol’s employer, The Pants Store and friends, Sokol organized a supply drive and gathered diapers, bottled water, canned goods and more.

“People immediately began to eat, drink, and change dirty diapers with the goods we brought,” he said. “They came with only the clothes on their backs, and left with much more, a sense that somebody cared. During the ride home, I was so moved by what I saw. The little guy had no advocate to help. For them to quickly piece their lives back together, I knew I had to become the little guy. That is how I conceived Alabama Forever.”

Sokol felt like another nonprofit was needed in our area to help all those

Boyd McWhorter and stepmom Merrill McWhorter work in Pratt City with Alabama Forever.

Photo by Stacey Willis.

little guys out there without a voice. “We saw needs that were not being met, so we decided instead of sitting around and waiting on things, that we would simply put our feet on the ground and take action into our own hands,” he said.

He joined forces with friends Chris Nix and Ed Welden, and Alabama Forever became a reality.

The Pants Store happily let him conduct Alabama Forever business during work hours and collect donations outside their store. However, in the back of his mind, he knew Alabama Forever would consume 100 percent of his time, so he began a new career with the support of family and friends.

Alabama Forever’s mission is simple: to reconnect and revive communities in our great state. They also seek to fulfill a dream where our state is an unmatched place to live and work. Through relationship

capital, in-kind partnerships and charitable investments, they help create and rebuild civic and athletic facilities, eco-friendly environments, and other public areas.

“It’s a mission that resonates among those who truly love our state,” Sokel said.

“Because Alabama Forever is a way we can remake the heart, soul, and purpose of our state. Together, we’re better.”

He hopes in five years the nonprofit will have helped the places impacted by the tornadoes to be in much better shape.

“The focus of Alabama Forever will simply be helping Alabamians in need through projects that impact the communities as a whole. But also, you never know when the next Joplin, Mo., or Katrina or Gulf Oil Spill will occur, so we want to have a turnkey system in place that we can use for those kind of needs as well,” he adds.

Recently, Alabama Forever hosted a basketball camp at the Levite Jewish

Community Center. Ronald Steele, former University of Alabama basketball player, helped facilitate the clinic. Half of the children were from the over the mountain area and the other half from the areas hit by the tornados.

Another recent project was equipping Pleasant Grove students with shoulder pads and helmets for the football season. Their equipment shed was blown away during the storms, and all of the equipment was lost. “Structure after school is important,” said Sokol. “We wanted to keep their life as normal as possible, and not have them miss this year’s football season.”

The biggest challenge so far has been financial challenges, but Sokol knows that with any startup that is the case and says that they are gaining momentum. You can help by visiting alabamaforever.org and spreading the word about Alabama Forever to family and friends. They are also offering volunteer opportunities each month. The first Sunday of the month will be a volunteer day. The projects and locations will be listed on their website and facebook page closer to time. Anyone is welcome to participate.

As a Mountain Brook resident, please be sure to “like” Alabama Forever on Facebook and buy their necklaces at The Pants Store and Laura Kathryn or donate online.

“I would encourage them to come by our office in Crestline and ride with me out to Pratt City or Cordova,” he said.

“Everyone thought I was crazy for quitting my job, but when I take them in those communities they understand.’

Ours is a state that is going to rebuild and Sokol considers himself very lucky to be a part of that. “I am very lucky to have so many friends and family that I can count on, but most of all, I consider myself luckiest of all because I call the state of Alabama home,” he concludes.

October at

Trunk Show Featuring…

ARMENTA

Wendy Brigode

MORITZ GLIK FINE JEWELRY

… and many more!

Wednesday, October 5th - Thursday, October 6th 10am - 5pm

Come celebrate with Emily as she launches her NEW HANDBAG COLLECTION Tuesday, October 18th & Wednesday, October 19th 10am - 5pm

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Village Living

|

October 2011 |

MBBC Pumpkin Patch is back

By MELANIE GRANT It is pumpkin time in Mountain Brook as the Early Learning Center at Mountain Brook Baptist opens its 7th Annual Pumpkin Patch on October 1. Each year the parents of the Early Learning Center volunteer by unloading and organizing the patch, selling the pumpkins and doing a final cleanup all to raise funds for the center.

Last year more than $10,000 was raised for school improvements. The school was also able to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Children’s Hospital Sugar Plum Shoppe, which provides toys to patients and their siblings who are in the hospital at Christmas.

The patch is filled with a wide variety of pumpkin styles and colors from a local grower. There are also many size options from mini pumpkins to huge “doorstep”

pumpkins. The prices for the pumpkins range from $1.50 - $20, a great value for a great cause.

You can keep up with what is happening at the patch on Facebook at MBBC Pumpkin Patch. The page shares fun holiday ideas and recipes as well as updates on when new pumpkins arrive.

Each year the school hosts a Play Day in the Patch with fun face painting, games and crafts. Play Day at the Patch is scheduled for October 17. This is a Mountain Brook School Holiday.

The patch is located in a small field adjacent to the school parking lot at 3631 Montevallo Road and is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Come by and make sure to bring your camera.

Bentley Hills Halloween Parade tradition continues

Dine-In Only!

Dine-In Only!

Take-Out Only!

Take-Out Only!

Take-Out Only!

Take-Out Only!

Even old neighbors return for the annual Halloween Parade in Bentley Hills: Stacey Bloomston, Kathy Skinner, Emily Dunn, Mandy Poe, Jennifer Watson, Lucie Haynes. Photo courtesy of Kathy Skinner.

By MAGGIE CARTER O’CONNOR On the high side of Euclid Avenue sits the bustling neighborhood of Bentley Hills, where residents celebrate Halloween with traditions spanning more than a decade.

The annual parade and neighborhood party began in 1998 when Kim Poynor, then a resident of the Bentley Hills neighborhood, thought it was time the neighbors celebrated Halloween in style.

At that time, the Bentley Hills Garden Club was formed, and at the helm was Kathy Skinner.

When Poynor and Skinner planned the 1998 Halloween parade with the newly formed Garden Club, no one knew they were establishing a long-standing tradition for the neighbors in Bentley Hills. Residents of Azalea Road, Bentley, Camellia and Montgomery Drives as well as Sims Avenue and Nash Circle now gather each year on Halloween Day to parade in costume. The children, often led in the parade by a clown, march and wave proudly as on-lookers evaluate costumes for the pending contest.

Skinner and her family recall past Halloween celebrations with great fondness. “The parade begins right outside our front door on Azalea Road,” she said. “We can always tell when it is about to start by the buzz of excited, costumed children running around my front yard.

When my children were young, they loved dressing and showing off their costumes and seeing who would win the prize for

the best one. As they have gotten older, they still look forward to the parade and the festivities.”

For Bentley Hills, Halloween is a celebration of the cooler weather that drives neighbors out of their summer sanctuaries.

The block party gives everyone a chance to meet new neighbors and socialize with their families. Other Mountain Brook neighborhoods also use Halloween as an excuse to host a block party. Who can resist the cool evening and the anxious children ready to pillage the neighborhood?

Linda Turner has been a part of the Halloween parade since its inception.

These days, she enjoys participating as a spectator and leaving the costuming to the ones with little ones in their homes.

By inviting friends and family to join the festivities, the neighbors create quite a crowd of spectators for those parading.

This October 31, Turner and her friends will break out their lawn chairs to watch the 13th Annual Bentley Hills Halloween Parade. They will cheer as the line of creative costumes stream by. The fun will continue with Milo’s burgers, face-painting and prizes for the children.

Of course, it is not Halloween without trick or treating. At dusk, the Bentley Hills children will head around the block, supervised of course. The adults will scurry home to man their doors and await the traditional greeting from the costumed children.

11

12

|

October 2011 |

Village Living

Reese to star in second season of Sweet Home Alabama

Come visit our Pumpkin Patch

After coming in as runner-up on season one of CMT’s Sweet Home Alabama reality show, 2004 MBHS graduate Tribble Reese will be the new bachelor on the second season of the country boy vs. city version of The Bachelorette. This time, he will be choosing among 20 girls from across the country.

The first episode airs Thursday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. You can follow Reese on Facebook, Twitter (@TribbleReese) and his website, www.tribblereese.com.

To read our August article about Reese growing up in Mountain Brook and his career as a quarterback, visit www. villagelivineonline.com.

Tribble Reese. Photo courtesy of Tribble Reese.

October library calendar ADULT PROGRAMS

201 Country Club Park 870-7772 • Mon-Sat 10am-5pm

10/6- Smart Investing @ EOL Budgets and Budgeting with Dr. Andreas Rauterkus 6:30 p.m.

10/20- Third Thursdays at Dyron’s Lowcountry. Dyron’s donates 10 percent of the day’s proceeds to the library, and a librarian will be on hand to chat with diners! 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m.

10/21- Nightmare on Oak Street Horror Movie Double Feature. 5 p.m.-9 p.m.

Ages 18 and up only. Pizza, snacks, and two scary movies.

10/22- Dead Poet’s Graveyard. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Door prizes, trivia, and creepy specters! All ages, but it will be dark and spooky!

BOOK GROUPS

10/4- Thyme to Read (meeting at EOL) Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe, 6 p.m.

10/10- Great Books Reading & Discussion Group, “Greasy Lake” by T. Coraghessan Boyle. 6:30 p.m 10/11- The Bookies. Read any book

by Carolyn Haines. 10 a.m. Author interview by phone after the meeting.

10/25- Genre Reading Group Read any book by an Alabama author and come tell us about it. 6:30 p.m.

BROWN BAG LUNCH SERIES12 p.m.

A neighborhood bottle shop specializing in high value, small production wine and beer.

10/5- Film addresses the mysticism surrounding the ancient Celts, 3rd in a 6-part series.

10/12- Film explores Birmingham’s own Sloss Furnace as it transitions from an industrial role to one of contemporary art.

10/19- Film examines the life and reputation of Robert E. Lee. 10/26- Film focuses on the lives and work of three members of the Bronte family.

EMAIL & INTERNET BASICS

This six-week course for the true computer novice meets on Thursday mornings from 10-11 a.m. October 13 through November 17. Space is limited so call 445-1121 to register.

BOO AT THE ZOO

10/14, 15, & 16- Stop by the Library’s booth!

Featuring draft beer to go Located in the Shops of Crestline Park 1109 Dunston Avenue 205.870.8881 www.neighborhoodhopsandvine.com

KNIT & KNIBBLE

10/15- Bring any craft project. Light refreshments served. 2-3:30 p.m.

DOCUMENTARIES AFTER DARK

10/18- A film on haunted houses, 6:30pm

TEEN PROGRAMS FOR KIDS IN GRADES 7-12

10/3- TAB Meeting, 5-6 p.m. The monthly meeting of the Teen Advisory Board.

10/1- Game On! 4:30-6:30 p.m. Super Smash Bros Brawl! Top 3 contenders win.

10/8- Wandmaking 101. 4-6 p.m. Tired of losing all your duels with that Malfoy kid? Come make a wand worthy of your awesomeness.

10/16- Quidditch. 1-3 p.m. We’ll be playing every wizard’s favorite sport on the field across from the library.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

10/1- Family Storytime with Mr. Mac. 10:30 a.m.

10/3- Toddler Tales Story Time . 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.; Chess Club- 6 p.m.

10/4- Together Time Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.; Library Out Loud Story Time. 3:30 p.m.; Bookmania: The Candymakers . 6:00 p.m.

10/5-Mother Goose Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

10/6-Patty Cake Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.; SNaP – Game On. 3:30 p.m.

10/8-Family Storytime with Mr. Mac . 10:30 a.m.

10/10- Toddler Tales Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.; Chess Club. 6 p.m.

10/11- Together Time Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 p.m.; Library Out Loud Story Time. 3:30 p.m.; Family Night: The Reluctant Dragon puppet show.

5:30 p.m.

10/12- Mother Goose Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 p.m.; After-School Special: Jack and the Beanstalk puppet show. 3:30 p.m.

10/13- Patty Cake Story Time. 9:30 & 10:30 a.m.; SNaP – Popcorn and a Movie.

3:30 p.m.

10/15- Family Storytime with Mr. Mac. 10:30 a.m.; Savvy Surfing: Safety on the Web. 10:30 a.m.

10/17- Toddler Tales Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.; Chess Club. 6 p.m.

10/18- Together Time Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.; Library Out Loud Story Time. 3:30 p.m.; Bookmania: The Candymakers . 6:00 p.m.

10/19- Mother Goose Story Time . 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

10/20- Patty Cake Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.; SNaP – Monster Crafts. 3:30 p.m.; Finance for Families. 6:30 p.m.

10/22- Family Storytime with Mr. Mac. 10:30 a.m.

10/24- Toddler Tales Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.; Chess Club. 6 p.m.

10/25- Together Time Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.; Library Out Loud Story Time. 3:30 p.m.; Spooktacular: Monster Mania! 6 p.m.

10/26- Mother Goose Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

10/27- Patty Cake Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.; SNaP – Monsters and Ink. 3:30 p.m.

10/29- Family Storytime with Mr. Mac. 10:30 a.m.

10/31-Toddler Tales Story Time. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.; Chess Club. 6 p.m

Village Living

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

|

October 2011 |

13

LifeActually

By Kari Kampakis

Grounded girl, crazy world

Whenever someone learns that I have four daughters, the response is typically the same.

“Four weddings?!” Big gasp. “Oh, bless you!”

Granted, it’s hard to think about raising girls without seeing dollar signs.

While boys have their own expenses— especially in this age of sports trainers and such—the running tally usually isn’t as high. Take clothes shopping, for instance.

Whereas boys can be set for the year with a simple trip to Gap or Old Navy, girls require variety. Good luck meeting any of their needs with a simple trip anywhere.

But more intimidating to me than the expense and maintenance of girls is the challenge of keeping their heads on straight. Society wants them to grow up fast. They’re encouraged to be divas, to obsess over their appearance, to bow down to fashion. And while shopping and dressing up are two great joys of being a woman, it’s easy to cross the line. And once a girl starts focusing on the wrong things, trusting labels and trends over instincts and inner beauty, it’s hard to keep her feet on the ground.

So my question is this: How do we keep our girls from losing themselves to superficial pressures? Is it possible to enjoy the thrills of this sisterhood without overdoing it?

I’m no expert on the subject, but I can say that girls have been a common theme in my life. Besides my daughters, I have three sisters, three sister-in-laws, eight nieces, and a wonderful mother and mother-inlaw. I also have amazing friends I’ve met in various stages of life. By reflecting on some of these relationships, I’ve compiled a few lessons to share with my girls. Maybe they can spark dialogue between you and your daughter, too.

Remember it’s just stuff. When my husband and I were dating, I dropped a crystal pitcher and started crying because it was expensive. He hugged me and said, “Don’t cry over anything you can replace.”

Whatever material goods you’re attached to—your house, an iPod, a favorite pair of jeans—remember it’s just stuff. And in the grand scheme of things, stuff doesn’t matter.

Find the yin to your yang. Friendships should be based on chemistry, not opportunity. You can’t force them, and

trying to befriend the popular crowd when it’s not a natural fit will only suppress the real you that’s dying to get out. Seek instead friends who “get” your quirks and bring out the best in you. Above all, keep in mind that to have a good friend, you must be a good friend.

See the good. We live in a pessimistic world, and snarky is in. While it’s easier to be an Eeyore than a Piglet, it’ll inevitably drag you down. I once heard a priest say, “Happiness is holding a magnifying glass up to the good traits of others.” Since then, I’ve found that treating someone based on their good qualities—rather than the annoying ones—brings out a different, more likeable person.

Trust your gut. You know the funny feeling that arises when something’s not right? That’s your gut talking. The more you listen, the louder it speaks. Maybe the crowd you’re hanging with is sending up red flags. They’re lots of fun, but not the best influence. Perhaps it’s a crossroads triggering that voice, nudging you a certain way. Whatever the case, your gut looks out for you. It’s a voice of reason you can tune out or tune into when there’s a choice to be made.

Trust your God. God has a plan for you, and while you may not feel special compared to other girls, you’re a masterpiece in His eyes. Use your Godgiven gifts now, and don’t worry about whether you’re good enough, or if you’ll be a star one day. By shining a light on your corner of the universe, you make it better, inspiring those you know. As Henry Van Dyke once said, “Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.”

Finding gravity in the world of females isn’t easy, but I wouldn’t trade this world for anything. Dance parties, skits, pinkie promises and sleepovers—these are the perks of raising girls, silly joys that bond us forever. People can bless my heart all day long, but I know I’m lucky. My girls bring me the greatest joy on earth, and there’s no putting a price tag on that.

Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Mountain Brook mom of four with a background in PR, writing and photography. Read her blog at www.karikampakis.com or find her on Facebook and on Twitter. Email her at kari@ karikampakis.com.

Earthborn Studios Pottery by Tena Payne of Birmingham

2841 Cahaba Road • 879-5277 • Mon-Fri 10-5 • Sat 10-4 • www.thecookstoremtnbrook.com Bridal Registry available!

Specialty Sandwiches

FREE Lunch! with the purchase of equal or lesser value Monday -Friday 11:00-4:00 Expires 10/30/11

3325 Rocky Ridge Plaza • 2nd Floor • 205-917-5080 Hours: Mon-Thur 11:00-9:30, Fri.-Sat 11:00- 10:30 www.theridgealabama.com

Library offers investing seminar and Halloween surprises

1829 29th Ave. South, Homewood

By HOLLEY WESLEY I have two favorite quotes regarding the journey of life. The first comes from Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu (604 BC – 531 BC), who says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

The second is a proverb, “You must learn to walk before you can run.” What these two quotes have in common for me is how they relate to our first Smart Investing @ EOL seminar on budgeting. I can hear it now. People may say, “I thought this was about investing!” Dr. Andreas Rauterkus, Associate Professor of finance at UAB, recently gave library staff a preview of the seminar he has planned and shared with us the idea that before you invest, you must have money to invest. Thus, you must save, and to do that, you must budget. I’m definitely planning on attending this one as budgeting is an unknown principle for me. I’d love to see you there on Thursday evening, October 6 at 6:30 p.m., and you can begin saving before the program even starts by having a free sandwich on us.

Later in the month, I have something

very special (and spooky!) planned for you, so clear your calendars. I love, love, love scary things (movies, books, haunted house attractions, etc.) and, of course, everyone else should as well. If you are of a similar mind, drop by the Birmingham Zoo and visit your favorite Libr-eerie-ans at the EOL booth during Boo at the Zoo. Stop in for my Documentaries After Dark film on haunted houses, grab your friends and family and visit the Dead Authors’ Graveyard, gather your courage for the Nightmare on Oak Street Horror Movie Double Feature (ages 18 & up only!), or come to ALL of our ominous October offerings! Stop by the Library today for a complete calendar of events or call us for more information at 445-1121.

For more information about these or any of our other regularly scheduled programs, call 445-1121 or visit www. eolib.org, www.eolib.blogspot.com, www. facebook.com/emmetoneallibrary or on Twitter at @ eolib.

Burgers wings

c� a T h s � Salads

870-8110

Find us on

& on www.shophomewood.com

sic ri. ight @

14

|

October 2011 |

Village Living

A taste of New Mexico: Salsa Senorita

By MADOLINE MARKHAM Lori Sours is bringing the taste of the Southwest to the South. The New Mexico native and her brother developed Salsa Senorita from flavors from her home state, and now she is sharing them from her Cherokee Bend home.

“I love to share authentic southwestern cuisine with people,” she said. That southwestern flavor comes from the uniquely New Mexican blend of ingredients in the salsa, not just the dominance of the tomato like many other salsas.

Most people tell Sours she is the first person they’ve met from New Mexico, and she proudly shares with them a jar of salsa, complete with a New Mexico flag and the words “legally addictive” on its label.

Often people return to tell her they’ve eaten a whole jar in one sitting.

“It’s really like a jar of vegetables with a kick,” Sours said, pointing out the many ways she cooks with the salsa: mixing into enchiladas, putting in guacamole or queso dip, making a base for chicken chili or tortilla soup, to name a few. She also likes to simmer precooked, chopped chicken breasts with salsa for four hours, reuslting in flavorful meat for quesadillas and nacho bars. She even makes Bloody Marys with her salsa.

“I have always loved to cook and could eat Mexican food everyday,” she said. Now she shares her love of the cuisine on Fox 6 segments on the fourth Sunday morning of the month and at cooking demonstrations at local retailers and Pepper Place Farmers Market. All of her recipes are available on her website as well.

One recipe she says is always a hit is guacamole: simply mashed avocados, garlic, lemon juice, salsa and salt.

“I tell people it’s so easy,” she said.

In 2008 Sours and brother and

Salsa Senorita Nachos For a game day party or any get-together, try Sours’ recipe for nachos with her delicious yet easy guacamole.

Salsa Senorita Spicy Nachos

Lori Sours loves to cook Salsa Senorita recipes in her Cherokee Bend kitchen. Photo by Madoline Markham.

now business partner, Mark Cauffman, developed the salsa recipe based on the fresh vegetable salsa they made growing up in New Mexico. Today, Sours promotes the salsa from Alabama and Cauffman from Los Angeles.

At first Salsa Senorita only catered to what Sours calls “a true salsa eater” who likes things hot. The spice in the medium, roasted garlic and hot varieties comes from the signature New Mexico pepper. Recently, however, she and Cauffman developed a mild version using a heatless pepper.

After arriving in Birmingham from Atlanta a few years ago, Oak Street Garden Shop became Salsa Seniorita’s first local retailer. “Billy Angell was an angel,” she said. The salsa is now available locally at Piggly Wiggly, Whole Foods Market, Western Supermarkets, V Richards, Alabama Goods, Mr. P’s Butcher Shop and Deli and Birmingham Bake & Cook

Company.

You can also find the salsa in California retailers and in two Dairy Queens in Sours’ hometown, Las Cruces, where DQs are known not for their ice cream but for their Mexican food.

Sours continues to think about creating new food products like a natural enchilada sauce and, armed with an MBA and career in marketing and sales, to market their existing salsas. She is also working on a corporate gift package with salsas and recipes.

She and her husband, David, who works for Coke United, also stay busy going to tennis tournaments with daughter Katherine, who is a seventh grader at the junior high and plays tennis at Pine Tree Country Club.

For more Salsa Senorita retailers, recipes, videos and more, visit www. salsasenorita.com.

32 oz. Velveeta cheese 5 oz. evaporated milk 1 jar Salsa Senorita (any variety) 2 rolls of breakfast sausage or soy crumbles 1 can black beans, drained Shredded lettuce Chopped tomatoes 1 small can of sliced black olives Salsa Senorita guacamole (see recipe below) 8 oz. sour cream 1 bag of tortilla chips Brown breakfast sausage in skillet and drain. In a microwavable bowl, combine Velveeta cheese, milk, Salsa Senorita and cooked sausage (or soy crumbles for a vegetarian version); melt in the microwave. Place tortilla chips on a plate; pour cheese mixture over tortilla chips, top with black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream and black olives.

Salsa Senorita Classic Guacamole 2 to 3 ripe avocados 1 lemon ¼ to ½ cup Salsa Senorita (any variety) In a bowl peel and mash avocados.

Squeeze fresh lemon and add Salsa Senorita. Mix together and serve.

Making People Happy For 22 Years, It’s An Institution!

Don’t Miss Our Piggly Wiggly Holiday Fine Wine & Food Show!

Wednesday, November 9th 6:30-8:30 at Historic Rucker Place

An extraordinary opportunity to sample Top-Scoring Wines & Gourmet Fare all available in select Piggly Wiggly stores through the Holiday Season. Wines poured will be available for presale at aggressive, One-Night-Only discounts!

Tickets $25 Advance/ $35 at the door. On sale now in-store at select Piggly Wiggly locations. All ticket costs may be applied to final purchase of Wine orders of a case or more.

This Event will sell out, so get your tickets today!!

224 Country Club Park 871-8435

Follow us on Facebook or on the web Oteystavern.com

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

93 Euclid Avenue, Crestline - 870-5640 3800 River Run Drive -776-8755

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Village Living

|

October 2011 |

15

New accessories in bloom Isn’t that a nice change?

Annie Bloomston with her Annie B. accessory line. Photo by Mia Bass.

By MIA BASS When Annie Bloomston and her class were assigned a bat mitzvah community project in 2009, many volunteered their required time and considered the project done. But then 13-year-old Bloomston wanted to make a more lasting impression. ”If I could help people and do something I love at the same time, why wouldn’t I?” Annie said.

So Annie, now 15, created a jewelry and accessory line called Annie B. that benefits St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Her mother, owner of Stacy Claire Boyd Stationery, grew up in Memphis, and St. Jude is a place close to her heart.

From cute floral rings to ponytail holders garnished with a large patterned button, Annie is serious about creating accessories and jewelry for the business and about keeping her process a secret.

“Only my mom, my sister and I know how to do it,” she said. Her friends beg to know,

but she’s keeping her lips zipped.

“I have loved crafting since I was little,” Annie said. Because she had the advantage of starting her accessory-making at age 13, she’s been able to look back on her designs and alter them as she matures. Younger girls are able to appreciate the work Annie has done before while her peers are always excited to see what’s next.

“The guys got really into requesting Alabama and Auburn stuff,” Annie said.

She enjoys doing custom orders, especially for those she knows well.

Annie revamped her line before heading back to school this fall as a tenth grader at Mountain Brook High School.

Her newest items are bobby pin hairclips that feature yarn and beads in a flower design. Her favorite things to make are still her first item: pony-o’s. She is also looking to sell in more locations and she wants to expand her selection in Learning Express and A’Mano.

MYSTICS

CONTINUED from page 1 there was a pirate ship and an 80s theme float with a disco ball and people dressed in 80s garb.

Lori Welsh and her neighbor Micah Russell have built prize-winning floats the last few years. Two years ago they made a graveyard theme with funny epitaphs on tombstones, and last year the theme was “Far, far away, in a tiny kingdom.”

There were Disney characters, a castle with turrets and a smoking dragon with flapping wings.

The fun part of the parade is that it’s a neighborhood thing, according to Welsh. “We have neighborhood kids who help decorate the float,” she said.

“The dragon from last year was paper mache, so the kids got a chance to work with the arts and crafts piece which they loved.”

This year’s theme is a secret, but Micah Russell’s brother, a rocket scientist who he helped mechanize last year’s dragon, is involved with the design again. “So we may go over the top,” Welch said.

Casey Horn said that a lot of people really get into designing floats. Local businesses provided prizes to the most unique entries.

“Some people go all out,” said Lisa Flake, “but we simply decorate our float with streamers and balloons and fill it with candy-tossing kids.” The event is fun for the entire family, she added.

The parade has everything from golf

carts to flat bed trucks participating in the fun. Along with the floats are the high school cheerleaders, a roller derby, and the mayor of Mountain Brook driving a fire truck.

“I was surprised by how many people were along the streets watching the parade,” said Mayor Terry Oden. The quality of the floats, and the costumes, was remarkable, according to the mayor. “Plus, the group donates the proceeds to help make the city more beautiful. The group gives back to the city, which is very nice” Signups to have a float in the parade are first come first serve and start in September outside La Paz Restaurant in Crestline.

The parade route starts out by the Emmet O’Neal Library, goes by the Tot Lot, turns left on Church Street and then right onto Dexter Avenue. It ends up on Vine Street near the Board of Education building.

Float entry fees and business sponsorships pay for the parade permit, T-shirts, beads and candy. Any money left over is donated to the Mountain Brook Beautification Fund to help pay for flowers, benches and other items for the city.

The parade begins at 4 p.m. on October 31. After the parade several families have bands that play. For the last three years, country music star Sara Evans has performed on the front steps of Lisa Flake’s house.

TOYS • DOLLS • PARTIES Custom Parties Available!

Kids driving you Batty?

Bring them to A Tiny Kingdom 2834 Culver Road • Mountain Brook Village

802-TINY(8469) • Monday - Friday 10-5 • Saturday 10-2 www.atinykingdom.com

16

|

October 2011 |

Village Living

Inspiration in the everyday

By MADOLINE MARKHAM Finley Bullard Evans is the kind of person who is still fascinated by oldfashioned letters and the economy of a page, who turns to books of artwork and poetry for inspiration. She’s a poet who loves to discuss ideas. But even more importantly, she is a mother who delights in making the ordinary extraordinary— and that is just as much part of her writing as anything.

Evans has recently published a memoir, Two of ‘Em in There, about her pregnancy with twins Max and Harry and their first year.

“The sequence of events called for me to write it,” she said. “That first year was magical in a lot of ways. (My husband and I) couldn’t let it go by without talking about it—for us and for the boys.”

Evans’ writing is honest and laced with her dry wit, chronicling how she reoriented her life around her sons, who are now third graders at Brookwood Forest Elementary. Her casual voice makes you feel as if you are sitting around a living room with friends listening to her stories, hearing about the craziness of renovating a house and preparing to bring not one but two babies into the world.

“It was like living in someone else’s movie,” she said.

When Evans, who has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alabama, found out she was pregnant with twins, the only books she found talked about the dangers of multiple births; plus, most books on babies were always instructional but never positive, she said.

“Mothers are so scared from people telling them what to do,” she said. “They just need some encouragement. I would rather have had encouragement and

someone to tell me to trust myself.”

That’s what Evans hopes her book will do. She wrote about her experience with candor, laughed about it with candor and hopes others will laugh about it too. “Being a parent is funny,” she said.

When the twins were born, she wanted to document the time she saw as so precious, so she began to write while they slept. Getting her thoughts out on paper had always helped her understand things, and being a parent was no different.

“I looked forward to that time,” she said. “Living moment-to-moment as a parent, there was no time to think. I wrote it all down to help me make sense of things.”

The product of that naptime writing evolved into a collection of essays that became the book. Evans edited it for years and worked on revisions with an agent in New York in 2008, but when the book market changed with the downward turn in the economy, she and her husband, Neal, a software designer, decided to self-publish it. The book was released digitally in May and in print in September.

Evans got local artist Bethanne Hill, whom Evans had admired for her flair and Southern feel, to create the cover art.

Next on the plate for Evans is a second book of poetry, Caravaggio’s Bones, inspired by hearing about the dark and mysterious Italian artist’s bones being found. “It made me think about how we value artists, even their bones,” she said.

Evans’ poetry has been published in literary magazines, and her first book, The Third Girl, was published by Plan B Press last year.

Many of the poems in that book attest to how her writing is so intrinsically tied to her role as mother. Hers is a solitary

Finley Bullard Evans with twins Max and Harry in their backyard. Photo by Madoline Markham.

profession, she said, but parenting is not.

She relishes her time talking with the boys while she makes pancakes and admiring their writing and artwork. “I am lucky to be a part of their world,” she said.

Two of ‘Em in There is available on Amazon.com.

Two of ‘Em in There Book Signing

With Finley Evans and Bethanne Hill October 28th, 6-8 p.m.

Little Professor Book Center, 2717 18th St. S.

YOU SEEM LIKE A WHEN

YOU

LOCAL

shop at your locally owned businesses, you’re supporting the local economy. It’s a simple fact: For every $100 you spent, locally owned businesses give back $68 to their local economies. National chains return $43 (which isn’t bad either), and online retailers located outside of our area return $0.

So, when you spend your hard-earned money here, it stays here.

Plus, you get an honest and sincere “Thank you for your business.”

ShopMountainBrook.com is a partnership between Mountain Brook merchants, the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce & Magic City Media. For more information, contact Emily Lowrey at 250-9037.

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Village Living

|

October 2011 |

17

Lessons behind the wheel

By RICK WATSON

Larry Wilson of Mountain Brook teaches a serious subject. “Take a left here,” he’ll sometimes tell one of his students in the Mountain Brook Community Driver’s Education class. The students will instinctively try to turn left. The problem is, he told them to turn the wrong way down a one-way street.

He stops them before they actually turn, and then tells them they have to be more mindful. They often protest saying, “You told me to turn.” “No, your friends told you to turn,” Wilson will respond. The lesson is, just because someone tells you to do something, it’s the young driver’s responsibility to make sure it’s safe to do it.

“Sometimes I’ll point to the steering wheel and tell them to turn on their straight signal.” They almost always take their eyes off the road to look for the “straight signal.”

He said it’s just another technique he uses as a learning tool.

In addition to driving in traffic, Wilson teaches young drivers about hand placement on the wheels and how to operate all the car’s equipment like wipers, turn signals, hazard lights and parking brakes.

“Driving is a test where 99 out of a 100 is not good enough,” he said. “You need to make 100 percent.”

“I tell the kids I want them to know how to drive correctly so they won’t run into me,” he joked, although the last fender bender Wilson had was with a former student.

Wilson, who has a master’s degree in drivers education, landed the job with Mountain Brook Community Education seven years ago when the former instructor retired. They contacted him, and he jumped at the chance since he lives close enough to

Larry Wilson teaches driver’s education. Photo by Madoline Markham.

Mountain Brook High School to walk if he wanted to.

He teaches every day of the week in Mountain Brook except for Sunday. For the last 18 years, he’s also taught at Thompson High School in Shelby County when school

is in session.

The goal of the community driver’s education program is to teach students the skills needed to drive safely and defensively and to pass their driver’s test.

Wilson said a lot of kids are very

nervous when they start taking the course, but he works hard to put them at ease while teaching them how to drive.

Carlee Duggan took driver’s ed from Wilson several years ago and said he made her feel comfortable behind the wheel. “I haven’t had an accident yet,” she said.

Wilson always has to be on his toes when he’s out with the students. “Just today, we were on the south side of town when a truck came over on us,” he said. He had to grab the wheel and take evasive maneuvers to keep from having an accident.

The student didn’t have the skills or experience to react, but he said the incident served a valuable lesson. He stresses to his student drivers that you have to expect anything while driving. Defensive driving is essential, according to Wilson.

Wilson said that many adults don’t know how to drive correctly, and even the ones who do know often can’t teach their kids how to drive. That’s why he’s there.

Dr. Dale Wisely, director of student services at Mountain Brook Schools and author of ParentingTeenDrivers.com, said that Larry Wilson’s driving lessons program is one of the most popular offerings they have at Mountain Brook Community Education. “He is highly sought after by our area parents,” he said.

Wilson said he could not do his job without Janice Grammer and Wisely, who schedule and administer the program in Mountain Brook.

Even after all these years, Larry Wilson still loves his work. He is married to Marion, his wife of 40 years. Their daughter, Virginia, and her husband, Cotton Volman, also live in Mountain Brook. Wilson looks forward to teaching his granddaughters Brannon and Gigi to drive one day.

fr esh ing loca est r l in edien to wn ts !

CHEF BALDWIN KEEPS IT FRESH AND LOCAL AT DYRON’S executive chef randall baldwin loves coastal cuisine and has a passion for the local farming community. he brings the freshest ingredients to dyron’s to create exciting new dishes while keeping our lowcountry philosophy that good food should be simple and uncontrived. he doesn’t place orders with big restaurant supply stores; he places orders with fishermen we know, like greg and lee.

ALL BALDWIN RAND

He doesn’t source frozen produce from other states and countries, he’s up at 6am every morning to get the best selections from local farmer’s markets. eat at dyron’s today to experience the freshest local ingredients that chef baldwin can find for you.

don’t forget, lowcountry happy hour from 4:30 to 6:30 (t-f).

121 oak street

mountain brook

205.834.8257

dyronslowcountry.com

18

|

October 2011 |

Sports

Village Sports

Spartans thinking, playing like contenders

By WILL HIGHTOWER This football season Region 6 has been up and down. Vestavia went from good last year to not-so-good this year.

Spain Park has dominated except for an embarrassing loss to Hoover. Hoover engineered a miraculous comeback to scrape by Oak Mountain. And then there’s Mountain Brook. Steady, workmanlike and undefeated.

The Spartans are co-leaders of 6A’s Region 6 along with Hoover. The 4-0 start is giving the team and fans optimism about the rest of the season. The strong start can largely be attributed to a workhorse running back, some speedy offensive weapons, one of the best offensive lines in the state and a defense that constantly creates turnovers.

The workhorse Mark Rector has been the star of the show, leading the offensive attack with 539 yards rushing and 8 touchdowns this season. The senior running back has hit the 100-yard mark and scored in every game.

“Mark has been a model of consistency running the ball this whole year,” senior wide receiver John Harris Britton said. “It has really opened up our offense.”

The word consistent always seems to come up in conversation about Rector. His style of running is completely north-south, always looking for the next yard, with no time wasted on trying to reverse the field, although a timely cutback is never out of the question. This smash-mouth between the tackles’ running style is similar to big college backs like Marcus Lattimore.

That kind of back always garners huge loads of carries, and the coaches can’t seem to resist giving the ball to one of the best backs in the area. Rector has carried the ball a remarkable 106 times in only four games, averaging over 26 carries every time he touches the field.

“We’ve got a lot of great skill players and linemen who do their job great,” Rector said. “I just try to do my job and help the team any way I can.”

The deep-threats If Rector is the bread and butter of the Spartans’ game plan, then the receivers are the dessert. Opposing defenses receive heavy doses of Rector, and then every once in a while the coaches will open it up and dial up a deep pass downfield. While it’s no repeat of John McCrary’s dominance, senior receivers Gavin Golsan, Coates Doss and Britton, among others, have provided

Senior running back Mark Rector powers through Homewood’s defensive line. Photo courtesy of Image Arts.

MBHS Varsity 2011 Football Date 8/26/11 9/02/11 9/09/11 9/16/11 9/23/11 9/30/11 10/06/11 10/14/11 10/21/11 10/28/11

Opponent Location Shades Valley W Vestavia* W Pelham* W Homewood* W Grissom W Spain Park* Away Oak Mountain* Home Thompson* Away Hoover* Home Buckhorn (Homecoming) Home

Time / Result 35-0 28-17 35-7 21-14 34-7 7:00 7:00 7:00 7:00 7:00

*Conference Game senior quarterback Edward Aldag with downfield weapons.

Golsan is a small, shifty receiver who constantly finds seams in the secondary.

He has 15 catches for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Doss is a bigger, more physical receiver, who is more likely to catch a pass coming across the middle.

Doss has 12 catches for 189 yards and two touchdowns.

Aldag’s stats are less significant than

other area quarterbacks, but it is more a reflection of the Spartan’s offensive style than it is a reflection of his talent level. A very accurate passer, Aldag has thrown for 745 yards with seven touchdowns compared to only two interceptions. He has completed 66 percent of his passes.

When called upon, Aldag and the receivers usually can come up with a big play to complement Rector’s steady running.

The road-pavers Mountain Brook’s offensive line is one of the most intelligent in the state, allowing Coach Chris Yeager and Coach Marty Rozell to implement sophisticated blocking schemes that open gaping holes for Rector, who is certainly appreciative: “The offensive line is doing a fantastic job,” Rector said. “Coach Yeager does such a good job with the linemen. All of them know their assignments and are very physical. When you have that on your o-line, you›ll be pretty good.”

The line spends a lot of time each week walking through the offense, making sure they understand their assignments and knowing what each man’s specific job is on every play.

“We feel like the five of us really understand the offense, and any of us could play any of the five positions and fit in well,” senior Walker Byrd said. “There are times when a couple of us will argue over what we are supposed to do on a certain play and the coaches just laugh. All it does is further solidify our knowledge.”

Byrd, who is a returning starter at center this year, said that the success of the line opens up the field for big plays: “We like to think that the success of the offense starts on the line. If we can get a push, then we can run the ball. If we can give Edward enough time, he will find guys and make plays.”

The brick wall The defense started off the year with a shutout against Shades Valley and hasn’t taken a game off yet, allowing a mere 9.5 points per game. The Spartan defense has also come up with several timely turnovers, shifting the momentum of the game.

“The defense has been gold at creating turnovers,” senior kicker Warren Handrahan said.

Against Shades Valley, it was senior safety Zach Gillen recovering a bobbled snap on the Mountie’s 10-yard line. Two plays later, Doss was in the end zone after a nine-yard catch. The Mounties only managed 121 yards total that night and couldn’t score any points as the Spartans won 35-0.

Against Pelham, it was sophomore lineman Buddy Pell recovering a fumble.

On the very next play, Rector danced through the Panther’s defense for a 27-yard touchdown, one of his four on the day in the 35-7 win.

Against Homewood, it was Gillen again recovering a fumble. The defense

See SPARTANS | page 28

Football Season Is Here!

Compliments of

Go Spartans!

Mountain Brook Village 2816 Cahaba Road • 870-4412

Crestline Village

65 Church Street • 871-1230

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Sports

|

October 2011 |

19

Record size seventh grade football team

By HILARY ROSS Mountain Brook Junior High seventh grade football has a record number of team members this year, said Head Coach Greg Morrow. “I’m sure there are other 6A teams that have many players on their roster,” he said, “but this is the largest number I’ve heard of and surpasses the 99 we had on the roster a few years ago.”

The huge roster of 100-plus players was evident in a recent home game against Liberty Park. A wall of green jerseys stood on the MBJH sideline, eclipsing the handful of substitutes for the other team. The final score indicated that unlimited fresh legs are beneficial. Mountain Brook won 41-6.

A staff of 14, which includes several veteran coaches and new additions, an equipment manager and full-time trainer, oversees the massive team along with the eigth grade team, which has almost sixty athletes. The team also has a parent photographer, Annesley DeGaris, and “team mom” Perryn Carroll, whose third son is now playing on the seventh grade team. She said, “You will not see a more engaging, organized football program anywhere. The players learn excellent fundamentals and many lessons applicable

to life. There is just something about the discipline and teamwork of football that makes it exceptional.”

Morrow attributes the major interest in the sport to the importance of football to the community, the success of the whole program from grades 7 through 12 and, of course, the effect Alabama and Auburn football programs have on our state. MBJH has brothers, cousins, next-door neighbors and now sons of former players playing for the school.

Games are quick, with only eight minutes in a quarter, so it is hard to get everyone in during a game. But, all players are given the opportunity to develop everyday at practice.

“You never know who will be outstanding in the next five years,” Coach Morrow said, “and the process of playing Mountain Brook Football is a marathon and not a sprint. The number of players in this grade will help our varsity program in the future. Twenty-five or more seniors on a 6A varsity football program will enhance success for our varsity team. Even with attrition each year, these numbers will help our total program in the future.”

MBJH players Justin Thompson (62), Joseph Pankey (59) and Zachary Carroll (15) on offense.

Photo Courtesy of Image Arts.

Date 8/18/11 8/25/11 9/01/11 9/08/11 9/22/11 9/29/11 10/06/11 10/13/11 10/20/11

Defensive players. Photo courtesy of Annesley DeGaris.

Life insurance: Plan today for the unexpected tomorrow

MBJH 2011 Football Opponent Helena (Jamboree) Bumpus Liberty Park Thompson Homewood Hewitt Pizitz Clay Oak Mountain

Location Away Home Home Away Home Home Away Away Away

7th 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00

8th 6:45 6:45 6:45 6:45 6:45 6:45 6:45 6:45 6:45

Escape Day Spa

By Amy Smith State Farm® Agent Life insurance is a practical way to protect your family’s financial hopes and dreams, yet millions of Americans have no life insurance coverage!

In fact, only 53 percent of adult Americans have life insurance protection. Less than half of those are individual policies, while others depend upon group insurance, leaving them underinsured as well as vulnerable to being uninsured if they lose their job.

Amy M Smith, Agent

3900 Montclair Road Ste 350 Mountain Brook, AL 35213 Bus: 205-870-8820 Fax: 205-870-8810 amy@amysmithinsurance.com www.amysmithinsurance.com

When you purchase a life insurance policy, your primary thought is usually security for your family and beneficiaries. Knowing that there will be funds available for your final expenses, the mortgage and income replacement after you are gone can be a great comfort to your spouse or loved ones.

The death of a family member can be devastating to survivors both emotionally and financially. Life insurance can provide cash to help with: • Immediate needs, including funeral expenses, unpaid medical bills and taxes.

• Income replacement – to allow your family the chance to continue living the life to which they are accustomed.

• Long-term needs, including the costs associated with maintaining your home, including child care, home maintenance, and extended care for a disabled child or elderly parent.

• Life insurance is not for people who die, it’s for the people who live. According to a study by LIMRA, 45 percent of widows and 37 percent of widowers said their spouse had been inadequately insured. Most households hit by a premature death saw a minimum 15 percent drop in income.

• When you buy life insurance, you buy a promise of protection in the event of an untimely death.

By planning for the inevitable now, your loved ones can be cared for in the future.

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®

Escape from the mundane with our back to school Specials!!

For $55 get: relaxation or deep tissue massage (hot stones & warm towels included)

or

european classic organic facial 17 Dexter Avenue, Mt. Brook, AL 35213 205.414.6062

www.theplacetoescape.com

20 |

October 2011 |

Sports

Local rider competes in U.S. Equestrian Pony Finals Salter Hydinger, a fourth grader at Mountain Brook Elementary School, competed in the 2011 United States Equestrian Federation Pony Finals in Lexington, Ky., on August 9-14. She and her pony, Zorro, placed 30th over fences and 47th overall and competed in the pony medal as well. There was a field of more than 100 ponies from across the country. Salter was a finalist in the Emerson Burr Award for which she took a written exam to test her knowledge in horsemanship. Salter has been riding at Fox Lake Farm for three years and is under the training of Allison Majerik Black and Mark Tompkins. She is the daughter of Susan and Steven Hydinger.

Salter Hydinger and her pony Zorro. Photo courtesy of Steven Hydinger.

Raiders win youth football game A G R E E TO A G R E E

Where two sides meet to find one suitable solution.

MIDDL EMEDIAT ION.COM | 205. 4 6 7.8552 or 205. 271. 3153

OVERWHELMED WITH WORK, FAMILY AND

The fourth grade Raiders celebrate their victory over the Redskins. Photo courtesy of Graham Black.

CLEANING? Gymnasts place in LET US TAKE CARE OF CLEANING Judge’s Cup AND DINNER! weekly, bi-weekly, monthly & one-time cleaning full service from ceiling to floor professional, experienced cleaning crew

Imagine coming home where everything is done - cleaned, sanitized and put back in place. You can, with Clean Technique’s quality cleaning service.

call today to receive a FREE in-home estimate!

Clean Tehnique, Inc.

locally owned & operated since 1985

by Marsha Motes

871-1918

fully insured

www.cleantechnique.net

25 off 1st Cleaning ~ plus ~ $ 25 Gift Card for Dinner $

Clean Technique • 991-8366

With this coupon. Not valid with any other offers or coupons. Exp. 11/15/11

Mountain Brook Gymnastics Level 3B celebrate their first place win at the Judge’s Cup: Allison Dunlap, Lily Plowden, Kathryn Huddleston, Grace Merrell, Lilly Gilbert, Sarah Kate Sanders, Brooke McLoyd, Betsy Lambert, Emma Grace Holt, Macy Stoffregen. Photo courtesy of Mountain Book Gymnastics.

The 2011-2012 compulsory gymnastics season kicked off on August 27 with the Judge’s Cup in Birmingham. Mountain Brook Gymnastics had a great weekend with team levels 3B, 4B and 5 all finishing

in first place. Level 4A finished second, and Level 3A finished fourth.

The gym’s home meet, The Pirates of the Cahaba, will be the weekend of October 22. Admission is available at the door.

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

School House |

October 2011 |

21

The Boosterthon story

By RICK WATSON

When Chris Carneal taught baseball lessons at Crestline Field as a college student, kids would try to sell him wrapping paper and cookie dough for their schools. A broke Samford student, he had to tell them he couldn’t afford to buy their stuff. “There has to be a better way to raise money,” he thought. And there was— Boosterthon.

Five years ago Carneal introduced the action-packed elementary school fundraiser to Mountain Brook schools.

Faculty and students agree it’s more fun— and raises more money—than all that wrapping paper and cookie dough.

“Boosterthon is a great way to raise money and get some exercise,” said Cherokee Bend fourth grader Vann Stewart.

“It’s really enthusiastic and fun because of all the things they bring on the field and all

A coach leads elementary students in the Fun Run. Photo courtesy of Boosterthon.

of the prizes you can win. I liked it because I love running and lots of my friends do, too.”

The program, held each fall, has netted the four elementary schools $582,545.

In addition, Boosterthon donated an additional $100,000 plus in technology such as iPods, iPads and other equipment to the classrooms.

Boosterthon is a financial development company that raises short-term capitol for elementary schools. Today, the organization that started as Carneal’s idea on Crestline Field employs 150 team members who serve 620 schools and 430,000 students in the Southeast.

Laurie King, principal of Crestline Elementary, said that they’ve had a tremendous relationship with Boosterthon.

“The way they come into our school and build community, and work on character building along with the fundraising efforts is just a win/win situation,” she said.

Boosterthon area leader Josh Jacobs said the campaign kicks off with a high energy pep rally at the school. They explain to the kids that during the two-week campaign, the school becomes a team, the classrooms become locker rooms, and the teachers become coaches.

The kids come up with team names, signs, and cheers and work together to develop team goals. The approach is to foster a culture of teamwork.

After the pep rally, the Boosterthon team members spend five minutes in every class for the next six days to discuss the daily character lessons that dovetail with the lessons already being taught by the schools. This year’s theme is Epic Adventure, which is an Indiana Jones idea designed to teach the kids the components

Mountain Brook Elementary Boosterthon participants. Back row: coaches Awesome Andrew, Johnny Rocket, Fast Forrest, A-Train, Jammin Josh. Middle row: Caroline Crafton, Delia Vandevelde. Bottom row: Sarah Kate Crafton, William Dunn, Anne Vandevelde, Liz Vandevelde, Thomas Crafton, Hagan Stephens. Photo courtesy of Boosterthon.

of leadership and teamwork. The theme changes each year to keep the event fresh.

All of the activity is based around the finale, Fun Run. During the two weeks prior to the Fun Run, kids are working with parents, friends, and family to get pledges for the number of laps the kids run. These donations are tax deductible. According to Jacobs, childhood obesity is rampant across the country, and the Fun Run is a good way to teach kids that fitness can be fun.

In some fundraising initiatives, only the kids that participate financially are included in the activities, but not with Boosterthon. All kids are on the team and get a T- shirt whether they participate or not.

The finale gets the entire family involved. Everyone gathers at the school, and the run is choreographed with fun

music and a DJ. There are dance laps, skipping laps, race car laps, and other laps designed so the kids enjoy themselves.

Normally kids run from 4 to a maximum of 35 laps.

“These kids are more fit than kids in other parts of the country, so many of them can run 35 laps,” said Jacobs.

King said the teachers love it, the kids love it and the parents love it because it’s not just about money. But the money is good. “We’ve raised more money with this program than with any fundraiser in the past,” she said.

See updates from this year’s Boosterthons at Mountain Brook and Crestline elementary schools on page 25. Updates from Brookwood Forest and Cherokee Bend will run in the November issue of Village Living.

THANK YOU Brandino Brass is a family owned and operated business providing an uncompromising selection of hardware.

We supply the finest home design products from around the world, including...

DOOR HARDWARE

CABINETRY HARDWARE

LIGHTING

WINDOW HARDWARE

KITCHEN & BATH ACCESSORIES

The Residents of Mountain Brook The Crestline Piggly Wiggly The Mountain Brook Western and Canterbury United Methodist Church

Our 62-year history has led us to become one of the regions ultimate resources for architectural hardware ideas, guidance, and selection.

Our 62-year history has led us to become one of the regions ultimate resources for architectural hardware guidance and selection. We supply the finest home design products from around the world.

www.brandinobrass.com 205.978.8900 2824 Central Avenue, Suite #130 Homewood, AL 35209

Please visit our website to see all the manufacturers we carry.

Cabinetry Hardware for your generous support and participation Lighting inDecorative my EagleHardware Scout Project. Together, we Kitchen Bath given Accessories have &now 1,947 items to The Foundry for use by their residents.

Stanford Hornsby, Troop 63

22

|

October 2011 | School House Co m Ini plim tia e l E nta xa ry m

MBJH Service Retreat

Front row: Parker Hartline, John Eagan, Bill Perry, George Eagan, Katie Reiss, Brooke Littleton, Margaret Murray. Back row: Deke Marbury, John Callaway, Preston Eagan, Owen Ross, Catherine Turner, Bailey Martin, Walton Stivender, Sanders Reed, Brantley Sanders, Paley Smith, Anna Matthews, Principal Ben Hudson.

By HILARY ROSS Last year students at MBJH performed over 5000 hours of community service and donated thousands of dollars coordinated by the Students Organized for Service (S.O.S.) organization whose mission is to promote volunteerism among students.

The S.O.S. Leadership Council and Officers for 2011-12 are: Anna Matthews (1st Vice President), Bailey Martin, Bill Perry, Brantley Sanders (Historian), Brooke Littleton, Cate Harmon, Catherine Turner (Secretary), Charlie Steinmetz, Claudia Rose Keating, Deke Marbury, Elizabeth Summers, George Eagan (Vice President), John Eagan (Treasurer), John Sisson, Katie Reiss, Lucy Wolter, Margaret Murray (President), Paley Smith, Preston Eagan (Parliamentarian), Sergie Kampakis, Virginia White and Walton Stivender.

Each year, members of the SOS Leadership Council go off-site to learn

ESTATE

Fine Vintage & Contemporary Classic Jewelry Downtown Homewood 870-4367

THE DIAMOND DEALER

thediamonddealer.net

about various non-profit organizations in their community that need support of volunteers. This year, 14 Leadership Council members and five at large members were able to attend the retreat at the Birmingham Zoo. “Most of these students have grown up going to this zoo, so this is a great opportunity to show how they can give back and preserve this zoo for their children,” said S.O.S. parent sponsor Penney Hartline.

The S.O.S. Council retreat occurs at the beginning of the school year and is the length of a regular school day. The retreat at the zoo included an introduction from the zoo’s volunteer coordinator to learn about the various volunteer opportunities at the zoo (Boo at the Zoo and Zoolight Safari), the performance of a service project, and a tour of the zoo’s newest exhibits and animals.

Support the MBJH magazine fundraiser

By HILARY ROSS Mountain Brook Junior High kicked off its annual fundraiser of magazine sales through QSP, Inc., a Time, Inc. company.

Friends and family could renew existing subscriptions or order new magazines at a huge discount.

It is not too late to support Mountain Brook Junior High! State budget cuts have totally eliminated classroom supply money for teachers. The proceeds from the magazine sale fundraiser have been earmarked to help replace these funds.

You can help by visiting the web site

of the school at www.mtnbrook.k12.al.us/ mbjh and then clicking on “Magazine Sales” under the quick link options. Then you can see the MBJH-QSP online catalog and place any renewal or new order from the convenience of your home computer.

The MBJH account number with QSP.com is 1085797.

Or, you can make a straight donation to MBJH by giving monies at various levels.

This option is 100 percent tax deductible.

For more information, you may visit www. mtnbrook.k12.al.us/mbjh.

MBHS Debate takes Wake Forest by storm to start season The Mountain Brook High School debate team travelled to Wake Forest University on September 10 with a team of 16 debaters. The students had excellent success. In Lincoln-Douglas Debates, junior Wyatt Moorer made the sweet 16 of Varsity while Junior Haley Siddall and sophomore Amelia Putnam both made the elite 8 in Junior Varsity. In Junior Varsity debate, sophomores Mary Nix Roberson and Chamblee Shufflebarger made it to the elite 8 and sophomores Hope Reamer and Caroline Goolsby made the final four.

Leading the team in Varsity Policy was senior Evan McCarty, who was awarded the second place overall speaker. Ironically, McCarty’s former partner, who is now debating on scholarship for Wake Forest University, was allowed to award the trophy to him on stage. He and his partner, junior Philippa Straus, finished in the final four of a competitive field of teams from all across the country. As a result, Straus and McCarty earned their first of two needed bids to the Tournament of Champions held

at the University of Kentucky.

Also of note was Mountain Brook’s rising eighth grader Marc Straus, who appeared in the very first tournament of the year with sophomore partner Ben Jackson.

Marc and Ben did move on in the Junior Varsity pool, but Marc was the 13th overall speaker, which shows some great potential for the future of Mountain Brook Debate!

Congratulations to each of the debaters who contributed to the success of their first event of the year. The team will now travel to the Greenhill School, in Dallas, Texas, for the year’s most prestigious pre-season National Circuit event. We will have four varsity debaters in competition! The team greatly appreciates support from the community and would like to encourage everyone to continue the support by attending debates or simply keeping up with the progress of the team.

You can follow the team on Twitter @spartandb8 or reach Jeffrey Roberts at ROBERTSJ@mtnbrook.k12.al.us.

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

School House

CBS Book Buddies Program

|

October 2011 |

Smart Kid.

Kindergarten student Tate Rogers and fourth grade student Whatley Thompson are book buddies at Cherokee Bend Elementary School.

By FRANCES WATTS The Book Buddy Program at Cherokee Bend Elementary School pairs a kindergarten student with a fourth grade student. They meet together at monthly meetings during the school year and enjoy reading and reading-related activities.

In September, the buddies completed a series of questions allowing them to get to know each other, had a photo taken together and then put their work and photo in a small book to take home. After the first meeting the fourth graders are equipped to

select library books that will interest their buddy. The Book Buddy students develop their reading and leadership skills while building a sense of community.

This year the program began on September 2 in the kindergarten classrooms. The teachers responsible for organizing the program are Mary Elizabeth Allen, April Cartee, Daniel Ferguson, Trisha Humphries, Robin Kendrick, Lauren Lunceford, Meagan Saia and Sally Till.

Smart Call.

Cahaba Heights 968-5151 Inverness 981-7155

It may not be the first name you think of for tutoring, but Tutoring Club guarantees to raise your child’s academic level in just 32 hours.

Fairy tale dress up day at BWF

By BAMA HAGER Mrs. Sammye Davis’ kindergarten class at Brookwood Forest Elementary held their Fairy Tale Dress Up Day in September.

Students displayed fairy tale attire and enjoyed special story time activities and snacks. The kindergarteners celebrated learning about nursery rhymes with the dress up day and a parade through the school. They visited the office and walked through some of the upper grade classrooms. Each BWF kindergarten class celebrates with a fall dress up day. Kindergarten teachers at BWF are Heather Cates, Sammye Davis, Tara Smith and Diane Waud.

Smart Parent.

Charlotte Sims dressed as Little Miss Muffet, and Lea McCauley dressed as Mary from Mary had a Little Lamb.

BWF third graders begin yearlong experiment SALE WEEK Oct. 3rd- Oc

t. 8th!

!

Crestline

Adam Williamson makes sure to bury his sandwich bag deeply in the soil.

By BAMA HAGER Mrs. Gilbert’s third grade class at Brookwood Forest Elementary began a yearlong science experiment on the first day of school. The class buried various items such as a banana peel, apple core, pencil, coca cola can, Kleenex, piece of paper with the students signatures and several other items in a bucket filled with soil. They then

sealed the bucket tightly and plan to open it on the last day of school. The students discussed which items they think will disintegrate and which items will remain in the bucket. On May 25, the class will open the bucket and learn which of the items are biodegradable!

871-2662 Mon - Fri 9-6 Sat 10-5 Also shop online at shopmountainbrook.com

23

24

|

October 2011 |

School House

We Buy Gold Just pick up the phone and call 205.995.7990. We’ll let you know what we are currently paying for gold. IT’S USUALLY ONE OF THE HIGHEST PRICES IN TOWN! Bring in your unwanted gold and silver. We’ll weigh it and give you a total amount on the spot.

THEN WALK OUT WITH CASH IN YOUR POCKET. YOU GET PAID IMMEDIATELY!

In 280 Station 448 Cahaba Park Cir Birmingham, AL 35242

(205) 995-7990

CES Operation Playground

Representative Paul DeMarco with CES PTO President Kaye Emack, Beau Murdock, Harper Pemberton, Reid Pemberton, CES Principal Laurie King and CES PTO President Elect Carol de la Torre.

By ALYSSA MONSON Crestline Elementary School announced plans to break ground on a new playground in summer 2012. The playground will be the only handicapped accessible facility in Mountain Brook.

“The playground at Crestline is enjoyed by the whole community and is almost 20 years old,” said principal Laurie King.

In addition to funds raised by Crestline PTO, Representative Paul DeMarco has pledged $5,000 through a community

service grant.

“Alabama ranks in the top five states in childhood obesity,” said DeMarco.

“Community playgrounds are a great way to change that, and I am glad to help Crestline.”

Other donors include The Boy Scouts and Mountain Brook Schools. For more information on Operation Playground and any other Crestline School PTO activities, email CrestlinecougarsPTO@gmail.com or contact the school at 871-8126.

MBE hosts after-school enrichment IsbellJewelers.com

We have a new look, Art students from Session 1 Hayden Hawkins, Connor Bowen, Isabelle Yates, Henry Collins, Madeline Mitchell and Saylors Pursell show their work.

By HILARY ROSS

Now it’s Your Turn!

Several opportunities for after-school enrichment are hosted at the elementary schools, and Mountain Brook Elementary is no exception.

This year, through Mountain Brook Community Education, offerings such as dance, karate, chess, computer keyboarding, piano, movie making and art are available to students on weekdays at MBE. This allows the children to participate in an activity of interest in the familiar environment of their school.

This month our featured enrichment is art. Kendra Haddock teaches art at MBE and then offers art classes directly after school until 4 p.m. for first through fifth grade students on Tuesdays. Art classes are designed to boost the child’s artistic abilities and creativity. A variety of art methods are taught including drawing, painting, pottery and crafts. Every level of ability is welcomed and supplies are included in the class fee.

“After school art classes are a great way to encourage your children to think creatively and express themselves individually,” said Kendra Haddock, who is in her fourth year teaching art at MBE. She taught art in the Shelby County school

system for eight years prior to moving to MBE and lives in Vestavia Hills with her husband, Brian and her 18-month-old, son Brian Wilson. Haddock grew up in Vestavia Hills and received her bachelor’s degree from Samford University and a Masters in Art Education from the University of Montevallo.

Fall Session 2 begins soon and is ten weekly Tuesday classes that will start on October 11 and end on December 6.

The tuition, which covers all community education fees and supplies, is $225.

The mission of Mountain Brook Community Education is to provide lifelong learning opportunities that are easily accessible. MBCE offers activities that are educational for students of all ages and is committed to providing educational and recreational services for the Mountain Brook community.

For more information or to register for art, please contact Kendra Haddock at haddock@mtnbrook.k12. al.us or visit the MBCE website at: http://www.mtnbrook.k12.al.us/cms/ Community+Education/183.html.

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

School House

CBS Safety Patrol

|

October 2011 |

Mountain Brook’s Newest Antiques Shop

Fifth graders George Davis and John Wheeler Camp are part of the Safety Patrol at Cherokee Bend Elementary.

By KRISTY HARRISON Each spring rising fifth and sixth graders from Cherokee Bend Elementary School are invited to become Student Safety Patrol Members. The selection process involves the students writing a short essay explaining why they should be considered for this membership. Both students and parents must also sign an agreement that they fully understand the Safety Patrol expectations.

More than 50 students are currently serving semester long commitments. Each semester has three groups of safety patrol members serving on the Red, White or Blue team rotating every three weeks.

These students are the first students to be seen by parents in the morning and the last ones seen in the afternoon. The Safety Patrol members basically start and end the day at Cherokee Bend. Each student is expected to do their best, set a good example for others, enjoy their job

and most of all provide a safe environment for all students. These students really take pride in what they are giving back to their school.

One of the additional benefits of being on the Safety Patrol is the special Friday morning breakfast that is served each week in recognition of a job well done. Safety Patrol parents donate breakfast items and morning beverages each week for the children to enjoy. The children meet in the lunchroom to enjoy breakfast and watch the morning broadcast report before heading to class.

The team is led by the PE teachers Mrs. Brookshier and Ms. Sokol along with volunteer support from other teachers and team members. In early fall sunshine, winter wind and spring rain you’ll always hear the safety patrols say, “Have a nice day!” It’s a great day to be a chief at Cherokee Bend Elementary School!

Mountain Brook Elementary Boosterthon update

MBE kindergarten students and teacher Julie Summers cheer for classmate Richard Crommelin.

Apparently, the lessons about teamwork were taken to heart by the kids at MBE’s Boosterthon. Two third graders, Miles Waldrop and Charles Crommelin, were sidelined and could not run with their classes. So, Charles’ brother Richard Crommelin happily volunteered to run in his place and, after completing the run

with his kindergarten class, joined the third graders on the track. Miles also had the race covered by race chairman Katie Crafton, who ran for Miles and helped film a video of the students at the Boosterthon Fun Run sending Miles their love and wishes to “get well soon”.

Crestline Boosterthon update Sara Evans kicked off the Crestline’s Fun Run by singing the National Anthem.

Each student raised an average of $150 to

go toward Operation Playground. Over the past four years, Crestline and Boosterthon have raised $360,000 for Crestline PTO.

25

2421 CANTERBURY ROAD NEXT TO MULBERRY HEIGHTS ANTIQUES 205-870-1030

26 |

Dr. David Hufham |

October 2011 |

Business Spotlight

Village Spotlight

By MARY NOBLES HANCOCK

120 Euclid Avenue 871-8881

www.hufhamortho.com From braces to retainers to cleft palates, Dr. David Hufham’s orthodontic practice has been serving patients in Crestline for the past 10 years.

“He is just a wonderful orthodontist,” said Landon Stivender, mother of patient Walton, 14, “and the whole staff is kind and friendly. It has just been a pleasant experience.”

Hufham knows the importance of the impact of his business on the lives of his patients; his own children attend Cherokee Bend Elementary School, Anna in sixth grade, James in third and Henry in kindergarten. “I only do what I would do for my own children,” he said.

Growing up in Dothan, Hufham has always known what he wanted to do with his life.

“My father was an orthodontist in Dothan for 25 years,” said Hufham. “He always said how much he enjoyed his job; he never hated going to work.”

Hufham graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in English before attending dental school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and two years of orthodontic training at the University of Pennsylvania.

In September of 2001, Hufham opened his own orthodontic practice in the heart of Crestline Village.

“I have been here 10 years, and the good Lord willing, I hope to be here for many, many more years,” said Hufham.

“We are a fulltime orthodontic practice.

I am here every day of the week. There is not a rotation. You do not see different orthodontists every day; it is just me. I am responsible for the care, and I see

Dr. David Hufham with his orthodontic patients Photo by Anne Wood.

every patient that comes through. It is not just an expansion or short term, we are in Mountain Brook for the long run.”

Within his practice, Hufham not only takes care of braces and retainers, though he does his fair share of that, but he also makes sure the whole bite and teeth are working together in harmony. He works with orthodontic surgeons to make sure “the face looks as good as possible and working with teeth and making sure the lips look right and give them a pleasing profile.”

Despite not growing up in Mountain Brook, Hufham has found the area to be the ideal location for his practice.

“My wife, Joanna, grew up here, and when I came I wanted to be a part of the community,” he said. “To me, Mountain

Brook is really just a small town within a big city. I get to see all of the kids that I work on every day whether at baseball practice, church, basketball games or just walking through the village going to get lunch.”

Dr. Hufham’s location is easily accessible not only to Mountain Brook Junior High but at least three elementary schools as well.

“I don’t kid myself,” he said. “I know a lot of people see us for convenience and not just my charming demeanor. We try to be convenient where a mom can drop off her kid and go run an errand, and we have them ready when she gets back.”

In addition to personal service, Hufham pushes to be considerate of his patients’ time.

“Everybody’s time is important,” he

said. “That is one thing I cannot give back to people is the time that I spend. When we tell somebody it will be 30 minutes we try to make it 30 minutes. We tell them fifteen minutes, we try to have them out the door in 15 minutes, actually we’ll shoot for 14.”

Even though this September marks the 10-year anniversary of Dr. Hufham’s practice in Crestline Village, Hufham knows that it may not be forever. One day he would like to either expand the building or move somewhere else in Crestline Village.

Regardless of the future of his practice, Dr. David Hufham will continue to serve the Mountain Brook community by helping patients one at a time achieve the smile they desire.

“When they are happy, we’re happy.”

Spartan Square

Invest in the future one brick at a time

Be a Part of History

Engraved bricks to be placed in front of City Hall Benefits: Tornado Relief and Help to Fund Future Leadership Mountain Brook projects MOUNTAIN BROOK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 32 Vine Street Mountain Brook, Alabama 35213 • 205-871-3779

Visit: www.welcometomountainbrook.com Click on the Spartan Square link

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Restaurant Showcase 2713 Culver Road, Mountain Brook Village 769-6034

Ollie Irene

Village Flavor

Tuesday-Saturday, 4 – 10 p.m. www.ollieirene.com

A food blogger, a downtown restaurateur, a food truck/catering entrepreneur, a baker and a Southern Living Food editor all walk into a bar. Sounds like the punch line for a funny joke, right? But in reality it was just a regular Friday night’s dinner service at Ollie Irene, the newest culinary hot spot in Mountain Brook.

Owners Chris Newsome and Anna Lakovitch opened their dream restaurant in the former Browdy’s location just two months ago and are already getting rave reviews. It is not just because we love our local watering holes. It is not just because it is uber-convenient. It is not even just because the food is so darned good. Well, it is all of those things and more. With more than a dozen years working in other people’s restaurants, Chef Newsome knew exactly what he wanted in his own place: incredibly delicious, simple food, served in an atmosphere that is casual yet intimate. After rehabbing the space, the pair worked with local designer Edee Youngblood of Edmundson+Youngblood to craft the space into just what they had always envisioned: rustic cement floors, folly-green wainscoting and hand-framed hunt-club-esque ephemera, creating an ambiance for their guests to always feel at home.

We recently joined some friends at Ollie Irene for a casual Friday night dinner. My friend Kimbellee and I met our husbands and sons there after they played a quick nine holes of golf. We managed to get the last six-top table before the evening

Chef Chris Newsome and fiancee Anna Lakovitch opened Ollie Irene in Mountain Brook Village.

Photo by Madoline Markham

rush began in earnest. Our table – hewn of 100-year-old white oak and nestled into an alcove near the front door – felt comfortable and special. It was from this vantage point that I saw all of these familiar foodie friends come through the front door. What I loved about this scene in particular was that there were so many faces from inside and outside our quaint villages. Because in all honesty, while we want a private intimate spot all our own, a restaurant needs a broader appeal to survive. It can’t feel so cloistered as to feel pretentious. It can’t be so precious as to feel unapproachable. It can’t be too expensive to only merit expense-account or special occasion dinner visits. And on all accounts, Ollie Irene delivers.

We started the meal with cocktails and a Pabst Blue Ribbon tall-boy. Newsome and

Lakovitch were thoughtful and deliberate in their beverage choices. The dozen or so wines available are carefully chosen and none is priced at more than $30 a bottle.

Bartender Zak Kittle prides himself on his cocktails and makes it easy to find a new favorite. The Spartan Spritz, made with LA Bubbly and fresh grapefruit juice, sounds particularly refreshing, but the Brookdweller Punch – a combination of light and dark rums, fresh citrus, steeped peach and mint – just might win me over.

We ordered several starters, or Pub Plates as appetizers: Build Your Own Crostini, Boudin Balls, Ham Plate, and Chicken Liver Pate. Each item is layered with flavors that come from being wellthought out and prepped with love. The cherry tomatoes had been pickled, the

|

|

October 2011 |

BY CHRISTIANA ROUSSEL

herbed ricotta was whipped, the melon balls tossed in a sherry gastrique. And don’t be frightened by terms not already in your lexicon. Just order it. You will not be disappointed. My seven year old is nothing if not mercurial, at times an adventurous eater, others wanting nothing foreign on the plate. But every time we have dined at Ollie Irene, he has requested the boudin balls and the mussels and the pate. This last dish he describes as tasting like “ham butter.” Truly sublime and we fight over the last bite.

Entrees are rounded out with simple fish, chicken, burgers and pork, although there is nothing ordinary about this fare. For example, the fresh catch of the day is prepared with a warm coriander vinaigrette and tapenade. We have had this dish with both triggerfish and Gulf shrimp. Both were terrific and my 12 year old swabbed her plate with slices of fresh bread. A special menu of seasonal side dishes included assorted pickles, silver queen corn with leeks and smoked bacon, tomato-braised rattlesnake beans and Chilton county field peas with potlikker and sweet pepper relish. We ordered them all and passed them family style.

So, just like that restaurateur, baker and food writer, you’re invited to get comfortable with our new neighborhood restaurant. Just don’t fall in love with too many menu items because as the seasons change, so will the menu. Chef Newsome is modest in describing his efforts: “I only want to honor the ingredients my purveyors bring in.”

Christiana Roussel lives in Crestline and is a lover of all things food-related. You can follow her culinary musings on-line at ChristianasKitchen.com or on Facebook (ChristianasKitchen) or Twitter (@ Christiana40).

We are growing!

Join Dr. Sobera in welcoming Dr. Kristy Curl, Board Certified Dermatologist, to our practice.

Jenny O. Sobera, MD

Board Certified Dermatologist

Dr. Curl specializes in Medical, Cosmetic and Surgical Dermatology and is now accepting patients.

27

Shelley Winzeler, PA-C

To learn more about Dr. Curl visit www.villagedermatology.net/staff.html Please call 877-9773 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Curl

2901 Cahaba Road, Conveniently located in Mountain Brook Village

28

|

October 2011 |

Village Living

New running program teaches girls to live confidently

By ANNE WOOD Most women can think back to their time in elementary school and appreciate how hard being a third, fourth or fifth grade girl can be. The attitudes and behaviors picked up during this time undoubtedly stays with those girls into their middle school and even high school years. A program promoting self-esteem, healthy exercise habits and friendships among women is not only needed during this time in a young girl’s life but absolutely vital to how she will carry herself into her future.

Thanks to Molly Barker, founder of Girls On The Run, this fall a Birmingham chapter of Girls On The Run was established. Founder Catherine Gregory, who volunteered with Girls On The Run in Charlotte, N.C., also started a chapter in Delaware prior to living in Mountain Brook. Gregory is passionate about this program and has affected many young girls through it in three different states.

Since one of the main focuses of the program is instilling confidence, the girls meet in small groups throughout the year for lessons and discussions on building self-respect. These lessons focus on building character by combating the image set forth by the media. It teaches them how to appropriately handle bullying, gossip, making new friends, and ultimately, how to simply feel good about yourself. If a girl feels comfortable in her own skin, she can confidently take on just about anything.

Accompanying these lessons, of course, is running. The girls play running games and learn drills over a course of 10 weeks and finish their journey by participating in a 5K race. Perhaps to some, these physical activities may seem unnecessary to building confidence, that the support and discussion alone would suffice, but Gregory disagrees. “[The race] is their huge

Girls on the Run participants and coaches do their “super star” cheer for that afternoon’s spirit award winner, Megan Lee.

accomplishment,” she said, “something many of them never thought they could do with their community, friends, family and teammates cheering for them. It is our hope that the girls can draw from this experience as they get older and go for even bigger goals!”

The purpose of the running is more than just the benefits to the girls’ physical health. It teaches them how to set and reach goals. It shows them how to be proud of your accomplishments without boasting, and, perhaps most importantly, it helps them avoid the dreaded “Girl Box.” “Barker, the founder of GOTR, coined the term ‘The Girl Box’,” Gregory said, “which is where girls around fifth grade stop being true to themselves and instead start paying attention to all the messages and opinions coming from the media and those around them. They go into the ‘girl box’ where they hear to messages like: you

are not pretty enough, you are not thin enough, you are not smart enough, your clothes are not cool enough.

“Our goal is to keep them out of the ‘girl box’ and sitting up straight, laughing loudly, sticking up for what they believe in, raising their hand in class, and feeling like they are enough and perfect just as they are,” said Gregory.

The more girls who are exposed to this kind of thinking, the better. Too often young girls give in to the pressures to fit the molds of society.

Girls On The Run aims to prevent that from ever happening through producing strong, confident, and healthy young women. The hope is that upon completion of this program, the girls will enter into middle school with an armor on, so to speak. They will have been taught how to handle bullies, how to treat other people, and most importantly, how to treat and

respect themselves.

The fall season will run from Sept.

12-Nov. 19. The girls meet in groups of 12 at Mountain Brook Junior High every Tuesday and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and are led by the head coach Kristie Stewart. Stewart has a team of assistant coaches who are all local to Mountain Brook as well: Fena Fuqua, Anna Katherine Bowman and Caroline Hoke.

Although the deadline to register for this fall has passed, Girls on the Run will be returning in the spring for a second season.

More information on the spring season will be posted to the website closer to the start of the program.

For more information on registration, volunteering, or how to get involved visit their website www.girlsontherunbham.org, call Catherine Gregory at 999-4426 or follow the program on Twitter @GOTRI.

SPARTANS

CONTINUED from page 18

enhanc ing l if e with pl ants

Fall Plant Sale Rai n or S hi ne • Free Admission • Fa l l is a n I deal T i me to Pl a nt Tr ees & Shr ubs

Saturday, October 22 | 9 - 5 p.m.

Sunday, October 23 | Noon - 4 p.m.

Tr ees & Shr ubs•Herbs•Per ennials•Camellias•Fall Lettuces •Fer ns•Biannuals•Natives•Winter Annuals•Irises•Hostas •Bedding Plants•Hostas•Daylilies

205.414.3950 bbg ardens.org/fallplantsale

had been on its heels, letting Homewood drive down to the Mountain Brook 14 yardline. But after the turnover, Aldag hit Doss on a 44-yard strike to the end zone, which proved to be the winning touchdown in the 21-14 victory.

“We had some big holes to fill after losing a lot of key seniors,” senior linebacker Win Cowden said. “But many of our returning starters, like Harry [Reich], me, Zach [Gillen] and Reeves [Favrot] have carried the defense to a fast start.”

“The defense has played really well. We keep improving every day and every game and I think if we keep improving then we have a good shot at a state championship,” senior cornerback Hilyer Isbell said.

Eyes on the prize The state championship. It’s the holy grail of high school football, and this year, every Spartan has their eye on it. Mountain Brook will have to go through tough teams like Hoover and Spain Park to get there.

“I think the whole team has had a great first half of the season, but we›ve still got a lot ahead of us,” senior defensive back Matthew Gambril said. “We›ve got several big games like Spain Park and Hoover to prepare for, but we really just want to focus on ourselves and make sure we improve from week to week.”

His twin brother, Alan, also a defensive back, had similar thoughts: “The 4-0 start is great. We›ve worked really hard week in and week out. If we can keep focusing on our next opponent and improving ourselves, we›ll go far. We always talk about getting better each week. I think if we can do that we›ll have a deep run into the playoffs.”

While the game at Spain Park is away, the Hoover game will be held in Spartan Stadium, a tough road environment for any team. Mountain Brook is 27-1 at home since 2007, the lone loss coming to the Bucs in 2009.

Senior quarterback Edward Aldag releases a deep pass. Photo courtesy of Image Arts.

“We cannot be that team that breaks that streak,” Rector said.

“I think the way you prepare for those teams is just to not get over-excited about the game,” Gillen said. “You have to know that it’s a big game but treat it like every other week. You have to play within yourself and do your job on both sides of the ball.”

A win in those big games followed by a state championship would be a dream season for this group of Spartans. They have the pieces and looks of a contender, and, as Isbell says, they also have something that can’t be measured: team chemistry.

“As a team, I think we are a close-knit group that really plays for each other and the way the offense has been playing we have a really good shot at playing for a state championship,” Isbell said.

The season is halfway through, and the steady, consistent Spartans are undefeated. The pieces are in place for a deep run in the playoffs. Will the elusive state championship return to Mountain Brook after a 30-year hiatus? We will have to wait and see. For now, as Byrd said, “We are trying to block out all distractions and just play Spartan football.”

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Around the Villages

|

October 2011 |

Around the Villages

29

Chappy’s Deli to stay for now Join the Chamber for Tweet Up Tuesdays events Contrary to popular belief, Chappy’s is not closing, but relocating. “I don’t know why people want to start that rumor,” the manager said, “but we are not closing and we want people to know that.”

Chappy’s Deli is actively looking for a new location in Birmingham but for the time being, will stay put. The deli

offers both dining and catering services for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Located right off of Highway 280 by Wendy’s and Taziki’s, Chappy’s is open Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. To view menus, events, and more, visit http:// www.chappysdeli.com/mountainbrook. html.

New Little Caesar’s Pizza Little Cesar’s Pizza has opened in Mountain Brook on Overton Road.

At Little Caesar’s you can enjoy your own custom pizza or opt for a HOT-NREADY pizza, which does not require a call in advance.

Located across from Publix at 3150

Overton Road, Little Ceasar’s welcomes customers Sunday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. To place an order or get information, call 968-2398 or visit www. littlecaesars.com.

Pure Wax & Tan now open Pure Wax & Tan, a new tanning spa featuring both tanning beds and UV-free spray tans, has opened off of Highway 280 at 2800 Cahaba Village Plaza in the former FaceLogic location.

Instead of paying for either waxing or tanning services individually each time you

visit, you can buy a package that allows you a set number of visits per month.

Their hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.. They can be reached at 637-1128 or at www. purewaxandtan.com.

Chamber Membership Drive If your business is not a member of the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, now is the time to join.

During the current membership drive,

you will get discounted rates that include the rest of this year and 2012. Visit www. welcometomountainbrook.com more information or to join.

200 28th Street South Birmingham, Alabama 35233 USA Ph: (205)322-3538 Fax: (205)323-0084 www.architecturalheritage.com

The Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, ShopMountainBrook.com and MagicCityPost.com are holding tweet ups, meet ups of Twitter friends and others, the second Tuesday of every month. The first one held in September at Dyron’s Lowcountry featured door prizes from

local stores, complimentary food and wine, drink specials and an opportunity to meet Dyron’s farmers.

Check www.welcometomountainbrook.com or follow @shopmtnbrook on Twitter to find out about future tweet up locations.

Trick or Treat at Chamber merchants in the Villages The Chamber of Commerce will be distributing Trick or Treat cards the month of October. When someone brings a card into a merchant, they will either be given a “treat” or a “trick” depending on whether the card has a black or orange mark. The individual merchants will decide which color is a trick or treat for their store.

Treats could be a discount in the store, promotional item or a chance to enter in a special drawing.

The Chamber will have posters to identify which stores people can bring their cards to play “Trick or Treat.” The promotion will run through the end of November.

Point-of-sale fundraiser for Pleasant Grove in October The Chamber will be conducting a point-of-purchase fundraiser the month of October where customers will be able to make donations to Pleasant Grove for tornado relief. When you make a donation at participating merchants, a piece of

Spartans Helping Spartans art will be displayed in storefront windows. Western Supermarket in Mountain Brook Village will be participating as well as other merchants in the villages.

30

|

October 2011 |

Food & Wine

Village Living Calendar

10/9-Break N’ Bread. Held on Sunday, from 1 to 5 p.m., More Information: www. birminghamoriginals.org Or, Carrie Whitt: carrie@bullfrogandbaum.com 10/18-Paula Deen Book signing. 7 p.m. at Brookwood Village Books-A-Million.

Line numbers will be distributed prior to the signing event. More information: Christine Corbitt 205-870-0213 or corbittc@bamm.com.

Mountain Brook Events 10/1- The Pony Express 5k. 5k will take place in Crestline Village at 9 a.m.. More Information: www.firstgiving.com/87660/pony-express-5k-runwalk.

10/6-Sterne Agee First Look Party. A black tie affair featuring hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and the chance to be the first to shop Antiques at The Gardens.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Admission: $125. More information: www.bbgardens.org.

10/6- Mountain Brook Spartans vs. Oak Mountain football game. 7 p.m. Mountain Brook High School.

10/7–Red Diamond Lecture Series. Charlotte Moss, world-renowned interior designer with speak. 10:30 a.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. More information: www.charlottemoss.com or www.bbgardens.org.

10/7-10/9–Antiques at The Gardens. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. More information: Shelly McCarty, 414-3931, smccarty@bbgardens.com.

Family Fun

10/15-Summer Camp Recreation. It’s like summer in the fall! From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Birmingham JCC. Fee: $25/day for members; $35/day for nonmembers.

More information: www.bhamjcc.org.“spooky” movies will take place. All ages welcome. More information: 205-226-3655.

10/26-Maestro Goes to the Movies, a Kid Concert by the Birmingham Music Club.

Samford Wright Center. More information: www.samford.edu/wrightcenter or 726-2853.

Special Events/Ministry 10/5-8–Take Two: A Ladies Consignment Event. Sizes range 0-16 with prices starting at $3. Vestavia City Center. More information: www.taketwoconsignment.com or taketwoconsignment@gmail.com.

10/7-Frog Affair. Benefits the Autism Society of Alabama 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. WorkPlay 500 23rd Street South. More information: www.autism-alabama.org.

10/9-11- Barber Vintage Festival. More information: www.barbervintagefestival.org.

10/10- Full Moon Hike. October 11th at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for members are $5 and for nonmembers $7. Meet at Ruffner Mountain Nature Center. More information: www.ruffnermountain.org.

10/15- International Street Fair Preview Party. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ruffner Mountain nature Center. TMore information: www.ruffnermountain.org.

10/11-Cocktails in The Gardens. Continuing its fifth season with “A Haunted Affair” will take place on October 13 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. More information: www.bbgardens.org/cocktails.php.

10/23- Mixed Doubles Round Robin Mixer Tennis Tournament. 2 p.m. at the Birmingham JCC. Fee is $15 for members and $20 for non-members. More information: Dale Clark, LJCC Tennis Pro, dclark@bhamjcclivepage.apple.com. org.

10/18-Prospective Parent Open House. Highlands School is holding an Open House at 9 a.m. If you are interested in learning more about the school or sending your children there, be sure to attend! More information: Judy McDonald, jmcdonald@highlandschool.org or call 956-9731.

10/23- Mah Jongg Tournament. 10 a.m. Benefitting The Circle of Life Knitting Society.

October is breast cancer awareness month and they will proudly deliver 250 scarves to the Kirklin Clinic and UAB’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. More information: Mindy Cohen: 879-0411, or, mcohen@bhamjcc.org.

10/21-Mountain Brook Spartans vs. Hoover football game. 7 p.m. Mountain Brook High School. 10/25-Mountain Brook High School’s Homecoming Powder Puff game at MBHS. 7 p.m. The teacher sponsor is Mr. Kornegay. More information: www.mbhspto.blogspot.com or, 414-3800 10/27-Brookstock. A concert fundraiser held in the fall semester of the school year, Brookstock is held on the MBHS campus. . More information: 414-3800 or www.mbhspto.blogspot.com.

10/28-MBHS Homecoming. Homecoming pep rally, parade, and game against Buckhorn. The game will be at 7 p.m. at Mountain Brook High School.

Preceding the game, at 2 p.m., will be the Homecoming Parade featuring the Homecoming court, attendants, and MBHS clubs and organizations. More information: 414-3800 or www.mbhspto.blogspot.com.

Theatre

10/5- “Ugly Betty” Actress to speak at UAB. Alys Stephens Center Jemison Hall at 1200 10th Ave. South.

10/7–Broadway in Birmingham: Hal Holbrook Mark Twain. 8 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall. Admission: $25-$65. More information: www.bjcc.org/events.php.

10/6-Melissa Shippen Burrows, a Soprano, will perform opera Sunday, at 2:30 p.m. at Brock Hall, Samford University. More information: www.operabirmingham. org/performances.html.

10/28-10/29–Broadway in Birmingham: STOMP. 8 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall.

Admission: $25-$55. More information: www.bjcc.org/events.php.

The New

WOMEN’S HOSPITAL

at Brookwood

• Labor and delivery suites so comfortable you’ll never want to leave.

• Keep it natural or go numb with resources designed to fit your birthing plan.

• Recover in style with sweet city views and five-star amenities.

• Private NICU rooms promote family bonding on a floor dedicated to our tiniest guests.

Find out more at GenB.com

OPENING DECEMBER 2011.

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Music and Arts 10/4- Art Exhibit Opening. Starting on the fourth and lasting until the 31st, the Birmingham Museum of Art will be hosting the Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: American Art. The exhibit may be viewed during normal viewing hours. Entrance to the Birmingham Museum of Art is free. More information: www.artsbma.org.

10/4-“The Civil War as a Religious War” with Dr. George Rable. 6:30 p.m. at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest. Lecture will present some of the ways Americans used faith to understand everything from the outcome of battles to the issue of slavery. There is no cost or tickets, the event is open to all interested adults. More information: 978-0155.

10/5-10/8–Cirque du Soleil: Dralion. 7:30 p.m. BJCC Arena. Admission: Adults are $37$147 and children are $30-$128. More information: www.bjcc.org/events.php#.

10/6-10/8–Southern Women’s Show. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. BJCC Exhibition Hall. Admission: $9. More information: www.bjcc.org/events.php#.

10/9–Vulcan AfterTunes, Scars on 45. Grab your lawn chairs and your whole family to relax and play under the shadow of Birmingham’s favorite cast iron statue, Vulcan! 3 p.m. Vulcan Park and Museum. Admission: $15 for adults, $7.50 for Vulcan members and free for children 12 and under. More information: www. visitvulcan.com.

10/9-Hot Strings Festival. Birmingham’s Blazin’ Bluegrass Festival will be held on October 9th at the Preserve in Hoover. 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. Tickets available online. More information: www.thefoundryonline.org/hotstrings/ 10/12-Art exhibit: Skees. UAB Department of Art and Art History alumna Skees will present a selection of her pieces of art at the UAB Visual Arts Gallery, 900 13th St. South. Free and open to the public. The exhibition will feature a free reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, at the gallery. More information:934-0815.

10/14-10/15–Tyler Perry’s The Haves and The Have Nots. 8 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall.

Admission: $38 and $45. More information: www.bjcc.org/events.php.

10/23–Vulcan AfterTunes presents Diane Burch. Grab your lawn chairs and your whole family to relax and play under the shadow of Birmingham’s favorite cast iron statue, Vulcan! 3 p.m. Vulcan Park and Museum. Admission: $15 for adults, $7.50 for Vulcan members and free for children 12 and under. More information: www.visitvulcan.com.

10/28–Alabama Symphony Orchestra SuperPops: Audra McDonald. 7 p.m. Samford Wright Center. Admission: $14- $70. More information: www.samford.edu/ wrightcenter or 726-2853.

10/28- Little Professor Book Signing. Little Professor Book Center, 6-8 pm, Finley Evans and Bethanne Hill will both be signing the books, and copies will be available for purchase in the store. More information: www.littleprofessor.com/homewood or 870-7461.

10/29- Art in Avondale. The community art festival will feature more than 70 artists, local musicians, local food vendors, and hands-on art activities. Beginning at 10 a.m. and lasting until 4 p.m., this festival is sure to capture the imagination of adults and children alike. More information: www.artinavondalepark.org.

Village Living

|

October 2011 |

31

HITTING HOME

CONTINUED from page 1 fact, in a survey we did of parents who participated last year, 98 percent said they preferred having meetings like this in homes and neighborhoods, rather than in school facilities.”

Each home hosts a speaker as well as school administrators and counselors to provide support. The program covers statistics about underage drinking among Mountain Brook youth and suggests resources and parenting tips.

Parents who participated last year said they wanted more time to interact with each other and with the speaker. They also indicated that they wanted to discuss more practical ideas about what to do in various situations involving alcohol and their teenagers.

To accommodate these requests, eight homes will host smaller groups than last year. The speakers will provide a shorter program and allow more time for discussion.

Four of the eight homes will be for elementary parents, and the other four

will be for junior high and high school parents. The facilitators will be: Dr. Angela Stowe, 11th grade counselor at MBHS, Licensed Professional Counselor; Mr. Kenneth Harkless, student support counselor at MBHS and experienced addictions counselor; Dr. Steven Taylor, a local pediatrician, psychologist and addictionologist; Dr. Dale Wisely, Director of Student Services at Mountain Brook Schools and a clinical psychologist; Leslie Cross, counselor at Mountain Brook Elementary; Alla Lewis, counselor at Crestline Elementary; Leigh Cohen Long, Student Intervention Specialist at Homewood City Schools; Gloria Anderson, former Director of Student Services at Mountain Brook Schools, Licensed Professional Counselor.

Event organizers deliberately don’t indicate which leaders will be at which home.

Host homes will be announced soon. Parents will be asked to RSVP online. For more information, visit www. mountainbrook-antidrug.org.

GYMNAST

CONTINUED from page 1 Gymnastics will also help Emma strengthen her upper body, which is often weak in people who are blind.

In June, Emma began to learn with a class of six other beginner gymnasts her age with an additional coach to provide verbal and tactile instruction for her.

Hailey McManus, McManus’ daughter who is a senior at Mountain Brook High School and has been a gymnast since age three, assists Emma during class. Emma holds Hailey’s arm so she can move from place to place in the gym. This human guide allows her to move around the gym safely without a white cane.

All the gymnasts get a sticker for a job well done at the end of a class. For Emma’s

class, stickers are tactile with smiley faces with raised lines or a print/Braille word.

Hailey has been planning to become a vision teacher like her mom, so working with Emma is a learning ground for her too. Because there are few vision teachers in the U.S., having a second generation of people like Hailey has generated a lot of excitement in the profession.

This fall another child with low vision began attending a Mommy and Me class at Mountain Brook Gymnastics, and according to McManus, she absolutely loves it.

Having a gym open to readily teaching all children is exactly what McManus had hoped for.

|

October 2011 |

A game to others. Serious business to us.

No hide aNd seek here... www.realtysouth.com

information quickly, with little hassel

or

upfront

commitment.

At

realtysouth.com, we don’t play hide and seek with our information. We want our clients to be informed of every possible that

suit

choice your

available, personal

options

taste

and

budget. We promise to get you there in the least complicated way possible.

RealtySouth Games-VillageLiving.indd 3

hide & se e k.

We understand your desire to find

7/25/11 11:38 AM