Village Living November 2016 by Starnes Media

Village Living neighborly news & entertainment for Mountain Brook

Volume 7 | Issue 8 | November 2016

STAYING strong 1 year after teen’s death, Sid Ortis’ friends, family honor his ﬁnal prayer By ERICA TECHO

efore Mountain Brook resident Sid Ortis died, he said a prayer with his close friends. In that prayer, the 16-year-old encouraged everyone to do two things: remain strong in their faith by

Gifting Hope

following the path of righteousness and to live prosperous lives. That sentiment is carried on today through his friends and through the Sid Strong Foundation, established in July 2016. Ortis’ battle with osteosarcoma gained

Sharing Life Lessons

national attention as the city of Mountain Brook, a place where Alabama and Auburn are easily the most supported teams, was covered in purple and gold ribbons. It was the community’s way

See STRONG | page A30

Sid Ortis’ family and friends wear Sid Strong Foundation bracelets as a show of support. Photo illustration by Sarah Finnegan.

Joiner heralding in new era By KYLE PARMLEY

Doctor and longtime author publishes ﬁrst children’s book just in time for holiday season.

See page A20

See page A26

Pre-Sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Tupelo, MS Permit #54

After years of helping a child in Kenya, one local family is raising funds and awareness to beneﬁt orphanage.

INSIDE Sponsors .......... A4 News...................A6 Business .......... A10 Chamber.......... A14 Events .............. A14

Community .... A23 Faith ................ A28 School House ...B4 Sports ..............B22 Calendar ..........B26

facebook.com/ villageliving

Strewn across Mountain Brook High School head football coach Chris Yeager’s ofﬁce are pieces of mail from various institutions across the country, all wanting one thing: a look at his tall, gifted running back, Harold Joiner. When Joiner walks into Yeager’s ofﬁce, he is handed the stack of letters, which nearly clean off an entire portion of Yeager’s desk. Joiner sits and leafs through them: Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Auburn, Ole Harold Joiner’s size and strength make him a tough running back to tackle. Photo by Ted Melton. Miss, and on and on the story goes. The 6-foot-2 junior running back has been a big reason for Mountain Brook’s been very humble about it,” Yeager said. “There turnaround in 2016, bouncing back from consec- was a stretch where he had an injury, and now he’s utive 3-7 seasons in 2014 and 2015 to a playoff on the good side of things.” berth this fall. Joiner is one of those football players who, as “As far as his personality and his character, he’s See JOINER | page A29 quiet, and he’s handled all the attention and has

A2 â&#x20AC;˘ November 2016

Village Living

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ A3

A4 • November 2016

Village Living

About Us Editor’s Note By Jennifer Gray There are so many generous people in our community. I always love seeing the ways that these talented and caring citizens give back to the greater Birmingham community. Some give of their ﬁnancial resources, some of their volunteer time, some their business expertise to a nonproﬁt, or others may serve on a board or with an organization. The Vulcans Awards recognizes such individuals in the Birmingham area. Two of the recipients are from Mountain Brook this year: Jim Wooten and Philip Morris. Read about how each of these men in their unique way has given to our community and beyond with their efforts to impact outcomes

for children in central Alabama or architecture and history. Speaking of those who leave a mark on their community: A year ago, Mountain Brook lost 16-year-old Sid Ortis, whose life had more impact and signiﬁcance than some who live a long life. This month, we catch up with Sid’s family, hear about the work of the Sid Strong Foundation and the work that continues to be done to ﬁnd cures for all forms of pediatric cancer. While his absence has certainly been felt by those who knew him and beyond, what a legacy he leaves. And what would a November issue of Village Living be without some Thanksgiving? Wondering what new twist on an old favorite recipe you could come

up with for this year’s feast? Look no further. The folks from dinner. and Black Sheep Kitchen have got you covered. You will ﬁnd some of their savory recipes inside this issue. We’ve also talked to Mountain Brook schools and have details on how they all mark the holiday, while also hearing from some students on their favorite Thanksgiving memories. Lastly, as we near the end of the regular high school football season, you will want to keep up with the Spartans as they move toward the playoffs. We have a football preview to give you all the details.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Patrons enjoy the activities and decorations at Boo at the Zoo on Oct. 8 at the Birmingham Zoo. The weekend event continued from 5-9 p.m. Oct. 21-31. Photo by Sarah Finnegan.

Village Living Publisher: Editor: Managing Editor: Design Editor: Director of Digital Media: Director of Photography: Sports Editor: Page Designers: Community Editor: Community Reporters: Staff Writers: Copy Editor:

Dan Starnes Jennifer Gray Sydney Cromwell Kristin Williams Heather VacLav Sarah Finnegan Kyle Parmley Cameron Tipton Emily VanderMey Erica Techo Jon Anderson Jesse Chambers Lexi Coon Emily Featherston Sam Chandler Louisa Jeffries

Advertising Manager: Matthew Allen Sales and Distribution: Warren Caldwell Don Harris Michelle Salem Haynes Brittany Joffrion Rhonda Smith James Plunkett Jon Harrison Gail King Eric Clements

Contributing Caroline Carmichael Writers: Grace Thornton Leah Ingram Eagle

Natalie Read Gary Lloyd Maryellen Newton

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

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

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

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

Please recycle this paper.

Please Support Our Community Partners A’mano (A24) Abenoja Orthodontics (B9) Aesthetic Dermatology (A23) Alabama Goods (B17) Alabama Outdoors (B6) Alabama Power (B3) Amy Maziarz, Red Hills Realty (B10) Amy Smith (B26) ARC Realty (A3) Assurance Financial (A5) Avani Rupa Fine Jewelers (A31) Backyard Adventures (B12) Bedzzz Express (B1, B28) Bromberg & Company, Inc. (A19, B10) California Closets (B19) Campaign to Elect Teresa Hester (A27) Campaign to Keep Judge Thetford (B23) Canterbury Gardens (B11) Chickadee (B12) Christine’s on Canterbury (B8) Christmas Village (B18) Clubhouse on Highland (A28) Construx (A25) David J Putman for Congress (B2) Dish’n It Out (B26) Etc. (A7) Ex Voto Vintage (B17) Gardner Landscaping (A8) GASP - Clean Air, Healthy Communities (A14) Grand Bohemian Hotel (A27) Hanna’s Antiques (A28) HarperCollins Christian Publishing Kari Kampakis (A8) Hiltz-Lauber (A12) Hufham Orthodontics (B1) Hutchinson Automotive (A22) Issis & Sons (B4) Jacqueline DeMarco (B18) Jimmie Hale Mission (A21) JJ Eyes (A11) Judge Elisabeth French-Place 17 (A17) Julie Palmer Campaign (A10) Junior League of Birmingham (A14) Lamb’s Ears, Ltd. (A16) Lane Parke - Evson Inc. (B7) Leaf & Petal (A21) Lucky Duck Gifts & More (A9) McWane Science Center (B27) Moss Rock Festival (B25) Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce (B21) Next Chapter Counseling (B26) One Man and a Toolbox (B14) Otey’s (A13) Paige Albright Orientals (A5) Pastry Art (B14) Phoenix Builders (B8) Please Reply (A12) PreSchool Partners (A10) R & S Wood Flooring (A15) Rare Transportation - Apex (A26) RealtySouth (A32) Shades Valley Dermatology (A6) Shiki Thai and Sushi (A16) Swoop (B13) Table Matters (A22) Taco Mama (B11) The Blue Willow (B19) The Cook Store (B13) The Fitness Center (B13) The Gingerbread Lady (A13) The Highlands Community (B20) The Maids (A1) The Tile Cleaner LLC (A20) The Welch Group (B5) TherapySouth Crestline (B15) UAB Health System (A2) UAB Plastic Surgery (B18) Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church (A11) Village Dermatology (A29) Vulcan Tire & Automotive (B24) Weigh To Wellness (B22)

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ A5

A6 • November 2016

Village Living

City City Council addresses traffic, smoking ordinance By LEXI COON Traffic was a topic of concern again at the Mountain Brook City Council meeting Sept. 26. Recently, Richard Caudle of Skipper Consulting reviewed results from a study on traffic and pedestrian interactions in Crestline. The study focused on three areas: pedestrian crossing along Vine Street and Piggly Wiggly access, the intersection of Vine Street and Dexter Avenue and two Church Street pedestrian crossings. At the first area, when an observation was conducted during peak flow hours on a Saturday morning, Caudle noted vehicles failed to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and occasionally traveled the wrong way down the oneway portion of the street. To fix these issues, Caudle recommended five resolutions including: ► The city add standard red and white “Do Not Enter” signs to improve visibility. ► The city stripe out areas on the athletics field side of the crosswalk to aid in pedestrian line of sight. ► The city add additional “No Parking” signs. ► The city enforce the existing “No Parking” signs. All resolutions were passed. In the second area, Skipper Consulting reexamined a previous traffic control study conducted before the Piggly Wiggly project. At that time, a two-way stop was deemed appropriate. Because traffic has changed over time, a fourway stop alternative was proposed, noting that during a simulation, the maximum number of cars in a queue at one time was six. The council discussed this idea but opted for an ordinance for additional stop signs. The

Judge Dorothea Batiste greets the council and attending guests as she discusses her decision to go up for re-election to the ofﬁce of Alabama Circuit 10 Place 23. Photo by Lexi Coon.

proposal would be presented to the community for feedback at a later date. The council accepted the motion to add a crosswalk crossing at Dexter Avenue on the east side of Vine Street, remove the yellow lines around no parking areas to reduce traffic encroachment into oncoming traffic and install another one-way sign with time limits for Vine Street facing Dexter Avenue. The third area focused on pedestrian and vehicle interactions along Church Street. Caudle said that although there were no accidents involving a pedestrian and driver in 2015, there were many incidents when vehicles failed to yield to people in the Hoyt Street crosswalk. No significant pedestrian activity was noticed

at the Tibbett Street crosswalk. As a short-term solution, Caudle proposed the city install a rapid, rectangular flashing beacon that is push-button activated. The council accepted this motion. Because the city will be removing similar lights along Jemison, Caudle also suggested the city reuse those along the Hoyt Street crosswalk on Church Street. Caudle noted Church Street suffers from a typical main-street problem, and it would eventually benefit from a master planning study to aid in overhauling traffic and pedestrian flow down the street. Additional council actions included: ► Judge Dorothea Batiste spoke. She is a candidate for re-election to the office of

Alabama Circuit 10 Place 23. ► A resolution was approved reappointing Chris Mitchell to the Board of Zoning Adjustment to serve without compensation through Sept. 13, 2019. ► A resolution was approved reappointing William Hereford to the Board of Zoning Adjustment to serve without compensation through Aug. 9, 2019. ► A resolution was approved awarding the bid for the scheduled maintenance of the HVAC system at the Emmet O’Neal Library. ► A resolution was approved allowing the issuance of a permit pursuant to Ordinance 1948 with respect to the installation of a new support structure in the vicinity of Hastings Road for a small cell data and communications antenna. ► A resolution was approved reappointing Sally Legg to the Village Design Review Committee to serve without compensation until Aug. 23, 2019. ► A resolution was approved creating one police ofﬁcer position for the Police Department for the purpose of the White Collar Crime Task Force. ► A resolution was approved authorizing additional professional services between the city and Nimrod Long & Associates for the pedestrian bridge over Watkins Branch. ► A resolution was approved authorizing the execution of a professional services agreement with Walter Schoel Engineering for the pedestrian bridge over Shades Creek. ► A resolution was approved awarding the bid for the construction of the Watkins Branch bridge and sidewalk connector and authorizing the execution of a contract for same, although the bridge was deemed to cost more than $32,000 over budget. ► An ordinance passed amending the 2017 budget to include a new police car.

General dermatology for the whole family Open House November 10 At our Birmingham location

4:30-6:30 PM. Door Prizes, Specials on Skin Care and Laser Procedures

813 Shades Creek Parkway Suite 205 Birmingham, AL 35209

Katherine Flanagan, MD

300 North Airport Road Suite 2 Jasper, AL 35504

205.578.1799 | www.shadesvalleyderm.com

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 • A7

Council moves forward with sidewalk study, accepts Sain Associates’ bid for project By LEXI COON Mountain Brook is known for high volumes of vehicular traffic visiting its city, and after a City Council meeting Oct. 10, the municipal government will be planning to address the growing volume of pedestrian traffic as well. Through the Advance Planning Programming and Local Engineering sidewalk study, or APPLE program, Mountain Brook will be analyzing different areas within the city limits to assess the feasibility of constructing proposed sidewalks, as identified in the city’s Walkway Master Plan. Council President Virginia Smith noted any areas looked at should be the most logical and the most feasible for this study. City Manager Sam Gaston also noted that for this project, the city is not obligated to pay more than $12,000. Out of four proposals that were given to the city for review, Gaston proposed accepting the bid of Sain Associates for the study. Per their application, Sain Associates will be providing professional engineering and transportation planning services for the project. The council accepted their proposal for the project. “I think that’s a good decision

based on what I saw,” said Smith, mentioning that the city has worked with Sain Associates in the past. The project will begin this fall and proceed over the course of approximately six months by being broken down into two plans. The first, which is slated to take three months, will focus on analyzing the existing conditions within Mountain Brook. The second project, which will overlap with the first, is projected to take four months and focus more on creating a concept plan and evaluating its possible effects. Once this project has been completed, there will be approximately 42 miles of sidewalks within Mountain Brook. Also at the Oct. 10 meeting, the council: ► Heard from Judge Shera Grant, who is up for re-election to District Court, Civil Division, Place 5. ► Heard from Lee Cleveland, who is running for District Court, Civil Division, Place 5. ► Approved the minutes of the Sept. 26 regular meeting. ► Approved the resolution ratifying and adopting the fiscal 2017 budget of the Mountain Brook Emergency Communications District, as previously adopted by the City Council on Sept 26. ► Approved the resolution

Bill Warren expresses his gratitude after being recognized for the work that he has done on the city’s Tree Commission. Photo by Lexi Coon.

ratifying the transfer of $291,553 from the Emergency Communications District operating fund to the city of Mountain Brook General Fund to reimburse the City of E911 dispatch labor costs and related supervision for the year Oct. 1, 2015 through Sept. 20, 2016. ► Approved a resolution expressing gratitude to Bill Warren for his service on the Tree Commission. ► Approved a resolution appointing Stephanie Maxwell to the Editorial Board, to serve without compensation through Oct. 10, 2020, replacing Dale Wisely. ► Approved a resolution declaring

a 1987 International school bus as surplus and authorizing its sale at public internet auction. ► Carried the resolution authorizing the execution of an agreement for the city’s preparation in a white-collar crime law enforcement task force overseen by the U.S. Secret Service and Jefferson County District attorney. ► Approved the resolution authorizing the execution of service agreements with: • Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce • Alabama Symphonic Association • McWane Science Center

• Jefferson/Blount/St. Clair Mental Health Authority • Exceptional Foundation • Birmingham Museum of Art • Birmingham Botanical Society • Alabama Ballet, while altering the amount of their agreement to $2,500 • Birmingham Children’s Theatre • Prescott House • Birmingham Zoo • Alabama Veterans’ Memorial Foundation • Jefferson County Historical Commission • All In Mountain Brook

A8 • November 2016

Village Living

Board of Education updated on facilities maintenance plan During the Board of Education meeting Oct. 17, student Brett Lewis speaks about the presentation that he will give during the ﬁrst TED-Ed Weekend in New York City in December. Photo by Lexi Coon.

By LEXI COON With six schools throughout the Mountain Brook district, it comes as no surprise that there are expenses with the general upkeep. To prepare the community with plans for schools, Tommy Prewitt, facilities director, gave a presentation to highlight upcoming projects at the Board of Education’s Oct. 17 meeting. More than 20 years ago, the Mountain Brook school system brought in professionals to provide a written assessment of the facilities and develop a long-range maintenance plan, Prewitt said, and now they are looking to continue the upkeep on the schools with additional planning. After looking at all schools, there are six main components up for replacements and repairs: resurfacing of the tennis courts, which operate on a seven-year replacement cycle and would cost $90,000; replacing the high school track, which operates on a 12-year replacement cycle and would cost $750,000; repainting various classrooms and hallways, which operates on a 10-year cycle and would cost $500,000; ﬂooring and carpet upkeep or replacement, which operates on a 15-year replacement cycle and would cost $528,000; HVAC replacement, which operates on a 20-year replacement cycle and would cost $3.1 million; and rooﬁng replacements, which operate on a 25-year replacement cycle and would cost $3.1 million. While the aim is to take care of these issues in the near future, Prewitt said if a school didn’t need something, they weren’t going to work on it. “Just because it’s on the schedule doesn’t mean it has to be replaced,” he said. These repairs and replacements come after a summer of enhancing numerous school facilities, many of which were funded by the schools’ PTO. The Board of Education also observed a presentation that highlighted the success of Mountain Brook’s students within the ACT and SAT

programs. Last year, there were at least 30 percent more Spartan students who surpassed the national average in both the reading and the science portions of the ACT Aspire exam. Seniors scored an average of 6.3 points higher than the national average and 8 points higher than the state average on the ACT exam. Of students who opted to take the SAT test, their scores averaged more than 450 points higher than the national average. Also during the Oct. 17 meeting, the Board of Education: ► Reviewed the Student Incident Report for 2015-16, which showed similar patterns to previous years with relatively low levels of violence and that 100 percent of restrained

students had IEPs. ► Recognized Laura Hydinger, the new executive director of All In Mountain Brook ► Recognized Adam Johnson, a Mountain Brook Junior High teacher recently named one of the Top 100 Flip Educators in the world. ► Recognized Mountain Brook Junior High teacher Pam Pugh for her work with the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and with the junior high. ► Recognized Susan Farlow, high school head tennis coach, for her work with the school and for her nomination for the 2016 National Federation of State High School Associations. ► Recognized high school students Sean Fredella and Brett Lewis for being selected to

speak at the first TED-Ed Weekend in New York City this December. ► Recognized PSAT National Merit semifinalists and National Merit commended students. ► Acknowledged that the financial statements and bank reconciliations are not currently available due to the end of the fiscal year. ► Approved personnel recommendations relating to substitute positions. ► Approved remaining surplus to be discarded. ► Accepted the bid of Axon Industries, LLC for lawn maintenance within the district. The next Board of Education meeting will be Nov. 14 at 3:30 p.m. at Mountain Brook Elementary.

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 • A9

New ordinance aims to curb secondhand smoke effects

According to the city code, by deﬁnition, smoking now includes the use of e-cigarettes and is prohibited in any enclosed area in a public space, in any enclosed area at a place of employment or in an outdoor public place within the city. Photo by Lexi Coon.

By LEXI COON Secondhand smoke often can negatively affect community members on a day-to-day basis. To combat those complications, the Mountain Brook City Council has been working on a stricter, more deﬁned smoking ordinance over the past few months. The ordinance was approved Sept. 26. Mountain Brook took a stand against tobacco in 2005, when it enacted the SmokeFree Air Ordinance, but there were many exemptions within it. Patrons were permitted to smoke in areas such as bars and retail tobacco stores and during private functions. The ordinance also did not address the growing issues of e-cigarettes. With a lengthy list of opportunities for secondhand smoke to encroach on nonsmokers, Dr. Kevin Alexander proposed an adjusted ordinance at a City Council meeting July 11. The new ordinance would expand smoking regulations within the city, prohibiting the use of tobacco at businesses including bars and city-owned or managed businesses, in enclosed public spaces and at some outdoor public places. The aim of the new ordinance was to reduce the amount of secondhand smoke subjected to bystanders. “There is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure,” Alexander said at the July 11 meeting. “One hundred percent smoke-free is the only way.” While the proposed ordinance would

certainly warrant some adjustments throughout the community, such as posting “No Smoking” signs and alerting business owners to their role in enforcement, many surrounding cities have similar ordinances prohibiting smoking. In 2012, Vestavia Hills enacted a ban on smoking in all hotels, bars, restaurants and public clubs, which included the use of e-cigarettes. The city of Birmingham passed a similar ordinance that same year. After the ordinance was proposed, the council, while mostly in favor of restrictions on smoking, decided it needed to be looked at further before being put into action. Councilman Jack Carl offered suggestions toward including e-cigarettes but also noted that he was opposed to the regulation of

smoking in public. restricting people’s rights on The next few meetings, smoking,” he said. which were clouded by municAccording to the city code, The new ipal elections, brought about by definition, smoking now smoking less discussion surrounding the includes the use of e-cigaproposed ordinance. Voting on rettes and is prohibited in any ordinance the issue was then pushed to late enclosed area in a public space, goes into September. in any enclosed area at a place When the council met again effect Nov. 1. of employment or in an outdoor Sept. 26, it discussed the merits public place within the city. of the amended and proposed Smoking is still allowed on smoking ordinance. outdoor public property as long The ordinance passed 4-1. as smokers remain at least 20 There were many supporters of the new feet away from any nonsmokers, and smoking ordinance there to thank the municipal is permitted in private residences, cigar bars or government for its work, but Carl was still retail tobacco stores, private clubs and private opposed. outdoor property. “I’m not in favor of smoking, but I’m The new smoking ordinance goes into effect deﬁnitely not in favor of any government Nov. 1.

A10 â&#x20AC;¢ November 2016

Village Living

ir R

a tcl on

d lid

c Eu

e Av

ch ur Ch

eS Av

Montrose Rd

Mountain Brook Business Happenings

1 8 32

6 5

Ca h

oo Br

w Pk

oo yw oll

d Blv

Lane Park Rd

MOUNTAIN BROOK VILLAGE

ll va e t on

un tai

D ay w r i

CRESTLINE VILLAGE

Overbrook Rd

ENGLISH VILLAGE

y ntr u Co

b Clu

all ev t on

280 31

s de

149

a Sh

w Pk ek

e Cr

Overton Rd

VillageLivingOnline.com

Now Open 1

P2 Platinum Pilates is now open at Lane Parke, 250 Rele St. 451-2039, p2platinumpilates.com

Relocations and Renovations Western Supermarket has relocated to the new Lane Parke development, 1000 Jemison Lane, directly behind its previous location in Mountain Brook Village. 879-1746, westernsupermarkets.com

A’mano Gifts has relocated to its new store at Lane Parke, 281 Rele St. 871-9093, amanogifts.com

Anniversaries Once Upon a Time, 201 Country Club Park, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. 870-7772, onceuponatimebaby.com

November 2016 • A11

Hirings and Promotions LAH Real Estate, 2850 Cahaba Road, Suite 200, has hired Martha Saucier, Amy Klinner-Reilly and Regina Mumford as Realtors. 870-8580, lahrealestate.com

LAH Commercial Real Estate, 2850 Cahaba Road, Suite 200, has hired Abe Maddox as a commercial real estate agent. 870-8580, lahcommercial.com

The Retreat at Mountain Brook, 4816 Sharpsburg Drive, an apartment community, has named Natausha Oakes community manager. 956-9722, retreatatmountainbrook.net

Closings Ollie Irene, 2713 Culver Road, has closed. The owners have announced that they plan to reopen in a different location, but have not decided on a date or speciﬁc location. 769-6034, ollieirene.com

Item does not appear on map.

A12 • November 2016

Village Living

Crestline resident commits to harness sun

Sam Yates installed the city’s ﬁrst groundmounted solar energy power system at his Mountain Brook home. Photo by Sam Chandler.

By SAM CHANDLER One Mountain Brook residence can now harness the power of the sun. In mid-September, Samuel Yates made city history when he installed Mountain Brook’s first ground-mounted solar energy power system at his home on Lake Drive in Crestline. Yates said the 40-module, 12,000-watt system can generate about 40 percent of his home’s energy during daylight hours. “The recommendation is to always invest in solar. Buy one. You need one for your house,” Yates said with a chuckle. “I say that tongue in cheek.” Yates is the owner of Eagle Solar & Light, a company that specializes in the design, installation and service of solar energy systems for residential and commercial use. He founded the company in March and has since completed projects throughout the Birmingham metro area, including installations at the Alabama Environmental Council Community Recycling Center in Avondale and the climbing tower at Red Mountain Park. The systems installed by Eagle Solar & Light convert sunlight into a usable form of energy. They are intended to shift buildings to at least partial reliance on solar power, which is clean and renewable. The solar grid Yates installed on his own

property marked the second project he has completed in Mountain Brook. Earlier this year, he installed a 10-module system on the roof of his daughter’s home on Montgomery Drive. Before his team of ﬁve started construction on the ground-mount system in mid-August, Yates said he ﬁrst had to gain approval from City Hall, the city planning commission and his neighbors. Once he got the green light, Yates said, the installation process lasted four weeks. The system became energized, or fully operational, Sept. 22. “Everybody’s interested because you don’t

see them anywhere in this town,” Yates said. “This is like solar in general: There’s so little sold that people don’t know much about it, but they’re very interested and ask great questions.” Yates’ rectangular grid is in a grassy space behind his backyard. It is secured in the ground by concrete, and he said it can sustain winds of up to 150 miles per hour. Notably, the grid is equipped with a sprinkler system that Yates has been running for six hours a day. The solar modules lose efﬁcacy if they get too warm, he said, so the constant mist prevents them from overheating. Yates said the retail price of the system, including installation, hovers around $30,000.

He said it is projected to generate $2,100 in annual utility savings. Yates said the average residential solar system typically pays for itself in 10 to 12 years. Corporate installations, on the other hand, pay for themselves twice as quickly, Yates said. “Everybody’s concerned about economics, but many people are concerned about other things as well: leaving this planet in better shape for our children and grandchildren, for example, reducing our carbon footprint,” Yates said. For more information on Eagle Solar & Light, call 202-2208, go to eaglesolarandlight. com or ﬁnd it on Facebook.

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 • A13

Charitable consignment Crestline stores give back through clothing, monetary donations Owner Faith Gardner and Missy Jones, manager of Lilla and Little Lavender, stand in front of some of Lilla’s consignment items. Photo by Erica Techo.

By ERICA TECHO Consignors who come to Lilla and Little Lavender are always asked one question: If their items don’t sell, would they like to pick them up or donate them? Faith Gardner, owner of both Mountain Brook shops, said giving back has always been important to her, and she is thankful to do that through her stores. “I was personally raised in my home that you give back, whether it’s time or money,” Gardner said. “You give, and if it’s not money it’s time. If you don’t have time, you take them a meal. It’s biblical; it’s spiritual. It was something that was driven into me as a kid, and it’s something I believe in firmly.” Both stores collect donations from consignors, including items that are not consignable and items that do not sell within the designated time period. Lilla has been open since March 2015 and specializes in adult women’s clothing. It has a quick turnover, only holding items for 60 days before returning or donating them. Little Lavender, a children’s consignment store that Gardner purchased about four years ago, holds items for 90 days. Because their stores only take clothes that have been dry cleaned, if something is not in mint condition, they will give the consignor an option to donate. “Sometimes they need to be washed, and we can’t consign those, and a lot of times our consignors will just say, ‘Just donate those,’” said Heidi Hallman, who works at the stores. “There’s a huge need for clothes in this community.” If there is a family in need, Lilla and Little Lavender also will pull together clothes to donate. A few months ago, a house outside of Mountain Brook burned down, and a relative posted on the What’s Happening in Mountain Brook Facebook page asking for donations. Gardner said they invited the woman to the store to find new clothes. Other times, organizations will approach them for specific items. “There are some organizations that come to us and say, ‘We have a child that’s in need of this kind of clothing,’ or ‘We have a mother that needs an outfit for an interview,’” Hallman said. Store employees also get together to talk about what they would like to support. Both stores hold “bag sales,” during which a portion of sales will go toward supporting a fundraiser or charity. To

select where the donations will go, the nine staff members of Lilla and Little Lavender get together to discuss their options. “Everyone has a heart for something, so it’s kind of everybody sharing that,” Gardner said. They have supported Girl Scouts, Grace House Ministries, Boy Scouts, Junior League of Birmingham, Sid Strong Foundation, Super Sam and other nonproﬁts. At the Sept. 29 Shop, Sip, Save, Support event in Crestline Village, both stores raised money for Magic Moments, an organization close to Hallman’s heart. The ability to give back, Gardner said, mostly stems from the

charitable hearts of their consignors. “I think the reason that we are able to be so philanthropic is because our consignors are,” Gardner said. “We will take on consignment, and we will keep it for a certain period of time. Most of the time, people don’t want their things back, and so those are the things that get donated. That helps us, so really the giving is coming from our consignors.” Lilla and Little Lavender are in Crestline Village near The Pants Store. For more information, go to the stores’ Facebook pages.

A14 • November 2016

Village Living

Chamber Preview of

Events Market Noel changes location, dates Market Noel is an annual fundraiser that brings more than 100 local vendors to one area. Staff photo.

November Luncheon

The Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce will host its next chamber luncheon Nov. 18 at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Doors will open at 11 a.m., and lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. The luncheon will end at 1 p.m. This month, the luncheon will feature a forum comprised of local Welch government leaders, including the Mountain Brook City Council and the city’s new mayor, Stewart Welch. Welch was encouraged to run for mayor by Mayor Terry Oden as well as other friends. He was the only candidate to qualify for the mayoral seat, and he was approved for the position July 25. Tickets for the luncheon can be purchased for $25 for chamber members and $30 for nonmembers, or a table of eight can be sponsored for $250. To purchase tickets, visit welcometomountainbrook.com.

By LEXI COON The Birmingham Junior League’s holiday shopping event, Market Noel, will return this year with new dates and a new location. Moved to just after Thanksgiving, this year’s event will be from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, a larger and more central venue compared to the Cahaba Grand Conference Center. “In addition to having three times as much space, I’m really excited to be in Uptown and be surrounded by all of those great restaurants,” said event chair Julia Meyers. “I think we’re going to be even more successful than we’ve ever been.” With the later dates, shoppers are encouraged to follow the sentiments of their hashtag “#avoidthemadness” by foregoing spending their money on Black Friday sales and to instead “#shopthemagic” during their event the weekend after. As one of the three main fundraisers that

the Junior League of Birmingham hosts annually, this year’s Market Noel will have more than 100 local vendors who are all chosen carefully. “We’re not just cramming in vendors,” Meyers said. In addition to the vendors, other events will include: ► Preview Noel, Nov. 30. ► An art show featuring local artists, Dec. 1. ► Market Bliss, a girls-night-out themed event, Dec. 2. ► Rock the Runway: Couture for a Cause, Dec. 3. While Preview Noel and Market Bliss are for guests 21 and older, children are welcome to visit with their families during the rest of the events. Money raised from this event will go toward the Junior League of Birmingham’s community-funded projects. To purchase tickets, go to marketnoel.com.

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 • A15

Mountain Brook police to participate in ‘No-Shave November’ By LEXI COON November is a time for fall, family and food. And if you’re the Mountain Brook Police Department, it’s the time of year when you can grow out your facial hair. This year, like last, members of the Mountain Brook Police Department will participate in No-Shave November, which is a program started to raise awareness of various cancers. “Several officers had heard of friends in other departments participating in No-Shave November for a couple years,” said Police Chief Ted Cook. “Last year, Officer (Brad) Timothy brought up the idea for Mountain Brook to participate.” No-Shave November began as a tradition for men to stop shaving for the month and to let their beards or mustaches grow, but the idea has evolved to include donating the money that would have been spent on razors or visits to the barber toward cancer organizations. With the raised funds, the No-Shave November organization works to continue its mission of growing cancer awareness together with the American Cancer Society, the Prevent Cancer Foundation, Fight Colorectal Cancer and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. During their first year of participation, a majority of the Mountain Brook officers took part in the event, and this year’s turnout is expected to be similar. “[Last year] we even had a number of officers who donated and continued to shave,” Timothy said. By the end of last November, the police department had raised more than $1,900 to donate toward cancer support. This year, it is looking to continue its support by raising awareness and funds for cancer research, prevention and education. Because officers are required to be clean-shaven throughout the year, save a well-groomed mustache, taking part in the fundraiser had to be approved by Cook and Capt. Greg Hagood. The idea was approved “almost immediately with no hesitation,” Timothy said. “It is a huge morale booster for participating officers to be permitted to grow their facial hair for a month.” Cited as the second leading cause of death in the United States by the CDC, cancer has touched nearly everyone in some shape or form. For many, choosing to participate in the campaign comes from a personal place and as a way to recognize those who are going through treatment or to support those who are affected. “A large number of our officers and non-sworn personnel have

Ofﬁcers Cooper, Timothy, Couch and Knecht. Courtesy of Brad Timothy.

had family members and/or close friends who have battled with cancer,” Timothy said. “Just this year, our department has seen family members succumb to this disease. It is something that

hits close to home.” If you would like to help the No-Shave November fundraiser, either as a participant or in support of a team, visit no-shave.org.

A16 • November 2016

Village Living

Mountain Brook, Vestavia PTO to host legislative forum By CAROLINE CARMICHAEL Legislators will gather at Vestavia Hills City Hall to discuss education in the Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook school systems on Nov. 17 from 8:30-11 a.m. “This is the 12 annual,” said Katherine Taylor of the Vestavia Hills PTO Council. “We have paired up with Mountain Brook’s PTO — their legislative representative and Vestavia’s PTO have paired up — to hold this forum.” Taylor is the legislative representative of the Vestavia Hills PTO Council, which oversees the PTOs of each of the city’s schools. “The state senators and state legislators from the Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills area come to this forum,” Taylor said, “and we’re so thankful that they do.” The legislators meet with school representatives

from both cities to discuss issues presented over the course of the previous year. This year’s speakers will include senators Slade Blackwell and Jabo Waggoner, as well as representatives Jim Carns, David Faulkner and Jack Williams. Last year’s discussion included such topics as the general fund, the education trust fund, and even home-school athletics. “They’re dependent upon what’s going on at that time [in Montgomery],” Taylor said of the legislation covered in the meetings. The forum expects a wide variety of attendance. “Anyone can attend,” Taylor said. The invitation also extends to surrounding schools, outside the Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook school systems. The meeting will conclude promptly at 11 a.m.

A PTO legislative executive asks a question at the Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills PTO legislative forum in 2014. Staff photo.

Sam Lapidus run celebrates 40 years By EMILY FEATHERSTON

Runners take to Montclair Road every Thanksgiving Day to support pediatric cancer research and treatment. Photo courtesy of Levite Jewish Community Center.

The annual Sam Lapidus Montclair Run is celebrating its 40th year with a 10K, 5K and one-mile fun run. The annual Thanksgiving Day event organized by the Levite Jewish Community Center raises money and awareness for childhood cancer research and treatment centers. Honoring Sam Lapidus, who was an active member of the LJCC and fitness enthusiast before being diagnosed and eventually dying from pediatric cancer, the event will benefit the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders. The center at Children’s of Alabama treats more than 90 percent of pediatric cancer patients in the state, and proceeds from the run will benefit families the center treats. Proceeds also benefit the LJCC.

“This meaningful community event celebrates the life of Sam Lapidus, his love of ﬁtness and the LJCC, his love of family and friends and his love of life which he lived to the fullest,” LJCC representative Stephanie Salvago said. The event will be Nov. 24, Thanksgiving Day, with the 10K and 5K races starting at 8:30 a.m. The one-mile fun run is at 10 a.m., and the awards ceremony for all three races is at 10:30 a.m. Registration is $36 each for the 10K and 5K races, and $18 for the fun run. Participants can register online, in person at the LJCC, by mail or on the morning of the event prior to the start of the races. Participants in the 10K and 5K races will receive a long-sleeve T-shirt and fun-run participants will receive a short-sleeve T-shirt. For more information or to register, go to samlapidus. org.

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 • A17

Dolores Hydock and Bobby Horton bring stories and song to audiences in an interactive environment. Photo courtesy of Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Women of the West to take center stage at Southern Tales By EMILY FEATHERSTON For a short while, a room at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens will be transformed into the wild, golden American West of the 1800s this month. For the 2016 installment of Southern Tales, storyteller Dolores Hydock will tell stories of the women of the American West, transporting guests to the world of pioneers and homesteaders. Hydock has been doing storytelling for adults for many years, and BBG Library Director Hope Long said she and Hydock work together each year to ﬁnd a story that will work best for the event. “It’s always a really good time,” Long said.

In the past, the stories have been holiday themed, but Long said for the last few years they have been trying out different ideas. “Starch in their Petticoats” will be Nov. 6 at 2 p.m in the Linn Henley Lecture Hall, off the BBG’s main lobby. Period musician Bobby Horton will add to Hydock’s performance with an array of songs harkening back to the 1800s. Horton and Hydock regularly collaborate to bring storytelling and music to audiences, and Long said the shows are often interactive for guests. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to bbggardens.org/southern-tales.php.

Members of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church make tamales for the church’s annual sale. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

St. Francis Xavier continues tamale tradition this month By LEXI COON In addition to their traditional Thanksgiving meals, locals will be able to add to their dishes by visiting the annual St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Tamale Sale. The pre-Thanksgiving sale will be from Nov. 18 to Nov. 20, when guests can purchase the church’s tamales. As in past years, it is expecting to offer other traditional foods in addition to drinks and tamales. Three standard ﬂavors of tamales will be made: chicken, which are green; pork, which are red; and jalapeño and cheese, which Jackie Quintana of St. Francis Xavier said “aren’t that spicy.” Although guests are able to purchase

the tamales and other dishes directly from the church day-of, Quintana suggests pre-ordering. “As soon as [the tamales] are ready, people are buying them,” she said. “They just ﬂy, really quickly.” Shoppers can pre-order by calling the church at 871-1153 and giving their name, number and order speciﬁcs. Tamales are $8 per half dozen and $16 per dozen. On Nov. 18, the tamale sale will take place from 4:30-8 p.m.; on Nov. 19, it will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and on Nov. 20, it will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church is located at 2 Xavier Circle in Birmingham.

A18 • November 2016

Village Living

Birmingham Holocaust Educational Center Book Club to honor Elie Wiesel in 1st year By ERICA TECHO In Orthodox Judaism, there is a year of mourning after someone dies. During the year of mourning following the death of Elie Wiesel in July, the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center plans to honor the author and humanitarian through a new book club. BHEC will kick off its book club Nov. 9, which is also the anniversary of Kristallnacht, or the night of broken glass, when hundreds of synagogues were destroyed, thousands of Jewish-owned shops were sacked and looted and tens of thousands of Jews were taken to concentration camps in Germany in 1938. The book club’s first read will be “Night” by Elie Wiesel, something BHEC executive director Rebecca Dobrinski said many people read in high school and will now be able to read from a new perspective. “People have been reading ‘Night’ quite a bit, and many of them are re-reading it,” Dobrinski said. Everyone will read the book before the

The Birmingham Holocaust Education Center is opening its doors for a new book club, starting in November. Photo by Erica Techo.

Nov. 9 club, and Dobrinski said the number of attendees likely will be limited due to space restrictions in the center. An introduction on the history of the Holocaust will precede the book discussion, she said, and they will likely work to tie the book’s themes to modern times. “It’ll be interesting, because it’s the day after the election,” Dobrinski said. In addition to learning more about Wiesel,

Dobrinski said the BHEC hopes attendees will learn more about the center, and that the book club will help further the BHEC’s goal of increasing community knowledge about the history of the Holocaust. The book club will likely take place on a quarterly basis, and they aim to cover a variety of topics. “We want to eventually make it as broad as we can,” Dobinski said. “While it builds

By GRACE THORNTON Haven’t found those unique Christmas presents yet? Jill Marlar, president of Alabama Designer/Craftsmen, said she might just have the thing for you. The 44th Annual Fine Craft Show will be Nov. 12-13 at Birmingham Botanical Gardens and will feature handmade jewelry, ceramics, textiles, basketry, leatherwork and flameworked, fused and stained glass. Unusual items from batik to pysanky eggs to carved gourds also will be available. “It’s a juried organization, so anyone who is a showing artist has to go through a standards process,” Marlar said. “They are all fine crafts, very unique art forms that you don’t see all the time.” At the mostly indoor show, 45 artists will show their work and sell their wares from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including Marlar, who uses hand-etched and aqua-tinted zinc plates to make limited-edition prints. “Especially if you need to do any kind of holiday shopping, the show is a good time to get interesting gifts from a variety of artists,” she said. A children’s area — open during the entire show — will also offer the opportunity for kids to make a craft with the guidance of a lead artist. Each artist at the show also will donate an item to be raffled off Sunday afternoon. A $3 donation is suggested for admission for visitors older than 12. For more information, check out the Alabama Designer/Craftsmen Facebook page. To see a list of artists and craftsmen and samples of their work, go to alabamadesignercraftsmen. com/pages/ADC_show_2016.htm.

• WHEN: Nov. 9, 6:30 p.m. • WHERE: 2222 Arlington Ave. S. (Bayer Properties Building, ground floo ) • MORE INFO: RSVP to 795-4176 or info@bhamholocausteducation.org by Nov. 7 knowledge, it isn’t sequential knowledge, so you can come in and out as topics interest you.” Church Street Coffee & Books in Mountain Brook is sponsoring the book club by providing coffee, and copies of “Night” are available at the shop. Other copies also are available to borrow from the BHEC. “We’re really excited to introduce another potential program to the community,” Dobinski said.

While the Krewe’s major event, its annual ball complete with king, queen and court, won’t be until February, the group is beginning the celebration this month. Photo courtesy of Hank Spencer/ Image Arts.

An example of handmade items that might be at this year’s Fine Craft Show. Photo courtesy of Alabama Designer/Craftsmen.

44th annual Fine Craft Show returns Nov. 12-13

BHEC Book Club premiere

Krewe gears up for 50th year with black tie dinner By EMILY FEATHERSTON This year is a special one for the Beaux Arts Krewe organization. The group is celebrating its 50th year. While the Krewe’s major event, its annual ball complete with king, queen and court, won’t be until February, the group is beginning the celebration this month. The special Black Tie Celebration Dinner will be Nov. 18 at the Country Club of Birmingham and focus on the long history of the group’s relationship with the Birmingham

Museum of Art. Many are aware of the Krewe’s annual ball and look forward to seeing which community members are participating year to year, said publicity chair for the Krewe Katherine DeBuys, but few are aware of the philanthropic aspect of the group. Each year, the Krewe makes a donation to the Krewe Acquisition Fund, she said. That fund is often left to accumulate to allow for major purchases at the museum, said curator of European art Robert Schindler. In the last 50 years, 19 major works have

been purchased using funds the group has donated. “We at the museum are proud keepers of these artworks, which we preserve, study and display for the enrichment of Birmingham and the region,” Schindler said. “We are tremendously grateful for the Krewe’s commitment to bringing the world to Birmingham for our community to enjoy and learn.” Annual Krewe Ball court members will be announced about the first of the year. For more information about the Krewe, go to beauxartskrewe.com.

S. Epatha Merkerson part of diabetes forum By LEXI COON

S. Epatha Merkerson will be at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens for a panel discussion on Type 2 diabetes. Courtesy of Jason DeCrow/AP Images for Merck.

“Law and Order” and “Chicago Med” fans, take note: Award-winning actress S. Epatha Merkerson will be visiting the Birmingham area with America’s Diabetes Challenge to tell her story of working with diabetes. Merkerson was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes 14 years ago and has watched many of her family members struggle with the illness. “S. Epatha has seen firsthand how Type 2 diabetes can change your life, and that’s why she’s passionate about helping others better manage the disease through the America’s Diabetes Challenge,” said Sonya Sharif of GCI Health. The talk, which will be from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, will include a health and wellness fair, a

healthy lunch, a panel discussion and a Q&A session after with Merkerson and local diabetes experts. Merkerson plans to discuss her personal story of living with the illness and managing Type 2 diabetes with the help of local experts addressing the state of the disease within the Birmingham community. “Diabetes is a serious health concern in Birmingham,” Sharif said. “By raising awareness of the importance of proper blood sugar management and her story with people across the country, [Merkerson] hopes to inspire others to be proactive in their healthcare and reach their goals.” While admission is free, guests are encouraged to RSVP to ensure their seat by contacting Angie Rosen at arosen@diabetes.org or calling at 870-5172.

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ A19

A20 • November 2016

GIFTING hope

Village Living

Local family works with orphanage in Africa On their trip to Africa in 2012, the Parrott children, Mary Kathryn, left, Reid, center, and Benjamin, pet a calf with Emmanuel. Photo courtesy of the Parrott family.

By LEXI COON For the Parrotts, giving back isn’t just a holiday tradition. It isn’t something that they think about when they have extra time or resources. They have been giving back consistently since 2011 by supporting a young boy in an orphanage in Africa through the program Oasis for Orphans. “Oasis for Orphans is so much more than just an orphanage,” said Kristy Parrott, the family’s mother. “Rather than trying to change the slums [in Kenya], they looked beyond that to see how they could prevent these children from ending up in the slum in the ﬁrst place.” Parrott and her family support a boy named Emmanuel on a monthly basis through donations that provide him with daily needs such as health care, meals, a bed, a home and someone to talk to. “We write and receive letters from him and have had a few calls and Skype calls over the years,” Parrott said. The family also sends Emmanuel small gifts. Although the orphanage was unsure of his true birthdate, they guessed he was about 11 at the time the Parrotts began sponsoring him. The connection Oasis for Orphans has provided is so distinct and so real, the Parrotts opted to go to Africa to meet Emmanuel in 2012. Upon reaching the orphanage, Parrott warned her children to be

respectful of Emmanuel and that he may be shy. But she said all her words went out the window when she saw him for the ﬁrst time. “When I saw that precious boy faceto-face, I just grabbed him and hugged him so tight,” she said. She, her husband and three children spent the next few days in the orphanage’s guesthouse, helping with projects and playing with the other children. Emmanuel showed them where he came from, too. “It was heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time,” Parrott said. Because of their experiences with the program, the Parrotts have led another local family, the Colvins, to participate in the program. “Our small contribution helps with the education of one orphan boy named Peter,” Betsy Colvin said. This year, to raise additional money for Oasis for Orphans, the Parrotts also will be participating in a worldwide fundraiser.

“For several years, there has been a Team Oasis that has raised money by running in the Chicago Marathon. This year, they are expanding to include this event, Race for the 110,000, which is a virtual 5K,” Parrott said. The number 110,000 comes from the estimated nearby children in Kenya who have no one to care for them and who Oasis for Orphans is trying to reach. Because the Nov. 5 race is virtual, participants can donate and run, walk or cycle anywhere and share a photo to show their support. The Parrotts will be hosting their own 5K, but they are encouraging everyone to register online for $35 and run together on that Saturday in support of the program. “By registering for this race and walking, running or cycling a 5K on Saturday, Nov. 5, you are giving the kids in Kenya a voice,” she said. To learn more, or to register for the virtual 5K, go to oasisfororphans.org.

Top: Kristy Parrott, right, together with her husband, Keith, left, and son Benjamin are hosting a 5K in honor of the Race for 110,000 on Saturday, Nov. 5, to help support Emmanuel and the Oasis for Orphans. Above: The Parrott family has kept a small collection of letters and photos that Emmanuel has sent to them over the past ﬁve years. Photos by Lexi Coon.

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 • A21

Mountain Brook local earns Game Changer Award By LEXI COON Every year, the Vulcan Community Awards honor Birmingham-area residents who have gone above and beyond for their community. One of their five annual awards is the Game Changer Award. Typically, the phrase “game changer” refers to an outlying factor that reshapes a situation in a significant, positive way. A game changer can refer to an unforeseen event, an element of surprise or an unassuming person — like Jim Wooten. Wooten previously helped operate Children’s Fresh Air Farm, a summer camp for underprivileged children that was started by the Independent Presbyterian Church Foundation while Wooten was executive director. While speaking with campers’ families, Wooten said he learned their greatest need was access to furthering education. “The summer program was changed to a six-week day camp. The mornings were devoted to academics, while the afternoons were for traditional camp activities,” Wooten said. The results from the first year of academic inclusion in 2010, what he refers to as a pilot program, showed that the inclusion of education in a summer program could help close the academic performance gap, while still giving the benefits of a traditional summer camp. From this first-year pilot program, Wooten’s brainchild was born — Summer Adventures in Learning, or SAIL. “We were excited about the results of the Fresh Air Farm pilot, and wanted to support more learning programs, but found almost none in Birmingham,” he said. “So we took a step that was new for us.” Instead of sitting back and playing the

traditional grant-maker role and supporting already existing programs, Wooten said he and the foundation began openly promoting summer learning, recruiting new programs and inviting other foundations to join the cause. According to a study by Johns Hopkins, 67 percent of the academic performance gap from children of low-income families can be attributed to the three months of summer where learning falls to the wayside. “We knew from our success at the Fresh Air Farm (and from many cities across the nation) that we can turn that loss into a twoto three-month gain, and give a substantial boost to the academic performance of our students,” Wooten said. By fall 2012, six foundations agreed to support learning programs for the 2013 summer, and SAIL had provided more than $500,000 in support of 19 programs for that year. Four years later, SAIL has amassed 11 funders that support more than 50 summer programs, and it has grown geographically while giving more than $2.8 million in grants to support summer learning, he said. “SAIL is itself a community, a collaboration of many different interests, from all around Birmingham (and beyond), coming together to achieve a common goal,” Wooten said. “[Earning the Game Changer Award] is gratifying in the extreme.” For the future, he said he plans to pursue historical research for the Birmingham Museum of Art and continue his work with SAIL, which is set to expand to Huntsville. “In general, we all have gifts to contribute, and when we join with others who share our passion and priorities to pursue common goals, it gives us a sense of meaning, keeps us young and helps Birmingham become a better place,” Wooten said.

Jim Wooten created Summer Adventures in Learning, or SAIL, which supports furthering education in the Birmingham area. Photo courtesy of Jim Wooten/Virginia Jones.

A22 • November 2016

Village Living

Morris selected for Servant Leadership award By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE Mountain Brook resident Philip Morris has been chosen as a recipient for Servant Leadership in the third annual Vulcans Community Awards. The awards recognize residents who exemplify civic pride, leadership and progress within the seven-county metro area in ﬁve award categories. Morris was nominated for the award by Robert Thompson, president of the Alabama Center for Architecture. He said Morris always has been so helpful to their organization, and his knowledge of architecture and the history of Birmingham is highly valued. Thompson said he knew of Morris for years before actually meeting him, and he got to know him personally through their mutual involvement with the American Institute of Architects and the Alabama Center for Architecture. “I ﬁrmly believe that no one in the state has been a greater champion of the culture, history and beauty of Birmingham than Philip Morris,” Thompson said. “He has brought the importance of design excellence and the value of cultural richness to the entire city. His rare combination of design sense and gift of communication has allowed him to elevate the entire city’s understanding and appreciation of the importance of art, design and culture.” The honor came as a surprise to Morris, who has been retired since 2000. He said he always had an interest in the design arts: what shapes a city and its places, including architecture, city planning and preservation. “I knew I was interested in architecture and design from day one, and I would later end up focusing on that,” Morris said. After graduating from Rockhurst College, Morris began working in the newspaper industry in Oklahoma, spending his early years at The Daily Oklahoman/Oklahoma City Times and The Oklahoma Journal. He educated himself in the architecture profession, talking to designers and planners and

then writing about their work. “My goal was to report and editorialize the design arts, and to make people aware of how the leadership, designers and volunteers can affect the shape and character of a city,” he said. In the fall of 1969, Southern Living magazine offered Morris the position of building editor. He accepted the job and helped shape the magazine in its early years. He would later advance to building and landscape editor, senior design editor, and ﬁnally serve as the magazine’s executive editor from 1976-91. “Being the homes editor at the start, I wrote about larger issues of urbanism in the South, like preservation. I’ve managed to make those things work together in terms of my career interest and a vocation helping people have more beautiful places to live in,” Morris said. For his work with civic interests, Morris has received a number of awards and recognitions, including the Alabama Humanities Award, an Honorary Membership into both the American Institute of Architects and American Society of Landscape Architects, the Professional Award in Communications for “Designs on Birmingham” from the American Society of Landscape Architects, and the Birmingham-Southern College Medal of Service. His afﬁliations throughout the Birmingham area are extensive, including Vulcan Park Foundation (board of trustees), Birmingham Historical Society (past president), Birmingham Botanical Society (past trustee and current design committee), American Architectural Foundation (past board member), Mountain Brook Villages Design Review Committee (chairman), Operation New Birmingham (past president and chairman emeritus), Design Alabama (founding board member emeritus), Horizon 280 Association (founding board member) and Friends of Linn Park (founding board member). After his time at Southern Living, Morris served as the editor-at-large for Southern Progress Corporation, (which included Southern Accents, Southern Living and Coastal Living)

Philip Morris, a Mountain Brook resident, will receive his Vulcans Award on Nov. 3 at The Club. Photo courtesy of Art Meripol.

from 1991 until his retirement in 2000. He describes it as a satisfying place to spend a great deal of his career. “I think Southern Living helped the South realize you can have growth, but also have historic neighborhoods at the same time. It doesn’t have to be either/or. I think we really did help shape the larger South,” he said. One of Morris’ last projects was being on the advisory board for Railroad Park. He also stays active with the Vulcan Park Foundation, advising its architectural walking tours. In retirement, Morris continues to write about design from the comfort of his home. He said

he is pleased with the progress Birmingham has made. “We all worked so hard to make things happen, and much of it has come to fruition. It’s very satisfying for me and others,” he said. The Vulcans Community Awards recipients will be honored at an awards dinner Nov. 3 at The Club. All proceeds from ticket purchases will support Vulcan Park and Museum’s mission to preserve and promote Vulcan as the symbol for the Birmingham region, advance knowledge and understanding of Birmingham’s history and culture and to encourage exploration of the region.

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 • A23

Community Mountain Brook native lauded for chasing Toomer’s suspect By KYLE PARMLEY Herron Taylor’s adrenaline spiked and she jumped into action. Following Auburn’s victory over LSU on Saturday, Taylor was posing for a picture with her boyfriend, Brendan McGowan, at Toomer’s Corner around 12:15 a.m. Sunday. The intended background was the beautiful display of toilet paper showered over the famed oak trees. Instead, the person capturing the moment noticed something. “The guy taking our picture says, ‘Oh my gosh, that guy is lighting the tree on fire,’” Taylor said, a 2014 graduate of Mountain Brook High School. One strand of toilet paper was set on fire and, within seconds, the rest of the tree was engulfed. “There was nothing I could really do,” Taylor said. “I went over to my boyfriend and he said, ‘That’s the guy.’” Without a second thought, Taylor took off after Jochen Wiest, the man who allegedly set the tree on fire and has since been identified and charged by the Auburn Police Division. “When I confronted him, he realized that he really, really messed up,” she said. “He was trying to get away and I was like, ‘Nope, I’m coming after you.’” While in pursuit, Taylor said she was yelling and pointing the man out to anyone who would listen. Bystanders surrounded the man until the police arrived shortly thereafter. Auburn University students and fans have long rolled the trees at Toomer’s Corner after football victories and other athletic achievements at the university. The original trees were poisoned in 2011, and replaced with new ones in 2015. Fans were allowed to begin rolling the tree a few weeks ago. “Those trees are such a big part of our history and tradition and something the entire Auburn family can bond over. A few hours before (the incident), we were rolling the trees,” Taylor said. For many students like Taylor, now a junior, this fall was

Coronets Dance Club ofﬁcers, from left: Shelley Watkins, Evelyn Ringler, Nancy Becker, Shirley Palmes, Nancy Boone, Carolyn Delk and Linda Wood. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Edge.

Coronets Dance Club holds luncheon

Mountain Brook graduate Herron Taylor and her boyfriend at the Auburn vs. LSU game. Photo courtesy of Herron Taylor.

her ﬁrst chance to celebrate in that fashion. “We were all so excited to have them back and to have this happen, it’s kind of disheartening,” she said. Taylor said she has had fans all across the country reach out to her, including someone from Australia, telling her that her actions were heroic. She rejects that notion. “Maybe if I wasn’t the person who did it, I’d probably say that person is awesome,” she said.

Coronets Dance Club members recently met for their Fall Luncheon at Vestavia Hills Country Club. President Nancy Becker presided at the board meeting and the business meeting following the luncheon. Evelyn Ringler read the minutes from the Coronets’ spring meeting, treasurer Shelley Watkins gave the treasurer’s report and introduced assistant treasurer Linda Wood. Vice President Shirley Palmes introduced Carol Powell, dance chair for the fall dance. Powell’s committee includes Edna Alderman and Jackie Webb. Co-chairs for the spring dance are Debbie Visintainer and Patty Echols. New yearbooks were distributed at the meeting by Joy Wilkes, yearbook chair. New members were also announced at the meeting, including Cheree Carlton, Patty Clay, Glenda Jones and Dot Wingett. The luncheon was planned by Dot Renneker and Una Ray Barnett. Arrangements of fall ﬂowers were on each table, and wonderful food and conversation were enjoyed by all. Individuals in attendance included charter member Jean Burnett as well as Edna Alderman, Una Ray Barnett, Nancy Becker, Sue Belcher, Nancy Boone, Redonda Broom, Marti Buck, Carolyn Delk, Shirley Evans, Nelle Freeman, Pat Garlikov, Jean Hendrickson, Marsha Hire, Margaret Howell, Rusty Kirkpatrick, Nell Larson, Joanne McConnell, Betty Miller, Shirley Palmes, Carol Powell, Dot Renneker, Evelyn Ringler, Karen Tucker, Shelley Watkins, Jackie Webb, Linda Wood and Janis Zeanah. – Submitted by Carolyn Edge.

A24 • November 2016

Village Living

Senior Hollon Skinner earns Girl Scout Gold Award Hollon Skinner was recently awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award by the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama. The Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve, and requires a service project that makes a significant contribution to the community. For her project, Skinner designed and created a prayer garden on the grounds of her parish church, St. Francis Xavier Catholic. She raised funds and coordinated labor for construction and the installation of benches and a statue for the grounds, and she beautifully landscaped the area. Skinner is a senior at Mountain Brook High School. She is a member of the National Honor Society, French Honor Society, varsity softball team and secretary of the Interact Club. Skinner is the daughter of Kathy and Jay Skinner of Mountain Brook. She is the granddaughter of Nancy Skinner of Birmingham, and Hanson and Rebecca Couvillon of Huntsville. – Submitted by Kathy Skinner.

Front row from left: Grant Blackwell, Daniel Carmichael, Ethan Gonzalez, Conner Hudson, Stuart Jinnette, Dudley Dickerson. Back row: Joe Hudson, Troy Carmichael, Tony Gonzalez, Beck Corley, Phillip Corley, John Corley, Edward Cobb, Drew Dickerson and Steve Jinnette. Photo courtesy of Phillip Corley.

Birmingham Zoo announces new Junior Board offi ers and members The Birmingham Zoo is pleased to introduce new members and welcome returning members to the Junior Board for the zoo. The Junior Board is composed of 25 professionals in the Birmingham area who share the zoo’s belief in “inspiring passion for the natural world.” The Junior Board welcomes six new members this year: Louis Anderson, Jayna Goedecke, Meg Ross, Brandon Stewart, Caroline Walker and Cory Wilson. The 2016-2017 Junior Board officers are Amanda Hawkins, president; Tim Hennessy, Jr., vice president; J. Chris Mason, secretary/treasurer; and Stephen Armstrong, advisor/past president. “We are excited to have six new individuals join the Junior Board and thankful for those who

are continuing to serve their terms and those who have stepped into leadership positions. We know that the Junior Board will do a tremendous job in fundraising towards building a new golden eagle exhibit,” said Dr. William Foster, president and CEO of the Birmingham Zoo. The Junior Board members are Rosemary Alexander, Frank Anderson, Louis Anderson, Turner Burton, Lauren DeMoss, Courtney DeShazo, Joey DuMontier, Kathryn Gay, Jayna Goedecke, Joe Gribbin Jr., Fontaine Haskell, Eve Hennessy, Lexi Holdbrooks, Matt Hottle, Madison Merrill, Meg Ross, Brandon Stewart, Caroline Walker, Drew Weil, Dana N. Williams and Cory Wilson. – Submitted by the Birmingham Zoo.

Troop 63 Scouts complete Philmont Cavalcade A crew of Boy Scouts from BSA Troop 63, Canterbury UMC, recently completed an eight-day Philmont Cavalcade, riding horses through the rugged mountain wilderness of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico, like the famous trappers who first explored the West. The following Scouts and adult advisors successfully completed the Cavalcade: John Corley (crew leader), Grant Blackwell (chaplain’s aide), Daniel Carmichael (Wilderness Pledge guia), Beck Corley, Edward Cobb, Drew Dickerson, Conner Hudson, Ethan Gonzalez and Stuart Jinnette, along with adult advisors Dudley Dickerson, Steve Jinnette, Joe Hudson, Troy Carmichael, Tony

Gonzalez and Phillip Corley. The group of Scouts and their advisors carried everything they needed to survive during the Cavalcade on horses while riding for hours each day from camp to camp. During the trek, Scouts endured tough challenges including riding, hiking and camping in bear and mountain lion territory, steep climbs, and inclement weather. The final day of the Cavalcade included a competition at an equestrian gymkhana. Philmont covers 214 square miles of wilderness with trails that climb from 6,500 to 12,441 feet in elevation and is the Boy Scouts of America’s premier high adventure camp. – Submitted by Phillip Corley.

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 • A25

7-year-old Crestline student authors children’s tale, to hold book signing By LEXI COON

Callie Chapman stands next to her newly published book, “Glitter the Unicorn,” in the Crestline Once Upon a Time. Photo by Lexi Coon.

It takes a lot to write a book, and there aren’t many adults who can say they have accomplished this feat. But Callie Chapman, a 7-year-old student at Crestline Elementary, has done just that. Her recently published book, “Glitter the Unicorn,” follows the adventures of Glitter and her friend Ellie through Cotton Candy Land to meet the queen, who then gives them a map to follow through the Lollipop Forest and the Mountain of Chocolate. Eventually, the duo ﬁnd a magical candy bar, and after taking a bite, are able to ﬂy home together. “I wrote this story at the lake for the Expression Art Contest [last year] for my school,” said Callie adding that her book earned honorable mention. The story’s characters are based on two of her toys,

Ballet Guild presents donation to the Alabama Ballet As a continued tradition, the Ballet Guild of Birmingham presented its annual donation to the Alabama Ballet at its ﬁrst meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 20. In attendance for the Alabama Ballet to accept the donation were Melanie Mooney, executive director; Tracey Alvey, artistic director; Roger Van Fleteren associate artistic director and resident choreographer; and Mary Goodrich, chairman of the board. Miller Girvin, immediate past Ballet Guild president, and Mary Cox Brown, immediate past ball chair, presented the check. The donation represents the efforts, contributions and fundraising by the 2015-2016 Ballet Guild members.

After a presentation by the Alabama Ballet regarding its upcoming season, the guild also welcomed its new 2016-2017 ofﬁcers: Ashley Jackson, president; Carlton Fountain, executive vice president; Beverly Crawford, Ball of Roses chair; Emory Ratliff, ball co-chair; Ann Bailey White, committee secretary; Emily Saunders, ball treasurer; Madison Merrill, guild treasurer; Ashley Foster, recording secretary; Rhonda Hennessy, corresponding secretary; Miller Girvin, parliamentarian; and Mary Cox Brown, member-at-large.” – Submitted by Miller Girvin, ball publicity chair.

(L-R): Melanie Mooney, Roger Van Fleteren, Tracey Alvey, Mary Goodrich, Miller Girvin and Mary Cox Brown. Photo courtesy of Miller Girvin.

Glitter, her unicorn stuffed animal, and Ellie, her blanket. “I also love cotton candy and chocolate, and I have always wanted to ﬂy,” she said. Callie’s book, which includes illustrations done by her mom, is being sold at the Crestline and Homewood Once Upon a Time stores. The proceeds will be donated to Children’s of Alabama for art supplies. Chapman said because she is only 7, she felt she didn’t need the money and asked if the money could be donated to buy art supplies for sick children. Callie will be holding book signings at the Homewood Once Upon a Time on Nov. 3 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and at the Crestline Once Upon a Time on Nov. 5, with the times to be determined.

A26 • November 2016

Village Living

Local author debuts 1st children’s book By LEXI COON Gastroenterologist Dr. Jack Mauldin has always been an author. He has previously written articles and lectures in the medical field and also considers himself an avid reader. Now, Mauldin also can consider himself a children’s author. With illustrations by JanOvation, Mauldin published his first children’s book, “The Christmas Ant,” in May. The book follows an ant named Scout and his friendship with a little boy named Billy. “[The idea for the book] really comes from Nancy and I making sugar cookies,” Mauldin said. “[We saw] one single ant — I said he’s a scout ant.” In this case, he assumed the lone ant was looking for any stray sugar from the cookies. Although writing a children’s book was certainly unplanned, the actual writing took less than a year, he said. “I started somewhere around 2011. I even took a lecture series here in town about how to publish a book,” Mauldin said. “And then I decided I didn’t know how to publish a book.” It took Mauldin some time to get the copyright for his story and to find a publisher, but once the details were sorted out, his book took off. “[Everyone] was surprised. It was totally out of line of my usual writings,” he said. “The Christmas Ant” tells the tale of Scout, a sugar ant, and his unique friendship with young human Billy on Christmas Eve. Billy offers sugar crystals to Scout, who is looking for food to present to the queen of his ant castle in the little boy’s backyard. The story continues to follow the duo as they encounter different obstacles and surprises. “I wanted the story to teach inspiring life lessons in a fun, creative style. It definitely has some things in it about life,” Mauldin said, such as sharing, being kind and working hard. But one of the big things that he wants kids to take away is the joy of reading.

All In Mountain Brook parent conference to focus on students By CAROLINE CARMICHAEL

Although he is a gastroenterologist, Dr. Jack Mauldin recently spent his spare time in writing and publishing his ﬁrst children’s book, “The Christmas Ant.” Photo by Lexi Coon.

“I do want it to be something that hopefully will interest kids in reading,” he said. “I think it’s one of the most important things you can learn. It can carry you through magic places, and it will teach you so many things.” Even though this book was a far cry from Mauldin’s medical articles, he said he found it to be an exciting and enjoyable experience. So much so, that he is planning on writing a sequel with more action and tragedy. To present his ﬁrst book to the community, Mauldin has been invited to take part in multiple local book signings in November.

“[Having my book published and for sale in Mountain Brook] is a delight. For me, I feel very honored,” he said. Mauldin’s book signings include: ► Books-A-Million in Brookwood Village, Nov. 12 from 4-6 p.m. ► Smith’s Variety, Nov. 19, all day. ► Books-A-Million in Brook Highland, Nov. 20 from 3-5 p.m. The book also is available in the children’s section of the Emmet O’Neal Library. To learn more, go to thechristmasant.com or its Facebook page.

All In Mountain Brook is hosting its second annual parent conference Nov. 1 at Mountain Brook High School. The event’s subject is guidance for parenting junior high and high school students. After a general opening session, Mountain Brook parents may attend up to three out of nine planned workshops. Details weren’t final as of press time, but planned speakers include physician Dr. Mary Halsey Maddox and psychologists Dr. Bert Pitts and Heather Austin. Their sessions will address topics such as social media, depression and anxiety, substance abuse, romantic relationships, sleep deprivation and setting healthy limits. Originally the Mountain Brook Anti-Drug Coalition, All In Mountain Brook, the nonprofit community organization, changed its name in 2014 when its mission broadened. Under its new name, it seeks to influence and support Mountain Brook youth beyond protection against substance abuse. “The mission of the organization is to protect and enhance the lives of the Mountain Brook community,” said Dale Wisely, secretary of All In Mountain Brook. He said the organization’s focus is to combat anything that might put teens at risk. Annual conferences help provide parents of the community with instruments necessary for achieving this goal, Wisely said. In addition to November’s conference, a parent conference for elementary students is scheduled for Feb. 7. Its content will feature issues faced by the younger age group. For more information, go to allinmountainbrook.org.

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 • A27

Opinion

Amanda Roussel stands with some of the books she donated to Sawyerville Day Camp in Greensboro. Photo courtesy of Christiana Roussel.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Amendments to give communities control

Resident works to help students in Black Belt On Saturday, Oct. 15, Mountain Brook resident Amanda Roussel traveled to Greensboro for the sixth annual Sawyerville Day Camp (SDC) 5K Fun Run, to donate more than four dozen ACT and SAT test prep books she had collected for the high school students of Hale County. At the 5K and fun run, Roussel met with SDC’s Crystal Jones, executive director of programs and operations, and Claire Cotton, executive director of development and communications. Roussel ﬁrst became involved with the Black Belt community, of which Hale County is a part, and the children living there through her work with the Sawyerville Day Camp. SDC is a nonproﬁt program run by the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, where Roussel served several years as a volunteer camp counselor. Once she learned that the average ACT score for

high school students in the Black Belt is 16 (on a 36-point scale), she knew she wanted to help in some way. Roussel decided to make giving back to these communities the focal point of her C. Kyser Miree Center for Ethical Leadership project at the Altamont School. The Miree Center is a leadership education and global/local awareness program at Altamont. Roussel reached out to fellow Altamont students and those at other high schools across the state as well as local libraries to collect ACT and SAT prep books. Her hope is that students may use these materials to increase their test scores, improving their odds of attending college. To learn more about the work being done in Greensboro, visit SawyervilleDayCamp.org. – Submitted by Christiana Roussel.

Four state amendments that will give control of local government to the communities involved will be on ballots in November. State amendments 3, 4, 5 and 6 resulted from a statewide nonpartisan commission chaired by former Gov. Albert Brewer. Amendment 3 restricts legislators from forcing all voters in the state to vote on an amendment that affects only one county. In the ﬁrst vote on a local amendment, legislators will decide if the amendment has merit. If they approve the amendment, then they will vote on whether it will be on the ballot of only the county affected. This is a change from current practice in which a single legislator voting against the merits of a local amendment forces it to a statewide vote. Amendment 4 gives components of local government to the communities by allowing counties to establish programs, policies and procedures related to county government. The amendment will not allow counties to increase or levy new taxes, nor will it allow counties to amend or repeal an existing local law. This is a change from current practice in which local governments

must rely on the Legislature, through constitutional amendments, to establish programs and procedures related to county government. Jefferson County is exempt from this amendment because of legal activity still pending about the sewer rate schedule, but the amendment will be on Jefferson County ballots even though it won’t apply to Jefferson County. Amendment 5 will simply modernize the language in the Constitution by renaming the “departments” of governments into “branches.” Amendment 6 provides that two-thirds of the Senate must vote to approve an impeachment, a change from the current constitutional language which does not specify the percentage required for impeachment. Amendment 6 also will bring the Constitution in line with current practices by limiting the list of those who may be impeached to elected ofﬁcials, removing an appointed position from the list. We hope your readers will vote “yes” on all these amendments. Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform ► Brunson White, Vestavia Hills ► Lenora Pate, Birmingham ► John Northrop, Homewood ► Nancy Ekberg, Vestavia Hills ► Kate Nielsen, Mountain Brook

A28 • November 2016

Village Living

Faith Life Actually By Kari Kampakis

A new book for teen girls When people talk about teenage girls today, the conversation often turns to how addicted they are to their phones. But what nobody seems to ask is, “Why?” Why are girls addicted to their phones? Why do they obsess over Instagram “likes” and social media numbers? Why can’t they put their phones down, even in the company of friends? If you ask me, there isn’t one obvious explanation, but rather a combination of forces. And if we want to understand the dynamic, we should consider the heart and the mind of a teenage girl, and think about what’s important at that age. For instance: ► Friendships are important — so important that they can make or break a girl’s high school experience. Technology gives girls an easy way to connect with friends and stay in touch even outside of school hours. ► Love and acceptance are important. Achieving a lot of “likes” on Instagram makes a girl feel love and accepted. It offers tangible proof, in her mind at least, that her life matters. ► Belonging is important. Social media creates an automatic community. It gives girls something to be part of that is bigger than themselves. ► Impressing people is important. The quest to impress has always existed, and now girls can take their quest online. They can curate a perfect image and test-drive identities until they ﬁnd one that draws attention and applause. ► Entertainment is important. Boredom is solved quickly by pulling out a digital device and seeing what everyone is up to. ► Being liked is important. And let’s be honest: We all desire this on some level. We all

want to be liked and afﬁrmed. And if we’re on social media, we too are probably guilty of posting things to elicit praise or make people think we’re something special. The thing about teenage girls is, they’re very relational. They care deeply about what other people think. While praise can go straight to their head, criticism can go straight to their heart. What results is an emotional roller coaster that can put them at the mercy of what other people say and think about them. My goal as a writer for teen girls is to help end this roller coaster. I hope to equip girls with truth and empower them through faith so that regardless of what the world says, they stay true to their identity in Christ. And I’m thrilled to announce that on November 15, I’ll release a new book designed to help girls with this mission! Published by Thomas Nelson, it’s called “Liked: Whose Approval Are You Living For?” This book is close to my heart because it addresses the biggest issues girls struggle with and the unprecedented challenges of growing up in the digital age. It’s packed with Biblical truths and practical advice related to identity, friendships, social media and a relationship with God. By reading “Liked,” girls will learn to launch their life in a positive direction. They’ll understand the difference between human approval and God’s approval, online friends and real friends, and living to make a temporary splash and living to make an eternal difference.

If you enjoy my column and like the message behind “Liked,” I’d be SO incredibly grateful for your support. Here are a few ways to help: ► Pre-order the book online now at Amazon, Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble or Christianbook.com. My publisher has created great pre-order incentives (like printables for your daughter) available at likedbook.com for early buyers. ► Order “Liked” at your local bookstore. If they don’t have it in stock, ask them to order copies. ► Consider leading a small group study of “Liked” for your daughter and her friends in 2017. All you need is a passion for girls and a few moms to help with logistics! My ﬁrst book, “10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know,” has been used widely across the country for small group studies. I’ve heard fantastic feedback about the girls growing closer to Christ and each other, and my prayer is that “Liked” will have a similar impact. ► Talk about “Liked” with your pastor, priest, youth leader, school counselor, cheer sponsor, dance instructor or anyone who works with young women and cares about who they’re becoming. Suggest a small group or church youth group study in 2017. ► Pray for my young readers and the women leading studies. Ask God to open up their hearts to the messages He wants them to hear. ► Spread the word on social media about “Liked.” Tag me in your post and use the hashtag #likedbook.

► Write a book review on Amazon and Goodreads if you like the book. Positive reviews can make a big difference in swaying potential buyers to try a book. ► Follow me on Facebook or Instagram to keep up with the latest news and announcements. Today’s girls are smart, talented and full of potential. While they may be glued to their phones and take a few too many selfies, I believe it’s important to look beyond the surface and reflect on the desires in their hearts that drive their search for approval and help explain the trends we see. I’m so excited about sharing “Liked” with you and that special girl in your life. I’d love for you to join me in rallying around this message that can change lives and empower girls of all ages to live boldly and bravely for Christ. Our girls deserve more than the superficial lifestyle this world pushes on them. Let’s help them dream beyond getting a lot of “likes” on Instagram, and let’s encourage them to value their worth not on how widely liked they can be, but on how deeply loved they already are. Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Mountain Brook mom of four girls, columnist and blogger for The Huffington Post. Her first book, “10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know,” is available everywhere books are sold, and her new book, “Liked,” will release Nov. 15 and is available for pre-order through Amazon, Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble and Christianbook.com. Join Kari’s Facebook community at “Kari Kampakis, Writer,” visit her blog at karikampakis.com or contact her at kari@karikampakis.com.

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 • A29 Joiner is one of those football players that, as football scouts would say, “looks good in a uniform.” Photo by Ted Melton.

JOINER

CONTINUED from page A1 football scouts would say, “looks good in a uniform.” Because of that, those letters from colleges have come in. He has now gotten offers from Auburn, Ole Miss and Jacksonville State. He plays exclusively running back at Mountain Brook, but his size and stature give him the potential to play a number of positions at the college level. “He’s got a very high ceiling,” Yeager said. “He’s got a lot of options; wide receiver, H-back. With his size and speed, there’s just not many players with that (combination).” He’s got so many options in the future that Auburn extended a scholarship offer without a position in mind for Joiner. “I was pretty excited,” Joiner said. “I didn’t see that coming.” That offer is one of the reasons Joiner accelerated his timetable to decide his future. He once thought he would wait until his senior year to decide whether to pursue football or basketball for his future, but that decision has now been made pretty easy. Yeager’s first impression of Joiner as an athlete actually came on the hardwood. “It was the first time I ever saw him physically,” Yeager said. “I see him on the basketball court, and I see he’s got fine motor skills. It’s unbelievable as big as he is. I’m watching him handle the ball, and he’s going up and dunking it and all that. My eyes popped out of my head.” Yeager recalled a summer practice last year. “He comes with us in the summer, and we throw a pass to him on a seam route, and with one hand he just snatches the ball out of the air,” Yeager said. Joiner won’t play basketball this year for the Spartans but instead will run track and specialize in the 100- and 200-meter dash, along with the 4x100 relay team. He ran track in middle school before beginning to play AAU basketball. On the football field, Yeager described Joiner as having “skill-player speed but linebacker size,” which makes him especially hard to bring down in the open field. “Usually, (defenders) get lower than me, but

they’re not stronger than me, so it’s very hard for them to get me down,” Joiner said. Yeager has noticed that Joiner actually prefers that type of contact now, as well. “This year, one thing he loves to do is when he’s in the open, he loves to lower that shoulder,” he said. “He’s really turned into a very physical back. The tough thing about that in this region is that it’s such a physical region.” With the physicality of Mountain Brook’s region, bumps and bruises for every player are expected. Joiner has battled a pair of nagging injuries that have probably limited his numbers somewhat. “This region can beat you down,” Yeager said. “It’s such a grind.” Through eight games, Joiner was averaging 4.7 yards per carry, which is not an eye-popping number in today’s football landscape, where

offenses reign supreme and put up video-gamelike numbers on a regular basis. But the Mountain Brook offense does not need Joiner to average 10 yards per rush. The Spartan offense is built on fundamentals and exploiting matchups to be successful. When they execute, they matriculate the football down the ﬁeld in a successful manner, and Joiner mentioned that he thinks Mountain Brook’s offensive style is unique to all other teams in the area. Joiner carried the ball just 97 times through those ﬁrst eight games, but his carries have not been limited solely by injury. The Spartans consistently give three running backs carries throughout each game, but Joiner has bought in to that role, especially as the season has progressed. “A lot of times you can have an issue with a person not wanting to share, but we are

trying to keep a fresh running back, and he’s had a great attitude about that, as far as seeing the big picture. He’s been a great teammate,” Yeager said. “It keeps me fresh,” Joiner said, who has benefited and been able to return to full health as the Spartans prepare for playoff action. The postseason begins Nov. 4, and Joiner will be experiencing the first state playoff action of his career, like many of his teammates. He believes the Spartans have every chance of making a run if the team simply continues “working on its craft.” Yeager also sees the chemistry within the team and the players’ willingness to “sacrifice for one another.” “Sometimes the best athletes don’t win, but I think always the best team is successful,” Yeager said.

“

A30 • November 2016

Village Living

Even if it doesn’t end up directly affecting you, you think about the people that have it, they’re usually small children or teenage children like Sid. Somebody cares about them. They usually have parents and close friends, so you step into their shoes and think about what their families have to go through.

”

GRAYSON WALTERS

STRONG

CONTINUED from page A1 to show support for Ortis, an LSU fan, which drew attention to his story. Ortis died Oct. 31, 2015. While outlets such as ESPN were doing stories on Ortis and people such as former LSU football head coach Les Miles were showing support, Ortis’ tight-knit group of friends who shared his dying prayer were always behind the scenes. “They weren’t showing up because all of a sudden it was a story,” said David Walters, father of Grayson Walters, Ortis’ best friend. “They had always been there.” Grayson’s mother, Kristi Walters, said while thousands of other people showed up, the kids stuck to their small group and their traditions. “It [Ortis’ story] went viral on social media, and he got all of this attention,” Kristi Walters said. “It was a really, really big deal, which was good because it got a message out, but at the heart of it, you had these kids in the neighborhood who are really loners. They were not spokespeople, and they were not the kids that put themselves out there.”

Members of the Sid Squad gather around Sid Ortis during his final days. “The squad was amazing. They rallied around him, and they rallied around each other,” Scott Ortis said. Photo courtesy of the Ortis family.

BECOMING THE SID SQUAD

The group that rallied around Ortis through his battle with cancer first formed when they were young. Kids in the neighborhood would gather to play man hunt, a nighttime, hide-and-seek type game, and all became fast friends. As they got older, those games of man hunt transformed into scary movie nights, and after Ortis was diagnosed, they stuck around. “To spend 15 months being how they were, it was amazing,” said Scott Ortis, Sid’s father. “Because I think I would have run for something easier at that point.” While the kids started out as just a group of friends, they soon became known as the Sid Squad, getting attention for their support. “Somehow, whatever they were doing, people started looking at it and watching, and it inspired, really, a movement,” Kristi Walters said. The kids did not let the attention affect them, however. The “magic formula” for their group, Kristi Walters said, came from a love for one another and their ability to treat Ortis as a normal kid. While the parents were worrying, the kids continued to watch scary movies and play video games, David Walters said. “We were like best friends, and one day I just heard he had been to the hospital and they thought he had cancer,” Grayson Walters said. “I just wanted to see him all the time, and everyone else got involved and it got really big. But I just kind of stayed at the roots of being his best friend and hanging with him all the time.” If anything, their group got closer and saw each other a little more after Ortis’ diagnosis, several members of the Sid Squad said. For many of them, it was the first person or friend they knew to have cancer. It threw them off a bit, said James Childs, but they just kept hanging out. “It didn’t really seem real,” said Brice England. “I wasn’t quite aware of how bad it was.” Having support from his same group of friends and keeping up their traditions helped Ortis, David Walters said, and even helped the parents. “It didn’t change their interactions at all, and that was kind of the beauty of watching the innocence of still being a teenager and coping with real life,” David Walters said. “They just kept on, and that’s what Sid, I think, liked about having them around.” Part of that came from Ortis’ desire to remain himself throughout treatment and the

because he died when he was 16, so it’s $16 for Sid,” said R.L. England, Brice’s brother, noting the campaign launched in early September, around Ortis’ Sept. 2 birthday. Right now, the junior board helps to come up with ideas and works to promote the foundation, but most things they do are forward thinking. They’re learning the basics about raising funds and the intricacies of a foundation, and it’s something they plan one day to take over. “It’s something to look forward to, which I think is great,” Brice England said. “I’m pretty excited that I get to be a part of this.” Pediatric cancer receives about 4 percent of research funding, Scott Ortis said, and they hope to change that with the foundation. They hope to raise money to fund labs that actively research pediatric cancer, like the ones that are working with cells from Ortis’ tumor. “Bare bones [for a lab] at Children’s is about $150,000 [to fund research] but to do it right — to do what they really need, to really make a difference — they said they need about $250,000 a lab,” Scott Ortis said. “That’s not a lot. For example, Mountain Brook for Relay for Life raises about $250,000, which none of that money — zero — stays local.”

REMAINING SID STRONG

Scott Ortis, Robert Record and his daughter, Caley Record, wear their Sid Strong Foundation T-shirts at the foundation’s launch in July. Photo courtesy of Kristi Walters.

pain he felt, Scott Ortis said. Ortis never wanted his friends to shave their heads just because he shaved his. He didn’t interact much with other children at the hospital. “He didn’t want to be a cancer kid,” Scott Ortis said. “He never let cancer define him.” As the cancer progressed, the Squad had to limit some of their former activities, Childs said, but that did not stop them from keeping up their movie nights, watching football games and showing up on Sundays with Buffalo Wild Wings to watch “The Walking Dead.” “The squad was amazing. They rallied around him, and they rallied around each other,” Scott Ortis said. “They supported each other. The night he died, I think all but two stayed at the house. They stayed all night, knowing he was dying. They didn’t run.”

ESTABLISHING A FOUNDATION

Ortis’ death was a loss for everyone — the Squad, their parents, neighbors and the Mountain Brook community — and the parents at first were not sure what the next step should be, Kristi said. “What happened was the ‘squad moms,’ we were walking with the Ortises and going through this, we’re each left with a kid who’s

really young, who has suffered a major loss,” Kristi Walters said. “What do we do with that? What we realized was that they had been given a platform, and none of them were really mature enough to know what to do with it.” The moms decided then to create the Sid Strong Foundation, a way to raise money for pediatric cancer research and something that would give their kids a chance to use their platform. “It gives them something tangible, because we can’t do anything. We can’t bring Sid back,” Kristi Walters said. “We can only do so much as parents without professional help for our kids, but we can give them something tangible to work on.” Because the members of the Sid Squad are still teenagers, the parents pooled together their skills and resources to kick off the Sid Strong Foundation. For now, the kids are learning the ropes of a foundation as well as helping promote foundation campaigns through social media. The Sid Strong Foundation officially launched in July, and the junior board has since launched “16 for Sid,” a fundraising campaign that encourages donors to give $16 a month for the rest of their lives. “It’s mainly focused around his birthday

The Sid Strong Foundation goes past funding research, however. For members of the board and the junior board, it is also about keeping Ortis’ message alive — one of strength and one of faith. “Obviously we want to be able to fund research and keep other families from having to go through this kind of thing if we can,” David Walters said. “But more importantly, you want to honor his legacy by making sure the people still see that change and that we’re acting on it.” R.L. England said they lead their lives with the message Ortis left them, and they plan to lead the foundation in the same way. “We try to keep his legacy in our message through the Sid Strong Foundation and not deviate from that, so staying strong in Christ and staying on the path to righteousness,” R.L. England said. During their friendship with Ortis, members of the Sid Squad saw a renewal in their faith. Whether it was through Ortis’ prayers or his personal strength, his life has had a lasting influence, Childs said. “His faith and his hope were so strong, and he had this disease that was so terrible and kills so many people, and I’m sitting over here like, ‘I got a bad grade on a test,’” Childs said. “It made me realize how strong my faith should be and how little those things were.” Promoting awareness of pediatric cancer is also an important aspect of the foundation, David Walters said. Sometimes it is hard to acknowledge the pain that comes with a child getting cancer, Scott Ortis said, and that lack of recognition can lead to a lack of funding. “The thought of one of my children having cancer never once crossed my mind, and I deal with patients every day,” he said. “I think it’s just too painful to think about, so it’s just [raising] that awareness.” Everyone involved with the Sid Strong Foundation and its junior board hope to save another child from going through what Ortis experienced and helping the family as well. “Even if it doesn’t end up directly affecting you, you think about the people that have it, they’re usually small children or teenage children like Sid,” Grayson Walters said. “Somebody cares about them. They usually have parents and close friends, so you step into their shoes and think about what their families have to go through.” For more information about Sid Strong Foundation, go to sidstrongfound.org.

VillageLivingOnline.com

November 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ A31