Village Living July 2016 by Starnes Media

Village Living Volume 7 | Issue 4 | July 2016

neighborly news & entertainment for Mountain Brook

art reﬂecting

LIFE

By ANA GOOD

ucked away on a quiet residential street in Irondale, a small art studio is busy providing life-changing services for the often underserved. Studio By The Tracks, which gets its name because of its close proximity to the web of crisscrossed railroad tracks just outside its door, provides free art classes to emotionally conflicted children and adults with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disorders. SBTT is a nonprofit organization formed in 1989 by Mountain Brook resident Ila Faye Miller, the former vocational director of the Allan Cott School for children with autism. From the outside, the space, a converted auto shop with still-visible garage doors, provides little hint of the magnitude of work being done inside. Within the structure’s simple, white walls, artwork from students of all ages, abilities and inspirations lights up the walls. The artwork from paintings, drawings, ceramic work and collages floods the space with life. It’s a reflection, after all, of the students it serves. What the studio offers is more than free art classes. It’s a safe haven where “people who have been handicapped by negative circumstances and society’s assumptions about their ability to achieve” can receive a safe and positive experience, Miller said. For the adult students who may find it difficult to earn a living

Above: Austin proudly displays his work with watercolors. Right: Studio By The Tracks in Irondale has been an outlet for adults with special needs since the mid-1980s. Now located in a former garage and ﬁlling station, art ﬁlls the space. Photos by Frank Couch.

See ART | page A22

Lane Parke tenants open shop By ANA GOOD

Pre-Sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit #830

Late this month, a handful of Lane Parke retail tenants are set to open their doors nearly a year to the day construction on the 66,640-square-foot luxury mixed-use space ﬁrst began. The “shells” of the tenants’ spaces were turned over to the shop owners April 11, said John Evans of Evson, Inc. “They started their own individual build-out from there,” he said. All tenants, with the exception of the restaurants and Western Market, are expected to open sometime in the late July

to August timeline, Evans said. New to the list of publicly announced tenants is Platinum Pilates. It’s a ﬁtness studio that’s a “well-heeled operation,” said Robert Jolly, president and CEO of Retail Specialists. The addition of another, not-yet-publicly-named tenant leaves all but one remaining space for lease. Though he could not share the name of the latest tenant, Jolly described it as a “luxury outdoor gear and apparel” store providing hunting equipment and ﬁeld attire.

INSIDE

See LANE PARKE | page A23 Sponsors ....................A4 City ..............................A6

The Lane Parke development in Mountain Brook Village is set to open the retail development phase soon. Photo by Frank Couch.

Business ....................A14 Community ................ B4

School House ............ B9 Sports ........................ B12

Faith ........................... B17 Calendar ....................B18 facebook.com/villageliving

Voter Guide: 2016

Sights on Sailing

Local elections are approaching fast, so be sure you’re up to speed on who’s in the race (and who’s bowing out), issues and voting do’s and don’ts.

Incoming Mountain Brook High School freshman brings passion for water, competition with her.

See page A8

See page B1

A2 â&#x20AC;˘ July 2016

Village Living

Market Day European Sidewalk Sale Mountain Brook Village July 16th

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Village Living

About Us Editor’s Note By Jennifer Gray With summer being in full swing, many of us love to swim. And many in Mountain Brook have learned to swim from Coach Paige Tatarek. Coach Paige grew up in Mountain Brook and is raising the next generation of swimmers — both competitive and recreational. Paige, an accomplished competitive swimmer, coaches teams and individuals in our community and is rarely out of water! Read her story in this month’s issue. Conquering the water on another

front is Isabel Smith. Isabel is a competitive sailor. She travels regularly to compete in sailing competitions. Her dad, Fred Smith, who is also a sailor, encouraged her love of sailing. Learn more about this sport and the local sailing community inside this issue. Other features you won’t want to miss this month are the details on the annual Otey’s Fest and Market Day. Both are great ways to enjoy a summer day, catch up with friends, enjoy great food and great

bargains in our villages. Also, we have an update on the Lane Parke development and a wonderful and inspiring story about Studio By the Tracks and the Mountain Brook residents connected to it. Lastly, and most importantly, our upcoming city elections. Learn what seats are up for election, how to register to vote and how to run as a candidate.

MEET OUR INTERNS

Maryellen Newton Junior, Samford University Hometown: Birmingham What do you want to learn while you’re here? “I’m really interested in print journalism, so I’m excited to learn not only how the print side operates, but also behind the scenes of how it comes to be.”

Alyx Chandler Senior, University of Alabama Hometown: Madison, AL What do you want to learn while you’re here? “I’m most interested in long-form, in-depth community features, also investigative reports and stories on women-focused issues. While I’m here, I hope to expand my knowledge of how to market and best capture an audience for a new paper through social media, as well as writing hyper-local features that tell the stories community members might not know otherwise.”

Ali Renckens Junior, Union University Hometown: Tampa, FL What do you want to learn while you’re here? “I really enjoy writing creative nonﬁction/feature pieces. I’m not much of a sports reporter, but I do read a lot of sports writing, so I would deﬁnitely be interested in improving that!”

Katherine Polcari Junior, BirminghamSouthern College Hometown: Chattanooga What do you want to learn while you’re here? “I want to be able to center my future career around writing, and preferably I will end up working for a magazine. I am hoping that this internship with Starnes Publishing will reassure myself in my future career path and allow me to improve upon my abilities as a journalist.”

Village Living Publisher: Editor: Managing Editor: Design Editor: Director of Photography: Director of Digital Media: Sports Editor: Page Designers:

Dan Starnes Jennifer Gray Sydney Cromwell Kristin Williams Frank Couch Heather VacLav Kyle Parmley Cameron Tipton Emily VanderMey Community Reporters: Ana Good Erica Techo Jon Anderson Staff Writers: Emily Featherston Sam Chandler Copy Editor: Louisa Jeffries

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

Contributing Kari Kampakis Writers: Olivia Burton Yasmeen Ebada Grace Thornton

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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.

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Village Living

City

Council discusses fate of city’s bridges, roundabout project By ANA GOOD The Mountain Brook City Council on June 13 spent a large part of its meeting time discussing funding for various upcoming projects. For just over an hour during the council’s pre-meeting, the council discussed both projects involving the city’s bridges and planned roundabout improvements to the intersections of Cahaba Road, U.S. Highway 280, Culver Road and Lane Parke Road. During his presentation to the council, Blair Perry of Gresham, Smith and Partners said on the whole, Mountain Brook had done a “really good job” of maintaining each of its 12 bridges. The typical lifespan for bridges, he said, is approximately 50 years. Several of the city’s bridges, he said, are considerably older than that and are still in fairly good condition. A handful, he said, are in need of either major rehab or complete replacement. Among the bridges needing attention within the next few years, said Perry, are located at: ► Canterbury Road over Watkins Creek ► Old Brook Trail over Little Shades Creek ► Mountain Brook Parkway over Shades Creek Perry said each of the bridges received a “sufﬁciency rating” score of 56 or lower. The bridge at Canterbury Road over Watkins Road received a score of 29.4; Old Brook Trail over Little Shades Creek received a score of 25.9; and Mountain Brook Parkway over Shades Creek

In a study by Gresham, Smith and Partners, the bridge at Old Brook Trail over Little Shades Creek received a sufﬁciency rating score of 25.9 out of 100—the lowest of the city’s 12 bridges. Photo courtesy of Gresham, Smith and Partners.

received a score of 57.7. The scores are based on a 100-point scale. Due to the estimated cost of the repair work needed on some of the bridges — rehabbing the bridge at Canterbury Road over Watkins Creek, for example, would cost approximately $526,000 — the council decided to turn the ﬁndings over to Finance Director Steven Boone to see how funding the projects would affect the city’s budget. The council then heard from Andre Bittas, director of the Planning, Engineering and Permits Department with the city of Birmingham, and Alicia Bailey of Sain Associates for an

update on the proposed roundabout improvements. Bittas said although Mayor William Bell and the council were in favor of the project — in May, the Birmingham City Council voted to reimburse Mountain Brook for half of the cost of the project — it might be wise to do some further studies of the area. Bittas said gathering more in-depth cost estimates would ensure all parties knew exactly what was expected of them. Further inquires into what the environmental impact would be on the land and just how much land the project would take from the Birmingham Zoo in right-of-way acquisition are needed, Bittas said. Pending those studies, as well as some other revisions by Sain, the council decided to not yet vote on approving the contract with Sain for the design work. In a 4-1 vote — with Jack Carl dissenting — the council did approve a resolution reafﬁrming Resolutions 2015-164 through 167 adopted on Nov. 9, 2015, concerning the cost sharing agreement between the city, Birmingham and ALDOT. Carl said he is not in support of the project because of various issues he has with how it will be funded. In other business, the council also: ► Approved an ABC Board the issuance of a Retail Beer (On or Off Premises Only) and a Retail Table Wine (On or Off Premises Only) license to the Crestline Piggly Wiggly. ► Declared a 2008 Dodge Dakota SLT truck surplus and ratiﬁed its sale for fair value.

► Reappointed Thomas George Luckie to the Mountain Brook Board of Education, to serve without compensation through May 31, 2021. ► Set a public hearing for July 11 at 7 p.m. to consider an ordinance amending Sec. 129-295 of the City Code regarding open houses, home tours, and special events in residential zoning districts. ► Set a public hearing for July 11 at 7 p.m. to consider an ordinance amending Articles I, X, XI, XII of the City Code regarding ofﬁce uses and medical clinics. ► Approved the lunchtime restaurant conditional use [lunch service] application for Biscuit Boy at 2708 Culver Road. ► Appointed the city clerk as election manager for the Aug. 23 general municipal election and any related runoff election held thereafter. ► Authorized the execution of an agreement with Details Communications, Inc. for website design and development services for the Emmet O’Neal Library. ► Authorized the execution of a release agreement with Brookwood Baptist Church with respect to the May 3, 2016, private water main rupture caused by a defective ﬁre hydrant. ► Approved the conditional [service] use application for Back-on-Track Chiropractic at 2031-B Cahaba Road. ► Approved an ordinance amending Article VI of the City Code with respect to the city’s disability discrimination grievance procedure.

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July 2016 • A7

Council approves study for Jemison Park bridge By SYDNEY CROMWELL The city of Mountain Brook is looking at options to create a bridge to connect Jemison Trail over Shades Creek, which currently is connected by a set of concrete stepping stones. Council member Billy Pritchard said residents had expressed concerns that the stepping stones and staircases on either side were not accessible to people with disabilities or parents with strollers. A resident has offered to raise funds and privately pay for the bridge’s construction. The council decided at its May 23 meeting to pay Schoel Engineering around $7,700 to study the area and come up with bridge options. Since the proposed bridge location would be in a flood plain, FEMA regulations require that any changes must not raise flood levels. It’s more likely that the bridge would be a “wet” bridge that could withstand occasional flooding when rainfall is high. Schoel Engineering will return to the council with possible alternatives. At the meeting, the council also: ► Heard from community members who appreciated the recent extension of MAX bus route 43 into Mountain Brook Village, instead of its former stopping point at the zoo. Residents also recognized Richard Goldstein, the city’s liaison to the Transit Authority, for his efforts to get the route changed. ► Held a public hearing to consider making

A stepping stone bridge over Shades Creek is currently impassable for people with disabilities or anyone with strollers in Jemison Park. The council has funded a study to consider replacement options. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

the cul-de-sac of Ridgecrest Road a no-parking zone. Residents said the area is frequently ﬁlled with parked cars, which could prevent an emergency vehicle from accessing that road. They also said the cul-de-sac is a frequent parking area for teenagers, and neighbors often ﬁnd beer cans,

water bottles and food containers left behind. However, the council noted that making the area a no-parking zone could simply move the parking problem to another part of the street, and prevent guests at nearby houses from parking. The council decided to table the discussion until

they could talk with police and the city’s legal counsel. ► Approved a contract with Sain and Associates for construction engineering and inspection services for Phase 5B of the city’s sidewalk project. ► Approved the purchase of 0.17 acres from owner Rami Achdut to add to the Cahaba River Walk. ► Approved a clinical agreement with Wallace State Community College to provide educational opportunities for paramedic students. ► Approved the county Personnel Board’s recommendation to upgrade the position of revenue officer. ► Sent a proposed zoning amendment to the planning commission to consider. The council wants to add medical office as a potential use to the Office Park Zoning District, and remove it from all other professional districts. The planning commission will draft the ordinance and hold a public hearing before making a recommendation to the council. ► Tabled discussion of adding a “No Turn on Red” sign for the ramp to U.S. 280 at Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook Village, to relieve traffic issues. The council decided that the completion of Lane Parke and the possible future replacement of the intersection with a roundabout made it impossible to predict future traffic needs. ► Dropped discussion of cost assessment for nuisance abatement at 2324 Cahaba Road, as the costs had been paid.

A8 • July 2016

Village Living

n i a t n u o M rook B

By ANA GOOD

This August, Mountain Brook residents will head to the polls to vote for a mayor and two city council members. Here are a few things you need to know before election day.

t a h W

The issues With the completion of a major project this year — Lane Parke — and the planning of other major projects — the roundabout improvements to the intersections of Cahaba Road, U.S. Highway 280, Culver Road and Lane Parke Road — here are some of the major issues the city’s newest leaders will have to guide the city through. ► LANE PARKE: All tenants, with the exception of the restaurants and Western Market, said John Evans of Evson, Inc., are expected to open sometime in the late July to August timeline. All stores and restaurants should be up and running by mid-October. The new inﬂux of businesses will also bring an increase in trafﬁc and people. Robert Jolly, president and CEO of Retail Specialists, said the new development will offer “plenty of parking,” including parking for visitors to the Grand Bohemian next door. In the evenings, restaurantgoers will be able to take advantage of valet services, Jolly said. Plans for Phase 2, which will be more women’s fashion and boutique-heavy, should be underway sometime in 2020. First, the area will be demolished right up to the edge of the current Western,

n e h W JULY 5

where a few retailers with non-expired leases will remain. The fully-functional Jemison Lane, which will connect Montevallo to Lane Park Road, will ease access into the area, Jolly said. ► ROUNDABOUT IN MOUNTAIN BROOK VILLAGE: Plans are currently underway to bring roundabout improvements to the intersections of Cahaba Road, U.S. Highway 280, Culver Road and Lane Parke Road. The construction of the two roundabouts — a large roundabout at Cahaba Road, 280 and Lane Parke Road and a mini roundabout on Cahaba Road — will take about three to four years to complete. Estimated costs put the total project at just under $3.5 million for the right of way acquisition, preliminary engineering, utilities and construction costs. The cost will be split among federal CMAQ funding, as well as the cities of Birmingham and Mountain Brook. The majority of the project will be ﬁnanced federally, for a total of approximately $2.79 million. Mountain Brook and Birmingham will split the remaining cost equally, paying about $349,100 each. In May, the Birmingham City Council voted to reimburse Mountain Brook

Candidates begin qualifying to run. While many candidates often announce their intention to run for election before this date, this is the day when the formal process of submitting qualifying forms begins.

for up to $349,100 for its half of the remaining 20 percent. Mountain Brook voted to approve its end of the agreement in June. ► PARKING ISSUES IN NEIGHBORHOODS: Residents from neighborhoods near Mountain Brook High School have recently approached the council asking for its help on solving parking issues involving students parking near their homes. On May 23, the council held a public hearing to consider making the cul-de-sac of Ridgecrest Road a no-parking zone. Residents said the area is frequently ﬁlled with parked cars, which could prevent an emergency vehicle from accessing that road and is often where they ﬁnd teenagers, beer cans, water bottles and food containers left behind. The council decided to table the discussion until they could talk with police and the city’s legal counsel. ► SIDEWALKS: Work will soon begin on the city’s 5B sidewalk project. On May 23, the council approved a contract with Sain and Associates for construction engineering and inspection services for the project. Plans for Phase 9, from Mountain Brook Presbyterian to Crosshill Road, are also in the works.

The terms of three city leaders are set to expire this year, with elections coming up on Aug. 23. Elections will be held for council places two and four, currently held by Jack Carl and Virginia Smith, this summer. The office of the mayor is also up for election. Smith will once again run for office, though Carl and Mayor Terry Oden will not seek re-election. All members of the city’s governing body are elected at-large — as opposed to districts — and serve 4-year terms, receiving no compensation for their service. According to City Ordinance No. 1627, which was enacted in 2004, the terms of office of the mayor and members of the City Council are staggered. Elections are held every two years on the fourth Tuesday of August in all even years. While the members of the City Council are elected at large, each campaigns for and, if elected, holds a specific council place — one through five. A runoff election, should it be required, will be held Oct. 4. Elected officials will take office Nov. 7. Voters must register by Aug. 8 and regular absentee ballots must be applied for by Aug. 18. Contact the Jefferson County Board of Registrars at 325-5550 for voter registration information. Aug. 22 is the last day for a voter to apply for an emergency absentee ballot if they are required by their employer to be out of the county on election day. Absentee ballots must be hand-delivered by the close of business the day before the election. If mailed, absentee ballots must be postmarked by Aug. 22. Visit the Mountain Brook “City Information” section of the mtnbrook.org website for absentee ballot applications. Visit the Municipal Election page under the City Information tab on the city of Mountain Brook website at mtnbrook.org for more information about the August election, as well as necessary packets and guidelines for interested candidates.

JULY 19

The last day to qualify to run. All qualifying forms must be ﬁled with the city clerk by 5 p.m.

AUG. 18

AUG. 10

Last day to register to vote for the municipal election.

AUG. 23

Last day to apply for a regular absentee ballot, available from the city clerk.

Election day

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July 2016 • A9

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A10 • July 2016

Village Living

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The governing body of the city of Mountain Brook consists of five council members and a mayor. The terms of three city leaders are set to expire this year, should they choose to either not run again or are not re-elected in the upcoming Aug. 23 municipal election. Elections will be held for council places two and four, currently held by Jack Carl and Virginia Smith, this summer. The office of the mayor is also up for election. Smith will once again run for office, though Carl and Mayor Terry Oden will not seek reelection. “After 24 years of elected office in Mountain Brook,” Oden said, “I have decided not to run again.” In speaking about her decision to run again, Smith said she had spoken with her family and they all shared their support. The other council members, as well as city leaders, she said, also showed their support. Smith said because the council members are selected to serve the whole city and are not paid for their service, everyone’s decisions are made for the good of the whole. Even when they vote differently, she said, the council has been able to move on and continue handling the city’s business. “I’ve worked with great council members throughout the years,” she said. “I’ve met a lot of people and I think, made a lot of friends.”

MAYOR TERRY ODEN Retiring

PLACE 4 COUNCILOR, COUNCIL PRESIDENT VIRGINIA SMITH

PLACE 2 COUNCILMAN JACK CARL Retiring

Running for re-election

a note

The following council members’ seats are not up for election this year. Their term of ofﬁce ends in the year next to their name on the ﬁrst Monday in November.

► REGISTERING TO RUN: As per municipal ordinance, Oden will give notice of the election July 5, opening up the qualifying period for interested candidates. Qualifying forms will be made available through the city clerk. Those wishing to apply as candidates will have until July 19 to turn in a statement of

Place 1 Councilor Alice B. Womack (2018)

Place 3 Councilman William S. (Billy) Pritchard, III (2018)

candidacy and the $50 qualifying fee to the city clerk no later than 5 p.m. Anyone wishing to run for ofﬁce must ﬁle a Statement of Economic Interests directly with Ethics Commission before qualifying. Candidates must reside in the municipality and the district for a period of 90 days before the election and must be at

Place 5 Councilman Lloyd C. Shelton (2018)

least 18 years old. According to information available on the city’s candidate for elected ofﬁce information page, candidates must familiarize themselves with the various reporting and other requirements of the Alabama Ethics Commission and Fair Campaign Practices Act.

VillageLivingOnline.com

e r e Wh

► City Hall (Precinct 46, Box 9), 56 Church Street, 35213

► St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (Precinct 46, Box 8), 3736 Montrose Road, 35213

► Cherokee Bend Elementary (Precinct 45, Box 2), 4400 Fair Oaks Drive, 35223

w o H REGISTERING TO VOTE ► FIRST TIME: Applicants who are registering to vote for the first time must complete a State of Alabama Voter Registration Form and submit it to the county where they live. The applicant must provide a physical address — not a P.O. box — as well as their date of birth and an original signature. A State of Alabama Voter Registration Card will be mailed to the voter, and that will show the voter’s polling location. ► FINDING FORMS: Voter registration forms can be found at the office of the Board of Registrars, satellite licensing offices and public libraries. ► VERIFYING INFORMATION: Voters

July 2016 • A11

who are already registered to vote should make sure their information, including name and address if there has been a recent change, is up to date. Voter registration does not transfer between counties even within the same state, and any voters who have moved into Jefferson County will have to complete a new registration. Name changes and changes of address within the county must be made in writing and forwarded to the board of registrars. Voters can check that they are registered to vote by entering their last name, county and date of birth at alabamavotes.gov. ► QUALIFICATIONS: To vote in a municipal election, a voter must live in the city for 30 days before registering to vote. Applications sent by mail should be postmarked before Aug. 10 and sent directly to the board of registrars.

M˜ e

► Mountain Brook Elementary (Precinct 46, Box 7), 3020 Cambridge Road, 35223

► Mountain Brook Community Church (Precinct 48, Box 4), 3001 U.S. Highway 280

► Brookwood Baptist Church (Precinct 48, Box 6), 3449 Overton Road, 35223

check Aug ust’s Take us Village L with you. iving f comple te list of candida tes

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Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the locations marked above. Beginning with the Aug. 23 general city election, the Locksley Fire Station polling location will be reassigned to Mountain Brook Community Church located at the intersection of U.S. 280 and Cahaba River Road. The Locksley polling location, according to the city’s newsletter, was less than ideal due to access,

parking and exposure to the elements. Voters assigned to this precinct will vote at Mountain Brook Community Church, 3001 U.S. 280. All registered and qualiﬁed electors of the state, according to the city’s election notice, who reside within the corporate limits of Mountain Brook and who are qualiﬁed to vote in the county precinct, will be authorized to participate in the election.

Stay up to date with municipal election coverage at villagelivingonline. com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter

A12 • July 2016

Village Living

Purple traps set to study emerald ash borer beetle By ANA GOOD Peculiar purple traps are hanging high atop Mountain Brook ash trees. But the “thing-a-ma-jigs,” as they have been called, are no cause for alarm, said Jeff Head, the USDA state plant health director in Alabama. They are traps, he said, aimed at helping the U.S. Department of Agriculture in surveying for an invasive pest in the community — the emerald ash borer beetle. The beetle has killed millions of ash trees in 25 states across the nation, but thankfully, it has not been detected in Alabama, he said. The beetles, however, can be found in several of Alabama’s neighboring states. The exotic beetle, which originated in Asia, was discovered in southeastern Michigan in the summer of 2002, according to the Emerald Ash Borer Information Network. Studies have found that adult beetles only nibble on the ash foliage and cause little damage. It’s the larvae, feeding on the inner bark of ash trees, that cause major damage to the tree. The larvae’s feeding disrupts the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients, eventually leading to its death. It is believed the beetles probably arrived in the United States on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes. There are six purple traps in the Mountain Brook area and 75 in Jefferson County, Head said. The three-sided traps, about 3 feet tall, are made of a cardboard-like material. This year, the trap installation has been contracted out to Delta-21 Resources Inc. out of Knoxville, Tennessee. Local USDA officers will perform routine inspections and gather periodic

Federal quarantine boundaries involving the emerald ash borer beetle are outlined in red in the map above. Right: Mountain Brook residents might have seen some peculiar purple traps hanging high atop ash trees throughout the community. Photos courtesy of Sharon Lucik.

reports on the traps to ensure they are being used correctly, Head said. This isn’t the first time the purple traps have been deployed in Alabama, he said. It’s common practice to survey areas to determine if the harmful beetles are present in an area. In Alabama, the surveys have been conducted for years. If the beetle’s presence is determined, Head said a number of regulatory procedures would have to take place. “Thankfully, I haven’t had to become an expert in that,” he said. “Of course we don’t want them here. But if they are here, we want our traps to let us know.” Sharon Lucik, public affairs specialist with

the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said areas where the beetle is found are placed under a federal quarantine. Because of the seriousness of the matter, Lucik said once a trap is believed to have captured one of the pests, it must first be positively identified by a number of different entomologists. “The suspect beetle is sent to the USDA for identification by an entomologist and then for confirmation in another laboratory,” she said. “It has to go through a vetting process, because there are lookalike beetles out there.” The purple traps, though they appear out of the norm, pose no risk to people or pets. But they are covered with nontoxic glue and are very sticky,

so it’s best not to touch them, Head said. The traps will be in area ash trees through August. Residents are asked not to disturb them. For more information about the emerald ash borer beetle survey or to report a fallen trap, call 1-866-322-4512.

www.dsldland.com

VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 • A13

Brad Sklar and Elizabeth Dunn, below, will be returning to their appointed positions on the Mountain Brook Board of Education during the 2016-17 school year. Photos by Madison Miller.

Mountain Brook BOE elects ofﬁcers, hears year-end reports By ANA GOOD Brad Sklar and Elizabeth Dunn will be returning to their appointed positions on the Mountain Brook Board of Education during the 2016-2017 school year. At its monthly meeting June 13, the BOE voted to once again have Sklar serve as its chair and Dunn as its vice chair. The BOE then heard year-end presentations from Karen Svetlay, Mountain Brook High School’s college advisor and Dr. Dale Wisely, director of student services. Of the 328 MBHS 2016 graduates, said Svetlay, who shared matriculation information, 317 of them were headed off to college. Four students were in a transition phase, three were taking a break year, two has no plans, one planned to work and another planned to join the military, she said. As many as 30 percent chose to attend out-of-state colleges, said Svetlay, attending schools in 19 different states. Nearly all — 95 percent — will attend four-year colleges. “That’s great news,” said Sklar of Svetlay’s report. “Now all those students can go and spread Mountain Brook’s message.” In his presentation, Wisely updated the BOE on the school district’s drug testing results for the 2015-2016 school year. Of the 352 drug tests administered during the most recent school year — some students were tested more than once — a total of eight were positive. Wisely said that accounted for a total of seven students, one tested positive twice. Five tests returned positive tests for marijuana and three for amphetamines. MBHS conducts drug testing in three different

ways, said Wisely: tests based on reasonable suspicion, activity students who are involved in sports or interscholastic events and students who volunteer to be tested in order to be able to park on campus. The various methods, he said, make up the testing “pool.” From there, students are selected at random several times a year with no prior warning. They are simply removed from class and supervised until they provide a urine sample. The tests, said Wisely, look for an assortment of drugs, including amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, methadone and marijuana to name a few. They are conducted by a third party and the school has no control over who gets randomly selected for a test, he said. Should a student test positive, the school will be notiﬁed, who will then notify the parents and offer assistance. If the student has parking privileges at the school or is on a school team, those activities may be suspended. “We are doing more testing now, numerically, than in previous years,” said Wisely, who also noted that twice a year, a team of drug-snifﬁng dogs canvas the school. Due to the ever-growing variety of available drugs, Wisely suggested it might be time for the BOE to consider expanding its testing methods. The next BOE meeting will be July 11 at 3:30 p.m. in the Professional Learning Center. From July 18-20, MBHS will host the Mountain Brook Learning Conference. New teacher orientation week will be from July 25-28 and the new teacher breakfast will be at 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 26, at the Country Club of Birmingham.

A14 • July 2016

Village Living

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Overton Rd Looking for heart specialists in Birmingham?

Like many of the area’s notable physicians, the Alabama Cardiovascular Group has settled into their new offices in the Grandview Physicians Plaza. But you can count on us at any of our six locations. Birmingham: 2151 Highland Avenue South, Suite 320 Fultondale: 339 Walker Chapel Road Gardendale: 2217 Decatur Highway, Suite 123 Grandview Health Campus: 3686 Grandview Parkway, Suite 720 Pell City: 2048 Martin Street Trussville: 5890 Valley Road, Suite 200

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5/11/16 5:47 PM

VillageLivingOnline.com

Now Open 1

Stairway Lending is now open at 3940 Montclair Road, Suite 401. 327-1350, stairwaylending.com

Piggly Wiggly is now open in Crestline at 41 Church St. 802-9078, pigglywiggly.com

Iz Neighborhood Grocery is now open in English Village at 2037 Cahaba Road. The grocery, located in the space previously occupied by Café Iz, carries most grocery staples along with pre-made dishes from the Vestavia Hills location of Café Iz. 414-0081, everythingiz.com

Bearden Design Et Boutique, an interior design showroom in English Village, is now open at 600 Olde English Lane, Suite 112. The ﬁrm is owned by husband and wife, Gil and Debbie Mouyal. 907-1835, beardendesign.com

July 2016 • A15 Kerry Grinkmeyer has started a new company, Best of US Homes, under the RealtySouth brokerage, with offices located at 105 Euclid Ave. in Crestline. The real estate firm specializes in selling luxury homes in the Birmingham market, defined as homes selling at or above $600,000. 919-6006, bestofus.com

Coming Soon O’Henry’s Coffees will open a location inside the new Western Supermarket location slated to open in Lane Parke later this fall. ohenryscoffees.com

Anniversaries Kevin J. Alexander, DMD, is celebrating its 27th anniversary in business. The dentistry practice is located at 48 Church St. 871-7361, drkevinjalexander.com

Business news

to share? Now Open Coming Soon

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

Village Living iving Email dan@villagelivingonline.com

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

A16 • July 2016

Village Living

Gaiser perfecting his craft Christian Gaiser constructs custom woodwork projects from his home workshop in Crestwood. Photo by Sam Chandler.

By SAM CHANDLER Christian Gaiser graduated from Auburn University in 1997 with a degree in criminal justice and law enforcement. But these days, the 44-year-old Mountain Brook native is more likely to be woodworking than fighting crime. As proprietor of CG Woodwork, Gaiser constructs customized wooden built-ins, bookcases and window seats from his Crestwood workshop. “It all started when I was in junior high,” Gaiser said. “We had industrial shop classes where you take woodworking, small engine repair, technical drawing and things like that. That’s where I started woodworking — in seventh grade from my shop teacher.” After being introduced to the craft by former Mountain Brook Junior High instructor Lewis Caldwell, Gaiser said his draw to woodworking steadily grew over time. What started as a hobby evolved into a booming full-time business. Gaiser estimates he completes 30-plus projects a year in locations throughout the Birmingham metro area. From the time he was a boy at Crestline Elementary, Gaiser said he had a penchant for taking things apart and putting them back together. One time he even deconstructed his parents’ VCR. “You’d see something that was broken or needed to be fixed,” Gaiser said. “I always just would look at it and say, ‘Well, what can I do to try and fix it?’ Then I would set out and try to figure it out.” Gaiser said his sense of curiosity never left him, though his path to the present included a few detours. Although he earned his undergraduate degree in criminal justice, Gaiser began taking trade classes at Bessemer State Technical College soon after his Auburn graduation.

He aspired to earn his home builders’ license rather than pursue a career in law enforcement. But in time, that desire ﬁzzled out as well, and he took a position as a real estate agent at LAH Real Estate. It was then that Gaiser’s woodworking business began to take root. On the side, he started to churn out household woodwork projects for his family and friends. But when one business demand surpassed the other, he said he took the hint.

“I started getting more phone calls about doing woodworking than I did about selling real estate, so I just said, ‘You know what, maybe I’ll just start doing woodworking,’ and I stopped real estate all together,” Gaiser said. Since 2004, he’s been devoted to the craft full time. A self-described interior ﬁnish carpenter, Gaiser said he can design and build nearly any piece a customer desires. “Once you get the walls up in a house, I can

do just about anything in there, but I specialize in custom-sized built-ins,” he said. Regardless of the ﬁnished product, Gaiser said it’s his attention to detail that sets his work apart. “It’s the detail and the attention that I like because I like doing it — it’s not just a job; it’s a passion that I like doing, so I feel like I put my heart into it, and it shows,” he said. To contact Gaiser or see examples of his work, go to cgwoodwork.com or visit the CG Woodwork Facebook page.

VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 • A17

IZ Cafe becomes neighborhood grocery store By SYDNEY CROMWELL Over the 16 years that Kay Reed has owned Everything IZ, she has prided herself on her company’s ability to change. “What we’ve done is we’ve adapted … when something doesn’t work we try to ﬁnd something else, and we change,” Reed said. So when the IZ Cafe location in English Village continued to struggle more than two years after it opened, Reed decided to take it in a different direction. Though the number of dining customers was low, Reed said their prepared to-go meals were popular. “It’s a tough corner,” Reed said of their location at 2037 Cahaba Road. On April 30, IZ Cafe closed, and its tables and chairs were replaced by a dining counter, freezers, a deli case and a wine rack. The shop reopened in May as something new: IZ Neighborhood Grocery. “We’re super excited about it. We feel like this is our opportunity,” Reed said. Reed said IZ will be a quick stop for people looking for the basic groceries — breads, eggs, cheeses, meats, produce, ﬂour, grits and beer and wine, for starters. Several of the suppliers for IZ are “local, farm-fresh” vendors, Reed said. Many items on the shelf will be familiar to IZ diners, including to-go meals, freezable casseroles and some of their more popular hors d’oeuvres and desserts. “I think people like prepared foods. I think they love to grab and go,” Reed said. IZ Neighborhood Grocery will continue providing hot dinners for pickup, as well as sides

“

I hope people will suggest things that they’d like to see, because we want to sell what people want to purchase.

”

KAY REED

IZ Cafe closed in April and was remodeled to become IZ Neighborhood Grocery, a quick stop for people looking for basic groceries and to-go meals. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

that they serve through IZ Catering and a salad or vegetable of the day. The shop will make fresh paninis when they open each day at 10 a.m. and sell growlers of beer. They’re also considering selling homemade ice cream in new ﬂavors each month. “If people want to have a panini and a draft beer at the counter, they can,” Reed said. While IZ Neighborhood Grocery will still be in a challenging location, Reed said she plans to have frequent specials and try to get the word out about the new store. She wants the grocery to be both comfortable and convenient for Mountain Brook residents. “I would like to be the go-to for some of those things,” Reed said. Most importantly, Reed said IZ Neighborhood Grocery will be as adaptable as she is. If shoppers have suggestions for products they’d like to see, she plans to stock them. “I hope people will suggest things that they’d like to see, because we want to sell what people want to purchase,” Reed said.

Voted

BEST OF MOUNTAIN BROOK Village Living Best Mexican Food

A18 • July 2016

Village Living

REPORTING FROM PERU: A tourist’s perspective

VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 • A19 Olivia Burton, a 2014 Mountain Brook High School graduate, interned for Village Living during previous summers and wrote for the Sword & Shield at MBHS. Burton traveled Peru for two weeks as part of the Yale Globalist’s annual student trip. Photos courtesy of Olivia Burton.

By OLIVIA BURTON “Get out of Lima as soon as possible,” said my friend, who visited Peru last summer, when I told him I was planning a reporting trip to the country for 17 writers from the Yale Globalist. For two weeks, as part of its annual student trip, we were to conduct interviews and research in Peru for the Globalist. As a trip leader and a co-editor for the magazine, I helped students find their sources for articles about quinoa production, intellectual property rights for indigenous people, the effects of the mining industry on public health, Peruvian surfing culture, Afro-Peruvian music, and ayahuasca tourism. Others echoed my friend’s sentiment, advising me to spend no more than one night in Lima if necessary. Furthermore, the travel blogs I browsed focused primarily on areas more popular with tourists, such as Cusco and the Sacred Valley, home of the famous Machu Picchu. My co-leader, Micaela Bullard, however, grew up in Lima and couldn’t wait to help a new group of travelers explore the city. We stayed at a hostel in Miraflores, a popular district of Lima, which was across the street from Parque Kennedy, where dozens of cats roam freely and snuggle with visitors. The hostel was also a short walk from Parque del Amor, where paragliders launch from the cliffs to sail over Lima’s beaches and couples watch the sunset seated on a wall mosaic that features quotes about love from Peruvian poets. Micaela and I agreed that one full week in Lima would give the journalists in our group the opportunity to find sources for their articles. Afterward, we split into two groups: Micaela’s group explored Cusco and the Sacred Valley

while my group traveled to Puerto Maldonado and the surrounding rain forest. In spite of my initial skepticism towards Lima, I was surprised by how quickly my seven days in the city ﬁlled with activities, some planned, but most spontaneous. For example, during our last day in Lima, I spent my ﬁrst hour waiting in line at ScotiaBank to withdraw cash for our trip dinners — mundane, but necessary. When I returned to the hostel, one of my fellow trip members, Gabriella, asked me to help translate an interview with a man (Micaela’s friend’s boyfriend’s friend) who frequently uses ayahuasca, a legal plant-based drug that causes hallucinations, vomiting, and, according to many who have experienced it, spiritual encounters. Since Gabriella is writing about the ayahuasca tourism industry in Peru, she is trying to collect as many stories and experiences as possible (without actually trying it of course). During the interview at a nearby park, we were distracted by paragliders soaring above Lima’s famous cliffs. We rushed to the Parque el Amor after the interview and were soon in the air. I ended my day with an interview at Madam

Tusan’s, an upscale Chinese-Peruvian fusion restaurant, where the chef brought dish after dish of fried rice, steamed buns, and noodles for me to taste (travel journalism has its perks!). As my previous misconceptions of the city were shattered with each new experience, Lima began to remind me of the many conversations I have had with my friends at Yale about Birmingham. Sadly, many people living in other parts of the country think of Birmingham, and more broadly, the “American South,” as a strange, separate entity from the rest of the U.S. In spite of a recent string of articles praising Birmingham’s growth and naming it as one of the year’s top travel destinations — Travel Channel named the city on of “The Next 11 Great Travel Destinations” for 2016 — misconceptions about Birmingham will likely linger for a long time. Just as Micaela was so enthusiastic to show her friends the real Lima, I had the opportunity to show my college roommate, Elizabeth, an African American studies major, around Birmingham when she visited for two weeks last summer to work at the Civil Rights Institute. As I showed her my favorite spots in town, I enjoyed the

opportunity to present the city as I see it, with its delicious food, friendly people, and beautiful neighborhoods. But I became a tourist in my own city as well. For example, the two of us attended a church service at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, a reminder of Birmingham’s darker history that is too easy to forget while driving along Mountain Brook’s lush, tree-lined streets, and a place that I never found a reason to visit except for a brief school ﬁeld trip that I now have trouble remembering. Now that I’m spending less and less time in Birmingham (I was home for a grand total of ﬁve days this summer), each visit feels like a strange, somewhat alienating mixture between going home and coming to visit. Like a tourist who only has a few days to see a new city, I try to pack it all in, making reservations at all of my favorite restaurants and calling up friends from high school. But I also try to set aside time to sit on my back porch, go on long walks and read a book at Church Street. Somewhere between frantic tourism planned by the minute and lazy afternoons at home is the perfect mixture between the two.

A20 • July 2016

Village Living

Party of 7 Pledger family ‘does it all’ By ANA GOOD

was working with at the time had little or no family in the United States, Maryann Pledger likes to joke some of them eventually started that she has a tendency to “collect spending holidays and weekends with children.” the Pledger family. At the same time, The Mountain Brook resident and Maryann Pledger was reading “A wife to Mountain Brook Junior High Heart for Freedom” by Chai Ling, one teacher and coach John Pledger, might of the protesters at Tiananmen Square, actually be on to something. As biolog- and learning about the struggles of the ical parents to three, adoptive parents Chinese people. to two and former foster parents, the “One day when I came home from Pledgers’ home houses five children work, it was like God hit me over the — all under the age of 10. And then of head with the message. We both knew course, there are the family’s two dogs. we were supposed to adopt,” she said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” The Pledgers’ decision to adopt said Maryann Pledger, as she and John came in 2013, and in February of that Pledger hurried around their home year, the couple began working with putting hair in buns and cleats on Lifeline Children’s Services in the shoes as their daughters, six-year-old adoption process. Though they are not Anna Claire and five-year-old Ade- related, Alec and Anderson were both laide, put on their cheerleading outfits. believed to share the same hearing disTheir sons, Alec and Ayden, both 8, ability. As teachers by trade — Marywere both headed to baseball practice. ann Pledger now teaches ESL classes Little Anderson, age 4, followed his at Shades Valley and Irondale Middle brothers around. School — the couple said they felt they Officially, the Pledgers became a were aptly prepared to care for children family of seven when the adoption of who might need a little extra help. Alec and Anderson, both from China, When the adoption was complete was complete. In adopting her two in 2014, doctor visits back in the boys, Maryann Pledger said the deci- United States revealed Alec was hearsion was God’s will. ing impaired. Anderson, on the other While teaching English to Chinese hand, simply had significant wax students at Samford University, she buildup in his ears. said she was finally able to understand “He could hear just fine,” said Anna what God had been wanting her to do Claire with a laugh. “He just wasn’t for years. listening.” “I felt like God had been working In order to help Alec adjust, he was on my heart for a long time to adopt,” sent to multiple specialists for evalMaryann Pledger said. “And at the same uation. Within his first six months time, He was working on John’s heart.” in the U.S., he was fitted with a 1 she 6/6/16 cochlear 4:43 PMimplant. The implant allows BecauseHOH_starnesad.pdf the Chinese students

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The Pledger family, headed to cheerleading and baseball practice, pauses for a brief second outside their Mountain Brook home. Top row: Anderson, John, Maryann and Adelaide. Bottom row: Anna Claire, Ayden and Alec. Photo by Ana Good.

him to hear everything, Maryann Pledger said. The issue, however, is that because Alec is now hearing in English for the ﬁrst time and might never have heard anything, he has to learn what he is hearing. The family is learning to use Total Communication — Signed Exact English, not American Sign Language — while speaking at the same time, to communicate with Alec and in his presence, she said. At school, Alec is in the same classroom as Anna Claire, where they are both learning SEE. “That way, I can learn what he learns,” she said, “and then come

share it with everyone else.” Through it all, Maryann Pledger said the family couldn’t have done it without the village around them. From helping them raise the nearly $42,000 needed to pay for associated adoption costs, through events such as a MBJH football player and cheerleader car wash, to homemade-meal deliveries and clothing donations, the Pledgers said they know they are blessed to call Mountain Brook home. “We realized that God had asked us to do,” Maryann Pledger said. “And he’d ask others to give.” Today, the family has adjusted well to living together. Though they might look

a little different, the Pledger kids are siblings through and through. The little ones walk around the house together holding hands, Maryann Pledger said. The older ones can’t wait to get outside and throw the football around. “They’d love for us to adopt more,” she said. “I remind them to relax and be patient.” On the last day of school, the Pledgers had plans to surprise their kids with a trip to Disney World. Baseball, cheerleading, basketball, football and gymnastics would be waiting back home. “We do it all,” John Pledger said. “We want all ﬁve of them to be able to experience everything.”

VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 • A21

Botanical beautifi ation Birmingham gardens intern aims to improve pollinator, interpretive areas Rachel Martin, a senior at North Carolina State University, is hoping to provide design recommendations and implement improvements at the pollinator area at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Photo by Erica Techo.

By ERICA TECHO Rachel Martin said she didn’t enjoy the outdoors as a kid, but those feelings have certainly changed. She is now a horticulture major at North Carolina State University and working as a full-time summer intern at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. “Something just switched, and once I went off to college and even in high school, just getting more exposed to things like environmental science and eventually horticulture, that [my interests] just turned,” she said. Throughout her college career, Martin has worked at multiple internships in North Carolina — including work at the North Carolina Arboretum and at Biltmore Estate — but wanted to leave her home state during her senior summer. “I researched all different internships, and I was really attracted to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens because of their mission statement and their five-year plan and all of the work they were involved in regard to education,” she said. Martin started at the gardens on May 16 and will continue her internship through Aug. 5. She said she hopes to use her concentration in landscape design and minor in landscape architecture while working at the gardens and plans to focus on the pollinator garden and the Native American interpretive area. “Since my concentration is in landscape design, I’m looking forward to making some design recommendations,” she said. Martin’s internship is supported by the Rotary Club of Shades Valley, which holds an annual Botanical Bash to raise money for a salary for the garden intern. This is the seventh year for the RCSV internship, and the Rotary Club’s support makes this internship stand out from past internships, as those have been supported through a

fellowship or sponsorship, rather than a Rotary Club’s fundraising, Martin said. The combination of a focus on education and a focus on garden improvement is also something that makes the Birmingham Botanical Gardens special, Martin said. Her internship at the North Carolina Arboretum focused on environmental education, while her work at Biltmore Estate centered on horticulture. “It’s sort of combining both of those things,” Martin said. “It’s got the components of education as well as the horticulture focus.” In the pollinator garden, Martin said she hopes to add native grasses and give the area an overall facelift.

“I’ve got a personal affinity toward the pollinator garden,” she said. “I think pollinators are an essential part of life and an essential part of the gardens, so I would really like to focus my efforts and make that area really attractive to the pollinators and the guests and the visitors.” Martin also helped during a pollinator-focused education program in early June. Children were able to get involved during the all-day event, and Martin helped them make pollinator homes for their family gardens. “Children are going to grow up, and I think it’s really important to instill an appreciation and get them introduced to nature and the gardens when they’re young, so they can have that appreciation

grow as they get older,” she said. Many students who attend the botanical gardens’ summer camps end up later serving as counselors for the camps, Martin said, which shows an important influence on the upcoming generation. As she has worked at the gardens, Martin said seeing visitors take part and enjoy the gardens helps fuel her desire to continue making them beautiful. “I’m just really excited to be here,” she said. “This is my first time in Alabama and my first time in Birmingham, so I’m really looking forward to spending my summer here in the gardens and exploring the city of Birmingham.”

A22 • July 2016

Village Living ART

CONTINUED from page A1

Melvin draws leaves on a bowl. Photo by Frank Couch.

through traditional jobs, SBTT provides them with the opportunity to create artwork that can then be sold for a proﬁt at annual fundraisers and seasonal art shows. Sixty percent of the proceeds go to the artist, said studio Director Catherine Boyd. Boyd, also from Mountain Brook, began working with SBTT in 1994 and said although some students might not understand the value of the money they earn, they do understand the personal validation they receive from the acknowledgment that someone else values their work. Some of the students have been attending classes at SBTT for 20 years, not only learning art techniques, but also enjoying the space as a social avenue, she said. “I love my job,” Boyd said, surrounded by the artwork of several of the studio’s students. She said she admits she isn’t exactly the creative type and had left the studio work for a few years to raise her children. Just as soon as they were old enough, however, she began working part-time again, unable to stay away for too long. Today, she’s back to working full time and loving every second of it. “Every day is different,” she said. “Working with everyone here is always rewarding.” The growth she’s able to see in the students has been incredible, Boyd said. “Their art has gotten better and better,” she said. “Our staff here is so good at unlocking their talents.” Several of the student artists who were once selling a few pieces for $20 are now garnering thousands per piece, Boyd said. That sort of validation is irreplaceable, said Executive Director Suzanne Boozer. The unfortunate reality is when most adults with autism and other developmental disorders turn 21, there are few places they can turn to. There are few classes and services they can take advantage of, leaving them feeling lost and incapable, she said. “The studio is a place where they can be 100

percent accepted,” Boozer said. “They can move around and interact in a safe space. I see amazing progress in our students every day.” If one student is stuck in a particular “mode,” wanting to only paint flowers, for example, Boozer said the instructors at SBTT — many of them professional artists — work with them to expand what they are willing to try. That sort of motivation, has led to self-validation, she said. SBTT provides the students the opportunity to show off their talents through their art. For some, it may be the first time they receive public and financial validation for their efforts, Boozer said. According to the Autism Society, 35 percent of adults with autism ages 19 to 23 have not had a job or received postgraduate education after leaving high school. “It’s a thrill to watch them be successful and be lifted up by their own work,” Boozer said. And their success isn’t just a few cents in a piggy bank. One mother recently shared that her adult daughter with autism had about $13,000 in a savings account — most of which came from earnings via her artwork, Boozer said. But SBTT’s work doesn’t stop there. In the afternoons, SBTT offers art classes to about 30 boys ages 6 to 17 who live in residential treatment programs. The boys are in the custody of the state and have little to no contact with family members. The boys who attend classes at SBTT have been identified by the court system or social services as emotionally conflicted or at-risk for leading destructive lifestyles, often involving violence and drugs. Since the studio began, it has helped more than 1,000 at-risk children through its biweekly classes, Boozer said. Once a week, SBTT also holds classes for homeless men. “It’s a wonderful place to work,” Boozer said. In June, SBTT hosted one of its annual fundraising events, Art from the Heart, to help further its mission. The 27th annual benefit was June 12 at the B&A Warehouse. Both a live and silent auction were held, featuring artwork from studio students as well as about 200 pieces donated from local and regional artists. For more information, go to studiobythe tracks.org.

VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 • A23

LANE PARKE

Photo by Frank Couch.

CONTINUED from page A1 The final tenant to occupy the Phase I space will be carefully selected, he said. “There’s been a lot of interest in the space,” Jolly said. “We have to be very selective in picking a tenant, one who will meld well with the other Lane Parke tenants.” The list of announced retailers, which are either “first to Alabama” concepts or relocations from the existing shopping center, will feature an assortment of restaurants, specialty shops, an art gallery and a coffee emporium. They include: ►A’mano: Showcasing local, national and international artists with one-of-a-kind creations in glass, pottery, jewelry and clothing. It’s a popular tenant in the current shopping center. ► CharBar No. 7: Long known to residents in Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina, as a mid-priced dining experience, the CharBar No. 7 menu ranges from beef to seafood to chicken to classic sandwiches. ► Kinnucan’s Specialty Outfitters: (Or KSO as its fans call it) carries brands for an active lifestyle. ► The Local Taco: Known for diverse flavors including tequila lime chicken, portabella with sage goat cheese and Korean short rib. The Local Taco menu has been described as “tapas on a taco.” ► M&S Interiors: Sophisticated, high quality furniture and home accessories at wholesale pricing. ► Revelator Coffee: Born in New Orleans with a roaster and corporate headquarters in Birmingham, Revelator is all about specialty and boutique coffees. ► Western Market: The current tenant of the existing plaza will have a new, larger store with expanded offerings including local, organics, produce, seafood, wine, craft beer and groceries. The wine department will include a climate controlled fine wine room. ► YEAH! BURGER: Atlanta-based restaurant named by Bon Appetit magazine as one of 10 Favorite Burgers Spots in the U.S. It’s an upscale fast-casual eatery using natural and

organic ingredients. ► B. Prince: Formerly Betsy Prince, the new store will get back to the roots loved by its customers, said owner Bezshan Dolatabadi. B. Prince will stock its shelves with unusual finds — offerings it had moved away from at its current location in Brookwood Village. KSO is said to be among the first set to open when the back-to-school rush begins. Western Market expects to open sometime in September or October. The supermarket will remain open at its current space until the move, Evans said. “All stores and restaurants should be up and running by mid-October,” he said. Once open, the property will offer plenty of parking, Jolly said, including parking for visitors to the Grand Bohemian next door.

The $35 million boutique hotel has helped bring even more interest to the area, Jolly said. “It’s a good problem to have,” he said. In the evenings, restaurantgoers will be able to take advantage of valet services, Jolly said. Once Western moves into its new space, Phase 2 of the project will get underway. Phase 2 will be more women’s fashion and boutique-heavy and should be underway sometime in 2020, Jolly said. First, the area will be demolished to the edge of the current Western, where a few retailers with non-expired leases will remain. The fully-functional Jemison Lane, which will connect Montevallo to Lane Park Road, will ease access into the area, especially once construction of planned roundabout improvements to the intersections of

Cahaba Road, U.S. 280, Culver Road and Lane Parke Road are complete, he said. The Lane Parke apartments, which opened in June 2015, were recently acquired by JLL Income Property Trust. JLL purchased the property for $73.3 million. The 276-unit apartment complex is 97 percent leased. Evans said selling the property was always part of the plan. “The purchase of Lane Parke furthers our apartment acquisition strategy which is geared toward identifying suburban locations within highly rated school districts with attractive demographics and significant barriers to entry for new apartments,” said Allan Swaringen, president and CEO of JLL Income Property Trust. For more information on Lane Parke, go to laneparke.info.

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Village Living B SECTION

JULY 2016

Community B4 School House B9 Sports B12 Faith B17 Calendar B18

Sailing

past the

competition By SYDNEY CROMWELL

Sailing is a family tradition for the Smiths. Crestline resident Isabel Smith learned to love the sport from her father, who sailed competitively when he was in high school and college. Photos courtesy of Fred Smith.

Sailing wasn’t a sport that interested Isabel Smith at ﬁrst — she tried it because her dad liked it and so did her grandparents. Once she stopped being nervous about the wind and the waves, however, she fell in love. “She learned how to deal with that, and you can’t get her off the water now,” said her father, Fred Smith. Now preparing for her freshman year at Mountain Brook High School, Isabel Smith became interested in sailing competitively when she was about 8 years old. “No one really does it around here, so I thought it would be unique,” Isabel Smith said. Just like her love of the water, the competitive drive was also handed down from father to daughter. Fred Smith, now a real estate agent, raced boats in high school and college. The Crestline resident said his daughter has quickly outpaced him. “Now when we go out, she wants to drive [my

boat]. And I usually let her, because I’m pretty certain she’s at a much higher level — I know she’s at a much higher level of racing than I ever was,” Fred Smith said. Isabel Smith’s boat of choice is an Optimist dinghy, often shortened to Opti, called the Izinator. She can compete in Opti regattas for another year or so before moving to a larger boat. It’s a sport that requires a high level of dedication in order to succeed. She gets the Izinator out on the water as often as she can, whether at Logan Martin Lake, in Atlanta or even Pensacola. On the way to practices and regattas, Isabel Smith is hard at work to keep up with her schoolwork; on the way home, she’s ﬁlling a notebook with what she’s learned in competition. Since sailors are few and far between in Birmingham, Isabel Smith is part of a team based out of Long Island, New York. The team, called

See SAILING | page B16

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Village Living

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July 2016 • B3

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B4 • July 2016

Village Living

Community

Otey’s Fest turning 6 This year’s Otey’s Fest will support two good causes in the Birmingham area. Photo courtesy of Will Haver.

By GRACE THORNTON Friends being there for friends — that’s what it’s always been about. At least that’s what Will Haver, owner of Otey’s Tavern in Crestline Village, says. “Otey’s is a mini Cheers. It’s people who all know each other,” he said. And when Haver threw the ﬁrst Otey’s Fest six years ago to celebrate the tavern’s 20th anniversary, it was just so all his friends could have a party. “We want to take care of those who take care of us,” he said. “The festival is just as Otey’s is — true to its form; it’s a mini Cheers. Everybody knows everybody. It’s a fun time.” So much fun, in fact, that what was meant to be a one-time anniversary event has turned into an annual festival. This year, three musical acts — Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, the Negotiators and the Hurlers — will entertain the crowd. “Dumpstaphunk is a really fun band,” Haver said. “They are really good and a little bigger name than we are normally used to having.” It’s not meant to be a huge festival, he said — normally it draws 800 to 1,000 people. But it’ll be fun for everyone, he said. “We’ll have hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches, and we’ll have local beer — Good People is going to bring a truck out,” Haver said. “We’ll have a bounce house for the kids. It’ll be a lot of fun.” And it will go to help two good causes, because this year they just couldn’t choose, he said. “I had two good friends with different organizations ask me if we could help them raise funds,

and I thought, ‘you know what — we’ll do a duo this time,’” Haver said. So proceeds will support Better Basics, which helps to develop children’s literacy, and Phoenix Club of Birmingham, which provides young leaders with development opportunities that beneﬁt the Boys and Girls Clubs. Knox Richardson, president of the junior board for Better Basics, said Otey’s Fest is the perfect chance for his organization to get its name out there. “We do work with literacy intervention in the area, and we want to raise awareness for our organization,” he said. Volunteers with Better Basics go into

classrooms every week to read to elementary school students. They also get books to students living in poverty. “A lot of these kids have never owned books before, so this is something they can treasure,” Richardson said. “We’ve seen the levels of poverty versus illiteracy pretty much match, so if we could have an impact and get kids early, we could decrease the amount of poverty in Alabama.” Jamie Justice, a board member for Phoenix Club and vice president of member events for the organization, said the help they get from Otey’s Fest is “a blessing.” “We joined up with them last year for the ﬁrst time, and it was great,” Justice said. “It

accounted for about 10 percent of all the money we made for the year for Boys and Girls Clubs.” Phoenix Club primarily focuses on fundraising for Boys and Girls Clubs, but they also do hands-on projects such as team nights for the kids, cooking hamburgers and playing dodgeball. “We’re so grateful to Will — his festival runs like clockwork,” Justice said. “We provide 15 or so volunteers from our group, but we are basically warm bodies to help — he’s got Otey’s Fest down to an art.” Otey’s Fest is July 23. Gates open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $15 advance, $20 at the gate. For tickets or more information, visit oteysfest.com or stop by Otey’s in Crestline.

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VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 • B5

Shoppers hunt for deals at the annual Market Day. Photo by Elizabeth Nance.

Mountain Brook Village to host 15th annual Market Day By ANA GOOD To help kick-start sales on what is typically a slow month for merchants, Mountain Brook Village will host its 15th Annual Market Day July 16. The event, hosted by the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, will entice shoppers to shop local thanks to an assortment of discount deals and giveaways. The European-style sidewalk and tent sale will feature discounts up to 75 percent off. The village’s sidewalks are set to be lined with vendors, discounts and tents full of merchandise, like in years past. Dozens of vendors are set to participate, many with deals both inside and outside their shops. Participating businesses include A’Mano, Bromberg’s, Christine’s on Canterbury, Marella, Marguerite’s Conceits, Mountain Brook Creamery,

Mulberry Heights, Paige Albright Orientals, Sew Sheri Designs LLC, Swoop, Table Matters, The Cook Store, The Lingerie Shoppe, Trocadero and Village Sportswear. Participating merchants often feature music and other special events in coordination with the sale, as well as preview sales leading up to the main sale day. The annual day of sales for merchants will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Though the event began 15 years ago as a celebration of Bastille Day organized by former Christine’s owner Jean Clayton, Market Day has since evolved to include more merchants and feature a general celebration of the village’s merchants. After three years of the Bastille Day celebration, the event evolved into Market Day on the third Saturday in July. For more, visit welcometomountainbrook.com.

Frances Patrick and Drew Williams of Mountain Brook High School pose with William L. Irons, the son of the trophy’s namesake. Photo courtesy of Bill Irons.

Patrick, Williams receive Col. George V. Irons Distance Trophy Frances Patrick and Drew Williams of Mountain Brook High School are this year’s recipients of the Colonel George V. Irons Distance Trophy, presented to the most outstanding long distance track athletes. This award is given to the top track athlete who also excelled in scholarship, leadership, and service. The trophy is given in honor of Dr. George V. Irons, Sr., who broke distance records through the South as captain of the University of Alabama distance team in the 1920s. Recognized as the “South’s premier distance runner,” Dr. Irons was inducted in the prestigious Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1978. He is the only University of Alabama track athlete and the only distance athlete inducted in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in its 50-year history. Irons was a Phi Beta Kappa honor graduate

of the University of Alabama, Rhodes Scholar nominee and earned his doctorate at Duke University. Dr. Irons served as head of the history and political science department at Samford University for 43 years. An anti-aircraft artillery commander in World War II, Irons rose to the rank of colonel and served reserve duty for 33 years. For his notable contributions as educator, civic leader and record-breaking athlete, he was inducted in the Alabama Men’s Hall of Fame. He is the only individual ever inducted in both the Alabama Men’s Hall of Fame and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Dr. Irons’ son, William L. Irons, presented this year’s trophies to Patrick and Williams at Mountain Brook High School’s annual Awards Day on May 17, 2016, at Spartan Arena. – Submitted by Bill Irons.

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B6 â&#x20AC;˘ July 2016

Village Living

r e m m u s PHOTO CONTEST ? S U E K A T U O Y L L I W E R E WH

DEADLINE IS AUGUST 5 Winners will be announced in our September issue. Category 1: Any summer fun photo Category 2: A summer fun photo displaying a copy of Village Living wherever you are To enter: Email high resolution photos in .JPG format, captions including location and photo credits to kwilliams@starnespublishing. com. Four photos allowed per person.

B PRINCE

VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ B7

I SPY: COULD YOU FIND THESE SPOTS AROUND TOWN?

Were you able to identify some or all of these locations? Well, wonder no more, because here are the answers!

B8 • July 2016

Village Living

Birmingham Belles showcased in 48th annual presentation The Birmingham Belles 48th annual Birmingham Belle Presentation was Sunday, May 15, at Arlington Historical House and Gardens. The Birmingham Belles is a service organization whose purpose is to give senior high school girls the opportunity and experience of volunteerism and civic responsibility as they gain knowledge about their community. The young ladies presented will be visible at city functions throughout the year. This past year, the Birmingham Belles served more than 1,200 hours. Their volunteer opportunities include: Arlington Summer Luncheons; delivering cookies baked from Belle recipes to assisted living homes; Birmingham Museum of Art; “Christmas at Arlington;” Big Oak Ranch; Decorators’ Show House; Mystics Halloween Parade; Mountain Brook Art Association Art Show; Mountain Brook Christmas Parade; the Birmingham Zoo; Childcare Resources Fairy Tale Ball; and “Bargain Carousel” by the Junior League of Birmingham. This year, Miss Stella Adams Smith was the recipient of the 2016 Scholarship Fund, which has been established to honor Birmingham Belle founder, the late Mrs. James Mallory Kidd, Jr. The Belles presented for 2016-17: Miss Margaret Grace Adcock, Miss Sarah Helen Adcock, Miss Rebecca Carter Alexander, Miss Edith King Amason, Miss Elise Brielle Bals, Miss Emily Catherine Barber, Miss Virginia Bowron Beasley, Miss Emily Paige Berryhill, Miss Caroline Peyton Billingsley, Miss Mary Frances Bloodworth, Miss Anne Coleman Bradford, Miss Mary Johnson Bradford , Miss Jane Elisabeth Branch, Miss Anna Katherine Brian, Miss Caroline Davis Briggs, Miss Jennings Lee Briley,Miss Frances Hardy Bromberg, Miss Frances Murray Brown, Miss Kate McCarroll Bumgarner, Miss Mary Margaret Bromberg Byrne, Miss Virginia Grace Carmichael, Miss Sarah Coleman Causey, Miss Margaret Anne Clark, Miss Parker Tulaire Cobbs, Miss Lucile Fitzpatrick Collins, Miss Sarah Brasﬁeld Cooper, Miss Sarah Margaret

Front row, from left: El McMillan and Jane Perry Starling. Standing, from left: Chloe Jernigan, Ann McQueen Whatley and Ann Chapman Haynes. Photo courtesy of Dee Moore Photography.

Corley, Miss Lauren Frances Cotten, Miss Elizabeth Eloise Cotten, Miss Jane Anne Creighton, Miss Gunter Morén Crommelin, Miss Hunter Caroline Davies, Miss Patricia Ann Davis, Miss Carlee Amanda Dawkins, Miss Mary Margaret de la Torre, Miss Elise Louise Doss, Miss Marion Shook Dukes, Miss Emily Hurst Edwards, Miss Hannah Marie Elliott, Miss Grace Sinclair Evans, Miss Charlotte McCammon Farrar, Miss Catherine Chacheré Flake, Miss Peggy Clare Friday, Miss Emma Frances Garcia, Miss Frances Elizabeth Gaut, Alden Jackson Gibbs, Miss Elizabeth Rose Gillespy, Miss Elizabeth Berit Grantham, Miss Katherine Harriett Green, Miss Barclay Brooke Gresham, Miss Ansley Caldwell Gross, Miss Glenn Charlotte Haas, Miss Jenna Elizabeth Hancock, Miss Frances Elizabeth Hand, Miss Grace Madeline Harris, Miss Lucille Graves Harris, Miss Sarah Grace Hayes, Miss Ann Chapman Haynes, Miss Ashton Chatham Henderson, Miss Kathryn Taylor Hinkle, Miss

Brooke Campbell Holloway, Miss Margaret Jean Holloway, Miss Karli Lynn Howard, Miss Margaret Murray Hughes, Miss Virginia Elizabeth Jager, Miss Chloe Virginia Jernigan, Miss Delaney Nan Jeter, Miss Emma Clare Johnson, Miss Elizabeth Gibson Johnston, Miss Cynthia Claire Jones, Miss Caroline Elizabeth Keller, Miss Sarah Taite Kelly, Miss Mary Jordan Kilgore, Miss Charlotte Roberts Kinney, Miss Mary Margaret Kirkland, Miss Lee Loraine Knight, Miss Mary Elizabeth Laatsch, Miss Nina Elizabeth Law, Miss Caroline Marie Lawrence, Miss Charlotte My-Phuong Le, Virginia Merritt Leak, Miss Nancy Kathryne Letzer, Miss Brooke Alexander Lindsey, Miss Memory Anne Littleton, Miss Grace Anne Logan, Miss Julie Haddon Lowe, Miss Margaret Lynn Lowe, Miss Erin Blake McCraw, Miss Elaine Wright McDonald , Miss Frances Kendrick McFadden, Miss Elizabeth Renneker McMillan, Miss Maggie Elizabeth McPherson, Miss Sarah Scott McPherson,

Miss Caroline Jane Monson, Miss Abbey Grace Moss, Miss Sally Jane Neal, Miss Mary Elise Nolen, Miss Anne Frances Norris, Miss Anne Kendall Outland, Miss Anne Marie Perri, Miss Bailey Elizabeth Peterson, Miss Carol Ann Sandner Phillips, Miss Catherine Marie Pittman, Miss Mary Walker Poe, Miss Elizabeth Catherine Polk, Miss Mary Anne Powell, Miss Susan Alexandra Preston, Miss Lindsay Elizabeth Pugh, Miss Alice Jordan Pulliam, Miss Catherine Lucas Quisenberry, Miss Caroline Brown Raine, Miss Anne Helen Ritter, Miss Lillian Herndon Rucker, Miss Anna Helen Rutledge, Miss Helen Katherine Schanbacher, Miss Lealis Grace Schilleci, Miss Anne Lewis Simmons, Miss Caroline Carlisle Sims, Miss Mary Patton Sims, Miss Alexandra Leigh Sirkin, Miss Katherine Hollon Skinner, Miss Mathilde Trueheart Sharman, Miss Sally Coleman Smalley, Miss Lily Caroline Smith, Miss Mary Fletcher Snow, Miss Julia Nicole Springer, Miss Jane Perry Starling, Miss Sammey Ann Steed, Miss Leah Reagan Stephenson, Miss Stella Smith Styslinger, Miss Celia Bright Sullivan, Miss Emma Bolling Hall Taylor, Miss Laura Lee Thompson, Miss Lily Gray Thompson, Miss Marlee Elizabeth Tomlinson, Miss Barbara Grace Tortorici, Miss Anna Craig Tucker, Miss Mary Adelaide Vandevelde, Miss Carolyn Dickinson Wahlheim, Miss Catherine Elizabeth Walthall, Miss Nicole Broatch Waudby, Miss Marion Hanlin Webb, Miss Ann McQueen Whatley, Miss Lucy Kathleen Williams and Mary Eleanor Wolter. The Birmingham Belle presentation coordinators: Julie and Sarah Patton Butler, Elizabeth and Elizabeth Anne Crommelin, Britney and Jane Ryland Elliott, Reed Ellis, Ashelynn Falkenburg Smith, Mary Margaret and Mary Winston Hendry, Meg and Ellie Meadows, Kathryn and Maggie Reaves, Donna and Caroline Savage. Mr. Henry Bruce Barze, Mr. James Brawner Little IV, Mr. William Cooper Galloway and Mr. Connor Ellis Tierney were on hand to assist as well. – Submitted by Mary Margaret Hendry.

VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 • B9

School House Crestline 6th grade performs ‘Beauty and the Beast, Jr.’ Jane Morgan Sauls (Mrs. Potts), Crawford McDuffie (Lumiere), Will Monroe (Beast) and Elise Andrews (Cogsworth) perform during CES’s sixth-grade musical. Photo courtesy of Trish Hand.

A police officer presents a child with a donated stuffed animal from Cops We Care. Photo courtesy of Catherine Gasque.

CBS Chiefs partner with Cops We Care

Recently more than 120 Crestline Elementary sixth-graders hit the stage to perform Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast, Jr.” musical. They prepared for the production for three months under the direction of music teachers Laura Butler and Janet Nelson. The process was a collaborative effort with music teachers, classroom teachers, parents and students working together to bring the fictional world of Belle to life. Students played a variety of roles to make the production a success. In addition to singing, dancing and acting on stage, sixth-graders were

in charge of running tech and working backstage during the show. Large group numbers included “Be Our Guest,” complete with dancing plates, napkins and flatware, and “Gaston” with villagers and Silly Girls encouraging Gaston after Belle refused his marriage proposal. Mrs. Potts (Chloe Hontzas and Jane Morgan Sauls) sang the classic song, “Beauty and the Beast,” while the Beast (Will Monroe) danced his way into the heart of Belle (Elise Andrews and Caroline Hellums). Cogsworth (Caroline Bates) and Lumiere (Crawford McDuffie) delighted the audience with humor

and dramatic expertise throughout the show. After seeing the musical with her kindergarten class, Jayne Euwer said her students were spellbound and that “teamwork and focus were evident during the entire performance.” Sixth-grade parent Susan Guilsher noted, “It was so much more than a play. They were taught life lessons as well: to work together and to be supportive, respectful and encouraging to one another.” To view performance video clips, visit Crestline’s music web page at the following web address: mtnbrook.k12.al.us/Page/12722. – Submitted by Trish Hand.

The Chief Hands committee at Cherokee Bend ended its school year with a stuffed animal drive during the week of May 16. The committee paired with Cops We Care to gather donated stuffed animals for local police officers to give to scared children they meet on the job. Students at CBS brought these “furry friends” to school for donation each day in hopes of exceeding 500 stuffed animals for police distribution, with hopes of putting a smile on a scared child’s face. – Submitted by Catherine Gasque.

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B10 • July 2016

Village Living

MBE says goodbye to Principal Treadwell By ANA GOOD The Mountain Brook Elementary student body and faculty were in on a big secret on May 25. At precisely 2 p.m., students, teachers, administrators and parents lined the school’s halls for a surprise “Lancer Walk” held in honor of retiring principal Belinda Treadwell. Treadwell, who has been at the school since 1998, walked the halls of MBE for the last time today to say goodbye to all who had gathered. The school’s hallways echoed with chants of “Treadwell!” and “We love you!” as students paraded alongside their beloved principal. Handmade signs and posters ripped through the air. The walk, a MBE tradition, is usually reserved for graduating sixth graders. “It was a wonderful surprise,” said Treadwell, standing outside the school where parents of current and former students had gathered to thank and hug her one last time. Parents, students and teachers completed the send-off by presenting Treadwell with cards, letters, signs and hand-drawn pictures. Treadwell, a graduate of Auburn University, obtained a Bachelor of Science in Education. She then went on to receive her Masters of Education and Education Specialist degrees from Samford University. In 1998, Treadwell began her tenure at MBE as the lead teacher/assistant principal. In 2002, she was named principal of MBE. According to her MBE online proﬁle, Treadwell is a member of several professional organizations including Learning Forward, Key Leaders Network of Alabama, and The Council for Leaders of Alabama Schools. Though she does not have concrete plans

Teachers and students offered their thoughts on Mrs. Treadwell’s long history of leadership at MBE. ► Shannon Millhouse, sixth-grade teacher: “I will miss Belinda tremendously. She is such a kind and supportive principal. I will miss seeing her in the hallways and her asking, “What do you need? What can I do for you?” She is a strong but gentle leader.” ► Mrs. Cox’s ﬁrst-graders: “She has hope for us. If we think we can’t do something, she knows we can do it. She should be in the Hall of Fame!”

Mountain Brook Elementary PTO President, Kristy Parrot, left, presents retiring Principal Belinda Treadwell with gifts after she completing the “Lancer Walk” through the school’s halls. Photo by Ana Good.

yet regarding her retirement, Treadwell said she is looking forward to spending time with family. Of course, she said, she will try to visit the school occasionally. “You always hope to visit,” she said. “I know the school will be blessed to have Mrs. [Ashley] McCombs now at its helm.” The Mountain Brook Board of Education during its monthly meeting on Monday, April 11, approved the appointment of Ashley McCombs as the new principal of Mountain Brook Elementary. McCombs previously served as the assistant principal at the school and had served in that position since 2012.

► Paula Stanbridge, former MBE technology coordinator: “Belinda Treadwell loves students. She loves MBE. She’s continually making those important and difficult decisions with grace and kindness. She knows the value of embedded professional development for teachers and sacrifices to make that happen. Belinda grows leaders. As my administrator, she spoke value, appreciation and trust over me. She opened many a beginning year orientation meeting with, “There is nowhere else I’d rather be this morning.” I teased her that she’d most likely rather be at the beach, but somehow I believe that she really meant it every time she said it.” ► MBE fifth-graders: “I love that whenever I see her in the hallway, she always gives me a hug.” “She has the best smile that makes others smile.” “She is always kind, no matter what.” ► MBE fourth-grader Lucy Benton shares a poem: Mrs. Treadwell has been so good to

us all. She loves and cares for us in summer and fall. I know she’s been kind, I know she’s been great. But now that she’s leaving, let’s show her we appreciate. Let’s just admit she’s the best principal ever! In rainy, in warm, in all kinds of weather. Mrs. Treadwell. I want you to know we love you so much! And it’s not the school, but the school’s heart that you touch! ► Margaret Hudson, MBE librarian: “Belinda’s genuine love for MBE and the students and faculty here is obvious. She has completely poured herself into making MBE what it is today. She is a thoughtful leader who encourages and empowers students and staff. From the big jobs, like leading us as we venture into a new curriculum or program, to the mundane jobs, like mopping the ﬂoor, she has done it. MBE has been more than blessed to have her at the helm.” ► MBE kindergartners: “She works on her computer and picks up trash all around our school. “ “She is really pretty and reads to us. She is the best principal.” ► Dr. Dale Wisely, MBS director of student services: “Belinda Treadwell is funny, wise, insightful, and full of compassion for others. There have been many occasions when I was having a tough time on the job, and I knew the person I wanted to talk to was Belinda Treadwell. She listens, truly hears, and her warmth and encouragement can often turn around a truly lousy day. I will miss her terribly.”

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VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 • B11

MB STUDENT SERVES AS PAGE

Robert Dillard, left, a sophomore at Mountain Brook High School, recently served as a Senate page in Montgomery. The Page Program offers a unique opportunity to witness the legislative process in action and learn more about state government. Robert was selected by an application process through the ofﬁce of Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey, second from left. Photo courtesy of Mary Jane Dillard.

MBJH student earns perfect score on National Spanish Exam Salter Hydinger, 14, of Mountain Brook recently received a perfect score on the 2016 National Spanish Examination Level 1. There were four other students in the state of Alabama who received a score of 400/400. Salter was the only Birmingham student receiving this recognition. Salter is a student at Mountain Brook Junior High. – Submitted by Steven Hydinger.

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3rd grade at CBS helps RMH with Pop Tabs The third grade at Cherokee Bend has been collecting “pop tabs” from aluminum cans all school year. On Monday, May 23, representatives from Ronald McDonald House visited the school to speak with the classes and thank them for their hard work in gathering 26 pounds in total. Each pound of “pop tabs” is comprised of approximately 1,000 tabs, which translates to 26,000 tabs that were collected, according to third grade teacher Gina Mize. The children celebrated their accomplishment at lunch with McDonald’s Happy Meals generously provided for the grade by a CBS family. In

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appreciation for their hard work, Ronald McDonald House gave each child a red and white wristband with “Keeping Families Close” embossed on it. – Submitted by Catherine Gasque.

Postseason honor teams announced By KYLE PARMLEY Several Mountain Brook High School soccer players were recognized for their performances during the 2016 season. Crawford Outland was selected by area coaches to be a part of the All-Metro team. He was named to the second team as a freshman midﬁelder. Three others on the boys team were honorable mention: Eli Sellers, JT Jones and Jacob Wolanske. Senior defender Nicole Strahl made the A-Division ﬁrst team for the Birmingham area. Hallie Meadows joined her on the second team, while Lamar Campbell received honorable mention. For complete All-State and All-Metro teams, go to villagelivingonline.com.

MBHS girls lacrosse ends successful year Members of the Mountain Brook girls lacrosse team ﬁnished another great season and said goodbye to their senior players. Together, the seniors, under Coach Hunter Faulconer, amassed one state championship (2013), three runner-up titles (2014-16) and a 52-7 record in state high school play. – Submitted by Roslyn Mannon.

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B12 • July 2016

Village Living

Sports

treading

WATER By YASMEEN EBADA

Photos by Frank Couch.

Paige Tatarek has inﬂuenced the swimming community in Birmingham for almost 44 years. Tatarek was born and raised in Mountain Brook and started swimming when she was 18 months old. She eventually became a top swimmer and breaststroker in the Southeast. Tatarek’s next-door neighbor when she was growing up was a swimmer, and the family introduced Tatarek’s mom to swimming. That is when she started. “The boy next door looked at my mom and said, ‘Mrs. Fitzpatrick, let’s take her ﬂoaters off,’ and they just threw me into our pool, and I have loved it ever since then,” Tatarek said. Tatarek started on the Country Club of Birmingham’s swim team when she was 5 years old. Even that young, she said she did not like getting second place.

B12 • July 2016

Village Living

Sports

treading

WATER By YASMEEN EBADA

Photos by Frank Couch.

VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 • B13

Paige Tatarek has been coaching at the Country Club of Birmingham for 22 years.

“My mom did say she knew I was competitive when I got mad the first time I got out of the pool because I got a red ribbon instead of a blue ribbon,” Tatarek said. After swimming for a couple of years at the Country Club of Birmingham, Tatarek swam for the YMCA Shades Valley and joined the Birmingham Swim League. Tatarek stopped swimming competitively during her senior year of high school and started coaching at the Country Club of Birmingham. She’s been coaching there for 22 years, currently teaching more than 200 kids. Along with coaching at the Country Club of Birmingham, after Tatarek got married she coached at the Birmingham Swim League for a few years. Tatarek now coaches full-time at the Levite Jewish Community Center Aquatic Club. She started its team in 2012. Liz Holley said Tatarek is a fantastic coach

and person and a tireless worker, loved by both the kids and their parents. Tatarek teaches Holley’s 9-year-old daughter, Mac, at the JCC. “She pushes the kids to work and try hard while still maintaining a fun and friendly environment. Paige has the unique ability to skillfully balance discipline and hard work with fun and camaraderie,” Holley said. Tatarek said her mother was the biggest inﬂuence in her life when she was growing up as a young swimmer. “My mom drove me all over the Southeast for swim meets, and one of my children plays club volleyball, and we travel a lot for that, so it has made me appreciate what my mom did for me, because now I understand what she has been through,” she said. Tatarek said Peter Browne and Johnny Barnacastle were her two favorite coaches when she was growing up. Browne coached Tatarek at the Country Club of Birmingham, and Barnacastle coached her at

the YMCA Shades Valley. Tatarek said Browne and Barnacastle had the biggest inﬂuence on her because they were fun, motivating, upbeat and, most importantly, cared about her. “They both cared about what was going on in the pool and what was going on in our life outside the pool. I felt like they were more than just coaches. They were mentors as well because they cared about my personal life,” she said. Tatarek said her goals vary for each individual swimmer because some swimmers do it strictly for exercise; some swimmers do it so they could swim in college, and some want to qualify for the Olympic trials. “The most important thing for me is that I want them to have a love for the sport and feel confident in what they are doing. Swimming is one of those things that you’re going to get out of it of what you put into it,” she said. Tatarek said she wants to be involved in the

swimmers’ lives because a lot of times it affects what is going on in the water. “I want to be somebody the kids can look up to as someone who has a strong moral character and who does the right things,” she said. Tatarek said there is a time to get in the pool for work, and she wants the swimmers to learn from that because it will teach them how to push themselves in life. “There is a lot you can learn in the pool that can help you in life outside of the pool. There are days that you are not going to feel well, and you just don’t want to be there, and you have to dig down deep and find a way to still do your best,” she said. Tatarek said swimming doesn’t come easy for everybody, and swimmers need to set goals to achieve what they want. “You’re going to have to give up some things, but at the same time, I want my kids to have a balanced life between their friends and school, so they don’t burn out,” she said.

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B14 • July 2016

Village Living

BACK IN THE GAME By KYLE PARMLEY

Christian Schweers has returned to Mountain Brook High School for a second stint as an assistant basketball coach. Schweers was named the first head boys basketball coach and athletics director at Cornerstone School in Birmingham in 2014 after spending five years as an assistant coach at Mountain Brook. Photos by Kyle Parmley.

Christian Schweers thought he’d never be back at Mountain Brook. “Now that I’ve come back, I feel like I’m a much better coach, getting to go out and do the things that I got to do the last two years at Cornerstone,” he said. Schweers was named the first head boys basketball coach and athletics director at Cornerstone School in Birmingham in 2014 after spending five years as an assistant coach at Mountain Brook. His two years at Cornerstone were a great learning experience, but circumstances beyond his control pushed him out of his first high school head-coaching job. Last December, Schweers was diagnosed with melanoma. That was right around the time the high school basketball season begins to kick into gear, as teams begin preparing for area play. But he said he wasn’t going to let that stop him. Schweers was determined to fight through whatever he had to. He said he vividly remembers having surgery one morning and coaching a game that night.

VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 • B15

“I get home, and I’ve got blood through my shirt,” he said. “I was going to give everything I could to those kids at Cornerstone. I just loved them to death.” The health issue compounded by other family concerns would catch up to Schweers and push him toward resigning from Cornerstone. After a skin graft, he was knocked out of commission for three months, something way out of his comfort zone. “Doctors wouldn’t let me do anything and that was really difficult. As somebody that’s used to doing something all the time and being busy… That’s just really hard,” he said.

BRING HIM BACK

Following Mountain Brook’s loss at the buzzer to Gadsden City in the Northeast Regional Semifinals last season, Spartan head coach Bucky McMillan was restless. He wasted no time getting his program in gear for 2016-17.

McMillan woke up early the morning after the game and made a call to Schweers to gauge his interest in returning to the program. That sounds normal on its face, until the circumstances are considered. “He doesn’t ever get up early in the morning,” Schweers said about McMillan. “He’s a night owl. Literally the morning after, 8 [a.m.], he called me and starts talking about coming back here. “That just meant a lot to me and showed me how serious he was about me coming back and joining the staff.” Schweers said he saw all of the pieces falling into place; the signs pointing there and the right doors opening up for a return to the Spartans. “I am unbelievably excited. I can’t express how excited I am to be back here. It feels different than it was before, but life just kind of happened to me,” he said. McMillan said he has no doubt Schweers will

fit right in again at Mountain Brook, and their personal camaraderie makes matters easier. “It’s great. Not only is Christian a great coach, but he knows Mountain Brook really well, and he knows me really well,” McMillan said.

BACK TO WORK

Now that Schweers is back, he will do much of the same as before he took the job at Cornerstone. He will handle much of the basketball operations, scheduling, uniforms and program organization from top to bottom. As far as coaching, Schweers will be a co-head coach of the ninth-grade squad along with Dave Good and an assistant with the varsity team. “I’m glad to be doing a lot with the freshman team because it allows me to continue to grow as a coach and go through practice every day,” he said. “A lot of time, assistant coaches don’t get that opportunity and until you have your own team, you don’t really get those reps

as a coach.” Another thing that makes working with the freshman team appealing is the relationships Schweers said he can establish with his players, something even more important now than it was in his first stint at Mountain Brook. He admits in the past he may have been too focused on the wins and losses, but now success is defined by what he can teach players. “There’s only two things you control in life, and that’s the same two things you control on the basketball court. It’s your attitude and your effort. That’s what I’m about in this situation, and life has taught me that, and that’s the same thing I’m trying to teach these guys,” he said. Schweers said he is glad to be back, and thinks the 2016-17 version of the Spartans can do big things. “If we can stay healthy and stay hungry, I have no doubt in my mind we’ll be right there at the end,” he said.

SALE

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Market Day in the Village Sat, July 16th

Open early 8am - 10am for additional 10% OFF (some exclusions apply - see store for details)

2841 Cahaba Road • 879-5277 Mon-Fri 10-5 • Sat 10-4 www.thecookstoremtnbrook.com all sales ﬁnal! no returns! No gift wrap!

B14 • July 2016

Village Living

BACK IN THE GAME By KYLE PARMLEY

VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 • B15

“I get home, and I’ve got blood through my shirt,” he said. “I was going to give everything I could to those kids at Cornerstone. I just loved them to death.” The health issue compounded by other family concerns would catch up to Schweers and push him toward resigning from Cornerstone. After a skin graft, he was knocked out of commission for three months, something way out of his comfort zone. “Doctors wouldn’t let me do anything and that was really difﬁcult. As somebody that’s used to doing something all the time and being busy… That’s just really hard,” he said.

BRING HIM BACK

Following Mountain Brook’s loss at the buzzer to Gadsden City in the Northeast Regional Semiﬁnals last season, Spartan head coach Bucky McMillan was restless. He wasted no time getting his program in gear for 2016-17.

ﬁt right in again at Mountain Brook, and their personal camaraderie makes matters easier. “It’s great. Not only is Christian a great coach, but he knows Mountain Brook really well, and he knows me really well,” McMillan said.

BACK TO WORK

as a coach.” Another thing that makes working with the freshman team appealing is the relationships Schweers said he can establish with his players, something even more important now than it was in his ﬁrst stint at Mountain Brook. He admits in the past he may have been too focused on the wins and losses, but now success is deﬁned by what he can teach players. “There’s only two things you control in life, and that’s the same two things you control on the basketball court. It’s your attitude and your effort. That’s what I’m about in this situation, and life has taught me that, and that’s the same thing I’m trying to teach these guys,” he said. Schweers said he is glad to be back, and thinks the 2016-17 version of the Spartans can do big things. “If we can stay healthy and stay hungry, I have no doubt in my mind we’ll be right there at the end,” he said.

SALE

20% OFF Sale July 15th -23 th

(some exclusions apply - see storee for details)

Market Day in the Village Sat, July 16th

Open early 8am - 10am for additional 10% OFF (some exclusions apply - see store for details)

2841 Cahaba Road • 879-5277 Mon-Fri 10-5 • Sat 10-4 www.thecookstoremtnbrook.com all sales ﬁnal! no returns! No gift wrap!

B16 • July 2016

Village Living

Mountain Brook resident Isabel Smith sails competitively across the country, and has since she was 8 years old.

SAILING

CONTINUED from page B1 LIMA (Long Island Mid-Atlantic), requires daily strength conditioning and healthy eating of its members. “She whips out 115 situps like that,” Fred Smith said. That strength is necessary when she’s sailing. Because Optis are light and fairly small boats, Isabel Smith frequently has to “hike out,” leaning her body almost entirely out of the boat, in order to keep it steady in rough conditions. At

the same time, she has to maintain control of her boat’s rudder and sail to get to the finish line. Isabel Smith said high winds and waves are more fun to sail in. “I used to be really afraid, but I’ve gotten over that,” she said. Opti races are about an hour long, and Isabel Smith has to avoid running into dozens or hundreds of other sailors, keep the Izinator upright and still try to make it to the finish line first. Fred Smith said at a recent regatta in Fairhope, Isabel came first in seven out of nine races. The dedication Isabel Smith poured into sailing has paid off. She’s competed around the

Isabel Smith with “The Izinator,” the Optimist dinghy that she races. Photos courtesy of Fred Smith.

nation and is qualiﬁed to compete internationally. She competed in the 2015 Nationals last summer and in April traveled to San Francisco to participate in the U.S. Team Trials. “It’s like the top 1 percent of kids, so the competition is huge,” Fred Smith said. College coaches already have begun taking an interest in Isabel Smith’s wins, and she said she plans to compete in college, earn a spot on the U.S. Team and, perhaps someday, the Olympic team. Along the way, she’s made friends from other states and even other countries, which Fred Smith said has been a good experience

for his daughter. “Usually your world doesn’t expand for a normal kid until you’re in college,” he said. The rest of the Isabel Smith’s family — including mother, Holly, sister, Lily, and brother, Darby — do enjoy spending time in a boat, but not to the same level as Isabel Smith. Fred Smith said they’re committed to supporting Isabel Smith’s racing career as much as they can. And though Isabel Smith now works with a team of college-level coaches and her father has hung up his racing gear, she and dad are still a team at weekend practices and every regatta. “I’m kind of her local coach,” Fred Smith said.

VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 • B17

Faith Life Actually By Kari Kampakis

Is there hope for quiet kids? Through my writing and my life as a mom, I often hear from mothers who share the struggles their kids face. One concern I hear is for those children who are shy or quiet. “My child is so kind, loving and compassionate,” they’ll say, “but socially, she falls through the cracks. She rarely gets invited to parties, and she doesn’t have any good friends.” These moms don’t care about their kids being popular or belonging to a particular circle. They don’t want to change their kids because they understand how important it is to be kind, loving, and compassionate. But when they see their child sit home every weekend with nothing to do and notice how it impacts their self-esteem, it hurts them. All they want is for someone to notice what their child has to offer and for their child to take some initiative in making friends. I have several thoughts on this because I was once a shy and quiet girl. (Case in point: At summer camp at age 10, I clung to the counselors all week instead of making

friends, and they loved me so much they created an award for me at the final ceremony: Quietest Camper. I was mortified, to say the least.) While several things helped draw me out of my shell, one key factor was understanding that when it comes to friendship, quality matters more than quantity. Because it’s better to have one true friend than 10 half-friends, right? It’s better to find one true friend who lets you be yourself than 10 half-friends who force you into a mold. Once you have a true friend, you’re likely to attract other friends who see you two having fun and want to join in. Over time, you can grow a small village this way. I also believe it’s helpful for shy and quiet kids to use their God-given talents. When you’re introverted by nature, connecting with people can be hard. You may go unnoticed or get overshadowed by those extroverted personalities who fit into our extroverted world. By pursuing those passions that bring you alive, however, you forget to be shy. You

draw people into your world by touching their heart, mind and soul and making connections that foster an automatic sense of belonging. Just think about the shy boy who sits down at a piano and stuns the audience with an amazing performance. Or the poet who crafts the most beautiful prose that no one ever knew she had in her. Or the dancer who shines on stage, the artist who creates masterpieces and the scientist with a ﬁerce determination to solve the latest mystery. As shy and quiet kids reveal their talents, they get seen in a new light. They build relationships based on who they are inside and the strengths that grow more obvious with time. So if you’re raising a shy or quiet child, my advice is to keep the faith. Love your child the way they are and encourage them to use their gifts to connect and build bridges with others. It may take time and extra courage, but shy and quiet kids can live as bravely and boldly as extroverts. They can learn to strike

a healthy balance between recharging in their shell and putting themselves out there to take risks. What an introvert needs most from their parents is unconditional love. By having confidence in them and never doubting how incredible they are, you slowly build them up. You instill a sense of security that may eventually help them step out of their comfort zone, take a chance, and start to show the world the beautiful gifts they have to offer. Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Mountain Brook mom of four girls, columnist and blogger for The Huffington Post. Her newest book, “Liked: Whose Approval Are You Living For?” will be released Nov. 15 and is available for pre-order on Amazon. Her first book, “10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know,” is available everywhere books are sold. Join Kari’s Facebook community at “Kari Kampakis, Writer,” visit her blog at karikampakis.com or contact her at kari@ karikampakis.com.

B18 • July 2016

Join us for some Family Fun!

Village Living

Calendar Mountain Brook Events

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Gulf Shores & Orange Beach

Through July 31: Dino Discovery- They’re Back! Birmingham Zoo. The Zoo’s newest exhibit features 12 life-sized, North America-native animatronic dinosaurs. Visit birminghamzoo.com.

June 5-8: Microworlds in the Gardens: Creepy Crawlers and Insects. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Grades 5K-2nd grade. $128 members, $160 non-members. Limit 20.

July 11-15: Princess and Pirate Preschool Music Camp. Mason Music, Cahaba Heights. 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Ages 3-5. $125. Visit masonmusicstudios.com.

July 5-8: American Girl “Girls Just Like Me.” 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Grades 5K-2nd grade. $128 members, $160 non-members. Limit 20.

July 11-15: Mason Music Camp for Beginners. Mason Music, Cahaba Heights. 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. Ages 6-9. $175. Visit masonmusicstudios.com.

July 5-8: Gross Out Day Camp. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Grades 1-4. $195. $25 for before or after care.

July 16: 15th Annual Market Day. A merchant-centered event in Mountain Brook Village. Sidewalk and tent sale. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit welcometomountainbrook.com. July 16: DinoNite. Birmingham Zoo. 6 p.m. Showing “The Good Dinosaur” at 8:30 p.m. July 16: In the Park After Dark Mega Zip. 8 p.m. - fifteen spots 9 p.m. - fifteen spots Red Mountain Park. $50 per person. Visit redmountainpark.org/ adventure. July 18-29: Overdrive. Mason Music, Cahaba Heights. For students ages 13-18. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $1,000. Visit masonmusicstudios.com. July 25-29: Kids Yoga Camp. 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Choose single day or full week. $65 day, $275 week. Visit villageryoga.com. Birmingham Botanical Gardens Visit bbgardens.org

July 9: Mushrooms, Mycorhizae, Magic and Madness: An Introduction to Mycology. 12:30-4:30 p.m. $40 members, $45 non-members. July 9: Family Yoga in the Gardens. 9 a.m. $15 drop-in (child and 1 adult, $5 for additional family members). July 9: Memorable Images. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Introduction to basic concepts in photography and digital camera operations. $100 members, $120 non-members. July 11-15: Young Artists in the Gardens. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For K-2nd grade. $160 members, $200 non-members. July 11-15: Young Artists in the Gardens. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For grades 3-6. $160 members, $200 non-members. July 11-15: Gross Out Day Camp. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For grades 1-4. $200 members, $225 non-members.

July 12: Thyme to Read Book Club. 6 p.m. Discussing “Lost Antarctia” by James McClintock. July 13: Lunch & Learn: Oh Deer. 11:30 a.m. Learn how to prevent wildlife from ruining your yard or garden. Free. July 16: Memorable Images. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Introduction to basic concepts in photography and digital camera operations. $100 members, $120 non-members. July 18-22: Dig It! Dinosaurs Rock! 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Ages 4-5. $160 members, $200 non-members July 18-22: Growing through Yoga II. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For children ages 5K-4th grade. $160 members, $200 non-members. July 20: Flicks Among the Flowers. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” 8 p.m. Outdoor movie in the gardens. Free. July 25-29: Get Growing: The Tiny Seed. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For ages 4-5. $160 members, $200 non-members. July 25-29: Gardening in Wonderland: Designing and Modeling. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For grades 3-6. $160 members, $200 non-members. July 27: Lunch and Learn: Better Veggies. 11:30 a.m. Free. July 30: Flora Photography. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. $60 members, $75 non-members. Learn to capture the images of plants, shrubs, flowers and trees

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VillageLivingOnline.com

July 2016 • B19

Emmet O’Neal Library Children Mondays: Toddler Tales Story Time. 9:30 & 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays: Summer Reading Shows. 10:30 a.m. July 5: Tomfoolery comedic juggling; July 12: AtsMagic with Arthur Atsma; July 19: Explore More Preschool Science.

July 9: Horcrux Hunt. A dangerous hunt for the seven horcruxes. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. July 15: Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Student Debt. Deathly Hallows edition. 5:30 p.m. July 16: Teen Break Out! Assemble your team and see if you can break into and back out again of Gringott’s Bank Vault. 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

Tuesdays: Library Out Loud. Go! 3:30 p.m.

July 23: Final Party & Game On. 12 p.m.-4 p.m.

Wednesdays: Mother Goose Story Time. 9:30 & 10:30 a.m.

July 30: Hogwarts Feast. 5:30 p.m. Reservations required.

Wednesdays: Movers & Makers. 1:30 p.m.

Adults

Thursdays: Patty Cake Story Time. 9:30 & 10:30 a.m.

Wednesdays: Brown Bag Lunch Series. Doors open at noon and programs begin at 12:30pm. Bring a sack lunch; beverages and dessert provided.

Thursdays: SNaP. 3:30 p.m. Saturdays: Family Story Time with Mr. Mac. 10:30 a.m. Special Events July 12: Bookmania. Rising 3rd grade. Comic Squad: Recess. 6 p.m. July 18: Bookmania. Rising 4th – 6th grade: Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics. 6 p.m. July 19: Etc: Family Olympics. 6 p.m. July 26: Summer Reading Finale Party with Roger Day. 6 p.m. pizza; 6:30 p.m. concert on lawn. July 28: Xtreme Reads Finale Pizza Party. 3rd – 6th grade. Xtreme readers. 3:30 p.m. Teens (Grades 7-12) July 5: Monthly meeting of the Teen Advisory Board. 5 p.m.

July 11: Great Books discussion group. Short stories. 6:30 p.m. July 12: The Bookies book group. “The Summer Before the War” by Helen Simonson. 10 a.m. July 12: Documentaries After Dark. Film about the friendship of Ernest Hemingway and Gary Cooper. 6:30 p.m. July 13: EOL presents: A French film series Hiroshima Mon Amour (1964, not rated). 6:30 p.m. July 19: Genre Reading Group. Books about the music industry. 6:30 p.m. July 21: Sidewalk Film Fest panel. Call 205-4451121 to register. 7 p.m. July 28: Birmingham Arts Journal Issue Release Reception. 6:30 p.m. July 30: Solar Energy for Your Home. 2 p.m.

Area Events Saturdays: Pepper Place Market. July 1-3: “Wicked.” BJCC Concert Hall. Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Visit ticketmaster.com July 1-3: “Damn Yankees.” Virginia Samford Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday. $33-$38. Visit virginiasamfordtheatre.org. July 8: Summer Film Series presents “Grease.” Alabama Theatre. 7 p.m. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com. July 8-31: “The Little Mermaid.” Dorothy Jemison Day Theatre, Alabama School of Fine Arts. Tickets start at $30. See website for times. Visit redmountaintheatre.org.

$115-$325. Saturday and Sunday. Visit slossfest. com. July 17: Summer Film Series presents “The Wizard of Oz.” Alabama Theatre. 2 p.m. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com. July 21: Throwback Thursday Kids Club presents “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Alabama Theatre. 10 a.m. $5 adults, $3 kids 12 and under, 2 and under free. Visit alabamatheatre.com. July 22-24: Tiny House Roadshow. BJCC Exhibition Halls. Friday, 12 p.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $5-$12.50 admission. Visit tinyhouseroadshow.com.

July 10: Summer Film Series presents “Vertigo.” Alabama Theatre. 2 p.m. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

July 22: Art on the Rocks. Birmingham Museum of Art. 7 p.m. $15 members, $25 non-members. Visit artsbma.org.

July 11: BAO Bingo. Birmingham Aids Outreach. 7 p.m. $15 for 5 games. Visit birminghamaidsoutreach. org.

July 22: Summer Film Series presents “All About Eve.” Alabama Theatre. 7 p.m. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

July 11-15: Critter Camp. Greater Birmingham Humane Society. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Ages 9 & 10. $185. Visit gbhs.org/critter-camp.

July 23: Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival. Fourth Ave. Historic District. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Free. Visit 4thAvenueJazz.org.

July 15-17: James and the Giant Peach, Jr. Red Mountain Theater Company, Cabaret Theatre. Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. Tickets starting at $10. Visit redmountaintheatre. org.

July 24: Summer Film Series presents “Mildred Pierce.” Alabama Theatre. 2 p.m. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

July 15: Summer Film Series presents “The Goonies.” Alabama Theatre. 2 p.m. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com. July 16: Pup Crawl. Good People Brewing Company. 1 p.m.-5 p.m. $10 donation. Benefiting the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. Visit goodpeoplebrewing.com. July 16-17: Sloss Music & Arts Festival. Sloss Furnaces. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Three stages of music.

July 28: Throwback Thursday Kids Club presents “Pocahontas.” Alabama Theatre. 10 a.m. $5 adults, $3 kids 12 and under, 2 and under free. Visit alabamatheatre.com. July 28- Aug 7: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Jr. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. $15 students, $25. Visit virginiasamfordtheatre.org. July 29-31: “Legally Blonde, Jr.” Red Mountain Theatre Company, Cabaret Theatre. Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. Tickets start at $10. Visit redmountaintheatre.org.

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