Village Living Volume 6 | Issue 9 | December 2015
neighborly news & entertainment for Mountain Brook
Here comes Santa
Meet the man who will be wearing the red suit and white beard in this year’s Christmas parade.
Features page A20
Champions again
Global learning Suzan Brandt, Mountain Brook Junior High’s technology coordinator, has been invited to the international TEDGlobal conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Photo by Frank Couch.
Mountain Brook’s Brandt invited to TEDGlobal By ANA GOOD
The Spartan volleyball team hoists its second state championship trophy.
Sports page B16
INSIDE Sponsors...............A4 City.........................A6 Business................A8 Community..........A13
Faith......................B21 School House.......B9 Sports...................B15 Calendar..............B22
Suzan Brandt was driving when she received an email from TEDGlobal. The Mountain Brook Junior High technology coordinator knew the email would determine whether she was among a handful of individuals accepted to attend the TEDGlobal>Geneva Conference.
“I had to pull over and read the email as soon as I got a glimpse of it,” Brandt said. It was an acceptance email, which means Brandt will be traveling to Geneva, Switzerland, this month. TED — Technology, Entertainment, and Design — is a nonprofit “devoted to spreading ideas,” usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or
less), according to its website. The talks cover almost all topics, from science to business to global issues, in more than 100 languages. Attending a TEDGlobal conference requires a lengthy admission process. “It was the most intimidating application I
See BRANDT | page A28
Price tag too high for parks ‘dream plan’
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Jemison Park is one of Mountain Brook’s parks and is a popular spot for runners and walkers. A recent study by Lose and Associates, however, said that the city needs more park and recreation space to meet resident need. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
By JESSE CHAMBERS AND ERICA TECHO A recent master plan for Mountain Brook’s parks and recreation included everything from new playing fields and adult classes to a community center. The $42 million price tag attached, however, “is beyond what [the city] will spend,” City Council President and Park Board liaison Virginia Smith said. However, there are aspects of the preliminary plan created by consultants at Lose & Associates the city will consider carrying out, according to Smith and City Manager Sam Gaston – including the purchase of land to create more parks and playing fields. “There are several [components] the city can budget for over the next several
years,” Smith said. A draft of the plan, presented by Lose representatives at an Oct. 27 public meeting, calls for $13 million in renovation and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, $10 million for a community center, $19 million for new parks and greenways and $140,000 for design studies and development for standards of the parks. The mayor, city council and park board are pleased with the work done by Lose, but they think some of the recommendations “may not be feasible,” Gaston said in a telephone interview on Nov. 5. “This is the dream plan,” he said. “That will be discussed, and some
See PARKS | page A29
A2 • December 2015
Village Living
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December 2015 • A3
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A4 • December 2015
Village Living
About Us Editor’s Note
By Jennifer Gray
December is always one of my most favorite months. The decorations around the villages, events, food and special time with family and friends make it a much-anticipated time of year. In this month’s issue, we have all of the information you could possibly need to enjoy Mountain Brook during the holidays. There is something for all - young and old. If you are ready to start your holiday decorating but need some inspiration, you might want to take a tour of the Independent Presbyterian Holiday Houses. Several are in Mountain Brook and are sure to get your creative juices flowing. Ticket sales also benefit the ministries of IPC. If you haven’t already gotten your greenery, the Red Mountain Greenery Sale offers beautiful greenery for both inside and outside of your home. To kick off Christmas in the Villages, there is the annual Christmas parade through Mountain Brook Village. Stick around and enjoy the lights and the beautiful tree that Bromberg’s provides each year while getting some shopping done too. If Christmas lights are what get you in the holiday spirit, then you won’t want to miss Zoolight Safari.
Every year it seems to grow. This year they even have “ice” skating. There are also some pretty displays around Mountain Brook neighborhoods. A favorite is Santa on the Circle in Colonial Hills. Every house has a pretty lit tree in the front yard and Santa makes scheduled appearances to hear the wish list from children. What neighborhoods do you think have the best lights? Probably one of my most favorite of all Mountain Brook Christmas traditions is the Mountain Brook Baptist Living Nativity. Watching the story of Jesus’ birth brought to life right before you with live camels, donkeys and sheep is something special and holy. It sets the tone for the days that follow. It reminds us of the greatest gift of all. So sit back with a cup of hot chocolate or tea and indulge in all that this issue has to offer and plan out how you and your family will try and fit it all in!
BEHIND THE LENS The memorial service for Sid Ortis was a moving experience. So many people gathered on a misty night to remember and honor a young man who lost his battle with cancer a day earlier. His outgoing personality and courage encouraged friends and strangers alike. Any nighttime event can present challenges for a photographer telling a story. Near the end of memorial, candles were lit and the stadium lights were turned off, bathing mourners in a warm yellow light. To capture the somber mood, I boosted the ISO to 8000 on my Nikon D810, then set the shutter to 1/60th of a second and stopped down to f 4.0 to gain little deeper depth of field with a 24mm lens. Behind the Lens highlights the inspiration and execution of a photographer’s assignment. Got a question? Email Frank Couch at fcouch@starnespublishing.com.
Village Living Publisher: Editor: Managing Editor: Design Editor: Video Editor Page Designer: Community Reporters: Staff Writer: Associate Editor: Copy Editor: Graphic Design: Contributing Writers:
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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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Please Support Our Community Partners A’mano (A28) ABC Toys, Brookwood Villag (B17) Alabama Goods (A9) Alabama Outdoors (B1) Alabama Power (B7) Always Best Care: ABC Senior Services (B20) Amy Smith (A24) Anywhere Fitness, Personal Training (A22) Backstreet Treasures (A22) Barton-Clay Fine Jewelers (A24) Batts’ Chimney Services (B19) Bedzzz Express (B24) Birmingham Bicycle Company (A10) Birmingham Speech and Hearing Associates (A17) Birmingham Zoo (B22) Bromberg & Company, Inc. (A5, A21, B16) Brookdale University Park (A14) Brookwood Village (A16) Cahaba Cycles (B8) California Closets (B8) Canterbury Gardens (A20) Chickadee (A22) Children’s of Alabama (B10) Christine’s + bagatelle (A25) Danberry at Inverness (B3) Dawson Music Academy (B10) Dirty Hippie (B14) Dish’n It Out (A27) Etc. (A3) Ex Voto Vintage (A14) Grand Bohemian Hotel (A19) Hollywood Feed (A1) Hufham Orthodontics (B2) Issis & Sons / O Advertising (A31) Jacqueline DeMarco (A24) Jimmie Hale Mission (B13) JJ Eyes (B9) John-William Jeweller (A15) Jordan Alexander Jewelry (A11) Judith Bright (A9) Kirkwood by the River (A26) Korduroy Krocodile (B18) Lamb’s Ears, Ltd. (A13) Lane Parke - Evson Inc. (B15) Leaf & Petal (A15) Levy’s Fine Jewelry (B23) Marguerite’s Conceits (A21) Mingle & Jingle Christmas Market (A8) Montclair/Heights Dermatology & Aesthetics (A12) Mountain Brook Art Association (A10) Mountain Brook Baptist Church (A17) Mountain Brook Merchants Association (A2) OB/GYN Associates of Alabama (A8) Otey’s (A9) Phoenix Builders (B16) Pizza 120 (A19) Planet Fitness (A6) RealtySouth (A32) Red Mountain Theatre Company (A29) Red Pearl Restaurant (A7) Red Wing Shoes (A7, B18) Rehaba (B12) Renasant Bank (B11) Resolute Running Training Center (B21) Savage’s Bakery (B13) Swoop (A21) Table Matters (A27) Taco Mama (A25) Target Auction Company (B22) The Blue Willow (A20) The Cook Store (B18) The Maids (B14) The Scribbler (B19) TherapySouth Crestline (B5) Tom Williams BMW (A18) Village Dermatology (A23) Village Poodle (A26) Wallace-Burke (A29, B17) Weigh To Wellness (A30)
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December 2015 • A5
Village Living
A6 • December 2015
City BZA denies request for urgent care facility in Crestline Village
The BZA denied a request to build an urgent care facility during its Nov. 16 meeting. Photo by Ana Good.
By ANA GOOD The Mountain Brook Board of Zoning Adjustment denied an appeal from Crestline Commercial Partners, LLC at its Nov. 16 meeting. The appeal would have allowed for the construction of an urgent care-like facility in Crestline Village. After hearing from more than half a dozen Mountain Brook residents who expressed concern and voiced their disapproval of the plans, the board sided with Mountain Brook City Planner Dana Hazen’s initial denial of the request. The proposal, submitted by Crestline Commercial Partners, LLC. for the urgent care-type facility and professional offices at 30 Dexter Ave, called for the business to be built close to single-family residences in the area. In her explanation for the initial denial, Hazen said the proposal did not meet the specifications laid out in the Vine Street Transitional District plan that calls for “soft uses” in the buffer zone between residential properties and high-patronage businesses. Mountain Brook residents in the audience
overwhelmingly agreed with Hazen’s logic, stating concerns over the type of patronage such a business might attract, potential increases in traffic volumes and the risk of declining property values. There were no residents who spoke in favor of the development except for Dr. Lee England, who spoke on behalf of Ivy Creek Healthcare—the owners of the would-be facility. England is employed by Ivy Creek as the chief medical officer, but said that as a resident of Crestline Village for 16 years, he was “keenly aware of the concerns from residents.” The facility, he said, would not attract unreasonable patronage or traffic volumes, nor would it keep narcotics in stock. The board also heard from Andy Campbell, attorney for Dr. England and the developers, who argued that his client’s proposal “clearly falls under the allowed uses” outlined in the city’s code. Campbell said he and his clients “respectfully” disagreed with City Planner Dana Hazen’s interpretation of the proposal. Now that the BZA upheld the city planner’s ruling, the developers have the right to appeal in Circuit Court.
Swings will not return to Crestline Tot Lot until late December By ANA GOOD Crestline Tot Lot fans will have to wait a bit longer to be able to enjoy the park’s new swings. Parks and Recreation Superintendent Shanda Williams said the new playground equipment will not be installed until the end of December,
though plans initially called for the installation to begin in November. Weather permitting, crews will work to install not just replacement swings, but a brand new playground set complete with two slides, two regular and two infant swings, climbable components and a cave where kids can crawl under.
Williams said the equipment will be geared toward children ages 18-months to 5-years-old. According to a Park and Rec post on Facebook, crews removed the Tot Lot’s old swings because of safety concerns. The wooden posts had apparently deteriorated so badly that they could no longer be repaired. The decision to bring in all new
playground equipment came in an effort to “keep a cohesive look and follow the other improvements of the park,” according to the posting. Once installation does get underway, Williams said the park will have to be closed through the duration. The Crestline Tot Lot is located on Church Street near Montevallo Road.
VillageLivingOnline.com
December 2015 • A7
Council begins process to install roundabout in Lane Parke area
Staff photo. By ANA GOOD The Mountain Brook City Council tonight signed off on several agreements needed to construct a roundabout at the intersection of Cahaba Road, U.S. Highway 280, Culver Road and Lane Parke Road. Because the roundabout would be constructed on the city property of Mountain Brook, Birmingham and involve the Alabama Department of Transportation’s oversight of the highway, the plan involves a variety of different resolutions. As part of its consent agenda, councilmembers agreed to the following resolutions in regard to the roundabout project: An agreement for cost-sharing between the City and City of Birmingham, an agreement between the City and ALDOT for preliminary engineering, an agreement between the city and ALDOT for
In other business, the council also: Authorized the execution of service agreements with Jefferson/Blount/St. Clair Mental Health Authority; Exceptional Foundation; Jefferson County Historical Commission; Alabama Veteran’s Memorial Foundation; Birmingham
right-of-way acquisition and an agreement between the City and ALDOT for utility and construction. The intersection, according to the council’s agenda packet, is considered “an important connector” for visitors of the Birmingham Zoo, Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Mountain Brook Village. The changes, according to the agenda, would “facilitate the flow of traffic in that area.” Per the agreement, the total estimated cost puts the total project at just under $3.5 million for the ROW 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 next city council meeting will be held Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber of City Hall. Museum of Art; Alabama Symphonic Association; Birmingham Botanical Society; Birmingham Children’s Theatre; Birmingham Zoo; Prescott House; McWane Science Center; Alabama Ballet. Resolution authorizing the installation of a street light on Mount Royal Circle Resolution authorizing the street light upgrades on Brook Manor Drive
MBPD Community Update By ERICA TECHO Each week, Mountain Brook Police Department issues a community update. Here are a few of the crimes reported in recent weeks: A residential burglary occurred on Nov. 4 in the 3100 block of Woodclift Circle. The suspect forced open a door and stole credit cards, jewelry, electronics and several firearms. The burglary occurred sometime between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. A school resource officer at Mountain Brook High School was checking the parking lot on Nov. 4 and saw a vehicle with its doors open and some contents of the vehicle on the ground. Suspects in the car break-in are unknown at this time, and nothing was stolen from the vehicle. Another car break-in occurred at 8 a.m. on Oct. 29 in the 4000 block of Montclair Road. The victim reported she saw an unknown white man sitting in her vehicle. She confronted the man,
Newly Expanded
who got out of the vehicle and walked down the street. The victim drove to the police department to report the incident, but officers were unable to locate the suspect. Nothing was taken from the vehicle. Police also reported four property thefts, including the theft of tools from a business in the 2800 block of Petticoat Lane, two clothing thefts at Brookwood Village and a credit card theft. The credit card theft occurred on Oct. 5, and a known suspect made multiple charges using the victim’s credit card. A burglary occurred at a home in the 3600 block of Brookwood Road on Nov. 6. An unknown suspect or suspects forcibly entered the residence and stole jewelry and silver. A car break-in occurred on U.S. 280 between Nov. 6 and Nov. 7. The vehicle was forcibly entered and clothing and housewares were stolen.
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A8 • December 2015
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Now Open The Grand Bohemian Hotel, 2655 Lane Park Road, is now open. The hotel is part of the Marriott Autograph Collection of hotels. 414-0505, grandbohemianmountainbrook. com
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Avani Rupa Fine Jewelers, formerly open in Hoover under the name Reflections Jewelry, is now open at 2408 Canterbury Road. 982-4888, avanirupa.com
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Christine’s on Canterbury has reopened at 2404 Canterbury Road. 871-8297
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Coming Soon Relax the Back will open soon at 2800 Cahaba Village Plaza. The store will sell products that address back pain relief, neck pain relief and ergonomic relief. 979-3222, relaxtheback.com/stores/ birmingham
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December 2015 • A9
2015 issue of Rug News and Design, a magazine covering the rug and carpet industry. The owner, Paige Albright, has also been invited to join a delegation of American rug designers to Turkey in late November. The invitation came from the Istanbul Carpet Exporters Association to attend an awards ceremony and to brainstorm on the future of the Turkish carpet trade. 877-3232, paigealbrightorientals.com
Hirings and Promotions RealtySouth’s Mountain BrookCahaba office, 2807 Cahaba Road, has hired Stephanie Byrne as a Realtor. 907-8362, stephaniebyrne.realtysouth.com
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Anniversaries Salon 12, 8000 Liberty Parkway, Suite 110, celebrated its second anniversary on November 1. 977-3812, thesalon12.com
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News and Accomplishments 5
Paige Albright Orientals, 2814 Petticoat Lane, was featured in the October
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A10 • December 2015
Fashions for the Foundation debuts at Grand Bohemian By ANA GOOD Mountain Brook residents got an up-close look at some of the area’s hottest trends today, Monday, Nov. 9, during the annual Schaeffer Eye Center Fashions for the Foundation runway show and fundraiser. The show, which this year moved to Lane Parke’s new Grand Bohemian hotel, will benefit the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation. Area students, parents and coaches took to the runway, showcasing the merchandise of 16 different shops from the city’s villages. Unlike in previous years, where models walked down a long runway, participants weaved their way among the crowd, providing a better look at
outfits and accessories. Approximately 240 people attended the event, which included runway walks from Mountain Brook Superintendent Dicky Barlow, Mountain Brook High School volleyball coach Haven O’Quinn and football coach Chris Yeager. Country music singer and Mountain Brook resident Sara Evans, along with her daughter, Olivia Schelske, also participated. Participating merchants included: Elle, Harrison LTD, Ivory & White Bridal Boutique, Lilla, Little Lavender, Marella, Monkee’s of Mountain Brook, Mountain Brook Sporting Goods, Mountain High Outfitters, Snap Girls, Swoop, The Impeccable Pig, The Lingerie Shoppe, The Pants Store, Town & Country Clothing and
Fashions for the Foundation found a new home at the Grand Bohemian hotel this year for its fundraising event. Photo by Ana Good.
Village Sportswear. TonyaJones Salon provided the day’s makeup and hair. Local florist Marigold Designs provided the table centerpieces. Since 1995, the Mountain Brook City School Foundation has raised more than $5.9 million
in grants to benefit all Mountain Brook City Schools and helped ensure the academic needs beyond the means of the school system. Individual tickets to today’s show sold for $100 and tables of eight sold for $800. Corporate Sponsorships were also available.
Mountain Brook police ‘Let it Grow’ for fundraiser By ANA GOOD Mountain Brook’s police officers “let it grow” in November, teaming up with the nationwide No Shave November fundraising campaign in the fight against cancer. Officer Brad Timothy said he heard about the campaign and decided he’d like to participate. Because the Mountain Brook Police Department requires its officers to be clean shaven at all times, Timothy knew he’d have to clear it with his superiors. “During roll call one day…I asked about participating,” said Timothy. The department
approved the request almost immediately, he said. After that, several other officers joined in. Under the Mountain Brook Police Department team on the No Shave November website, six officers, including Timothy, worked toward their $1,500 fundraising goal. Timothy had a personal fundraising goal of $500, a challenge he said is close to his heart. “I’ve lost three grandparents to cancer,” said Timothy. “Just about everyone you ask has been affected by cancer in one way or another. As a city, we’ve been affected as well.” Timothy said he hadn’t grown his beard out since he served with the Army
Reserves in Afghanistan and enjoyed not having to shave for an entire month. “I’m sure most men would agree,” said Timothy. For Sgt. Al Eason, participating in the campaign also meant quite the changeup in his own routine. “Since 1980, I’ve had to be clean shaven with exception of a year on board the Great White Ghost during the American Embassy Hostage situation, and the three months in 2014 when I was out with a broken foot,” Eason wrote in his personal profile section of the fundraising website. “So roughly 35 years and 18,256 razors later, my chief is allowing the Mountain Brook Police Department to participate in
No-Shave November.” Since No Shave November began five years ago, participants around the globe have helped raise $2 million donated toward the American Cancer Society, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Fight Colorectal Cancer and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Mountain Brook officers who took part will pay a fee to participate and take any money they would have spent on grooming for the month to donate it to the campaign. This is the first year the department participated. To learn more, visit no-shave.org/team/ mounatin_brook_police.
VillageLivingOnline.com
December 2015 • A11
Courtney Williams became the store manager in Mountain Brook after working at The Impeccable Pig’s Nashville location. Photo by Madison Miller.
A MOUNTAIN BROOK VILLAGE BOUTIQUE:
Impeccable Pig pegging trends By MADISON MILLER Everyone is part of the family at The Impeccable Pig. That’s why the store’s manager, Courtney Williams, loves her job. After graduating with a design degree, Williams began working in the fashion industry at a bridal shop in Nashville. When The Impeccable Pig opened a location there, she seized the opportunity and found a place to call home. “I haven’t wanted to leave the company,” Williams said. “They’re great people to work for. They push you to want to do better and be more.” The boutique began as a home store with some clothing items in Dallas, Texas. Mother-daughter team Jenny Correa and Laura Robbins began selling more clothing items at the store until that eventually became its main inventory. Although there are now 14 locations nationwide, the family attitude remains the foundation of each store. “It’s less of a pressure to sell, but more of a [pressure to] get to know someone and make a friend,” Williams said. “Make it feel comfortable for them.” Williams recently moved to Birmingham when the store decided to open a new location in Mountain Brook Village. Since opening in mid-July, Williams and the store have been happily adjusting to the new environment. “Everyone’s more community-based. I’m not used to that, but I love it. You still have to try to accommodate as much as you can,” she said. The store offers clothing for women of all ages. Typically, its most frequent customers are in their late teens to mid-40s, but the store has found pieces for many middle school-aged girls and women in their 80s in the Mountain Brook community.
The Impeccable Pig • • • • •
2812 Cahaba Road 874-7008 theimpeccablepig.com Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, noon-5 p.m.
“I think that’s another part I like about it,” Williams said. “It’s so diverse and fun. You get something new.” Although their pieces are sent from their corporate merchandisers, Williams and her employees make staying on top of trends a priority. Recently, a shift from Aztec prints to Western influences has been popular, Williams said, sporting short metallic cowboy boots herself. “That’s what I’m really into,” she said. The Impeccable Pig tries to style each customer and offer help one-on-one. They have also begun organizing outreach events, which allow customers to donate to a local cause or charity while shopping in their store. During these events, a percentage of proceeds is donated to the community. They can be organized by customers or local organizations and can be private or public. “I’m always looking for people to partner with or [to] give to a charity,” Williams said. Williams is committed to the future of The Impeccable Pig and looks forward to its growth in the community. “I can see more of a future,” she said. “I can see a career ahead if I just stick with it for a few more years.”
A12 • December 2015
Village Living
Former Zoe’s CEO opening new Southern restaurant By MARIENNE THOMAS OGLE Local restaurateurs John Cassimus and Tyre Stuckey are hoping the same formula of good food and hard work that fueled the success of Zoe’s Kitchen will propel their new venture to similar heights. In December, the two will introduce their concept of “fine casual” to Birmingham and Tuscaloosa with the opening of Miss Dots, a restaurant that specializes in freshly prepared food with a Southern flair. The Crestline Village location is at 49 Church Street, where CVS was once housed. In Tuscaloosa, Miss Dots is located at 1715 University Blvd. Cassimus, an MBHS graduate and former football player, is well known as the former CEO of Zoe’s Kitchen, the Mediterranean-inspired chain named for his mother that has grown from one store to the nearly 160 now throughout the country. Stuckey, from Montgomery but now residing in Birmingham, came to Zoe’s from college as a general manager. Over the next 10 years he helped the chain increase from seven to 130 stores, became the company’s head of operations, and banged the Wall Street gavel the day Zoe’s went public in April 2014. The two have joined forces once again to be co-founders and co-owners of Miss Dots, which, like Zoe’s Kitchen, will offer food for dining in or out, dinners for families of four, catering and takeout for any occasion and count. But while patrons will still place and pick up their orders, they will be able to pass their wait time in quite a different setting. According to Cassimus, Miss Dots — open daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. — will have an “open kitchen” environment, where guests can see their
MBHS graduate John Cassimus and Tyre Stuckey and are opening a new restaurant, Miss Dots, in Crestline. Cassimus founded Zoe’s Kitchen, Maki Fresh and Jinsei Sushi. Photo by Frank Couch.
food being prepared. “And they’ll be able to relax at the bar where they can enjoy our signature cocktails, wine and beer while catching a game or scores on TV,” he said. “And they can shop at our in-store market where you can pick up large volumes of many of our items.”
Diners can choose from a variety of sandwiches, salads and plates created with freshroasted pork tenderloin or turkey breast, crispy baked chicken, and the house specialty — fried chicken created with a patented preparation process. Several specialty sides prepared with a decidedly Southern spin will be available
including old-fashioned scalloped potatoes, Alabama succotash, Miss Dots squash casserole and shaved Brussels sprout slaw. “Ours is ‘the food for everyone’ concept,” said Stuckey, who also serves as the company president. “We have a wonderful advantage opening in Crestline and Tuscaloosa, but this is also the type of food that can be offered in almost every neighborhood in the Southeast.” The inspiration for Miss Dots and its fare was Miss Dot herself, Cassimus’ neighbor in southeast Alabama where he lives on his farm and hunting destination, Sawtooth Plantation. “She started working here and, like my mom, is very talented — but using the Deep South flavors and not Mediterranean,” he said. “We’ve cooked together over the last seven years and I’ve taught her my skills like lots of steaming and roasting, and she’s taught me hers. The results have been so amazing that we’ve had professional chefs visit and rave about the food.” Both Cassimus and Stuckey hope that the city where Cassimus grew up will fall in love with their newest venture. “You want to bet on it, but you can’t assume anything because you just don’t know how consumers will react,” Cassimus said. “But the food is over the top and if things go well over the first months, we’ll ramp up expansion plans and may well have 15 Alabama stores within three years.” Stuckey, too, is optimistic about the future of Miss Dots. “One of the big things John and I have in common is a belief in an important key to this business,” he said. “We know the recipe for success in this very competitive food industry — placing a tremendous focus on our food, our team and the environment we operate in.”
VillageLivingOnline.com
December 2015 • A13
Community Winter fun returns to Zoo for annual Zoolight Safari By EMILY FEATHERSTON The Birmingham Zoo will transport visitors to a winter wonderland on weekend nights throughout December. Starting Dec. 4, the Zoo will close at 4 p.m. as Zoolight Safari, sponsored by Wells Fargo, returns for a full holiday run. In addition to the much-anticipated light displays, many Christmas themed events are available for the young and young at heart. This year, the Zoo is introducing the Glacier Glide Ice Rink, where visitors can ice-skate in the Trails of Africa area. The rink will be made of synthetic ice, and an adult must accompany children 5-years-old and younger.
There will also be the Candy Cane Train, Jingle Bell Carousel and the 100-foot Yuletide Slide. Zoolight will be open from 5-9 p.m. There will be a nightly tree lighting at 6 p.m., and weekends through Dec. 23 will also feature photo opportunities with Santa. Admission for Zoo members is free, and is $8 per person for non-members. Some activities will require the purchase of additional tickets, but there is the opportunity to purchase an unlimited-attraction wristband for $12. For full pricing information and more information about Zoolight Safari, visit birminghamzoo.com or call 879-0409. The Birmingham Zoo will light up after hours throughout December as part of its annual Zoolight Safari. Photo courtesy of Birmingham Zoo.
Santa coming to town By EMILY FEATHERSTON Mountain Brook will have a direct line to Christmas’ jolly man in red again this year. Children can send letters to Santa via the white and red mailboxes sprinkled throughout Mountain Brooks’ villages. The Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce said there will be at least three or four mailboxes throughout town, including one in front of the City’s offices and in front of Gilchrist Drug.
All letters to Santa are welcome, and those that include a name and return address will receive a response from Santa himself. The mailboxes will be accepting letters through Christmas Day. Santa will also make his annual appearance at the annual Holiday Parade on Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. Santa will follow his traditional route through Mountain Brook Village, and will return to the center stage for photos. For more information about Santa’s activities in Mountain Brook this Christmas, visit welcometomountainbrook.com.
Mailboxes have been placed around the city so children can share their Christmas wish lists with Santa. Photo by Emily Featherston.
Village Living
A14 • December 2015
Summersell becomes Eagle Scout
Summersell
Cole Harrington Summersell, 17, of Mountain Brook earned the highest advancement award offered by the Boy Scouts of America, the Eagle Scout Award. Summersell will be recognized during ceremonies Sunday, Dec. 13, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. A member of Troop 86, Summersell is one of approximately 4 percent of all Boy Scouts who attain the Eagle rank, according to Scoutmaster David Millhouse. Each candidate must earn 21 merit badges and successfully complete a community, church or synagogue-related service project to earn his Eagle. Summersell chose to build warehouse shelving for Magic City Harvest. Summersell joins other outstanding American citizens who have become Eagle Scouts, among
them former President Gerald R. Ford, Jr., astronaut Neil A. Armstrong and former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Summersell was elected to the position of Senior Patrol Leader for Troop 86 and participated in a weeklong high adventure sailing outing at Sea Base, Florida. He is a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and a member of the cross-country and track teams at Mountain Brook High School, where he is a senior. Summersell is a member of the National Honor Society and a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist. He is the son of Trip and Margaret Summersell of Mountain Brook. His grandfather, Dr. William H. Dodson, of Mountain Brook, is also an Eagle Scout. – Submitted by Trip Summersell
Mountain Brook’s villages to host holiday open houses By EMILY FEATHERSTON Three of Mountain Brook’s villages will be hosting holiday open houses during the first week of December in a continued effort to promote local businesses.
Cahaba Village Cahaba Village will open the holiday season on Tuesday, Dec. 1. The official start-time of the open house is 4 p.m.,
but some stores will be running specials throughout the day.
English Village English Village will host its open house on Wednesday, Dec. 2, with salons, restaurants and galleries all participating.
Mountain Brook Village Last but not least, Mountain Brook
Village will welcome shoppers to its open house on Thursday, Dec. 3. Like Cahaba Village, the official opening is at 4 p.m., but some vendors will be hosting specials during the day. For more information about the open houses and to see a list of village stores and restaurants, visit welcometomountainbrook.com.
Bromberg’s manager Ricky Bromberg, left, and Roberto Coin. Photo by Ana Good.
Mountain Brook jeweler hosts Italian designer By ANA GOOD Italian jewelry designer Roberto Coin paid a special visit to Bromberg’s Mountain Brook location Wednesday, Oct. 21 as part of a limited United States tour. “We are really pleased with the outcome of the event,” said store owner Ricky Bromberg. “We had a great turnout. It was a great opportunity to present the man behind the name to the community.” Employees transformed the store into a Roberto Coin showroom the morning of his visit. No other jewelry was on display during the duration of the event, though the store is now back to its regular order, said Bromberg. The Venetian designer’s work is perhaps most recognized by his signature ruby touch. Coin signs his jewels by setting a small ruby on the inside of each piece where it can touch the wearer’s skin, a tradition he said was inspired by Egyptian legends. The ruby, according to the legend, is a magic stone able to provide health, happiness and long life to those who keep it in contact with their skin. According to his official website, Coin designs more than 600 new models a year. Coin’s collections can be found in more than 60 countries at more than 1,000 shops.
www.exvotovintage.com
Tis the Season!
Created in Alabama by designer Elizabeth Adams. Visit our showroom in Mountain Brook Village. 205.538.7301
VillageLivingOnline.com
December 2015 • A15
Joyful noise: Birmingham Boys Choir to perform annual Christmas concert
Bromberg tree to light up Mountain Brook village Bromberg’s iconic Christmas tree welcomes shoppers to Mountain Brook Village each year. Photo courtesy of Bromberg’s.
Photo Courtesy of the Birmingham Boys Choir.
By EMILY FEATHERSTON The Birmingham Boys Choir will once again offer their community Christmas concert at Canterbury United Methodist Church on Tuesday, Dec. 8. In its 38th year, the concert will once again not only feature current choir members, but their fathers and choir alumni as well. Music Director Ken Berg said the concert, which is in its 38th year, will showcase both “traditional carols and beloved Christmas anthems,” as well as congregational singing. “I have people every year come up an tell me that they enjoy the concert but what they really enjoy is the congregational singing,” Berg said. This year’s concert will also feature the voices
of choir dads and alumni, a tradition that happens only every other year and features up to 200 male voices. “It’s a powerful sound,” Berg said. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., and there is no cost for admission to the often standing-roomonly the event. Berg said the choir receives immense support from the community, both personal and financial, and this concert is a way to give back. “This is our gift to the community,” he said. While the event is free, the choir encourages and welcomes donations to the choir in order to support the group’s goal to share music with Birmingham and beyond. For more information, visit birminghamboyschoir.com or call 767-9219.
By EMILY FEATHERSTON For nine years now, the center of attention of Mountain Brook village during the holidays has been Bromberg’s iconic Christmas tree. Arriving on a flatbed truck a few days before Thanksgiving, it takes three or four days for crews to get the tree in place and lit by the official start of the Christmas shopping season. The tree, which is usually around 30 feet tall, requires a crane to get into place in the middle of the busy village. This year, Ricky Bromberg said the team is working to make sure they find the right
combination of white and colorful lights to match the fine-tuned aesthetic they’ve achieved over the last few years. “We try to make it look identical every year,” Bromberg said. The tree will welcome shoppers to the Mountain Brook Village Holiday Open House on Thursday, Dec. 3. Bromberg said his store will participate in the event, as well as other trunk shows throughout the holiday season. He said Bromberg’s also continued their tradition of lighting and decorating a tree at Children’s of Alabama, which was auctioned off in November to support the hospital.
Village Living
A16 • December 2015
Zoo, KultureCity partner to make ‘sensory friendly’ environments
Living Nativity retells the timeless story for Mountain Brook
By ANA GOOD Walk around The Birmingham Zoo and you might notice a few new signs. With the help of KultureCity, the zoo is now “sensory friendly,” accessible to visitors with Sensory Processing Disorders and other special needs. The signs, displayed in areas such as wildlife shows and nature trails, help designate areas that accommodate guests with SPDs. Through the initiative, the zoo hopes to raise awareness of SPDs among staff and the community. Sensory Processing Disorder, or sensory integration dysfunction, is “a condition that exists when sensory signals don’t get organized into appropriate responses,” according to the SPD Foundation. A person with SPD, for example, finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses leading to possible motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression and school failure if not treated. Studies suggest that as many as 1 in 6 children may be affected in some degree. The Sensory Friendly Zoo Initiative, said Vice President of Education Roger Torbert, grew out of the success the zoo experienced with October’s Special Needs Spooktacular. More than 300 families with special needs children were able to attend the event, a modified Boo at the Zoo experience, for free. “We were overwhelmed by the success of the Special Needs Spooktacular,” said Torbert according to a news release. “Several staff members and volunteers commented that this was one of their most rewarding experiences. This event marked the first ever visit to the Birmingham Zoo for many of these families and served as a welcome call for future visits.” Through the partnership with KultureCity, a Birmingham-based organization serving those with autism, the zoo now offers a variety of resources for those with SPDs. Children who need them now have access to noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys and weighted lap pads.
A sign alerts visitors that they’re entering a sensory-friendly zone inside the Birmingham Zoo. The quiet area provides seating for visitors who may need a place to regroup. Photo by Ana Good.
These resources, and others, are available for guests to rent in the Membership Office at the front of the zoo. Signage identifying “quiet zones,” areas that typically see less activity and provide seating for visitors who may need a place to regroup, has been installed around the zoo. “Headphone zone” areas are designated to cue visitors to use the noise-canceling headphones in the areas that may be especially noisy. Changes have also been made to the Zoo’s Education Department to classes and summer camps to make them more sensory friendly. In addition, Zoo staff received training to help increase understanding of SPDs and learned strategies they can implement to support the initiative. “Our work with KultureCity is a ‘game changer’ for many families in our community,” Torbert said. “The wonderful thing about this entire process is that we discovered that the changes brought about by the Sensory Friendly Zoo Initiative not only improves access for visitors with Sensory Processing Disorders, but also improved the quality of service for all of our guests.”
Photo Courtesy of Mountain Brook Baptist Church. By EMILY FEATHERSTON A Mountain Brook Christmas tradition will once again bring people together in the final days before Christmas as Mountain Brook Baptist Church hosts its annual Living Nativity. As in previous years, the program will take place Dec. 21-23 in the lower parking lot of the church. Minister of Connections Mary Splawn said that the community-wide program is open to anyone interested in participating, and has in the past had people from ages three to 93 play roles in the event. “It’s really a neat time for all the different generations of our church to get involved,” Splawn said.
The church’s telling of the Christmas story has maintained the tradition for the last 52 years by using an audio recording by late former pastor Rev. Dotson Nelson. The event also features live animals, which guests are free to interact with afterward. Three showings of the program will take place each night at 6:45, 7:30 and 8:15 p.m. Cookies and hot cocoa will also be served, and the church invites the entire community to attend. “It’s an awesome opportunity for us to reach out with the true meaning of Christmas,” Splawn said. For more information about the Living Nativity, contact Mary Splawn at 803-3448, or at mary@mbbc.org.
VillageLivingOnline.com
December 2015 • A17
Four Mountain Brook homes featured in annual tour
Guests admire holiday décor at the 2014 Christmas Home Tour. Courtesy of Lynn Parrish.
From left: Liz Estes, vice president of fundraising and philanthropy; Toni Vaughn, fundraising committee chairman; Harry Wooten, executive vice president of the Alabama Ear Institute; and Glenda Lott, chapter president. Photo courtesy of Glenda Lott.
The fifth annual Christmas Home Tour, hosted by the Samford University’s Legacy League, includes four Mountain Brook homes this year. The tour is set for Thursday, Dec. 10 and showcases the holiday décor of five homes, including one that is in Vestavia Hills. This year’s tour will also include a holiday gift market. Homes on the tour range from traditional to contemporary designs. One home includes a large outdoor living area and fireplace built by the owners. Another has contemporary design and includes an indoor fountain. Another tour residence includes exposed beams and limestone appointments, reflecting the English arts and crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A fourth residence reflects New England architecture in a rural setting. The Samford President’s Home, which sits atop Shades Mountain, includes a view of the city. At this home, guests will have hors d’oeuvres and desserts. They will also have the opportunity to shop at the holiday gift market, a new addition to this year’s tour. The gift market will have jewelry and accessories, art, children’s items, clothing, food and home items for sale. The market is sponsored by
Event Rentals Unlimited. Homes will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 through Dec. 8 or $30 at the door. To order tickets, visit samford.edu/legacyleague. For more information, call 726-2247 or visit the website. Proceeds from the home tour and gift market will be used for scholarships for students with significant financial need and challenging circumstances. Featured homes include: Tricia and Mark Drew 4105 Kennesaw Drive, Mountain Brook Dimity and Alex Leath 4405 Old Brook Run, Mountain Brook Lynn and Duane Randleman 2717 Old Trace, Mountain Brook Shannon and Richard Riley 3505 Brookwood Road, Mountain Brook Jeanna and Andy Westmoreland Samford President’s Home 1994 Shades Crest Road, Vestavia Hills
DZ chapter presents check to institute The Delta Zeta Birmingham Alumnae Chapter recently presented the Alabama Ear Institute with a $6,000 check. The money, raised at the chapter’s annual Make Some Noise fundraiser, will benefit the Alabama School for Hearing. Chapter President Glenda Lott presented the check to Harry Wooten, executive vice president for the Alabama Ear Institute, during a meeting at La Catrina Restaurant in Vestavia. Delta Zeta Sorority’s national philanthropy is speech and hearing, and the Birmingham chapter annually raises
Candlelight Christmas Eve Communion Service December 24 • 5pm
This service is perhaps one of the most well-loved services of the year. Bring your family and make this time of worship a centerpiece of your Christmas tradition. Beautiful décor, lovely music, candlelight ambience, and most impo-rtantly, God’s Word is shared with all. We invite you to come and hear the good news of Jesus Christ which we celebrate with the remembrance of His birth.
Living Nativity
December 21, 22 & 23 Each Night at: 6:45pm 7:30pm 8:15pm
w w w . m b b c . o r g
money for the Alabama School for Hearing. This segment of the Alabama Ear Institute is for children ages 3-5 who are deaf or hard of hearing. Make Some Noise was held Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center. It featured a game day fashion show, luncheon, wine lottery and silent auction. Models in the fashion show were from both the community and the Alabama School for Hearing. For more information, visit dzbirminghamalumnae.org or email deltazetabirmingham@gmail.com - Submitted by Glenda Lott
Village Living
A18 • December 2015
IPC Holiday House Tour to feature four Mountain Brook homes By RACHEL BURCHFIELD Four of Mountain Brook’s most beautiful homes will open their doors for the holidays as a part of the 66th Independent Presbyterian Church’s Holiday House Tour. The tour – to take place on Saturday, Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 13 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. – will feature stops at four Mountain
Brook homes and the church itself, located at 3100 Highland Avenue. The event culminates the yearlong centennial celebration of the IPC, founded in 1915. “It’s an annual holiday tradition for many people in our community,” publicity chair Jennifer Cope said. “We always have gorgeous homes with fabulous decorations covering a variety of styles.”
Tickets can be purchased at IPCUSA.org/holiday-house or by stopping by the church reception desk during business hours. Tickets are also available at the homes and at IPC during the hours of the tour. Tickets are $30, and proceeds help fund the Summer Learning Program at the Children’s Fresh Air Farm. Around 80 third through fifth graders attend the program, which addresses challenges
faced by disadvantaged children such as summer learning loss and nutritional deficiencies. “There are many generous homeowners in Birmingham that have willingly opened their homes for this fundraiser,” Cope said. Meet this year’s homeowners right here before you see their homes on the tour.
The Jolly Home 2805 Shook Hill Circle With a last name like Jolly, it’s easy to get in the holiday spirit. And Mary Elaine Jolly is. Her family’s Christmas card reads “Just Be Jolly.” She ordered pillows this year with her last name on it – perfect for Christmas. And on her Christmas tree, upside down candy canes – which transform into the letter J – hang from the branches. She’s also opening her doors at 2805 Shook Hill Circle for the IPC Holiday House Tour, where visitors can enjoy the refined French décor and its holiday trimmings. Jolly and her family attend St. Luke’s but got involved with the
IPC tour through a sorority sister of Jolly’s, Paige Albright, who is a member at IPC. Jolly loves home décor and interiors, she said, so she was happy to get behind the cause. Jolly, her husband Robert, an architect, and an interior designer designed the home from the ground up in 2006. Jolly used the same interior designer, Tricia Willis, that her parents used, and the home’s feel still suits the family nine years later. “We are proud of it,” Jolly said. Her favorite room in the home is the screened-in porch, complete with a fi eplace.
Her three children, ages 11 to 15, enjoy what Jolly deems to be the most unique room in the house – a room over the garage that is a combination game room, playroom, and den. Visitors can also catch glimpses of Jolly’s Floridian upbringing – coral and shell botanicals are in the powder room, and there is a sign from Miracle Strip Amusement Park in Panama City Beach, Florida, which her father owned. Jolly is proud of her home year-round, but especially this time of year. “I love the house when it is decorated for Christmas,” she said.
The Jolly home, 2805 Shook Hill Circle, was designed by homeowners Robert and Mary Elaine Jolly and features refined French décor.
VillagelLivingOnline.com
December 2015 • A19
The Thomson Home 3121 Brookwood Road
Kathy Thomson admired her home, located at 3121 Brookwood Road, for years before purchasing it with husband Tommy in 2013.
Kathy Thomson had loved the house at 3121 Brookwood Road since she was a student at Mountain Brook High School. When Kathy and her husband Tommy moved back to Birmingham from Nashville around 1999 or 2000, Kathy went to the house she always loved and left a note in their mailbox that said “if you
ever move, give me a call.” In the fall of 2013, the house was theirs. Kathy calls the home easy to live in. Tommy loves its old-fashioned comfort and charm, its warmth, traditional features. The couple are members of IPC, and sprinklings of the church are all over the home. The home will be decorated
with greenery from their son’s Boy Scout troop’s greenery sale, including a white-lit wreath that will adorn the home’s side chimney. The Thomsons will have two Christmas trees – a formal tree and a family tree. At the holidays, and always, the home is a fulfillme t of years of admiration on Kathy’s part.
The Howland Home 2801 Shook Hill Circle The Howlands were not looking to move. Not until Mary Beth Howland got a call from her sorority sister and realtor Lucy Parker, anyway. Parker told Howland and her husband, Rob, to get over to 2801 Shook Hill Circle – and the Howlands were wowed. This will be the Howlands’ fi st
Christmas in their home – after closing on it in April and spending much of the summer at their new beach house in Alys Beach, Florida, Howland said she really only feels as though she’s been living there for a few months. Howland got involved with the IPC Holiday House Tour through decorator Lisa Flake.
The Howlands usually have a busy go of it around holiday decorating season. Visitors can expect some nontraditional decorations when they visit – especially in daughters Mary Louise and Anna Claire’s rooms. The main room of the home will be decorated with ample amounts of gold, Howland said.
This year the Howlands will celebrate their first Christmas at their new home, located at 2801 Shook Hill Circle. The family moved in to the home in April.
The Roth Homemm 3241 Dell Road
Formerly the home of a renowned children’s portrait photographer, the Roth home, 3241 Dell Road, is now where Kathleen Roth runs a letterpress business.
Creativity runs through the rafters of the Roth home. Before Kathleen Roth, her husband, David, and their two children moved in to 3241 Dell Road in the summer of 2013, the home was owned by renowned children’s portrait photographer Barbara Harbin and her husband, Robin. Roth does Christmas cards, invitations and stationary – but
cut off business in September to start gearing up for the IPC Holiday House Tour. She had worked the tour before – The Roths are members of IPC. The mission of the tour drew Roth to participate. This is the Roths’ third home – and most likely their last, she said. Roth’s creativity will show up in the holiday decorations visitors will see upon entering the home –
but it won’t be overdone, she said. The tree will boast family ornaments with white and colored lights. Garlands and fl wers will abound. One family tradition that will carry over to the tour is the annual gingerbread decorating contest that Kathleen, David and their children James and Eleanor participate in each year.
A20 • December 2015
Village Living
Subbing for Santa By MARIENNE THOMAS OGLE
John Feagin holds a child on his lap after the holiday parade. Staff photo.
He may be in his workshop at the chilly North Pole but everyone knows this is the time of year Santa is feeling the heat – when he and his elves are working around the clock to meet that December 24 delivery deadline. Because he’s immersed in his own Christmas rush, Santa must rely on representatives worldwide to help spread holiday cheer and compile millions of present requests from youngsters who hope their names make the right side of the “naughty or nice” list. For the last 20 years, John Feagin has held the honor of serving as Santa’s emissary for the Mountain Brook Holiday Parade, which will be Sunday Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. Feagin can be seen atop a big red fire engine, waving to children along the parade route. But he is quick to point out that his first gig at filling in for Santa was not nearly so spectacular and, in fact, nearly convinced him he wasn’t up to the challenge. According to Feagin, a friend had asked if he’d play the role for her son’s birthday, which fell during the holiday season. Shy by nature, Feagin thought it best to practice his portrayal prior to his debut by donning the jolly gentleman’s attire and knocking on neighbor’s doors. “At the first house I rang the bell, said “ho-ho-ho” and our neighbor opened the door and said, ‘John Feagin, how many cocktails have you had?,’” he said. “And then, when I did the same thing at the second house, that neighbor said, ‘just a minute’ and opened the door with a gun.”
If that wasn’t enough, Feagin said when he later popped into the birthday party, the children screamed and scattered. “Our friend’s child was two years old that day and is 42 now but I bet he’s never forgotten it,” he said. “That day I decided I just wasn’t cut out to do this.” But the bug had bitten Feagin, and when asked to reprise his role for the children of fellow IBM employees at the company Christmas party, he obliged. “I’m chubby—though I still have to use pillows—and for some reason people thought I had the right personality,” he said. “I was skeptical at first but once you do it and are in character you see things a lot differently. While the adults may not pay much attention, the kids come up and hug you and get so excited that it’s great fun.” Feagin had so much fun that when he learned Santa’s delegate for the Mountain Brook Holiday Parade was retiring, he volunteered to fill the slot. His job includes riding atop a fire truck, making note of children’s Christmas wishes and forwarding all the letters to Santa that are dropped in village holiday mailboxes on to the North Pole. “Being part of this community event is just wonderful,” he said. “Riding the fire truck with all the streets so crowded is great. And when the children come up with their parents and take pictures and tell me what they want, I often know them but they have no idea it’s me.” The same is true for Feagin’s own five grandchildren who range in age from 4 to 11 years, said Judy Feagin, who often chauffeurs her husband of 47 years when he’s in his big red suit.
VillageLivingOnline.com “None of them even know he helps Santa during the holidays,” Judy said. “But while I love the whole experience and enjoy driving him in our Toyota “sleigh,” I decided long ago I’m not cut out for the role of Mrs. Claus.” The Mountain Brook Holiday Parade activities will be held on the center stage in Mountain Brook Village while the parade proceeds along Cahaba Road, Culver Road and Petticoat Lane, said Suzan Doidge, Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce executive director. “Taylor Hicks is our grand marshal this year and we’ll have about 2,500 spectators and up to1,000 parade participants including 12 floats, sports and dance teams, and lots of children,” said Doidge . “While Macy’s has their great big balloons we have the Mayfield Cow.” Meg and Craig Krawczyk and daughters Alice Kate, Emily and Margaret never miss the parade and traditionally claim a spot near the stage to get a good view. “I really like to watch the girls dance and waving to Santa,” said Emily, 8, a 2nd grader at Crestline Elementary School. “It all just makes me so happy.” Unlike her sister, Margaret, 11, said she wasn’t always a big fan of the parade’s main man. “I used to be afraid of Santa but now I really like him,” said Margaret, a Crestline Elementary fifth-grader. “It’s wonderful to see all my friends, watch all the people in the parade and the stage entertainment. We have a great time.” Joseph Spencer, 8, and son of Meredith and Jay, is also a Santa Claus fan, saying he is “funny, really nice and makes me smile.” “But I also think about his presents and I’m going to ask Santa for golf clubs this year,” the Crestline Elementary second-grader said. “And when I think about the presents I think that the Wise Men gave gifts to Jesus and Santa gives presents to us to remind us that Jesus was born.” Word of Feagin’s success as Santa’s stand-in has spread and he’s played the role at other events including the Ronald McDonald House Birmingham Christmas Party, to which he’s escorted by U.S. Secret Service Agents from the Birmingham office volunteering
December 2015 • A21
Dressed as Santa, John Feagin waves to children during the 2014 Mountain Brook Holiday Parade. Staff photo.
their time. “That’s quite an experience because they are complete with the dark suits, sunglasses, earpieces and SUVs,” he said. At 73, Feagin said he’s “got some more good years left” but is on the lookout for another volunteer who will be just the right fit because, while “having a white beard isn’t required, a personality that lets you have fun with it all is.” “You have to be ready for the younger kids’ questions like, ‘where are the reindeer’ or ‘why are you here so early,’ but at the same time a discussion with older children who let you know they know you’re not the real Santa,” Feagin said. “And remember to always stress that they have to go to bed early on Christmas Eve and, most importantly that Santa loves chocolate chip cookies.” Visit welcometomountainbrook.com for more information about the parade. John Feagin, Santa Claus’ representative for the last 20 years in the Mountain Brook Holiday Parade, also collects letters to Santa and forwards them to the North Pole workshop. Photo by Frank Couch.
A22 • December 2015
Village Living
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas By ERICA TECHO As soon as the Halloween parade ends, Mountain Brook begins preparing for Christmas. “Halloween is over, and a few weeks pass and then, boom – it’s really pretty,” said Ronnie Vaughn, public works director for the city of Mountain Brook. Getting in the holiday spirit is not as easy as simply flipping a switch, however. The process of covering Mountain Brook with garland and lights takes about 21 days, and they start working on Nov. 1. While there isn’t a set schedule for which areas receive decorations at which time, the goal is to wrap up decorating before Thanksgiving, Vaughn said. The three-man team — including Johnny Franklin, Mark Atkins and Matthew Harrison — work about six days a week to decorate the villages of Mountain Brook. When it starts getting dark, they’ll return to the public works office and load up the truck for the next day of decorating. Even after the decorations are up, the city plans to have a slight buffer before the holidays just in case there’s a cold day or rainy day that impedes decorating. They also plan for a check-up in case lights do not work and they need to call out an electrician, Vaughn said. Franklin and Atkins have been decorating Mountain Brook for about 12 years, and Harrison joined the team a few years ago. Public Works supervisor Steven Gay said Franklin’s experience is one thing that keeps the process going year to year. “He’s the one that makes it happen every year,” Gay said. Decorations around town are consistent from year to year, but each village receives its own
CHRISTMAS BY THE NUMBERS Crestline Village: 70 street poles are decorated 16 trees have lights Four wreaths on the clock tower Mountain Brook Village: 57 street poles are decorated Four Santa mailboxes are put out for letters to the North Pole English Village: 46 street poles are decorated 30 street poles receive garland and bows 16 street poles receive snowfla es 16 trees have lights Overton Village: 19 street poles are decorated Johnny Franklin hangs garland on a light pole in Mountain Brook Village. Photo by Erica Techo
look, Vaughn said. Crestline Village, for example, has street poles that are decorated with candy, garland and bows. The clock tower also receives wreaths on all four of its clock faces. On the other hand, street poles in Mountain Brook Village are decorated with garland, berries, drums and horns. The village also houses four Santa mailboxes, where children can place their letters to the North Pole. English Village stands apart with snowflakes
on some of the street poles, and Overton Village is decorated with garland and bows. While the design stays standard, Gay said it is important to review the process each year. The men also check decorations each year as they are taken down to evaluate what needs to be reordered or replaced. This year, the city ordered all new bows for the holiday decorations, which ended up being about a six-month process.
“That’s why they call it Christmas in July,” Gay said. “You’ve got to start planning and ordering then.” Vaughn said the city is proud of the final product when all of the lights and decorations are up. While most work goes on in the background, they’re happy to help set the holiday spirit. “We’re proud to do it,” he said. “We do a lot of things that tend to happen behind the scenes, and we’re perfectly OK with that.”
VillageLivingOnline.com
holiday gift guide
December 2015 • A23 For the
HOME ENTERTAINER Le Cadeaux Baguette Tray with White Laguiole Bread Knife $36 Enjoy entertaining over the holidays with this elegant, chip and break resistant bread tray and knife with the appearance of handmade pottery. Christine’s 2404 Canterbury Road 871-8297
For the
FANCY BAKER Personalized flour sack towe $22 This personalized flour sack towel (special order) with or without the year on it is the perfect gift for the person who has everything. The Cook Store 2841 Cahaba Road 879-5277
For the For the
FAMILY OUTING YETI Family Rambler Series $24.99-39.99 Coolers $249 and up Perfect for the family on the go. The YETI family has something for everyone on your list. Alabama Outdoors 3054 Independence Drive 870-1919
WOMAN ON THE GO All in One Bag $125 The All in One Bag, British Tan Embossed Python fashionable clutch is slim enough to slip into your favorite purse.
For the
COOL KID Ray-Ban Aviator Kids $69 Kids Aviator Ray-Bans with gold frame and green lenses.
Monkee’s 2006 Cahaba Road 783-1240
JJ Eyes 2814 18th St. South 703-8596
Join us for our annual
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE Cocktails, Hors d’Oeuvres, Discounts and Giveaways December 10, 2015 | 6 pm
2900 Cahaba Rd
Birmingham, AL 35223
205.877.9773
holiday gift guide
A24 • December 2015
Village Living
For the
BIRD LOVER
For the
Wild Woolies Felt Birdhouse $20-25 These fun and festive birdhouses are made with sustainable materials in Nepal by skilled artisans working in a fair trade production center
TIMEKEEPER Tag Heuer Aquaracer $1500 Silver dial with stainless steel bracelet.
Christopher Glenn Inc. 2713 19th Street S. 870-1236
Bromberg’s 2800 Cahaba Road 871-3276
For the
JEWELRY LOVER Alabama Charm Bracelet Charms $50 each Sterling silver bracelet $60 You’ll charm your loved one with this sterling silver bracelet, made from Argentium silver by Sarah Morgan, and she’ll love collecting the 15 charms that celebrate her favorite state.
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Alabama Goods 2933 18th Street S. 803-3900
Montblanc Meisterstuck Classique Ballpoint Pen $420 Beautiful ballpoint pen with black precious resin inlaid with Montblanc emblem with a gold-plated clip. Barton-Clay Fine Jewelers 2701 Cahaba Road 871-7060
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FASHIONISTA Camel Shawl Cape $385 The Ellsworth & Ivey cape features a long, shawl like collar that can be worn up or down, as well as a belt for a more fitted look. The Village Poodle 2410 Canterbury Road 423-5443
Join us for our Trunk Show on Wednesday, December 2 Thursday, December 3
Wishing you a tangle-free holiday. May all your days be merry and bright. A safe and joyous season to everyone. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
VillageLivingOnline.com For the
JEWELRY LOVER
holiday gift guide
December 2015 • A25 For the
FESTIVE PARTY
Provence Necklace $198 This 33” necklace features hand-wrapped Pyrite stones, bone bead, their Provence Pendant and a suede tassel, heavily plated in 18k gold. Made in the USA. (A portion of all ExVoto Vintage sales go to The Cure Starts Now Foundation for Pediatric Brain Cancer Research.)
Christmas Petit Fours $13.20 per dozen Specially decorated for Christmas, these festive and unique petit fours are perfect for any party. Savages 2916 18th Street S. 871-4901
ExVoto Vintage Jewelry 2402 Canterbury Road 538-7301
For the
FITNESS AFICIONADO
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LITTLE SNUGGLER Squishable Blue Octopus $44 Snuggle up with the soft and cuddly round fuzzy stuffed animals. Swoop 2127 Cahaba Road 803-0886
Garmin Edge 520 Bundle $399.99 Includes Garmin Edge 520 plus premium heart rate monitor, cadence sensor, speed sensor, mounts (standard and extended out-front) and USB cable. Birmingham Bicycle Co. 1105 Dunston Ave. 870-8330
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BEST BEVERAGES S’well Bottles 17 oz. $36 25 oz. $49 These stylish reusable bottles keep your drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. Table Matters 2402 Montevallo Road 879-0125
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A26 • December 2015
Village Living
Tradition with a
twist
Jewish community center to host Chanukah latke competition By EMILY FEATHERSTON Celebrating Chanukah will be a little more competitive this year as the Levite Jewish Community Center hosts a latke cooking competition for the area’s Jewish communities. Teams from Temple Emanu-El, Collat Jewish Family Services, N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, the Birmingham Jewish Federation, the Birmingham chapter of Hadassah, Chabad of Alabama and possibly more will compete on Thursday, Dec. 10. The teams will face one another in a cook-off based on the Food Network show “Chopped,” and will be required to use any secret ingredients they are presented with. LJCC Community Accounts Receivable and Events Coordinator Priscilla Denard said that
there have been latke competitions in the past, but the secret ingredient element is new. “This year, we wanted to put a twist on it,” she said. The teams will have 30 minutes to prepare their latkes and any accompaniments, and will have access to a pantry for basic ingredients. While latkes are traditionally simple potato pancakes fried in oil, Denard said the teams will be able to use the secret ingredients in the latkes themselves or in side dishes or condiments. A panel of judges that will include local celebrity chefs will choose the winning team. The winners will receive a golden frying pan trophy and a donation from the LJCC to their respective organization. Denard said the event will also include a full
LJCC latke competition team members Priscilla Denard and Kathryn Pautler practice cooking zucchini latkes to prepare for possible secret ingredients. Courtesy of Priscilla Denard, LJCC.
VillageLivingOnline.com
December 2015 • A27 Teams at the LJCC latke competition will have 30 minutes to prepare their latkes and sides. Courtesy of Priscilla Denard, LJCC.
Celebrating the festival: Chanukah 2015 Events Sunday, Dec. 6
Thursday, Dec. 10, 5:30 p.m.
The Sisterhood of Temple Beth-El will host its annual Chanukah luncheon and raffle d wntown. The area’s Jewish communities will gather at the Summit for a Grand Menorah Lighting hosted by Chabad of Alabama and the LJCC. There will be Chanukah music, latkes, doughnuts and hot chocolate and Dreidel Man will be passing out gelt and taking photos with everyone.
The LJCC will host the “Chopped” latke cooking competition, complete with dinner and Chanukah carnival, in the center’s auditorium. There will also be an intergenerational candle lighting, which will follow the traditional sundown calendar.
Monday, Dec. 7
dinner for guests and an indoor carnival for the young and young at heart. Dinner, which includes a bowl of vegetarian chili, a side salad, dessert, a latke and a drink, will be available for $8 per person or $35 for a family of four. The Community Youth Group will be putting on the Chanukah carnival, complete with games and prizes. “We definitely want to teach people a lot about the Jewish experience, and it’s also a great way to come and spend time with family,” Denard said. The atmosphere of family time fits with what Judaic Educator for the Cohn Early Childhood Learning Center Michelle Konigsburg said Chanukah is all about.
“The real emphasis of Chanukah is gathering together with family, lighting candles, eating latkes or jelly doughnuts and just having family time,” Konigsburg said. She said latkes are part of the custom of frying foods to pay tribute to the miracle of the oil, which is part of the Chanukah celebration. While not one of the largest Jewish holidays, Konigsburg said Chanukah is still important because it celebrates a group of people that courageously liberated themselves from tyranny. “It’s a holiday of reclaiming Jewish identity,” she said. The latke competition will take place in the auditorium of the LJCC, with the entire event beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The LJCC will be helping those celebrating Chanukah work off their latkes at “Sh’Bamukah,” an aerobic-dance class that on Dec. 7 will be taught to Chanukah music. The event will be held at the LJCC recreation facilities. For more information on times and specific locations, visit bhamjcc.org. Tuesday, Dec 8, 6:30 p.m. A screening of “The Return” will be held at the LJCC, along with an educational Chanukah program. Wednesday, Dec. 9, 6 p.m. Knesseth Israel will host their annual Chanukah bingo game.
Friday, Dec. 11 No official vents will be held as the community honors the sacred ritual of Shabbat. Saturday, Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m. Chabad of Alabama will host “Latkes & L’Chaims,” a cocktail party at the W XYZ Bar in the Aloft hotel in downtown Homewood. The event will include cocktails, latkes and dairy hors d’oeuvres. The cost is $18 per person or $30 per couple, and those interested should RSVP to offi e@chabadofalabama.com. Sunday, Dec. 13 The Brotherhood of Temple Emanu-El will host its annual Chanukah luncheon at noon on Dec. 13. N.E. Miles Jewish Day School will host a children’s Chanukah PJ Party at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at the Summit.
Village Living
A28 • December 2015 BRANDT
CONTINUED from page A1 have ever had to fill out,” Brandt said. “I knew people from across the world were applying, all types of impressive individuals.” That’s saying something. Brandt, who began her career in education with Hoover City Schools in 1994, has filled out her share of applications. She earned her B.A. in elementary education from Auburn University and an M.A. in special education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she also completed course work for her educational leadership certificate. Brandt then went on to earn an Ed.S. in educational technology from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Brandt said when she received the invitation to apply for a spot at TEDGlobal>Geneva, she didn’t hesitate. The lengthy application paid off. Now, she is one of only 400 from around the world selected to attend both the pre-conference and the classic TED event themed “Critical Junctures.” Brandt said she has always been a fan of the internationally known TED Talks, in part because of their ability to distribute a multitude of ideas from one hemisphere to the other. “It’s important to have an international appreciation of ideas,” she said. “I’ve always been interested in learning about how people live, wherever they live, and about what they believe.” Her parents instilled that respect for the international community when she was a young child. Brandt traveled with them to Costa Rica when she was in first grade, and said her family hosted foreign exchange students in their home for as long as she can remember. “It is part of who we are as a family,” said Brandt, whose husband is of Honduran descent. Brandt first blended her interest in TED Talks with her professional background when she served on the organizational team for TEDxRedMountain, Birmingham’s first TEDx event in 2011. TEDx events, she explained, are TED-style events held at the local level. They are planned and coordinated independently, under a TED license. From there, Brandt went on to assist with the first TEDxBirmingham event. She currently serves
Members of the TEDx Youth club at Mountain Brook Junior High pose for a group picture after a pitch session. (L to R) Emily Franklin, Abraham Asknazi, Genevive Wilson, Chip Porter, Izzy Narducci, Sean Fredella, Robert Goolsby, Christopher Thagard and Suzan Brandt. Brandt was accepted to the international TEDGlobal conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Photo by Frank Couch.
as a TEDxBirmingham Educator Fellow and is active in their professional learning community. Eventually, Brandt decided to incorporate what she learned at the student level. In 2014, she teamed up with Andrew Cotten, Mariya Breaux and Sharon Flowers from MBJH to organize the middle school’s TED-Ed Club. The TED-Ed Club, she explained, provides students with an opportunity to learn how to present their big ideas in the form of short TED-style talks. The group of students who participate in the MBJH TED-Ed Club take part in the club during school hours, said Brandt. “[They] will not only be able to develop their own TED-style talk, but will have the opportunity to collaborate and connect with students globally to share their big idea, get feedback, and practice their presentation skills,” she said.
Her students, like millions of others around the world, were instantly hooked. Soon after the club started, Brandt said her students asked for more. The MBJH TED-Ed Club asked Brandt to take their experience one step further and apply for a TEDx Youth license so they could publicly present their ideas as a TEDx talk. TED granted the license, said Brandt, and the students are now planning a possible TEDx event. “We are excited for what the future may hold,” said Brandt. That future will be facilitated by her participation in the TEDGlobal>Geneva Conference next month. Attending December’s events will qualify Brandt to hold a TEDx event with more than 100 attendees, unlike the previous TEDxYouth@ MBJH that had a size limit. Brandt said the
opportunity to hold a larger event will allow Mountain Brook to expand its TEDx events and presence in the community. TEDGlobal>Geneva speakers will not be announced, said Brandt, until the invited attendees arrive. “I’m honored to be able to represent the people of Mountain Brook and the students at MBJH,” said Brandt. “I’m looking forward to meeting people from all over the world, sharing a little bit of home with them and learning about their ideas.” Brandt said TEDGlobal>Geneva will waive the $8,500 cost to attend the event. Airline and lodging fees, however, are on her. The school board, she said, is trying to work out a way to help with those costs. For more on TEDxYouth@MBJH, visit tedxyouthmbjh.com.
VillageLivingOnline.com
December 2015 • A29
Mountain Brook is currently considering a master plan proposal that calls for more parks and walking trails, such as Jemison Park shown here, as well as adult recreation programs and a community center. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
PARKS
CONTINUED from page A1 things may be taken out.” No date has been set for Lose to present a final draft of their plan to the city council. At the October meeting, Lose representatives said that Mountain Brook, in addition to renovating old facilities and building new ones, should offer more structured activities – particularly walking trails and other adult sports activities – to attract more users to the parks “Your adult population is being underserved, and if you do programming for adults, they will use the parks,” Lose President Chris Camp said in a later interview. Lose also recommends that the parks and recreation department hire additional staff to create regular programming, including classes and other events. The department presently has 16 staffers devoted almost entirely to maintenance, according to Gaston. “Programming for adults is a basic service for a parks and recreation department,” Camp said.
Lose based the plan on responses to an online survey by about 1,160 Mountain Brook residents, comments at a public meeting in late June and input from a 24-member steering committee comprised of city staffers, business people, seniors, members of local athletic and arts groups and others. Athletic groups in the city, including soccer and lacrosse teams, often tell officials that they need more playing fields, according to Gaston and Smith. “Most groups would like more practice time,” Smith said. “If the city is able to find more field space at a price that makes sense, we ought to consider it.” Camp, however, said the city does not necessarily have a “deficiency” in the number of fields when compared to national standards but can make better use of those facilities. “You have field space to use, you just need to program it differently and allocate some time for public access… for activities other than just youth sports,” he said. But Mountain Brook needs about 100 additional acres of park space, according to Camp. “We are not saying that you can find 100 acres
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in Mountain Brook because it’s so developed, but finding more park land and finding more greenways would go a long way to alleviating that shortage,” he said. As a solution, Lose recommended that the city purchase parcels of land adjacent to the city. “We will have to look at where we can buy some land that will be easily accessed by our residents,” said Gaston, who cited the old 15-acre Mountain Brook Swim and Tennis Club, which is up for sale, as a possibility. The interest in extra parks and programming was balanced by Gaston’s doubts about spending $10 million on a community center. “Do we really need it?” he said, citing the presence of two country clubs, the Jewish Community Center and several fitness companies in Mountain Brook. “It was not that overwhelming about the community center in the survey results. Is it better to buy more land for park and athletic fields?” Smith expressed surprise that the survey showed some support for a community center, which would include a swimming pool. “That idea was put forth about a decade ago, and the residents ultimately did not put up the
monetary support to create a viable partnership,” she said, referring a failed attempt to raise about $8 million to build a community center on land the city owned on Vine Street. Mountain Brook resident Linnea Robinson Israel expressed support for the proposals and decried the city’s “lack of recreational space.” “I know $42 million is a lot of money,” Israel said. “I do think it would be a good long term investment in the quality of life of our citizens.” She mentioned some of the “lovely” athletic and recreation facilities built recently in Homewood, Pelham and Vestavia. “It would be nice if we could offer those amenities to our citizens,” she said. No monies for the project are part of the city’s 2015-2016 budget, according to Gaston. However, some routine improvements – including new fencing and bathrooms – are being carried out or planned at some school athletic fields, according to Parks and Recreation Superintendent Shanda Williams. “Most of Mountain Brook’s facilities are great, but there are some things that could be improved,” Williams said.
A30 • December 2015
Village Living
Dixie Design Collective offers hand-drawn cards by local artists By ANA GOOD
Holly Hollon, left, and Mountain Brook resident Jennifer Hunt started a business selling seasonal cards designed around handmade artwork. Photo courtesy of Dixie Design.
When Mountain Brook resident Jennifer Hunt started planning for her annual Christmas card in October of last year, she thought of a talented, local calligrapher and illustrator she had recently run into. Hunt emailed Birmingham-based Holly Hollon, known in the industry for her hand-drawn logos, branding systems and wedding stationery suites. “Holly emailed me back and told me she was already booked through the end of the year,” Hunt said. “She’d been booked since June.” With nowhere else to turn for the hand-lettered cards she wanted, Hunt began browsing through online card sites. “There was nothing I liked,” said Hunt. Everything was too mainstream, she said, too ordinary. Hunt, who moonlights as an accountant and an art dealer, is a self-proclaimed perfectionist. She values the attention to detail found in handmade cards with unique art and delicate calligraphy. Resolved that she would never again be without the perfect Christmas card, Hunt
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took matters into her own hands. In the spring, Hunt reached out to Hollon with a plan. “I wanted to create a company where clients like me could find attention to detail, the beautiful art, the hand-made look,” said Hunt, “without having to pay the price of hiring a private designer.” Hollon, who had at one point designed cards for other online sites, recognized that Hunt wanted to create a product that would celebrate not just the final product, but the craftsmanship of the artist behind it. “When you buy a card from a mainstream site, you have no idea who designed it,” Hollon said. “I’m proud of my work; it’s all very personal to me. I want my clients to know the artist behind the work.” With Hollon on board as the company’s creative director, Hunt founded Dixie Design Collective. The website, now live, currently features 120 designs created by the company’s 10 artists. “There’s nothing else out there like it,” Hollon said. “You’re buying a Dixie Design card, but you’re also buying a Holly Hollon
The cards at Dixie Designs are created by a small number of designers and each is looked over to be “as close to perfect as we can get them,” Jennifer Hunt said. Courtesy of Dixie Design.
card, or a Katherine Ross card, an Angela Welch card.” Hunt said that in handpicking the designers, she deliberately picked a variety of different artist styles. “All the cards have a classic elegance about them,” Hunt said, “but some may be a little more whimsical or formal, depending on one’s taste.” The company, named after Hunt’s childhood dog, Dixie, finds much of its inspiration in the South. “The South is synonymous with tradition and etiquette, and we want our cards to reflect that,” Hunt said. Hollon said clients as far away as New York
and Los Angeles seek her out because of the South’s reputation. “They always tell me there is something different about vendors from around here,” Hollon said, “and I think it’s our roots in tradition and detail.” Hunt said clients can personalize each card with their own photos and messages, and the cards come in a variety of offerings. “We have tri-folds and bi-folds,” she said, “flat cards and landscape cards. There are cards where you can upload one picture or three, and some where there’s no need for pictures.” The site offers cards with scripture and ones that read “Happy Holidays.” There are also cards
for other religious holidays, Hunt said. All cards, she said, are looked over by staff to ensure any personalized aspects of the card look correct. If a picture is blurry or doesn’t fit properly, Hunt said, Dixie Design will contact the customer and work out any changes. “We want to make sure all our cards are as close to perfect as we can get them,” Hunt said. Though the site currently only has holiday cards for sale, designers are already busy at work preparing for the site’s spring 2016 offerings, which will include wedding-related cards, stationary, baby and kids cards, as well as invitations. “We want to offer cards for just about every
occasion,” Hunt said, “and we are working on it.” Matching envelopes and gift tags will allow customers to create complete suites as well. Cards range in price from $2.69 to $3.95 each and are sold in sets of 25. All cards can be customized, ordered and delivered in 14 days or less, Hunt said. To view and order the cards, or to learn more about the designers, visit www.dixie-design.com. For tips on holiday planning, visit the From the Desk of Dixie blog.
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SECTION B School House B9 Sports B14 Calendar B22
Adventure nears end Fire marshal retiring after decade-long career By SYDNEY CROMWELL David Cohen’s decade-long career as the Mountain Brook fire marshal is bookended by two major projects: Cahaba Village at the beginning and the Grand Bohemian Hotel at the end. “That was an adventure because there was a lot of blasting involved,” Cohen said of the construction of the Cahaba Village shopping center. He added that the Grand Bohemian was a “beautiful project” to work on. Cohen is retiring from his position as fire marshal on Dec. 31. He said he’s enjoyed the chance to learn about building safety and codes in order to guide Mountain Brook developers. “I really love the job. It gives me the opportunity to work with a lot of
interesting people,” Cohen said. Before he was a fire marshal, Cohen started out as a paramedic and firefighter in Center Point. He later came to the Mountain Brook Fire Department’s Old Leeds Road station and worked up the ranks for about 10 years to become a captain, then the marshal. He took classes at the Alabama Fire College about inspecting buildings, but Cohen said a successful fire marshal requires hands-on experience and constant learning. His job duties include regular building inspections, education, code enforcement, blast monitoring and working with
See COHEN | page B2
David Cohen has worked with the Mountain Brook fire department for about 20 years, including as the fire marshal for the last decade. He is retiring at the end of 2015. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
B2 • December 2015
Village Living
TRINITY
CONTINUED from page B1 developers on new projects. While he doesn’t go out on calls anymore, Cohen said he has always been impressed with the way the city will respond to their neighbors’ needs after a fire. He remembered one house fire where a stranger offered his storage unit to the family thought he had never met them. “It’s just an amazing community,” Cohen said. Cohen believes Mountain Brook’s firefighters are as top-notch as their community. “We expect our guys to go beyond the basics, and I think that starts at the top and goes all the way through the department,” Cohen said. “I would put our guys up against any department in the country.” In his 30-year firefighting career, Cohen has seen firefighting change, especially with new technology to improve safety. At its core, though, Cohen said firefighting has the same job requirements: being ready to act at a moment’s notice to respond to any number of situations, many of them tragic. “It still gets back down to putting water on the fire. That’s the bottom line. Our equipment has changed, our strategy and tactics have changed over the years, but it’s still the basics,” Cohen said. There are two career highlights that make Cohen particularly proud. The first is a painting in his office of three firefighters battling a blaze. The back of their suits read M. Cohen, D. Cohen and K. Cohen. It was a gift from his two oldest sons, Matt and Kyle, who work with the Birmingham and Trussville fire departments. Cohen said he loves that his sons followed his example. The second is a research project that Cohen completed as part of the U.S. Fire Administration’s Executive Fire Officer Program. His project was a study of fire alarm response for students with autism, including an analysis of a program at Crestline Elementary to teach special education students how to react during fire drills. The program had a positive impact on fire safety and preparedness. Cohen said his
This painting hangs in David Cohen’s office and represents himself and his two oldest sons, Matt and Kyle. All three are firefighters, and the painting was a gift from his sons. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
research won Outstanding Project of the Year in 2012, and he was invited to share his findings at a conference on autism in Hawaii. Cohen is training fellow firefighter Lee Rhudy to take his place as fire marshal on Jan. 1, 2016. However, his version of retirement is hardly taking it easy. He currently works with a critical incident stress and debrief team, helping emergency responders handle post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the aftermath of tragic situations. Cohen wants to continue in that work, and in January he will go to Arizona for a stress coaching class. He’s considering starting a non-profit to
provide counseling and stress services for local law enforcement and first responders. Aside from trauma counseling, Cohen said he has already counseled some couples through his church and would like to continue marriage coaching for police officers and firefighters. He described it as challenging but satisfying. “I’m not really going to retire,” Cohen said. He’s also going to spend time with his family, including his wife Teresa who has “put up” with him for 32 years, Matt, Kyle and his youngest son John. In a 30-year firefighting career, he often had to sacrifice time with them to work the required 24-hour shifts.
“That 24 hours always falls on holidays or birthdays, anniversaries or your son’s ballgame,” Cohen said. Cohen said it’s the “good people” at the Mountain Brook fire department and within the city as a whole that made him stay at the department for most of his career. His retirement may be even busier than his career, but Cohen said he still plans to make time if Rhudy or anyone else in the department needs him. “It’s been a pleasure to work with all the men and women in the fire department and the mayor and city council, and all the people in the community,” Cohen said.
VillageLivingOnline.com
December 2015 • B3
B4 • December 2015
Village Living
2015
SPARTAN
homecoming Photos by Sydney Cromwell
2015 Homecoming Queen Annie Lovelady waves to the crowd.
MBHS students painted floats and dressed up for the parade. All Mountain Brook schools were let out early so students of every age could watch the parade.
During the Homecoming Parade on Oct. 30, the Spartan band performed and marched through the streets.
The MBHS Dance Team takes to the streets of Crestline Village during the annual Homecoming Parade.
VillageLivingOnline.com
December 2015 • B5
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Village Living
VILLAGE LIVING
Above: A Spartan bowler celebrates during a January match against Spain Park. Photo by Keith McCoy. Below: The Couch family plays with the giant chess set in front of city hall in July. Photo by Keith McCoy.
Mountain Brook Police Officers lined the department's memorial during a wreath laying ceremony May 11. Photo by Madoline Markham.
Above: Residents attend the April opening of the Cahaba River Walk. Photo by Madison Miller. Right: Speaker John Beede asks students to reach their hands around their backs as far as they could, then stop, visualize themselves stretching further and try again. The students were able to reach their hands farther the second time. Photo by Madison Miller.
A member of Mountain Brook’s Jazz Band performs during A Taste of Mountain Brook in June. Staff photo.
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11:28 AM
December 2015 • B7
A PUBLIC NOTICE FROM ALABAMA POWER
TREE CREWS WORKING IN MOUNTAIN BROOK THROUGH EARLY 2016 Alabama Power crews are working in several Mountain Brook neighborhoods, removing trees and other vegetation that threaten the safety and reliability of our electrical system. As part of this process, Alabama Power goes to great lengths to talk with individual property owners. Company representatives are going door to door, leaving notices at locations where work is needed. If you have any questions before crews come by your home, please call Alabama Power at 205-257-2155 and ask for someone in the Vegetation Management Group to contact you. Or you can email us at apcvm@southernco.com. Work in Mountain Brook and nearby areas is expected to continue through early 2016. Also, you can go online to alpwr.co/vm for more information about these safety and reliability measures, as well as resources for property owners who would like recommendations about planting the right tree in the right place.
Thank you for your understanding. We appreciate your business. Vegetation Management Group 205-257-2155 | apcvm@southernco.com
Š 2015 Alabama Power Company.
B8 • December 2015
Village Living
Smith’s Variety opens in Crestline Village
Christmas decorations line the shelves at the new Smith’s Variety location in Crestline. Photo by Ana Good.
Smith’s Variety was located in Mountain Brook Village for more than 50 years, but opened its Church Street location in November. Photo by Ana Good.
By ANA GOOD
previous location made it over here,” she said, “including the old-school candy case.” Some items, those that did not sell well or that will simply not be offered at the new store, will be sold at discounted prices at the old store. Glazner said the Mountain Brook Village store will remain open for a short time. A family-owned store, Smith’s has been serving the community for more than 65 years, 52 of which have been in Mountain Brook Village. In a press release, Smith’s attributed the
Smith’s Variety employees were busily unpacking boxes and stocking shelves to add the final touches to the store’s new Crestline Village location ahead of the Monday, Nov. 9 soft-opening. “We are excited to move into our new home,” said owner Tammie Glazner prior to the opening. Though slightly smaller than its former space in Mountain Brook Village, the store appears
larger, said Glazner, in part, because of its 12-foot ceilings. At its new location, part of the space previously occupied by CVS/Pharmacy at 49 Church St., Smith’s will be neighbors with the Piggly Wiggly expected to open in early 2016. The rest of the former CVS space, the future home of Miss Dots, is currently under construction. Glazner said the move has been relatively easy, despite the large amounts of merchandise that made the move. “Pretty much everything that was at the
decision to move to the upcoming changes in Mountain Brook Village and the development of Lane Parke. The move, said Glazner, hasn’t slowed business. “We’ve already had people come and try to walk into the store,” she said before the opening. “We are excited the public is excited.” The store’s grand opening was Thursday, Nov. 12, said Glazner. On Thursday, Nov. 19, Smith’s joined the Crestline Village Holiday Open House.
VillageLivingOnline.com
December 2015 • B9
School House CES students select new council representatives
The officers for this school year are, from left: Lillie Wright, president; Alexa Robinson, vice president; Richard Monk, secretary; and Alden Johnson, publicity chair.
The newest Crestline Cougar Student Council representatives have been selected for the 201516 school year. Students who were interested in serving on the Student Council filled out an application. The selection committee read more than 100 applications this year and selected 46 of those to be interviewed. From the interview process, one student per classroom was selected to represent their class for a total of 17 representatives in all. Sixth-grade student representatives had the option to run a weeklong campaign for the job
of president. They put up posters and wrote and presented a speech to the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students who then voted for a candidate. Once the votes were tallied, the runner-up was assigned the job of vice president. The other offices of secretary and publicity chairperson were voted on by only the student council representatives. Crestline’s Student Council will promote our “Crestline Cougars High Five” schoolwide campaign and will deliver donated items three times this school year to our adopted school, Brookville Elementary. - Submitted by Bonnie Lorino
Spartan Band hits one high note after another
The MBHS band received awards this season for its performance in a number of competitions. Photo courtesy of Chris Goldschmidt.
While Mountain Brook athletes earn well-deserved praise on the field and on the court, there’s another group that’s bringing home the glory. The Mountain Brook High School marching band has earned praise for its crowd-pleasing show, “Back To Cali.” The show, a fun mix of California-themed music, features everything from the Beach Boys to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to a dancing shark. And, in two separate competitions this fall, music judges agreed. During the annual Sparks In The Park marching festival, held Sept. 26, the Spartans took away first-place honors in its division, with superior ratings for each caption. The color guard and Dorians also earned first-place marks in their division. The Spartans struck again at the Pride of
the Valley Marching Band Competition on Oct. 10. The band earned superiors in every category, with percussion, Dorians, and Drum Major Millie Livingston being singled out with first-place honors. According to band director Jason Smith, the awards were hard earned. “Every July, we start practicing eight hours a day, and this is where it pays off,” Smith said. “While there are larger marching bands in the area, there isn’t one that works harder.” Although football season has wound down, the band’s work is far from complete. A full year of practice and concerts are ahead. Most recently, the band played its fall patriotic-themed concert Nov. 9. Submitted by Chris Goldschmidt.
B10 • December 2015
Village Living
Crestline coding club a hit Friday afternoon finds many kids playing outside, relaxing with a book or resting after a long week. Not so with 25 Crestline Elementary students who hurry down to the media center to work on their coding projects. They eagerly log on to Scratch, a coding language developed by MIT that enables students to program their own stories, animations and games. Learning to program looks as simple as connecting blocks; color-coded blocks that resemble LEGOs tell the character (also called a sprite) to move, make noise, talk in a speech bubble or whatever the programmer chooses. Students begin slowly programming their sprite to walk across the stage, play a drum beat a certain number of times, say something and blink. More complex challenges teach students how to repeat commands, utilize knowledge of angles and the X and Y coordinates to draw shapes and even interact with a user. Fifth-grader Landon Friedman has been Scratching since third grade and is known as the Genius Gaming Group on Scratch. He has created many intricate games that take weeks to create and are most interesting to play. He draws all the backgrounds, characters and objects with meticulous detail; his Fabulous Farm game includes letters delivered to a mailbox, bills you must pay to continue playing, and even tiny weeds in the field. Landon incorporates music, designs graphics and plans all the activities for his elaborate games. Mia Dunlap, another fifth-grader, is known for her pixelated drawings of characters and ability to draw
Members of Crestline’s Code Club met with Alia Carter, a Scratch enthusiast and technology specialist at N.E. Miles Jewish Day School. Photo courtesy of Susan Dulin.
anything. Coding gives her a natural outlet for her drawings; she draws lots of sprites and backgrounds that other Crestline coders use in their games and animations. Many of the students enroll in Code Club because they want to make an app or create games such as Minecraft or a chasing game. It’s all possible, but the kids are surprised by the critical thinking and problem-solving required to program the sprite to perform as you want. “Coding requires precision, but it’s disguised as something fun, such as programming a butterfly to land on a dog’s nose,” says Susan Dulin, the club’s sponsor. “You have to know
how to move the butterfly, where to move it, and program the dog to react. A tiny animation takes lots of thought, trial and error, revision and finally, gleeful satisfaction. There are lots of ‘oohs and ahhs’ each week in the lab.” Collaboration makes programming more fun. A group of fifth-grade boys and girls are working on “an awesome game,” according to Miller Knott. Several fourth-grade girls have teamed up to program a Finch (a small manatee-looking robot) to draw, move and make noises on command. Code Club at Crestline is loud, fun and full of learning. -Submitted by Susan Dulin.
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Socktober participants, front row from left: Avery Robbins, Georgia Kate Scott, Grant Johnson. Back row from left: Callie Davis, Allie Story, Alice Byars. Photo courtesy of Catherine Gasque.
Cherokee Bend’s Socktober nets over 1,000 donations for YWCA The sixth-grade Chief Hands Committee at Cherokee Bend Elementary worked feverishly to promote “Socktober,” its outreach project that was originally derived from Kid President. Socktober is a way to help people in need during the winter months by providing donated socks to homeless shelters. Callie Davis spearheaded this student-driven project, with some
help from teacher Melinda Curtis, and the idea was proposed to Principal Betsy Bell. “This group of eight students took it by the horns and haven’t stopped yet,” Curtis said. The students have successfully collected more than 1,000 pairs of socks, twice the amount of their goal, to be donated to the Birmingham YWCA. - Submitted by Catherine Gasque
VillageLivingOnline.com
December 2015 • B11
MBHS student speaks at elementary leadership assembly Former Mountain Brook Elementary student Henry Kilpatrick spoke to the fourth grade at a recent “Leader in Me” assembly. Henry, a junior at Mountain Brook High School, led a discussion focused on Habit 1 of the Leader in Me Program: Be Proactive. The Leader in Me program was implemented at MBE in 2012. The program was adapted for schools using Franklin Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” The program teaches leadership and life skills and creates a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader “Evidence of the habits can be seen every day in our learning community,” according to MBE Principal Belinda Treadwell. The daily school schedule provides for students and teachers to build relationships and character using the seven habits. Teacher, students and custodians report a positive difference
in the school culture. As part of the leadership class at MBHS, Henry is an excellent role model for the MBE student body. In eighth grade, he started his own business selling vintage furniture. His business has successfully grown and he has shipped furniture as far as New York, California and overseas. With specific focus on Habit 1, Be Proactive, Henry emphasized to students the importance of setting goals for success, taking responsibility for decisions, and being accountable for choices and behavior. MBE holds monthly leadership assemblies to recognize leaders among the student body. At the recent fourth-grade leadership assembly, Leader in Me awards were presented to Flynn Thomasson, William Stringfellow, Harrison O’Dell and Amelia Edgeworth. Avid Reader awards were presented to Travis Franklin, Holland Finch, Wells Finch, Anne Lawson Finch, Margot Fite,
MBHS student Henry Kilpatrick and MBE 4th graders who were recognized with a monthly leadership award.
Guy Mitchell, Katherine Grace Whatley and Catie Gray Devening. Mathematician Awards were presented to Sarah Allen, Cowan Moorer,
Adah Schilleci, Thomas Bazemore, Mae Martin, Lydia Loglisci, Jackson Short and Charlie Smith. - Submitted by Shaun Flynn.
BWF teaches business basics during inaugural Market Day Third-graders at Brookwood Forest Elementary held their first BWF Market Day on Friday, Oct. 16, in the BWF auditorium. Students, family members and BWF staff attended. The third-graders planned a creative business and produced a product or service to “sell.” The students made at least five to 10 items to “sell” or came equipped to administer a special service.
Some examples of creative products included painted rocks, homemade duct tape key rings, homemade brownies, pocketbooks and original works of art. An example of creative services included how to be a sports coach (how to throw a football). Students created a business display that included the name of their business and the price of their product/service. Students priced their goods or services as either $1,
$2 or $3 Ranger Bucks and had to consider competitive pricing when deciding upon a cost for their good/service. This project served as an invaluable learning opportunity for our students and helped solidify the students’ understanding of important economic concepts, including supply and demand, advertising, producer and consumer, as well as economic competition. - Submitted by Kathleen Woodry.
Madilyn Crye, left, and Ruth Ann Kearley participate in Brookwood Forest Elementary School’s Market Day.
B12 • December 2015
For Sid
Village Living
Photos BY FRANK COUCH
A celebration of the life of Sid Ortis at the Mountain Brook High School football field was attended by over 1,500 people on Nov. 2. Students, parents and friends sang songs of worship, prayed, released balloons with prayers and remembrances of their friend and concluded with the lighting of candles. Sid passed away Saturday, Oct. 31 following a 14-month battle with osteosarcoma.
The memorial included songs and a roll of butcher paper for attendees to write letters to the Ortis family.
Above: Purple and yellow balloons, the colors of Sid’s beloved LSU football team, were released with prayers and letters to Sid attached to them. About 1,500 people gathered at the Mountain Brook High School football field for the memorial.
VillageLivingOnline.com
dashing through the
December 2015 • B13 Runners and walkers take off during the Dirt Dash 5K at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.
DIRT By SYDNEY CROMWELL
Runners enjoyed views of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens during the third annual Dirt Dash on Nov. 14. Gardens CEO Fred Spicer said about 180 people showed up for the 5K and Fun Run. He said the race is a chance to show off the gardens to people who don't typically show up for other events or classes. "It brings a different crowd to the gardens. The gardens are different things to different people," Spicer said. The Dirt Dash is put on by the Botanical Gardens' Junior Board. Caroline Brady is the board's special events chair and said this was her first year planning the event. "I think it's neat that you get to see a glimpse of everything we work so hard to maintain," Brady said. After the race, the runners got to enjoy hot drinks, vendors at Alabama Designer Craftsmen's Annual Fine Crafts Show and music from the Trey Lewis Duo and Reid Brooks.
Above: Participants run through the Japanese Garden. Left: Runners got to tour the entire Botanical Gardens and run both paved paths and trails.
Village Living
B14 • December 2015
Sports
MBHS FOOTBALL RECAP Game 8, 10/16
HEWITT-TRUSSVILLE 35, MOUNTAIN BROOK 14 Hewitt-Trussville used a stifling defense and a few big plays to knock off Mountain Brook 35-14 at Trussville. Hewitt-Trussville (6-2, 5-1 Class 7A, Region 3) had two drives stall in Spartan (2-6, 1-5) territory in the first quarter, but was able to take advantage of a Mountain Brook turnover to get an early score. “Our red zone efficiency wasn’t very good the first half. I think we were able to move the football, we just didn’t do a very good job sticking it in. It could’ve been 21-0 in the first quarter,” Huskies coach Josh Floyd said. “Give Mountain Brook credit, they were doing a lot of different stuff on defense. “Our defense played lights out, especially in the first half,” Floyd said. Indeed it did, holding Spartans’ sophomore quarterback Hamp Sisson to minus-1 yard passing and running back Owen Conzelman to just 16 yards on 13 carries in the first half. The Spartans gained just one first down in the half. Mountain Brook took the second-half kick and marched 70 yards, with the aid of 20 yards of defensive penalties, including drawing the
Mountain Brook quarterback Hamp Sisson sets up in the pocket. Photo by John Perry.
Huskies offside on fourth-and-4. On the touchdown play, Sisson scrambled away from defenders and found a wide-open Wilson Higgins for the touchdown, cutting the lead to 14-7. But Hewitt got rolling offensively to put it away. Sisson added the Spartans’ final score on a 33-yard run.
Game 9, 10/23
SPAIN PARK 21, MOUNTAIN BROOK 7 Mountain Brook rocketed out of the gates in the Class 7A, Region 3 matchup at Spain Park.
Facing the state’s No. 2-ranked team, the Spartans showed no signs of being fazed, as they stormed down the field on a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown run by McKee Brown on the game’s opening possession. Brown’s touchdown represented the first points scored against Spain
By CHRIS YOW SAM CHANDLER DOUG GRABARCZYK
Park on its home turf this season, as the Jaguars shut out Hueytown, Tuscaloosa County and Vestavia Hills on their visits to Jaguar Stadium. Unfortunately for the Spartans, everything went downhill after that, as the Jags’ defense forced seven punts and a pair of turnover on downs throughout the remainder of the game. To supplement stifling defensive play, Spain Park (8-1, 7-0) relied on a 21-point scoring outburst in the second quarter to maneuver past Mountain Brook (2-7, 1-6), picking up a 21-7 victory that sealed an undefeated record in region play. “We’ve continued to get better each and every week,” sophomore quarterback Hamp Sisson said. “I know it doesn’t show on the scoreboard right now, but we really have been getting better and everyone’s still focused.” Exposed to more playing time toward the end of the season, Sisson and core of young Spartans are gaining valuable experience that should benefit the team in coming years. Signs of the youngster’s improvement are already evident, as he completed seven of his first eight passes, finishing the night 17-of-28 for 111 yards and no turnovers. He’s also a found a reliable target in junior Sims Herron and fellow sophomore Wilson Higgins. The duo combined for 13 receptions on the night. “All our team has grown,” Sisson
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said. “I think our team is really young right now, so it looks good for our future. We’re looking forward to that end-of-the-year, last game of the season,” Sisson said, “and we’re going to go out with a bang.”
Game 10, 10/30
MOUNTAIN BROOK 17, HUFFMAN 0 It was the best way for a senior class to end a tough season. For the Mountain Brook seniors it really was the only way. Four Spartans seniors had a hand in five second-half turnovers in Mountain Brook’s 17-0 season-ending Homecoming victory over visiting Huffman. The win was just the third of the season for the injury-plagued Spartans (3-7), but that made it that much more special. “It feels great,” said senior linebacker Fuller Neil, who had an interception and a fumble recovery. “It’s been wild, but all the guys, we’ve just never given up the whole year. They just clawed back and clawed back. “We were just getting hyped tonight, making big plays, doing everything we can to win.” The shutout was the first since the Spartans posted back-to-back blankings of Carver-Birmingham (58-0) and Hewitt-Trussville (24-0) in October of 2012. “It is extra special but it’s also bittersweet to go out with a win, because the thing that I’ve been working so hard for since third grade is over,” added fellow senior linebacker Joe Donald, who had an interception.
December 2015 • B15
Mountain Brook held the Vikings (4-6) to just 147 total yards in the game, and 74 of those came on a runs of 49 and 25 yards in the first half. Take those two plays out and the Spartans defense gave up just 1.5 yards per play. It was that resiliency to the very end that most impressed Spartans coach Chris Yeager, whose team at one point this season had 20 injured players. “The biggest thing I’ve learned from them is that we can be bigger than our circumstances,” Yeager said. “Our seniors held it together and they held our whole team together, and they showed that you can be bigger than your circumstances, and they were. “I tell you the best thing, too. You talk about the seniors leaving a legacy, and they left those guys a mental toughness and playing for one another, and I think the most important thing. That torch has been passed to those younger players.” Interceptions by Neil and Ford Alexander led to 10 third-quarter points. Neil picked off Vikings quarterback Kelvin Rodgers with 8:28 left in the quarter, which led to a 34-yard field goal by Mason Dillard. On Huffman’s next drive Alexander picked off a pass at the Vikings 27 and returned it to the 3. Three plays later sophomore quarterback Hamp Sisson connect with sophomore running back Owen Conzelman for a 6-yard touchdown pass. Junior Joey Keating notched the last interception with 24.6 left in the game. Senior McKee Brown scored on a 4-yard run with 8:08 left in the first half and led the Spartans with 56 yards on 17 carries.
LANEPARKE.INFO
B16 • December 2015
Village Living
Spartans repeat as 7A champs By DAVID KNOX The Mountain Brook Spartans captured a grueling first set, built on that momentum and defeated McGill-Toolen in three straight sets to repeat as Class 7A state volleyball champions at Bill Harris Arena at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Oct. 29. Mountain Brook’s Sara Carr repeated, too, as the tournament’s most valuable player. The Spartans and Yellow Jackets – known more commonly as the Dirty Dozen throughout their years as a state power – hammered each other back and forth in the opening set. McGill rallied from an early 4-1 deficit to pull out to a 13-10 lead and again at 16-13. But trailing 23-22, Carr tied it with a kill and Sara Chandler Mitchell’s service resulted in a tie. At 25-25, Carr gave Mountain Brook a one-point lead and McGill misplayed the next point as the Spartans took a 27-25 win. The two teams battled through another backand-forth set, but Mountain Brook’s power and Lacey Jeffcoat’s ability to dig out tough shots gave the Spartans the edge at 23-22 and Mountain Brook came away with a 25-23 win. It was all but over then. Mountain Brook rolled out to a 5-0 lead in the third set, built it to 20-8 and cruised home with a 25-16 win and the championship. They had 17 kills and just four errors in the final set. “Set 1 was huge,” Mountain Brook coach Haven O’Quinn said. “I think any coach will say Set 1 is big, you really want to get that first one, just for the mental part of it. They had us, they really did have us. It was just great volleyball.” The first set seemed to loosen up any nerves the Spartans had, and even though the second set was tight, the characteristic grins, smiles and laughs returned to the girls’ faces. Carr, not only the team’s standout player, is
its vocal encourager and coach on the floor. She spoke to the tight-knit bond her team has. “I’ve always said going to practice every day, it’s not just going to play volleyball or to get better, it’s like going to get better with your best friends. Because we really are. We have something special. We love being around each other. We don’t fight on or off the court. When we celebrate, it’s for our teammates because we see the hard work they put in every day.” O’Quinn’s team was ranked No. 1 all season and didn’t lose a set in the tournament. “It looks like we rolled through the season, like it was easy, but the girls will tell you there was nothing easy about this,” she said. “It was probably one of the hardest seasons I’ve been a part of just because it’s really tough to be on top. You get everybody’s best game. I can’t say enough about these girls’ poise and the character they showed throughout the season. They were just persistent. I think it’s real easy to have a lull, but these girls were so consistent from the day season opened to go 9-0 in sets in the state championship.” O’Quinn who played at Daphne High School, was a player when McGill was the team to beat in the state. “McGill dominated when I played,” she said. “They were our rival. So I would never tell my team this, but yeah it was very special to beat McGill today, has nothing to do with McGill now, but when I was a player they were the team to beat. So, yeah, it was kind of cool.” Carr had 13 kills, 12 digs, two aces and a block. Mitchell had 39 assists and five digs.
Above left: The Spartans hoist the blue trophy for the second straight year as Class 7A volleyball champions. Above right: The Spartans hug each other as they celebrate their championship. Photos by Frank Couch.
Payton Selman had seven kills and 14 digs and Emmy Kilgore had nine kills. They all joined Carr on the all-tournament team. O’Quinn made the case that her sophomore libero Jeffcoat should have been there too.
“That kills me, she plays so hard and played awesome, she should be here too [with the all-tournament players].” Jeffcoat had a team-high 16 digs and added three assists.
VillageLivingOnline.com
December 2015 • B17
Patrick, Spartan girls take home 7A trophy The Mountain Brook girls won their 13th straight state crosscountry title. Photo by Sam Chandler.
By SAM CHANDLER Mountain Brook senior Frances Patrick trailed closely behind the leaders for the first two miles of the Class 7A girls race at the AHSAA State Cross Country Championships on Nov. 14. The defending state champion on the track in the 3,200 meters, Patrick was biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment to make her move. And then in the blink of an eye, it happened. Precisely planned, Patrick drilled though the challenging series of hills on the back part of the Oakville Indian Mounds course, quickly gapping the field and eventually running away with a decisive18-second victory, crossing the line in 18:18.78 and claiming the first state cross-country title of her career. “Unbelievable,” Mountain Brook coach Michael McGovern said. “I’m so happy for her because she’s had to take on a lot, kind of being our only senior and having to take on that leadership role kind of by herself, and at the same time, lead our team out here on the course, too.” Behind Patrick’s first-place finish and a trio of All-State performances from Anna Grace Morgan (5th), Anna Balzli (11th) and Tessa Allen (14th), the Spartan girls cruised to a 36-point victory over runner-up Hoover and clinched their 13th-consecutive state title. “My team ran awesome, and we put it all on the line for each other,” Patrick said. With the triumph, the Mountain Brook girls captured their 23rd state cross-country championship, the most in Alabama history, while moving into a tie with Scottsboro for the second-longest streak of consecutive state crowns. What’s even more impressive, however, is how they did it.
Drawing from their deep talent pool, three of the Spartans top-six finishers – Allen, Lily Hulsey and Lily Martin – are all eighth graders. “It’s exciting,” McGovern said. “We see ourselves as a seven through 12 program, and that’s what it turned into today.” Unable to replicate identical results, the Mountain Brook boys fell just short of ending their three-year championship drought. Although Drew Williams (7th), Charlie Slaughter (9th) and Gram Denning (13th) collected All-State honors, the Spartans finished
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runner-up to Auburn High School, losing by only eight points. “Honestly, I don’t know if we could’ve asked for much more,” Williams said. “Really, to win, we needed a mistake on Auburn’s part and that just didn’t happen.” Led by individual state champion Paul Barlow, Auburn placed three runners in the top 10 and four in the top 15. “We ran our best today,” McGovern said, “and you know, Auburn’s best was a little bit better than ours today.”
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Williams and Slaughter each broke through the 16-minute barrier in the championship race, posting times of 15:53.15 and 15:55.12, respectively, while seven of the team’s eight other runners ran 17:00 or under. Even though they couldn’t cap their season with a title, watch out for the Spartan boys in 2016, as core building blocks are in already place to return the team to state supremacy. “We’re only losing one out of that group for next year, so we’ll have nine back out of that ten,” McGovern said.
B18 • December 2015
Village Living
Jack Kline returns to lead SPARTANS young, talented squad PREP HOOPS
Mountain Brook’s Jack Kline grabs a rebound in the Class 7A state championship game against Hoover. Kline is a four-year member of the varsity team and is a University of AlabamaHuntsville commit. Photo by Keith McCoy.
By DAVID KNOX Bucky McMillan said the goal at Mountain Brook isn’t to win a state basketball championship. “Our goals is to be the hardest-working, hardest-playing team every practice, every day,” the Spartans coach said. “We want to be a very unselfish team. I always tell our players that you don’t have a true team until every single person on the team gives up one thing they want to accomplish that season for the sake of the team.” The result of that is that the Spartans have won two of the past three state championships with a Class 7A runner-up finish last season to Hoover. The Spartans will be an interesting mix of veterans and talented youngsters. Senior Jack Kline is probably the epitome of a Mountain Brook basketball player. A four-year member of the varsity, the UAH commitment might not be the most talented player in the metro area, but no one plays harder or gets more out of his ability. He’s one of five seniors who’ll be called upon to provide leadership for the eight juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen. “We’ve got a lot of scoring weapons on this team,” Kline said. “I may be one of them, but my main role is to be physical and be a good rebounder.” One of those scoring options is a freshman, but he’s no ordinary freshman. Trendon Watford is rated as the top player in the state in his class, and in the top 10 nationally in his class. The younger brother of former Shades Valley and Indiana star Christian Watford, the 6-foot-7 freshman transferred from Shades Valley. “He is a very skilled player,” McMillan said. “He loves basketball; high, high character. Very coachable, very unselfish. I think his next step
is getting tougher and tougher and tougher to be able to withstand playing hard all the time, playing physical all the time. “He’ll be something I don’t know this state’s ever seen before in terms of someone that size and can handle the ball like a point guard, can pass the ball like a point guard, can post up. Can guard a wing, can guard a five. We’re not putting any pressure on him because he’s going to make a lot of mistakes because he’s a ninth-grader. But he’s going to learn from those mistakes. He’s got
the right character to learn from those mistakes.” McMillan said his team will have growing pains early, but it’s about where the team will be in January and February. The Spartans have a challenging schedule. They were set to play in the Capstone Classic on Nov. 23-25. They will play in the Steel City Invitational at Samford on Dec. 19-22, the Next Level Hoopfest in Nashville on Dec. 28-30, a game in the St. Pius X Georgia Showcase on Jan. 23 and a Border Wars game vs. a team from Tennessee on Jan. 30.
The region is tough, too, with Spain Park, Vestavia Hills and Hewitt-Trussville. “We want to be a fearless basketball team,” McMillan said. “My challenge to all of our seniors is to be great leaders to these younger guys. That way, by the end of the season, we can develop into not the young and inexperienced basketball team we are now, but a team that’s tough and has one mission. “If our seniors can show them that, I think we’ll be a pretty good basketball team.”
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PREP HOOPS
SPARTANS
December 2015 • B19
Mountain Brook girls team ready to elevate its game Sara Carr takes a shot in a stat playoff game against Huntsville. Referred to as “the most underrated high school basketball player in the state” by her coach, Carr, a forward, led the Spartans in points (20) and rebounds (10) per game last season, earning a spot on the Alabama Sports Writers Association 7A All-State Second Team. Photo courtesy Mountain Brook High School.
By SAM CHANDLER Mountain Brook girls basketball coach Mark Cornelius enters the 2015-16 season convinced his Spartan squad is ready to take its game to the next level. After tallying its fourth straight, 20-plus win season last winter, the team’s march toward a title prematurely stalled in the Sweet Sixteen, also for a fourth straight year, abruptly ending when the Spartans fell to Huntsville High School 66-40 in the region semifinal. This season, the bar is raised. “We’ve made it to the Sweet Sixteen four years in a row, which is good. The bad part is we’ve only made it to the Sweet Sixteen four years in a row,” Cornelius said. “I think the one thing that I’m looking forward to, and these girls are looking forward to, is that opportunity to move to another step, and I do believe we can do that.” In order to advance to the latter stages of the Class 7A playoffs in 2016 - whether it’s the Elite Eight, Final Four or beyond — Cornelius knows his team will have to closely follow its blueprint for success: exceptional team chemistry, fierce physicality and a heavy dose of Sara Carr. Referred to as “the most underrated high school basketball player in the state” by her coach, Carr, a forward, led the Spartans in points (20) and rebounds (10) per game last season, earning a spot on the Alabama Sports Writers Association 7A All-State Second Team. Her impact, however, extends far beyond the stat sheet. “She’s a phenomenal athlete,” Cornelius said, “but to know Sara as somebody besides a basketball player is probably more important because she is a very special young lady, truly cares about her teammates and is a really,
really good leader.” With a roster consisting of five juniors, three sophomores, three freshmen and just two seniors,
that type of veteran leadership is exactly what Mountain Brook needs. Along with fellow senior Kathryn Wason,
Carr will help lead the Spartans’ push to achieve their two other keys to success, fostering team chemistry and becoming more physical. As indicated by the past, one of those tasks will likely pose a more difficult challenge. A smaller team reliant on spacing the floor with its collective speed, Mountain Brook has recently struggled to adopt a more physical style of play. “I really think for us it’s about being more physical as a team,” Cornelius said. “It’s a very physical game, and we have to be able to respond physical with physical, and if we’re able to do that part of it, then I think we have the skills in order to move to the next level.” Cornelius only had his complete squad for 12 days prior to the first game of the season, due to the absence of Carr and sophomore point guard Lacey Jeffcoat, who were spurring the Spartan volleyball team to a second consecutive state title. But there is a mutual confidence shared between the coach and players that the other key component, team chemistry, will be easier to attain. “You just can’t get all of the details and get that camaraderie again in that short amount of time,” Cornelius said, “but by the time we get into the meat of our schedule in December and January, then I think we’ll be in really good shape.” True to Mountain Brook form, however, the focus is never on the end result. Instead, attention is given to detail, placing elevated importance on daily improvement while maintaining perspective. “We’re going to try our best to win, and we’re going to try to be the best we can be,” Carr said, “but at the end of the day, it’s about making these lifelong friendships with these girls that you can just have forever.”
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B20 • December 2015
Village Living
On a Winn streak Mountain Brook golfer proving to be under par on course, above par in classroom By DAVID KNOX There was the time Mountain Brook High golf coach Benny Eaves had his Spartans boys in a tournament down in Mobile. His boys were teeing off, so he drove his golf cart down the path some 340, 350 yards down the way, safely out of harm’s way. “Here comes this tee shot, and it nearly hits me,” Eaves said. “It’s the longest ball I’ve ever seen a high school kid hit.” Harlan Winn can hit a golf ball a long way. But while the senior aims to be under-par in golf, he shoots to be above-par in the classroom, and he aces both. Winn was recently named an American Junior Golf Association Scholastic Junior All-American. It’s the third straight year a Mountain Brook golfer has been so honored. Twelve boys and 12 girls in their junior or senior year in high school receive this honor each year. At the end of the 2015 summer, 2016-17 boys with a top-10 finish and 2016-17 girls with a top-five finish in AJGA Open and Invitational events were invited to apply for the Scholastic Junior All-America Team.
The rewards associated with being selected for this team include earning an invitation to the Polo Golf Junior Classic along with the elevated exposure of each team member’s academic standing – a vital element in college golf recruiting. The Scholastic Junior All-America Team selections are based on the following criteria in order of importance: SAT and/or ACT test scores; AP subject test scores; GPA; school leadership and community service; and writing skills as showcased in an original essay. Winn carries an adjusted 4.63 GPA, according to an AJGA media release made 34 on the ACT. His best finish in 2015 was a second-place finish at the AJGA Junior at The Foundry. “It’s a huge honor,” Winn said. “To be one of 12 guys in the country, I feel like my hard work on academics and on the golf course have paid off, and really opens up some opportunities in the future.” Eaves, now the Mountain Brook athletics director, has enjoyed watching Winn improve as a golfer. It coincided with Winn quitting basketball to concentrate on golf – something Eaves said he was against, because he was a good allaround athlete.
MBHS golfer Harlan Winn was chosen to be one of the few students to make up the Scholastic Junior All-America Team. Photo by Hank Spencer.
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December 2015 • B21
Faith Life Actually By Kari Kampakis
When life gets dark and we need light When I worked for an electric utility, we had a joke inside the company that nobody thinks about their electricity until the lights go out. Only then, when you’re stuck in the darkness, do you realize how desperately dependent you are on your power source. Electricity is easy to take for granted. Most people don’t think about all the systems and employees working hard behind the scenes to keep homes and communities running. You don’t realize how many conveniences electricity provides until you’re suddenly without them. One minute you’re happily engaged in an activity, and then out of the blue ... bam! You hear a snap and your entire house shuts down. Now, you can’t do anything. You can’t make coffee. Or work on the computer. Or charge your cellphone. Or cook dinner. Or blow-dry your hair. Or perform a thousand other activities you normally enjoy without a second thought. Five seconds earlier, you felt so capable. Now, you just feel helpless. All the plans you hoped to accomplish have flown out the window. Your first move, typically, is to look for light. You find something - a candle, a flashlight, a lantern - to help you make sense of
the darkness. And as you fumble in the darkness, you realize how powerless you are. It comes to your attention that ultimately, you’re at the mercy of a force greater than yourself. This relationship many of us have with electricity reminds of the relationship we have with God. Because when everything is good, and the lights turn on at the flip of a switch, we take God for granted. We forget how He’s the power source making our lives smooth and easy. Every good thing is a gift from God. Eyes that see, legs that walk, lungs that breathe, minds that think, hearts that love and feel they’re all products of grace. Only by His grace do we wake up alive each morning. Only by His work behind the scenes can we enjoy the freedoms and abilities we have. Nobody likes to be stuck in darkness, but the truth is, that’s where we learn to appreciate God. When our hearts are humbled and we’re crying out for help, we notice His little gifts. We see His magnificent power. We call on Him to restore us, because He’s the only One who can. Of course, darkness can also bring out our worst. It leaves us irritated and on edge. Just as irate customers call electric utilities to blame
them for the storms that knock down power lines, we often blame God for the hardships and inconveniences we face due to evil forces or sin. Why would a loving God allow us to suffer? Why would we face a major life power outage when our neighbor across the street is basking in light? In our dark moments, the whys add up. We want answers to His mysteries. And if we believe our situation is hopeless, or God has deserted us, we’ll be miserable. We’ll sit passively in the darkness, dwelling in self-pity. But there’s a better option, and that is to look for light, to get up and find a flashlight of faith. Flashlights can’t illuminate an entire room, but they do project a beam. And that beam is just enough to reveal our next step. John 16:33 says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” This verse tells us in advance that hard times and troubles are inevitable. We’ll all face times of darkness. But if we plant our hope in God and accept the light He sends into the darkness through his son Jesus, we can survive. Even if our life gets ripped out of the socket, and we’re lost in a once familiar place, Jesus walks with us. He
points our flashlight toward the path of God, directing us to move closer to Him. It’s natural to be scared of the dark. It’s understandable why we get disheartened and discouraged by the darkness we witness in real life and on TV. But the bigger news is, there’s hope. There’s a breaking story called Christmas. Because the baby born in a manger is the light of the world. He came to conquer darkness and offer eternal life. It’s always a joyful moment when the lights come on after a dark spell. With praise and gratitude, our hearts instinctively sing. This Christmas season, I wish you a similar celebration. I pray you rejoice in the gift of light and feel empowered by the light of Jesus, who will defeat darkness in the end and reminds us in the meantime that when we walk with Him, we can be strong and brave. Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Mountain Brook mom of four girls, a columnist and blogger for The Huffington Post. Her first book, 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know, is available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold. Join her Facebook community at “Kari Kampakis, Writer,” visit her blog at karikampakis.com or contact her at kari@karikampakis.com.
B22 • December 2015
Village Living
Calendar Mountain Brook Events Dec. 1-Dec 3: Annual holiday open houses in each of the villages. Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce’s. Merchants will offer specials during the day and will extend their normal business hours into the evening. Dec. 1: Cahaba Village, 4 p.m.; Dec. 2: English Village, 4 p.m.; Dec. 3: Mountain Brook Village, 4 p.m. Dec. 2 Red Mountain Garden Club holiday greenery sale. Rosewood Hall in SoHo Square. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information or to pre-order greenery, visit redmountaingardenclub. com. Dec. 2: Movie Night: “A Charlie Brown Christmas” Canterbury Center, Canterbury UMC. 6 p.m. Visit canterburyumc.org. Dec. 4-6, 11-13, 17-23, & 26-31: Zoo Light Safari presented by Wells Fargo. Birmingham Zoo. 5 p.m.- 9 p.m. $8 for non-members, free for members, $12.00 unlimited wristbands, $3.50 per attraction. Over one million lights synchronized to holiday music and activities. Visit birminghamzoo.com. Dec. 4-19: Annual Holiday Art Show. Presented by Mountain Brook Art Association. Brookwood Village. 10 a.m.-8p.m. Two-week free holiday art show. Purchases will support Birmingham’s Hand in Paw Animal Assisted Therapy. Visit MountainBrookArtAssociation.com. Dec. 4: Birmingham-Southern College Choirs, Service of Lessons & Carols, Sanctuary of Canterbury United Meth-
odist Church. 4:30 p.m. Visit canterburyumc. org. Dec. 5, 12 & 19: Breakfast with Santa. Birmingham Zoo. Breakfast at the Kudzoo Café followed by a visit from Ole Saint Nick. Visit birminghamzoo.com. Dec. 8: Birmingham Boys Choir. 7:30 p.m. Canterbury Sanctuary, Canterbury UMC. Annual Christmas Concert. Visit canterburyumc.org. Dec. 9: Family Christmas Dinner. Canterbury Hall, Canterbury UMC. 5 p.m. Visit canterburyumc.org. Dec. 12-13: Independent Presbyterian Church Holiday House Tour. Featuring four homes in Mountain Brook. Saturday 10a-4p. Sunday 1p-5p. $30. Purchase tickets at ww.ipcusa.org/holiday-house or at the church. Dec. 15: Christmas Legacy Luncheon. Canterbury UMC, Canterbury Hall, noon. Visit canterburyumc.org. Dec. 23: Pre-Christmas Eve Worship. 5:30 p.m. Canterbury UMC Sanctuary. Candlelight service. Visit canterburyumc.org. Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Communion & Candlelight Service. 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. Canterbury UMC. Visit canterburyumc.org.
Emmet O’Neal Library Events Call 445-1121 or visit.eolib.org. Wednesdays: Brown Bag Lunch Series. Doors open at noon and programs begin at 12:30pm. Bring a sack lunch; beverages and dessert provided.
Year’s.)
Dec. 3: $mart Directions @ Your Library presents: Understanding the Stock Market, 7 p.m.
Tuesdays: Together Time Story Time. 9:30 & 10:30 a.m.
Dec. 8: The Bookies book group, discussing Angels at the Gate by T.K. Thorne, 10 a.m. Dec. 14: Great Books discussion group, “Cowboys Are My Weakness” by Pam Houston. 6:30 p.m.
Mondays: Toddler Tales Story Time. 9:30 & 10:30 a.m.
Tuesdays: Library Out Loud. 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays: Evenings at EOL. 6 p.m. Wednesdays: *Mother Goose Story Time. 9:30 & 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays: Movers & Makers. 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 29: Genre Reading Group, Salon Discussion: Book(s) of Choice. 6:30pm
Thursdays: Patty Cake Story Time. 9:30 & 10:30 a.m.
Teens (Grades 7-12)
Thursdays: SNaP. 3:30 p.m.
Dec. 1: TAB, the monthly meeting of our Teen Advisory Board. 5-6pm
Saturdays: Family Story Time with Mr. Mac. 10:30 a.m.
Dec 5: Game On! Board games, card games, video games, pizza, and prizes. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 10: Teen Trivia: Holiday Edition. 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Dec. 19: Hayao Miyazaki Film Fest. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Children (There will be no children’s programs the weeks of Christmas and New
Special Events Dec. 8: Family Night: How the Grinch Stole Christmas movie w/ Mrs. Claus. 5:30 p.m. Dec. 9: After-School Special: Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Hairdo Hullaballoo. 3 p.m. Dec. 14-19: Star Wars Week. All regular programs are Star Wars-themed. Dec. 17: Bookmania: Star Wars. 6 p.m.
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December 2015 • B23
Area Events Dec. 4-19: Annual Holiday Art Show. Presented by Mountain Brook Art Association. Brookwood Village. 10 a.m.-8p.m. Two-week free holiday art show. Purchases will support Birmingham’s Hand in Paw Animal Assisted Therapy. Visit MountainBrookArtAssociation.com. Dec. 4-6, 11-13, 17-23, & 26-31: Zoo Light Safari presented by Wells Fargo. Birmingham Zoo. 5 p.m.- 9 p.m. $8 for non-members, free for members, $12.00 unlimited wristbands, $3.50 per attraction. Over one million lights synchronized to holiday music and activities. Visit birminghamzoo.com. Dec. 4-19: Annual Holiday Art Show. Presented by Mountain Brook Art Association. Brookwood Village. 10 a.m.-8p.m. Two-week free holiday art show. Purchases will support Birmingham’s Hand in Paw Animal Assisted Therapy. Visit MountainBrookArtAssociation.com. Dec. 5: Birmingham City Scholastic Chess Tournament. 8 a.m. Beginners welcomed. Sun Valley Elementary School, 1010 18th Ave NW. Visit alabamachess.com.
town for this ArtPlay/ASC favorite holiday production. Dec. 10: Christmas Home Tour and Holiday Gift Market. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Homes in Mountain Brook and Vestavia. $25 through Dec. 8 and $30 at door. Visit Samford. edu/legacyleague or call 726-2247. Dec. 11: The Mutt-cracker. 7:30 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall. Benefitting the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. $20-$45. Visit ticketmaster.com Dec. 12-13: The Nutracker and premiering Dross, a prequel that tells the story behind the Nutcracker. BJCC Concert Hall Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec 13 at 2 p.m. $20-$45. Visit ticketmaster.com. Dec. 13: Eric Essix & 5 Men on a Stool. 7 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. If you’re looking to get in the groove of the holidays, you shouldn’t miss “Holiday Soul” at the ASC. Dec. 30: Season 6 Premiere of Downton Abbey. 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. Free, tick reservations available. Find out what will happen next on the most-watched drama in PBS history. Visit AlysStephens.org.
Dec. 5: Yuletide in Dogtown. 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. The dogs are back in
Levite Jewish Community Center Events Dec. 6: Temple Beth-El’s Religious School Chanukah Celebration. 11 a.m.noon. Gain an insight into our elective courses as students and instructors share some of the products and accomplishments of their work. Contact info@ templebeth-el.net. Dec. 6: Temple Beth-El’s Sisterhood’s Chanukah Luncheon and Raffle Noon1:30 p.m. Call 933-2740. Dec. 6: Grand Menorah Lighting at the Summit. 4:30 p.m. Summit Saks Plaza. Birmingham’s first public menorah lighting. The marks the beginning of the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights. There will also be latkes, live music and dreidels. Contact LJCC at 879-0411 or Chabad of Alabama at 970-0100. Dec. 7: Sh’Bamukah. 6:45 p.m. LJCC. Enjoy Sh’Bam with a Chanukkah twist. Call 879-0411. Dec. 8: “The Return: A Documentary About Being Young and Jewish in Poland.” 6:30 p.m. Free. With no access to their heritage, four women are forging a new sense of self. In the country that was once the epicenter of the Jewish world, and now regarded as “the Jewish graveyard,” they are figuring out how to be Jewish in today’s Poland. Moderator: Sam Dubrinsky. Contact Mindy Cohen at mchoen@bhamjcc.org or 510-9024. Dec. 9: Chanukkah Bingo Night and
Dinner. 6 p.m. $18 for adults, $10 for children. Contact Knesseth Israel at 969-5913. Dec. 10: “Chopped/Chanukah Games.” 5:30-7 p.m. On the fifth night of Chanukah, we will have a Latke Cook Off “Chopped” style. Come watch our teams cook for the Golden Pan just like the chefs on Food Network’s “Chopped.” While the cooking competition is going on, have your own competition at The Chanukah Games. Dinner plates will have vegetarian chili, salad, latke, dessert and a drink. Dec. 11: Temple Emanu-El Chanukah Celebration. 5:40 p.m. Bring your menorah to Temple Emanu-El and light up the bima. Worship band and holiday gift program. Call 933-8037. Dec. 12: Latkes & L’Chaims. 7 p.m. W XYZ Bar at the Aloft Hotel. Sponsored by Chabad of Alabama. Open bar, latkes, donuts and dairy hor d’oeuvres. $18 per person, $30 per couple. RSVP to office@chabadofalabama.com. Dec. 13: N.E. Miles Jewish Day School Kids Club Chanukah PJ Pillow Party. 6 p.m. Barnes and Nobel at The Summit. 3-4 year olds. Story time, singing and more. Contact NEMJDS at 879-1068 for more information. Dec. 13: Temple Emanu-El Chanukah Family Fun Day. 9:30 a.m. Join TEE for a Chanukah carnival celebration and brotherhood luncheon. Call 933-8037 for more information.
Now Hiring Young Rembrandts After School Art Instructor in Vestavia/Cahaba Heights and Substitute/Trainer centrally located in the Birmingham area. Love art, love kids? We will train! Part-time work afternoons Monday-Thursday. Call 999-4264.
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December 2015 • B3