VillageLivingOnline.com
May 2013
Village Living Volume 4 | Issue 2 | May 2013
Grateful graduates
As Mountain Brook High School seniors prepare to bid adieu, three still have one more big moment ahead – their graduation speeches. Learn about MBHS’ top students inside.
School House page 23
In the know
neighborly news & entertainment for Mountain Brook
Echoes of explosions Now safe at home, residents who ran Boston vow it won’t be their last race By JEFF THOMPSON
Happy Mothers’ Day If there’s one thing Mountain Brook moms are good at, it’s everything. Inside, sons and daughters share some of the wisdom their mothers were gracious enough to pass on.
Special page 10
INSIDE Sponsors ........... 4 Celebrations ...... 5 Business ............ 6 Food ................... 8 Community ....... 12 School House.... 22 Sports ............... 26 Faith .................. 29 Calendar ........... 30
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As Cecile Franklin rounded the last corner of this year’s Boston Marathon, she was abruptly stopped. With about a mile to go, she and runners around her found themselves face-to-face with a “phalanx of Boston police officers.” “Walk back, walk back,” was all that police shouted, she said. So, she did as she was instructed. Officers moved her group away from the finish line, and after two blocks they were halted there and blockaded. “We knew nothing, and that was a good thing,” Franklin said. “I just remember everybody thinking something bad must have happened. We just didn’t know what.” At that time, approximately 4:30 p.m. on
Mountain Brook runners Cecile Franklin, right, and Kenneth Harkless pose together before the 2013 Boston Marathon on April 15. Both returned safely from the event, which was marred by tragic bombings near the finish line. Photo courtesy of Cecile Franklin.
April 15, Franklin was one mile from the site of two explosions that killed three and injured more than 170. Both were caused by bombs placed near the Marathon finish line, somewhere in between her and her friend, Kenneth Harkless. Harkless finished the race approximately 40 minutes before the bombs detonated and was already on a train back to his hotel. He had
waited for his friends, other runners from the Birmingham area, at the finish line before the cold began to set in and he elected to make his way toward the subway. “At that point, I didn’t have a (cell phone) signal,” said Harkless, 61, student assistance counselor at Mountain Brook High School. “But
See BOSTON | page 28
Man of the Year: a family’s fight against blood cancer By MEGAN SMITH Brothers Tom and David Reich shared a passion for sailing that brought them together despite their 10-year age difference. They traveled across the Southeast with the Birmingham Sailing Club and spent time together in various other activities. That is, until Tom passed away at 33 from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma blood cancer. “It was devastating,” David Reich said. “I was reared on his knee. He was my best friend and my brother.” Reich and his family have stayed active with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) since Tom’s passing 27 years ago. His favorite event has been the Leukemia Cup Regatta, an annual event sponsored by the Birmingham Sailing Club. Sailing in the Regatta brings him back to the times he spent with his brother, and it also raises money for the LLS. He’s even been the live auctioneer for the past three years.
His participation with the Regatta and LLS earned him a nomination from the Alabama/Gulf Coast Chapter for 2013 LLS Man of the Year Award. As a nominee, he has pledged to raise a minimum of $20,000 by May 16. “Tom gave a lot of himself during treatment,” Reich said. “Now we’re giving back.” With only 10 weeks to campaign and raise the money, Reich rallied his family together for help. His wife, Lisa, manages the team, and his sister Liz Pittman, a former LLS Woman of the Year candidate, has also joined. Every dollar earned
See CURE | page 29 Left: David Reich, Mountain Brook resident and candidate for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Man of the Year Award, is pictured with his daughter, Lucy, who organized a fundraiser to assist his campaign. Photo courtesy of David Reich.
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Village Living
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May 2013
Village Living
About Us Photo of the Month
Please Support our Sponsors Elizabeth Sandner, Sara Katherine Bowman, Ann Massey Bowman, Graves Bowman and Joseph Sandner enjoy the Mountain Brook Art Association Spring Art Festival in April. Photo by Jennifer Gray.
Editor’s Note By Jennifer Gray
Owl rescue in ‘Mayberry’ I know that Birmingham is not a big town in comparison to Atlanta or New York, but it is the biggest city in our state. And I think many of us take pride in the fact that living in Mountain Brook has some of the charm and nostalgia of living in a small town. I remember when my husband and I bought a house in Crestline and moved back to Mountain Brook after he had completed his graduate degree. Our next-door neighbor welcomed us by saying, “Welcome to Mayberry.” A few Sundays ago, my kids and I had a first-hand “Mayberry” experience that reminded me of that neighbor’s words. We were driving down Cahaba Road when I happened to notice something on the side of the road. As I passed it, I saw that it was a young owl. We turned around at Office Park and drove back by. It was indeed an owl, and although he blinked his big eyes at us, he did not move. With my eight year old,
Davis, and my six year old, Caroline’s input, we decided to call the Birmingham Zoo too see if they could help. But we couldn’t get the call to go through. So we turned around and decided to just go to the zoo. After all, it’s just down the street. As we turned back around, another car had stopped. Having seen the owl, another neighbor, Tom Curtain, had pulled over. With his hazard lights flashing, he parked his car where the owl could not be hit. We told him we were headed to get help. After explaining to zoo staff what was going on, Paul from the bird center appeared with a crate ready to help. We loaded it into my mini van and sped off to help the owl. When we arrived back on the scene on Cahaba Road, Mr. Curtain was still there waiting with the owl, and Mountain Brook Police appeared as well. While the police directed traffic,
Paul from the zoo knelt down to load the baby owl, who appeared to have a broken foot, into the crate. Then the most unexpected thing happened. The huge mama owl swept down out of nowhere trying to protect her baby. The mama owl attacked poor Paul, the helpful zookeeper, and cut his head with her talons. Still, the baby owl was rescued, and both were transported by the Mountain Brook Police back to the zoo for medical treatment. It’s moments like these that showcase the sense of community we are so fortunate to have here in Mountain Brook — neighbors, police and the zoo all coming together to help a baby owl who lives along Jemison Trail. Here’s to wishing both Paul and the owl a speedy recovery!
Village Living Publisher : Creative Director : Editor : Managing Editor : Executive Editor: Advertising Manager: Sales and Distribution :
Dan Starnes Keith McCoy Jennifer Gray Madoline Markham Jeff Thompson Matthew Allen Rhonda Smith Warren Caldwell Keith Richardson Contributing Writers : Christiana Roussel Kari Kampakis Rick Watson Dale Wisley Interns : Nathan Kelly Clayton Hurdle Megan Smith Published by : Village Living LLC
School House Contributors : Catherine Bodnar- Cherokee Bend, Britt Redden- Crestline, Alison Taylor- Brookwood Forest, Suzanne Milligan- Mountain Brook High School, Hilary Ross- Mountain Brook Elem. , Elizabeth FarrarMountain Brook Jr. High Contributing Photographer: Image Arts Contact Information: Village Living #3 Office Park Circle, Suite 316 Birmingham, AL 35223 313-1780 dan@VillageLivingOnline.com
Please submit all articles, information and photos to: Jennifer@VillageLivingOnline.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253
For advertising contact: dan@VillageLivingOnline.com
Legals: Village Living is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. Village Living is designed to inform the Mountain Brook community of area school, faith, family and community events. Information in Village Living is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of Village Living. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 370-0732 or by email.
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A’Mano Gifts (29) Alabama Allergy & Asthma Center (18) Alabama Power (19) Allstate Insurance - Jay Barker Agency (8) Always There, Inc (19) Amy Smith (6) Andrea Carmichael, Inc (6) Antiquities (20) Argent Antiques (31 ) Bellewether (28) Birmingham Speech and Hearing Associates (21) Briarcliff Shop (27) Bromberg & Company, Inc. (6, 27) Brookdale Place (12) California Closets (11) Canterbury Gardens (22) Children’s of Alabama (7) Christopher Glenn (20) Colonial Brookwood Village (30) Cookies By Design (28) Dominique V. Backus, D.D.S (22) Eich Plastic Surgery (9) Etc. (10) Four Corners Custom Framing (11) Hufham Orthodontics (25) Isbell Jewelers (26) Issis & Sons (29) Jacqueline DeMarco (15) King’s House Oriental Rugs (23) Lamb’s Ears Ltd. (14) Lane Parke (13) Leaf & Petal (15) Levite Jewish Community Center (2) Little Hardware, Inc. (23) Marguerite’s Conceits (18) Michelle’s (25) Mobley & Sons (13) Mosquito Squad of Birmingham (12) Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce (16) Nail Tek (28) Oak Street Garden Shop (24) Otey’s (31) Plastic Surgery Specialists (15) RealtySouth (32) Red Mountain Theatre Company (17) Renasant Bank (3) Sarver Orthodontics (17) Serendipity Boutique (21) Sew Sheri Designs (7) Swoop (26) Table Matters (31) Taco Mama (24) The Cook Store (8) The Diamond Dealer (8) The Maids (1) Tracy’s Restaurant (24) VCA Becker Animal Hospital (26) Village Dermatology (5) Village Park Builders (21)
Meet our intern Clayton Hurdle Clayton is a junior journalism and mass communication major at Samford. A native of Hendersonville, Tenn., he has enjoyed getting to know the Birmingham area better through his internship. He enjoys all things sports and his unrealistic dream job would be as a football or basketball coach.
May 2013 • 5
VillageLivingOnline.com Have an engagement, wedding or anniversary announcement? Email jennifer@villagelivingonline.com to have it included in an upcoming issue!
Celebrations
Snider - Vaughan
Donnellan - Moon
Peters - Watson
Mr. Lowell Snider and Mrs. Lesa Whitson of Knoxville announce the engagement of their daughter, Chelsey Lynn Snider, to Jackson Robert Vaughan, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Robert Vaughan Jr. of Mountain Brook. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Phillips of Knoxville, Tenn., and the late Mr. and Mrs. William J. Snider Sr. of Robbinsville, N.C. Miss Snider is a graduate of The University of Alabama, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority and received a bachelor’s degree in human environmental science, specializing in early childhood development. She received her teaching degree for elementary grades in Knoxville, where she is presently student teaching at Rocky Hill Elementary. The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. Margaret Jackson of Hilton Head Island, S.C., the late Ralph Straughan Jackson and Nellwyn Taylor of Richmond, Va., and James Robert Vaughan of Lynchburg, Va. Mr. Vaughan is a graduate of the University of Mississippi where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and the Honors College and served as captain of the Ultimate Frisbee team. He received a bachelor’s degree in business with a double major in risk management/insurance and banking/finance and a minor in real estate. Mr. Vaughan is a commercial insurance broker with Scott Insurance in Knoxville. The wedding is planned for July 27 in Knoxville.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bruce Donnellan of Birmingham announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah Kennedy, to Andrew Martin Moon, son of Dr. and Mrs. Richard Edward Moon of Durham, N.C. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Dean Myers Burget of Brookston, Ind., and the late Mr. Burget and the late Mr. and Mrs. William George Donnellan of Atlanta. Miss Donnellan is a graduate of Baylor School and the College of Charleston, where she was a member of Chi Omega and served as treasurer for the Student Government Association. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing at Duke University. She was presented at the Cotton Ball in Chattanooga. The prospective groom is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Joseph Smith of Ottawa, Canada and the late Mr. and Mrs. Peter Edward Moon of Toronto, Canada. Mr. Moon is a graduate of Durham Academy and Rutgers University. He obtained a master’s degree in public health from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. He currently attends the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. The wedding will be at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in June.
Dr. and Mrs. Randy Alan Peters of Winston-Salem, N.C., announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah Kristen Peters, to Joseph Ellis Watson III, son of Mrs. Joseph Ellis Watson Jr. and the late Mr. Joseph Ellis Watson Jr. of Mountain Brook. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Clyde Johnson Eggleston and the late Mr. Clyde Johnson Eggleston of WinstonSalem, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Wayne Peters of Elizabethton, Tenn. Miss Peters graduated from Forsyth Country Day School in Lewisville, N.C., and earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and history from the University of Virginia. She also attended Cumberland School of Law, where she served as an editor of the Cumberland Law Review and graduated magna cum laude in 2011. She is a member of the Junior League of Birmingham. Miss Peters is an associate attorney at Burr Forman in Birmingham. The prospective groom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Reid Todd of Trussville, and the late Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Ellis Watson of Luverne, Ala. Mr. Watson is a graduate of Mountain Brook High School and received his bachelor’s degree in economics and politics from Washington and Lee University, where he was president of Sigma Nu fraternity. He graduated with a Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law and a Masters in Business Administration from the Brock School of Business in 2010, and is currently an attorney and owner of The Watson Firm in Birmingham. The wedding is planned for June 29 in Winston-Salem.
In The Heart of Mountain Brook Village
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Village Living
Around the Villages Steeple Arts to hold anniversary performance
ChamberUpdate
GQ magazine names Harrison Limited one of ‘25 Shops Worth Traveling For’
Barlow to speak at upcoming luncheon
Steeple Arts dancers. Front row: Betsy Ankar, Mary Jane Bussian, Emmeline Glenn. Second row: Katie Ramsbacher, Julia Abele, Sally Bussian, Sophie Brint. Back row: Helen Abele, Julia Bell Pope, Salley Rose Wilkerson.
Steeple Arts Academy of Dance will celebrate its 77th anniversary by presenting students in a Gala Performance, “Once Upon a Time,” on May 19 at Samford University’s Wright Center. The production was designed by third generation director Deanny Coates Hardy, who also created the choreography along with instructors Annette Troxell-Collins, Bee Lewis and Tricia Brice. Assistant instructors include Lucy Spann, Margaret Day and Mary Haley Byrne, all former graduates and dancers of Steeple Arts. In addition, receptionist Kathy Nolan, is the Costume Mistress and Assistant to the Director. This season’s production will be dedicated to the loving memory of Lola Mae Coates, founding director of Steeple Arts, a long-time Mountain Brook resident For complimentary tickets, call Steeple Arts at 8715893. Steeple Arts is now enrolling for the fall. For more information, visit steepleartsdance.com.
Mountain Brook Village store Harrison Limited was named to Gentleman’s Quarterly (GQ)’s list of “25 Shops Worth Traveling For” in its April issue. This international list is part of “The GQ 100: Our Definitive List of the Best Clothes, Shops & Trends,” which includes menswear stores from Tokyo to New York, Paris to Palm Beach, Boston to Birmingham. Yes, Birmingham. “The southern haberdashery we all dream of but can never find just got discovered,” the magazine writes in the story. “There is traction to traditional, well crafted products,” said store owner and founder Scott Pyburn. “There are a lot of men’s stores that only want to know what is ‘hot,’ and they fill their store with the logo of the moment. Our point of view maintains updated, traditional clothing for men. Timeless, classic quality lasts for years, not a season. “ Harrison Limited has been located at 2801 Cahaba Road since Pyburn founded it in 1991. For more visit harrisonlimited.com or call 870-3882. Hours are MondayFriday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Spring Fashion Show at BWF A Spring Fashion Show and lunch was held in March at the home of Janet and Billy Krueger benefitting the Ranger PTO, which benefits Brookwood Forest Elementary. Megan LaRussa from Southern Femme offered practical tips on incorporating new trends into existing wardrobes and wearing things that are body type- and ageappropriate. Ranger PTO members Amy Knight, Bridget Sikora and Sally Garner modeled the Spring fashions. Those in attendance included Janet Krueger, Yvette Weaver, Emily Frost, Amy Sanders, Amy Knight, Bridget Sikora, Sally Garner, Molly Hamilton, Christie Mundy, Meg Lilly, Alison Taylor, Amy Wellingham, Rachel Barton, Frederica Hecker, Beth Watts, Amy Maziarz, Annie Butrus, Christina Graham and Ellen Stein. - Submitted by Alison Taylor
For the upcoming Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce quarterly luncheon, Dicky Barlow, Superintendent of Mountain Brook Schools, will speak on “What’s Right With Our Schools.”
Lane in English Village. Doors Open at 11 a.m., and the luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. The cost is $25 for members or $30 for nonmembers; table sponsorships for eight people are $250. To learn more or make reservations, visit welcometomountainbrook.com. New Chamber members Chamber of Commerce welcomes the following businesses as its newest members and encourages residents to visit and support them:
Superintendent Dicky Barlow. Photo by Nathan Kelly
Barlow was appointed superintendent of Mountain Brook Schools in 2009. He received his B.S. and certification in science education as well as his Masters of Education in administration and supervision at Georgia State University. He earned his Ed.S. in educational administration at the University of Montevallo and is currently a doctoral candidate at Samford University. Prior to his appointment as superintendent, he served as principal of Mountain Brook High School from 2001 to 2009 and assistant principal from 1996 to 2001. The luncheon will be held on Thursday, May 9 at Park
◊ Little Lavender Consignment ◊ 81 Shop ◊ Cookies by Design ◊ Key Circle Press ◊ Rob’e Mans ◊ Crestline Village Dentistry ◊ Digital Marketing Services ◊ Rush Biddies ◊ Jim n Nicks ◊ Balance Personal Training Studio ◊ Season’s 52 ◊ American Family Care ◊ Urban Cookhouse ◊ Charter Business ◊ Mass Mutual ◊ Mountain Brook Plastic and Laser Center ◊ Greg Osborne, DMD ◊ Cellular Sales ◊ Clear Solutions ◊ Integrated Media Systems ◊ Simmons Name Plate ◊ Miller Relocations Services ◊ Volkert, Inc. ◊ TMD Landscaping ◊ Catherine Montgomery, Wells Fargo ◊ Pink Tulip
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May 2013 • 7
VillageLivingOnline.com
Crime report March 15-21 Unlawful Breaking / Entering of a Vehicle: A UBEV case occurred in the 3000 block of Salisbury Road on March 19. Unknown suspect(s) entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and stole tools. Burglary / Residential: A residential burglary case occurred in the 2600 block of Heathermoor Road between March 15-19. Unknown suspect(s) forced entry through a window at the rear of the residence and stole jewelry. A residential burglary occurred in the 3200 block of East Briarcliff Road between March 19-20. Unknown suspect(s) forced entry through a rear door, entered the residence, and stole jewelry. March 22-28 Burglary / Residential: A residential burglary occurred in the 3000 block of North Woodridge Road on March 21. Unknown suspect(s) forced entry through the front door. There was no property reported stolen. A residential burglary occurred in the 2600 block of Canterbury Road on March 19. Unknown suspect(s) forced open a window on the rear of the residence. There was no entry into the residence. A residential burglary occurred in the 3500 block of Crestbrook Road on March 27. Unknown suspect(s) forced open a rear door and entered the residence. U.S. currency was stolen. March 29-April 4 Burglary / Residential: A residential burglary occurred in the 2900 block of Park Brook Road on March 28. Unknown suspect(s) forced entry through a rear door. Electronics, firearms and golf clubs were stolen. A residential burglary occurred in the 3500 block of Crestbrook Road on March 27. Unknown suspect(s) forced entry through a rear door. U.S. currency was stolen.
A residential burglary occurred in the 2900 block of Thornhill Road on March 29. Unknown suspect(s) forced entry through a rear door. Jewelry, silver flatware and electronics were stolen. A residential burglary occurred in the 2800 block of Balmoral Road on April 2. The suspect entered the residence and stole a bicycle. A suspect has been identified. A residential burglary occurred in the 2500 block of Beverly Drive on April 3. Unknown suspect(s) forced entry through the rear door. Jewelry was stolen. A suspect was later identified in this case. Warrants have been issued and property has been recovered. Burglary / Business: A business burglary occurred in the 2700 block of U.S. Highway 280 on March 31. Unknown suspect(s) forced entry through the front door of the business. Electronics were stolen. April 5-11 Theft / Motor Vehicle: The theft of a motor vehicle occurred in the 3400 block of River Bend Road between April 9-10. Unknown suspect(s) stole the victim’s vehicle from the driveway of the residence. Method of entry is unknown. Burglary / Residential: Update April 12-18 Burglary / Residential: A residential burglary occurred in the 3300 block of Brookwood Road on April 11. Unknown suspect(s) entered the residence through a window at the rear of the residence. Jewelry was stolen. Another residential burglary occurred in the 3300 block of Crosshill Road on April 16. Unknown suspect(s) entered through a rear door of the residence. Jewelry was stolen. -Submitted by Mountain Brook Police Department
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8 • May 2013
Village Living
Restaurant Showcase
Nothing but Noodles
Read past Restaurant Showcases at villagelivingonline.com
2800 Cahaba Village Plaza, Suite 140 238-5511 nothingbutnoodles.com Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
By NATHAN KELLY The name says it all at Nothing but Noodles. No matter what pasta dish its customers are craving, this restaurant has the dishes to satisfy. The fast-casual restaurant is consistently creating new recipes and perfecting the classics to bring the widest variety of pasta meals to its guests, according to franchise owner Arnold Soni. Every six months, Nothing but Noodles adds a new dish to the menu, he said. Since additions come to the menu at least twice a year, a customer’s favorite menu item can change frequently. Currently, the Spicy Cajun Pasta is eatery’s most popular dish. The dish tosses penne pasta with rustic tomato cream sauce, scallions, fresh yellow onions and red bell peppers. On the menu, each pasta dish is separated into categories of Italian, Asian, American or Specialties. Each meal has the option of adding beef, chicken, meatballs, shrimp or any of the 10 vegetables the restaurant offers. The smell of fresh sauces fills the restaurant as meals are made from
(Above) The Spicy Cajun Pasta at Nothing but Noodles and (right) Mountain Brook Nothing but Noodles Franchise Owner Arnold Soni. Photos by Nathan Kelly.
scratch in the kitchen. Before any additions, every dish with noodles is vegetarian. Nothing but Noodles also offers salads, soups and breadsticks that can be added to any meal. Soni said his staff prides itself
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on how quickly guests will receive their food. “During our busiest hours, typically lunch time, our kitchen is constantly moving,” he said. “On an average day, a guest will order his or her food, get a drink and have
a meal ready within five minutes of sitting down.” Nothing but Noodles also caters parties and events. The restaurant is an active fundraiser with The Institute of Sustainability and is involved with a number of community events to
provide food for the Birmingham area, Soni said. Nothing but Noodles is a franchise with locations in nine states across the country. The Cahaba Village location has been serving guests since May 2010.
Hint:
Mom has this on her wish list for Mother’s Day Best selection found at The Cook Store! Pottery by Earthborn Studios • Tena Payne of Birmingham 2841 Cahaba Road • 879-5277 • Mon-Fri 10-5 • Sat 10-4 • www.thecookstoremtnbrook.com
May 2013 • 9
VillageLivingOnline.com Read past Business Spotlights at villagelivingonline.com
Business Spotlight
Please Reply
50 Vine Street 870-4773 Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Front row: Katie Smith, Betty McKewen. Second row: Kimberly Rodgers, Martha Grizzle. Third row: Susan Hoke, Genie Stutts. Back row: Kim Thoma, Amanda Johnson.
By MEGAN SMITH Paper has long been in Betty McKewen’s family. Her family had a wholesale paper business. Then, 14 years ago when her daughter Katie was getting married, she started a venture of her own. The business that started in McKewen’s home now employs eight staff members, including her daughter, Katie Smith. Today, Please Reply not only provides monogramming and specialty invitations and programs, but also personalized products that range from soaps and candles to jewelry. “We’ll find what you need,” McKewen said, “whether it’s $5 or $100.”
The store has a machine that handles orders for vinyl labels, as well as a printer for invitations and programs. It sends other orders out to various companies, but most orders can be completed within four weeks. The company also makes appointments for brides and handles everything from start to finish, even offering bride and grooms gifts. “We make sure to offer a one-on-one appointment,” Smith said. “We want the brides to know they’re taken care of.” When she was looking to move her business from her home, McKewen tried a few store fronts including one in English Village, but she finally arrived at Crestline.
“We wanted to be located in Crestline because most of our customers are from here,” Smith said. “One day the owner of this house called me and said they’d heard we wanted to move to Crestline.” The phone call was unexpected, but the house was perfect for the mother-daughter team. Hidden behind Crestline Elementary, each room in the house-turned store has its own category of merchandise and shelves loaded with samples of each. “There are only a few things that you can walk in and take out with you,” Smith said, pointing to some place mats with a letter in the middle. “People in the South like things customized, and that’s what we provide.”
Smith said Please Reply is constantly updating, but they make sure to stay unique because they don’t want to offer the same products as other stores. The store has grown every year and so have the customers that are loyal to it. “They know we’ll do it the right way,” Smith said. Smith said businesses on the internet aren’t competition to the store because her customers get to see and feel the products they are choosing and are guided by staff who know what they’re doing. “We love being here in Mountain Brook,” Smith said. “We support the community, and the community supports us.”
10 • May 2013
Village Living
Just ask Mom Village Living asked area residents for the best advice they received from their moms.
Motherwalk 2013 coming to Crestline
“Do as I say, not as I do.” (And yes, she said it was okay if I said that.) – Isabelle Lawson, daughter of Margie Davis
“Live every day to the fullest.” She said this so much throughout her life I began to think it was a cliché. I changed my mind as she was still saying it to her children with a huge smile on her face whenever we left a hospital visit during her battle with ovarian cancer. She really did live every single day of her life to the fullest and taught her children to do so! – Beth Little, daughter of Gail Shelfer
“Whatever you do in life, be a team player. You’ll accomplish more and have fun doing it.” – Jason Jack, son of Patricia Jack
“Wear a smile, have a positive attitude and be optimistic.” Those are three rules of advice my mom always follows and passed on to me.
– Allene Neighbors, daughter of Allene Parnell
Michael and Jerry Routman walk in last year’s MotherWalk event.
The Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation will hold its 9th Annual Motherwalk and 5K on Saturday, May 11 at 9 a.m. The fun run begins at 10 a.m. The community-wide event will be held in Crestline Village across from the Emmett O’Neal Library. The event includes door prizes, music, food catered by Moe’s and entertainment for kids. There will be also be a 1-mile fun run for ages 6-12. Teams are encouraged to wear costumes for prizes. There will also be prizes for largest team and team raising the most funds. Team photos will be taken from 7:30-9 a.m. The awards ceremony will be at 10:30
This spring at
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a.m. Medals will include an overall female and male winner, first, second and third place for each age group. The 5K is $30, Fun Run is $15 and “sleeping-in but supporting the cause” is $25. Leashed dogs are welcome to the event. The foundation was started by Lori Livingston in 2004 after she lost her mother, Norma Livingston, to ovarian cancer. The NLOCF hopes to increase awareness of the risks, symptoms and treatments for ovarian cancer while raising funds for ovarian cancer research. For more information, visit motherwalk.com.
May 2013 • 11
VillageLivingOnline.com
Meet the Youngs: Crestline’s family of nine By RICK WATSON Dr. John Young and his wife, Heather, go through a dozen gallons of milk and at least that many loaves of bread each week. They are on a first-name basis with the folks at the “Wiggly Pig,” what their kids call the Piggly Wiggly, and when they visit Western Supermarket, the dairy section automatically begins slicing four pounds of cheese. An employee once asked if the couple was having a party or donating the cheese to a school. “They know us well now,” Heather said. Besides John and Heather, six children and a 90-year-old grandmother live under the same roof. The Youngs are a family of nine, which more than triples the average persons-per-household rate in Mountain Brook. According to 2010 U.S. Census Data, the city averages 2.72 per home. “A lot of people don’t realize the joys of having a large family,” she said. “Most folks only see it as a great deal of work, but the benefits far outweighs anything else.” Their children range from Bridger, a newborn, to Jackson, who is 7. Between them are boys Hudson, Rivers and Brooks and the couple’s only daughter, Ireland Grace. Heather said she doesn’t know what it’s like to sleep, or not change a diaper. She was pregnant for much of the last decade. “I was a babysitter in college, and I’ve always adored kids,” she said. The fact that John came from a large family is one of the things that attracted her to him when she worked as a surgical coordinator at Alabama Sports Medicine. John has two sisters and eight brothers, all of whom are physicians. He’s generally busy as an orthopedic surgeon, Heather said, “but when he’s home, he’s a hands-on dad.” So, Heather’s “Mom Agenda” keeps up with complicated family schedules, but she also has a calendar so the kids can see everything that’s planned. The boys are into Cub Scouts, soccer, baseball and karate while Ireland Grace does ballet and gymnastics, but Heather said they try
The Young family gathers around their 10 passenger Mercedes Sprint outside dad John’s office. Photo courtesy of Trisha Powell Crain.
hard not to overload the kids with activities that take away from family time. Together, the family spends a great deal of time outdoors. They are all about the Birmingham Zoo, and in the summer they spend a lot of time at the beach. Almost every evening in the fall and winter, John cooks s’mores or hotdogs over a fire pit at their home. These days when the Youngs load up their family for an outing, they are hard to miss. Their 10-passenger Mercedes Sprint is customized with captain’s chairs instead of the bench seats that come stock. Heather said she tired of, “He touched me” and “He’s looking at me.” The van also serves as home base during long days at the soccer field. Between games, the family heads back to the van to watch TV and rest. “The only thing we’re missing is a bathroom,” she said.
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Many people may assume a couple with six children would long for alone time, but she said that she and John have only taken a short vacation without the kids. “We could take vacations alone because we have great sitters and help, but we don’t because we enjoy our kids.” But it doesn’t always make things easy, Heather said, noting that family dynamics can be interesting. A few years ago they were vacationing at the beach when she went into premature labor. They gathered up the kids and their belongings and made a mad dash for home. Somewhere in South Alabama they made a quick pit stop for refreshments. Rivers wasn’t happy with his drink, and let the family know about it when they were back on the road. The incessant crying frayed nerves.
Jackson, the oldest child, was trying to sleep but the crying pushed him over the edge. He called back to Hudson, who was sitting next to Rivers and said, “Just smack him.” Heather said that Crestline is the perfect community for their large family. Recently, when Hudson’s puppy came up missing, the community went on full alert. “The local sheriff, the gas man, and people we didn’t know searched into the night for his dog,” she said. Hudson’s prayers were answered when the dog came home on its own just after midnight. When Heather woke him to give him the news, he said, “Thank you God for listening.” She thanked the community for all their prayers and support during that time. “You couldn’t ask for better friends and neighbors,” she said.
12 • May 2013
Village Living
Community
When Pigs Fly Barbecue returns
Area residents enjoy last year’s When Pigs Fly Kosher Barbecue.
Presented by the Brenda and Fred Friedman Family Foundation, the Fourth Annual When Pigs Fly Kosher Barbecue festival will take place May 19 at 12179 Highland Ave. The fun lasts from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Kosher food consists of meat (animals must
have cloven hooves and chew its cud), dairy and parve. Dairy products such as cheese and cream are Kosher. Parve contains neither meat or dairy, so fish with fins and scales such as salmon and halibut or simply fruits and grains and vegetables are Kosher.
The event will include a cook-off with first to third place being awarded with best team name, best booth decor and best beans, brisket and ribs. A local barbecue pit master will provide meals for guests. All groceries are approved by the Orthodox Union and
are provided exclusively by Piggly Wiggly Food Stores. There will be live music featuring Peanut and Mother May I, The Cohen Brothers and The Bobby Key Band as well as a Kids’ Zone. Visit whenpigsflykosherbbq.com for more.
Zoo run to benefit endangered African wild dogs Run Wild For Painted Dogs, the 2013 Zoo Run, is scheduled for Saturday, May 11 at 7:30 a.m. The race supports the Painted Dog Conservation, which works with communities in Africa to protect the continent’s most endangered
species, Painted Dogs or African Wild Dogs, whose numbers have dipped below 5,000. The race begins in the zoo’s parking lot and ends at the Trails of Africa exhibit. Because the race ends in the park, participants will be issued a free
park wristband. Family and friends, however, must purchase wristbands unless they are members with their membership I.D. The 5K is $25 ($30 after May 4), children’s races are $12, and additional wristbands for zoo entry are $7.
On-site registration is at 6:30 a.m., 5K participants assemble at 7:20 a.m. and the 5K race begins at 7:30 a.m. Children’s races are as follows: The Turtle Trot, ages 0-2, 8:15 a.m.; The Chicken Cha Cha, ages 3-4, 8:25 a.m.; The Groundhog Gallop, ages
5-7, 8:35 a.m.; and the Serval Spring, ages 8-12, 8:45 a.m. The Awards Ceremony begins and the zoo opens 9 a.m. Participants also receive an event T-shirt. For more or to register visit birminghamzoo.com/events/.
May 2013 • 13
VillageLivingOnline.com
Girls on the Run to host celebratory community 5K
The spring 2012 Mountain Brook Girls on the Run team prepares for last year’s race.
Girls on the Run (GOTR) Birmingham Metro will host its second annual 5K run on Saturday, May 11, beginning at Marconi Park in downtown Birmingham. The Girls on the Run after-school character development program serves girls in third through fifth grade by creatively integrating running with a curriculum that inspires girls to remain confident and make healthy life choices. The program serves Mountain Brook as well as 12 other areas in Jefferson, St. Clair, and Shelby Counties. The two-season program takes place in the fall and spring, and each season ends with a
5K run to celebrate the girls’ personal growth and accomplishments. The race is set to begin at 8 a.m. following a 7:30 a.m. group warm-up. The event celebrates girls’ capabilities to accomplish any goal they desire. All levels and ages of walkers and runners are welcome and invited to join in the festivities. Runners or walkers can complete the 5K in honor of a strong woman or girl in their life and receive a certificate to present to them for Mother’s Day. To register, visit girlsontherunbham.org.
14 • May 2013
Village Living
Carnival and fun run to kick off summer reading
Front row: Abbotte Browning, Philip Cook, Braune Browning, Ava Canterbury and Sean Fredella. Back row: Patton Browning, Diana Browning, Morgan Cook, Fluff Roberts, Laura Canterbury and Annabel Canterbury.
Emmet O’Neal Library’s summer reading program will kickoff with an afternoon of fun hosted by the Junior Women’s Committee of 100 (JWC) on Sunday, May 19. The Thomas Hughes Brinkley Memorial Fun Run begins at 2:30 p.m., and an outdoor carnival will follow from 3-5 p.m. Wristbands are $25 and include all games, rides, food and drink items. Bands can be purchased at the event. Library staff will be available during festivities to sign up children for its “Dig into Reading” summer reading program. The JWC is a non-profit service organization that supports the Children’s Department of
the Library. Its mission is to assist the Library by providing financial support in addition to hundreds of volunteer hours. Thanks to the committee, last year 2,298 children read more than 37,000 books. Its contributions have enabled the Library to purchase hundreds of new items including musical, educational, early learning and literacy resources for the Children’s Department. Fluff Roberts and Morgan Cook are chairmen of the carnival this year, and Laura Canterbury is Fun Run chairman. JWC president is Diana Browning, and Lauren Burgess is vice president. For more on the event, call the Children’s Department at 879-0497 or visit eolib.org.
Troop 86’s Hines, Millhouse achieve Eagle Scout rank
Christian Hines
Adam Millhouse
Two members of Boy Scout Troop 86 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church were recently awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. A Court of Honor Ceremony for Allen Christian Hines Jr. and Adam Roy Millhouse took place in March to recognize their achievements. For his project, Christian built a flagstone sitting area with two metal benches outside of the Sington Center at the Lakeshore Foundation. The area provides a sitting and rest area for individuals using the conference center and foundation. As a member of Troop 86, Christian obtained 22 merit badges and served as senior patrol leader, patrol leader and assistant patrol leader. He was inducted in the Order of the Arrow and National Youth Leadership Training. Christian is a senior at Mountain Brook High School and plans to attend Mississippi State University. He is the son of Carol and Allen
Hines of Birmingham. He is the grandson of Coy and Nita Collinsworth and Carol Hines of Gulf Shores and John Allen Hines of Alabaster. For his project, Adam re-roofed two potting sheds at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. As a member of Troop 86, Adam obtained 22 merit badges and served as senior patrol leader. He was inducted into the Order of the Arrow and received the World Conservation Award. Adam also participated in Nendawen Journey, a national youth leadership training course. He attended the high adventure base at Northern Tier in the summer of 2009. Adam is a senior at Mountain Brook High School and plans to attend Auburn University. Adam is the son of Kate and David Millhouse. He is the grandson of Mrs. S. Roy Millhouse and the late Mr. Millhouse and Mrs. William McTyeire and the late Mr. McTyeire, all of Birmingham.
May 2013 • 15
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Art show to benefit school for students with learning differences Palettes of Spring, an art show featuring 13 of Alabama’s biggest artists, will take place May10-11 at Spring Valley School. Spring Valley, located at 605 Haygood Street, is the only school in Central Alabama for students with learning differences such as dyslexia. Spring Valley School Executive Director Dr. Claire Barabash said it is a testament to the importance of the school to have some of the best Alabama artists participate for this cause. The event will showcase works by Nall, Thomas Andrew, Melanie Morris, Vicki Denaburg, Trés Taylor, Sally Powell, Eddie Powell, David Nichols, Paul Flack, Linda Ellen Price, Shea Scully, Amy Crews and Tena Payne. Art may also be purchased at the event. A May 10 premiere will include Le Chanceux Cabernet Sauvignon, and
Artists and Committee Members for Palettes of Spring. Front row: Amy Crews, Tena Payne, Thomas Rooney and Melanie Moore. Back row: Beth Rooney, Elizabeth Cornay and Shea Scully.
owner Susan McNerney will speak about her awardwinning Napa Valley Vineyard ($35). May 11 tickets are $10. Proceeds go to the school. The art show will take place
at the home of Dr. Billy and Elizabeth Cornay. For more, call Tery Young at 423-8660. – Submitted by Spring Valley School
Get your flowers for mom A Mother’s Day tradition will return with the YWCA Central Alabama’s Flower Sale on Friday, May 10. Proceeds will benefit the YWCA KIDS Korner childcare for children of homeless families. The sale will be held at the Ray & Poynor building in Mountain Brook Village as well as at Regions Plaza downtown from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Plants and flowers will be available at Children’s of Alabama from 8 a.m-1 p.m. and at Brookwood Medical Center from 10 a.m.2 p.m. Flowers will be sold outside under a tent at both locations. YWCA Junior Board members, staff and community volunteers will be on hand to help shoppers select the perfect flowers for their mothers and other special women in their lives. Customers wishing to purchase flowers can view them prior to the sale atywcabham. org/flowersale. The selection includes a greeting card as well as potted flowers, cut flowers and vases priced from $6-$40. The YWCA KIDS Korner is the city’s only childcare facility for area homeless families. Since 1989, the program has provided quality care to more than 2,000 infants, toddlers and preschoolers who live in area homeless shelters. The program is free to parents and helps them find work, participate in job
Mary Goodrich, Mountain Brook resident and Junior Board member, in front of Ray and Poynor at the Moutain Brook Village tent location in 2012.
training programs or seek housing. For more information on the YWCA Mother’s Day Flower Sale, call Christian Smith at 322-9922 ext. 307, email csmith@ ywcabham.org or visit ywcabham.org/page/ flowersale.
16 • May 2013
Village Living
Mountain Brook’s Belles presented at Garden Party The Birmingham Belles 45th annual Garden Party Presentation was held in April at Arlington Historical House and Gardens. A reception followed in Boxwood Garden. The Birmingham Belles is a service organization whose purpose is to give senior high school girls the opportunity and experience of volunteerism and civic responsibility as they gain knowledge about their community. The young ladies presented will be visible at city functions throughout the year. This past year the Birmingham Belles served more than 650 hours. Front row: Alice Bradford, Frances Carson, Murray Manley and Caroline Leak. Back row: Mary Virginia Adams, Louise Pewitt, Turner Hull, Courtenay Pyburn and Anna Kate Healey. Photo courtesy of Dee Moore.
Simmons appearing on NBC’s hit show The Voice
Historic photos wanted for new book Local resident Hunter Coleman is looking for old photographs that might be used in a pictorial history of Mountain Brook to be published by Arcadia Publishing. The publisher’s Images of America series chronicles the history of small towns and downtowns across the country. Each title features more than 200 vintage images, capturing bygone times and bringing to life the people, places and events that defined a community. Several titles have already
been published for different areas of Birmingham. The importance of family collections cannot be overemphasized, Coleman said. Vintage photographs become increasingly fragile, but by scanning and reproducing them in a book, they become available for all to see. Anyone with photographs to submit for consideration can contact Coleman at huntercoleman1@gmail.com.
Sarah Simmons
Mountain Brook High School graduate Sarah Simmons, 23, is appearing in the 2013 season of NBC’s The Voice. Simmons’ mom and step dad, Peggy and Barry Jones, reside in Mountain Brook. Her siblings Jessica Simmons, Ballard Jones and Hayden Jones are all
MBHS graduates. Jessica lives in Birmingham. The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on NBC. To follow Simmons’ journey, follow her Facebook page and @SarahSimMusic on Twitter. To learn more about Simmons, visit villagelivingonline.com.
Mountain Brook Chamber Luncheon
What’s Right With Our Schools! Featuring Dicky Barlow
Superintendent of The Mountain Brook School System
With so many changes going on across the state with education don’t miss this chance to hear what Dicky Barlow has to say about What’s Right With Our Schools!
May 9, 2013
Doors open at 11, luncheon begins at 11:30 Park Lane in English Village register at welcometomountainbrook.com or call the Chamber office at 871-3779
May 2013 • 17
VillageLivingOnline.com
Ball of Roses to support Ballet The annual Ball of Roses will be held on Saturday, June 1 in the East Room of the Country Club of Birmingham. The presentation begins at 9 p.m. Each year, the ball is sponsored by the Ballet Guild of Birmingham, an invitational organization of young women dedicated to supporting the ballet in Birmingham through fundraising and volunteer work. Founded in 1959, the Ballet Guild was organized to promote and foster development of ballet in Birmingham in addition to raising funds for its support. Since its inception, the Ballet Guild has raised more than $1 million for the Alabama Ballet. This year, the Ball of Roses celebrates its 53rd anniversary and continues to serve as a vital fundraiser for the Alabama Ballet. Ball of Roses Chairman Ellen McCulley Faust and Ball Co-Chairman Mary Bradley Hosch Anderson have collaborated with Carole Sullivan of Lagniappe Designs on a whimsical palette of pink and blush for the ball decor. This year’s Men’s Committee Dinner Chair Sarah Norville Peinhardt has planned a formal seated
Ball of Roses Decorations Chairman Mary Cox Brown, Ball Chair Ellen McCulley Faust, Ball Co-Chair Mary Bradley Anderson and Men’s Committee Dinner Chairman Sarah Peinhardt.
dinner for donors prior to the presentation. Ellen McCulley Faust is serving as chairman of the 2013 Ball of Roses exactly 30 years after the year her mother, Sheard Mason McCulley, served as chairman of the Ball of Roses in 1983. The Ball of Roses is sponsored by Ballet
Guild of Birmingham President Lindsey Tomlinson Druhanth and Guild Executive VicePresident Grace Kipp. The First Ball of Roses was held in August of 1961. Eleven young women from Birmingham were presented.
Sheard Mason McCulley, 23rd Ball of Roses Chairman as pictured in 1983. Her daughter, Ellen McCulley Fast, is this year’s chair.
One woman, one classroom, 600 students By MEGAN SMITH
Brookwood Forest Elementary second grade teacher Dana Mason will retire after 36 years at the school.
Dana Mason has spent every day for 36 years teaching second graders at Brookwood Forest Elementary. That’s about 45,000 hours patiently teaching 7-8 year olds. Mason, who will retire after this school year, is dedicated to working with struggling readers and gives periodic assessments to help identify children’s individual needs. “She is a wonderful teacher,” said fellow second grade teacher Cindy Burns, “and she is a wonderful colleague as well. She is always willing to work on committees and work to make our school the best it can be.” Burns said Mason sets high expectations for her
students and then works with them to make sure they are successful. “She is really gifted at helping kids read fluently and with good expression,” Burns said. Mason attended Livingston University (now University of West Alabama) before spending a year as coordinator at the West Alabama Mental Health Center School and then a year teaching first grade at Highland Elementary in Meridian, Miss., but ultimately she wanted to be in Birmingham. She earned her master’s degree in early childhood education at UAB and has been teaching at Brookwood Forest since 1977. But Mason hasn’t just worked with her students over the years; she’s also participated with the staff. For more than 15 years, she helped plan the school’s
Veteran’s Day program. She taught songs to students, played films and invited veterans to speak at the program. “I remember the first year I saw the program I was overcome with emotion and cried,” Burns said. “If you talk to adults who were children at the time of those Veteran’s Day programs, they will all tell you they remember them vividly and most can still recall the words to some of the songs.” Mason was also on the school’s accreditation committee that worked toward making Brookwood Forest Elementary a Blue Ribbon School. With approximately 18 students a year, Mason has shared her knowledge and given more than 600 students the ability to read and more at Brookwood Forest Elementary.
18 • May 2013
Village Living
Signaling change Leadership Mountain Brook class to present project proposals to City Council By MADOLINE MARKHAM Stewart Harrington cautiously drives around the curves on Old Leeds Road on his way to Mountain Brook High School. As he approaches his daily turn onto Cherokee Road, he watches other drivers hesitate before darting between the rock walls. And, when he gets his opportunity, he hesitates as well. His classmates agree – it’s a scary turn. So, when Harrington and four Leadership Mountain Brook teammates were charged to come up with a project to help their city, they decided to tackle safety at the intersection. Their plan entailed adding a signal to warn drivers if another car is approaching the intersection. “There aren’t many wrecks there, but everyone seems skeptical when they turn,” Harrington said. “This is a way for us to be proactive.” Once the group started looking into the project, they estimated that approximately half of the MBHS student population travels through that intersection each day. They also estimate that the Alabama Department of Transportation’s proposed changes to U.S. 280 intersections could route more traffic to the area in question. Through the Leadership
Stewart Harrington, Mary Nix Roberson, Tyler Jaffe, Mary Grace Tracy and Reilly Blair have developed a proposal for a flashing light to be installed on Old Leeds Road as cars approach Cherokee Road. The project was developed as part of their participation in Leadership Mountain Brook. Photo by Madoline Markham.
Mountain Brook program, Harrington and his teammates are hoping to bring the city on board to install the warning signal plan. This semester, Harrington’s group, as well as three others, have been working on improvement projects as part of their class at the high school, which is a partnership between the Mayor’s office, MBHS and the Chamber of Commerce. Students spent their first semester learning from officials about how the City of Mountain Brook works, and this semester they applied what they learned. “It’s interesting to watch them learn about the city and think of a project that will be here after they come back from college,” said Hannon Davidson of the
Chamber, who co-leads the class with MBHS teacher Amber Benson. “The class connects them to the city in way that no other residents are connected.” Three of the four groups will present project proposals to the Mountain Brook City Council at the Council’s first meeting in the new Municipal Complex on May 13. The fourth group already presented a proposal to the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce for a mobile website that was then approved by the Chamber Board of Directors. “We are all excited it got approved and that we helped create something for the community,” said Anne Holman Smith, who worked on the mobile website proposal. Through the project proposal
2013 Leadership mountain Brook projects
Recycle Receptacles
preparation process, each group worked with city officials and businesses to create their plans and faced real life challenges like working within a budget (and for most, finding a funding plan) and waiting on people to return phone calls. “You learn how much detail goes into community projects,” said student Brooks Glover, whose group planned to place new community boards for posters and other items in the villages. Fellow group member Anna Smith built on his thought: “Now whenever I see things in the city I realize someone had to work to get things done.” The students also honed their presentation skills in trial runs for their City Council presentations. The Leadership Mountain Brook groups presented in front of the City Council in the fall semester about what they had learned about the city, but the May 13 meeting will be different, they say. “We care about this and want it to pass,” Harrington said. The excitement of executing a project is driving the students as they go into the meeting. Sarah Sims Parker’s group found a relatively simple way to put recycling receptacles in the villages by converting existing trashcans. “We are excited because it’s a lot easier to implement this project than we originally thought,” she said. “I think we will get strong support [from the council] since it’s easy to implement. If it passes, you will be able to see the results quickly.”
Project details: Trash cans in the villages will be converted into mixed recycling and trash receptacles for pedestrian use. Project status: The group is working on grant from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and is working with Village Design Review to finalize locations for the receptacles. Group members: Katherine Francis, Mary Shelton Hornsby, Maggie Mandt, Catherine Masingill and Sarah Sims Parker
Public Notice Boards Project details: Information boards for posting maps, public notices, information on businesses and event information will be placed around villages. Project status: They are working with the company that designed existing map signs in the villages and with Design Review to finalize their plans. Group members: Alana Bartoletti, Drew Dickson, Brooks Glover, Anna Smith and Reid Parrott
Chamber Mobile Site Project: Zeekee Interactive will create a mobile website for the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce. Project status: The Chamber Board approved the project, and Zeekee is now working on a design for the site. The group is developing a campaign to promote it. Group members: Mitchell Bain, Catherine Luke, Anne Holman Smith, Reynolds Thompson and Charlotte Weaver
Cherokee Warning Signal Project details: An advanced warning signal for cars entering Old Leeds Road from Cherokee Road will be installed. Project status: The group is working to apply for a grant from State Farm Insurance through agent Amy Smith for funding and working with Public Works Director Ronnie Vaughn to determine who owns the land where the signal would be installed. Group members: Reilly Blair, Stewart Harrington, Tyler Jaffe, Mary Nix Roberson and Mary Grace Tracy
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May 2013 • 19
20 • May 2013
Village Living
An online ‘yard sale’ Facebook group spurs a frenzy of trading By MEGAN SMITH If you’re tired of bidding and waiting for results or setting up and stressing about yard sales, there is now an easier way to sell and trade unwanted items. Laura Silsbee started the Facebook group Mountain Brook Trading in November 2012, and the group has since expanded to more than 12,000 members. The group was designed to provide a safe outlet for selling within the community. Mountain Brook Trading gained popularity so quickly that Silsbee added her friend, Jennifer Ware, to be an administrator to help cover the workload. The way the group works is simple, Silsbee explained. She reviews each request to join the group and determines whether to add members based on location and proximity to Mountain Brook. Silsbee uses this method to avoid spamming issues as well as to keep it localized. “I think that’s why this has done so well,” said Jennifer Allen Reese, a member since December. “No one is getting ugly because it’s a community site. Someone will know you, and it’s going to get around.” A member posts a picture, description and price of an item they want to sell. Silsbee and Ware approve each post because they only want quality items on the site. When a post is approved, other
members then post “interested.” The seller goes through the list and double checks with each interested member starting from the top of the list. When the sale is made, the seller is supposed to delete the post. Members have also started posting “ISO” for “in search of” followed by what they need. Others reply if they have the item and give a price. “If you can get something for a good price that is quality and looks new, then you feel like you’ve won the lottery a little bit,” Reese said. “It also feels good to make a little pocket money by getting rid of clutter. Everyone wins on this group. Meeting new people is always fun too.” The group is self-sufficient with members buying and selling without much administrator interference, but Ware tries to keep the group organized. “When everything gets posted to the main wall, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of photos,” Ware said. “We ask people to delete their posts once an item has been sold to avoid clutter, but the problem is members can’t find their post.” There are so many posts per hour that it’s becoming harder for members to locate items they are interested in. “It’s really, really out of control as far as the wall goes,” Ware said, but she did offer a solution. Posting in albums allows users to find items with ease, and with a quick comment, make it appear at the top of the wall for more views. Items go quickly, Silsbee warned, calling it a “wild, wild frenzy.”
Laura Silbee started the Mountain Brook Trading group on Facebook. Photo by Megan Smith.
“People here are always redecorating,” Silsbee said. “This is easier than eBay because you can take pictures with a smart phone, post it and immediately have replies. People have made hundreds using this site.” Ware is one of them. “I have sold a ton of stuff,” she said. “I have definitely been able to redecorate the majority of my house from this Facebook page just by buying, selling and replacing.” Ware definitely isn’t the only one. Lauren Goessling, who first joined in
November, said she has sold everything from a $10 Gap dress to a $350 bamboo dresser and has found a Restoration Hardware pendant, a barley twist coffee table and a Kilim rug. “Overall, I think we all have items in our home that we are done with that would be a great deal to someone else,” Goessling said. She thinks people prefer using the group to eBay and that they don’t like the idea of anonymous people from Craigslist showing up at their door. “When I see that I have 10 mutual
friends with the prospective buyer,” said Goessling, “I feel a lot safer about letting them stop by or meeting them at Western. Another bonus is I’ve met a lot of really nice people on the site! It’s a great community builder, overall.” Silsbee created Facebook group, What’s Happening in Mountain Brook, and is now working on a website called Village Passport, which will act as an advertisement and information board for locally owned businesses and boutiques in Mountain Brook.
May 2013 • 21
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22 • May 2013
Village Living
School House Artistic expressions at Cherokee Bend
Literary visitors at BWF
By CATHERINE BODNAR District winners of the Mountain Brook Expressions Art Contest had their work showcased recently at the Expressions District Art Show held this year in the Cherokee Bend School Auditorium. The artists were on hand to discuss their pieces, answer questions and accept compliments. During the show Superintendent Dicky Barlow announced the district winners, further recognizing their unique achievement and stoking the flame for a life long interest in the thought-provoking beauty and amusement of the fine arts. The winning pieces in Visual Arts and Photography were also on display at Emmett O’Neal Library. Students from all four elementary schools in Mountain Brook participate in contest categories of Visual Arts, Musical Composition, Literature, Photography and Video judged at the school and district level by experts in each field. Fifth grader Genevieve Wilson placed first at Cherokee Bend and second at district in Visual Arts.
Chess team places second in state The Mountain Brook Elementary team places second at the recent Alabama State Chess Championship in Huntsville. The team is part of The Knight School network of chess teams, led by Dr. David Brooks, which includes all four Mountain Brook elementary schools, all five Vestavia Hills elementary schools, and many others in 30 local elementary schools and 24 early learning centers.
BWF hosted Nick Bruel on the last day of its Writers Festival. Front row: Remy Cron, Sophie Barkan, Mary Long, Cam Taylor and Ian Roberts. Back row: Max Evans, Nick Bruel and Harry Evans.
By ALISON TAYLOR
Mountain Brook Elementary Chess Team. Front row: Robert Flynn, Farley Nunnelley. Back row: Will Earnhardt, Fletcher Nunnelley, Jack Earnhardt, Jackson Nunneley, Team Captain Andrew Robertson.
Brookwood Forest Elementary’s annual Writers Festival took place in February. The school hosted author Kimberly Willis Holt, singer/ songwriter Roger Day, author Eric Berlin and author/illustrator Nick
Bruel. BWF students purchased books as well as met and talked to authors. Kindergarten through second graders enjoyed music by Roger Day on Wednesday. Finley Evans, Leslie Armstrong, Kim Rowlen and Cleo Lackey organized this year’s event.
Come home to ...
Water Included Gas, self-cleaning oven Frost- free refrigerator Dishwasher & garbage disposal Washer & Dryer furnished Central, gas heat & air
May 2013 • 23
VillageLivingOnline.com
MBHS graduation speakers ready for the next step Sarah Grace Tucker
were probably the first two classes I had that allowed intellectual freedom in a structured course. Accordingly, those two classes were the first to force me to determine my own learning methods and make my education my own responsibility. Thank you, Mr. McCain and Mr. Hnizdil.
What will walking across that stage mean to you? It’s going to be so emotional. I’m so excited to graduate with the people I’ve been friends with my whole life and be all together one last time to start this new chapter in our lives.
Who was your most inspirational teacher? As I have gone through AP Calculus, I’ve recognized that Ms. Burns is truly a master craftswoman of teaching. She exhibits a powerful love of her career, and the dedication she puts in to teaching us motivates her students, most of whom are ready to be done with high school math, to finish our high school careers strong. (Editor’s note: Miller and Mary Grace both said Ms. Burns was their most inspirational teacher as well.)
GPA: 4.6 Activities: Interact Service Club, Relay for Life, Lacrosse and Choir What do you remember about freshman year? My film production class. We had a blast.
What’s the study secret to your success? Using acronyms and rhymes or stories to help memorize stuff! I have so many random acronyms from years ago that I can still remember. If you could go back in time, what year would you visit? The 1920s because everyone seemed to be having fun then. And I’d want to be a flapper. If you were given $1,000,000 and forced to spend it in a day, what would you buy? Shoes. Lots and lots of them. What are your college plans and career aspirations? I am deciding between attending Vanderbilt or Princeton University. I plan to study chemical engineering. I want to do some kind of medical research in college and potentially as career.
Miller Sisson
GPA: 4.52 Activities: Varsity baseball, Varsity football, Key Club and Spanish Club If you could go back in time, what year would you visit?
Mountain Brook High School graduation speakers Sarah Grace Tucker, Jeff Rogers and Miller Sisson. Photo by Andy Meadows.
1982 to see Bear Bryant coach his last season at The University of Alabama. When you’re 50 and you look back at yourself as a teenager, what characteristic will you remember most? I will probably remember my competitiveness. Everything, including grades and sports, is a competition for me. What did you recently learn from someone younger than you? My 13-year-old brother constantly reminds me how to enjoy each moment in life no matter the circumstances. What are your college plans and career aspirations? I am currently deciding between Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia. I want to major in biomedical engineering and then go to medical school. I think being an orthopedic surgeon would be really interesting.
If the U.S. revoked your citizenship, where would you start your new life? I would move to Panama because I love the people and culture there. I have been on two mission trips to Panama and am planning on going back this summer. What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon growing up? I still love Spongebob Squarepants.
Jeff Rogers
GPA: 4.3 Activities: Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Track and Field, Debate Team, Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate, Congressional Debate, YMCA Youth in Government, Mountain Brook Delegations and 2012-2013 Speaker of the House. What do you remember most about freshman year? My English and history classes in ninth grade
What are your college plans and career aspirations? I haven’t chosen a college yet, but I’m deciding between Alabama, Virginia and Wake Forest. I plan to major in chemistry or chemical engineering, and then possibly pursue a postgraduate degree. Ultimately, I hope to either work in the field to develop technologies to combat climate change. My current interests are mineral sequestration of carbon dioxide or alternative fuel development. Or I might want to become a science teacher or professor. However, I consider these plans to be written in sand, not stone. What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon growing up? “Fillmore.” Think “Law and Order,” but substitute middle school hall monitors for detectives. If the U.S. revoked your citizenship, where would you start your new life? Australia, in hopes that I might gain an awesome accent and learn how to surf.
24 • May 2013
Village Living
Parenting and Family with Dr. Dale Wisely
Ten things to say (or write) to our children I am interested in the idea that parenting, at least in part, is a process of conveying messages to our kids. Sometimes we communicate these messages simply by saying them or writing them. Sometimes we convey messages through our behavior. Below are my 10 favorite messages. Yours may differ! 1. I love you as you are and I always will, no matter what. Back when I was formally studying psychology (mid- to late-1970s) there was a lot of conversation about conditional vs. unconditional love. I maintain a belief that children are very much helped and reassured by unconditional love. It is still true, however, that we don’t have to unconditionally approve of all of their behavior! 2. You are someone I would enjoy being with, even if you weren’t my child. Years ago, I read Howell Raines’ book Fly Fishing Through the Midlife Crisis. I borrowed this one from the book, in which Raines says something like it to his son as his son was leaving for college. It has stuck with me over the years. 3. I like you just fine. But, it’s not my job to be your friend. I’m your parent. I think most parents, especially in recent years, have come to understand that our children don’t need us to be their friends. They can get friends closer to their own age. They need us for guidance, for limitsetting and for the roles that are appropriate to us as parents. 4. Is there anything I can do to help you? Do you need or want any advice? When our children are going through tough times, we want to fix their problems, or, barring that, we want to provide them with advice for how they can fix their
problems. The difficulty is that people, including children and teenagers, often aren’t really looking for advice. They are looking for an understanding, caring, and sympathetic ear. People often reject advice they are given, because it’s not what they seek. So, #4 is a way of approaching that. 5. I’m sorry about that thing I said (or did). Are you perfect? Me neither. Not even close. Some of us worry that if we apologize to our kids for the inappropriate things we say or do—often when we are angry or otherwise emotional—that we diminish ourselves in their eyes. Not so. If we do wrong, we ought to respect our kids enough to say so and to apologize. 6. If you are in trouble, tell me, no matter what’s going on. I might be angry, but my first concern will be helping you and your safety. We’ll talk about punishment or consequences later on. This is a good thing to say, but I don’t think the parents of teenagers ought to be surprised if, in spite of it, a teenager in trouble doesn’t call us. When you think about it, it’s a pretty tall order to ask a teenager to call us if they are in trouble, especially if they can come up with an alternative to calling us. But, I still think it’s a healthy message to offer. 7. My concern is not what your friends are able to do or what they have. I’m your parent and that’s what I am focused on. I doubt I’ve ever met a child who hasn’t tried to persuade his or her parents to allow him or her to do something, or get something, or go someplace based on the “all the other parents are doing it” argument. Your child will assert that every other second grader in his or her class has a smartphone. There is no reason to hold this argument against the child. Just don’t fall for it. (Although, he or she may be right about the smartphones!)
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Student ranked second in national chess competition
8. You must be proud of yourself. Here are some things I admire about you. This is a way to praise a child. Often we go the route of “you’ve made Mom and/ or Dad so proud and happy.” That’s not a bad approach, but the message is that the child’s accomplishments are good because they please the parent. The approach in the message above is “your accomplishments are good things for you.” 9. I am not able to solve all your problems or correct all the injustices done to you. This one is tough. Sometimes when our children are truly mistreated, we have to step in and help them, especially when they are very young. But, there is a thin line between appropriate intervention and the “helicopter” parenting we’ve heard about lately. If we are too quick to intervene in our children’s problems, we might be in danger of conveying some unintentionally unhealthy messages, such as “you couldn’t possibly have what it takes to solve this problem yourself.” Or, “whenever you get in trouble, you can count on me to sweep in and fix it.” 10. Here is what I expect of you: Treat others with respect and kindness. Obey the rules at school and in other places. Obey the law. The short version of what we tried to say to our daughters over the years is “be nice and make yourself useful.” They’ve turned out to be nice young women who make themselves useful. You will have other messages, I am sure. Do consider the value of thinking about what your expectations are and communicating them clearly and often. Dale Wisely, Ph.D. is director of student services at Mountain Brook Schools and has been a child and adolescent psychologist for nearly 30 years.
Andrew Robertson (front right) with his sister Josie and parents Mark and Tara at the Chess Super Nationals in Nashville.
Andrew Robertson competed in the United States Chess Federation Supernationals competition in Nashville in April. In seven rounds over three days, he competed among 133 players in the K-3 Unrated section, playing kids from Minnesota, Virginia, Washington, Georgia, Kansas, Iowa and Birmingham. Andrew won six matches out of seven, and finished in second place. First place winner, Sarvagna Velidandla, was also from Birmingham. Andrew takes chess lessons at The Knight School.
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VillageLivingOnline.com
Crestline students earn awards at JUNA
Phillipine team members from Crestline Elementary were Anna Elizabeth Byrne, Alec Johnston, Braden Allemand, Anna Belle Rooney and Max Adams.
By TRISH HAND Two teams of sixth grade students from Crestline Elementary School participated in the Junior United Nations Assembly of Alabama (JUNA) held at Birmingham Southern College recently. Crestline’s Philippine Team won Outstanding Nation and a purple ribbon for their display
board, while Crestline’s Vietnam team won Best Prepared. Susan Dulin, PAGE teacher at Crestline Elementary School, served as director of JUNA this year. Students from all across Birmingham and the state of Alabama attend this event, which is a 22-year tradition in the Mountain Brook Schools.
Vietnam team members from Crestline Elementary were Claire Kimberlin, William Wann, James Childs, William Hereford and Annabel Davis.
Say Happy Mothers Day with a Beautiful and Unique Gift from
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• May 2013
Village Living
Sports
10U basketball wins state
Predators win 10th championship
Mountain Brook Predators Claire Kimberlin, Ellen Dulin, Elizabeth Hornak, Emily Henderson, Coach Robert Hornak, Sarah Kate Crafton, Whitton Bumgarner, DiDi Bird and Cami Curtis. Photo courtesy of Rob Hornak.
The Mountain Brook Predators won the Sixth Grade Girls Over-The Mountain Basketball Championship to finish their fourth season together. This represents the team’s tenth
championship out of 12 possible since 2009. They won four straight OTM Regular Season Championships, three OTM Tournament Championships and three Jingle Bell Jam Championships.
MBHS graduate Reich to compete in national equestrian competition
Back row: Cate Jones, Liz Vanedevelde, Grace Carr, Lily Rowe, Ann Vandevelde, Courtney Clark. Front row: Hannon Tatakek, Frances Lyon, Charlotte Gillum and Hollis Clay.
The Mountain Brook 10U Spartans won the ARPA 10U Basketball state championship. The team was also the fifth grade OTM regular season and tournament champions, Boaz tournament
champions and District 3 area champions, which qualified them to advance to the state tournament. Russell Vandevelde served as head coach and Carter Clay as assistant coach.
Madeline Reich, a sophomore at Middle Tennessee Equestrian Team and MBHS graduate, ranked first in her region in equestrian competition. As a result, she will compete at the IHSA Nationals in May to ride in the Cachionne Cup. This medal class will have the top rider from each region of the country. Reich has also qualified for Zone Championship in two divisions and might be riding in these two divisions at nationals depending on her performance. Madeline Reich with teammate Miller Henard.
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May 2013 • 27
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MBJH Tennis wins Metro South Boys’ and girls’ tennis teams from Mountain Brook Junior High School traveled to Chattanooga, Tenn. in April to compete in the Chattanooga Round Robin. The girls’ teams defeated GPS from Chattanooga by a score of 6-3, Westminster from Atlanta 5-4 and Harpeth Hall from Nashville 9-0. The boys’ team defeated McCallie of Chattanooga 5-4, and Westminster 5-4 before losing to a MBA team from Nashville by a score of 2-7. The girls’ team ended the season with a perfect 14-0 record and the Metro South Championship. The boys’ team finished an outstanding season with a 13-1 record and their seventh consecutive Metro Championship.
MBJH boys and girls tennis teams with their 2013 Metro South trophies.
Individual Metro Tournaments winners were: ff Kathryn Sours: Runnerup in #1 singles ff Lacey Jeffcoat: First place in #2 singles ff Margaret Anne Clark:
First place in #3 singles
place in doubles
ff Morgan Jenkins: First place in #4 singles
ff David Faulkner: Runnerup in #1 singles
ff Delia Vandevelde: First place in #5 singles
ff Sam Jeffcoat: First place in #2 singles
ff Julie Lowe: First place in #6 singles
ff Andrew Karcher: First place in #3 singles
ff Margaret Shufflebarger & Caroline Goings: First
ff Chase Robinett: First place in #4 singles
ff John Darby: First place in #5 singles ff Nicholas Belt: First place in #6 singles ff John Galloway & Stuart Phelan: First place in doubles ff Other team members: Harrison Clark and William Galloway
Summer Flag Football registration open Mountain Brook Athletics is inviting boys from second to seventh grade to register for the summer flag football season on May 18. Registration will be held at Mountain Brook Junior High School from 9 a.m.-noon. Commissioner Richard Riley said this sport is for pure, recreational fun. There is no tournament or bracket. The sport is simply designed to keep the youth of the community active during the summer. Teams are divided into groups: second grade, third and fourth grade, and fifth through seventh grade. “Every kid plays in every game,” Riley said, “They’re all winners.” The registration fee for the season is $85. For more visit mbathletics. org or call 229-3364.
Annual MBSC Golf Tournament to support local athletic programs On Wednesday, May 15, Mountain Brook Sports Corporation (MBSC) will hold its 15th Annual Golf Tournament at the Highland Park Golf Course. The tournament is to raise money for athletic programs at Mountain Brook High School and Mountain Brook Junior High School. The non-profit organization was formed in 1998 and is run by a Board of Directors from the Mountain Brook
ff Indoor hitting facilities for
ff New field equipment for the track
ff New mats and electronic timers
ff New field-house for football ff New concession stand and press-
ff New nets for the soccer program ff Serving and shooting equipment
ff New field equipment and heaters
ff Two resurfacings for the Spartan
ff New scoreboards for basketball ff New computers, sound and video
box at Spartan Stadium track
ff New locker room, concession stand and press-box for baseball
Accessories
program
for volleyball and basketball
equipment for football, basketball and baseball
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community. MBSC has been involved in the funding of many improvements to the athletic programs at MBHS and MBJH including:
Prints
softball and baseball for wrestling
for baseball Tournament fees of $250 per person include 18 holes of golf, range balls, a cart, lunch, beverages and several other gifts/prizes. A 2012 Nissan Maxima from Moore Nissan will be awarded for a hole in one.
Sponsorships are also available for a hole or a foursome for $1,000. If you are not able to play, you can also sponsor a coach. All donations are tax deductible and may be designated to a specific sport. Shot gun starts will be at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. For more information and to register, visit Mountain Brook Sporting Goods in Crestline Village or call 870-3257.
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• May 2013
Village Living
Making instruments at BWF
Ann Scott Lee’s fourth grade students Michael Putman, Virginia Keith, Megan Lee and Abby Maziarz made instruments as part of their unit on sound.
By ALISON TAYLOR As a culminating experience of a unit studying sound, fourth graders at Brookwood Forest Elementary designed and produced instruments to demonstrate physics of sound in science.
Students learned and applied their knowledge of pitch, vibration, intensity and quality of sound through creativity and innovation. Fourth grade teachers at BWF are Laura Alexander, Ann Scott Lee, Carla Dudley and Landon Nast.
Crestline Destination Imagination places in state tournament Crestline’s fourth grade PAGE students participated in Destination Imagination’s state tournament in Huntsville in April. Destination Imagination is a national program that encourages teamwork, creativity and problem solving—crucial skills for today’s world. The Spartan Protégé’s team chose the improvisation challenge titled “Change in RealiTee.” Students were told that a dramatic change had taken place and then had to create a skit to show how people were dealing with the change. Students were required to select and research six communication technique, and then use eight plain white T-shirts and 16 markers to create costumes, sets and props. They placed second place in the state in their challenge. Destruction, Incorporated had a challenge to build a structure weighing less than 175 grams that could hold weight and withstand forceful twists; write and present a skit that portrays a plot twist; create a prop using the same materials as the structure; and perform the skit and place weights upon the structure within 8 minutes.
Back row: Julia Peterson, Samantha Torch, Isabel Swoger, John Decker, Lilia Ritter, Laurel Hand, Walker Starling, Susan Dulin. Front row: Sally Bussian, Margo Belden, Webb Harris, Gordon Sargent, Mac Swoger, Nicholas Miller.
Their skit centered around a group of kids who twisted someone’s fate by giving him a fake lottery ticket bought at Lucky Larry’s gas station. Their structure held 235 pounds and withstood 6 twists. They placed first in the state among their age group.
BOSTON from pg 1 when I changed lines, I got my clothes out of my bag and noticed I had two (text) messages.” The first he paid no mind to, he said. “Are you ok?” it read, which he assumed was in reference to the toll of running the race. The second was more direct. “Are you ok?” it also read, “I heard there’s been an explosion.” “By the time I got back to my hotel, I probably had 20 messages,” he said. “I turned on the TV and realized the tragic nature of what had taken place and the gravity of people’s concern for me. Over the next while, I probably received 80 messages.” On the city streets, the cold also set in on Franklin. She had chosen not to wear a watch for the Marathon, but instead elected this year to
focus on the fun of the event and the atmosphere of the city instead of her pace and time. She said she had no idea how long she waited in the cold, but it was hours before she was taken to pick up her things and meet her son. As soon as she was able, she called her husband. He told her of the disaster that had taken place but a breath from her. Franklin said she fell apart. “Once I found out what happened, I broke down and started crying,” she said. After talking to her husband and mother, Harkless was the next person Franklin called. She told him she was both cold and stuck where she was. “We had no water, and I was very tired,” she added. “I had been on my feet for 28 miles and, after finally getting to where our bags were
checked, they wouldn’t let us leave. Everybody around me had the same kind of confused, devastated emotional reaction. Can’t even image what it was like for the people at bomb site.” Franklin described the scene as “like a war zone,” but praised the people of Boston, who showed no pause in offering to help. “I was standing there, shivering,” she said. “A woman brought me the bedspread off her bed and said, ‘Here, sweetie. You have to get warm.’” She added that was one reason why the Boston Marathon was so special to her and many other runners. Besides being the “Super Bowl” of running competitions – the oldest and most competitive in the nation – she estimated more than 1 million Boston residents come out to the course to cheer on participants. She said she
wouldn’t hesitate to take part in the event again. “There’s no fear. None at all,” she said. “I don’t know of anyone who is a runner and runs the way we all run (in Birmingham) who would let something like this prevent them from participating in a sport that does so much good.” Harkless had a similar sentiment. “I not only think I’ll go back, I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I detest people trying to hold me hostage with fear.” Running organizations around the Birmingham area confirmed that no area residents participating or attending the marathon were injured in the blast. Please send notice of any local efforts organized to support victims of the bombing or the City of Boston to jeff@280living.com.
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May 2013 • 29
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CURE
Faith
from pg 1
Sixth grader Lucy Reich, pictured with her chickens, held “eggathon’ to raise money for her dad David’s Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Man of the Year campaign.
equals one vote for his campaign. His parents Harry and Marilyn Reich, brother Peter Reich and sister Anne Sunkel are also team members. “It’s not about me,” Reich said. “It’s about getting people together who have a connection with blood cancer.” Although his 12-year-old daughter Lucy never met her uncle, she wanted to help her dad with his campaign. She took pledges for at least 25 cents for each egg her three chickens laid during April and spread the word to her classmates at Crestline Elementary and friends through her equestrian involvement. The chickens usually lay an egg a day, so each pledge started at approximately $23. Reich’s niece Mary Pitek, another team member, joined a relay race from Boston to Cape Cod and is fundraising to help. Friends and acquaintances have also joined Reich’s campaign because of their personal connections with blood cancer.
“It’s such a wide spread disease,” Reich said. “Everybody has some type of connection to it.” Reich stays active in LLS to stay connected to Tom and to make something positive come from the experience. LLS funds research to find a cure, but also helps with patient and family care. Tom was diagnosed when he was 26 and had seven years in remission before a recurrence. Reich said his brother was always open to trying research drugs and those treatments have gotten better over the years. “The success rate has quadrupled since that time,” Reich said. “More and more people are getting a clean bill of health after blood cancers.” After local Man and Woman of the Year Awards have been announced, the two who raised the most funds will win the national title. Mountain Brook resident David Pruet is also in the running for LLS Man of the Year. He first became involved with the cause in memory of a good friend, Lev Hicks, whom he lost to the disease while he was a college student. The Grand Finale of the campaign will be May 16, but the competition doesn’t end until after a live and silent auction at the event. Campaigners have the option to bring a certain amount of items, either their own or solicited from local business, to auction. The money raised per item also adds to their votes. The finale will be held at the McWane Science Center from 6-9 p.m. Call 989-0098 for more. Visit stopbloodcancer.com to donate to Reich’s campaign or mwoy. org to donate to any of the candidate’s campaigns. The last day for online donations is May 14.
Life Actually By Kari Kampakis
An out-of-mommy experience I love being a mom, I fulfillment in. really do, but sometimes Maybe it’s a tennis I need to escape. league, a running group or Sometimes I need to exercising at the gym. detach from the job and Maybe it’s a Bible study, fly away — mentally at a book club or cooking least — to a place that’s classes. mine and mine alone. Maybe it’s a strong It’s what I call an out-ofnetwork of friends who mommy experience. meet up regularly. Kampakis An out-of-mommy Maybe it’s a volunteer experience doesn’t have to be big, position that uses our talents for a like a career or fully charged mission, greater cause. although for some women that might Maybe it’s a hobby such as writing, be the case. To me an out-of-mommy painting, gardening that transports our experience is anything that fills in the mind to a different world. gap between “mother” and “woman.” Whatever the case, we all need It’s those sanity savers that make something that builds us up because us feel whole and remind us of the the hard truth of motherhood is that young, carefree girl we used to be children aren’t designed to boost our — the girl who loved to laugh, sing self-esteem. If anything they humble at the top of her lungs, and live life us, and if we’re looking to them for on a whim because she had only one affirmation or to feel good about person to care for. ourselves, we might be disappointed. Herself. I found the comical injustice of the There’s a general consensus that mother-child relationship summed moms deserve time alone, but how up a few years ago while my oldest do we disconnect from our families daughter, Ella, watched the movie without checking out too long? How Cinderella. As the evil stepsisters do we reclaim our youthful spirits bossed Cinderella around, doling out without going overboard, or landing chores without pause, Ella turned to on an episode of Moms Gone Wild? me indignantly. “They’re being so I believe the key is to find healthy mean!” she said. “I mean, they’re interests we can transition into and treating Cinderella like she’s a mom!” out of easily, interests that mesh with Her observation made me laugh, our daily lives. Whether the purpose mostly because it’s true. We moms get is temporary relief or to set the stage treated like the family slave without for down the road — when we’ll have apology. Because we’re always time to pursue interests as passions around, no one feels the need to be — it doesn’t matter. What matters is on his or her best behavior, and while that we have something separate from it’s good that our kids are comfortable our family that we enjoy and find around us, it can also make us their
Mother's Day May 12 "Mothers hold their children's hand for a short while, but their hearts forever." -Unknown
2707 Culver Road • 871-9093
punching bag. Whatever frustration they’ve kept pent-up often unleashes on us. I love being a mom, but I don’t like how thankless and draining this job can be. I don’t like feeling resentful because I’m exhausted and worn out. For me to enjoy my family and see them as gifts rather than burdens, I need breaks. I need to go off and recharge, to let my kids miss me just as I miss them. My out-of-mommy experiences aren’t ever long; sometimes they’re as simple as a good run, dinner with friends, or a date night with my husband. Even driving in the car alone, listening to music I choose (and yes, singing at the top of my lungs) can evoke that “bird out a cage” feeling of freedom. I could live for days on that feeling alone. It flips on a switch inside me, illuminating the girl I used to be, the 20 year old who’ll always want out no matter how old I get. Yes, we are moms, but we are women too, women with more to offer than clean laundry, chauffeur services and fresh groceries. By unplugging from our dutiful lives every so often and finding ourselves as individuals, we get a therapeutic boost that can reenergize us and, in effect, our families. Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Mountain Brook mom of four with a background in PR, writing and photography. For daily inspirations, you can “like” her new “Kari Kampakis, Writer” page on Facebook. Visit her website at karikampakis.com, or contact her at kari@karikampakis. com.
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• May 2013
Village Living
Calendar Mountain Brook Events May 1-24: Delineations Exhibit. Featuring the art of Drew Galloway, John Cleater and Arthur Price. Gallery 1930, 1930 Cahaba Road. Call 870-1930 or visit gallery1930.com. May 2: Swing Dance Lessons. 6-7:30 p.m. LJCC. $10, $8 for members. Visit bhamjcc. org. May 2: Salsa de Mayo. Presented by Lori Sours, “The Salsa Senorita.” Tickets $20. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Visit bbgardens. org. May 4: Introduction to Study Native Plants. Tickets $80, $90 non-members. Birminghham Botanical Gardens. Visit bbgardens.org. May 4: Easy Container Gardening: Creating a Mother’s Day Herb Garden. Hands-on demonstration. 1 p.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Visit bbgardens. org. May 4: Second Annual Food Truck Round Up. Benefits Preschool Partners. Colonial Brookwood Village. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Visit preschool-partners.org/tickets-foodtruck.php. May 4: Swing into Spring Event with Swing Band. 8 p.m. LJCC. $20 advance tickets, $25 at door. Event includes hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and Jitterbug contest. Visit bhamjcc.org. May 5: Dolores Hydock’s “In Her Own Fashion.” Birmingham Botanical Gardens. One-woman play tells the true story of Ninette Griffith. Tickets $20. Visit bbgardens. org/southerntales. May 9: Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. Dicky Barlow, Superintendent of Mountain Brook Schools, will speak on “What’s Right With Our Schools.” Parke Lane. 11 a.m. $25 members, $30
nonmembers. Visit welcometomountainbrook. com. May 9: Third Annual Tails in the Trails. Birmingham Zoo spring fundraiser. Event features live entertainment, food catered by Southern Foods Management, a cash bar and unlimited access to Dino Discovery exhibit. Tickets $10 until May 8, $15 at event. 5:30-9:30 p.m. All proceeds will support the Junior Board’s Feathers and Fur fund. Visit birminghamzoo.com. May 10: YMCA Mother’s Day Flower Sale. Mountain Brook Village. Proceeds benefit YMCA’s childcare program. May 11: 10th Anniversary Motherwalk 5K and Fun Run. Crestline Village. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Visit nlovca.org or active.com. May 11-12: Birmingham Rose Society Annual Show. Showcase will feature more than 300 roses, arrangements and photography. Free admission. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Visit bbgardens.org. May 18: Easy Container Gardening: Building a Pollinators’ Paradise. Hands-on demonstration. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Visit bbgardens.org. May 26: Fourth Annual Sterne Agee LJCC Triathlon. 8 a.m. LJCC. Visit bhamjcc.org. May 28-31: Cooking Camp. LJCC. Grades 1-4. 12:30-3:30 p.m. Campers will learn kitchen safety, measuring, cooking, table setting, reading and following recipes. $160, $130 member price. Visit bhamjcc.org. May 28-31: Tennis Camp. LJCC. Grades 1-8. 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.$216, $156 member price. Or 9 a.m.-noon $138, $108 member price. Visit bhamjcc.org.
Community Events May 2: Tim McGraw: Two Lanes of Freedom Tour. Featuring Brantley Gilbert and Love and Theft. 7 p.m. Oak Mountain Amphitheatre. Visit Facebook.com/omaconcerts.
May 18: Women on the Move to Improve Women’s Health 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run. Lakeshore Greenway. 8 a.m. Visit adph. org/owh or facebook.com/WomensHealth5k
May 3-5: Aaron’s Dream Weekend. A triple-header featuring the ARCA Racing Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series Aaron’s 312 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron’s 499. Visit aaronssports.com.
May 17-18: Alabama Bonsai Society Annual Exhibition. May 17, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and May 18, 1-4 p.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Display will feature bonsai trees, viewing stones and Japanese influenced art. Trees and pots available for purchase. Visit alabamabonsaisociety. org/blog/.
May 3-5: Birmingham Music Club presents “The Merry Widow.” Virginia Samford Theatre. Call 726-2853. May 4: Sweet Home Alabama Symphony. Christopher Confessore, conductor, with guests The Rewinders with Jeff Reed. 8 p.m. Visit alabamasymphony.org. May 4: Birmingham Ballet Presents Artist’s Palette. BJCC. Tickets $25, $35, $45. Visit birminghamballet.com/artistspalette.htm. May 5: Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra Spring Concert. Conductor Roderick Cox. Visit alabamasymphony.org. May 5, 12, 19: Wedding Singer Sunday Buffet. Buffet: 12:30-1:30 p.m. Show: 2 p.m. at RMTC Cabaret Theatre. Call 324-2424. Reservations must be 72 hours in advance. May 10: Coffee Concert, Mozart & Haydn. Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 and Haydn Symphony No. 100. Visit alabamasymphony.org. May 11: 2013 Spring Walking Tour Series: Five Points. Vulcan Park and Museum. 9:30 a.m.-noon. Visit Facebook.com/ events/137086749791261/ May 11: Girls on the Run 5K. Begins at Marconi Park. 8 a.m. Visit girlsontherunbham.org. May 18-19: Great Southern Gun & Knife Show. BJCC, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Visit greatsoutherngunshow.com.
May 21: A Fiddler’s Tale. Samford University and Patty McDonald present Concertmaster & Friends. 7:30 p.m. Visit alabamasymphony.org. May 21-26: SEC Baseball Tournament. Hoover Met. Visit secdigitalnetwork.com. May 22: Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Spring Luncheon and “Purses, Etc.” Silent auction including purses, gift cards and artwork begins at 10 a.m. Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. Entertainment by Leah Faith. Funds raised help children served by the Salvation Army in the Greater Birmingham area. Vestavia Hills Country Club. Reservations by May 15, $35. Call Gail Wood at 591-1414. May 31: Regions Masterworks. 8 p.m. Visit alabamasymphony.org. May 31: Season Performers 45-minute Make ‘em Laugh. $15 tickets include wine and cheese reception. 2 p.m. at Birmingham Festival Theatre. Call 978-5095. June 1: 4th Annual Bob Sykes BBQ and Blues Festival. Debardeleben Park, 1-9 p.m. Tickets $8 before, $12 at gate, 12-under free. Portion of proceeds will benefit The Bessemer Education Enhancement Foundation and Hands On Birmingham. June 5-9: Regions Tradition. Shoal Creek. Visit regionstradition.com.
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Emmet O’Neal Library May Schedule Adults
Teens
May 11: Knit and Knibble. All crafts and skill levels welcome. 2-3:30 p.m.
May 19: Summer Reading Sign up begins.
May 13: Great Books book group discussing a selected short story, “The Ledge” by Lawrence Sargent Hall. 6:30 p.m.
May 20-23: Exam Study Breaks. Drinks, snacks and study space. Late-night study session May 22, 6-9 p.m. in Library Community Meeting Room.
May 14: The Bookies book group, discussing Short Night of the Shadow Catcher by Timothy Egan. 10 a.m. May 21: Documentaries After Dark, film about archeologists. 6:30 p.m. May 28: Genre Reading Group, discussing books made into movies and television shows. 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays
Children May 19: Summer Reading Kick-off Carnival. 3-5 p.m. There are no programs scheduled in May. Librarians are preparing for the Summer Reading. The Hughes Brinkely Memorial Fun Run and Carnival Kick off is May 19. Call 879-0497.
Brown Bag Lunch series, 12:30 p.m. (No program May 22.)
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Jewish Community Center to host triathlon events for adults and kids The Levite Jewish Community Center is hosting the Sterne Agee LJCC Triathlon for the fourth year on May 26 beginning at 8 a.m. A new LJCC Kid’s Splash and Dash will also be part of the festivities to bring younger participants into the sport. This sprint course is appropriate for
Making People Happy For 22 Years, It’s An Institution!
beginners: a 200-yard pool swim, 6-mile bike ride and two mile run. Distances for the Splash & Dash vary. Individual registration is $80, and relay teams of two to three people are $145. Kids Splash & Dash registration is $25. For more, visit bhamjcc.org.
224 Country Club Park 871-8435
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Live music every Fri. and Sat. night starting @ 9pm.
May 2013
Village Living