Vestavia Voice February 2016 by Starnes Media

Volume 3 | Issue 10 | February 2016

IN THE

LANES

Finlay and Yvonne Johnson take the dance floor at Vestavia Hills’ Monday night senior dance group. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

Strangers become ‘family’ on dance floor

VHHS student E.J. Hardy competes in a bowling tournament at Vestavia Bowl. Photo by Frank Couch.

Bowling brings new chance for championships By KYLE PARMLEY

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

Bright lights. Intense pressure. A championship on the line. When thinking of the combination of those three things, a few sports come to mind. Football, basketball, baseball — all would likely be at or near the top of that list. That combination can also be used to describe bowling, a sport that just completed its first season as a sanctioned championship sport by the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA). “You only get one chance to be the first, so

that’s kind of cool,” said Todd Evans, the boys bowling coach at Vestavia Hills High School. Technically, this is the second edition of the bowling team for the Rebels, but last year bowling was deemed an “emerging sport,” as schools across the state made necessary arrangements to prepare for the additional championship-level competition. An interesting dynamic for the sport is the demographics found at the lanes. Take a look at the lineups for Vestavia Hills and the diversity is everywhere. “There’s a certain segment of your population when you play football and other sports,”

INSIDE INSIDE

By SYDNEY CROMWELL

Evans said. “There’s no set parameter of what a bowler should look like.” Out of the 23 students involved in bowling at VHHS, only four of them play another sport. “That’s one of the great things about bowling coming into a championship sport,” said Debra Broome, the girls coach. “It gives kids another thing to do and get more people involved.” Take, for example, E.J. Hardy. She is a former softball player, but is required to participate in a school sport as the president of the

When the clock strikes 7 p.m., seniors fill the dance floor at the Vestavia Hills Senior Lodge. If they waltz, swing or samba a little slower than they used to, nobody seems to notice. For 30 years, seniors have gathered every Monday night, first at the city’s Civic Center, then at the lodge. A live band guides them through two hours of ballroom, swing, line dancing and pretty much any style except square dancing. There are no lessons, but chairperson Zella Listerman said those who come to watch can often “pick up a few steps.” Some seniors are trying out dancing as

See BOWLING | page A27

See DANCERS | page A26

Sponsors ....................A4 City ..............................A6

Business ....................A10 School House ...........A16

Community ................ B7 Sports ........................B14

Real Estate ..............B20 Calendar .................... B21 facebook.com/vestaviavoice

Building Hope

Their Time

Vestavia Hills High School’s Habitat for Humanity club marks 10 years with plans to build next home.

Sam Lawson among 17 seniors looking to take the Rebels baseball team closer to a state title.

See page A24

See page B14

A2 â&#x20AC;˘ February 2016

Vestavia Voice

February 3-6

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Friday, February 5 Saturday, February 6 Discount taken off original consigned price on all items with tag colors shown below.

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February 2016 • A3

A better life is out there. And a new location where it can be found is coming soon. Experience Iron Tribe Fitness in Vestavia Hills!

Want to make a great life even better? Iron Tribe Fitness is no ordinary gym. Instead, it’s a community of like-minded athletes who train, sweat and succeed together. But don’t take our word for it-- ask any one of your friends at our five other Birmingham locations. And for a limited time, you’ll receive a special gift from Iron Tribe Fitness for being one of the first 50 athletes at ITF Vestavia.

And If you’re one of the first 50 to sign up, you receive these special gifts! For the first 50 new members at our Vestavia location at 1014 Montgomery Hwy, Birmingham, AL 35216 we’re giving away an exclusive fitness package to help you kickstart your Iron Tribe experience! Not only that, if you’re one of the first 10 new members you’ll also receive supplement package from SFH (Stronger Faster Healthier). Here’s what you get: An exclusive “founding member” t-shirt, a Fuel Manual to track your nutrition, a blender bottle, steel water bottle, Iron Tribe cup, #whyitribe wristband and an Iron Tribe duffel bag to carry everything in. If you’re one of the first 10 new members you’ll receive SFH Recovery protein and Fish Oils. This package is valued at over $200 and we’re giving it to you just for becoming a member! We’re so convinced you’ll love our program we want to help you get your foot in the door.

Stop by any one of our other five locations: IRON TRIBE FITNESS DOWNTOWN 300 27th Street S. Birmingham, AL 35233 205-254-6121

IRON TRIBE FITNESS HOMEWOOD 2740 Central Avenue, Homewood, AL 35209 205-874-6300

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REDEEM THIS CARD TO BECOME ONE OF 50 ATHLETES TO RECEIVE A SPECIAL GIFT PACKAGE! This package is valued at over $200 and we’re giving it to you just for becoming a member! We’re so convinced you’ll love our program we want to help you get your foot in the door. Remember, this special offer is only available for the first 50 people to sign up at Iron Tribe Fitness Vestavia. at 1014 Montgomery Hwy, Birmingham, AL 35216.

IRON TRIBE FITNESS MOUNTAIN BROOK 15 Dexter Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35213 205-802-1775

CALL IRON TRIBE VESTAVIA TODAY!

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irontribefitness.com/vestavia

A4 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

About Us Editor’s Note By Sydney Cromwell It may just be that post-New Year buzz, but I’ve been paying a lot more attention to my health lately. Between changes to my diet and exercise levels, I’m hoping this is the year I finally stick with those great plans to be a healthier person. The people featured in this issue give me health goals, both mental and physical, to aspire to. Some of those are more straightforward, such as the opening of a new Iron Tribe and tips on heart health from one of our local nutritionists. Two new parks are on the way — in Sicard Hollow and Patchwork Farms — if you’re looking to break in your walking shoes. If you’re looking for inspiration

the Vestavia Hills seniors who meet every Monday to dance the night away. If you have a big goal to accomplish, take heart from the members of Vestavia Hills High School’s Habitat for Humanity Club, and the impressive service work they’ve done for over 10 years. Vestavia Hills is full of people who are setting their goals and accomplishing them. I want to be one of them, and I hope you will too.

to get healthy, look no further than the Krackes, who are training for the Mercedes Marathon together, and

BEHIND THE LENS By Frank Couch

Demolition has begun on the former Vestavia Hills City Hall on U.S. 31. Plans call for the building’s demolition and construction of a Chick-fil-A restaurant to be constructed on the site. Vestavia Hills moved into a new City Hall and police headquarters in October.

Publisher: Managing Editor: Design Editor: Director of Photography: Video Editor: Page Designers: Community Reporters: Staff Writers: Sports Reporter: Associate Editor: Copy Editor:

Dan Starnes Sydney Cromwell Kristin Williams Frank Couch Cherie Olivier Cameron Tipton Emily VanderMey Ana Good Erica Techo Jon Anderson Emily Featherston Sam Chandler Kyle Parmley Lucy Ridolphi Louisa Jeffries

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

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Contributing Writers: Kari Kampakis Rick Watson Leah Ingram Eagle Marienne Thomas Ogle Steve Irvine Rachel Burchfield Chris Megginson Jesse Chambers Grace Thornton

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

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

Published by: Starnes Publishing LLC Legals: The Vestavia Voice is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. The Vestavia Voice is designed to inform the Vestavia community of area school, family and community events. Information in The Vestavia Voice is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of The Vestavia Voice. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.

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February 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ A5

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A6 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

City

Proposed green space begins to take shape By EMILY FEATHERSTON A plan for the area between Lifetime Fitness and the mixed-use development of Vestavia Reserve in Patchwork Farms is in the beginning stages of development. The 8.49-acre green space buffer to become Patchwork Nature Park would be a low-impact construction park, in order to protect the stream that runs through it. The park will primarily include trails that will connect with the existing sidewalk system and area crosswalks; however, exact dimensions and specifications of the trail will be determined through the public-involvement process through the City Council. While the project will likely be completed in phases with the trails coming first, early depictions of the park include basic amenities such as benches, garbage cans and petwaste stations, as well as a possible pavilion to be added in the future. The overall cost to construct the park is estimated at $500,000, with the trails and footbridges making up $340,000 of that cost. At its Jan. 11 meeting, the City Council had its first reading of a resolution to allow application for a Land and Water Conservation grant from ADECA that would cover $150,000 of the trail cost. The City Council planned to discuss the grant application further at its Jan. 25 meeting. Visit vestaviavoice.com for updates.

This rendering includes the possible trails and other amenities for a future park at Patchwork Farms, located behind Lifetime Fitness. Rendering courtesy of City of Vestavia Hills.

Mayor’s Minute

By Alberto “Butch” Zaragoza I hope everyone had a happy New Year, and I wish you a happy and healthy 2016. If you have questions about what’s happening around our city, I encourage you to contact one of us on the City Council or City Manager Jeff Downes. We will share as much information with you as we can. Our city’s senior transportation program, which takes Vestavia Hills’ homebound senior citizens to doctor appointments and the grocery store, is in need of drivers. Drivers must be available one day per month. I would love to see seniors and young people who have time step forward to help their neighbors. If you’re interested in the program, contact Parks and Recreation’s senior programs at 978-0166. From a financial standpoint, our city continues to look promising. We’re continuing to see growth in construction on both residential and commercial properties. In reviewing Vestavia Hills’ sales tax income for October, November and December 2015, we’ve found an 8 percent increase in revenue coming into the city. We also continue to see increases in business licenses for new businesses in our city. I hope you and your family enjoy February, including the extra Leap Day we get this year.

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February 2016 • A7

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Vestavia Hills is planning a multijurisdictional resurfacing and widening project of Cahaba River Road. Photos courtesy of the City of Vestavia Hills.

Cahaba River Road project gets funding for 1st phase ALDOT to provide 80 percent; 4 jurisdictions, including Vestavia Hills, to share remaining 20 percent of costs By SYDNEY CROMWELL

agreement, right-of-way agreements and utility relocation and construction for the project. Costs of these later phases will be determined by the preliminary engineering and brought back before city council. Mayor Butch Zaragoza said the city can choose to withdraw and not complete the project at a later date if the funding distribution is not acceptable. The council expects environmental studies and engineering to take between one and two years, with the entire project taking five to seven years. An early cost estimate puts the total expense at $7 million before ALDOT pays its 80 percent, though preliminary engineering will give a more accurate dollar amount.

A resurfacing and widening project is in the works for Cahaba River Road, but there are several years and more phases to come before orange barrels start appearing on the road. At its Dec. 28 meeting, the city council approved funding for its share of preliminary engineering costs for the project, which would stretch from U.S. 280 to Key Road. The project is planned to include resurfacing and drainage work, as well as adding a third lane from Acton Road to Key Lane. The project would not include work on the bridge on Cahaba River Road. The road winds in and out of Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Jefferson County and Birmingham, which means the jurisdictions will have to cooperate to complete the project. City Manager Jeff Downes said the project “points out the difficulties in maintaining major arterials in our city. You have to be able to work together.” ALDOT will be providing 80 percent of funding for the project, with the four jurisdictions sharing the remaining 20 percent of costs. Based on the amount of Cahaba River Road within city limits, Vestavia Hills would assume roughly 26 percent of that funding.

ALTADENA CLOSURE

At the same meeting, Downes announced the city will close on the 70-acre Altadena Valley Golf and Country Club on Dec. 29 as part of a plan to create a passive park and ball fields on the property. The council voted to approve the purchase of 0.42 acres on the west side of Altadena, currently owned by Jefferson County Environmental Services, as part of the creation of a west entrance to the park from Acton Road. The property will be bought for $10,000. This would eliminate some traffic through residential areas, including a sharp turn on Acton Road near the east side of the property that many residents say is dangerous. The city is working on the purchase of a second parcel to complete the western entrance, and Downes said it would take roughly 12 months to build the road.

AGREEMENTS, STUDIES

The council approved funding for preliminary engineering by Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, which will cost about $556,000 in total but Vestavia Hills will pay $29,467. This funding is contingent on the other three jurisdictions also agreeing to fund the project. The council also approved a multijurisdictional

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The council approved funding for preliminary engineering by Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, which will cost about $556,000 in total but Vestavia Hills will pay $29,467.

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A8 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

Sicard Hollow construction to kick off this spring City agrees to pay $599K of $1.7M in Phase II funding By SYDNEY CROMWELL By July 2016, Vestavia Hills residents could have a new spot to walk, picnic and play. The Parks and Recreation Foundation and the City of Vestavia Hills have funded Phase II of the plans to build a community park next to the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex. According to Jan. 11 city council documents, the total cost of Phase II is about $1.7 million, with the city taking on $599,000 of that cost. “We try to make this park where it’s going to be not only for the Liberty Park area, but for all participants that want to go out and have a walking path, want to go out and have a picnic,” said Tommy Coggins, the outgoing Parks and Recreation Board president. Phase II encompasses about 29 acres of the park. This construction phase includes 1.2 miles of interwoven walking paths, picnic pavilion with restrooms, splash pad, a playground and fitness equipment. Jordy Henson of the Parks and Recreation Foundation said the playground

will include more modern This field neighboring the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex will be the site of construction this spring to create features such as climbing walking trails, a splash pad, pavilion, playground, workout equipment and other amenities for a community park. equipment, and the fitness Photo by Frank Couch. area will have structures for adults to exercise, though age,” Coggins said. equipment will be covered by the Foundation’s the exact equipment has not been determined. “People can go any given day, any given time fundraising. “[The] splash pad will be the most unique of day.” Henson said that the Foundation has enough feature for our area but the playground will be The community park has been planned at funds from the Partners in Healthy Living donamodern, exciting and challenging fun unlike Sicard Hollow for over two years. It has been tion campaign and some unfunded pledges to anything Vestavia has had before,” Henson delayed several times, partly due to the site work cover most of the Phase II costs. Blue Cross Blue said. “Plus, with poured-in-place soft surface involved in the state’s mine reclamation process Shield of Alabama, Coggins said, donated particand some of the interactive features of the park, for the property. After all the stops and starts, ularly to the walking trail. Henson said there will this will be the most handicap-accessible park Henson is looking forward to seeing the park be a Finish Strong campaign this year to raise an offered in our city.” become “a complement to the fantastic athletic additional $500,000, both to finish plans at the A possible Phase IIB would include an amphi- facilities already available at SHAC [and] to see SHAC and retain some money for other park theater, dog park, disc golf and other athletic kids and families enjoying and building and shar- projects in the future. amenities, but these will require due diligence ing community.” Henson said the Foundation planned to open after the first portion of Phase II before they can The city’s funding will finance handicap bidding by the end of January and is hoping to be approved or installed, Henson said. Available parking and portions of the funding for the have design details and costs ready by March. space, park use and finances will all determine pavilion, restrooms, paving, landscaping, util- This would potentially lead to construction whether elements of Phase IIB are implemented. ities, design and general costs. The remain- completion in July. Visit vhprf.org for more “[With] this project, we hope to entice all dif- ing funding for those amenities, as well as information on the work of the Parks and Recferent community members, ranging from every the splash pad, trails, playground and fitness reation Foundation.

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • A9 The Vestavia City Council discusses ride-sharing company operations. City attorney Patrick Boone said he modeled the city ordinance on the one in operation in Mobile. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

Council OKs ride-sharing operations Vestavia ordinance requires cars kept ‘in good order’ By SYDNEY CROMWELL Transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft can now operate within the city limits of Vestavia Hills. The city council unanimously approved the ordinance at its Dec. 28 meeting. City attorney Patrick Boone said he modeled the city ordinance on the one in operation in Mobile. However, Mobile city officials inspect all TNC drivers’ vehicles, which Mayor Butch Zaragoza said Vestavia does not have the manpower to do. Instead, Vestavia’s ordinance just requires that drivers’ cars are kept “in good order.” The city also amended its ordinance so that TNCs must receive a business license, not a

permit, to begin operation. The cities of Birmingham, Homewood, Mountain Brook and Trussville have already approved similar ordinances, and Hoover is set to consider it at an upcoming meeting. Council member Steve Ammons expressed concern with the background checks for drivers working with TNCs. The ordinance included a multistate, multijurisdictional criminal background check and a check with the sex offender registry. The way these data are gathered, Ammon said, would leave out offenses in some smaller cities and counties. At his suggestion, the council amended its ordinance to include a statewide background check as well. “It’s what we do for our parks and recreation employees and I would not expect us to do any less,” Ammons said. Council member George Pierce noted that while Uber inspects the vehicles of its drivers, other TNCs may not, which could lead to unsafe experiences for residents using the services. City Manager Jeff Downes said the ordinance includes a clause that the city can fully inspect a

TNC’s records, including inspection history, at any time. Zaragoza said that it was possible for the city to revise its ordinance in the future to respond to new needs. “We’re going to have to learn it and we may have to revisit it,” Zaragoza said, adding the police department will also be monitoring TNC activity and safety. Council member John Henley also addressed the audience, warning them that any interested in driving for a TNC would likely need a new insurance policy to cover accidents while driving a customer. The council also: ► Approved annexation and rezoning for several properties to enter Vestavia Hills from Jefferson County: 3579 Valley Circle; 3527 Valley Circle; 2615 Alta Vista Circle; 2720 Alta View Drive; and 4670 Caldwell Mill Road. ► Rezoned 3112 Blue Lake Drive from residential to office district. The property is on a road that is shifting from residential to small office space, Downes said, and approval came with the condition of resurveying the property for shared

parking with a neighboring building. ► Approved 2565 Mountain Woods Drive to keep up to six chickens on the property. This approval is limited only to the current owner and location. It requires there be a permanent chicken coop, no roosters on site and no commercial use of the hens or eggs. If the residents cease keeping chickens for a year or the chickens are seen to draw predator animals to the area, the council can revoke this permission. ► Approved 1793 Shades Crest Road to build a guest house, provided that the guest house is not leased separately. ► Approved 1836 and 1842 Shades Crest Road to build a front security gate and fence, which will be about 40 feet from the edge of pavement on Shades Crest Road. ► Approved repairs to the surface of the Wald Park pool and shallow pools. Clearwater Pools will completely strip the pools and install a new Diamond Bright surface for $116,400. The city expects project completion by April 1, and Downes said the new surface will be an improvement for swimmers’ health and safety.

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VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • A11

Now Open

Coming Soon

Kimberly Williams Counseling is now open at 4268 Cahaba Heights Court, Suite 166. 586-5964

Iron Tribe Fitness will open a new location on February 15 at 1014 Montgomery Highway 383-4034, irontribefitness.com/vestavia

Preserve Paints, a Benjamin Moore dealer, is now open at 1457 Montgomery Highway. Geoff Milham is the operations manager. 783-1238, preservepaints.com

News and Accomplishments

Club Pilates is now open in Cahaba Heights at 3169 Green Valley Road. The studio offers classes in pilates and yoga. 777-7976, clubpilates.com/cahabaheights

Theo Lamont Salon is now open in Cahaba Heights at 4232 Dolly Ridge Road, Suite 110. The salon opened in October in the building shared by In The Making. 552-5154, theolamontsalon.com

Behavorial ONE, an assessment and treatment center for children and adolescents with autism and developmental disabilities, is now open in the Southcrest building, 1025 Montgomery Highway, Suite 214. 703-8103, behavioralone.com

Clint Lovette, owner of Lovette Construction, 2030 Columbiana Road, received the Al Awtrey Builder of the Year Award at the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders President’s Ball on December 12. 401-2488, lovetteconstruction.com

Hirings and Promotions Don Bonner has been hired as a Realtor with ARC Realty, 4274 Cahaba Heights Court, Suite 200. 969-8910, arcrealtyco.com

Closings 9

Bariatrics of Alabama, 2017 Canyon Road, has closed.

Business news

to share?

Now Open

Coming Soon

Relocation Expansion Anniversary

“When it rains, we drain!”

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

244-1114 Heavy Runoff ? Standing Water ? Erosion Problems? Storm Drainage Clogged ? WaterDrainageSolutions.com

A12 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

A new addition to the tribe By EMILY FEATHERSTON For Iron Tribe Fitness founder and CEO Forrest Walden, Vestavia Hills has always seemed like a good place for one of his fitness centers to be. This month, that vision will become a reality as Iron Tribe opens its sixth Birmingham fitness facility. “Vestavia’s always been a market that we wanted to serve,” Walden said, “but it’s pretty tight, at least commercial real estate wise.” The new Iron Tribe location is situated on Highway 31, located in the former Soccer Locker spot next to the U-Haul rental facility. Walden said when he heard the spot was coming available, he immediately began looking at the space. After seeing it, he said he “really felt like it makes sense for [Iron Tribe’s] footprint.” The new facility will officially open on Monday, Feb. 15. However, Walden said there will be a soft opening throughout the week prior. Walden said each Iron Tribe location varies depending on the size of the space, but that the Vestavia location, which is around 3,300 square feet, will look similar to the stores located on Highway 280. Though it may be similar to other Iron Tribe facilities in size and appearance, Walden said he thinks the new space will offer something that will attract potential members in the area. In addition, he said he thinks it will likely move some of Iron Tribe’s current members from other locations, such as the one in downtown Homewood. “We typically have about 30 [members] that are already coming to our Homewood location that would prefer the Vestavia location,” Walden said. “We also feel like we’ll be able to serve a lot of potential members who, right now, it’s not

convenient to go to the [Highway] 150 store or drive to Homewood, so we really feel like it’s a new market for us.” For the first 50 new members at the Vestavia location, there is even more to look forward to than the convenient location. Vice President of Marketing Corbitt Chandler said that the founding members of the location will receive a variety of Iron Tribe merchandise, including a duffel bag, wristband, shaker cup, stainless-steel drinking cup and a “Founding Member” T-shirt. In addition to the founding member merchandise, the first 10 new members will receive an exclusive starter pack of Stronger Faster Healthier (SFH) protein supplements. The services offered at the Vestavia location will be the same as those offered throughout the rest of the Birmingham area Iron Tribe locations: group personal training that Walden said is fun, healthy, free from injury and sustaining for life. “We have the best program to take all the guesswork out of getting into shape,” Walden said. “To do it safely, to do it effectively and in a way that’s not boring.” Iron Tribe’s model focuses on group fitness, which Walden said he believes is more successful than one-on-one training, and is often more cost-effective as well. Classes are available from 5:45 a.m. to 7 p.m., and classes generally last around 45 minutes. Programs are available for all fitness levels, but facility membership is limited to 300 people, so those interested in new membership are encouraged to avoid hesitating. For more information about Iron Tribe and the fitness programs the new Vestavia Hills location will offer, visit irontribefitness.com/locations/ Vestavia.

Iron Tribe Fitness founder and CEO Forrest Walden stands in front of the new Vestavia Hills location. Photo by Emily Featherston.

VestaviaVoice.com

WHAT’S COOKING

February 2016 • A13

Serendipity Sweets owner shares Valentine’s Day sweet drink By CHERIE OLIVIER With love in the air, we are looking for ways to express appreciation for our loved ones. As the saying goes, the best way to someone’s heart in through their stomach. For Valentine’s Day put a sweet spin on dishes for those you love. In this series, we ask local culinary professionals to dish out the details on some of their favorite creations. Today, we talk with Melissa Pierce of Serendipity Sweets, 2518 Rocky Ridge Road. Name: Melissa Pierce Restaurant: Serendipity Sweets Q: Why do you like working at Serendipity Sweets? A: I love that Serendipity Sweets is unique and offers high quality ice cream and candy. I really enjoy being a part of this community and strive to make Serendipity Sweets a neighborhood fixture. Q: If you had to choose a favorite dessert to prepare for Valentine’s Day, what would you choose? A: A mocha freeze. Q: Why do you like this recipe? A: It’s one of my favorite treats! Chocolate is always a win.

Melissa Pierce, owner of Serendipity Sweets, said their mocha freeze is her favorite dessert for Valentine’s Day. Photo by Erica Techo.

RECIPE:

►1/3 cup flavored coffee ►1/2 cup whole milk ►1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon sugar ►2 tablespoons dark chocolate sauce ►1 cup ice ►Whipped cream, chocolate shavings or your preferred topping

STEPS:

1. Mix all ingredients except toppings. 2. Blend until smooth. 3. Top as desired. 4. Keep chilled until served.

Watch clips from Serendipity Sweets

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A14 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • A15

Chamber

BOE buys nearly 2 acres for $1.5M Property formerly eyed for apartment development near Cahaba Heights Elementary A sign advertising a public hearing for a previous meeting stands on the property. Cahaba Heights residents organized against a proposed apartment complex and commercial development next to the school on Dolly Ridge Road. Photo by Frank Couch.

By ERICA TECHO The Vestavia Hills Board of Education unanimously approved an agreement to purchase property near Cahaba Heights Elementary at its Dec. 23 meeting. The board entered conversations with BREC Development, the former property owner, in late October, Superintendent Sheila Phillips said. The developer offered to sell the nearly 2 acres of property for $1,585,546, a price the board agreed to pay at its meeting. “We have done our due diligence on the property to ensure we are paying fair market value,” Phillips said. “Our interest in the property is for future expansion of the school district.” While developing the property is not an immediate priority, BOE member Jerry Dent said the purchase opportunity is one that Vestavia Hills City Schools does not receive often. “There has been a fair amount of public controversy on both sides, for and against,” Dent said, “but living in a landlocked community like we have, we don’t have this option come up to us — I would say very often, but more like at all — do we get this option. So to be presented with this from the developer is a very good result to us.” Dent added there are several potential uses for the property, including a parking lot, a campus expansion or other projects that would benefit the school system. “I’m excited about the possibilities it may allow for us at Cahaba Heights as we further consider what we are doing within the district and the services we provide,” Phillips said. Controversy about the property erupted when a 150-unit apartment complex was proposed this summer. Community members expressed concern regarding potential crime, overpopulation of schools and increased traffic that could result

Left: Immediate Past Chair Angie Godwin McEwen and Chamber President Karen Odle present the Board Member of the Year award to Doug Dean. Right: McEwen and Odle present the Business of the Year (Service) award to Michelle Todd of Promotional Creations. Photos by Ana Good.

Chamber kicks off year by recognizing award winners By ANA GOOD

from a new apartment complex. BREC Development revised its proposal to include an 81-unit apartment complex with more retail space and other changes to bring it in line with the Cahaba Heights Village Master Plan. The planning commission recommended the proposal to the City Council in September and was met with community pushback. Community members took on the chant of “Not in our school yard” and formed the Cahaba

Heights Community Foundation to preserve the area’s master plan. Before the Board of Education chose to purchase the property, a City Council vote on BREC Development’s proposed plan was delayed to late January. Phillips said there are pieces of property near the 2 acres purchased by the board already slated for development. The apartments, however, will not be built. The nearly $1.6 million purchase will be made

from the board’s general fund. Board member Jerry Dent said the board’s surplus from last fiscal year covers most of the cost and no money will be taken from projects at other schools. “Doing something with this land immediately isn’t going to supersede the needs that we know we have at our other schools such as West and East and the work that’s going to be done out at Liberty Park,” Phillips said.

The Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce said goodbye to 2015 and welcomed the new year with its first monthly luncheon of 2016. A Year in Review presentation highlighted some of the major chamber-related events of the past year, including ribbon cuttings, the I Love America celebration, inaugural “Shop Dine Play” and Helping Hands events, as well as a record number of new members and chamber trustees. Immediate Past Chair Angie Godwin McEwen and Chamber President Karen Odle then went on

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A16 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

School House

New education bill causes concern for Teacher of the Year By GRACE THORNTON Alabama teachers could face massive changes in the way they are paid and evaluated and the way their tenure is treated, if the second draft of a state education bill currently under discussion passes without significant changes. Vestavia’s Jennifer Brown, Alabama’s Teacher of the Year for 2015-2016, said she doesn’t mind the idea of changes meant to benefit students. But she is wary of the ones this particular bill — the Rewarding Advancement in Instruction and Student Excellence (RAISE) Act — would make in its current form, she said. “I’m hearing that there’s a third draft coming and that it is supposed to be really different,” said Brown, who teaches sophomore physical science at Vestavia Hills High School. “But as it currently stands with the second draft, my biggest issue is with the student achievement evaluator.” The current RAISE draft would introduce a tool to measure student growth statewide and tie the results to educators’ evaluations and performance pay. Alabama is one of only six states that don’t already measure student progress this way, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality. The bill backers want to change that by standardizing student growth, Brown said, but she doesn’t think that’s something that can be standardized without jeopardizing the very thing it is aiming to protect.

“We all know there are so many more factors that play into student growth. A test is a single indicator, and there are lots of factors that play into student growth that are not quantifiable. At the end of the day there is no real way to quantify that,” Brown said. “These tests were just created so teachers can get their performance pay.” Brown, who in the Teacher of the Year spot serves as a voice for the state’s 46,000 public school teachers, said individual schools should be given the flexibility to decide what makes an effective teacher. “Everybody wants their schools to be better — everybody. But what’s needed in Vestavia might not be what’s needed in Winterboro or Mobile or Huntsville,” Brown said. “To me, the answer is to grow the profession and focus on teachers. I don’t think a one-size-fits-all piece of legislation is going to work.” What she suggests instead is getting educators involved in the process and having legislators talk with them about what teachers need in order to help their students grow. She suggests open conversations with teachers about better practice, not summary reports that rank and sort. “We need to keep our focus on what’s best for the kids — this is a big deal,” Brown said. “I think (legislators) truly want to give good teachers a raise — I really do. But I worry sometimes that they don’t know the schools. It’s got to be bigger than (just a raise).”

Students hard at work in a social studies classroom at Vestavia Hills High School. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Brown.

In addition to student performance evaluations, the current draft of the bill addresses teacher tenure, upping the requirements from

three years to five and setting a performance-rating requirement. It also includes a practice for revoking tenure.

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • A17

VHHS junior competes for national Voice of Democracy scholarship

Greta Chen, a junior at Vestavia Hills High School, was selected as the state winner of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy scholarship competition. Photo courtesy of Greta Chen.

By SYDNEY CROMWELL At the end of this month, Vestavia Hills High School junior Greta Chen will be traveling to Washington, D.C. She is representing Alabama as the state winner of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Voice of Democracy scholarship competition, and she’s hoping to win one of the national scholarships. According to the VFW website, over 40,000 high school students apply each year for the Voice of Democracy. Greta was chosen as one of 50 state winners across the nation despite only finding out about the competition a few days before its due date. “It was like one night I just sat down and started writing the essay and it all came out in one sitting,” Greta said. As a member of the VHHS social studies honor society, Rho Kappa, Greta said the Voice of Democracy competition immediately interested her. She created a video reading her essay on the competition topic, “My Vision for America.” Greta said she wrote about the United

States’ basis in values of liberty, opportunity and equality, and how to uphold those ideals going forward. “We have to meet those burdens that we place on ourselves,” she said. Greta found out in mid-January that she is Alabama’s state winner, giving her a $1,000 scholarship and an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. from Feb. 27 to March 2. While there, Greta will tour the city and find out if she wins one of the national scholarships. The first place national prize is a $30,000 scholarship to any college, university or technical school. Since she recently learned about Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency in her history class, Greta especially wants to see his memorial while she’s there, as well as the Capitol building. “I was just really excited and a little nervous [to find out I won]. It doesn’t seem real that I’ll be going to D.C. with other teens from other states,” Greta said. In addition to her membership in Rho Kappa, Greta is also a member of the debate and math teams, plays piano and enjoys writing and drawing.

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A18 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

VHHS presents $25,000 to Children’s Harbor

Watch clips from the VHHS presentation

By EMILY FEATHERSTON The Student Government Association of Vestavia Hills High School presented $25,000 to Children’s Harbor at the school’s fall fundraiser assembly on Jan. 14. Students, faculty and representatives from Children’s Harbor gathered in the high school gymnasium to celebrate students’ fundraising efforts throughout the fall semester. Children’s Harbor provides services to children and families who face longterm illnesses and stays in the hospital. In-hospital services include resources for crafts, games and activities, as well as counseling and educational support. It also provides camping and retreat facilities at Lake Martin to give families and other organizations a chance to reconnect and build memories. The funds raised by VHHS students will go toward many of Children’s Harbor’s programs, including one specially chosen by the students: Project Beanie Baby. The initiative will provide 14,000 children admitted to Children’s of Alabama Benjamin Russell Hospital with special Beanie Baby toys. Each of the Beanie Babies will have a special tag with a link to a video recorded at Thursday’s assembly of students cheering for patients. Children’s Harbor CEO Myrle Grate expressed his gratitude for the students’ hard work and dedication to the project. “These families would not be

Members of VHHS SGA presented a check to Children’s Harbor at their fall-fundraiser assembly in January. Photo by Emily Featherston.

affected if it weren’t for support from people just like you,” Grate said to students in his remarks. “The Children’s Harbor staff and I have talked again and again about how overly impressed we are with Vestavia Hills High School.” Grate thanked the students who visited the hospital center, the

Homecoming Court and all of the students who gave their time, energy and resources. “You guys have literally raised the bar on what it means to be a Children’s Harbor supporter,” he said. Students raised funds and collected items throughout the fall semester, particularly through their Powder Puff

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http://vestaviavoice.com/vhhs-presents25-000-to-children-s-harbor/

Football and Homecoming activities. Also in attendance at the assembly was Amanda DeRocher, whose family has been involved with Children’s Harbor because of her daughter’s prolonged hospital stays. “The family center was literally our saving grace,” DeRocher said, while describing her family’s months-long

experience after her daughter’s tracheotomy surgery. “I spent so many days in the hospital room, that sometimes going to the family center to get a meal was the only interaction I had with non-medical personnel.” High school SGA president Ashlyn Lovell said the best part of the project was telling Children’s Harbor what the school was able to accomplish and seeing the impact it would have on children and their families. “We went on a tour, got to see everything they did, and how we would be affecting Children’s Harbor and the money they would need,” she said. Lovell also said this is the greatest amount the school has been able to raise, narrowly topping last year’s fundraising. In addition to the tangible impact the fundraising will have for Children’s Harbor, SGA sponsor Martha Manley said she thinks the importance of the students’ work goes even further. “It gives them to see that there is so much more to life than just being self-serving,” she said. “It gives them an opportunity to reach out to others and put others before themselves and learn the value of serving others.” For more information about Children’s Harbor and opportunities to get involved, visit childrensharbor.com or call (334) 857-2133.

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • A19

James publishes 1st book fresh out of high school By ANA GOOD

or so out.” He’s studying accounting, said James, because Vestavia Hills High School graduate Slay he has “always been good at numbers.” James always knew he wanted to write a book. James said he’d like to make the second book So in his junior year of high school, he began to “bigger, longer and much more detailed,” but do just that. Shortly after graduation, his book, plans to cut his turnaround time significantly. “Hero,” hit the shelves of Books-A“There was a lot of procrastinaMillion stores. tion with the first book,” he said. James said that as soon as the “I’d like to do away with that now Vestavia Voice book was finished, he wanted to see that I know what the process is like.” periodically it in print and reached out to BooksAsked what his favorite book is, will feature A-Million to discuss publishing speJames paused. alumni from cifics. Before he knew it, the book “There’s so many it’s hard to schools in the was in front of an editor and being choose just one,” he said. “But I’ve Vestavia Hills printed following revisions. always liked the ‘Inheritance Cycle’ area, catching “The book is about a boy named books by Christopher Paolini.” up with them Sal,” said James. “He lives in FairJames said he has always admired to see what line, Alabama, a made-up town, and authors who started young, like they’re doing feels like his existence is not really Paolini, who was only 15 when he now. To recomthat significant.” wrote the first draft of his first book, mend someone That is until Sal, a senior in high or started from nowhere and created for this feature, school, suddenly has supernatural legacies, like J.K. Rowling. contact Ana abilities. James said the English departGood at agood “The abilities give him a sense of ments at the Vestavia Hills schools @starnes entitlement,” said James. “He wants he attended all prepared him to pubpublishing.com. to use them for good, but he realizes lish a book at a young age. being a superhero is about more than “The education I received in stopping bad guys. There’s a lot more responsi- Vestavia added to my writing ability,” he said. bility involved.” “Mr. Lombardo, Mr. Davis and my other English Now a student at Troy University, where he teachers were all great.” is studying accounting — not writing — James For those hoping to one day write a book of said he knows his studies come first but always their own, James had a piece of advice. tries to find time to write. “Even though it may be one of the hardest “Hero” is, after all, the first in a planned tril- things you’ll ever do, because it’s so easy to quit, ogy, said James. you can’t give up,” he said. “If you have that “Writing is something I’ve always done in my desire to get a story out, you have to keep at it spare time,” he said. “I write whenever I can. I every day.” look for bits of time when I can get 1,000 words

Author and Vestavia Hills High School graduate Slay James holds up a copy of his book, “Hero.” James is studying accounting at Troy University. Photo cwourtesy of Slay James.

A20 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

VHHS teacher selected for national project

Members of the Pizitz Middle School jazz band perform at the High Notes grand opening of City Hall. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

Middle, high school students picked for all-state jazz band By ANA GOOD

submit audition recordings to the ABA in November of each year in order to be considered for the all-state jazz band. A panel of judges evaluates the submissions blindly, said Foster, meaning they do not know who they are listening to or where the student is from. From there, high school students who make the cut are placed into one of three jazz bands based on their skill level: gold, silver or bronze. A fourth band is made up of middle school students. The 2015-2016 all-state jazz members from Vestavia Hills who performed Jan. 21-23 at the Renaissance Hotel and Conference Center are listed below, separated by band level, school and by the instrument they played.

Several Vestavia Hills middle and high school students packed up their instruments in late January and headed to Montgomery, where they performed in the all-state jazz band festival. The festival, which is held in conjunction with the Alabama Music Educators Association In-Service Conference, is a “big deal,” said Dr. Mark Foster. Foster is the jazz chair for the Alabama Bandmasters Association as well as the band director and teacher at Mountain Brook Junior High. Foster is in charge of coordinating all aspects of the jazz festival. “The selection process can be highly competitive,” said Foster. “It’s quite an honor to be selected for one of the all-state VESTAVIA HILLS HIGH jazz bands.” ► Andrew Pahos: Tenor saxophone, Gold Interested students from across the state Jazz Band

► Turner Hamilton: Alto saxophone, Bronze Jazz Band ► Stephen Michaels, alternate: Alto saxophone, Bronze Jazz Band ► Grayton Hodge: Vibraphone, Bronze Jazz Band

PIZITZ MIDDLE SCHOOL

► William DeFreese: Alto saxophone ► J.T. Matthews: Bass ► Alex Hoogland: Drum set ► Max Ruffino: Drum set ► Clay Carroll: Guitar ► Kylan Powell: Tenor saxophone ► Spencer Taylor: Tenor saxophone ► William McGinnis: Trombone ► Elizabeth Hanje: Trombone ► William Lott: Trombone ► Hudson Winter: Trumpet ► Jake Arnold: Trumpet ► Wesley Tarrant, alternate: Trumpet ► Alex Gilleland: Vibraphone

Faith Lenhart’s classroom at Vestavia Hills High School will soon give arts teachers across America a glimpse into the future. Lenhart, a dance teacher and chair of the school’s performing arts department, is one of 15 dance teachers nationwide selected for the Model Cornerstone Assessment Pilot Project, which will give Lenhart the opportunity to teach her students through new instructional standards and showcase their work to a national audience of teachers and education policymakers. It’s a well-timed project, according to Lenhart, as work to update Alabama’s own curriculum standards for the arts begins in January. “Our state standards for arts education have not been updated since 2006,” Lenhart said. “These new standards will show Alabama Lenhart and other states what true dance education should look like.” State standards act as a guide for teachers in each subject by setting expectations for what students should know and be able to do, said Jane-Marie Marlin, Vestavia Hills City Schools Director of Curriculum and Instruction. “Our students will fine-tune their craft while helping to define what students should learn when studying the arts and how educators can teach and assess their learning,” Marlin said. Lenhart said the standards put into practice in her classroom will give educators a firsthand look at future possibilities in K-12 dance arts classes. “The focus now will be on student-created work rather than teacher-created work,” Lenhart said. “The goal is not necessarily to prepare students to be professional dancers but to foster their creativity, prepare them to work with other people in the real world, and to be quick problem solvers. “My job as their dance teacher is to give them the tools to do just that,” she said. – Submitted by Whit McGhee

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • A21

Liberty Park students picked for All-State Choir Marleigh Hill and Annie Kane, two eighth-grade students at Liberty Park Middle School, were selected by audition to participate in the Alabama All-State Choir, which is held in March at Samford University. This is the highest honor afforded to middle school choral students in our state. The All-State Choral Festival is a threeday event that culminates in a professionally recorded concert. The festival is an opportunity for students with outstanding ability and initiative to receive public recognition, to sing under the direction of nationally recognized choral clinicians, and to perform choral literature of the highest quality. Students are selected by audition to participate in one of five choirs. The audition process includes singing a portion of five to seven predetermined choral selections for a judge. – Submitted by Amy Woodard.

Marleigh Hill and Annie Kane. Photo courtesy of Amy Woodard.

Right: Participants in the schoolwide spelling bee pose for a group picture at Liberty Park. Below: Spelling bee runner-up Camden Preskitt (left) and winner Luke Turner. Photos courtesy of Amanda Foster.

+ +

Liberty Park students ‘e-x-c-e-l’ in spelling bee Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park students participated in the annual spelling bee Dec. 5. Students who took part were in third through fifth grade. Participants first won the spelling bee at the classroom level, then advanced to the schoolwide bee. Luke Turner was the 201516 VHELP spelling bee winner, and Camden Preskitt was the runner-up. – Submitted by Amanda Foster.

District spelling bee competitors, from left, Luke Turner, Nadir Mohiuddin, Daniel Liu, Maddie Crawford, and Anusha Singh. Photos courtesy of Whit McGhee/VHCS

Turner goes on to become top speller in Vestavia Luke Turner, a student at Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park, won the school district's annual spelling bee in January. Turner competed with four other students representing each elementary school in the district: Nadir Mohiuddin, Daniel Liu, Maddie Crawford, and Anusha Singh. After 16 rounds, Turner was the last speller standing. His winning word: sashimi. Turner will represent Vestavia Hills on February 5 in the Jefferson County Spelling Bee. – Submitted by Vestavia Hills City Schools.

Turner, center, pictured with his teacher, Jessica Roberts, left, and VHELP Principal Ty Arendall.

A22 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

Liberty Park Middle School kicks off second ‘Penny War’ By JESSE CHAMBERS Students at Liberty Park Middle School in Vestavia Hills will participate in the Pennies for Patients program that raises pennies and other spare change for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) from Feb. 22-26. Pennies for Patients at LPMS will take the form of “a Penny War,” according to Tre’ Munger, one of the school’s counselors. “Each grade level — six, seven and eight — will compete to see who can raise the most money,” he said. “When students bring in their pennies, they get a point for each one they bring.” The “Penny War” is also a chance for students and staff at LPMS to learn more about the important work of the LLS. “During the week prior, we advertise the fundraiser and also begin to educate about leukemia and lymphoma via the school broadcast, the Lancer News Network,” Munger said. Many of the people in the LPMS family have a personal stake in raising money to fight cancer.

Liberty Park Middle School students, from left, Catherine Whitcomb, Ella Denton, Abbie Richenderfer and Audrey Richards, participate in Greek Day. Photo courtesy of Amy Woodard.

“Many of our students, faculty and staff have been affected by cancer, and this is a way for our young people to make an impact on the fight against such terrible diseases,” Munger said. This is the second year that the school is taking part in the Pennies for Patients program, which has raised millions of dollars in the United States since 1994. Students at LPMS raised $2,129 in 2015, and this year’s goal is $3,129, according to Munger. One sponsor of the effort is the school’s Friends of Rachel Club, an “organization that promotes kindness and generosity for everyone,” Munger said. The club was founded in 2012 when representatives of the organization Rachel’s Challenge visited LPMS. That group was founded by the family of Rachel Joy Scott, the first person killed in the Columbine High School shootings in Colorado in1999. Liberty Park Middle School is located at 17035 Liberty Parkway in Vestavia Hills. For more information, call 402-5450 and go to vestavia. k12.al.us/domain/276.

Liberty Park students and teachers hold a check for the money they raised during Penny Wars 2015. Photo courtesy of Jack Munger.

Liberty Park students study culture during Greek Day Liberty Park Middle School sixth-graders participated in Greek Day festivities this December. The students prepared for Greek Day by studying ancient Greek mythology, and most students read “The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan. The students also chose mythological figures to dress up as. The students chose a god, goddess, hero or monster after researching that figure’s myth, family tree and traditional depiction and then created an iMovie based on their research. In math class, students learned about

surface area and then created Greek temples, such as the temples of Poseidon, Athena Nike and the Parthenon, using cardboard, paper towel rolls and paint. On Greek Day, the sixth-graders presented their iMovies and temple creations to their parents, and they spent the afternoon participating in activities such as sampling traditional Greek food, reviewing Greek root vocabulary, competing in ancient Greek trivia and participating in Olympic-style games. – Submitted by Amy Woodard.

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VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • A23

2 VHHS students win national budget challenge Two Vestavia Hills High School students recently won a budget challenge from H&R Block. During the challenge, students have to manage their money for 10 weeks, and senior Jacob Lipford and junior Emily Vick placed in the top 22. Each student gets paid the same amount and must pay bills, manage expenses, save money, invest in

retirement, and more. The students earn points by reviewing and paying bills on time, saving money into their 401K, answering quizzes and surveys, and contacting customer service to resolve problems. There were more than 20,000 students in each session, and the top 22 students win a $20,000 scholarship. Vick placed

11th, and Lipford placed 19th. Vick said she does not know where she will attend college. She is thinking about majoring in engineering but is still looking at other career options. Lipford will be attending the University of Alabama in the fall and is planning on studying accounting. – Submitted by Lauren Miller.

Students Jacob Lipford and Emily Vick placed in the top 22 of an H&R Block budget challenge. Photo courtesy of Lauren Miller.

VHEC students to participate in ‘Random Acts of Kindness Week’ from Feb. 22-26 By JESSE CHAMBERS

VHEC students give back during a food drive. Photo courtesy of Alexis Shivers.

The students at Vestavia Hills Elementary Central will have the opportunity to do nice things for other people and share the results with their teachers and fellow students during the school’s “Random Acts of Kindness Week” from Feb. 22-26. “Each teacher will be able to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week in their classroom as they see fit, and students will be asked to write and describe the [act of kindness] they decided to do,” school counselor

Alexis Shivers said. One purpose of the Random Acts program is to encourage VHEC students — who really enjoy outreach projects — to brainstorm ways they can provide a random act of kindness, Shivers said. Organizers want students to learn that such kind acts do not have to involve material things. “We hope that (the program) will show students that (random acts of kindness) do not always have to be things or items,” Shivers said. “A random act of kindness can be a kind

word or a gesture to another person.” “Random Acts” is a theme at VHEC for the entire month of February and “will be incorporated into the counselor’s monthly guidance lesson with each class,” Shivers said. The school regularly hosts other community events and projects — for example, food and toy drives — to promote a caring spirit among its 775 students. VHEC is located at 1289 Montgomery Highway. For more information, call 402-5300 or go to vestavia.k12.al.us/Domain/9.

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A24 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

Building

HOPE

The VHHS Habitat for Humanity club is celebrating 10 years, set to build next house By RACHEL BURCHFIELD With 150 members, the largest club at Vestavia Hills High School is the Habitat for Humanity club. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2015, the Habitat club has sponsored 11 houses in total and has been the largest VHHS club since its inception. After the club’s first house was built in 2006, it became the first high school Habitat for Humanity club in the United States to sponsor a house in its charter year. And the group is just getting started. After completing their 2015 house in Ensley last March, club members spent the fall of 2015 fundraising for their next house. It takes $44,000 to sponsor a Habitat house in the Birmingham area, said Cynthia McGough, volunteer and Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham board member. Club members raise funds through golf tournaments, silent auctions and donations

from family and community members. The club partners with Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church in their efforts to give a family a house to call their own. Construction on the club’s next house will begin on Feb. 6, and they expect to dedicate the house by spring break, McGough said. The house will be in Winchester Hills in the ClayChalkville area. “Since the club began in 2005, it has worked on dozens of homes, affecting many people,” McGough said. “The impact of the club reaches far beyond just the families of the homes which they sponsor each winter. Their commitment and enthusiasm also extends to the dozens of families whose houses they have helped build each fall since 2005 across Jefferson and Shelby counties.” McGough began volunteering with Habitat in the late 1990s, she said. She continued to

Students ranging from ninth to 11th grade lay sod at a Habitat house in the Greater Birmingham area. Photo courtesy of Mary Frances Garner.

volunteer through her church, VHUMC, and on her own. In 2005, a VHHS student sought to create a Habitat club at the school, and McGough helped make that happen. McGough drives students to Habitat sites in a VHUMC church van on Saturdays, meeting students at VHUMC at 7:30 a.m. and returning by 4 p.m. “I help more students get to the sites each week since many of them do not drive yet or are inexperienced drivers whose parents don’t want them traveling into unfamiliar areas,” McGough said. “At the site, I teach and monitor their safety

while using ladders and power tools, walking on the roof, et cetera. I try to be a role model in every way.” Since 2007, the club and VHUMC have partnered to co-sponsor a house each year. VHHS pays for $22,000 and VHUMC matches that. Club members have assisted in building houses in Wylam, Ensley, Forestdale, Titusville, ClayChalkville, Roebuck, Calera, Fairfield, Bessemer, Hueytown, Pinson, North Birmingham and East Avondale. Houses typically have three bedrooms and two bathrooms, usually for a family

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • A25

The Habitat for Humanity club is the largest club at VHHS and has sponsored 11 homes in its 10 years of existence. Students are responsible for fundraising and construction at each house. Photo courtesy of Mary Frances Garner.

with young children or teens so that the students will be able to interact with them, McGough said. Each house takes about four to six weeks to build. “Our VHHS Habitat club members are rock stars in the local Habitat community,” McGough said. “The Habitat on-site construction supervisors are always happy to see our students arrive because they know that they are great workers who will be focused on their tasks all day and get the job done. I always say that they are smart and enthusiastic, and all we adults have to do is show them what to do and how to do it and then get out of their way!” In late summer each year, McGough said, club members meet at her house with volunteer coordinators from the Birmingham Habitat for Humanity office to plan their upcoming year. Club members work about 12 Saturdays during the fall on building sites assigned to them. By December, Habitat identifies a family for the VHHS club to sponsor. “On the opening day of our build each year, we meet our family, have a groundbreaking ceremony and get to work framing the walls of the house,” McGough said. “By the end of that first day, we generally have all of the exterior and interior walls together and standing.” Every Saturday until the house is finished and dedicated, VHHS students are out working on it. After framing and standing the walls, club members install insulation and tile flooring, attach vinyl siding, occasionally attach roofing, paint, clean and landscape. On site with students are a Habitat employee and the site coordinator, who is a trained construction person and directs the work each week. Homeowners and family members also help build the houses, McGough said. “Habitat houses are not free,” she said. “They must perform 300 hours of ‘sweat equity,’ 50 hours of which must be on their own home. If their work schedule permits, they are frequently on site with us on Saturdays. Our students always enjoy interacting with the prospective homeowners and their children if they are with us each week.” When each Habitat house is completed, Habitat holds a dedication ceremony, McGough said.

If you’re interested in volunteering with the club, email McGough at mcgough. cynthia@gmail.com or call her at 901-0956. To volunteer either individually or with a group with Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham, visit habitatbirmingham.org or call 780-1234. “The homeowner is presented with a Bible, a hammer mounted on a plaque, and the keys to their new home,” she said. “Unfailingly, there are tears shed. As Habitat volunteers, we get to see parents fulfill dreams of having a safe, warm place for their children to grow up. We get to see those kids walk through a house when only the framed walls are standing, talking about which bedroom will be theirs. The homeowners know better than anyone that their home could not be built at an affordable price were it not for volunteers. It is deeply moving to help people realize their dreams.” VHHS junior and club president Mary Frances Garner agrees. “Fundraising for a house and building a house is hard work, but seeing a family receive the key to their new house – a safe, warm, and beautiful place to grow – is a humbling feeling I hope everyone can experience once in their lifetime,” she said. McGough calls working with the club the most important thing she does in her life, especially now that she is retired. “My interaction with the students is gratifying and exciting year after year,” she said. “I hope that the parents of these students know how proud they should be of our young people. In fact, I think every Vestavia Hills community member should be proud of these students and the work they do throughout the fall and into the spring. I am grateful that I am a part of all this. It is amazing.”

A26 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice A live band provides music each Monday night for the senior dance group that meets at the Vestavia Hills Senior Lodge. This month, the Monday night dancers will have a Valentine’s Day dance Feb. 8, which will include food, decorations and selection of the night’s best dancer. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

DANCERS

CONTINUED from page A1 something new; for others it’s a way of life. Finlay and Yvonne Johnson are regulars at the Monday night dances, and Yvonne has been coming since it was hosted at the Civic Center in 1991. “Sometimes we had a few people, sometimes we had a lot. Then they built this building [the lodge] and it started to grow,” Yvonne said. “She and I dated a long time, and I’d come once in a while,” Finlay added. Finlay and Yvonne met at a singles dance in 1989. After 25 years of dating, the Johnsons got married in November 2015. When the band picks up its tempo on Monday nights, Finlay breaks out steps and spins that he first learned in the 1950s. “We both love to dance. We live and breathe it and go as much as we can,” Finlay said. Most of the dancers, Listerman said, are single and they’re always willing to dance with a different partner. Some dances are entirely based around that idea; at one January dance, the band’s singer called everyone with December birthdays onto the floor. She began to play, but every time she called out “Snowball!” those on the floor would have to choose a new partner from the seniors still sitting. It’s not just about the dancing, though. Listerman said many seniors come and never get up from the chairs on the sidelines. They’re there for the music and the community created over 30 years. “We have a good time. It’s a family,” Listerman said. In her seven years as chairperson, Listerman said she has worked to grow the Monday night dances into more entertainment. This included the move from taped music to a live band, as well as different short programs during the 8 p.m. break each week. Sometimes they’ll have holiday parties or honor particular dancers, including the nine regular members over 90 years old. The group celebrated Veterans Day with a parade of flags and ceremony honoring the group’s military veterans. “It’s all to honor the seniors,” Listerman said.

Al and Rita Huggins have been coming to the Vestavia Hills dances for about 15 years, and before that they attended senior dances in Homewood and East Lake. Married for 49 years, the Huggins said they enjoy meeting new people and the exercise they get. While Rita sticks to the slower dances since she had two knee replacements, Al said he’ll dance “everything except tango.” “Everywhere you go and spend time you meet new friends,” Al said. “It’s great entertainment.” “Even if you don’t dance a lot,” Rita added. The dancers also sign cards for sick members, and once a month they bring a birthday cake to celebrate everyone with a birthday that month. For some seniors who have fewer friends or family nearby, Listerman said it’s nice to have people recognize and celebrate with them. “You just know somebody cares and someone’s got an eye on you once you get in here and we get to know who you are. And that’s why they come,” Listerman said. That family spirit recently showed up at full force when their oldest member, Don Dunham,

passed away. The Vestavia Hills resident was just weeks away from his 104th birthday, and the Monday night dancers already had a birthday party planned. Dunham was a staple at the senior lodge until two weeks before his death. Listerman recalled that he was always “absolutely wonderful.” When the Monday night dancers once asked him the secret to his long life, Dunham replied: “Never, ever give up.” Dunham had a particular favorite seat at the lodge, and Listerman said the dancers pledged to leave that seat empty after his passing. In his obituary, Dunham’s family asked that donations in his honor be made to the Monday night dance group. Julie Harper, who helps coordinate senior citizen activities through Vestavia Hills Parks and Recreation, said the Monday night dances have always drawn a big crowd. For many seniors, dancing was something they learned to love in their youth, and not many locations in Birmingham now host senior dances. She’s noticed in the last few years that more “younger people” — seniors in

their 50s and 60s — are starting to join the weekly crowd. “We just love having them come,” Harper said. She added that the dances are open to all seniors, even those who don’t live in Vestavia Hills. “It’s really social and a chance for them to do something they really enjoy, and something they’ve enjoyed for a long time. Some come and they haven’t danced in a long time and they pick it up real quick.” This month, the Monday night dancers will have a Valentine’s Day dance Feb. 8, which Listerman said will include food, decorations and selection of the night’s best dancer. Harper mentioned that the group is also considering a dance marathon in the future. For the senior citizens who put on their dancing shoes each Monday night, Vestavia Hills’ senior dancing group is more about the weekly meetings than any special events. It’s a chance to form a new community around a much-beloved pastime. “It’s a first-class social dance,” Finlay Johnson said.

Cynthia Serota Director

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • A27

“

Know whg erheae lth your hearninds. . sta

Travis Saunders has been bowling competitively for nine years. Photo by Frank Couch.

BOWLING

CONTINUED from page A1 Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She took up bowling not knowing what to expect. She found quickly that she could still find that adrenaline rush in crunch time as she bowls in the fifth slot for Vestavia, the pivotal bowler that takes on the fifth and 10th frames of each game. “I like it. It’s fun. I like having a little bit of pressure. It makes it easier to perform,” Hardy said. On the flip side, Travis Saunders has been bowling competitively for nine years in various leagues outside of school. Once the school announced the formation of a bowling team, he jumped at the chance. “I actually get to converse with the people I know. I get to be around my peers,” he said. Saunders believes he is good enough to earn collegiate scholarship money from bowling. He is easily the most experienced bowler on the boys team and, like Hardy, relishes the fifth spot. He doubles as a linebacker on the football team and has earned the nickname “King Pin” for his exploits at the bowling alley. Saunders is the exception to the rule, however, as most of the team is comprised of students who have only recently picked up the sport. Dawson Wade simply showed up to the interest meeting last year because he thought “it would be fun.” “I’ve really enjoyed it,” he said. “Coming into it, I didn’t know what to expect. It’s been really fun to have success.” Wade is the type of person that Angela Nance is trying to reach. Nance is the general manager of Vestavia Bowl, the home facility for the high school team. “What we hope is that with them bowling for their school teams, they’re going to become lifelong bowlers,” she said. Because of this potential impact, the Rebels were allowed to begin using the facility at no cost to the school. It’s a win-win situation for both parties. The potential quickly transformed to real impact, as a spike in interest in the sport has already been noticed around school.

We teach them about succeeding and failing. We talk about success so much that sometimes we forget to teach them how to fail.

”

TODD EVANS

“You used to not see anybody bowling in certain areas but now you even see teams out,” Saunders said. The sudden increase in interest has others wondering what the fuss is about. Head football coach Buddy Anderson, head basketball coach George Hatchett and school principal Dr. Tyler Burgess have all attended matches. Evans sees bowling as a teaching tool, much like the other sport he coaches, football. “We teach them about succeeding and failing. We talk about success so much that sometimes we forget to teach them how to fail,” he said. Other boys bowlers include Beau Reed, Carson Caple, Jacob Pilleteri, Kevin Zheng, Samuel Lawhon, Cameron Monistere, Rizwan Khan, Boris Lu and William Evans. The girls team also includes Dalton Benefield, Tori Bachofer, Alexandria Ferguson, Sydney Kirk, Noora Mohiuddin, Alisha Budhwani, Haylee Jemison, Suha Mohiuddin, Mary Thomas and Sam Ferguson. For most of them, technique is not as important as repetition at the young stage of their bowling careers. But rest assured, when matches are on the line, people are watching. Pressure is mounting. Pins must be knocked out. “It gives them a chance to feel the bright lights,” Evans said. These characteristics leave no doubt that bowling is a competitive sport in Wade’s mind. “Come face me in bowling and I’ll tell you if it’s a sport,” he said.

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YE YEARS

SECTION B Community B7 Sports B14 Real Estate B20 Calendar B21

A RUN FULL OF HEART Vestavia couple trains for Mercedes Half-Marathon

By EMILY FEATHERSTON When the Mercedes Half-Marathon arrives this year, the Krackes won’t simply be on the sidelines cheering. Instead, they will be among the thousands of people running the streets of Birmingham on Valentine’s Day morning. Both Robert and Chrystal Kracke grew up in Mountain Brook, but the couple decided to move to Vestavia Hills when they got married. For Chrystal, who is a preschool physical-education teacher, running a half-marathon is nothing new. This will be her 13th half, and her second time running the Mercedes. “I like the fact that it’s in Birmingham and so large,” Chrystal said, and said that seeing familiar faces cheering on runners is one of the major positives she’s felt. For Robert, however, this will be a new experience. Robert, who works with computers and in the transmission business unit at Southern Company, began running in September as part of the Run University program. The program, designed and run by certified running coach and personal trainer Danny Haralson, gradually introduces runners to long-distance running. Throughout the process, increasing distances are achieved through group runs and personal

training, and the program led Robert to complete the Vulcan Run 10K this past November. “I just got on board,” Robert said. “It was one of those things where I worked through that, accomplished the goal, and at the end of that [Haralson] said, ‘OK, who’s up for the next one?’” “If I can do this,” he said, “a half-marathon is the next logical step.” Chrystal agreed. “If you can do six miles, then you can do 13,” she said. Though Chrystal may have more experience with running, the couple said they have still trained together and helped one another through the challenges. “It’s one of those things where she’s been running a lot longer than me, so she runs a whole lot faster than me,” Robert said. He added, however, that they always start together and finish together. “There’s still that together aspect of it,” he said. Most of the Krackes’ training has been during the Run University group runs through Vestavia on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. For Robert, the number of miles has increased weekly, and Chrystal has been

See HEART | page B19

The Krackes are preparing and training to run the Mercedes Half-Marathon together this month. Photo by Emily Featherston.

B2 â&#x20AC;˘ February 2016

Vestavia Voice

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ B3

B4 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

A life of adventure

Whether traveling the world or working in the quiet of a library, Jane McRae had a passion for life Left: Jane McRae with her granddaughter, Jennie Appel. Above: Jane McRae’s pilot flight book and log. Jane McRae decided to get her pilot license with the hope of flying for the military during World War II. Photos courtesy of Kim McRae.

By MARIENNE THOMAS OGLE

ane McRae’s zest for life not only spanned more than nine decades, it also spanned the world. Whether hiking in Nepal, horseback riding in Scotland, touring Russia, or doing some aerial sightseeing while piloting a plane, McRae welcomed the challenges of the unknown. McRae died on Nov. 23, 2015, but her legacy lives on in the quiet calmness of the world of libraries where she found her career calling. For 16 years, McRae worked for the Vestavia Hills School System where she headed the libraries of Pizitz Middle and Vestavia Hills High School. Dedication to education is part of McRae’s family history. Her grandfather, Dr. Robert Greene Hewitt, founded Trussville Academy, which would evolve into Hewitt-Trussville High School. Born Oct. 26, 1920, McRae was a graduate of Ramsay High School and went on to attend Birmingham-Southern College in 1938 but withdrew after a year due to financial issues. According to her daughter Kim, McRae married F. L. “Mac” McRae in 1942. When he and his brother left to serve in World War II, Jane McRae decided to get her pilot license with the hope of flying for the military. When she found out women weren’t allowed to fly with the Army, McRae headed to Miami to work in air traffic control. Her daughter said she would climb a tower and wave a red and a green paddle to direct the pilots. Kim recalls her mother telling her kids that she had helped fly in cigars and brandy for Winston Churchill. “She just loved flying and the adventure of sailing through the air,” Kim said. The mother of four children, McRae never lost the desire to obtain a degree and in 1966 returned to Birmingham-Southern. She earned her undergraduate degree at age 46 and, because there was no American Library Association accredited library of science degree offered in Alabama, McRae pursued it at Florida State University. From 1970 to 1986 she served as the librarian at Pizitz Middle School and then Vestavia High School. Alice Laurendine, who worked as a teacher and principal in the Vestavia Hills school system and served on its school board, knew McRae well, calling her “one of the most intelligent

educators and librarians I’ve ever known.” “Whether it was a student or a teacher, if you needed help and information she could guide you in such a way that it was fun and you didn’t dread it,” she said. “She knew how to help you and loved doing it. Even the students seemed to recognize that she was exceptional.” According to Laurendine, McRae always insisted on having a “vibrant” library. “They were places where people were talking, helping each other and getting things done,” she

said. “Her libraries were inviting places as they should be. She definitely wasn’t the fuddy-duddy librarian like some can be.” Her 1986 retirement served to give McRae more opportunity to satisfy her adventurous spirit, and she immediately signed up for three years in the Peace Corps. She traveled to Jamaica, where she helped open libraries in Kingston, St. Ann and Montego Bay. “She went hiking in Colorado and at the end of the Appalachian Trail and joined an

environmental group in the Caribbean to assist with their efforts to save the lobsters,” Kim said. “And at the last of his life, my dad became very ill, but he and my mother went on his dream trip to Europe and traced the paths where he had fought during World War II.” McRae was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2005, but that did not quell her desire to be active and involved, said Mel York, director of South Highland Center adult day care, where McRae was a client for five years. “When Jane was here she took part in exercise and art and music therapy and continually socialized with people,” York said. “She had lots of energy, was very active and participated a great deal. She loved being around people, and so many things made her smile.” Lonny Terry said he was one of the many McRae made smile while a student at Pizitz Middle School. According to Terry, he had to be dropped off at school early on a regular basis and McRae kept seeing him waiting for the door to be opened. “One morning she stopped and said, ‘Hey, come with me,’” said Terry of the time he first met McRae at the age of 13. “She asked me to help her straighten the books and the shelves, and that was the day she introduced me to the library.” Terry said he soon started working with the projectors — changing the bulbs and delivering them to the appropriate classrooms. “I became one of her volunteers and, after graduating from high school, started working as a page for the Vestavia Public Library while I was studying for my undergraduate degree in history at UAB,” he said. “Then I got my graduate degree in library science at the University of Alabama and was hired as the Vestavia library’s reference librarian.” Terry, who has been with what is now the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest for 41 years and serves in the cataloging and circulation departments, attributes his career and its success to McRae. “You loved to talk with her, and she was the type that always had time for you no matter how busy, making sure everything was going right for you,” he said. “She told me all about her job and things she encountered. She loved the library and shared that with me, and that’s what got me started.”

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • B5

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B6 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

Lt. Ryan Farrell brings lessons learned at Executive Fire Officer Program to Vestavia Hills By SYDNEY CROMWELL Many problems a fire department sees require firefighters with a hose or medical personnel in an ambulance. With the right kind of thinking, though, VHFD Lieutenant Ryan Farrell said some of those problems could be solved before a fire engine ever turns on its siren. Farrell, a Vestavia Hills native and 12-year veteran of the city fire department, recently completed the four-year Executive Fire Officer Program, a training course that only selects 200 to 250 firefighters nationwide to participate each year. Chief James St. John and Assistant Chief Marvin Green are previous attendees of the program and encouraged Farrell to apply. Farrell said he was the only firefighter from the Southeast in his class. At Station 2 on Columbiana Road, Farrell supervises a crew of five to seven people, a fire engine and rescue vehicle. He said he loves that the job brings something new each day, though his particular station receives many emergency medical calls, especially on nearby I-65. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Every day is different, solving other people’s problems which is what I like to do,” Farrell said. The Executive Fire Officer Program, which Farrell described as “second to none,” requires attendees to travel to Maryland once a year for two weeks at a time to attend classes on leadership and problem solving. In between visits, program participants work on research projects based in their own fire departments. The lengthy overall program and time spent away from home can make it difficult to stick with the Executive Fire Officer Program. However, once Farrell was accepted, he planned to see it through. “I knew when I was accepted I wasn’t going

VHFD Lieutenant Ryan Farrell stands next to the fire engine at Station 2 on Columbiana Road. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

to quit, I was going to finish it,” Farrell said. The classes in Maryland also gave Farrell a chance to network with firefighters from across the country, including Alaska and Hawaii. He said that has been as valuable as the training courses; when Farrell is applying for grants or trying out a new program, he can call or email firefighters who have experienced the same thing at their own departments. “What you learn in the class through the research is outstanding, but … just having that network of people I can email or pick up the phone – they may be 3,000 miles away but they’ve done exactly what we’re trying

to do,” Farrell said. Each year, Farrell has worked on a different research project. His first was to study the process of closing Vestavia Hills’ dispatch center and transferring those duties to Shelby County’s dispatch center. In learning how to make that change go smoothly, Farrell said he learned more about the big picture thinking that the executive program teaches. “I think in the fire service we’re used to problem solving that we do here, where I go to somebody’s house that’s on fire and we put it out, and the problem’s solved,” Farrell said. “A lot of folks make the mistake of solving all

their problems in the fire service like that, but it teaches you a different way of thinking through this program.” Another research project gave Farrell the chance to study the fire department’s public education program, including interviewing Vestavia teachers and comparing the program to a similar one at Tuscaloosa. He has shared his results, including which areas of education are meeting community needs and which require improvement, with the fire marshal to adapt the education program. Farrell also studied response times as part of the program. The National Fire Protection Association sets the standard call response time in suburban areas to 10 minutes or less, which is the goal for VHFD and similar departments. To meet or beat that time, Farrell looked at response data across the fire department by station, shift and type of call. Firefighters have the most ability to improve in the span of time between the call coming in and the moment the fire engine pulls out of the garage. “We’re not going to drive any faster to get there and be unsafe, so really the only thing we have control over is how fast I get from right here [the station’s main room], find the address on the map where we’re going and get in the truck and start moving,” Farrell said. “We definitely identified where we can make improvements and educate our people on why it’s important because that’s the only thing we can change to get there sooner.” Overall, Farrell said his time in the Executive Fire Officer Program will pay off for his entire firefighting career and the community he serves. “I think it will make me a more effective officer in the fire department, but I think Vestavia fire department and the community [will benefit] just as much,” Farrell said.

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • B7

Community Vestavia artist to participate in 10th annual Riverchase Loves Artists show By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE The Riverchase Loves Artists art show will hold its 10th annual event this month. The event has grown each year, and now has more artists’ requests than they have room to accommodate. Among the artists selected will be Pat Palmer, a Vestavia Hills resident and member of Artists Incorporated. This will be her third year at the RLA show. Palmer’s work includes impressionistic and abstract art, as well as copper and metal, and recently she has been concentrating on large acrylic paintings, water color and mixed media. She has been in the Birmingham area for over 30 years and has experience with several local art shows. Palmer said RLA is a great one to be a part of. She appreciates that it is indoors, and that there are people to help her unload her pieces and also assist with setup. “They do a very good job of advertising with local television and papers, and they also make posters and invitations,” Palmer said. “They work hard on it all, and there are other committees that work equally as hard. I’ve put on a lot of art shows in my time, and there is so much work that goes into it to make it a success.” Palmer is originally from the art-rich area of Asheville, NC, and still has a summer home there. She has recruited two artists she knows to come be a part of RLA. David Goldhagen, a glass blower from Hayesville, NC, and Holly Williams, owner of Lasso the Moon Alpaca Farm from Blairsville, GA, will be a part of the show for the first time this year. “They will be good assets to the show,”

Leigh Ann Hurst, Lynne Cooper and Pat Palmer are among the participants and volunteers at the Riverchase Loves Artists show, which is entering its 10th year. Photo courtesy of Lynne Cooper.

Palmer said. The show is held at the Riverchase Country Club. This year’s event will be held Saturday, Feb. 6, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Riverchase Country Club. It was started by Riverchase Women’s Club member Lynne Cooper in 2006

to raise money for charity. “Over the years, we’ve developed a show that has become very unique and popular with artists and the community,” Cooper said. Cooper said RLA showcases between 45 and 50 artists, some which return each year and some

Pat Palmer is a member of Artists Incorporated and will be showing her work, which includes acrylic and watercolor paintings, at Riverchase Loves Artists this month. Photo courtesy of Pat Palmer.

who are first-timers. The artists work with a variety of artistic materials. Cooper said the one thing the artists all have in common is that they are the nicest group of people she has ever worked with. “They are so sweet and nice,” she said. “I think everybody has fun.”

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B8 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

Student’s artwork featured at St. Vincent’s East

Sherri Burgess holds a picture of her son, Bronner. Burgess will be honored during the Lovelady Center’s third annual gala Feb. 18. Staff photo.

Lovelady Center to honor Sherri Burgess By SYDNEY CROMWELL After her son Bronner died, Sherri Burgess found comfort in her family and community at Shades Mountain Baptist Church. Now, the Lovelady Center is honoring Burgess and the recent publication of her memoir about Bronner during its 2016 gala. The Club will host the Lovelady Center third annual gala Feb. 18. The event includes dinner, dancing and a live auction to support the services of the Lovelady Center. The gala’s theme is Three Times a Lady, and the evening will feature the sounds of Lionel Richie and 70s music. Auction items include vacations to Destin, Cuba, Costa Rica and Antigua, as well as other experiences. Burgess, the wife of radio personality Rick Burgess, recently published “Bronner: A Journey to Understand.” The book is a memoir about the loss of her son Bronner when he was a toddler, and the Burgess family’s attempts to heal after the tragedy. The Lovelady Center cares for an average of 500 women and children each day at its location

in downtown Birmingham, including service meals, addiction treatment, job training, education, medical services, counseling and community re-entry after leaving prison. Sherri Burgess said she supports the work of the Lovelady Center because of the stories she has heard from the women there about their changed lives. “Life in this world is hard. We need each other. I’ve heard personal stories from women who have gone through the center who say, ‘I know the power of God because he changed me,’ Burgess said. “I love the Lovelady Center because I love the Lord, and they are doing what He asked us to do - care for one another, not just those who can pay us back or do some favor in return.” Tickets to the event are $125 and can be purchased by contacting Jeanne Carreker at jcarreker@loveladycenter.org. EBSCO, Vulcan Materials and White Arnold & Dowd P.C. are sponsoring the gala. “It’s a true honor to be recognized by this selfless organization. May we all be as selfless as the Lovelady Center in our walk in this world,” Sherri Burgess said.

Top: VHHS sophomore Ginger Llivina sells one of her pieces that was on display at St. Vincent’s East in November. Photos courtesy of Elena Llivina. Bottom: An example of VHHS sophomore Ginger Llivina’s artwork.

Vestavia Hills High School sophomore Ginger Llivina had the opportunity to display her artwork at St. Vincent’s East in November. Llivina had 22 pieces on display in the foyer of the hospital throughout the month. This was the first time Llivina had her work on display for observers other than friends and family. She was also able to have her artwork valued and appraised by others. Llivina works with a variety of techniques, including pen and ink on canvas and drafting paper, acrylics on canvas, photography and mixed media. “Ginger is a joy to have in art at Vestavia Hills High School,” said Llivina’s art teacher Ennis Everette. “She has been blessed with the true gift of the artist’s sight and is on her way to developing her voice as an artist. Ginger has natural ability paired with perseverance, hard work and patience.” Llivina is currently working on an Etsy page to sell her artwork.

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • B9

Attendees gather for the 2015 Dinner and Diamonds fundraiser, which included live and silent auctions offering a variety of valuable items, including diamonds, seen below. Photos courtesy of Ashley Thompson.

Dinner & Diamonds to raise funds for city schools foundation By JESSE CHAMBERS The annual “Dinner & Diamonds” fundraiser benefiting the Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation will take place at Regions Field in Birmingham on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. The event, now in its 10th year, will celebrate the Foundation's 20 years of financial support to the Vestavia Hills School District. “Dinner and Diamonds is unique because it brings the entire city of Vestavia Hills together to celebrate our school system,” Ashley Thompson, the Foundation’s executive director, said. Food will be provided by Parkview Catering, and live music will be provided by the Fountain City Players, a high-energy dance and party band from Columbus, Georgia, according to Thompson. Live and silent auctions will offer a variety of valuable items, including a private dinner prepared by well-known local chef and diamonds provided by Paul Petro of Paul's Diamond Center. The Foundation, a non-profit, provides “ongoing and dependable funding for critical academic ‘extras,’ such as professional development, technology and classroom enhancements,” Thompson said.

The Foundation has granted about $728,000 to the city’s eight schools and the Board of Education since 1999, according to Thompson. Donations to the Foundation “help to fill in the funding gaps that can make the difference between a good school system and a great one,” she said. Dinner & Diamonds drew more than 600 people in 2015 and has grown larger each year, according to Thompson. Individual event tickets are $80, and sponsorship opportunities are available at several financial levels. To learn more about the event, go to vestaviafoundation.org.

Distinguished Young Women of Jefferson County Program accepting applications High school juniors interested in participating in this year’s Distinguished Young Women of Jefferson County Program can begin submitting their applications. The program, formerly Jefferson County’s Junior Miss, is accepting applications from high school girls graduating in 2017 who live in Jefferson County. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2016. There is no entry fee to participate, and girls will compete in the categories of fitness, self expression, interview, scholastics and talent. Participants are eligible for various scholarships, ranging from $12,000 to $60,000. During last year’s program, participants were Participants in the 2016 Distinguished Young awarded more than $14,000 in cash-tu- Women of Jefferson County Program, including ition scholarships in addition to college second alternate Andrea Burris, Distinguished granted scholarships from Troy Univer- Young Woman 2016 Abigail Albritton, Distinguished Young Woman 2015 Hannah Walter and first sity, Auburn University, The Univeralternate Lian Remley. Photo courtesy of Miranda sity of Alabama and the University of Wesley. Alabama-Birmingham. org and click the “participate” icon to receive an The Distinguished Young Women of Jefferson County Program will be held on July application. Potential participants can also con29 and July 30 at Mountain Brook High School. tact Chairman Eddie Macksoud at Jefferson@ For more information, visit distinguishedYW. distinguishedYW.org or 907-0210.

B10 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

Eating heart smart Small changes to make your diet more heart-healthy By EMILY FEATHERSTON February is all about hearts—and not just those on Valentine’s Day cards and candies. This month is American Heart Month, an endeavor to increase awareness about heart disease and its prevention. Data from the Centers for Disease Control estimates that one-in-four deaths in the United States has an underlying cause of heart disease—meaning about 610,000 people die from it every year. “I think that the kicker with heart disease is that, for the most part, it’s never an issue until it’s an issue,” Vestavia Hills resident and registered dietician Brandon Booth said. Booth, who counsels clients in sports nutrition through his private practice Benchmark Nutrition, said heart disease is often a silent killer, and many do not take simple precautions that could ultimately save their lives. “It’s preventable,” he said. “Even, for the most part, with hereditary background or genetic predisposition, it can still be delayed or prevented through lifestyle modification.” One of those modifications, Booth said, is to construct a diet of quality choices early on in life. “Get into a habit in your youth, so that you don’t have to do an overhaul when you’re older,” he said. Booth said his primary suggestion for his clients is to eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible. “The first place we want them to start is in the produce section,” he said, adding that many vegetables provide anti-oxidants, micro nutrients, phytochemicals and fiber—all of which help prevent clogged arteries. Booth said he recommends clients start with

Being heart-healthy starts with selecting the right produce when grocery shopping. Select dark greens and a variety of fruits. Photo by Emily Featherston.

their favorite vegetables first. “If you don’t just love it, don’t buy it,” he said, “start with things that you like.” Dark, leafy greens such as kale, spinach and broccoli, as well as bright bell peppers and purple eggplant are all good choices, Booth said. “Eat a rainbow,” he said. Foods should be a variety of colors to ensure a multitude of nutrients. That rainbow should also include fruits, such as apples, oranges and bananas. Berries, Booth said, are some of the best fruit options. “You cannot go wrong there,” he said. Moving away from the produce section, Booth suggests looking for whole-grain bread, oatmeal, wheat germ and whole-wheat pasta, as these

products are higher in fiber. An important point, Booth said, is to avoid pre-packaged foods as much as possible, because many packaged foods are high in sodium that can adversely affect blood pressure. He also said he encourages clients to avoid thinking that just because something is “low-fat” that it is healthy. “I know that people like to categorize certain foods as being better than others, but the thing about heart health and fat is that it’s not so much about how much you’re eating—but what kind of fats you’re eating,” he said. Peanuts, walnuts, almonds and cashews are all sources of protein and “good” fats that Booth said he recommends. He does, however,

recommend staying away from flavored or salted nuts, because of the added sodium and artificial ingredients. For protein, Booth said he recommends people make the switch from meats high in saturated fat, like beef, to leaner meats, such as chicken and fish. Ultimately, Booth said that the thing to remember while looking for heart-healthy ingredients at the grocery store is that there is no “fixall” or “super food.” “For the most part, something that’s claiming to be some kind of super food, or guaranteeing you some kind of result, it’s likely not true,” he said. “And that’s the hardest thing, I think, for Americans to wrap our minds around,” he said. At home, Booth suggests making small changes to improve heart-healthy habits while cooking. First, he said cutting out added salt is the easiest and most important thing. “Only use the recipe’s amount, or reduce it if you can. Don’t add salt at the table,” he said. Instead, Booth said by using many or unique herbs and spices, home-cooks can add flavor without the extra sodium. Using unsaturated-fat oils, such as olive oil and canola oil, and resisting the urge to deepfry foods at home can also reduce calorie consumption. It’s more than just eating habits, however, that Booth said can prevent heart disease. Good food choices should be combined with increased physical activity and decreased stress. “It’s a lifestyle, I think,” he said. “It’s more than just one food or one or two different things.” Booth said he also suggests going to a physician yearly for a physical, as the early signs of heart disease are often ignored. For more information about Booth and Benchmark Nutrition, visit benchmarknutrition.com.

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • B11

Need ideas for jump-starting a heart-healthy menu? Here are a few: Recipes courtesy of the American Heart Association. More heart-healthy recipes from the American Heart Association can be found at heart.org.

Sweet Potato Nachos

Apple Bread Pudding

15-20 minutes

Fajitas may not be the first thought of someone trying to be heart healthy, but these, along with two sides, are only 439 calories per serving. They also have only five grams of fat, and sport 10 grams of fiber, 36 grams of protein, as well as many other nutrients. Serves 4

These nachos provide six grams of protein and six grams of fiber per serving, with only 209 calories and 5.5 grams of fat in exchange. Serves 6 ► 3 medium sweet potatoes, or 6 cups of rounds ► 1 tablespoon olive oil ► 1 teaspoon chili powder ► 1 teaspoon garlic powder ► 1.5 teaspoons paprika ► 1/3 cup black

Quick and Easy Chicken Fajitas with Beans and Spanish Rice

beans, drained and rinsed ► 1/3 cup reducedfat shredded cheddar cheese ► 1 plum tomato, chopped, OR 1/3 cup no-salt added, chopped canned tomatoes, drained and rinsed ► 1 avocado, diced

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cover baking pans with foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes thinly, about quarter-inch rounds. In a bowl, toss the rounds with olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder and paprika. Spread evenly on prepared pans. Bake for 10 minutes and use a spatula to flip the rounds. Bake for another five to 10 minutes, or until crisp. Remove pans from the oven and sprinkle beans and cheese over the sweet potatoes. Return to the oven until cheese melts, about two minutes. Sprinkle with tomato and avocado. Serve.

For a low-calorie recipe to satisfy a sweet tooth and keep you warm during the winter months, look no further than this surprisingly heart-healthy bread pudding. By using whole-grain bread and fresh apples, this dessert provides five grams of fiber and five grams of protein, with only 131 calories per 3x4 inch piece. Serves 4 ► 1 whole egg, plus 1 egg white ► 1 cup skim milk ► 2 tablespoons brown sugar ► 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ► 1 teaspoon cinnamon ► 1.5 teaspoons cloves or allspice ► 6 slices of light, whole-grain or

multi-grain bread, cubed ► 3 medium apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes ► Optional: 1.5 cups of raisins, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and cloves or allspice. Add bread and apple cubes, and add fruit or nuts if desired. Mix well. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes.

Fajitas: ► 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into oneinch strips ► 1 tablespoon lowsodium soy sauce ► 1 medium bell pepper, sliced ► 1 medium onion, sliced ► 1.5 teaspoons black pepper

► 1.5 teaspoons cumin ► 8 whole-wheat tacosized tortillas or corn tortillas ► 1.5 cups jarred salsa, lowest sodium available (optional) ► 1 avocado, sliced (optional) ► 1.5 cups fat-free sour cream (optional)

Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat to medium-high heat and add chicken. Cook for three minutes or until browned. Reduce the heat to medium and add soy sauce, bell pepper, onions, pepper and cumin. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon evenly over tortillas and serve. Optionally: top with sliced avocado, salsa and sour cream. Beans and rice: ► 1 (16 oz) can no-saltadded black beans, drained and rinsed ► 1 cup brown rice, cooked

to package instructions ► 2 tablespoons jarred salsa, lowest sodium available

Spray a small pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat beans over low heat until warmed, stirring occasionally. Combine cooked rice with salsa and stir. Serve with fajitas.

B12 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

Helping people help themselves United Methodist Church donates 3 vehicles to working individuals By ERICA TECHO The car ministry at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church wants to help people get around. In 2015, the ministry donated around 20 cars to individuals in need. On Dec. 17, the ministry was able to give away three of those cars. Ashley Curry, a volunteer who has been with the car ministry since its start around five years ago, said their goal is to help provide transportation for working individuals. “The whole purpose is to help people who are trying to help themselves,” Curry said. The ministry receives referrals about individuals in need of a car through social services and other churches, Curry said, and then those applicants go through a vetting process. The applicants will go through a phone interview and in-person interview to determine their need for a car as well as to gather information on what car would fit their needs. Most of the time, the individuals who receive cars are relying on public transportation or even community members to get to work, Curry said. The unreliable mode of transportation can sometimes be a strain on their work schedules and lives, he said. VHUMC Director of Outreach Denise Williams said placing an individual with a car means taking into account family size as well as other needs. When determining which car Kerry Timmons, a single father and family-friendly DJ, would

receive, Williams said they determined a donated Volvo would be best. “He has had to rely on his community to get to these jobs, and he is a DJ for family and children,” Williams said. “He needs something that can transport his [equipment] and be able to get to the places.” As he accepted the car, Timmons thanked VHUMC for their help. He said the car will help keep him on track and get him to the jobs he enjoys doing. “My son, he’s 5 years old … and he motivates me to stay focused and go for the kids and go for the families, as opposed to going for the clubs and going for the streets,” Timmons said. When he didn’t have his own mode of transportation, Williams said Timmons had to pay other people to drive him places. Now, she said he hopes having his own car will help out financially. “God is good,” Timmons said, as he drove off. Many of the cars the ministry gives away are donated, but they will also purchase or fix up cars for those in need. Curry said oftentimes, the cars they received are donated by elderly individuals who no longer drive. The ministry also accepts donations, and if someone donates, they will be able to introduce that donor to an individual they have helped pair with a car. “Every dollar we get goes to the cause, goes to the need,” Curry said. For more information about the car ministry, visit vhumc.org.

Watch a video from the VHUMC vehicle donation:

280living.com/topics/video

www.vestaviavoice.com/peopleplaces/helping-people-helping-themselves1217/

Top: Kerry Timmons hugs VHUMC Director of Outreach Denise Williams after receiving a car from the church’s car ministry. Above: Timmons sits in his new car. Photos by Erica Techo.

APSA-1006_2.pdf 1 VestaviaVoice.com

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February 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ B13

A PUBLIC NOTICE FROM ALABAMA POWER

TREE CREWS WORKING IN VESTAVIA THROUGH EARLY 2016 Alabama Power crews are working in several Vestavia neighborhoods, removing trees and other vegetation that threaten the safety and reliability of our electrical system. As part of this process, Alabama Power goes to great lengths to talk with individual property owners. Company representatives are going door to door, leaving notices at locations where work is needed. If you have any questions before crews come by your home, please call Alabama Power at 205-257-2155 and ask for someone in the Vegetation Management Group to contact you. Or you can email us at apcvm@southernco.com. Work in Vestavia and nearby areas is expected to continue through early 2016. Also, you can go online to alpwr.co/vm for more information about these safety and reliability measures, as well as resources for property owners who would like recommendations about planting the right tree in the right place.

Thank you for your understanding. We appreciate your business. Vegetation Management Group 205-257-2155 | apcvm@southernco.com

ÂŠ 2015 Alabama Power Company.

B14 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

Sports SEASON PREVIEW: BASEBALL

17 seniors vie for starting spots on diamond Sam Lawson is one of 17 seniors for the Rebels, who kick off their season Feb. 15 at Pelham. Photo by John Perry.

By KYLE PARMLEY The time is now for Vestavia Hills. Although the Rebels will have to replace a healthy number of starters from last season’s team which advanced to the second round of the Class 7A playoffs, they will field 2016’s roster with 17 seniors. “We’ve got a bunch of seniors that are going to compete for starting roles. We’re going to sit back and see what happens,” said Jamie Harris, who takes over as head coach following a seven-year stint as an assistant with the team. The undoubted on-field leader for Vestavia is Alabama signee Sonny Potter, who has been the ace of the pitching staff for the past two seasons. “He’s been our thoroughbred, so to speak,” Harris said. “We certainly need him to be that again this year.” When Potter is not on the mound, he doubles as the team’s starting first baseman and offers production in the middle of the lineup. But he will need some support. “We need Sonny to be Sonny and have two or three or more guys to step up,” Harris said. Seniors Davis Gurosky, Zack Ingram and Brett Jones will be given that chance to step up with quality innings, as will junior and Ole Miss commit Caden Lemons. “He can throw it,” Harris said of Lemons. “If he has the type of year he’s capable of having, that will afford us the opportunity to have Brett Jones as more of a relief guy.” Jones logged innings last year out of the bullpen, and could be used in a starter’s role or possibly as the closer. How the rest of the pitching

staff unfolds will determine his slot. Senior catcher Nathan Hospes is a familiar face for the Rebels, the only other position player along with Potter that the Rebels feel confident about before the season begins. “Other than that, we have no spots that are just taken yet,” Harris said. Walker Minor, Parker Hershey and Sam

Lawson are others who have experience but will need to prove they can handle a full-time starting role. Minor and Hershey will attempt to nail down a pair of infield slots, with Lawson expected to play right field. Vestavia Hills plays in Area 6, along with Mountain Brook, Hewitt-Trussville and Spain

Park. At one point in the 2015 season, those were the top four teams in Class 7A. Only two qualify for postseason play, making area play stressful for all involved. “It makes it exciting. It makes it nerve-wracking. It’s a lot of pressure,” Harris said. The Rebels kick off their season Feb. 15 at Pelham.

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • B15

SEASON PREVIEW: INDOOR TRACK

Rebels focus on preparation By SAM CHANDLER For his Rebel indoor teams to compete at the highest level, Vestavia Hills head track and field coach Brett Huber knows the path to success begins with preparation. “Having the right mindset to approach training, meeting training objectives each day at practice and applying both in competition,” Huber said. Following that formula, the Rebels enter the indoor state championships led by a mix of standout athletes who compete in the full spectrum of events. Junior Walter Thomas, a shot put thrower who placed third at last spring’s outdoor state meet, looks primed to move even farther up the podium this winter. In his first meet of the season, the Magic City Invitational on Dec. 5, he notched a first-place finish in a personal-best throw of 56 feet, 6¾ inches. Fellow junior Alec Beers, a distance runner, will spearhead the Rebels’ efforts on the track. Coming off a sensational cross-country season that culminated in an All-State performance, Beers is looking to continue to his breakout year and blast through a pair of elite barriers, 4:30 in the 1,600 meters and 10:00 in the 3,200 meters. Sophomore Carl Nesbitt will also be a key contributor on the boys side, especially in the high jump. At the Magic City Invite, he soared to a five-inch indoor personal best, clearing the bar at 6 feet and claiming a runner-up finish. Spurred by a blend of veterans and newcomers, Huber expects the Rebel girls to do well in relays and field events. Freshmen

VHHS junior Alec Beers runs in the crosscountry state championship. Photo by Sam Chandler.

Katherine Ratliff (pole vault) and Anna Grace Darty (jumps) are two youngsters who could make an impact. Last season, the boys and girls teams each finished seventh overall in the indoor state championship meet. This year’s event, which takes place at the Birmingham CrossPlex, will commence February 5-6.

, s d n a h e k e sha w e r o f e B . s d n a h d l we ho

The Vestavia Hills High School competition cheerleading team placed first at the Southern Regional Competition held Dec. 6, 2015. Courtesy of coach Melissa Caffey.

Vestavia Hills squad heading to national cheer championship By ANA GOOD The Vestavia Hills High School competition cheerleading team is once again heading to nationals this year, set to be held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The team of 30 girls, ranging from freshmen to seniors, will compete against the best at the National High School Cheerleading Championship on Feb. 6 and 7. The event will be televised on ESPN and ESPN2 to over 100 million homes in 32 countries, according to the Universal Cheerleaders Association. This mark’s Vestavia’s 16th trip to nationals, said varsity coach Melissa Caffey. All but one of those teams made it to the final round of nationals, she said, and in 2010, Vestavia won it all. This year’s team secured its nationals bid in December when it placed first at the Southern Regional Competition. In Orlando, Vestavia will compete in the Super Division, made up of teams with the largest number of cheerleaders. “You can always do more with a bigger team, said Caffey, “bigger and better stunts.”

Leading up to nationals, Caffey said the team will ramp up practices, doing everything from stretching to tumbling, stunts and pyramid drills, as well as perfecting the music and cheer portions of the routines. Along with Caffey and coaches Kim Whitten and Stacy Pugh, the team is also working with head competition coach Ryan Martin to prepare. Martin, said Caffey, is known for starring in the TV show “Cheerleader Nation,” before she went on to cheer for the University of Alabama. Caffey, who cheered in high school, said she has been involved with the cheerleading team at Vestavia for 24 years and has been a teacher there for 30 years. “I like it because it gives me the chance to interact differently with students,” she said. “You’re still teaching, but you’re able to be more involved.” The chance to go to nationals, she said, is about more than the competition. “It’s such a great team-building experience,” she said. “More than anything, it requires everyone to work together. The whole experience is really good for these girls.”

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B16 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

Seniors provide guidance for young Lady Rebels By KYLE PARMLEY Vestavia Hills head girls basketball coach Laura Casey is navigating the waters of her sixth season with a large chunk of the playing time being distributed amongst underclassmen. Four sophomores and a freshman make up the bulk of playing time for the Lady Rebels. Lessons are being learned everyday, some the easy way and some the hard way. The games bring about certain situations that can only be dealt with by experience. It’s all part of the process. “The biggest things that you learn in a game that you can’t replicate 100 percent in practice are the pace of the game — when to push the tempo, when to pull it back. You learn how to score — what can I do against someone else that’s not my own teammate. And you learn how to handle pressure,” Casey said. The Lady Rebels got off to a 3-0 start this season, but the growing pains have come in bunches since then. While discouraging for the young players not to see the immediate fruits of their labor in the win column, Casey has been pleased with their progress. “Where I expect them to be as sophomores, their expectations are a lot higher,” she said. “If they continue to work and have the work ethic that they do and put in the time that they have, then they could be a great team.” Maggie Mince, Merritt Cahoon, Taylor Wilson, Sarah Cain and Courtney Milner are some of the girls that come to mind when discussing the future of the program, but the veterans on the team should not be overlooked when it comes to impact this season and laying the groundwork for future teams. Maddie Vernon is a senior who, along with Mince, provides the energy and motivation to improve each day. “They really push us as far as being intense and working hard every day,” Casey said. Vestavia has a pair that can “shoot the lights out” in Wilson and senior Jessica Compton, a stabilizing force on the team for the last four

Laura Casey has a young team this season with a high ceiling for the future. Photo by Ted Melton.

years. Compton also shares a familiar experience with Milner, as Milner is a freshman with the rare ability to play at the varsity level. “I have had maybe three that have done that,” Casey said. “Courtney’s going to end up being a great player.” Cahoon acts as a calming presence on the floor for Vestavia, after missing about a month due to injury early on. Senior Renesha Evans is

a rebounding force, and is helping Cain learn the ropes down low in the post. Cain also possesses the ability to shoot the ball from outside the paint, an asset for someone with her length. Katelyn Pickard and Samantha Salmon are two other key seniors, and McKenzie Jackson and Jasmyn White are juniors. There are also a multitude of lessons off the court to be learned, as Casey spends a great deal

of time reinforcing the value of academics and community service to her team, along with five “core values” of the program. Casey said, “What they learn on the basketball floor and being on a team is far more important than how many wins or losses they have.” The wins will come much more frequently than the losses in the coming seasons, granted the Lady Rebels continue to learn and grow.

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ B17

B18 • February 2016

valentine’s day For the

TRENDSETTER

Vestavia Voice

gift guide

OTBT Bushnell Platform Wedge $125 The popular Bushnell wedge comes in several fabulous colors and has just enough stretch to keep you comfortable no matter where your day may take you.

For the

SWEET ONE

Alabama Outdoors 3054 Independence Drive Homewood 870-1919

Mini Valentine Cake $12.99 This half cake, half ice cream treat is perfect for anyone. Bruster’s Real Ice Cream 1008 Vestavia Parkway 978-2347

For the

JEWELRY LOVER Alabama Charm Bracelet Bracelet alone, $60 Charms, $50 each Charm your sweetheart with an Alabama charm bracelet by designer Sarah Morgan. Fifteen Argentium silver charms available to collect, each representing something special about Alabama. Alabama Goods 2933 18th St. South 803-3900

For the

SCARF LOVER Magnetic Scarf Holder $38 Handmade scarf holder by Vestavia Hills artist Andi Preston. Fancy Goods Variety 2512 Rocky Ridge Road, Suite 102 978-1451

For the

STYLISH TIMEKEEPER

HAPPY CAMPER Happy Camper Cookie Jar $58 The Happy Camper cookie jar is a great container for sweets to or from your sweetie.

Swiss Army Ladies Small Alliance Watch $595 The Swiss Army Ladies Watch with twotone stainless steel bracelet features a subtle and elegant design. This watch fits any woman’s style.

Dirty Hippie 2531 Rocky Ridge Road 874-6164

Bromberg’s Mountain Brook 871-3276

For the

PERSON WHO WANTS TO SEE AND BE SEEN For the

PERSON ON THE GO YETI Rambler 20 $29.99 The perfect gift for him or her, the Yeti Rambler continues to be the go-to gift for that special person. Moran’s Rocky Ridge Hardware 3354 Morgan Drive Vestavia 979-5444

Dita Decade-Two $1,000 DITA celebrates 20 years with the release of its most innovative offering to date: the Decade-Two, a turbocharged reboot of the classic aviator frame that highlights many of DITA’s technical advances over the last decade. The Decade-Two frame is sleek and lean, with signature details, such as DITA’s diamond-press detailing and flexible nose pads, featured in luxurious materials like titanium and 18-karat plated gold hardware. JJ Eyes 2814 18th St. South 703-8596

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • B19

Robert and Chrystal Kracke will run the Mercedes Half-Marathon together this Valentine’s Day. Photo by Emily Featherston.

HEART

CONTINUED from page B1 training to improve her time. They may be working toward different specific goals, but Chrystal said she thinks it has put them on the same page about running in general. “He didn’t understand how it felt to go out running,” she said, “how it felt at the end of the run and how you accomplished something.” “I didn’t understand the motivation and the drive that I was seeing in her, and the ‘why are you so obsessed with this?’” he agreed. “Now I get it.” He said he really began to understand the

drive in early December when an injury kept him from running for three weeks. Having been injured while training for a full marathon a few years ago, Chrystal was able to relate. “You have to listen to the doctors,” Robert said, something he knows all too well. Robert has Type 1 diabetes and goes to the doctor regularly to monitor his health. “My overall health is much improved,” he said, adding that his doctor asked him what he had changed to cause such noticeable results. “I told him, ‘I’m running!’ and he said, ‘Keep it up, I can tell,’” Robert said. Not only are the Krackes running to improve their health, but Chrystal is running to raise awareness for a cause she said is very important

to her personally: autism spectrum disorder awareness. Chrystal is running as an ambassador for Mitchell’s Place, a provider of comprehensive, research-based educational, social and therapeutic services for those affected by autism and other developmental disabilities. As a preschool teacher and friend of someone whose child has autism, Chrystal said causes such as Mitchell’s Place have always been special, and becoming an ambassador was an easy choice. “It just felt right to raise awareness and money for Mitchell’s Place,” she said. Chrystal said her role as an ambassador involves raising awareness and support through word-of-mouth education in her running groups,

as well as through other activities. Often, she even wears a Mitchell’s Place shirt while she runs. Through everything, Chrystal and Robert said that the shared experience of training for the half-marathon has strengthened their relationship as a whole. “We’re able to have time away from the home together, so it’s been good,” Chrystal said. For other couples interested in training for a distance run together, the couple suggested finding a Run University or other group to train with. “You’ll find like-minded, similarly motivated people,” Robert said. Ultimately though, their advice was simple. “Take it in steps,” Robert said.

B20 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

Vestavia Hills Real Estate Listings MLS #

Zip

Address

Status

Price

736893

35216

2720 Cross Bridge Lane

New

$249,900

738134

35216

3516 Laurel View Road

New

$190,000

738130

35216

2616 Cherokee Road

New

$569,000

738071

35216

2391 Lime Rock Road

New

$330,000

737969

35216

3524 William And Mary Road

New

$260,000

737818

35216

2951 Massey Road

New

$169,900

737768

35216

2804 Vestavia Forest Drive

New

$249,900

737671

35216

308 Sunset Drive

New

$649,000

737569

35216

1900 Post Oak Road

New

$325,000

737459

35216

1900 Old Creek Trial

New

$272,500

737181

35216

225 Vestavia Circle

New

$679,000

736846

35216

2959 Green Valley Road

New

$649,900

738121

35216

3517 Savannah Park Lane

New

$169,900

736802

35216

2109 Woodhue Circle

New

$334,900

736736

35216

2114 Shades Avenue

New

$394,600

736590

35216

2941 Panorama Trial

New

$379,900

736309

35216

2125 Beverly Hills Drive

New

$321,000

735811

35216

2309 Pine Crest Drive

New

$249,000

735469

35216

3336 Castle Crest Drive

New

$399,000

735431

35216

2454 Monte Vista Drive

New

$275,000

2720 Cross Bridge Lane

3517 Savannah Park Lane

Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on January 18. Visit birminghamrealtors.com.

Announcing Our

New Spring Showcase of Homes!

New, move-in-ready Spring Homes are now available, plus even more beautiful new homes are nearing completion at Liberty Park. Don’t miss this limited-time opportunity and enjoy a summer of sheer fun in Birmingham’s Classic American Hometown!

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Buyer’s incentive of up to $5,000 in special features and savings on move-in-ready homes or up to $7,500 in special features and savings on pre-sale homes, as selected by buyer and approved by the seller, Liberty Park Joint Venture, LLP, is applicable to homes built by LifeScape Builders, LLC. Such incentive will be disclosed in the sales contract and included on the Closing Disclosure in the transaction. This offer applies only to contracts finalized by February 29, 2016 and cannot be combined with any other incentives or offers. The information contained herein should be deemed accurate but not warranted. Liberty Park Joint Venture, LLP, Liberty Park Properties, and their respective builders and agents, are not responsible for errors or omissions.

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ B21

Calendar Vestavia Hills Events Feb. 3, 10, 17 & 24: Tennessee Williams: Life and Writings. Vestavia Hills Senior Center, 1975 Merryvale Road. Ralph Voss, retired UA professor of English and author, will give a biographical background of Tennessee Williams. Feb. 3: The Glass Menagerie. Feb. 10: A Streetcar Named Desire. Feb. 17: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Feb. 24: The Night of the Iguana. Visit vhal.org/senior-citizens. Feb. 4: Health, Anesthesia, Treatment Innovations and Dementia. Vestavia Hills Senior Center, 1975 Merryvale Road. Dr. John Tingley, retired physician, answers healthcare questions. Course continues on Feb. 11 with Dementia. Visit vhal.org/senior-citizens. Feb. 9, 16 & 23: Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Culture, Art,

Music and Language. 1:30-3 p.m. Vestavia Hills Senior Center. A native of Italy, Andrea Traina, will enrich our knowledge of the country by sharing its rich history, culture, architecture, music, art, cities, life and language. Presented by Greater Birmingham OLLI. Feb. 9: Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. 11:30 a.m. Vestavia Country Club, 400 Beaumont Drive. Visit business. vestaviahills.org. Feb. 11: Health, Anesthesia, Treatment Innovations and Dementia. 1:30-3 p.m. Vestavia Hills Senior Center. Get answers to your healthcare questions. Presented by Greater Birmingham OLLI.

Feb. 16: Business Development Committee Meeting. 8 a.m. Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce, 1975 Merryvale Road. Visit business. vestaviahills.org. Feb. 18: Social Media. 1:30-3 p.m. Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest. Learn how to set up and use Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest on your cell phone, iPad or laptop computer. Learn how to protect your personal information when using these services. Other social media will be explored if time and interest allow. Please bring your own device for hands-on instruction. Presented by Greater Birmingham OLLI. Feb. 20: Kick Out Cancer Kickball Tournament. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Vestavia Central Elementary School Field. $200 per team. 1st-12th grade. Help

aTeam Ministries help support children and families in Alabama through the journey of pediatric cancer. Visit ateamministries.org/kickballtournament. Feb. 22: New Member Orientation. 5 p.m. Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce, 1975 Merryvale Road. Network with other new members and learn about the benefits of being a chamber member at this Wine and Cheese Reception. Visit business. vestaviahills.org. Feb. 24-27: Butterflies and Bowties Consignment Sale. Liberty Crossings Methodist Church. Visit mylc.org/consignment for more information.

Vestavia Hills Library Events Kids

thing for our school age kids.

Mondays: Maker Monday. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Work with electric circuits. Something for everyone, but adults must accompany children.

Thursdays: L.I.F.T. (Library in the Forest Time). 9:30 a.m.-noon. Enjoy special play equipment in the program room for preschoolers and their caregivers.

Tuesdays: Together With Twos. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Join Miss Cristina for a rollicking toddler time of stories, songs, finger plays and movement. Ages 18 mos. to 35 mos. Wednesdays: Story Friends. 10:30 a.m. Join Mrs. Lisa for great stories and songs plus a surprise visitor or two. Ages 3 and up. Wednesdays & Fridays: W.H.Y? 3:30 p.m. Join Miss Alicia for a craft program on Wednesdays and a movie and snack on Friday. We Hear Ya! Some-

Thursdays: Book Babies. 10 a.m. A new program just for babies, with small classes limited to 12 each, where we begin the journey toward a lifelong love of books! You must register each week. Birth to 18 mos. Call 978-0158 to register.

video games on the Wii U, PS4, board games to play with fellow teens. Snacks served. Feb. 3: Teen Art Group. 4 p.m. Historical Room. Make and share artwork. Feb. 10: Teen Writing Group. 4 p.m. Historical Room. Snacks served.

Feb. 1: Microsoft Excel Part 1. 10 a.m. Feb. 2: Microsoft Excel Part 2. 10 a.m. Feb. 8: AARP Driving Course. 9:30 a.m.3:30 p.m. Feb. 8: Mac 101. 4 p.m.

Feb. 16: Otaku Time. 4 p.m. Historical Room.

Feb. 15: Internet 101. 10 a.m.

Feb. 23: Anime Movie Night. 4 p.m.

Feb. 15: Email 101. 2 p.m.

Feb. 27: Lego Wars. 11 a.m.

Adults

Feb. 26: Online Job Hunting. 4 p.m.

Teens

Thursdays: Sunrise Rotary Club. 6 a.m. Community Room.

Feb. 29: Youtube Essentials. 2 p.m.

Fridays: Open Gaming. 4-5:30 p.m. Enjoy

B22 • February 2016

Vestavia Voice

Area Events Feb. 1: WWE Monday Night Raw. 6:30 p.m. BJCC Legacy Arena, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North $17-$102. Visit ticketmaster.com. Feb. 4: Birmingham Art Crawl. 5 p.m.-9 p.m. 113 22nd Street North, Birmingham. Meet local artists and performers, buy their work and be a part of the Birmingham art scene. Visit birminghamartcrawl.com. Feb. 4–May 5: GriefShare. Thursdays at 7 p.m. Faith Presbyterian Church (Room A103), 4601 Valleydale Road. Trained facilitators who have experienced grief just like you will guide you through one of life’s most difficult experiences and provide you with the tools to move forward. Registration $20. Visit griefshare.org/groups/63460. Feb. 4: Samford basketball. 7 p.m. Pete Hanna Center, 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham Women host UNCG at 5 p.m. Men host Furman. $10-$15. Visit samfordsports.org. Feb. 4: American Girl: Girls Just Like Me- Baking from the Heart. 3:30 p.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens, 2612 Lane Park Road, Birmingham. Explore the story of Grace Thomas and bake a treat. $20 members, $25 non-members. Visit bbgardens.org. Feb. 4-20: Boeing-Boeing. 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Theatre Downtown, 2410 5th Ave. South. Play featuring a pilot for a major airline with a fiancée in three different countries. $12 students, $18 adults. Visit theatredowntown.org. Feb. 4-12: Rock of Ages. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Virginia Samford Theatre, 1116 26th Street South, Birmingham. $33-$38. Visit virginiasamfordtheatre.org. Feb. 5: Diana Ross. 8 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North. $63-

$128. Visit ticketmaster.com.

mingham. $9 children/$11 adults. Visit bct123.org.

Feb. 5-6: Alabama Symphony Orchestra: EBSCO Masterworks Series. 8 p.m. Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center, 1200 10th Ave. South, Birmingham. $24-$69. Visit alabamasymphony.org.

Feb. 7: American Girl: Girls Just Like Me- Baking from the Heart. 2 p.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens, 2612 Lane Park Road, Birmingham. Explore the story of Grace Thomas and bake a treat. $20 members, $25 non-members. Visit bbgardens.org.

Feb. 5-6: AHSAA Indoor Track & Field State Championships. 5 p.m.- p.m. Friday. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Birmingham Crossplex, 2331 Bessemer Road, Birmingham. $7 adults, $3 students. 5 and under, free. Visit ahsaa.com.

the Red Diamond SuperPops! Series. BJCC Concert Hall. $14-$85. Visit alabamasymphony.org. Feb. 13: Spring Cleansing. 10 a.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens, 2612 Lane Park Road, Birmingham. Learn to jump start your body with a spring cleansing. $15 members, $20 non-members. Visit bbgardens.org.

Feb. 8: In The Mood: a 1940s Musical Revue. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Alabama Theatre, 1817 Third Avenue North. 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. $34 & $39. Visit inthemoodlive.com.

Feb. 13: UAB women’s basketball v. Louisiana Tech. 2 p.m. Bartow Arena, 617 13th Street South, Birmingham. $15-$20. Visit uabsports.com.

Feb. 6: McWane Beaker Bash: Galactic Road Trip. 5 p.m.-8 p.m. McWane Science Center, 200 19th Street North, Birmingham. Fundraiser to support statewide science education programs. $30-$50. Visit mcwane.org.

Feb. 10: Hearts of Hope. Cahaba Grand Conference Center, 3660 Grandview Parkway, Birmingham. Event provides resources necessary to continue the work of The Foundry Women’s Recovery Program. Free. Visit foundryminstries.com.

Feb. 13: AMSOIL Arenacross. 7 p.m. Legacy Arena at the BJCC, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North. $10-$50. Visit arenacross.com.

Feb. 6: Riverchase Loves Artists. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Riverchase Country Club, 2000 Country Club Road, Hoover. 10th Annual indoor art show. $2 donation. Visit riverchaselovesartists.com.

Feb. 11: UAB women’s basketball v. Southern Miss. 7 p.m. Bartow Arena, 617 13th Street South, Birmingham. $15-$20. Visit uabsports.com.

Feb. 6: Our Native Lichens Curious Life Partners. 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens, 2612 Lane Park Road, Birmingham. $40 members, $45 non-members. Visit bbgardens.org.

Feb. 12: Harpeth Rising. 7:30 p.m. Shelby County Arts Council, 104 Mildred Street, Columbiana. $20. Visit shelbycountyartscouncil.com.

Feb. 6: 10th Annual Chinese New Year Festival. 11 a.m. Boutwell Auditorium, 1930 8th Avenue North. Ancient artifacts, dance, music and food. Visit bhmchinesefestival.org. Feb. 6 & 13: Face/Time. 2 p.m. Birmingham Children’s Theatre, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North, Birmingham. $9 children/$11 adults. Visit bct123.org. Feb. 6 & 13: Jack & The Beanstalk. 10:45 a.m. and 12 p.m. Birmingham Children’s Theatre, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North, Bir-

Feb. 12-14: O’Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels. Friday 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. BJCC Exhibition Halls, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North. $18 adults, $5 children, 5 and under, free. Visit worldofwheels.net. Feb. 12-14: Mercedes Marathon Weekend. Friday, 12 p.m. -7 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. Sunday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Boutwell Auditorium, 1930 8th Avenue North, Birmingham. Visit mercedesmarathon.com. Feb. 13: The Four Tops with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. 8 p.m. Part of

Feb. 13-14: Repticon Birmingham Reptile & Exotic Animal Show. Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Zamora Temple, 3521 Ratliff Road, Birmingham. $10 adults, $5 children, 5 and under, free. Visit repticon.com. Feb. 14: I Do With A View. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Vulcan Park and Museum, 1701 Valley View Drive, Birmingham. Valentine’s Day wedding packages. Visit visitvulcan.com. Feb. 14: An Evening of Love with Fantasia. 7 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North. $48.75-$78.75. Visit fantasiaofficial.com. Feb. 14: Drew Mays: Love at the Lyric. 2:30 p.m. Lyric Theatre, 1800 Third Avenue North, Birmingham. Recital by pianist. $15-$30. Visit bhammusicclub.org. Feb. 15: Over the Mountain Festival. 4 p.m. Bluff Park United Methodist Church. 733 Valley Street, Hoover. Free concert. Visit otmfestivals.org. Feb. 18: Samford men’s basketball

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2016 • B23

Area Events v. UNCG. 7 p.m. Pete Hanna Center, 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham. $10-$15. Visit samfordsports.org. Feb. 18: Next to Normal. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Red Mountain Theatre Company, 301 19th Street North, Birmingham. Pop musical exploring how a suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness. Tickets start at $30. Visit redmountaintheatre.org. Feb. 18-21 Birmingham Home and Garden Show. Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. BJCC Exhibition Halls, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North. $3 children 6-12, $11 adults. Visit birminghamhomeandgardenshow.com. Feb. 19: Alabama Symphony Orchestra Coffee Concert. 11 a.m. Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center, 1200 10th Avenue South, Birmingham. $19-$33. Visit alabamasymphony.org. Feb. 19: Toby Mac. 7 p.m. Legacy Arena at BJCC, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North. Also featuring: Britt Nicole, Building 429, Colton Dixon, Capital Kings, Finding Favour and Hollyn. $15$69.50. Visit tobymac.com. Feb. 19: Vince Gill and Lyle Lovett: Songs and Stories Tour. 7:30 p.m. Alabama Theatre, 1817 Third Ave. North, Birmingham. $49-$69. Visit alabamatheatre.com. Feb. 19-21: Chicago: The Musical. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. BJCC Concert Hall, 200 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North. $35-$85. Visit theaterleague.com. Feb. 19-21 Don Quixote. 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday. 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Presented by the Alabama Ballet. Leslie S. Wright

Fine Arts Center, Samford University, 800 Lakeshore Drive. $25-$55. Visit alabamaballet.org. Feb. 22: WordPress Meetup. 7-8 p.m. Bring questions to the One-on-One Genius Bar. Pale Eddie’s Pour House, 2308 2nd Ave. North. Feb. 25: Roberto Plano, pianist. 7:30 p.m. Brock Recital Hall, Samford University, 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham. $6 students, $25 reserved seating. Visit tickets.samford.edu. Feb. 25-28 Piff the Magic Dragon. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday. 6:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. Saturday. 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Comedy Club Stardome, 1818 Data Drive, Hoover. As seen on America’s Got Talent. Ages 17 and up. $23. Visit stardome.com. Feb. 26: Alabama Symphony Orchestra: Mozart, Bernstein & Weill: Men of the Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Lyric Theatre, 1800 Third Ave. North, Birmingham. Visit alabamasymphony.org. Feb. 26-28: Birmingham Ballet presents Sleeping Beauty. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. BJCC Theatre, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd., North. $25 and $45. Visit birminghamballet.com. Feb. 26-28 Birmingham RV Super Show. Friday, 12 p.m. -8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. BJCC Exhibition Halls, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North. $9 adults, children 12 and under free. Visit bkproductions.biz. Feb. 27: 9th Annual Ovarian Cycle Birmingham. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Levite Jewish Community Center, 3960 Montclair Road. Three-hour indoor cycling event to support ovarian cancer research. Registration fee for riders 26 & older: $50; Riders 12-25: $25; Survivors: Free. Visit nlovca.org/ovarian-cycle.

BUICK GMC

CONGRATULATIONS, BEN & CAROLE! Ben & Carole Smith drove away from Royal Automotive with their new 2016 Buick Enclave Premium.

Thank you for being Loyal To Royal!

3010 Columbiana Rd · At the Corner of I-65 and Highway 31 in Vestavia

(205) 823-3100 · www.royalbuickgmc.net

Where you’re always treated like royalty!