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
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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