Volume 4 | Issue 8 | December 2016
The kids
on the block Monterey Place family’s lawn ornaments become beloved neighborhood landmarks By EMILY FEATHERSTON The view from Shades Mountain is the reason many spend top dollar for a Vestavia Hills home. Many of the residents of Monterey Place, however, think the best view isn’t the sprawling Alabama landscape in the valley — it’s a yard full of metal goats. Jarry and Janet Taylor have lived on Monterey Place since 2006 and, like most, have strived to be good neighbors. But
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as! m s t i r h C y r Mer
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Vestavia alum takes over the legendary wrestling program
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Dry Spell Signs point to the drought persisting into the winter months.
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Vestavia Hills alumnus Tee Adams is taking over as the new coach for the Vestavia Hills High School wrestling team. Adams is replacing legendary coach Steve Gaydosh, who acquired 13 state championships for the school. Adams began wrestling after Gaydosh approached him in his sixth-grade physical education class. Gaydosh made a big impression on Adams and is the reason he said he decided to take up the sport. Adams had a lot of early success in wrestling. At Vestavia, he was a three-time All-American and a two-time state champion. “Being coached by him was a great opportunity,
and I was learning from one of the greatest wrestling minds in the state of Alabama,” Adams said. “He taught me how to be disciplined and technical and taught me the craft of wrestling.” Adams continued his wrestling career on scholarship at Upper Iowa University, where he was a two-time NCAA qualifier. His goal was always to come back to Birmingham and be a wrestling coach. Before securing the position at Vestavia, Adams was the head coach at Liberty Park Middle School and has been coaching for the past nine years. When the new position opened at Vestavia Hills,
See WRESTLING | page A29
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About Us Editor’s Note By Sydney Cromwell It’s the most wonderful time of the year. While the weather is still pretty warm as I’m writing this, the Christmas songs creeping onto my radio and my ever-growing gift list are getting me in the holiday spirit. Christmas lights are one of my perennial favorite parts of this season — with the food being a close second. The lights always remind me of Decembers as a child. I had a big book of Christmas tales and songs from around the world, which I would always read at night by the warm light of our Christmas tree. That’s why I enjoyed reading about the work behind the scenes that lights up Vestavia Hills for the holidays, and this month’s cover story about a
on safety hazards with holiday decorations. We also have a gift guide from some of our local retailers. If you’re experiencing some Christmas overload, we also have previews of the basketball season and features on Vestavia residents and teachers who have recently been honored for their exceptional service. Whether you’re staying in town or traveling this holiday season, may your days be merry and bright.
local couple who have turned their lawn ornaments into decoration for all seasons. Check out our guide to holiday events in the city, as well as our feature
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Former Mayor Butch Zaragoza dons a white Stetson at the end of the Oct. 24 City Council meeting. During his reelection campaign this summer, Zaragoza said that when the time came, whether it was after his current term or if he had four more years, he would ride off into the sunset wearing his white hat. Photo by Emily Featherston.
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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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City Mayor’s Minute By Ashley Curry
As we enter this holiday season, we begin to think about the gifts that we will receive and maybe we have started a shopping list for close friends and family. I would encourage you to think about the real meaning of this holiday season and our gifts and gift giving. One of my favorite quotes is by Winston Churchill. He said, “You make a living by what you make, but you make a life by what you give.” What will you do this holiday season to help others in need? Vestavia Hills has many opportunities to serve others through municipal programs or the many churches or synagogues in our area. Think of giving back to your community as one of your civic responsibilities. Our city employees certainly understand what it means to give of their time and their money. I have been informed that our employees increased their contributions to the United Way by 37 percent over last year. They also volunteer with the Greater Birmingham Big Brothers/ Big Sisters organization in hosting a workplace mentoring program for inner city youth. Whatever you decide to do to help others will be rewarding, and your lives will be enriched. The old adage, “it is better to give than to receive,” is true. Try it this holiday season. On behalf of our council members and our city employees, I wish you a joyous holiday season.
Outgoing council expresses thanks at final meeting By EMILY FEATHERSTON The 2012-16 Vestavia Hills City Council met for the final time Oct. 24, and in addition to the items of business on the agenda, spent the meeting reflecting on their time in office. City Manager Jeff Downes began by presenting Mayor Butch Zaragoza with a plaque commemorating his 47 years of public service, first with the Vestavia Hills Fire Department and then as mayor. After going through Zaragoza’s service since 1969, Downes announced that the Vestavia Hills Police Department had a special presentation. After taking a brief recess from the meeting, the council and audience went outside where the VHPD presented Zaragoza with the Vestavia Hills city flag. The flag, chief Dan Rary said, flew over the old City Hall before the move and is the only flag that has flown at the new location. Zaragoza, after expressing he was overwhelmed, thanked the other councilors and the city employees. “We’ve done some good, but it takes everybody,” he said. Jim Sharp, Steve Ammons and John Henley were also presented with plaques commemorating their service, and Zaragoza encouraged George Pierce, who will remain on the council, to continue to push the city forward. All of the leaving councilors thanked the city employees, particularly Downes, who was hired during their administration. In addition to reminiscing and expressing their thanks, the
Vestavia Hills Police Chief Dan Rary presents then-Mayor Butch Zaragoza with the flag that flew over City Hall during his tenure. Photo by Emily Featherston.
council voted on multiple final items of business. After a motion from Ammons, the council voted to delay action on the rezoning of the six lots on Crosshaven Drive for the Leaf & Petal development, saying they did not want to saddle the incoming council by making the decision and then leaving office. The council also approved a resolution authorizing Downes to execute a cash commitment of $190,000 for the construction of a pedestrian bridge over U.S. 31 between the Library in the Forest and Wald Park. The commitment is contingent on supplemental funding under discussion being approved, and Downes stressed
that there are still several hurdles the city will have to overcome before the project has a timeline. In other business: ► The council voted to amend the fence ordinance to limit the allowed height to 8 feet. ► An easement for Alagasco was approved on the former Altadena Valley Country Club. ► Approved a resolution expressing strong support for Amendment 14 to the Alabama Constitution, voted on in the Nov. 8 elections. ► Discussed the recent Birmingham Water Works Board issuance of a Stage 3 Drought Warning and encouraged citizens to conserve water.
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December 2016 • A7
Council enacts drought ordinance, plans to enforce watering restrictions
Representatives from the Birmingham Water Works Board explained the seriousness of the drought conditions to the city council on Nov. 14. Photo by Emily Featherston
By EMILY FEATHERSTON Mayor Ashley Curry opened the Vestavia Hills City Council’s second item of business on Nov. 14 with a joke, informing citizens that if they haven’t noticed, it hasn’t rained in a while. But the light-hearted reminder was soon replaced with sobering statistics from the Birmingham Water Works Board about the drought conditions the area continues to experience. Senior representatives of the BWWB were at the meeting to relay information to the council about the state of the drought, and how the board is working through it. Birmingham recently broke the record set in 1924 for the most consecutive days without water, and for Lake Purdy, a major BWWB reservoir, drought conditions have persisted for even longer. While the lake is not the only water source for the area, assistant general manager of operations Darryl Jones said, it is definitely a cause for concern. Jones explained to the council not only how the board has been encouraging customers to conserve water, but how the board itself has been altering its operations in order to relieve some of the strain on Lake Purdy. Jones said that they have reduced the demand on Lake Purdy by 30-35 million gallons, pulling that water from reservoirs in the north. However, with forecasts indicating that the drought could continue into 2017, Jones said the BWWB is asking municipalities to enact their drought ordinances if they haven’t already. “We don’t have any policing power when it comes to enforcing water usage,” Jones said. City Manager Jeff Downes explained that police officers will use their discretion when determining violations of the ordinance, but a violation could result in a citation and
fine up to $1,000, or the equivalent of a misdemeanor. Curry said that the city wants to be helpful in doing its part to help with water conservation, and encouraged residents to contact the city with questions. “We would do our due diligence in enforcing the law,” he said. “We would be fair about it.” In addition to the drought update and action, Downes reported on several projects currently underway or in the works, including new lighting to be installed along U.S. 31, progress on the pedestrian bridge project and a change in contractors on an ADA compliance ramp at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest. Downes reported to the council that one of the contingencies on the bridge project had been met, with a grant for additional funding finally being approved. He said there is also a chance that an additional grant may come through to cover some of the design cost incurred by the projects delay. For the Library project, Downes told the council that a change in vendor had occurred after Richard Sprouse Construction, which was originally awarded the bid for constructing a new ADA compliant ramp, had been transferred due to the city finding the company’s work to be below standards. The new ramp will connect the front of the building to the amphitheater in the back, allowing those with limited mobility to access that part of the library facilities. In other business: ► The council approved a retail beer and wine license for the new Publix supermarket at Patchwork Farms. ► Downes reported that the county notified him and other city officials that the repaving and structure work on Sicard Hollow Road has been put out to bid, with bids to be received on Dec. 5.
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The 2016-2020 Vestavia Hills City Council. Photo by Emily Featherston.
New council takes office, takes aim at moving city forward By EMILY FEATHERSTON The city of Vestavia Hills took its first steps into a new chapter as the 2016-2020 City Council officially took office on Nov. 7. Mayor Ashley Curry, along with Place 1 Councilor Rusty Weaver, Place 2 Councilor Kimberly Cook, Place 3 Councilor Paul Head and Place 4 Councilor George Pierce took their oaths of office surrounded by family in front of a packed council chamber, with Probate Judge Alan King administering.
After being sworn in, the council had a brief organizational meeting to establish the major staff members going forward. City Clerk Rebecca Leavings and City Treasurer Melvin Turner were retained, as well as City Attorney Patrick Boone. Boone’s position was approved with a for-against vote of 4-1, with Cook voting against. Cook took a moment to discuss her concerns that have carried over from the campaign, saying that throughout the election she heard citizens questioning if Boone being attorney for
both the city and the board of education was a conflict of interest. Cook said in the time between the election and Monday, she had investigated the issue and interviewed attorneys and other experts to determine what the city should do. She said she will continue to push for discussion of the issue to “remove the shadow of conflict of interest.” In addition to clerk and treasurer, the council appointed Jim Sturdivant as municipal judge, Joseph Basgier as the city prosecutor and Melissa Doggett and Brian Pace as the city’s
municipal indigent defenders. The council also voted to move the time of City Council meetings to 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month, the only change being the time. After the meeting, those at the meeting were invited to a reception provided by the Vestavia Beautification Board, and the new council members were able to give their thoughts on the front lawn. The councilors expressed their gratitude for citizens being involved, and encouraged continued engagement in moving the city forward.
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December 2016 • A9
A forum for the future: City launches online commenting platform to increase engagement Mayor Ashley Curry and Jim Sharp use their smartphones to participate in Vestavia Hills Listens. Photo by Lexi Coon.
By EMILY FEATHERSTON Throughout the municipal election, multiple candidates said at forums, in interviews and on social media that a main goal, if elected, would be to improve transparency and increase engagement between the city and its residents. Moving into the new administration, Place 2 councilor Kimberly Cook said it was her goal to start improving engagement from the beginning. One problem, she said, is often people would share their strongest opinions about city matters on social media, rather than directly with councilors or during the resident comment periods at meetings. “One of the challenges that presents as a public official, is there are many, many forums where people participate in public forums,” Cook said. Cook said she could tell there were expectations among residents that city officials were monitoring and interacting on all of the different pages and forums where residents were discussing issues. “The problem is, there are so many of them,” Cook said. Cook said she has been a moderator of several online forums, and said she understands the frustration that can arise for both users and moderators. However, because she said she realized many people feel more comfortable and secure sharing their thoughts online, she wanted to find a way to bridge the gap while also eliminating the time-consuming and frustrating nature of moderating. “My desire was to find a system that would sort of simulate or emulate social media, but would take care of some of those problems,” she said. When she presented her idea to City Manager
Jeff Downes, she said he recalled a vendor at a recent conference he had attended where there was a demonstration of a “virtual town hall” or a location where residents could provide public comment in an online platform. After further research, Cook said Downes presented the product of Peak Democracy, a software company founded in 2007. Peak Democracy is “spearheading a whole new era of government,” the company’s website says, with hundreds of municipalities and government agencies across the country using the service. Downes said Vestavia Hills is the first city in Alabama to use the program, but there are cities in the Southeast, such as Decatur, Georgia, that have reported success with the software. The city’s site is called “Vestavia Hills Listens,” and lists topics open for discussion.
Users can either register with a profile or comment anonymously. “It has a lot of capabilities I’m really excited about us using,” Cook said. Topics are chosen by the city, which will administer the website, and councilors will have the ability to interact within the system. However, Cook said moderation of the comment boards is done automatically by Peak Democracy. Posts are never deleted, but if the system detects profanity, gaming, uncivil discussion or users over-posting or using undue influence, the system can flag a comment and hide it from the public view. The city would still be able to see the comment, however. Cook said the automatic moderation was one of the more attractive things about Peak Democracy’s system, as the city would not be responsible for moderation and therefore
residents can trust the city is not attempting to edit opinions. Vestavia Hills Listens can be accessed on multiple types of devices, including smartphones, and has a feature that would allow attendees at a public meeting to react to a topic in realtime, responding to surveys or asking questions without ever approaching the microphone. “It becomes not only a feedback tool but an engagement tool,” Cook said. The city used the software for its town halls in November to discuss the plans created by the Community Spaces Committee for the future of the city’s parks and recreation facilities. Cook said the new council also hopes to use feedback from the system to direct conversation during the council’s annual planning work session in early December. Once a list of topics is determined, Cook said the system can issue reports of how often a topic was mentioned, and the council can go back and do specific surveys to have residents rank issues. “I think that’s going to be helpful information,” she said. Cook and Downes wanted to reiterate the system will not replace the resident comments period at City Council meetings or the public forum process the city already undertakes, but rather the online forums would act as supplemental information to help guide the conversation among city officials. And Cook thinks that will be an indication to residents that the newly elected council was serious about its commitment to transparency and involvement. “It’s innovative; it shows that we’re trying to do new things and find new ways to engage the community,” she said. To access Vestavia Hills Listens and comment on the active discussion boards, go to vhal.org/vestavia-hills-listens.
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Vestavia Voice
Lighting the way City looking to replace halide streetlights on US 31 with LED By EMILY FEATHERSTON As winter approaches and the days get shorter, the need for reliable streetlights becomes increasingly important for motorists and pedestrians alike. U.S. 31, Vestavia’s major thoroughfare that serves as a major artery for traffic and has acted as a major economic driver, sees thousands of drivers a day, as well as pedestrians. Without reliable streetlights, the distance between the Sibyl Temple and the Interstate 65 interchange would be a dark corridor. The corridor is served by metal halide “white way” lights, commonly referred to as “cobra head” lights, said City Manager Jeff Downes. In the segment of U.S. 31 that passes through Vestavia Hills, Downes said there are 120 of these light fixtures, and the city is responsible for maintaining them, even though the highway is an ALDOT right of way. Downes said that the lights are dated and in a state of disrepair, requiring the city to frequently fight wiring issues and fuse damage. “Just as soon as we repair one, another one goes down,” he said. “It’s a nonstop challenge for us.” He said the constant battle to keep the highway illuminated led the city to begin a study about a year ago of what could be done to remedy the situation. During the study, Downes said the city not only discovered that the city had overpaid Alabama Power Company for utility costs, leading to the city receiving a return of $46,485, but realized that taking the step of replacing the current fixtures with LED fixtures might be a favorable option.
“We recognized our goals were: more light, less energy, lower cost,” Downes said, adding that by “more light” the city was aiming for consistent lighting, rather than brighter lighting. It was at that point, Downes said, the city began to consider making the switch to LED fixtures. LED lighting, compared to metal halide lighting, can reduce energy consumption by roughly 80 percent, something that would significantly reduce the city’s annual utility cost. With the current fixtures, Downes told the Vestavia Hills City Council in August when he reported on the study, the city pays about $90,000 a year in utility costs for the highway lighting. In addition, Downes said the city has to budget significantly for repairs to the lights, leading to a total annual cost of $125,000. By switching to LED, the city could theoretically reduce its energy costs for the lighting by $3,000 to $4,000 a year, and Downes said the installation cost of switching would total about the same amount as a usual year’s spending on the lights. “We jumped into this feet first, trying to figure out how we could have our cake and eat it, too, so to speak,” he said. To accomplish the switch, the city had two options: join a new Alabama Power program that would turn over maintenance to the power service, or go the private sector route and continue to be responsible for the lights. “After some study, we determined that the private sector route was the route for us to go,” Downes said. The city started the required “Request for Proposal” process Oct. 11, and Downes said two good proposals from two companies were received.
The lights along U.S. 31 may soon be replaced with LED versions, which city officials think will provide both reliability and energy savings. Photo by Emily Featherston.
Both proposals would meet ALDOT standards for luminaire requirements, but Downes said ALDOT also had to approve the particular fixture proposed by the companies. With council approval, Downes said the project would likely move forward in January, with a 30-day time frame of completion to replace 120 fixtures. For those who might be concerned, Downes said residents should rest assured that the city is working to make sure lighting would not appear too bright, and that the visual should be similar to what it is currently. “It’s not going to be exactly the same,” he said, “but as much as possible.”
Additionally, in response to a question from former Councilman Steve Ammons, Downes said residents need not worry about any change to the Christmas lights the city attaches to the poles during the holiday season. In fact, Downes said the current fixtures are often overloaded by the Christmas lights, which can cause outages, and the new fixtures would easily be able to accommodate them. When the time comes, he said the replacement process will be done one pole at a time, so the impact on traffic should be minimal, and the proposals include the use of off-duty police officers to ensure motorist and contractor safety.
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December 2016 • A11
By EMILY FEATHERSTON
Other options included the consolidation of the middle schools into one school on the former Berry High School property that the board acquired earlier this fall. Phillips said that the idea to combine the schools was something she had not considered until someone brought it up to her. However, she said it would solve at least the concern from parents that the middle school experience is different for the two current middle schools. Phillips acknowledged that there were significant concerns from parents, especially those that do not want to drive their children from Liberty Park to Columbiana Road each day. Another option would be to move VHEC to the Berry campus, an option that would help both the overcrowding at Central and the traffic and safety issues Phillips said parents have expressed concern over. Depending on which option or multiple options the board elects to take, Phillips said that shifts would likely begin to occur somewhere around 2019 or 2020. The November session ended with Hogewood and Phillips reminding the board and audience that no decisions would be made until at least January or February, and that this issue would come up again at the December work session in order for the board to get as much input as possible. City Council Place 4 councilor George Pierce was at the meeting, and urged the board to continue with its process of including the community and emphasizing communication about proposed changes. “I think we’ve all got to be sensitive to making changes,” Pierce said. The slide show explaining the system’s growth and possible solutions was to be posted at vestavia.k12.al.us.
BOE discusses future of school facilities to accommodate growth
During its Nov. 16 work session, the Vestavia Hills Board of Education discussed the future of the school system, and addressed some raised eyebrows about the possible options. With projections indicating that the system will be seeing close to 8,500 students in 20 years, Superintendent Sheila Phillips and board president Mark Hogewood wanted the board and public to understand why there is a sense of urgency. At the work session, Phillips presented several options for how to handle growth and the facilities that are already reporting overcrowding, while planning for sustainability while making renovation and addition plans. However, she reiterated that these were only possibilities, and that no decisions would be made without obtaining as much feedback and research as possible. “The most important thing is to gather as much information as we can,” Phillips said. In the weeks of late October and early November, Phillips held multiple public forums to discuss facilities issues with parents and community members. At the work session, Phillips presented current enrollment numbers and compared those to some of the possible renovation options to the current school facilities, including how those renovations would impact classroom numbers, parking and carpool congestion and other things that may change with different enrollments. Some schools, such as Vestavia Hills Elementary Central and Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights, are so land-locked that Phillips said renovating the current spaces would not necessarily alleviate all of the issues. In fact, she said, in some cases simply adding classrooms can even add strain on things such
At its November work session, the Vestavia Hills Board of Education discussed several different ways the district could deal with growing enrollment numbers. Photo by Emily Featherston.
as parking and cafeteria space. Phillips said she has also been in talks with officials about hiring a demographer to further study how the enrollment trends might impact future plans. Phillips said 661 people responded to the parent survey about facilities, with a pretty much even spread of geographic and grade demographics. Phillips said she wanted to look at both the overall concerns, as well as how each area and grade level viewed facilities issues. The results of the survey indicated that parents had concerns over overcrowding, zoning, alignment programs, safety and other issues relating to facilities.
at Independent Presbyterian Church 3100 Highland Avenue S, Birmingham AL
Sundays
November 27 • December 4 December 11 • December 18 Hear the music and the scriptures from George Frideric Handel’s masterpiece. The IPC Choir under the direction of Dr. Jeff R. McLelland will perform Part 1 of Messiah across four Sundays beginning November 27 in both the 8:45 and 11 am worship services. Senior Pastor Dr. William J. Carl III will deliver sermons each Sunday related to the biblical texts which the choir will be singing.
Everyone is welcome. www.ipc-usa.org/messiah
The presentation Phillips gave at the work session offered multiple ideas, some of which she said have a long way to go before being viable options. One option that Phillips said came up often in the survey results would be to acquire additional land in Liberty Park and build an additional high school. The school, to house between 750 and 1000 students, would be around 20,000 square feet and would require the acquisition of at least 40 acres of land to meet requirements. The school, which in its current concept would be for grades 9 - 12, would cost between $37 million and $50 million, not including the land acquisition and any athletic facilities.
A12 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
Chamber
Preview of
December
Chamber honors veterans as speaker encourages support
Luncheon
End the year on a relaxing note with a performance from the Birmingham Boys Choir. The choir, which recently relocated its offices to Vestavia Hills, will share a holiday music concert at the December Chamber of Commerce membership luncheon. The luncheon will be Dec. 13 at Vestavia Country Club from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reservations are $18 and must be made before the Friday before the luncheon. Late reservations are $25. Register online at vestaviahills. org or call the chamber at 8235011. From left: Chamber board chair James Robinson, Col. Stretch Dunn, chamber president Karen Odle, chamber vice-chair of programming Donnie Dobbins. Photo by Emily Featherston.
By EMILY FEATHERSTON Just a few days before the national celebration of Veterans Day, the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce recognized those who have served in the United States Armed Services. Veterans at the November luncheon were asked to stand, and were given a round of applause by the audience. The speaker for the Nov. 8 meeting was Col. Stretch Dunn, an Army veteran who served in the Fourth Infantry Division in the Vietnam War. Dunn spoke about several of his experiences in Vietnam, which included conflict situations as well as humanitarian missions and support. Dunn said that while all soldiers
experience something different, he wanted to share in order to demonstrate some of the reasons behind his efforts to establish a support center for veterans. “Everybody has their own unique experience,” he said. Many of the soldiers in the Vietnam conflict were only 18-19 years old, he said, and encouraged the audience to consider their state of mind or their child’s state of mind at that point in life. When those soldiers as well as older soldiers experienced things such as finding civilians injured or killed due to the fighting, he said they experienced what he calls “moral injury,” and that these “moments of truth” have a profound
effect on the individual. Moral injury is often paired with post-traumatic stress disorder — though Dunn said he does not refer to those who suffer from PTSD as having a “disorder,” and calls it simply PTS. He said that the experiences of war, no matter the age of the soldier or duration of service, can lead to guilt, anxiety, depression and many other difficult things. “It leaves scars that are hidden from others, but that are difficult to get rid of,” he said. Dunn is the leader of Veterans Leadership Ministry, which aims to heal the mind and spirit of veterans of all wars in any way possible. The group serves veterans in the proximity of Bluff Park United Methodist Church, and
partners with local counselors and doctors to serve the veterans in as many ways as possible. The important thing, Dunn said, is to realize that the healing process can be extremely difficult, and added that it is different for each soldier. “The last thing you should do is to say you understand,” he said, but added that embracing veterans with love and support is always the first place to start. Dunn encouraged chamber members to help the ministry reach out to soldiers in the area who may be “quietly suffering,” because though they survived their time fighting, it may be even more difficult to survive the peace, he said. To contact Veterans Leadership Ministry, email info@veteransleadershipministry.org.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • A13
HealthSouth continues looking forward to move to Liberty Park By EMILY FEATHERSTON Those who frequent Liberty Parkway are already aware of the development and construction in the 9000 block, but HealthSouth has now formally broken ground at the site of its future home office. Senior members of the HealthSouth team, as well as a few prominent community members, gathered the morning of Nov. 7 to officially celebrate the project getting underway. Current President and CEO Jay Grinney opened the remarks by emphasizing how they are referring to the new building as HealthSouth’s “home office,” not its headquarters or main office, because having a home in Birmingham is an important thing to the company, and that it was important to the company that their new office remain in the city. “We consider ourselves a friend of this city,” Grinney said. Grinney said moving the company’s main operation center to a different location was something he realized on his first day in 2004 needed to happen. In 2008, the company sold the land its current office sits on, and Grinney said he knew the company finally had a path to that final goal. On Jan. 1, 2017, Grinney will be replaced by Mark Tarr, the current COO and vice president, and Grinney said he is excited about Tarr’s and the rest of the leadership team’s ability to reposition the company. Tarr also spoke at the ceremony, describing the vision for the seven-story building that will be able to house up to 660 employees. “It’s going to be very daylight-oriented,” Tarr said, commenting on the open layout, open staircases and use of glass in the design. The new facility will also have a water
Members of the senior leadership team and other distinguished guests ceremonially move earth at the site of the future HealthSouth home office. Photo by Emily Featherston.
feature, large and small meeting spaces, and a cafeteria and coffee bar. In keeping with HealthSouth’s healthy-living wellness program, the new facility will also feature a 1/4 mile jogging track as well as a fitness center. Tarr said the building will also have state-ofthe-art energy saving technologies to cut down on its environmental impact. Tarr and Grinney both thanked Robert Simon of Corporate Realty, who had a major role in the design of the facility, as well as Brasfield
& Gorrie, which is handling the construction. Birmingham Mayor William Bell, Sr. joined the HealthSouth team at the ceremony and expressed his thanks for the company’s support of the city, and thinks the continued partnership is a good thing for the entire Birmingham area. He also praised HealthSouth’s rebound from its economic and public relations crises of the early 2000s. He compared the company to Batman and Superman, saying that if the heroes didn’t have a villain to rise
to the occasion against, their achievements wouldn’t mean much. Joining the senior management team at the groundbreaking were three of HealthSouth’s longest-tenured employees: Lynne Lee, who has been at the company for 33 years; Terrence Hamm, who has been with the company for 35 years; and Deborah Warlick, who has worked at the company for 42 years. The new office building is expected to open in the spring of 2018.
A14 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
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VestaviaVoice.com
Now Open PizzaWorks is now open 1 IronStone in the Vestavia Hills City Center, 632 Montgomery Highway. 582-7686, ironstonepizza.com National Land Realty has opened its Birmingham sales office at 308 Montgomery Highway, Suite A. 855-384-5263, nationalland.com
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Coming Soon HealthSouth celebrated the groundbreaking of its new headquarters on November 7 at 9001 Liberty Parkway. healthsouth.com
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December 2016 • A15
Hirings and Promotions ARC Realty, 4274 Cahaba Heights Court, Suite 200, has hired Scotty Walters as a Realtor. 969-8910, arcrealtyco.com
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Anniversaries Kwik Kopy, 2017 Canyon Road, Suite 111, is celebrating its 32nd anniversary this month. 979-5247, kwikkopy.com
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The UPS Store, 732 Montgomery Highway, is celebrating its 17th anniversary this month. 978-0770, vestaviahills-al-3091.theupsstorelocal.com
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Pappas’ Grill, 1066 Montgomery Highway, celebrated its 25th anniversary in November. 823-4458, thepappasgrill.com
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Business news
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Relocation Expansion Anniversary
If you are in a brick and mortar business in Vestavia Hills and want to share your event with the community, let us know.
A16 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
Knitting together a community By SYDNEY CROMWELL
For some people, winter weather means it’s time to stock up on groceries and dust off their winter coats. For Donna Higgins, it means she needs to buy more thick, wooly yarns. Higgins is the owner of In the Making yarn and fabric store at 4232 Dolly Ridge Road in Cahaba Heights. Inside the airy shop are shelves piled with yarn, bolts of fabric, comfortable chairs and projects such as scarves and hats, made by shop employees, to show the potential in each skein of yarn. “Birmingham kind of made it happen. The people here needed community,” Higgins said of her store’s beginnings. Higgins started out in sewing rather than knitting. It was a hobby she shared with her mother, who was deaf, and was one of their main forms of bonding and communication. She continued to sew as she grew up, but after her children outgrew the age where she could make their clothes, Higgins turned to knitting. “Within minutes I was like, ‘I’ve got to have this; I’ve got to have more,’” Higgins recalled about learning to knit. In 2004, Higgins opened a shop in Cahaba Heights for sewing projects such as pillows and window treatments. She planned to just sell yarn “on the side,” but things didn’t quite turn out that way. “Well, what happened was I never worked in that shop because I was selling yarn,” she said. Eventually Higgins chose to make In the Making a retail shop for yarn and fabrics instead of a custom order workshop. They moved into their current building two years ago after a three-year building process. Much of the wood features and furniture inside are reclaimed from barns and other structures
Donna Higgins owns In the Making yarn and fabric store and started her own line of yarn, Big Bad Wool. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.
around the state. Most of the yarns sold at In the Making are made of natural fibers such as wool, cotton and linen, and some are shipped from as far away as Ireland. Higgins also has her own line of yarn, Big Bad Wool, which she started in January 2015. It is spun in Peru and made
out of merino wool and baby alpaca wool. Big Bad Wool started because Higgins wanted more consistency in the colors available in the baby yarn section of her store. There are now two styles of Big Bad Wool in about 35 colors, and Higgins plans to introduce a new rugged, “hearty” yarn in summer.
“This was an interesting startup. Our baby section was just nothing more than a mishmash of various yarns that we could get from our vendors,” Higgins said. Big Bad Wool is sold in other knitting and crochet shops besides In the Making, and Higgins said the soft texture of the yarn can
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • A17
In the Making is on Dolly Ridge Road and provides supplies for knitting, crochet and quilting projects.
make it addictive. “I compare this to like a Sharpie cabinet at the art store, you know? It’s like, ‘I want one of everything,’” Higgins said. It’s not the yarn selection that has made In the Making successful, Higgins said. The project support and classes they provide keep customers coming back rather than buying online or at a larger hobby shop. “Because the community realizes how
valuable it is that we’re here, they support us,” Higgins said. Several employees at In the Making have worked there for a decade or more, Higgins said. They can help with knitting, crocheting and quilting projects and lead classes to teach new skills. Three staff members are also designers and will create original patterns customers can buy. One employee even started teaching customers how to spin their own yarn
and weave. “The community loves to knit what [store manager] Jamie [Thomas] might have designed,” Higgins said. Their customers range from children and teens to new mothers and grandparents, who pick up needle art hobbies for a variety of reasons. But the unique mixture of what In the Making has to offer means that even with the growing popularity of online shopping, Higgins
and her staff can count on customers continuing to walk in the door. “We already have a community here, so we don’t need to seek one outside of it,” Higgins said. Learn more about In the Making at shopinthemaking.com, and find out more about Big Bad Wool at bbwool.com. In the Making is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
A18 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
up the By SARAH COOK Even if Jack Frost doesn’t visit Alabama this year, snowflakes will still fall along U.S. 31 in Vestavia. The best part? These snowflakes won’t melt, and there’s a good chance Rudolph will light their way with his glowing red nose, along with a choir of angels.
A TREASURED TRADITION
Before they make their holiday debut, the city’s decorations, which have been used for decades, sit in a shed along U.S. 31. Photos by Sarah Cook.
While the chance of a white Christmas in Alabama may be slim, the odds that holiday decorations will adorn Vestavia Hills is certain. The city has been making its patch of Birmingham festive for about 32 years by lining portions of U.S. 31, Columbiana Road, Rocky Ridge Road and Cahaba Heights with life-size ornaments. Mike Swann, who works for the city’s public works department, has helped get the 6-foot-tall ornaments on light posts around the city for almost 25 years. “When I first started here, I was the one who was actually putting them up,” Swann said, who now oversees the annual tradition. Every year, Swann said the city mounts snowflakes, reindeer, stockings, Christmas trees and angels on city streetlights so drivers can admire the decorations. Once the sun goes down and the street lamps switch on, the ornaments come to life in shades of white, amber and green, he said. Until the decorations make their holiday debut, however, Swann said they rest within the city’s public works department off U.S. 31, waiting for their moment to shine. He guessed there are about 300 ornaments. The process of getting the ornaments mounted and ready for the season can be a tiresome feat, Swann said.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • A19 were bulbs that were out, so we had to go back out and fix them,” Swann said with a reminiscent smile. “It was cold outside that night with rain, and we were out there having to change bulbs.” Usually, Swann said, a crew of three from the city is responsible for making sure all the ornaments go up and are plugged in. Weighing in at about 15 pounds each (Swann noted the angel is the heaviest one of all), the decorations can take their toll on the employees-turned-temporary-elves who put them on display. If bulbs need to be replaced, or if decorations begin showing their age, Swann said the city turns to Dixie Decorations in Montevallo to replenish their stock. “They do decorations for all the municipalities,” he said. “That’s the go-to place for decorations.” Former Vestavia Hills Mayor Butch Zaragoza said the decorations have become a beloved holiday tradition in the city. He also noted that the decorations used to accompany an annual holiday parade down U.S. 31 — but due to increased traffic, that tradition has since been retired. Zaragoza said the ornaments, however, will likely stick around for a long time. “I know some of our decorations have a little age to them, and we’ve been in discussions to update those decorations,” he said. “But I think once they’re all up and the lights are burning, it just looks beautiful going up Highway 31. We definitely have the holiday spirit in Vestavia Hills.”
GEARING UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Mike Swann, who has worked for the city for almost 25 years, has helped display the city’s holiday decorations for decades.
“We usually start a few weeks before Thanksgiving and try to have it all done by Thanksgiving; that way they can all get turned on,” he said. “We get them ready here at our shop, make sure all the bulbs are ready, and we put them in order on the truck.” One of the biggest barriers in getting the
ornaments ready to go is making sure each bulb on each ornament is working, Swann said. He guessed in all, there are more than 21,000 bulbs. “And there are probably more than that,” he said while surveying the decorations, neatly stacked in rows in an open shed within the
city’s public works department. Almost every year, Swann said the city has to go back and replace bulbs — making sure Vestavia gets its optimum share of holiday glow. “There was one year when the mayor at the time rode along the highway and saw that there
As the public works department prepares to light up Vestavia with holiday cheer, Swann said he envisions the tradition will go off smoothly — after all, he has more than two decades of experience with it. “I’ve been doing this for a while,” he said. And even though the longtime city employee doesn’t actually live in Vestavia (he lives in Helena), he said he’s looking forward to sharing the tradition with his family, and maybe taking them on a drive down U.S. 31 to see the decorations.
A20 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
Events
Area churches hosting holiday events
By EMILY FEATHERSTON Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year, and many churches will meet at their regular service times the day-of. In addition, however, several area churches will host Christmas Eve events, as well as other activities throughout December to celebrate the season. Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church 2061 Kentucky Avenue Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church has several holiday events throughout the month of December, beginning with performances of the Magic City Nutcracker Dec. 2-4 and culminating on Christmas Day with both contemporary and traditional services. On Dec. 9, the church will host a Christmas Pops concert, with performances by UAB’s jazz ensemble as well as Zachary Sayle, who played Crutchy in the Broadway musical “Newsies.” Tickets to the event are available at vhumc.org. On the following Sunday, Dec. 11, VHUMC will have “Lessons and Carols” at its services at 8:30, 9:45 and 11 a.m., celebrating stories and songs dating back to the 19th century. On Christmas Eve, VHUMC will have services at 2, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 11 p.m., with the 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. services only lasting 30 minutes. For more information, visit vhumc.org or call 822-9631. Shades Mountain Baptist Church 2017 Columbiana Road Shades Mountain Baptist Church will have two major Christmas events this year. The first, held on Dec. 4, will be “Christmas by Candlelight: Thy Perfect Light,” and will feature
musicians, filmmakers and artists telling the Christmas story in various ways. There will be two services, one at 2 p.m. and one at 6 p.m., with childcare provided for children under 4 years old. The program will also be rebroadcast online from Dec. 11 to Jan. 1. The church will also have a candlelight Christmas Eve service at 5 p.m. The service will last one hour, and childcare will not be available. For more information, visit shades.org/ Christmas or call 822-1670. Vestavia Hills Baptist Church 2600 Vestavia Drive Vestavia Hills Baptist Church will have two completely different Christmas Eve services to celebrate the holiday. The first, “Come See the Baby,” will be at 4:30 p.m. in the church’s fellowship hall. “Come See the Baby,” is a casual, hands-on time for families, preschool and children’s minister Nancy Akins said. Children will be able to participate in a telling of the Christmas story, and there will be responsive readings as well as carol singing for guests of all ages. VHBC will also have a more formal Christmas Eve service at 8 p.m. in the sanctuary, where communion will be observed. Liberty Park Baptist Church 12001 Liberty Parkway Liberty Park Baptist Church will begin the holiday season by hosting “Christmas in the Park” on Dec. 11 at 4 and 7 p.m. The event will be a vocal performance of the adult choir and orchestra titled “Believe,” showcasing traditional and new Christmas music. Between the
two performances at 5:30, there will be a live nativity scene outside the church for families to experience. In addition, LPBC will have two traditional Christmas Eve services, the first at 3 p.m. and the second at 5 p.m. Horizon Church 2345 Columbiana Road Unlike many of the churches in the Vestavia area, Horizon Church has elected to hold a Christmas Eve worship service on Saturday at 6 p.m. rather than on Christmas day itself, in order to leave that day open for families. In addition to the worship service, Horizon will have a children’s music service on Dec. 18 at 10:30 a.m. Both services will be held in the church’s sanctuary. Saint Mark United Methodist Church 2901 Columbiana Road Saint Mark United Methodist will have several holiday services and events, culminating in multiple Christmas Eve services. On Friday, Dec. 9, families are invited to “The Story of Christmas,” presented by the 4and 5-year-olds of the Early Learning Center. The 10 a.m. event will be held in the church’s sanctuary. The following day, Saturday, Dec. 10, families can attend Breakfast with Santa from 8:30 to 10 a.m. in The Hillside, the church’s Family Life Center. On Christmas Eve, Saint Marks will have three candlelight services. The first, at 4 p.m., will be a contemporary service at The Hillside, and will have nursery available. Later, in the sanctuary, there will be traditional services at
Area churches are hosting a variety of holiday events. Photo by Ron Burkett.
5 and 11 p.m., with nursery available at the 5 p.m. service. All three services will include the observance of communion. Please visit vestaviavoice.com for additional holiday service information that was not available at press time.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • A21
Holiday in the Hills returns to Vestavia By MARYELLEN NEWTON Vestavia Hills celebrates Christmas in a special way. With events that include the lighting of the Christmas tree, Breakfast with Santa and the Christmas parade, there’s something for everyone.
CITY TREE LIGHTING FESTIVAL
The lighting of the Christmas tree will be held Nov. 29 at Vestavia Hills City Hall. In addition to the lighting, there is entertainment and merchant giveaways as the city and members of the beautification board offer their services in decorating the tree. According to the assistant to City Manager Melissa Hipp, choirs from Vestavia Hills Elementary East, Vestavia Hills Elementary Central, Liberty Park Elementary School, Liberty Park Middle School and Pizitz Middle School will perform this year. The Rockettes from Vestavia Hills High School will also perform. The event also features children’s crafts, hot chocolate, a business expo and a visit from Santa.
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA
This year’s Breakfast with Santa will be Dec. 10 from 7:30 to 10 a.m. in the Dogwood Room at the Vestavia Hills Civic Center. Any family with young children is welcome. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy plain or chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, milk, juice and coffee. The breakfast is a come-and-go event and free while supplies last. City Councilman John Henley said longtime Santa Harold Hagler would be there for photos and to hear the children’s
wishes. He also said the Rockettes and the Vestavia Hills Belles would be there. Breakfast with Santa began as part of Holiday in the Hills, which started in 2011. Henley volunteered to oversee the event, and he approached several of his friends who were part of the local father-daughter group Tonkawa India Princess Tribe. During the first year, eight to 10 volunteers and their children helped cook and serve the breakfast. “Breakfast with Santa was a hit,” Henley said. “We’ve been holding the event ever since.”
CHRISTMAS PARADE
The Vestavia Hills Christmas Parade will be at 2 p.m. Dec. 11. The parade begins at Liberty Parkway and ends at Alston Meadow. Jeff Downes, city manager, said the parade will last about 30 to 45 minutes. Downes said the Vestavia Hills High School band, community VIPs, Girl and Boy Scout troops and many other organizations will participate. Any member of the community is welcome to apply for participation in the parade. The best spot to view the parade is from Liberty Parkway. Immediately following the parade, Santa Claus and business vendors will be in an expo with giveaways along with fun and games. “Vestavia Hills is a fun place,” Downes said. “The Holiday in the Hills series of events gives our community a great opportunity to gather with neighbors and friends for a good time.” For more information, go to vestaviahills.org/news-events/holiday-inthe-hills/events-calendar/ or email jdownes@vhal.org.
The 2015 Christmas tree lighting at Vestavia Hills City Hall. Photos by Ron Burkett.
A22 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
Library celebrating holidays with variety of events By EMILY FEATHERSTON As the Christmas season approaches, the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest hopes residents will carve out a little time for holiday fun in the forest. Throughout December, the library will host several holiday events and opportunities to celebrate, with options for all ages. To kick off the season, children are invited to help decorate the library’s Christmas tree by stopping by the library Dec. 5-8 to make an ornament. The major Christmas event will be The Santa Show, said marketing manager Holly Turner. The Santa Show will be a night for families to enjoy the library and for kids to ask Santa the questions they’ve been dying to know the answers to, such as “What is Santa’s favorite cookie?” and “How did the reindeer get their names?”
Families with kids of all ages can come for dinner at 6 p.m., or just for the show at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 13. In addition to The Santa Show, Friends of the Library will be hosting its annual Holiday Luncheon in the Community Room Dec. 15 at 11:30 a.m. The holiday lunch is a favorite social event, Turner said, and all are invited to join in the potluck meal event. On Dec. 21 from 4 to 5:30 p.m., children and teens can come for craft time in the Treehouse to make an ornament to take home. In addition to the holiday events, Vestavia Hills students can make use of the library’s extended hours Dec. 12-14 to study for final exams, as well as the exam breaks at 3, 5 and 7 p.m. For more information about the library’s holiday events, go to vestavialibrary.org.
The Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest will have several holiday-themed events this month. Photo by Emily Featherston.
Mason Music will host two camps for kids to introduce them to the world of music. Photo courtesy of Canvas Bag Media.
Winter camps aim to introduce kids to music By EMILY FEATHERSTON Whether they were inspired by a Christmas concert or special gift, or they are simply bored during the time between the holidays and the return of school, Mason Music is hoping to create an outlet for burgeoning musicians this winter. During the final days of December, Mason Music will host two music camps at the studio in Cahaba Heights Dec. 27-29. The primary camp is for students ages 6 to 9 who have little-to-no music
experience. The Winter Camp for Beginners is a half-day camp designed to introduce students to different instruments such as piano, drums, violin and guitar in a fun setting. Students will meet in small groups with teachers for more focused instruction, as well as in large groups for games and activities. “The goal of this camp is to allow students to explore their interest on several instruments and learn general music concepts like pitch and rhythm,” said Nicole Patton, Mason Music marketing director. In addition to the beginners’ camp,
Mason Music also will have a camp for preschoolers ages 3 to 5 themed after the Disney film “Frozen.” “[The camp] is the perfect introduction for your little ones to ‘let it go’ and have fun exploring musical concepts in a creative environment,” Patton said. The preschool camp is from 9 to 11 a.m. and is $75. The beginners’ camp is from 1 to 4 p.m. and is $125. The registration deadline for both camps is Dec. 16. For more information or to register, go to masonmusicstudios.com/camp.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • A23
The Birmingham Boys Choir performed in a collaborative concert at Vestavia Hills United Methodist earlier this year. Their annual Christmas concert will be Dec. 11-12 at Canterbury United Methodist. Photo by Emily Featherston.
Boys choir adds 2nd concert in annual Christmas performance By EMILY FEATHERSTON For the 39th installment of the Birmingham Boys Choir’s annual Christmas performance, the group decided to reckon with the space issues the concert has seen over the last few years. “Over the years, our audiences have grown,” director Ken Berg said. Last year, the concert was standing room only, and in an effort to make sure as many guests can comfortably see and engage in the annual concert, he said they decided to add a second performance. The first performance is Dec. 11 at 2:30 p.m., and the second is Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Both shows still will be free, but tickets are required to ensure that everyone has a seat. The concert will feature the classic Christmas hymns and tunes audiences love, Berg said, something he said he thinks some people feel they don’t get enough of elsewhere during the holidays. “These carols that they love, it’s an opportunity to actually do them,” he said. In addition to the traditional carols and spirituals, the concert also will be introducing the work of a new composer, who just so happens to be a Birmingham Boys Choir alumnus.
Skip Stradtman, who graduated from Florida State University after being in the boys’ choir, is a music teacher in Florida. Berg said Stradtman has been doing a lot of writing, and that the choir is excited to introduce his pieces for the first time. The event will once again be at Canterbury United Methodist Church in Mountain Brook, where the performance has been for many years. The choir, however, now calls Vestavia Hills home. After the building its office was in was sold, the choir relocated its operations to Vestavia. “We’re very happy to be there,” Berg said. He said the choir itself is also expanding, hosting satellite rehearsals around the Birmingham area to include as many young singers as possible. “We go where the boys are,” he said, and added he thinks it’s valuable to have the boys meet and get to know other children from different geographic, religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. “It’s really a beautiful thing to watch,” he said. For more information on the choir or to reserve a free ticket to the concert, go to birminghamboyschoir.com.
Voices of the South set to perform Christmas show at the Lyric Theatre
Voices of the South performed the national anthem at a Birmingham Barons game in July. Photo by Patty Bradley
By EMILY FEATHERSTON The barbershop chorus that calls Vestavia Hills home will be taking its annual Christmas performance to a new venue this year: the Lyric Theatre in downtown Birmingham. This year’s show will be the 17th annual event for Voices of the South, the men’s barbershop group that rehearses at St. Marks United Methodist Church. The Lyric originally opened in 1914 but was closed for many years, reopening this year after an extensive renovation. Chorus director Matt Powell said he thinks combining the group’s historic style with the historic venue will be a fitting tribute to the Lyric’s stage, which would have seen a cappella performances in its early days. “As a chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, we already like to think that we are preserving a bit of musical history that seems to
be dying in these modern times,” Powell said. “What better way to revive a bit of history than to perform on the very stage that this style of music thrived on 100 years ago?” The performance will be predominantly Christmas themed, with the song list including favorites such as “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “White Christmas,” but the group will perform other barbershop classics as well, such as “The Tennessee Waltz” and a Temptations tribute. In addition to the Christmas favorites, barbershop classics and patriotic tunes, chorus president Ed Wharton said the group also will perform a unique telling of the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke. The concert is Dec. 17 at 7 p.m., and tickets are $15-$35. The Lyric Theatre is at 1800 Third Ave. N. in downtown Birmingham. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to lyricbam.com/events.
A24 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
Vestavia couples hike Grand Canyon rim to rim Intense training and planning for a trip that lives up to the hype
Beth and Greg Martin and Emily and Wade Watkins hiked the Grand Canyon from rim to rim together. Photos courtesy of Beth and Greg Martin.
By JESSE CHAMBERS Is the Grand Canyon all it’s cracked up to be? It is, and more, according to two married couples from Vestavia who hiked the legendary national park in Arizona together in early October — hiking from the North Rim to the South Rim with a night spent in a cabin on the canyon floor. “It far exceeded our expectations,” Beth Martin said, who made the rim-to-rim hike with her husband, Greg Martin, and friends, Wade and Emily Watkins. All four were making their first visit. “When you see it, you realize why it’s one of the seven natural wonders of the world,” Greg Martin said. “Its scope and grandness are hard to fathom.” It took the group 7 1/2 hours to hike the 15 miles into the canyon and 5 hours to hike the 9.6 miles out, according to Beth Martin. Neither of the couples was into hiking before the trip, even though they all exercise regularly. The Martins saw it as a challenge and bucket list item, Beth Martin said. People expecting to make the hike should try to get in good shape, the hikers said. “We are already fairly active, but we started training about a month and a half out,” Wade Watkins said. “I wouldn’t suggest just running,” Greg Martin said. “There needs to be an incline. I walked around the hills of Vestavia with a weight vest. We did Stairmasters. We were in pretty good shape.” Hikers must pick the right shoes and gear, according to Greg Martin. “If an hour in [on the hike], you get blisters the size of a quarter, you are in trouble,” he said. Timing your visit with the season is important, too, according to Beth Martin, who said the couples went in October to avoid the “crazy hot” summer. It is important to book early — as much as a full year — to secure campsites or other lodging. The trip is also logistically challenging, the couples said, since it does you no good to leave a car parked at the North Rim and then hike to the South Rim. Instead, you hire a shuttle service in Las Vegas to drop you off and pick you up. Overall, the canyon is a great place to get away. “It was very tranquil,” Greg Martin said. “There were periods when it was very quiet.” There are also no distractions, such cellphones, text messages or emails, according to Wade Watkins. “You are there and experiencing a great place and good friends and are able to focus on that and soak it all in,” he said.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • A25
Cahaba Heights student spreads awareness of juvenile arthritis By SYDNEY CROMWELL Every photo of Maggie Banks in her 2014 summer play shows the 10-year-old standing with her head turned right. It’s not a dramatic on-stage pose; it was the first symptoms of juvenile arthritis. Maggie Banks, a Cahaba Heights resident and now a seventh-grade student at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic school in Homewood, was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis in December 2014. It had started with a stiff neck and occasional sore knees, and her mother Anne Banks thought it was a simple injury until the pain spread to a total of 26 joints. “After six months, her other joints started getting affected where I had a good suspicion and so did the doctor that it was something more,” Anne Banks said. Now two years into treatment, the difference is night and day. In the six months leading up to diagnosis, Maggie Banks couldn’t play school sports and had to use a wheelchair on a family trip to Disney World. “It was very hard, and I struggled a lot. I just felt like an outcast, I guess, with all my friends because they could all run and play sports and play basketball at recess. I had to sit on the wall or sit out, or I had ice on my legs and my arms,” Maggie Banks said. Now she plays on her school’s volleyball and basketball teams. She still has flare-ups and takes weekly shots and almost-daily painkillers, but Maggie Banks is back to being able to participate fully with classes and friends. Along the way, she has developed a passion for spreading awareness
of juvenile arthritis and helping other kids deal with the same diagnosis. Anne Banks said while it was a relief for their family to know that Maggie Banks’ pain wasn’t caused by something more severe, it was hard for her at 10 years old to grasp this was something that would stay with her for the rest of her life. “She wasn’t necessarily prepared for a diagnosis of a long-term disease,” Anne Banks said. Meeting other children with arthritis in the area helped, as did participating in Camp MASH in Mobile. The camp is free and just for children with juvenile arthritis, and Maggie Banks said it’s “the best week of the year.” Being there helped her realize that she didn’t have to be held back by this disease. “It’s not as hard for me as it is for some of these other kids,” Maggie Banks said. “They’re powering through it, and I have to power through, too.” In the future, Maggie Banks said she is hoping she can eventually enter remission. She plans on being a volunteer at Camp MASH and continuing to educate others about the ways arthritis can affect people at any age. Since the Arthritis Foundation has played a big role in helping the Banks family live with Maggie Banks’ diagnosis, they also like to give back. They are participating in the Jingle Bell Run fundraiser later this month for the second time, with a goal of raising $3,500 and putting together a team of 50 people. The Jingle Bell Run is Dec. 10 at Railroad Park. For more information about the run and Maggie Banks’ team, go to jbr.org/birmingham/ marchwithmaggie.
Maggie Banks was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis in 2014 and is now active in advocacy and fundraising for others with the disease. Photo courtesy of Anne Banks.
A26 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
Seniors celebrate veterans with 2nd annual ceremony and lunch By EMILY FEATHERSTON
Howard Sigmon, Navy-Korean War, third class petty officer. Veterans and widows of veterans were honored at the New Merkle Center on the eve of Veterans Day. Photos by Emily Featherston.
The New Merkle Senior Center in Cahaba Heights may be closed on Veterans Day itself, but that didn’t stop the community from celebrating the day and honoring those who have served in the U.S. Armed Services. On Nov. 10, seniors and community members gathered at the center to recognize those who have fought in wars ranging from World War II to the recent war on terror in the Middle East. Veterans and widows of veterans were presented with certificates in honor of their service and given a ceremonial American flag pin to commemorate the occasion. Brian Davis, the director of the Public Works Department for Vestavia Hills, was the master of ceremonies. Davis is a veteran himself, a sergeant, having served in the Army from 1992 to 2004 and doing a tour in Bagram, Afghanistan. The second annual Veterans Day event was sponsored by Affinity Hospice, and provided the seniors with lunch and a time of fellowship. In 2015, nine veterans and six widows were recognized. This year, six members of the New Merkle Center were recognized, along with seven guest veterans from the community and seven widows of veterans. Lucy Lewis, 91, who lives in Liberty Park, was one of those widows, but was also recognized for being a member of the Rosie the Riveter war effort, and is still a proud “Rosie” today. Lewis said when her husband was off at war, she worked for three years making parachutes at a warehouse that used to stand where the University of Alabama Birmingham is today. She said the women she knew worked hard,
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • A27 Left: Lucy Lewis (left) and Maxine Wade. Lewis was honored for being a Rosie the Riveter, and both were honored as widows of veterans. Below: Charles Farrell, ArmyKorean War, Corps of Engineers, was involved in rebuilding the country.
and that she thinks the war wouldn’t have been won without them. “As I remember, nobody complained,” she said. “They just worked.” Lewis said she thinks veterans should receive not only more recognition and thanks, but also support and help from the communities they fought to preserve. Affinity chief clinical officer David Rogers, who presented the veterans with their certificates and pins and is a veteran of the Marine Corps, agreed. “This is one of the things in our country that we don’t do nearly often enough,” Rogers said. “They deserve a lot more recognition than they actually get.” Rogers said he hopes that younger people will start to realize the importance of honoring veterans before it is too late, as most veterans of WWII have passed away.
“Every day should be Veterans Day,” he said. Manager of the new Merkle Center Melanie Perry said she wanted to express her gratitude to Affinity and the city of Vestavia Hills for making the event possible. After losing two WWII veterans in the last year, Perry said she thinks it is extremely important to have events honoring them, and wants to continue to have them at the center in the future. “We want to continue to honor those who have paved the road to freedom for us,” she said. Davis said he was honored to have been asked to act as the master of ceremonies for the event, and though he said it is difficult for him to put into words, he thinks it is a special thing for veterans to know that their service and sacrifice has paid off.
A28 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
High school and middle school members of the mountain bike team ride the trails of Oak Mountain State Park. Photo by Ron Burkett.
IN PICTURES:
Best of 2016 Action from a game between Vestavia Hills High School and Mountain Brook High School. Photo by Sarah Finnegan.
Seniors from around Birmingham have been coming to Vestavia Hills on Monday nights for 30 years to take part in their regular dances. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
Splash Brothers teammates cheer on a runner at the first annual Kick Out Cancer kickball tournament on Feb. 20, 2016. Photo by Frank Couch.
One of Matthew Hardwick’s favorite hobbies is skateboarding. While he is unable to do that, Matthew is teaching his puppy Milo to skateboard. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • A29
Vestavia alum Tee Adams is taking over as coach for the wrestling team. Photo by Sarah Finnegan.
WRESTLING
CONTINUED from page A1 he could not turn it down. “I like challenges. When Gaydosh stepped down and I got the opportunity to come back home, I thought it would be a great thing for myself and my future accolades I would like to achieve as a coach,” Adams said. “I like getting to go back to where it all started.” When Gaydosh heard Adams was in the running for the new
coaching position, he said he could not help but root for him. He hasn’t stopped following Adams’ career since he met him as a sixth-grader. “I think he really loves kids and wants to do what is best for them, which ultimately is what the goal of the coach is, and I feel like he goes right with my philosophy that I had,” Gaydosh said. “He is a great role model for those kids, and I look forward to watching him compete in the future.” Adams said his passion for wrestling comes from the kids he gets to coach. Now at Vestavia, he is home and has the opportunity to give back to a school where he learned so much.
“Coaching is worth it because I am getting a chance to be in high school with young men and watching them push themselves to the limit to achieve their goals,” Adams said. “I am getting to do that here at my old high school, and I know and see the tradition.” The Vestavia Hills wrestling team is now in the full swing of their season with Adams as the head coach. “I am bringing in a new era with a lot of passion and hard work,” Adams said. For more information on Vestavia Hills High School wrestling, go to vestaviahillsrebelsathletics.com/wrestling.
A30 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
Clockwise, from above left: The Taylors’ goats mark New Year’s celebrations, fly across the yard ahead of Halloween, show off their patriotism for the Fourth of July, and even play some tennis ahead of the U.S. Open. Photos courtesy of Jarry and Janet Taylor.
KIDS
CONTINUED from page A1 it was five or six years ago when they started to become famous in the neighborhood for the creative displays they made with their family of goat lawn ornaments. “It just sort of started impromptu,” Janet Taylor said, explaining that one day while shopping at Myers Nursery in Pelham, she noticed a metal goat lawn ornament and decided to buy it. The goats, a Myers representative said, are imported from Mexico and made of recycled metal. Janet Taylor said the idea was to set it in the yard and let the grass grow up near it, like it was having a snack. A few days later, Janet Taylor said a neighbor called to gush about how much she loved looking out her window at the goat, and how cute it was. Jarry Taylor said he decided to move it around to see where it would best fit. That’s when the calls started. Neighbors would call or stop the Taylors and inquire about what the goat was getting up to. “We went, ‘Really? You’re watching the travels of our goat?’” he said. After that, the Taylors decided to make it more fun, placing the goat on the wall at the edge of the yard, or hanging it from the tree. Then, Janet Taylor said, a friend gave them a second, smaller goat, and after finding one to match, they decided the family of goats needed to have even more fun. The Taylors said they aren’t positive about what the first display was, but think it was around Christmas, when they dressed the goats up as Santa’s elves. The response, they said, was overwhelming. “It was amazing,” Jarry Taylor said, “People would just stop when we were out there. We would get phone calls. We would get letters.” Janet Taylor said she has a box of letters and drawings from kids telling them how much they loved the goats. From there, the goat tradition has only grown. “I guess it kind of inspired us, so we started
Jarry and Janet Taylor sit with a couple of their multiple goats outside their Vestavia Hills home. Cover photo and above photo by Emily Featherston.
trying to come up with themes,” Janet Taylor said. Over the years, the Taylors said they’ve covered every major holiday, minor holidays, sports, seasons and more. One of the highlights, Jarry Taylor said, was an Easter display where the goats had on bunny ears and were paired with giant Easter eggs. In the middle of the night, an unidentified neighbor brought the goats Easter baskets — complete with painted “Easter eggs” made of cans.
“To me, someone taking the trouble to paint cans, put them in a basket, wrap the basket and then deliver them to our goats … that sort of takes the prize for me,” Jarry Taylor said. Janet Taylor’s favorite was the Winter Olympics display in 2014, where the Taylors’ handiwork of building a ski ramp was serendipitous when the “Snowpocalypse” hit. “The goats just demanded it,” Janet Taylor said, laughing. And the goats have made an impression on the community.
The Waltchacks have lived up the street from the Taylors for the past seven years and said their children absolutely love the goats. “Think about the neighborhood you grew up in. What memories come to mind?” Derek Waltchack asked. “For me, I remember the folks who stood out and actually interacted with neighbors” He said he thinks the Taylors’ creativity will have a lasting impression on his and other children in the neighborhood. “I guarantee if you poll the children in our neighborhood in the year 2030 about their memories of growing up, most of them will mention the Taylors’ goats, and those types of memories are what make a community truly special,” Waltchack said. And the Waltchacks aren’t the only neighbors championing the goats’ antics. “I haven’t had a single complaint — in fact, more encouragement than anything,” Janet Taylor said. Jarry Taylor said while he was putting up this year’s Halloween display, a woman stopped her car in the middle of the street to compliment the goats, telling him how much her twin sons loved to drive by and look at them. Janet Taylor said she’s had friends say the same thing. Some, Jarry Taylor said, will even drive out of the way to see what the goats are up to. “I’m just amazed at that,” he said. One Christmas, the Taylors made a calendar of goat photos as a gift to the neighbors who have been the inspiration behind keeping the goat fun going. “I certainly think … we wouldn’t have done as much as we have done without the public outcry, if you want to call it that,” Jarry Taylor said. As far as the future of the Monterey goats goes, Janet Taylor said she is more than open to ideas. “I’ve mentioned to people that I should put a suggestion box out there,” she said. “It would be nice to have a few.” If the goats ever get to be too much to handle, though, she said she does have a grand finale in mind. “I still think, the grand finale would be if I were to rent a goat — like a real goat — for a day, and put it out there,” she said, laughing. “I just think that would be so cool.”
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • A31
SECTION
B DECEMBER 2016
Sports B4 School House B8 Gift Guide B12 Community B16 Calendar B22
DRY SPELL Drought could continue into winter months
By EMILY FEATHERSTON Last December, heavy rains and severe weather had the greater Birmingham area feeling soaked through and afraid of flooding. But this year, Alabamians are praying for rain. In early November, the Birmingham area broke the record for highest number of continuous days without rainfall — a record that was set in fall 1924 when the area went 52 days without rainfall. Now, even with a few showers here and there, meteorologists are concerned the drought could continue into early 2017. “Right now, everything points to this drought persisting well into the winter,” said Roger McNeil, a service hydrologist for the National Weather Service office in Birmingham. McNeil said the models show most of the Southeast with a winter forecast of above-normal temperatures and below-normal rainfall — meaning there may not be a lot of precipitation to make up for the last few months. The record-breaking dry streak began Sept. 18, but the National Weather Service said the area already was starting to get dry before that streak began. “That has made it more severe than what you normally might expect,” McNeil said. The Birmingham Water Works Board began monitoring drought conditions in late September, moving through its drought management
plan through October and November to encourage users to reduce water consumption. The BWWB said at a meeting Nov. 10 that the main issue of concern is the significant drop in the water level at Lake Purdy, one of Birmingham’s major water sources. At that time, levels were down by more than 19 feet. And McNeil said Lake Purdy is not alone. He said virtually all of the streams that flow throughout the state are at record lows, and without a significant change in the weather pattern, those lows could cause problems in the spring and summer of 2017, as the winter months are typically what replenishes the reservoirs. “That’s something we’re basically going to just have to watch,” he said. McNeil attributed the major lack of rainfall to a persistent weather pattern of high pressure and high temperatures. A high pressure ridge has kept the weather systems that typically accompany cold fronts or tropical movements from making their way through the area. Additionally, as the area dries up and moisture from the ground and vegetation evaporates, systems are not able to generate themselves. McNeil said the NWS is comparing this drought to one that occurred in 2007, when a similar persistent high-pressure system kept the area significantly drier than usual. He said it isn’t uncommon to have a stronger drought every eight to 10 years, so this drought
Lake Purdy, a major source of water for the Birmingham metro area, is nearly 20 feet below its usual level after months of little rain. Photo by Ron Burkett.
may not be normal, but it isn’t necessarily unusual. However, McNeil said there is one major difference between the 2007 drought and the one this fall, in that the two years leading up to the 2007 drought were drier than average, and the area “eased into” that drought. This drought, by contrast, has developed much more rapidly, and he said the last two years haven’t been abnormally dry. For the year, McNeil said the area is between nine and 14 inches below normal rainfall levels, so even if the area gets a shower here and there, it will still be a serious situation. Additionally, any sudden heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding, as the top layers of soil can only
absorb so much at one time. The BWWB’s drought management plan includes increasing levels of surcharges for higher-than-average water use, as well as directives for limits on outdoor watering and suggestions for conserving water during everyday tasks. In response, the BWWB reported the average daily totals were down to between 101 million and 105 million gallons per day in mid-November, compared to more than 120 million gallons per day in mid-October. At its Nov. 14 meeting, the Vestavia Hills City Council enacted the city’s drought ordinance,
See DROUGHT | page B19
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B2 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
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December 2016 • B3
B4 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
Sports Lady Rebels with more depth, quickness this season By KYLE PARMLEY The Vestavia Hills High School girls basketball team is looking to begin reaping the benefits of last year’s growing pains. Head coach Laura Casey had a young team last year, which was never more evident than the period of time leading scorer Jessica Compton was sidelined due to injury. That forced a handful of sophomores into big minutes. “Last year, we had a bunch of sophomores that played a lot of minutes, that in a normal [season] we’d hope for them not to have to play,” Casey said. “With a year under their belt, they are certainly much more poised and ready for the kind of competition they’re going to see.” Taylor Wilson, Sarah Cain, Olivia Starnes, Maggie Mince and Lia DiGuglielmo are now juniors. The growth experienced by that group being thrown into the fire has Casey optimistic, despite still considering her squad relatively young. “As far as varsity basketball experience, we’re pretty young, but we are a lot quicker than we were last year,” she said. “We’re excited about the things we can do defensively with that quickness. We’re not real big, but we’re a little faster.” Casey said the team has one player an inch or two shy of six feet, but other than that, does not have a great deal of size. Because of that, Vestavia Hills will bring a slightly different look to the floor, but one that has Casey excited, since that quickness on defense lends itself to her coaching goals. “We want to play very aggressive, hard-nosed defense,” Casey said. “Certainly, we believe defense is what wins you championships.” She said that defensive mentality sticks year-in and year-out, regardless of the makeup of the roster. But a smaller, faster group of players this year will allow the Lady Rebels to play to its strengths on offense. “Offensively, we adapt to what we have. You can really play a lot of the same defense, but on offense you have to adapt. This year, we want to push the ball up the floor a little bit more and play faster. We have kids that have the ability to drive and get to the basket.” The Lady Rebels have a pair of seniors in returning starter Jasmyn White and Ramsay transfer Aysiah Hill, who Casey said would be “very helpful” this year.
Head coach Laura Casey is encouraged by her team’s depth and quickness in the 2016-17 season. Photo by Ted Melton.
A pair of underclassmen in Courtney Milner and Anna Wood will provide additional scoring punch for Vestavia Hills, and Grace Uldrich and Maddie Crane must contribute as well to allow the team to reach its full potential. That’s what Casey emphasized about the depth of her roster. “They all play. It’s sort of fun for us [as coaches], because we can sub in and out at our leisure and get the same kind of play all the time. That’s really helpful for us,” Casey said.
Casey played at Vestavia Hills, so she understands the inner workings and expectations of the Lady Rebels basketball program, something that will not deviate from season to season. “Our goal is to get better every day,” she said. “We have the philosophy that we want to play ourselves. Playing to our standard all the time is something young players sometimes have a hard time doing, but our focus is to help them play through the mistakes.”
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • B5
Rebels begin season with new head coach By KYLE PARMLEY Patrick Davis received everything he could ask for from his team. His wish was not that he would inherit the next Michael Jordan at Vestavia Hills High School. Nor was his wish to find out which player was his most talented, so he could cater to that player’s needs and wants. Davis just wanted his new Rebels basketball team to listen and bring its proverbial lunch pail to work every day. “The guys have been very coachable and worked really hard,” the first-year head coach said, who is taking over for legendary George Hatchett after he retired at the conclusion of last season. “From my perspective, that’s all I can ask for.” Davis has been adamant from the day he took the job at Vestavia Hills that he did not inherit a broken program, or even one with major faults. Hatchett built the Rebels into a consistently solid basketball team. “By no means have I had to start at ground zero,” Davis said. “Sometimes you take a new job and you’re starting at zero. Certainly with these guys, there was a great foundation laid, especially with being able to defend.” Davis is particularly thankful for that last caveat, as defensive principles are what he hopes the Rebels’ calling card becomes in a short period of time. He said, “I don’t care where you are and how you want to play, but you’ve got to hang your hat on getting stops in the half court. If you’re going to win basketball games, you’ve got to get stops.” There is one word that Davis uses to describe his goal for what his basketball teams do to opponents on the floor: uncomfortable. “We just want to make people uncomfortable, basically,” he said. “Offensively, we want to push the pace and play up-tempo, so that it makes people uncomfortable. “Defensively, we want to make people uncomfortable with pressure and a physicality and a toughness.” An aspect of the team that players and coaches alike have been impressed with is that the team’s chemistry already seemed to be at a high level before the season began. “I think we’re really good at sharing the ball and playing together,” senior guard Mac Smith said. “We have good team chemistry. We’ll be good at pushing the pace and scoring on the fast-break.”
Patrick Davis has experienced a smooth transition from legendary head coach George Hatchett at Vestavia Hills. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
Davis is glad that the Rebels are in a good place in regards to sharing the basketball on the court. “That’s something that we haven’t had to bang our heads against the wall trying to get that concept through,” Davis said. “These guys have bought into being really unselfish. That’s been really good.” The Rebels’ roster features a little bit of everything. There are some playmaking guards, some post players who are developing
the necessary skills to compete at a high level and an abundance of upperclassmen, as the roster consists almost entirely of juniors and seniors. The Rebels may not win a state championship in Davis’ first year at the helm, but the journey to success has certainly gotten off to a smooth start. “I’ve been very pleased in terms of who we have and their willingness and desire to get better every day,” Davis said.
B6 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
Rebels cap strong seasons at state
By SAM CHANDLER The Vestavia Hills High School cross-country teams capped strong seasons at the AHSAA State Cross Country Championships Nov. 12. Five Rebels qualified to compete at the meet, which was held at Oakville Indian Mounds Park near Moulton. James Sweeney and Bryce Hutchinson represented the Vestavia boys. Sweeney, a junior, and Hutchinson, a sophomore, placed 19th and 20th overall in the Class 7A race. The duo crossed the finish line in 16 minutes, 21 seconds, with Sweeney edging out Hutchinson by less than half a step. Sasha Allison, Madison Milldrum and Kaylee Dressback represented the Vestavia girls. Allison, a junior, paced the group with a 23rd-place finish in the 7A race, as she completed the 5K course in a personal-best 19:29.17. It was her first time all season dipping under the 20-minute barrier. “That was the best race of her career,” Vestavia head coach Brett Huber said. Milldrum, a senior, placed 39th in 19:50.61, and Dressback, an eighthgrader at Pizitz, placed 50th in a personal-best 20:20.72. The Rebels came close to advancing full squads to the state championships, but they fell just short at the 7A, Section 3 meet Nov. 3. The Vestavia boys and girls each finished fourth in the team standings. At sectionals, the top three teams advance to state. Sweeney led the boys team with a runner-up finish in 16:39.5, and Hutchinson
placed sixth in 16:50.63. The two earned state wild-card berths because they were among the top six finishers not on one of the three qualifying teams. Hoover, Mountain Brook and Oak Mountain claimed the top three positions. The Rebels had entered the meet ranked fifth, but they lost to Oak Mountain by only nine points. “The boys team just fell several points short of upsetting the third place team at sectionals from a fifth ranking,” Huber said. “We are always hopeful we will do better than we are ranked, but there are reasons for the rankings; there are many talented runners and teams in our 7A sectional area.” The Vestavia girls suffered a similar fate, as they missed out on third place by a 14-point margin. Mountain Brook, Hoover and Spain Park captured the top three spots, respectively. On the bright side, four Rebel girls punched individual tickets to state. Milldrum (14th, 20:36.58), MaryGriffith Lytle (16th, 20:41.83), Allison (21st, 20:52.24) and Dressback (23rd, 21:02.42) clinched four of the six wild-card bids. Lytle, however, did not compete at state. Even though a full Vestavia squad hasn’t advanced past sectionals since 2014, Huber said he is proud of the way his teams have continually persevered, especially in 2016. “I can’t say enough about our athletes and the great attitude they have concerning the qualification standards they have to meet,” Huber said. “They are a great group to be a part of and their true success this season was fighting their giants together and not alone.”
Vestavia Hills’ James Sweeney raced to a runner-up finish at the Class 7A, Section 3 meet on Nov. 3 at Veterans Park in Hoover. Photo by Sam Chandler.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • B7
High school basketball court to be dedicated to longtime coaches
Braasch-Hatchett Court will be officially dedicated on Friday, Dec. 2. Photo by Ted Melton.
By KYLE PARMLEY The Vestavia Hills High School basketball programs would not have sustained the success they were able to over the past 35 years if not for the contributions of longtime coaches George Hatchett and Fran Braasch. As a result, the Vestavia Hills basketball gym is being dedicated in honor of the two and will now be named Braasch-Hatchett Court. A ceremony to dedicate the court will be held on Friday, Dec. 2, as Vestavia Hills hosts Homewood. The girls game tips off at 6 p.m., with the boys game to follow at 7:30 p.m. The ceremony will take place between the two games. “It’s very fitting for them,” said current Lady Rebels head coach Laura Casey, who played for Braasch in her days as a student at Vestavia. Hatchett compiled a powerful resume, accumulating over 550 wins in a career that began at Fairfield High School in 1974 and 35 years with the Rebels. He advanced to four Final Fours and won two state championships in 1992 and 2009 and was named the state’s Coach of the Year in both seasons. Oak Mountain High School coach Chris Love said the “game of basketball and high school athletics will miss him.” “He believed in coaching his kids hard no matter their talent level, and getting the best out of them to compete at the highest level,” Love said. “He proved that you can do things the right way and still win.” Former player for Hatchett and current
Photo by Sarah Finnegan.
Greenville High School head coach Stu Stuedeman is another man who holds him in high regard. “He built the program from the ground up when nobody thought Vestavia would ever win in basketball. He took a chance and accepted the job and built one of the marquee basketball programs in the state of Alabama,” Stuedeman said. Braasch is a trailblazer in her own right, as well. She started the athletic program at Pizitz Middle School and coached the first women’s basketball team at UAB in 1978-79. According to her Vestavia Hills Sports Hall of Fame bio, she experienced only one losing senior in her tenure as head girls basketball coach at Vestavia from 1983-2006. Her teams compiled an overall record of 512-170 and made regular trips to the state tournament. There were 14 seasons of 20 or more wins, including four with 30 or more wins. “When I first took this job, she was one of the first people I called,” Casey said. “She and I are very close, so certainly I do talk to her. After being a head coach, you empathize with others and with how hard and how fun it can be.” The court dedication continues the trend of Vestavia Hills High honoring its legendary coaches. The baseball field is named after Sammy Dunn, leader of the “decade of dominance” teams in the 1990s. The football field is named in honor of current football coach Buddy Anderson. That list is likely to grow in the future as well.
B8 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
School House Environmental studies teacher Brad Waguespack named Vestavia Secondary Teacher of the Year Brad Waguespack has taught all over the country — it just hasn’t always been in a classroom. Now, he’s Vestavia’s Secondary Teacher of the Year. Photo by Lexi Coon.
By LEXI COON Brad Waguespack is not a normal teacher. After graduating from Vestavia Hills High School and from UAB, his life plan didn’t include teaching. But now, he’s Vestavia Hills City School’s Secondary Teacher of the Year. After growing up in a very outdoors-oriented family, Waguespack decided he wanted to work at Yellowstone National Park the summer following his senior year of high school. He was turned away because of his age, but pointed in the direction of the Student Conservation Association. He was accepted into the program and sent to Montana to work in the Beaver Head National Forest for five weeks. “To be honest, I was scared to death,” he said. “My family left me in the airport in Butte, Montana, and for five weeks we drove into the trailhead and the backcountry and stayed there.” Scared or not, something in Waguespack must have clicked, because he spent every summer through college working with the SCA and Outward Bound in the northeastern U.S. Eventually, Waguespack ventured back to attend Montana State for graduate school. “When I was still looking for a research certification, I needed to do student teaching,” he said. Because there were more student teachers than available positions, the school required him to go out of town to teach, and he was placed at the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. “A lot of big-ticket ideas I had never really thought about, like what’s the value of an education,” Waguespack said, noting that the people in area he was teaching in lived largely in poverty and had an 86 percent unemployment rate. “It made me really think about the value of education and the roles of teachers. I feel like it was a really great place to learn.” After working on the reservation, Waguespack said he wanted to go back to the Northeast and continued his teaching at an expeditionary school. “I wasn’t sure I could teach in a traditional public school,” because of his work at the reservation and through Outward Bound, he said. In 2010, Waguespack came back around to more “traditional”
teaching, and returned to Alabama to take a teaching position in Pell City. Three years later, he returned to his old stomping grounds, Vestavia Hills High School, as a teacher. “The real reason I moved back to Vestavia was because there was an opening in environmental science,” he said. Now, Waguespack teaches classes in regular and advanced biology and environmental science. He still credits his teaching methods to what he learned from his experiences on the reservation and with Outward Bound. “I had this very experiential education with Outward Bound,
and then I had a really rigid, scientific, heavy-on-content background, and it’s always been about balancing those,” he said. “Anybody can learn a fact, but applying that fact, making sense of that fact, is to me what I want to continue to craft.” Even with all that Waguespack brings to a classroom, he said he was still surprised to be nominated — and then chosen — as the district’s Secondary Teacher of the Year. “It’s so nice to hear that your peers think that of you, because there are really great teachers here,” he said. “I’m amazed at the caliber of these educators in the schools.”
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • B9
Vestavia East music teacher Deanna Bell earns Elementary Teacher of the Year By LEXI COON As a child, you think you know what you want to be when you grow up. You plan out your career based on your heroes and idols, which coincidentally, may also be family members. And that’s what the Vestavia Hills City Schools Elementary Teacher of the Year did. “My family influenced and inspired me to become a teacher,” Deanna Bell said. Of her family members, her grandmother, mother, father and two aunts all taught in public school in Alabama. Collectively, her family members have a total of more than 130 years of teaching experience, so it’s easy to see where she got the teaching gene. “I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was a child,” Bell said. “My mom was a first-grade teacher, and I used to pretend to teach in her classroom.” Originally from Blounstville, Bell earned her degrees from the University of Alabama and Samford University before transitioning to the front of the classroom. Bell then spent the next 19 years as a public school music teacher in Virginia, Tennessee and Alabama for different abilities and grade levels. “I have taught band, choir, musical theater and elementary music,” she said, noting that she also has taught in urban, rural and suburban areas. Since she began teaching, society has evolved, and thanks to her dedication to education, so have her methods.
“I began my teaching career without a computer, textbooks or a curriculum,” Bell said. “Now, my students are creating music using the latest AudioCube MIDI technology.” Bell has been teaching at Vestavia Hills Elementary East since fall of 2013, when she took over as the music and choir teacher for kindergarten through third grade. She admits that the younger classes are her favorite because of the noticeable growth that is seen in those four short years, and that her favorite topic to teach is the guitar unit. “It begins with learning the parts of the guitar and ends with students composing a song,” Bell said. “My greatest reward comes from seeing the excitement on the faces of the children in music class.” After noticing her dedication, Bell was rewarded by the Vestavia Hills City Schools system with a nomination for Elementary Teacher of the Year in May 2016 and later earned the official title in October. “It was a surprise to me because I am surrounded by the greatest teachers I have ever known,” she said. “The teachers at East always go above and beyond to make sure our students have the best education possible.” Even with 19 years of educating, Bell plans to continue her passion by sharing her knowledge, growing professionally and providing positive musical experiences. “I am so honored by this recognition and lucky to be working in a district that supports music education for our students,” she said.
With over a century of collective teaching experience within her family, Vestavia East music teacher Deanna Bell earns Vestavia Elementary Teacher of the Year. Photo by Lexi Coon.
B10 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
Pizitz teacher wins art education award By SYDNEY CROMWELL Larry Gibson’s classroom is likely one of the most colorful in Pizitz Middle School. The walls play host to a variety of drawings and paintings, while the tables are covered in sculptures, pots of paint and pottery wheels, all intended to help Pizitz students explore their creativity. Gibson has taught art at Pizitz for his 33-year career, including regular and advanced art classes and a weekly after-school art club. This fall, he was awarded the Alabama Art Education Association’s Art Teacher of the Year award for a second time, with his first win in 2012. A 16-year Vestavia Hills resident, Gibson said his love of art came early, along with his first teaching experience, through helping his mother run a day care center. “I guess I could always draw. My mother would tell stories that I could draw before I could talk,” Gibson said. Even in receiving an award that will lead to competition with other art teachers in the region, most of Gibson’s attention remains focused on the students who come in his doors. He said he is always looking for ways to make sure every Pizitz student has a chance to make art. “Some of these active kids need hands-on activity. You know, I’m just about the opportunity to hit on something they may like. They may not be the best at drawing or painting, but maybe they enjoy clay or printmaking,” Gibson said. “I don’t do a lot of my own art because I focus so much on my students.” Not every student will take the chance to grow their artistic skills, but Gibson is determined that every child who wants to try art and explore different ideas will be able to do so. “I can open the door for them, but they still have to walk through,” he said. His award from the AAEA comes with
Larry Gibson teaches an after-school art club at Pizitz Middle School. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
a service component, Gibson said. He has devoted hundreds of hours to working with the AAEA and the National Art Education Association in several different roles, including as the state association president and awards chair. He is applying to be a middle level director for the NAEA. But Gibson also champions service in his personal life and in the classroom. He helped
start an art camp at the Birmingham YWCA in 2013, started an adult clay class at Pizitz, worked with the Alabama Arts Advocacy Coalition and Birmingham Fashion Week and has passed on his knowledge to about 25 student teachers so far. When the opportunity arises, Gibson includes his students in community projects. They created a “rain art” project at City Hall,
where their stenciled sidewalk art is only visible when wet. They also were asked to paint three fiberglass pigs for local businesses as part of the Vestavia Chamber of Commerce’s Shop Dine Play campaign. “If the community calls, we’re going to answer,” Gibson said. “If you’re talented, you’ve got to give back a little bit and keep building on that talent.”
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • B11
LMPS students and faculty are committed to funding cancer research. Photo courtesy of Regan Goldberg.
LPMS students raising money for leukemia research with penny wars Students at Liberty Park Middle School are committed to funding blood cancer research and providing help and hope to thousands of patients and their families through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Pennies for Patients program. In the past two years, Liberty Park Middle School students and teachers have rallied together around their annual penny wars competition to raise more than $7,400 in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This year, Liberty Park students and teachers feel empowered to do more and have committed to hitting their goal of $10,000. Teachers and administration have stepped up to the plate and are ready to take pies in the face, shave their heads and host a dance party for the entire school as a celebration for each fundraising benchmark reached. However, Liberty Park students and teachers are committed to doing even more than funding a cure for blood cancers like childhood leukemia. Students and teachers are rallying behind two of their very own students who have battled blood cancer: Bella, who is in eighth grade, and Lauren, who is in sixth. “I am so lucky to be at LPMS,” Lauren said. “My friends and teachers are the best and were a huge part of my fight against leukemia in elementary school. Today, we have an opportunity to fight for others together. Let’s exceed our
fundraising goal to help find a cure for blood cancers. Go Lancers!” “You learn that cancer should never be allowed to define who you are,” Debbie, Bella’s mother, said, “but instead, seek to live your life as best you can. As Bella said, ‘I don’t want to be treated any differently than anyone else.’” “Thanks to research, nearly 90 percent of children with acute leukemia are now cured,” said Maggie Rountree, campaign manager of LLS’s Alabama/Gulf Coast Chapter, which is based in Birmingham. “But there still is a long way to go. Leukemia affects more children than any other cancer, so LLS’s Student Series Programs provide a meaningful way for kids to help kids. Every dollar really does make a difference.” The LLS Pennies for Patients program is designed to teach children how to set and reach goals, and the value of community involvement. Students will spend one to three weeks during the 2016-2017 school year on programs they designed to raise funds to help bring about a world without blood cancers. By contributing their spare change and participating in other special fundraising events, they will make someday today. – Submitted by Regan Goldberg, executive director of the Alabama Gulf Coast Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Oncologist visits Liberty Park 6th-graders Dr. Christopher Willey, a radiation oncology specialist with UAB, spoke to the sixth-graders at Liberty Park Middle School about cancer. This added a real world connection to a book the students recently read, “Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie” by Jordan Sonnenblick. This realistic fiction book is about a middle-school aged boy whose younger brother is diagnosed with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Willey spoke about genetic and environmental factors that can cause cancer. He also spoke about solid tumors that start in the organs and are treated with radiation, as well as liquid tumors ― leukemia ― that start in bone marrow cells. He explained how cancer spreads as well as staging, stratification and treatments such as chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. – Submitted by Linda Rummell.
Dr. Christopher Willey talks about cancer cells to a Liberty Park class. Photo courtesy of Linda Rummell.
B12 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
holiday gift guide
For the
GIFTED GRILLER The Big Green Egg $1169.90 with 10% discount through Dec. 31 The original ceramic cooker is perfect for outdoor cooking year round. Hollywood Pools 1441 Montgomery Highway 979-7727
For the
TRAVELER 21” Leather Carry-on Duffel in Tan $199.99 (regularly $335) Also available in 18” and 25” sizes. Free personalization and gift wrapping options. Rosenberger’s Birmingham Trunk 2712 19th St. S. 870-0971
For the
For the
The Mazza Company Venetian Murano Glass Cameo and Sapphire Earrings $1975 Give someone special these classically elegant and striking earrings.
Pequea Valley Forge Alabama-shaped Bacon/Panini Press $45 Each piece is hand-forged, as unique as a fingerprint.
JEWELRY LOVER
Bromberg’s 131 Summit Blvd. 969-1776
HOMESTYLE CHEF
Alabama Goods 2933 18th St. S. 803-3900
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • B13 For the
PLAYFUL KIDDO
For the
Melissa & Doug Latches Barn $39.99 For ages 3 and older. Includes four farm animals. An educational toy that helps develop fine motor skills.
NAUGHTY OR NICE Poinsettia Cake $26.99 This delicioys cake is the perfect holiday treat. Get a free pint when you purchase $25 in gift cards.
Homewood Toy & Hobby Shop 2830 18th St. S. 879-4444
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream 1008 Vestavia Parkway 978-2347
For the
COLD NATURED True Grit Frosty Tipped Pullover $145 Throw on an extra cozy layer when cooler weather hits with True Grit pullovers at Alabama Outdoors. Alabama Outdoors 3054 Independence Drive 870-1919
For the
OUTDOORSMAN 22” Weber Kettle Grill $99 This grill is the perfect tool for holiday grilling. Huffstutler’s 2732 Central Ave. 871-2121
holiday gift guide
B14 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
For the
GRILL AFICIONADO
For the
The Traeger Pro Series 22 $799, $50 gift card included with purchase This grill can tackle any grilling or smoking needs due to its precise temperature control. Simply set the desired temperature on the grill and let Traeger do the rest.
REBEL Trucker Hat with Vestavia Hills Monogram $24.99 Give your VHHS student or alum a classic hat with their school’s emblem.
Moran’s Rocky Ridge Hardware 3354 Morgan Drive 979-5444
Kidz Closet Consignment, The Vestavia Store 640 Montgomery Highway 979-0707
For the
FASHIONISTA Krewe “Breton” Polarized Aviator $295 Give a loved one these stylish sunglasses that can be used all year.
For the
CONSCIENTIOUS SHOPPER Fancy Women’s Hats from Jack & Mary Designs $40 Handmade in York Harbor, Maine, from recycled wool and cashmere sweaters. Fleece lined. Fancy Goods Variety 2512 Rocky Ridge Road 978-1451
JJ Eyes 2814 18th St. S. 703-8596
holiday gift guide
VestaviaVoice.com For the
SKIN CARE OBSESSED
December 2016 • B15
For the
Clarisonic Face Brushes $130-299 His and hers cleaning systems for soft, smooth, radiant and healthy looking skin.
DRIVER 2017 GMC Terrain $189 per month for 39 months Certain restrictions apply.
Heights Dermatology 4325 Dolly Ridge Road 591-2169
Royal Automotive 3010 Columbiana Road 823-3100
For the
BUSY HOMEOWNER The Maids Gift Certificate Any amount Give friends or family the gift of a clean home, worry-free.
For the
POWER NAPPER Malouf Shredded Gel Dough™ Pillow Sizes and prices vary Shredded Gel Dough™ clusters create a cooler, softer memory foam pillow that is breathable and moldable. Bedzzz Express bedzzzexpress.com
The Maids 871-9338 maids.com
For the
ART LOVER Susan Gordon Pottery Abstract Bowls $32-68 Assorted sizes are available. The bowls are food safe. Chickadee 3138 Cahaba Heights Road 969-3138
B16 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
Community Vestavia Hills resident wins prestigious Vulcan Award By RACHEL BURCHFIELD It was a Friday afternoon, and Dr. Henna Budhwani had stepped out of her office for a minute. When she returned, she had a voicemail. “A deep male voice was recorded. ‘Hello, Dr. Budhwani,’” Budhwani recalled. “At that point, I thought, ‘OK. It’s a graduate student needing some information.’” Instead, it was Birmingham Mayor William Bell calling to tell Budhwani that she was a Vulcan Award winner. “The Vulcan Awards are among the highest civil honors in the metropolitan area — the two prior recipients in this category were university presidents,” Budhwani said, who is an assistant professor for health care organization and policy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is also the deputy director for the Sparkman Center for Global Health. “Thus, being a recipient is both intimidating and humbling.” Budhwani was nominated by a prior student, who called her “amazing and an inspiration.” “Dr. B always takes time to motivate students into pursuing careers which promote the development of civil society, particularly in the state,” her nominator wrote. “Her students are now well-placed to further positive change.” Budhwani is a positive change agent herself: She works closely with community partners in the United States and abroad who are interested in improving health outcomes through public health practice. Her research interests include health disparities with an emphasis on immigrant and minority health and international health, specifically in the areas of reproductive and maternal health. She has also worked on or funded projects for countries including Tanzania, Kenya, India,
Dr. Henna Budhwani, UAB assistant professor for health care organization and policy. Photo courtesy of UAB.
Pakistan, Syria, Jamaica, Nepal, Dominican Republic and Cameroon. Despite her global focus, Budhwani is a resident of Vestavia Hills, where she and her husband are raising 5-year-old twin boys. Originally from Chicago, Budhwani is an approved Huffington Post contributor, wears sneakers to work almost every day and loves, as she puts it, “terrible ’90s music.” She has been skydiving, describes herself as socially awkward and is Level 25 in Pokemon Go. “A student once described me to another student as a cross between Mary Poppins and a Tyrannosaurus rex,” she said.
Though she obviously inspires her students, they inspire her in turn, as well. “UAB students inspire me,” she said. “So many of them are first-generation college attendees. The weight of their families is on their shoulders — their successes in college are celebrated by their families and their communities. Many work full time and do their best to keep their grades up. Even in these situations, so many students want to work abroad, because they know that with their education comes responsibility to improve the conditions of others and to do so with grace, gratitude and humility.” Budhwani said humility inspires her, as do
people. “Every day, people inspire me,” she said. “I have the privilege of working with some of the greatest minds in this country. None of them are in it for glory — they do what they do because it is important, because it helps people, because it advances science.” And, in her typical modest way, Budhwani deflects credit for her recent award. “While I am delighted to be the recipient of this award, it goes without saying that the real credit for this award is due to UAB, the UAB School of Public Health and the UAB Sparkman Center for Global Health,” she said.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • B17
Women’s team finishes 2nd at USTA League Adult 18 & Over 3.5 National Championships The women’s tennis team from Pelham, representing the USTA Southern Section, finished second at the USTA League Adult 18 & Over 3.5 National Championships held at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile. The Pelham team lost to a team from Seattle, 3-2 in the championship match. Earlier in the day, the Pelham team defeated a team from San Francisco, 4-1 in the semifinals. They advanced this far by winning their round-robin flight contested Friday and Saturday. The team is captained by Ashley Raggio and features Samantha Peters, Marie Bateh, Tina Mills, Amy Sanford, Lindsay Grant, Jaimie Livingston, Kristin Golden, Elizabeth Stewart, Dina Owobu, Stephanie Terry, Edith Pearson, Tammy Woodham, Sophia Watkins, Lisa Shelby and Ashley Roe and plays at the Birmingham Tennis Center. Two of the players, Elizabeth Stewart and Jaimie Livingston, are from Homewood and Vestavia, respectively. Three players, Tina Mills, Marie Bateh and Michele Morris, are from Hoover. Established in 1980, USTA League has grown from 13,000 participants in a few parts of the country in its first year, to over 904,000 players across the nation today, making it the world’s largest recreational tennis league. USTA League was established to provide adult recreational tennis players throughout the country with the opportunity to compete against players of similar ability levels. Players participate on teams in a league format, which is administered by the USTA through its 17 Sections. The league groups players by using six National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) levels, ranging from 2.5 (entry) to 5.0 (advanced). USTA League is open to any USTA member 18 years of age or older. The 2016 USTA League season will be the fourth season with the updated structure and format which offers four age categories (Adult
Hosts Harriet and Jim Williams at the Metropolitan Dinner Club. Photo courtesy of Phyllis Davis.
Metropolitan Dinner Club holds season’s 1st meeting Front row, from left: Lindsay Grant, Pelham; Elizabeth Stewart, Homewood; Tina Mills, Hoover; Stephanie Terry, Mountain Brook; Ashley Roe, Tuscaloosa. Back row, from left: Tammy Woodham, Helena; Samantha Peters, Birmingham; Marie Bateh, Hoover; Lisa Shelby, Tuscaloosa; Ashley Raggio, captain, Kingwood, Texas; Michele Morris, cocaptain, Hoover; Jaimie Livingston, Vestavia Hills; Amy Sanford, Alabaster; Greg Howe, coach. Photo courtesy of Tamarah Strauss.
18 & Over, Adult 40 & Over and Adult 55 & Over and Mixed 18 & Over) to better align participants with players their own age. A fifth age division, the Mixed 40 & Over division, was added in 2014. The restructuring guarantees more frequency of play opportunities at
more appropriate age groups. Head Penn Racquet Sports is in its 29th year as official ball of USTA League. For more information about USTA League or the USTA, visit utsa.com. – Submitted by Tamarah Strauss.
The Metropolitan Dinner Club of Greater Birmingham held its first dinner club meeting of the season on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the Grand Ballroom of The Club. The group honored new members with a complimentary wine and cheese reception from 6 until 7 p.m., and the JRobinson Trio Plus provided music. The program was presented by local jazz singer and pianist Ray Reach. His show is titled “A Tribute to the Crooners: Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin and Nat King Cole.” The Metropolitan Dinner Club’s reserve table policy continued. However, members were encouraged to meet new people. The unreserved tables will have an “open table” sign to make them easier to locate. Members were also able to reserve tables for eight, but had to ensure that all eight members would attend. – Submitted by Phyllis Davis.
B18 • December 2016
WHAT’S COOKING
Vestavia Voice
Cahaba Heights resident shares delicious fruitcake cookie recipe By EMILY FEATHERSTON The fruitcake has long lived in infamy and as the subject of jokes made by dads and crazy uncles around the holiday dinner table. Cahaba Heights resident Annette Reynolds had never eaten fruitcake before moving to Alabama from Miami, but said she thinks the dessert has an undeserved reputation. “There was a reason for making fruitcake,” Reynolds said. In the days before supermarkets and refrigeration, drying and candying fruits were the only ways to keep them in the colder months. And while today’s bakers have fresh grapes and cherries in December thanks to supermarkets, at the time many classic winter holiday treats were created, dried fruits and nuts were the only things available. Reynolds, who has been a resident of Vestavia Hills for more than 40 years, said she has been baking as long as she can remember. As a kid in Miami, she said she would bake
with her siblings. Now, she bakes for her family and friends across the country and even overseas. A favorite among her family and friends are the fruitcake cookies she makes during the holidays. “They love them because of the fruit and the nuts,” she said, adding that even people who may turn their noses up at an actual fruitcake have been known to like the cookies. Reynolds said the recipe came from a dear friend who has since passed away. “So I treasure that part of it now,” she said. Reynolds also suggested that those with special dietary needs supplement ingredients to make the cookies vegan or gluten free. “I do that a lot, depending on who I’m cooking for,” she said, “It’s like so many recipes that so many people make, you adapt them.” She said making these cookies is a great reason to invite people into the kitchen, but the recipe is somewhat daunting and bakers should allot plenty of time in the kitchen.
Annette Reynolds makes fruitcake cookies during the holidays. Photo by Emily Featherston.
RECIPE:
► One box golden raisins or dried dates ► One cup brandy (can substitute wine or fruit juice) ► One pound red and green candied cherries ► One pound candied pineapple ► Three cups pecans, roughly chopped ► 1/4 cup (half a stick) butter (can substitute coconut oil) ► One cup brown sugar ► Two eggs (or equivalent of egg substitute)
► Three cups flour ► 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, allspice, cloves and freshly grated nutmeg ► 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
STEPS: 1. Soak raisins in brandy until plump, preferably overnight. 2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. 3. Slice candied cherries in half, saving enough halves for topping the cookies and chopping
the remaining slices into desirable size. 4. Chop candied pineapple into small chunks. 5. Combine chopped cherries, pineapple and pecans in a large bowl with one cup flour until the pieces are completely coated. 6. In another bowl, combine the remaining flour with the spices and baking soda, mixing thoroughly. 7. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add the flour mixture slowly, a little at a time,
until the mixture is incorporated. 8. Stir in the raisins and soaking liquid and the dried fruit by hand until mixed. If the dough is too wet, add in pinches of flour until a sticky consistency is achieved. 9. Using two spoons, drop cookies onto a greased baking sheet and top with leftover cherry halves. 10. Bake on the center oven rack for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cookies will be crisp when first made, but will soften over time.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • B19
DROUGHT
CONTINUED from page B1 which allows police officers to issue citations to those violating watering restrictions. Darryl Jones, assistant general manager of operations for the BWWB, was at the meeting and explained to the council the significance of the situation. “It looks very dim until past January,” he said, citing the NWS outlook that the drought would continue. Jones said that the BWWB has made changes in its operations to relieve some of the pressure on Lake Purdy, and that the board is looking at alternative sources of water, but that if the weather pattern doesn’t change soon, things will only get worse. Mayor Ashley Curry said that the city doesn’t want to be onerous on citizens by enforcing restrictions, but that the situation is extreme and calls for action. “There will be discretion in this,” Curry said, “We’re not out to get the citizens, but we do need to be responsible.” Vestavia Hills officials are feeling just as much of a squeeze as the average resident, said Director of Public Services Brian Davis. “We follow the same guidelines,” he said. The major concern for the city, Davis said, is that athletic fields remain safe to play on. As the ground dries up, it can become hard and a potential safety hazard, but the directive from the BWWB allows for the watering of athletic fields to keep participants safe, he said. As far as parks, Davis said most fall sports were winding down and the fields would be mostly empty until early spring. However, he did say one of the things the department did this year to increase playability of baseball fields for spring teams was to plant winter rye grass. Some patches have germinated, but with the dry conditions, the fields may not look their best come spring. “We’re trying to be good stewards,” Davis said, and so while the fields may not be perfectly green and looking their best, there shouldn’t be any drainage or playability issues. In addition to landscaping troubles, a major concern should the drought continue is the increased risk for additional wildfires
Photo by Ron Burkett.
and brush fires. Between Oct. 1 and mid-November, more than 1,600 fires had been catalogued across the state, including one in the median of Interstate 459 caused by sparks from a vehicle with a flat tire. Coleen Vansant, public information officer for the Alabama Forestry Commission, said fall is already a busy time for firefighters, but that coming into the season with a major drought makes things even more challenging. Vansant said the two leading causes of fires they’ve seen this fall are arson and debris
burning, but they’ve seen several cases of unusual causes, such as a farmer using a bushhog and running over a rock, which caused a spark and set the brush on fire. “Right now, you don’t actually have to have a spark, you just have to have enough heat,” she said. She also said that as the soil continues to dry out, fighting fires with water simply isn’t enough, and tree roots can spread fires beyond the progress the firefighters make. Due to a decline in state funding for the
commission, Vansant said the department is significantly understaffed, and they have had to move crews from south Alabama into central and north Alabama to help fight the increasing number of fires. She did say that, so far, conditions have not eclipsed 2007, when that drought led to major fires throughout the year. However, if dry conditions persist, as they are expected to, fighting fires will become increasingly challenging, “because 90 percent of firefighting is weather,” Vansant said.
B20 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
Vestavia Hills Real Estate Listings MLS #
Zip
Address
Status
Price
766551
35216
1542 Blind Brook Lane
New
$499,900
767304
35216
2216 Vesthaven Way E.
New
$400,000
767278
35216
2112 Montreat Lane #A
New
$101,500
767091
35216
2508 Panorama Place
New
$409,000
766833
35216
2716 Anna Steele Lane
New
$497,000
766756
35216
1901 Highfield Drive
New
$414,900
766733
35216
2460 Shades Crest Road
New
$550,000
766611
35216
2840 Wisteria Drive
New
$169,000
766414
35216
2427 Monte Vista Drive
New
$679,900
766365
35216
2832 Vestavia Forest Place
New
$389,000
766317
35216
401 Old Rocky Ridge Lane
New
$109,900
766195
35216
416 Vestavia Trace
New
$975,000
767162
35216
2824 Cross Bridge Drive
New
$324,900
766129
35216
2104 Vestridge Drive
New
$480,000
765920
35216
1597 Woodridge Place
New
$939,900
765915
35216
9 Berrywood Drive #9
New
$137,390
765803
35216
3320 Brookview Trace
New
$219,900
765750
35216
2704 Cross Bridge Lane
New
$324,900
765710
35216
2116 Mountain View Drive
New
$499,900
765628
35216
1829 Old Creek Trail
New
$274,900
Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on Nov. 14. Visit birminghamrealtors.com.
1542 Blind Brook Lane
2824 Cross Bridge Drive
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • B21
B22 • December 2016
Vestavia Voice
Calendar Vestavia Events Dec. 2: Ambassador Breakfast. 5 p.m.-6 p.m. Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce. Visit vestaviahills.org.
biana Road. The market is open to the public and includes gifts, jewelry, home goods, beauty products and more. Call 822-4773.
Dec. 2: Artists Incorporated, First Friday Reception. 4:30-8:30 p.m. Artists Incorporated. Featured artists: Frank Fleming and Al Sella. Wine, hors d’oeuvres and live music. Visit artistsincorporated. com.
Dec. 7: Bagels & Banter. 7:45 a.m. Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce. Free. Bagels, coffee and networking. Visit vestaviahills.org.
Dec. 5: Liberty Park Middle School Choir & Band Winter Concert. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Liberty Park Middle School. Visit vestaviahills.org. Dec. 7: Morningside Christmas Market. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Morningside of Vestavia Hills, 2435 Colum-
Dec. 7, 14, 21 & 28: OLLI of Greater Birmingham Presents: China’s History and Current Political and Economic Status. 10:30 a.m. Vestavia Hills Civic Center, Senior Center. Visit ua.olli.edu. Dec. 8: VHHS Celebrating the Season. 7 p.m. Vestavia Hills High School. Featuring performances by the band, choir, dance and theatre departments.
Visit vestaviahills.org. Dec. 9: Town Village Vestavia Hills Holiday Market. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Town Village Vestavia Hills, 2385 Dolly Ridge Road. Shop for crafts and gifts. Visit vestaviahills.org. Dec. 10: Holiday in the Hills Breakfast with Santa. 7:30 a.m.-10 a.m. Vestavia Hills Civic Center. Visit vestaviahills.org. Dec. 11: Holiday in the Hills Christmas Parade & Celebration. 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Liberty Park Sports Complex. Children’s activities, refreshments, music, Santa pictures and more. Visit vestaviahills. org.
Dec. 12: Pizitz Middle School Choir Holiday Concert. 7 p.m. Shades Mountain Baptist Church. Visit vestaviahills.org. Dec. 13: Vestavia Chamber Monthly Luncheon. 11:30 a.m. Vestavia Country Club. $18 advance, $25 late reservations. Network with other chamber members and hear speakers on a wide variety of updates. Visit vestaviahills.org. Dec. 13: Town Village Vestavia Hills Holiday Open House & 15th Anniversary Celebration. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Town Village Vestavia Hills, 2385 Dolly Ridge Road. Pictures with Santa, horse and carriage rides, food and drinks. Visit vestaviahills.org.
Vestavia Hills Library Events Children Mondays: Maker Mondays. 6 p.m. Something for everyone, but adults must accompany children. Tuesdays: Together with Twos. 10:30 a.m. Join Miss Kristin for a rollicking toddler time of stories, songs, finger plays and movement. Ages 18-36 months. Tuesdays: PJ Storytime. 6:30 p.m. Children’s Program Room (except the 3rd Tuesday, which is Family Night). Wednesdays: Story Friends. 10:30 a.m. Join Mrs. Lisa for great stories and songs plus a surprise visitor or two. Ages 5 and under. 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.
Dec. 6: The Playlist. 4 p.m. Monthly YouTube playlist. Snacks served.
Thursdays: Book Babies. 10 a.m. Ms. Lisa’s storytime for babies up to 18 mos. Registration required.
Dec. 7: Teen Art Group. 4 p.m. Snacks served.
Dec. 3 &17: Family Yoga. 10:30 a.m. Class for the whole family. Dec. 7: This & That. 3:30 p.m. Grades 3-6. Dec. 10: Little Gym. 9 a.m. Teens Fridays: Open Gaming. 4-5:30 p.m. Enjoy video games on the Wii U, PS4, board games to play with fellow teens. Snacks served.
Dec. 13: Fandom Tuesday. 4 p.m. Movies, crafts and themed foods. Dec. 14 & 28: Teen Writing Group. 4 p.m. Snacks served.
Adults Dec. 2: First Friday Fiber Arts. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Knit, crochet, cross-stitch, crewel, embroidery and smocking. All skill levels welcome. Dec. 8: Adult Tai Chi Classes. 2 p.m. Biweekly class taught by a certified instructor. No registration for this free class. Ages 18 and up.
Dec. 20: Otaku Time. 4:30 p.m. Read, discuss and exchange manga. Snacks served.
Dec. 14: ABCs of Medicare. 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Independent Benefits Advisor Karen Haiflich provides simple and straightforward answers to all your Medicare questions. Free.
Dec. 21: Studio 1221. 4 p.m. Make crafts and artwork.
Dec. 15: Friends of the Library: Luncheon. 11:30 a.m. Celebrate the holidays with a potluck meal.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2016 • B23
Area Events Dec. 1-3: Market Noel. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. BJCC Exhibition Halls. Junior League of Birmingham fundraiser. Visit marketnoel.com. Dec. 2: Merry Everything! 4 The Holidays. 7:30 p.m. Lyric Theatre. $25-$35. Visit lyricbham.com. Dec. 2-3 & 9-10: Birmingham Children’s Theatre Presents: A Christmas Carol: The Musical. Fridays, 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. $35 adult, $15 child. Visit bct123.org. Dec. 2-4 & 7-11: Holiday Spectacular 2016. RMTC Cabaret Theatre. Performances by the RMTC Conservatory Students along with local artists. Wednesday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, 2 p.m. $19 and up. Visit redmountaintheatre.org. Dec. 2-4, 8-11 & 15-18: A Christmas Story: The Musical. Virginia Samford Theatre. Thursdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 2 p.m. $15-$35. Visit virginiasamfordtheatre.org. Dec. 3: Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker. 3 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall. $31.50-$178.50. Visit nutcracker.com. Dec. 3: Sara Evans. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. $30-$80. Visit ticketmaster.com. Dec. 3 & 10: Birmingham Children’s Theatre presents: Twas the Night Before Christmas. 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. $20 adult, $15 child. Visit bct123.org. Dec. 4: UAB Gospel Choir featuring Alicia Olatuja. 6 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. $18. Visit alysstephens.org. Dec. 5: BAO Bingo. 7 p.m. Birmingham AIDS Outreach. $15 for 5 games. Visit birminghamaidsoutreach.org.
bama Christmas Show. 7 p.m. $27.50-$39.50. Visit lyricbham.com. Dec. 9: White Christmas. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com. Dec. 9: Birmingham Ballet: The Mutt-Cracker. 7:30 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall. $20-$48. Visit birminghamballet.com. Dec. 10-11: Birmingham Ballet: The Nutcracker. BJCC Concert Hall. $30-$48. Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, 2 p.m. Visit birminghamballet. com.
Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com. Dec. 16: A Christmas Story. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com. Dec. 16: Tommy Emmanuel: Classics & Christmas Tour. 8 p.m. Lyric Theatre. $47.50. Visit lyricbham.com. Dec. 16: Handel’s Messiah & Vivaldi’s Gloria. 7:30 p.m. Presented by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. Alys Stephens Center. $18-$80. Visit alabamasymphony.org.
Dec. 19: Christmas Vacation. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com. Dec. 20: White Christmas. 2 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre. com. Dec. 20: Meet Me in St. Louis: 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com. Dec. 21: A Christmas Story. 2 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.
Dec. 10: Polar Express. 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $12. Visit alabamatheatre.com.
Dec. 16-18: Broadway Christmas Wonderland. BJCC Concert Hall. Sounds of holiday classics. $30$60. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m. Visit theatreleague.com/Birmingham.
Dec. 10: Christmas Vacation. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.
Dec. 17: Dickens Vest Pocket Christmas Carol. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. $8-$13. Visit alysstephens.org.
Dec. 22: Cartoon Matinee Triple Feature. 2 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.
Dec. 10-11: Polar Express PJ Party. McWane Science Center. Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday, 2 p.m. $14 adults, $12 kids, members receive $2 off. Visit mcwane.org.
Dec. 17: Voices of the South presents: Christmas at the Lyric. 7 p.m. Lyric Theatre. $15-$35. Visit lyricbham.com.
Dec. 22: Christmas Vacation. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.
Dec. 17: It’s A Wonderful Life. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.
Dec. 23: A Christmas Carol. 8 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Presented by Nebraska Theatre Caravan. $44. Visit alabamatheatre.com.
Dec. 18: Southeastern Outings Moderate Dayhike Along Buck Creek in Helena. 2 p.m. Total hiking distance is less than four miles. Depart 2 p.m. from the parking lot for the Helena City Park on Highway 261. Call 205-823-5165.
Dec. 28-29: St. Paul & The Broken Bones. 8 p.m. $25-$35. Visit alabamatheatre.com.
Dec. 11: Miracle on 34th Street. 2 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com. Dec. 11: Elf. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com. Dec. 12: It’s A Wonderful Life. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com. Dec. 13: Home Alone. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.
Dec. 5: UAB Music’s Christmas at the Alys. 7 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. $8, $5 students. Visit uab. edu.
Dec. 14: Christmas Vacation. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.
Dec. 8: Live at the Lyric: The Blind Boys of Ala-
Dec. 15: Elf. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday
Dec. 18: White Christmas. 2 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre. com. Dec. 18: Home Alone. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com. Dec. 19: It’s A Wonderful Life. 2 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.
Dec. 21: Elf. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Holiday Film Series. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.
Dec. 29: 11th Annual Birmingham Bowl. 1 p.m. Legion Field. $30 general admission, $50 reserved sideline seating. Visit birminghambowl.com. Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve at the Alabama. 6 p.m. Ring in the new year with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. $18-$75. Visit alabamasymphony.org. Dec. 31: Anderson East. 10 p.m. Lyric Theatre. With special guest, Dylan Leblanc. $23-$48. Visit lyricbham.com.