Vestavia Voice February 2024

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February 2024 | Volume 11 | Issue 10

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Vestavia Hills City Center • Brook Highland Plaza

Behind the scenes

‘A Rare Kid’

Humility and dedication are the key to Ben Evans’ success with the Rebels.

New student program providing value for Rebels athletics

Left: Isabella Marsh, one of the athletics interns at Vestavia Hills High School, works in the press box during a girls flag football semifinal game against Lee in November 2023. Photos courtesy of Abby Jaillet.

By KYLE PARMLEY

See page A12

Medical Guide

Get to know some of the health and wellness providers in the Vestavia Hills area.

See page B1

INSIDE Sponsors .......... A4 News ..................A6 Business ........... A8 Schoolhouse ... A12

Events .............. A14 Medical Guide.... B1 Sports.................B8 Opinion............. B14

facebook.com/vestaviavoice

L

ook up at the scoreboard during a Vestavia Hills High School football game, and you’re likely to see a crowd shot from Johnny Johnston’s camera.

Take a look at the baseline during a Rebels’ basketball game, and you may see Campbell Price gathering footage for her next video.

Scroll the Vestavia Hills athletics social media pages, and you might come across a hype video put together by Brooks Bennett or a gameday graphic designed by Skylar Scott.

What do the four of them have in common? They are all students at Vestavia Hills High who this year have found a way to play a major role in the school’s various athletics programs. They are part of the initial 17-student class of the Vestavia Hills High School athletics internship program.

What began as merely an idea of Vestavia Hills Athletic Director Myra Miles and Assistant Athletic Director Laura Casey has turned into a burgeoning program.

Above: Campbell Price, an athletic intern at Vestavia Hills High School, shoots video during a football game against Tuscaloosa County High.

Left: Baker Stewart, one of the graphics interns for the athletic department, works on designs during class.

See INTERNS | page A18

Aaron, McIntyre honored as Vestavia Hills Teachers of the Year

By JON ANDERSON

Kira Aaron reviews a recent reading assignment with students in her ninth grade honors English at Vestavia Hills High School freshman campus on Jan. 11. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

Kira Aaron remembers as a little girl lining up her stuffed animals in the playroom and “teaching” them how to write and count.

When she was in kindergarten and gained two younger sisters, her dad got hold of three discarded school desks, had them painted red, yellow and blue, and gave them to the girls as Christmas presents. It wasn’t long before Aaron had her sisters lined up in two of the desks and the stuffed animals in the other, teaching them all together.

See TEACHERS | page A16

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A2 • February 2024

Vestavia Voice

SPONSORED CONTENT

New Facial Plastic Surgery practice serves Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Mountain Brook

A

n exciting new medical practice — Raggio MD Facial Plastic Surgery — is now open in Homewood and serving patients from Vestavia Hills, Hoover and Mountain Brook.

Headed by Dr. Blake Raggio, a highly skilled Facial Plastic Surgeon, the facility focuses exclusively on providing patients with the latest cosmetic and aesthetic procedures for the eyes, face, nose and neck.

Dr. Raggio has dedicated his entire career to becoming an expert in these procedures. Not only has Dr. Raggio obtained extensive training in both Facial Plastic Surgery and Head & Neck Surgery, but he has continually refined his techniques over the last several years in practice.

“We’re able to provide patients the safest, most up-todate techniques to effectively reach their goals,” he says.

Procedures are performed in the Raggio MD office which represents a state-of-the-art medical facility with no detail overlooked.

Dr. Raggio says he’s “beyond thrilled” about his practice, which opened in January at 1920 Huntington Road.

“Opening a private practice has always been my ultimate goal, and we couldn’t have found a better location,” he says.

Homewood is centrally located, allowing easy access for patients from across Birmingham, including the Over the Mountain communities.

“We’re very excited about serving patients from Vestavia Hills. It really is such a wonderful community,” Dr. Raggio says.

In addition, downtown Homewood “has an upscale yet inviting atmosphere and is the perfect setting for our boutique practice,” Dr. Raggio says.

“From a surgical perspective, we’re excited to share our expertise in cosmetic rhinoplasty and facial rejuvenation procedures, including face, neck, brow and eyelid lifts,” Dr. Raggio says. “In addition, we’ll provide non-surgical options, including Botox, dermal filler and other medical spa treatments, such as laser skin resurfacing and radiofrequency microneedling.”

Raggio MD is the only cosmetic plastic surgery facility in the region offering in-house hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which promotes faster healing, less bruising, minimizes complications and enhances the overall result.

Dr. Raggio earned his undergraduate degree at Louisiana State University and his medical degree at the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans.

He completed an extensive residency in Head & Neck Surgery at the Tulane University Medical Center. Dr. Raggio then finished a highly competitive fellowship program in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Toronto with renowned rhinoplasty and deep-plane facelift surgeon, Jamil Asaria.

He has dual board certification in both Facial Plastic Surgery and Head & Neck Surgery.

One of Dr. Raggio’s most sought after and favorite procedures is the rhinoplasty.

“I have great confidence in performing rhinoplasty for patients of all shapes and sizes, including teenage, male, ethnic, and Asian rhinoplasty concerns.” Beyond the primary rhinoplasty, Dr. Raggio also specializes in performing revision rhinoplasty for patients who may not have had a great first surgical experience.

“We’re talking about complex revision rhinoplasties, which require using rib cartilage and other advanced techniques,” he says. “I have a tremendous amount of experience and expertise in the rhinoplasty arena, and I’m excited to offer these modern rhinoplasty techniques to Birmingham and the surrounding region.

Dr. Raggio is also expert at doing surgical full-facial rejuvenations in which a patient has several procedures performed at once.

Kristin Raggio and her husband, Dr. Blake Raggio, owners of Raggio MD Facial Plastic Surgery

► WHERE: 1920 Huntington Road ► PHONE: 659-272-0092 ► WEB: raggiomd.com

“We’re doing more than just the routine eyelid surgery or a facelift, but rather we’re focusing on panfacial rejuvenation by implementing cutting-edge therapies such as full-face fat grafting, surgical lip lifts, and deepplane facelift and neck lift techniques,” he says.

Both rhinoplasties and full-facial rejuvenations are “extremely rewarding procedures to perform, and the results are often life-changing,” Dr. Raggio says.

His practice also offers the best in non-surgical facial rejuvenation, including “full-face botox treatments and filler treatments that are really safe, modern and effective techniques,” he says.

Dr. Raggio and his wife, Kristin, who is a registered nurse, co-own Raggio MD, and Kristin serves as practice manager.

New Orleans natives, Dr. Raggio and Kristin moved to Birmingham in October and live now in Mountain Brook. They have a growing young family, with three children and a fourth on the way.

It’s very gratifying to open and run a business with his wife, Dr. Raggio says.

“I wouldn’t trust anyone else more to not only run the practice but also interact with patients,” he says. “As the surgeon, the technician, I have a vision, and sometimes it’s hard to articulate that, but Kristin gets it and is able to help bring it to life in every aspect of the practice.”

“I believe Blake and I make an outstanding team because we share the same goals and philosophy regarding patient care,” Kristin says. “Blake and I truly understand each other. We know what works and, more importantly, what doesn't. In addition, we are both perfectionists and never settle for anything less than exceptional.”

The co-owners hope to create a warm, friendly, inviting atmosphere at the practice.

“In New Orleans, Southern hospitality is alive and well, and we want to bring that to what we do here,” Dr. Raggio says. “Patients love our bedside manner and like the warm, friendly interaction.”

Dr. Raggio’s work with patients brings him a tremendous sense of satisfaction.

“I’m blessed with the incredible opportunity to positively impact people’s lives,” he says. “My patients entrust me with their care, and this is something I take very seriously and enjoy thoroughly.”

Dr. Raggio listens carefully to each patient’s desires and concerns in order to design a personalized treatment plan. He also makes sure they fully understand what he can offer them and — more importantly — what he can’t offer them.

“Sometimes the hardest thing I have to do is say ‘no’ to a patient, or to steer them away from a certain desired treatment or procedure,” he says.

“We focus a lot of our attention on listening to patients and educating them before we even consider moving forward with a procedure,” Kristin says.

“I have a duty and responsibility to the patient to provide them with a treatment plan that I feel confident will produce a beautiful result that will be safe, natural and conform with the classical standards of beauty – a result that we would both be happy with and proud to share,” Dr. Raggio says.

Dr. Raggio has an artistic eye and a keen appreciation for beauty, which he says are essential traits for a plastic surgeon.

“It’s about understanding facial proportions, balance and harmony, as well as identifying how to maximize that certain individual’s traits to their fullest potential,” he says. “ These principles allow him to “deliver a subtle, natural result that stands the test of time,” he says.

In addition, Dr. Raggio “tirelessly searches” for ways to refine his skills and find new ways to “maximize the patient experience,” he says. “The journey never ends.”

“Our passion for excellence will allow us to deliver that outstanding patient experience that we know people will love at Raggio MD,” Kristin says.

VestaviaVoice.com

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A4 • February 2024

Vestavia Voice

About Us Publisher’s Note By Dan Starnes Did you know that we really love it when our readers submit local community events for us to share?

We know that publishing these is a huge service to the community, so we promote these in all four outlets of your paper: print, email newsletter, website and social media.

Here are the criteria for events to be published in advance: ► The event must take place in Vestavia Hills. ► It needs to be open to the public. ► For us to publish the event in print, we usually need to receive it at least 3 weeks before the first day of the month in which the event happens.

selecting from events that may have a promotional angle for a business.

While an event being sponsored by a business obviously won’t keep it from being published, we’ll be looking for elements that make the event entertaining for the general public.

To submit your event, you can email me at dan@starnesmedia.com.

We’re looking for any events that may be entertaining to our readers. We will use our editorial judgment when

PHOTO OF THE MONTH Merlin, the facility dog at Vestavia Hills Elementary West, lays in the center of a group of third graders in the school library on Jan. 11.

Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

Publisher: Dan Starnes

Published by:

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Starnes Publishing LLC P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@starnesmedia.com

dan@starnesmedia.com Please submit all articles, information and photos to:

Community Editors: Jon Anderson Leah Ingram Eagle Sports Editor: Kyle Parmley Design Editor: Melanie Viering Photo Editor: Erin Nelson Sweeney Page Designer: Ted Perry

Please Support Our Community Partners All of Us UAB Research Study (B2) Allsteel Fence (A14) Bedzzz Express (B1, B16) Bill White Roofing and Specialty (A6) Birmingham Museum of Art (A5) Bistro V (A15) Bromberg’s (A18) Budget Blinds (B15) Cardinal Roofing (B11) Children’s of Alabama (B7) Clearview Strategy Partners (B14) Cottontails Village (B12) Cummings Jewelry Design (A1) Dermatology & Skin Care Center of Birmingham (B10) ENT Associates of Alabama (A15) Etc. (A11) French Drains Pro (A12) Galleria Woods Retirement Community (A17) Gardner Astroturf (A6) Gardner Landscaping (A7) Gerrick Wilkins for Congress (A9) Granger Thagard Associates (A13) Gunn Dermatology (B4) HomeRN (A11) Issis & Sons (B9) Jana Hanna RealtySouth (A7) LIV Development (A8) Medicare Advisors of Alabama (B5) Mr. Handyman of Birmingham (B12) One Man & A Toolbox (A14) Outdoor Living Areas (A19) Pappas’ Grill (B12) Parrot Structural Services LLC (B8) Raggio MD (A2) Renew Dermatology (A20) Royal Automotive (A3) Shoe Station (A1) Shunnarah Flooring (A13) Southern Home Structural Repair Specialists (A10) SouthPoint Bank (B13) State Farm - Vivian Mora (A12) Tecate Bar & Grill (A10) The Crossings at Riverchase (B13) TherapySouth Corporate (B6) Vintage Market Days at Hoover Met (A18) Vulcan Termite & Pest Control (B11) Vulcan Wellness & Aesthetics (A17) Window World of Central Alabama (A19)

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

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February 2024 • A5

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A6 • February 2024

Vestavia Voice

City Council OKs contract for Cahaba Heights roundabout

By LOYD McINTOSH The Vestavia Hills City Council on Jan. 8 approved a contract for construction of a longawaited roundabout at the intersection of Blue Lake Drive and Sicard Hollow Road in Cahaba Heights.

Gillespie Construction Co. was the lowest of three bidders for the project, charging $2.6 million for the job.

The cost will be split evenly between Vestavia Hills and Jefferson County, so Vestavia Hills’ portion will be $1.3 million. The city will get credit for $270,000 it already has spent on design work, said Lori Beth Kearley, director of public services for Vestavia Hills.

The city of Birmingham also is a partner in the project but will not share in the cost.

Kearley reminded the City Council that money for the project was included in the fiscal 2024 budget.

Construction of the roundabout is scheduled to begin in March and is expected to take about 12 months to complete.

Councilman George Pierce pointed out that the intersection of Sicard Hollow Road and Blue Lake Drive is busy. Kearley said the plan is to keep traffic flowing during construction.

“A big part of the costs is traffic control, because that is one of the biggest challenges of the project,” she said. “But Sain Associates, who did the design — we’ve talked with them, and they’ve put together a very good traffic control plan and construction sequence that is going to allow us to keep a portion of the intersection open at all times.”

The plan is to have one full-time police officer to help direct traffic as needed, as well as other traffic control measures.

Mayor Ashley Curry said the roundabout will not only allow for smoother traffic but will also

A roundabout is set to be constructed at this intersection of Sicard Hollow Road and Blue Lake Drive in the Cahaba Heights community in Vestavia Hills.

Photo by Loyd McIntosh.

dramatically improve safety at the intersection.

With only one stop sign from Sicard Hollow onto Blue Lake, Curry said the current intersection has the potential to be dangerous.

“We think it’s a good move because of safety issues out there and the high volume of traffic.

What we’re learning is that roundabouts can prevent someone coming through an intersection or pulling out in that particular intersection where your line of sight is not ideal and could cause a major accident,” Curry said. “This should alleviate that. To me, safety is the biggest

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issue, as well as moving the traffic quickly.”

The City Council also on Jan. 8 approved a resolution allowing City Manager Jeff Downes to sell six city vehicles as surplus. Revenue from the sale of these vehicles is intended to offset capital expenditures to retain vehicles that are within warranty guidelines.

Additionally, the City Council authorized Downes to execute an agreement with the Jefferson County Commission, by which the county will pay almost $170,000 to Vestavia Hills from coronavirus recovery money from

the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The funds are meant to cover the purchase of a new ambulance for the city’s fire department.

The mayor and City Council also took time to observe January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month and recognized several local agencies, including the Children’s Aid Society of Alabama and the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, for work focused on the prevention of human trafficking and the rescue of individuals abducted for sexual exploitation or other forced labor.

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VestaviaVoice.com

February 2024 • A7

Mayor’s Minute

#1 REALTOR

By Ashley Curry I hope each of you are enjoying your new year and that your New Year’s resolutions are still intact.

Our city has several “resolutions” for 2024.

At the top of our wishlist is the redevelopment of properties on the south end of U.S. 31. As you may have heard, the city hosted multiple public meetings to discuss that development after we purchased the old Days Inn in 2022. During 2023, the city held public meetings called a “charrette” to determine the best use for the development of the acreage of the former Days Inn site.

Jeff Downes, our city manager, is in continuous dialogue with the adjacent property owners and Village Creek Development, our project’s master developer. We will learn more about this project during our strategic planning meetings in February.

The redevelopment of Massey Road is another “resolution.” We have talked about Massey Road for several years and encountered some legal issues that had to be resolved in order to move forward with resurfacing the roadway and adding sidewalks down the length of Massey Road from U.S. 31 to Columbiana Road.

As someone that drives this road every day, I can attest to the need for the project.

It is possible that this project will be underway before the end of the year.

Let’s not forget the pedestrian bridge over U.S. 31. This walkway would provide Wald Park with pedestrian access to the Library in the Forest. This project, first proposed by Mayor Scotty McCallum more than 15 years ago, has come through a myriad of designs, engineering reviews

and multiple rulings by the Alabama Department of Transportation.

We may actually see the beginning of this project this year, as well.

Last but not least is the completion of Altadena Park. This park currently has walking trails and adequate parking. It presently has a pavilion and restrooms under construction.

Future development includes additional trails and a possible canoe launch for the Cahaba River.

During February, we have several holidays to remember.

Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day. On this day, “Punxsutawney Phil,” the world’s most renowned weather prognosticator, will come out of his house at Gobbler’s Knob and observe the weather. If he sees his shadow, then we can expect six more weeks of winter. However, if he does not see his shadow, then we can expect an early spring.

You may recall that he saw his shadow on Groundhog Day 2023. So, what will it be this year?

On a serious note, Feb. 4 is World Cancer Day. Created in February 2000, this day exists to raise awareness about the disease that is the No. 2 two cause of death worldwide.

Feb. 14 is Valentine’s Day. While it’s certainly one holiday that can warm your heart, let’s take time to show love to others.

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A8 • February 2024

Vestavia Voice

Business

Business Happenings NOW OPEN Rise and Refine Hot Yoga recently opened its location at 300 Old Town Road. Trina Smith has renamed and rebranded the former KIVA Hot Yoga to represent what clients will find within the walls of this community. The business offers classes for all levels of yoga enthusiasts.

205-767-3849, riseandrefinehotyoga.com Activate Games is now open in Vestavia at 1425 Montgomery Highway, Suite 173. This venue offers high-tech games for team building, birthdays or a fun night out.

The games are recommended for ages 10 and up, and you can book a spot online for your group. It is open every day from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

205-644-8674, activate.games/birmingham

Birmingham Therapy Services, LLC, a group private practice, is now accepting new clients at 700 Century Park S., Suite 128. The practice recently expanded with a new clinical team.

205-928-8532, bhamtherapyservices.com

conferences or office meetings, with a serving area for clients to use.

205-229-2267, thegolfficeal.com

ANNIVERSARIES Highlands Dental Arts has been open one year at 1360 Montgomery Highway, Suite 110. The practice offers general dentistry, Invisalign services, family dentistry, Botox, whitening and more. The office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

205-953-1368, highlandsdentalarts.com

South Mountain Dental Care is now open at 3186 Rush St., Suite 106. The practice offers general dentistry, comfortable dentistry, oral surgery, emergency care and other cosmetic services. It is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

205-855-4850, southmountaindentalcare.com

Santos Coffee has been open at its Altadena Square location, 4700 Cahaba River Road, Suite B, for one year. The shop offers coffee that is crafted from beans grown on Guatemalan family farms and then roasted in Alabama. It is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

205-438-6237, facebook.com/santoscoffee.us

NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS The Warren Averett accounting firm, with its Birmingham area office at 2500 Acton Road, Suite 200, was the second-place winner in the large company division of Business Alabama’s list of the 40 best companies to work for in Alabama. According to Business Alabama, collaboration, diversity, integrity and kindness are all held in high regard at Warren Averett. The firm also offers flexible benefits, innovative perks and open communication. In addition, with 10 years of service and every five years thereafter, workers may take a fourweek sabbatical. Off-site time includes no emails, work contact or business phone calls.

205-979-4100, warrenaverett.com

Business News to Share?

Do you have news to share with the community about a business in Vestavia Hills or the greater Birmingham area?

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The Golffice is celebrating its one-year anniversary at 1442 Montgomery Highway, Suite 100. The event venue offers a golf simulator that can be rented by the hour.

They also have a room that can be reserved for poker,

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February 2024 • A9

Activate Games now open in Vestavia Hills

By LOYD McINTOSH Activate, a gaming company that offers immersion in a series of physical and mental challenges, moved into the Park South Plaza in December.

Activate was launched in 2019 in Canada and has quickly expanded throughout North America. Its experiential concept is similar to ax throwing and escape rooms. The Vestavia Hills Activate opened in mid-December and is owned by the same group that owns Breakout, an escape room in Homewood.

General manager Heaven Sparks said while there are similarities between the two businesses, Activate adds a physical dynamic to the games alongside the mental agility needed to play.

“You have these rooms you go into, but, unlike Breakout, you don't have to try to guess all these clues," Sparks said. "It's more interactive and way more physical.

“It’s a rapidly growing thing,” she added.

“It’s wild and it’s so much fun.”

Activate has 11 rooms, each with a different theme, such as climb, hoops, grid, or arena.

Activate Birmingham is a new facility in Vestavia Hills offering a variety of interactive games. Photos courtesy of Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce.

Once a group chooses a room, they will receive instruction from a recorded voice prompt. The activities always start at Level 1 and then progress in difficulty as the session continues.

Groups can play as many games as possible, in a myriad of combinations, within the allotted time.

Each game lasts between 1 and 3 minutes, while wristbands track each player’s progress and scores throughout the session. Players can customize their outing for a casual night of fun or increase the intensity for a more competitive experience.

"It's going to test you and your team's physical and mental agility across all kinds of challenges," Sparks said. "So you're going to run, crawl, jump, climb. You're going to shoot targets. It's a whole interactive, fun experience.”

Each room presents specific challenges that each player must achieve to score points.

For instance, in Climb, players travel across a room covered in touch-sensitive handholds that change colors during the game. The goal is to climb across the wall using the green holds, while avoiding the red holds and activating the blue holds.

In the Hoops room, players must shoot baskets that light up in specific colors and patterns, as well as memorize sequences and answer trivia questions.

“There are hundreds of different variations of games and levels that you can play,” Sparks said. “So it's kind of like never-ending.”

Groups of two to five players can compete against each other individually, while groups of six or more play in teams. Activate games are recommended for individuals over 10 years old, however, children under 10 can play with an adult present in the game.

Activate is located at 1425 Montgomery Highway, Suite 173. For more information or to reserve a time, call 205-644-8674 or visit activate.games/birmingham.

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A10 • February 2024

Vestavia Voice

South Mountain Dental Care aims to be ‘comfortable’ environment

By GRACE THORNTON When Dr. Taylor Francis was a freshman in high school, she had a car accident that put her in the dentist chair more than she would have preferred.

“I had my front six teeth knocked out, so I have been in the chair with extensive dental work,” she said.

Francis was grateful for the help, but her experience also made her terrified of the dentist. So she decided to go to dental school to overcome her fear and help others who might also be afraid or need extra help.

“I was given a very unique opportunity, which I feel like a lot of people aren’t — to get my smile back,” she said. “I know what that did for me; I wouldn’t have gone to school if I didn’t have teeth. I know there are a lot of people out there who feel very similarly about their mouths, so it’s a very special thing for me to do that and give back in a way that I was given.”

She also feels like she can “relate very heavily” with patients who have anxiety.

“It’s important for me to help people feel comfortable in the dental chair, so they feel like they’re in control and taken care of,” Francis said.

That’s the kind of environment that she and fellow dentist Dr. Gerald Benson want to create at their new dental practice, South Mountain Dental Care, which is located just off Liberty Parkway at 3186 Rush St., Suite 100.

Their patients are more than “just mouths and teeth,” Francis said, and they want to care for the whole person.

“We’re trying to build a place where people feel comfortable and happy,” she said. “We want to be leaders in health, and not just dental health but overall health. We want to be a safe place, where people feel welcome and where they can come and feel like they’re being cared for.”

Francis said she and Benson — both graduates of the school of dentistry at the University of North Carolina — moved to the area because of family reasons. Francis’ fiancé is a resident at UAB Hospital.

She said she and Benson chose the Liberty Park location because it’s an up-and-coming area with a need for a local dental practice.

“We’ve had a lot of patients come in and say, ‘Finally! We’ve been in a dental desert, and I’m so glad now there’s a dentist within five minutes, so I don’t have to drive all the way to Hoover,’” Francis said. “That’s been nice to hear, and since the Birmingham area is a little densely populated with dentists, it’s helped us know we found an area where it seems like we could fill a need.”

South Mountain Dental Care provides services from routine dental care to implants and Invisalign.

“We pride ourselves on being able to do just about everything that walks through the door, Francis said.

“We want to take care of our patients and their families and become an established part of the community.”

For more information about the practice, call 205-656-9175, visit southmountaindentalcare. com or follow them on Instagram @southmountaindentalcare or on their Facebook page.

Dr. Gerald Benson and Dr. Taylor Francis at South Mountain Dental in Liberty Park.

Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

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February 2024 • A11

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Vestavia Voice

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Facility dogs showing their worth at Vestavia Hills elementary schools

By GRACE THORNTON Dawn Norris said on any given day, Merlin’s right on the money.

Norris can walk into a classroom at Vestavia Hills Elementary West, let the black lab off the leash and — after he sniffs around to see if there’s any food — he will find the child who needs him most and sit down with him or her.

“He knows based on stress hormones,” said Norris, a counselor at the school. “It’s really cool to watch, because we as counselors know what’s going on with the kids in the classroom, and he’s right 100% of the time.”

This is Merlin’s second school year at Vestavia Hills Elementary West as a facility dog — basically a service dog assigned to a whole school rather than just one person. In 2019, Norris applied for him through Service Dogs Alabama, the state’s only Assistance Dogs International accredited organization.

Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park is on the waiting list and hoping to get a dog this spring.

Emelie Sara Vines, a counselor at VHELP, said while there is a bit of a wait for the dogs, she is “confident that their training is thorough and simply amazing.”

Amy Capps, the development director for Service Dogs Alabama, said serving the students and staff is the dogs’ full-time job.

Merlin, the facility dog at Vestavia Hills Elementary West, lays on a pillow surrounded by Jolene Waid, far left, Ollie Bryan, back center, Jane Byars, back right, and Abby Alexander as the students read books in the school library on Jan. 11. Merlin, 5, is a graduate of Service Dogs of Alabama and has been the facility dog at Vestavia Hills Elementary West since 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

“They help children with anxiety or learning disabilities, support students with test taking and dealing with trauma,” she said.

In addition to providing facility dogs to schools, Service Dogs Alabama also supplies them for courtrooms, juvenile probation offices and other organizations around the state.

“We harness the dogs’ area of excellence and ensure they are placed

right where they belong,” Capps said.

They also provide dogs for individuals who might need help with mobility or handling medical issues such as imminent seizures or PTSD. Since the organization’s inception in 2010, Service Dogs Alabama has placed more than 120 dogs, 40 of which are in schools.

The dogs are prepared for placement at their training facility in Hope

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Capps said they have around 55 dogs in various stages of training at any given time. About 25 are puppies being raised by 50 inmates in a women’s correctional facility, who earn the privilege to live in a special dorm with the dogs.

“It’s a huge benefit to help the inmates stay on the up and up, but it also provides them with a skillset,”

Capps said. “It doesn’t mean they have to come out and be a dog trainer; they could be a vet tech, or they could do training to do other things with animals later.”

After this phase of training, the dogs move to the Hope Hull facility.

Norris said she and her co-counselor, Emily Foster, went there for five days of intensive training in spring of 2022, when they were notified that Merlin was ready for them.

“We were basically there to learn the amazing things he already knew and his commands,” Norris said.

“Then we brought him to school that next Monday.”

On a normal day, Merlin might spend time in classrooms or in small groups the counselors are working with. He also helps in the car line when kids are hesitant to leave their parents.

“If a kid is having a hard time regulating, usually he can solve that quickly,” Norris said.

For Merlin’s birthday, West students made drawings for him and brought in donations of $1 for Service Dogs Alabama, raising $150 in total.

“He’s a tool in the toolbox — he’s amazing. He’s embedded in our school, and he’s a celebrity,” Norris said.

To learn more about Service Dogs Alabama, visit servicedogsalabama. org. Merlin is also on Instagram @magnificent.merlin.vhew.

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VestaviaVoice.com

February 2024 • A13

Making dreams come true Theater festival returns for sixth year at Vestavia Hills High School

By CARMEN SHEA BROWN Every February for the past six years, more than 1,000 middle and high school students come to Vestavia Hills High School for the chance to take center stage at the Alabama Thespian Festival.

This year’s festival, which will be held Feb. 15-16, will bring in young thespian troupes from all over the state for a weekend of full-length shows, one-act plays and workshops designed to help students who want to showcase their performance skills and continue to make theater a part of their lives after graduation.

“Last year, we brought in 40 guest artists from all over the country to work with students and give them opportunities they might not have otherwise had,” said Jamie Stephenson, the theater teacher at Vestavia Hills High School. Stephenson is also the director of the Alabama Thespians, a chapter of the Alabama Educational Theatre Association.

Registered high school junior and senior thespians have the chance to audition at the festival before college representatives from theater programs across the country. Seniors who want to continue doing theater in college can audition for scholarships in musical theater, acting, technical theater and theater education “Alabama Thespians gives anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000 a year in scholarships,” Stephenson said.

The festival brings around 2,000 people in total to Vestavia Hills over the course of the weekend.

One high school show will be chosen to

represent Alabama at the International Thespian Festival, which will be held June 23-28 in Bloomington, Indiana. More than 6,000 students from all over the world participate in the International Festival each year.

“Two years ago, we took a one-act show, ‘Laundry and Bourbon,’ to represent the state of Alabama,” Stephenson said.

Former Alabama Thespians include Russellville’s Myk Watford, a musician and actor who has starred in films including “The Kitchen” and the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect,” and Trussville’s Jordan Fisher, who has starred in several films and TV shows, including Netflix's “P.S. I Still Love You.” “A number of thespians go on to major in theater and perform on Broadway,” Stephenson said. “We also have a lot of very talented thespians staying here in the Birmingham area and working with the students.”

Stephenson said when she first took over the Vestavia Hills High School theater program, the state festival had about 500 students attending each year. Now attendance averages around 1,400.

“We’ve developed a really good board,” she said. “We’re known for our hospitality and our workshops, where students feel valued and can celebrate their love of theater.

Our board of teachers are all volunteers who work together to make it a success.”

The Alabama Junior Thespian Festival will be held at the same time at Pizitz Middle School, where approximately 300 students are expected to attend.

For more information, go online to alabamathespians.org.

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Vestavia Voice

Events

Vestavia Hills events guide Feb. 6: Widowed Support Group. 10 a.m. Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, 2061 Kentucky Ave. Group meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month. communitygriefsupport.org.

the title of Unless U Got Talent Champion. Tickets $35. unlessu.org/ uugottalent.

Feb. 9: Night to Shine. 6-9 p.m. Shades Mountain Church, 2017 Columbiana Road. An unforgettable prom night experience centered on God’s love, for people with special needs, ages 14 and older. Sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. shades.org/events/ night-to-shine.

return on investment by the end of the simulated trading session wins.

This event is sponsored by Junior Achievement of Alabama. Register at alabama.ja.org/events/2024-stock-market-challenge.

Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest CHILDREN Tuesdays: Toddler-a-Go-Go. 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Community Room. Ages 18-36 months. The perfect storytime for toddlers on the go, with singing, dancing and fun stories.

Feb. 24: Dinner and Diamonds. 7-11 p.m. Vestavia Country Club, 400 Beaumont Drive. A fundraiser for the Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation. Featuring dinner, entertainment and silent and live auctions. Tickets $75. vestaviafoundation.org.

Feb. 12: Leadership Vestavia Hills Volunteer Fair.

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vestavia Hills Civic Center, Cahaba Room, 1090 Montgomery Highway. Contact 205-978-0166 or email ealoudermilk@ gmail.com for information.

Feb. 13: Vestavia Hills Monthly Luncheon. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Vestavia Country Club, 400 Beaumont Drive. Network with other chamber members and hear speakers on a variety of topics. Lunch will be provided. Reservations $25. vestaviahills.org.

Feb. 16-17: Alabama Thespian Festival. Vestavia Hills High School. A chapter event and junior thespian festival will be held at Pizitz Middle School. alabamathespians.org/festival.

Feb. 24: Unless U Got Talent. 7 p.m. The Lyric Theatre.

Students of Unless U partner with local celebrities and compete for

Feb. 26-27: Alabama Science Teachers Association Conference. Vestavia Hills Civic Center, 1090 Montgomery Highway. Information and registration at asta30.wildapricot.org.

Feb. 29: Alzheimer’s Association Caregiver Conference. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 3775 Crosshaven Drive. Join the Alzheimer’s Association Alabama Chapter for their annual caregiver conference. This is a hybrid event, and attendees will be able to participate in person or virtually. The event is free to attend but registration is required. Visit alz.org/al.

Feb. 29: Stock Market Challenge — A Night on Wall Street. 6:30-9 p.m. Vestavia Hills Civic Center, 1090 Montgomery Highway. Each team will begin with a hypothetical account balance of $1 million and rush to amass the highest net-worth portfolio by the end of 60 days (one hour). The team to achieve the greatest rate of

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VestaviaVoice.com

February 2024 • A15

Feb. 3 and 17: Ms. Courtney’s Library Stop. 10:30 a.m.

Community Room. Stories, songs, dancing and playing.

Feb. 7, 14 and 21: Twelve Below. 3:30 p.m. Children’s Program Room. Grades 3-6. Origami.

a.m. Community Room. Grades 9-12. Registration required.

Feb. 20: Anti-Valentine’s Day. 4 p.m. Makerspace.

Feb. 21: Game Party. 4 p.m. Makerspace. Play interactive Jackbox party games.

Feb. 23: Super Smash Bros Tournament. 4 p.m. Community Room.

Feb. 22: Friends of the Library. 10:30 a.m. Community Room. City Manager Jeff Downes will be discussing the state of the city. Free and open to all adults. Coffee and conversation at 10 a.m. and the program starts at 10:30.

Feb. 29: Windows 11. 4-5:30 p.m. Technology Classroom.

Registration required.

MAKERSPACE

Feb. 24: ACT Workshop: Math/Science. 9-11:30 a.m.

Community Room. Registration required.

Feb. 24: Dungeons and Dragons One-Shot Valentine’s Masquerade. 10 a.m. Historical Room. Registration required.

Feb. 27: Flower Shop Frenzy. 4 p.m. Community Room.

Grades 6-12.

ADULTS

Feb. 10 and 24: Kreate w/Kelly. 10:30 a.m. Children’s Program Room.

Feb. 13: Family Night Camping Night. 6 p.m. Create your family’s campsite, make a craft, then gather around your campfire and listen to campfire stories.

Feb. 28: Graphic Novel Book Club: “Pawcasso” by Remy Lai. 3:30 p.m. Grades 3-6. Children’s Program Room.

Feb. 5: Lunch & Movie Series – “Hidden Figures.”

Noon. Community Room.

Feb. 6: Google Drive. 4-5:30 p.m. Technology Classroom. Learn how to create and share Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets. Registration required.

Feb. 7: Crafter’s, Inc. – T-shirt Hoop Art. 11 a.m. Community Room. Upcycle it into a unique work of art. Registration required.

TEENS (GRADES 6-12) Fridays: Open Gaming. 4 p.m. Community Room.

Feb. 9: Craft Lab – Zentangle with Darla. 7 p.m. Community Room. Registration required.

Feb. 1: Variant Chess. 4:30 p.m. Historical Room. Grades 4-12.

Learn to play or challenge other chess veterans in our chess club.

Feb. 12: Lunch & Movie Series – “Selma.” Noon. Community Room.

Feb. 3: Weekend Embroidery. 10 a.m. Historical Room.

Supplies and snacks provided.

Feb. 14: Read & Feed Book Group. 6:15 p.m. Community Room. Discussing “Tom Lake” by Anne Patchett.

Feb. 6: Tabletop Gaming Group. 4 p.m. Makerspace.

Feb. 15: Intermediate Microsoft Excel Part I. 4-5:30 p.m. Technology Classroom. Registration required.

Feb. 7: Writing Group: Haiku. 4 p.m. Historical Room.

Feb. 19: Lunch & Movie Series: Respect. Noon. Community Room.

Feb. 14: Art Group – Character Design. 4 p.m. Makerspace.

Feb. 20: Intermediate Microsoft Word. 4-5:30 p.m. Technology Classroom. Registration required.

Feb. 17: ACT Workshop – English/Reading. 9-11:30

Thursdays: Open Maker Lab. 2-6 p.m.

Feb. 5: Intro to 3D Printing. 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 13: Teardown Tuesday. 4:30 p.m. Ages 10 and up.

Feb. 19: Making Stickers. 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 27: 3D Modeling with Tinkercad. 4:30-5:30 p.m.

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A16 • February 2024

Vestavia Voice

TEACHERS

CONTINUED from page A1 Teaching just came naturally to her, she said.

Both her parents were educators, and her grandparents were, too. “Teaching is the family business,” she said.

People in the Vestavia Hills school system recognized her gift this year, naming Aaron, an English teacher at the Vestavia Hills High School freshman campus, as the school district’s Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Melissa McIntyre, the music teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park, is the Elementary Teacher of the Year. More on her to come.

SECONDARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Aaron originally is from Dadeville, a small town near Auburn. After graduating from Dadeville High School in 2003, she went to Auburn University and earned a bachelor’s degree in English and English education.

She did an internship at Wacoochee Junior High School in Smiths Station and was hired to work full-time there for a year, until she got married and moved to Troy. She then taught two years at Elba High School and three years at Charles Henderson High School. In 2013, her husband, Oliver, got a job as the college counselor at Vestavia Hills High School.

They moved to Vestavia Hills, and Aaron took a couple years off teaching while raising three young children. One of the Vestavia Hills High School English teachers retired, and Aaron went back to work. She spent two years at the main high school campus teaching 11th grade English before a decision was made to start the freshman campus.

Aaron said, as a parent and teacher, she loves the idea of a freshman campus and jumped at the chance to be a part of creating the climate and culture of a new school, so to speak. “That has been so much fun,” she said.

She also loves teaching in Vestavia Hills. “I count it a blessing to work in this school system — a place where the community, the teachers and the school system all really value quality education and educational experiences,” she said.

In Vestavia Hills, teachers don’t feel pressured to do something different, such as become an administrator, because they’re good at what they do now, Aaron said.

“We encourage each other always to be better at what we do, so students can learn more and be more successful today and in the future, and figure out what success means to them,” she said.

Many students still haven’t figured out what they want to do with their lives when they leave high school, much less when they’re a freshman in high school, Aaron said. They may not remember their freshman English teacher, but she hopes she can light some fires and shine a light on some possibilities for them, she said. “I do hope they’re exposed to what they are capable of.”

Her four main content areas are grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing, but literature allows her to branch into a variety of other subjects as well, from history to ancient mythology, she said.

Bill Mann, the principal at the freshman campus, said Aaron is a passionate educator who adds value outside of the classroom. She understands the importance of collaboration among teachers to benefit student learning, he said.

Mann was so impressed with Aaron that he asked her to serve as a mentor for all the faculty who were new to the freshman campus this year. She has been doing that since August, and it gives them a safe place to talk about issues and concerns without judgment, he said.

“She’s the definition of what a teacher should be,” Mann said. “She makes students feel good about learning and … she has a way of challenging others to be better — by leading by example.

If you had a building full of Kira Aarons, you’d have a very good school.”

Aaron said she benefited so much from relationships with other teachers when she was a new teacher as they poured their lives into her, even without a formal mentoring program.

“They invested in me when they didn’t have to,” she said. “They gave me advice when I asked for it and sometimes when I didn’t. I know without a shadow of a doubt that made me a better teacher.”

Now, the state pays for mentors for first-year teachers, but Vestavia Hills takes that further and pays for mentors for people who may not be new teachers but are new to the system, she said.

Above: Melissa McIntyre, the music teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park, works with first graders as they learn the first portion of a patriotic concert Jan. 9. McIntyre was named the Elementary Teacher of the Year for Vestavia Hills City Schools. Left: Kira Aaron and her ninth grade honors English students discuss the different tones and voices present in a recent reading assignment, Daniel Nayeri’s “Everything Sad is Untrue,” on Jan. 11.

Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

“Providing support to new teachers is imperative,” she said.

But at the forefront of her mind is always the students, she said.

“I get to have 110 new people every single year,” Aaron said. “I get to pour into their development as humans, and I get to make a little difference in their lives.”

ELEMENTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Melissa McIntyre has known she wanted to be a music teacher since she was in middle school.

“Music has always been my passion,” she said.

Her choir teacher at Ed White Middle School in Huntsville, Sherry Smith, was an inspiration for her, McIntyre said. When she was in the sixth grade, Smith allowed her to play piano accompaniment for the seventh and eighth grade choirs and go with those choirs on their trips to Washington, D.C., and she continued to allow her to play accompaniment the next two years as well, she said.

“She always encouraged me to lead. She just made singing fun,” McIntyre said.

McIntyre went on to sing in the choir at S.R. Butler High School in Huntsville for four years, and she played the xylophone in the school band during her junior and senior years. She then went to the University of Montevallo, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in music education in 1996.

She went to work at McAdory Elementary School as a music teacher in 1996 and stayed there 21 years, before moving to Liberty Park Elementary in 2017. She earned her master’s degree in music education from Montevallo along the way in 2000.

Now in her seventh year at Liberty Park, she works with about 550 children each week.

Each class comes to her classroom for about 40 minutes each week to sing, play instruments or learn how to move to the beat of the music. They work with xylophones, glockenspiels and metallophones, and the older students get to work with drums, other percussion instruments, keyboards and guitars, she said.

She leads a handbell group of about 24 first graders called the Ring-Dingers, and they get to perform each year at a Veterans Day program in November and the city of Vestavia Hills’ Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

McIntyre also has two groups with whom she works after school. In the fall, about 40 to 60 students in the fourth and fifth grades make up the Liberty Park Singers. They also perform at Veterans Day and the city’s Christmas tree lighting and visit the Kirkwood by the River assisted living center to sing in December.

In the spring, McIntyre leads the Liberty Park Orff Ensemble, a group of about 30 fourth and fifth graders who play instruments and perform at the Vestavia Hills community fine arts night.

McIntyre also usually picks six to 10 fifth graders to sing with select students from all over the state at the Alabama Music Educators Association Elementary Music Festival each October.

It’s much like an all-state choir. McIntyre has served as the festival director for the state association since 2019 but is about to turn over that responsibility to someone else, she said.

Tiffany Marron, the interim principal at Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park this year, said McIntyre is great at giving students opportunities to perform outside of the classroom, noting that she also has taken students to sing at events

at the Talladega Superspeedway at least twice.

McIntyre tailors her instruction to students’ individual learning styles and shows great flexibility based on students’ skill levels, Marron said. She has a strong work ethic and is always seeking to improve her craft through professional development, Marron said. “She is non-stop.”

McIntyre completed the rigorous certification process from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards in December 2022.

She balances her approach to music education, including both theory and performance, which enhances the overall impact on children, Marron said.

“Melissa is just a gift — well-loved by her peers and children and families,” Marron said.

“We have a special community here at Liberty Park, and we’re so glad to have Melissa be a part of it.”

McIntyre said she believes music is such an important part of culture, and she wants to share her passion for music with all the children.

“I just want kids to have fun in my class and to love music and to understand that music is something they can use to express themselves,” she said.

She doesn’t take for granted that she’s one of the few teachers at the school who gets to work with students every year they are at the school, she said.

“I understand the magnitude of that honor, that responsibility,” she said. “I get to watch them grow and mature physically, socially, academically, emotionally and musically. … I hope they know they can always count on me and connect with me.”

She’s fortunate to work in Vestavia Hills City Schools because the community and system value arts education, she said. That’s not the case in many school systems across the state, she said.

In some places, music classes are seen just as a place for kids to go while the general education teachers get a break or a planning period, but there’s much more to it than that, she said.

Not only are there social and emotional benefits for children to learn about and experience the arts, but arts education also can be tied into other classroom subjects, she said.

McIntyre received a Community Hero Award from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama for her work in music education in May 2022.

Outside of school, she is a member of the Alabama Tappers tap dancing group and a frequent attender of Auburn University football games to see her son perform in the marching band.

Her other child died in 2011, and she heads up Team Liberty Park at the St. Jude’s Walk/Run in Birmingham each year to raise money to battle childhood cancer.

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2024 • A17

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Katherine Lewis, MS, RD, Erin Rowell, MD, Thomas Lewis, MD, Carson Rowell, MD, Brytney Cobia, MD

A18 • February 2024

Vestavia Voice

INTERNS

CONTINUED from page A1 “It was a great opportunity to get more kids involved,” Casey said.

Price became intrigued by the opportunity last school year, after seeing a fellow student posting content. There are three primary areas of focus in the internship program: gameday operations, sports information and video production. Price specializes in the video portion.

“It’s my favorite thing,” she said of the program. “I played sports, so this gives me the ability to be a part of sports without actually playing.”

Price will head to the University of Tennessee this fall and plans to use her new skillset toward a degree. She hopes to get involved with the athletic department in Knoxville and see where that takes her.

Bennett is also in the video department and takes pride in his hype videos. He loves the fact that his school has a unique program designed to help students gain experience and have fun.

“I don’t know any other that has their own [athletics internship] program,” he said. “I think that’s been amazing, having an entire team to help us do whatever we need to do.”

Bennett’s plan is to head to Ole Miss for college, although he hasn’t yet decided what degree he wants to pursue.

Johnston, on the other hand, believes he will pursue this media work beyond high school. On Friday nights in the fall, he has coordinated camera shots of the student section and band that are cast to the video scoreboard.

“It’d be pretty cool to do this in college,” he said.

Scott had been previously involved with VNN (Vestavia News Network) and saw how passionate Price was about the new program, so she joined in. She creates graphics that provide game or season information for many of the school’s teams.

“I’ve improved making graphics. I want to get better at it. I still have so much to learn and growth ahead of me,” she said.

Skylar Scott, an athletics intern at Vestavia Hills High School, shoots photos of three of the Rebel cheerleaders. Photo courtesy of Abby Jaillet.

Making graphics that feature friends and classmates and seeing their reactions is something Scott enjoys.

“It’s very rewarding,” said Scott, who plans on attending Alabama. “It’s very nice to know that people are happy about the work we’re producing.”

Abby Jaillet heads up the program, in addition to her responsibilities as an English teacher and as the director of the VNN program at the high school.

“She’s jumped in with two feet,” Casey said.

John Simmons, an administrative athletic director and the head softball coach at Vestavia Hills, heads up the gameday

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operations portion of the program, which consists of running the video board at the football stadium, managing the lights in the gym, the music and more.

“He’s invaluable to our program,” Casey said.

The program is offered outside of school hours this year, but there is hope that it will become a course that is offered to students in ninth through 12th grades.

“We want them to have set-aside time during the school day [that] they can and learn and build the skills that are necessary,” Jaillet said.

The students in the program have shown a willingness to learn and to try new things,

while their work is being used to directly benefit the school’s athletics teams.

“They love their school and want to promote their school and really bring attention to some of those sports,” Jaillet said. “They have a sense of pride in the community and they want to show off that pride.”

Students in the program receive a varsity letter, and the work that they do is useful and important. The hope is that the program continues to grow and become part of the fabric of the high school’s offerings.

“There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing students take ownership and to see their work in a way that is public and has this large reach,” Jaillet said.

VestaviaVoice.com

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B2 • February 2024

Vestavia Voice

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

UAB returns ‘value’ to participants in All of Us research program

T

ALL OF US UAB RESEARCH PROGRAM

he National Institutes of Health began enrolling participants in its groundbreaking new All of Us Research Program in 2018.

Working with researchers, health providers, community organizations and universities, including The University of Alabama at Birmingham — the NIH hopes to eventually have at least one million Americans volunteer to take part in All of Us, in which participants share their personal health information to help create one of the largest, most diverse health databases in history.

Scientists will use this data to learn how our biology, lifestyle and environment affect us and to find new and better ways to treat and prevent disease.

They also hope to find ways to better customize medical diagnosis and treatment for individual patients.

Researchers at The University of Alabama at Birmingham are playing a big role in All of Us. UAB leads the All of Us Southern Network, composed of more than 10 sites in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Dr. Bruce Korf, chief genomics officer of UAB Medicine and the associate dean for Genomic Medicine, is the contact principal investigator for the Southern Network.

Dr. Korf calls All of Us “a unique opportunity to influence medicine for a long time into the future.”

The program is designed “to generate the data to understand risk factors for disease and outcomes for a diverse population over a period of time, and from that will come new insights for prevention, diagnosis and treatment,” he said.

A program like All of Us would not be nearly as effective without the tremendous advances in recent decades in the speed and capacity of genetic and genomic research. Genomics refers to the mapping of all the DNA in an organism.

The All of Us research program holds out the “possibility of customizing prevention, diagnosis and the treatment of disease to the individual — taking into account what they are specifically at risk for and how they will respond to treatment,” Dr. Korf said. “This will inform precision medicine for generations to come.”

Nearly 36,000 people have signed up for All of Us in the Southern Network so far, and more than 675,000 Americans have signed up nationwide.

And UAB is continuing to seek new participants in the program.

People who take part will answer surveys on different topics and be asked to share their electronic health record, give samples of blood and urine for lab and DNA tests. The health information that participants share with All of Us goes into a secure database.

By participating in All of Us, people receive numerous benefits. First of all, like the researchers themselves, the participants get the chance to be part of a historic research program.

“One of the major reasons they participate is because they want to be part of something important and meaningful that will benefit their families and future generations,” Dr. Korf said.

Participants also receive “a rich return of value” because All of Us is using genomics, which includes genetic sequencing.

They will have the chance to learn more about their ancestry and genetic traits, but researchers also look at “medically significant genes” in participants who opt into this analysis, Dr. Korf explained. These genes could point out risk for such conditions as cancer or heart disease.

“Most people are not going to have a variant in one of those genes that put them at risk for disease, but if they do, they can be provided genetic counseling,” he said. “For a small proportion of people — about 3% — this can be life-changing and even life-saving.”

The All of Us program reached a milestone in

DR. BRUCE KORF ► CALL: 833-JOIN-UAB ► EMAIL: allofus@uabmc.edu ► WEB: allofus.uabmedicine.org or joinallofus.org

December when the NIH began returning personalized health-related DNA results to more than 155,000 participants, with reports detailing whether participants have an increased risk for specific health conditions and how their body might process certain medications.

For Dr. Korf, the return of the results to participants “was very exciting.”

The wide diversity of All of Us participants is also very important to the project, Dr. Korf said.

“Historically a lot of the research has been done on people of European ancestry, and we’ve learned a lot, but we’ve also learned that some of the things we found don't apply equally well to people of different ancestries,” he explained. “We want to provide medical care that is broadly applicable and available to people regardless of their background.”

More than 50% of people enrolled in All of Us are from racial and ethnic minorities.

“You’ve got to reach out to diverse communities if, in the long run, you want to serve diverse communities,” he said. The success of the All of Us research program also “requires building trust in communities that historically may have had good reason not to be trustful.”

According to Dr. Korf, community engagement has always been a “cornerstone” of All of Us. However, community engagement “does not mean selling the community on the program,” he said. “It’s learning what’s important to the community and making sure that what you’re doing is sensitive to their needs.”

Community members have been part of All of Us from the beginning and people from diverse communities take part in the leadership groups.

As part of this effort to reach as many people as possible, the All of Us Southern Network has several enrollment sites in Alabama.

Last spring, All of Us opened a new site in Dothan, an area which was previously not well-served by the program, Dr. Korf said.

They also have a mobile unit that travels the state, including areas with poor internet access.

“It brings All of Us to people wherever they may be and offers us a chance to involve people who might not otherwise have the opportunity,” Dr. Korf said.

The lofty goal to enroll at least one million participants in All of Us nationwide is still in reach, despite delays caused by COVID-19, he said.

With the slowing of the pandemic, All of Us is back in “a rapid enrollment phase,” Dr. Korf affirmed. “It’s clear that the goal of at least 1 million participants will be reached.”

U.S. residents ages 18 and older can join the All of Us program.

For details, call 833-JOIN-UAB or go to allofus.uabmedicine.org or joinallofus.org.

2024 SPRING MEDICAL GUIDE

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2024 • B3

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B4 • February 2024

Vestavia Voice

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Helping people achieve their healthiest skin GUNN DERMATOLOGY At Gunn Dermatology, Dr. Holly Gunn and her dedicated staff offer full-body dermatological and cosmetic care at two convenient locations in Mountain Brook.

“We treat you as a whole person with realistic, long-term goals to achieve your healthiest skin,” Dr. Gunn says.

At both facilities, Dr. Gunn and her staff provide great medical care in a luxurious environment, and they offer virtually any service or treatment a patient could possibly need.

Gunn Dermatology provides cosmetic and surgical procedures, head-to-toe skin exams and acne treatments, as well as basal cell and skin cancer removals, including safe, effective non-surgical techniques.

A full-service wellness center, Gunn Dermatology offers cryotherapy, infrared sauna sessions, spray tans and many other services. The staff performs treatments to make the skin healthier and stronger while removing signs of aging and discoloration.

They also treat their patients like family, and the patients think of Gunn Dermatology as their home away from home.

“We love our patients,” Dr. Gunn says. “We are just here to serve.”

The team at Gunn Dermatology is always on the lookout for new technology to help their patients. For example, they are excited about the Vivace Ultra device, which can be used on any area of the body that a patient wants to tighten, tone or contour. With the precise individualized settings from the ultrasound, patients are seeing great results.

An accredited, board-certified dermatologist with 15 years of experience, Dr. Gunn attended medical school at The University of South Alabama and completed her dermatology training at Pennsylvania State University.

► CRESTLINE VILLAGE: 32 Church St. ► LANE PARKE: 391 Rele St. ► CALL: 205-415-7536 ► WEB: gunndermatology.com

She worked in private practice for several years and formerly served as an assistant professor of dermatology and the director of the Dermatology Cosmetic and Laser Clinic at UAB. Dr. Gunn opened the original location of Gunn Dermatology in 2020 in Crestline Village.

In 2022, she opened her second location at Lane Parke in Mountain Brook Village.

“We seek to provide the best care in the community through our innovative technology, knowledgeable staff and our comfortable, friendly atmosphere,” Dr. Gunn says.

Dr. Gunn lives in Old Mountain Brook with her husband, Dr. Stephen Gunn, a plastic surgeon, and their four young daughters, and they enjoy living in Mountain Brook.

“We love the community, and we love that our kids are so supported by other parents and teachers and the community at large,” Dr. Gunn says.

Overall, Mountain Brook has been a great place to run a business, she says.

“The community is so supportive of small businesses and small-business owners,” she says.

Running her practice has been very rewarding for Dr. Gunn, who says that she has “always been kind of a natural caregiver.

“It brings me so much joy when people come to me with a problem I know how to fix or improve,” she says.

Spring has sprung early at Gunn Dermatology

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VestaviaVoice.com

2024 SPRING MEDICAL GUIDE

February 2024 • B5

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Medicare doesn’t have to be stressful — let Medicare Advisors of Alabama help MEDICARE ADVISORS OF ALABAMA

ERIC SMITH, OWNER

Q: Who is Medicare Advisors of Alabama?

A: We are a locally owned insurance agency that specializes in helping Alabamians better understand Medicare. Medicare is overwhelming, but once someone with patience and knowledge teaches you the questions to ask and then guides you through the process, the whole thing becomes much less stressful. That’s what we provide: a stress-free Medicare experience.

Q: What does your service cost?

A: Our service is absolutely free. We’re only paid by insurance companies if we help you enroll in a plan. Our reputation has been built on word of mouth and living the Golden Rule. Let us prove it to you.

Q: Why does someone need a broker/adviser?

A: There are so many advertisements and plans available that it’s becoming almost impossible to sort everything out on your own. A good broker will help you see the positives and negatives of the plans and will work to find the best solution for their client and not the insurance company.

Q: When does someone need to help me with Medicare?

A: If you’re turning 65 years of age, you have a seven-month window to enroll in Medicare. It’s also when our team can really help you understand your options. However, if you are still working, you may not want or need to enroll. Deciding when to enroll and what to enroll in are our two most asked questions, and our team can help you make an informed decision.

Q: What if I keep working past age 65?

A: Many people think they’ll face penalties if

► WHERE: 2116 Columbiana Road ► CALL: 205-704-9020 ► WEB: medicareadvice.org

they don’t sign up for Medicare at 65. That can be true, but not always. You can postpone enrollment beyond age 65 if you or your spouse are still working and you have health insurance under an employer plan.

Q: The Annual Enrollment Period ended Dec. 7. Is it too late to make changes?

A: There are several different enrollment periods throughout the year. One overlooked enrollment period (Open Enrollment Period) runs from Jan. 1 through March 31. This period is for a person who needs to change their Medicare Advantage Plan or someone on a Medicare Advantage Plan but would like to return to Original Medicare.

There are also many Special Enrollment Periods (SEP) throughout the year as well.

Q: Where can I get help with Medicare?

A: You can schedule a consultation with someone on our team. We can talk over the phone, meet virtually via Zoom, in-person at our local office, at your home, your business or even out at a coffee shop. We teach classes called “Prepare for Medicare” at our Vestavia office. We have lots of fun, and it’s very educational. No specific products are discussed, but it’s a great way to learn the basics of Medicare and get your questions answered. Call us to RSVP.

A better way to navigate Medicare If you are starting to think about retirement or are approaching age 65, you have probably begun trying to learn more about Medicare.

We know it can be confusing to sift through ALL the Medicare plan options and decide which one to choose. All the advertisers offer to give you advice, but they’re just trying to sell you a product.

Medicare Advisors of Alabama is different.

We are independent insurance brokers, which means we are not tied to any one insurance company. Our goal is to get to know YOU and learn about your specific healthcare needs. We are Medicare experts, and we would love to help you cut through the clutter and find the plan that works best for you!

Call 205.704.9020 or visit www.medicareadvice.org We offer FREE classes on how to Prepare for Medicare. Call us to RSVP for the next class in our Vestavia office at 2116 Columbiana Road.

Medicare Advisors of Alabama is an insurance agency based in Birmingham, AL and not a part of the federal government.

We do not offer every plan available in our area and currently represent 55 out of 56 Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans and 21 out of 27 drug plans (Part D) along with many medigap plans. Contact Medicare.gov at 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all your options.

2024 SPRING MEDICAL GUIDE

B6 • February 2024

Vestavia Voice

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

TherapySouth providing ‘Hands On Care, Close to Home — and Work!’

THERAPYSOUTH Q: What makes TherapySouth stand out in the physical therapy industry?

A: TherapySouth is a private, physical therapist-owned practice that has been serving the greater Birmingham communities for over 15 years. Our numerous convenient locations across the metro area allows us to live out our message of providing “Hands On Care, Close to Home — and Work!”. Our staff develop relationships with each patient and truly make the clinic environment feel like a family. With access to quality physical therapy care, we believe we can help our community live better, healthier lives!

Q: Why should someone see a physical therapist?

A: Most often, patients are referred to one of our clinics by their orthopedic surgeon or primary care physician to assist with recovery from an injury or procedure. But, physical therapy is beneficial to anyone seeking pain relief and improved function.

The physical therapy approach is to evaluate the neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems and address movement limitations or malalignments that are affecting mobility and causing pain. When patients come to physical therapy first, they can often

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avoid unnecessary surgery and medication. Through intentional exercises and hands-on treatment, patients can get back to their hobbies, everyday

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HEALTHY NEW YEAR! You don’t have to face your new fitness resolutions alone. At TherapySouth you’ll find a movement expert who will work with you to develop an individualized exercise program to help you feel stronger and reduce pain.

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A: Patients are welcome to schedule an initial evaluation appointment without a physician’s referral. Your therapist will perform an initial evaluation to determine if therapy is appropriate for you and communicate with your primary care physician, or physician specialist, to obtain approval for ongoing treatment. You can also receive wellness services depending on the nature of your problem. To schedule an appointment, patients can call the clinic directly or visit our website to check appointment availability and set up an initial visit.

Q: What would you like potential patients to know about your practice?

A: We take our core values very seriously. We are a company based on faith that believes in family, integrity, service, compassion, fitness, perseverance, and giving. We try to instill these values in all our employees and encourage them to live them out not only at work as professionals, but also in their personal lives.

2024 SPRING MEDICAL GUIDE

VestaviaVoice.com

February 2024 • B7

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B8 • February 2024

Vestavia Voice

Sports

Vestavia wrestlers transition to life at West Point

By LOYD McINTOSH For the third consecutive year, a member of the Vestavia Hills High School wrestling team has been accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Michael Belcher, a 2022 Vestavia graduate and sophomore at West Point, and Davis Reiff, a 2023 Vestavia graduate and West Point freshman, will be joined by Michael’s sister, Christiana, following her high school graduation in the spring of 2024.

The trio of cadets credit their experience competing on the Rebels wrestling team under coach Tee Adams for preparing them for the challenges of life in the military academy.

Each of them gravitated to wrestling for different reasons. For instance, Reiff turned to wrestling after experiencing some bullying at a young age.

“I was a real tiny kid and got bullied in elementary school. I wanted to beat up the bullies, so my dad told me to get into wrestling,” he said.

Reiff was a standout on the Rebels wrestling program and in tournaments around the country, ranking fourth in the state at 126 pounds during his senior year. He said wrestling instilled a sense of discipline and work ethic that has served him well during his freshman year at West Point.

“I’d say the hardest aspect is not necessarily the physical stuff. It was the mental aspect, because like you’ve got to want to do the sport and show up at 5 a.m.,” he said. “It’s at least 100 degrees because the heat is on, and you’re putting sweatshirts and sweatpants on to either make weight or to build up your conditioning, so I think it helped my mental aspect because we’re doing hard stuff at the academy.”

Michael Belcher said he was more

Davis Reiff, a 2023 graduate and former wrestling state champion at Vestavia Hills High School; Christiana Belcher, a senior at Vestavia Hills High and current member of the Rebels wrestling team; and her older brother, Michael, a 2022 graduate and former wrestling state champion at Vestavia Hills High. Reiff and Michael Belcher are cadets at the United State Military Academy at West Point in New York. Photo by Loyd McIntosh.

academically focused during his time at Vestavia Hills High School but was also a key part of the Rebels wrestling team.

“I just wanted to do something physical that would challenge me, and wrestling was one of the best ways to do it,” he said. “Vestavia has a really good wrestling program.”

Christiana Belcher is a multi-sport athlete and a trailblazer of sorts, as one of four members of

the newly formed Vestavia Hills High School girls wrestling team. She finished third in the Alabama competition as a junior and has her eye on a state title in the 2023-24 season.

“Both of my brothers wrestled, and Coach Adams approached me and said, ‘You have an opportunity to do something great in this program,” she said. “I fell in love with wrestling because it is so physically and mentally

demanding. It’s tough and it pushes you every single day.”

While wrestling is the common denominator for this trio, they all chose to attend West Point for different reasons and are now exploring new sports. Reiff is training to represent West Point as an amateur boxer, while Michael Belcher is currently on the academy’s powerlifting team and Christiana Belcher has expressed interest in playing rugby.

Christiana first experienced West Point through a summer program, where she immediately knew the academy was calling her name.

“At West Point, I just fell in love with the atmosphere. Everybody really cared about the academy and wanted to be there and cared about the country,” she said. “Being able to serve while being able to better my leadership skills, there’s no greater honor than being able to do that.”

Reiff said he believes West Point offered a different, more meaningful path than a typical college experience. With eight years of mandatory military service required after graduation, he welcomes the responsibilities that can be literally a matter of life and death.

“I wanted to make this world a better place, and I wanted to serve this country,” he said.

“You’re going to have a real impact on at least 40 people’s lives because you’re going to be leading them into battle one day.”

Like Reiff, Michael Belcher chose to attend West Point to serve his country and become a leader.

“I wanted something that would set me up and then, on top of that, you get the added bonus of giving back to the country,” he said. “Also, I want to be a leader in the future, whether that’s for the soldiers in my platoon or a company in the future, and this is the premier leadership institute in the world.”

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VestaviaVoice.com

February 2024 • B9

Humility, dedication key to Evans’ success

By KYLE PARMLEY In an age in which arrogance and hyperbole grab the headlines and attention, Ben Evans stands out for the opposite reasons.

“Ben Evans is a rare kid that is better than he thinks he is,” Vestavia Hills High School basketball coach Patrick Davis said.

It’s been a bit of a process for the senior basketball player to reach his current status as one of the Rebels’ leading scorers in his final high school season. Last year, Evans had a productive season, coming off the bench and providing a spark.

His production was more of a luxury for the Rebels last season, according to Davis.

“I was first off the bench. Coach described me as a glue guy, and I was happy with that role,” Evans said.

But that’s no longer the case.

“He’s starting to figure out he’s a good player,” Davis said. “Last year, when he played really well, we were really good.”

As of mid-January, Evans was one of four players on the team averaging either 11 or 12 points per game.

“All the four leading scorers have that in their mind, that you don’t necessarily have to do it all every night. But all of us do have the ability to do it all,” he said.

On the court, Evans’ athleticism is his biggest strength. He uses it to gain an advantage when he drives the lane to get to the rim. This year, he has added a more effective 3-point shot to his game, which has opened everything up for him.

“We expected him to have a really good year, and he has matched that,” Davis said. “He has done what we’ve asked him to do.”

Evans took mental notes from teammate Jackson Weaver, who took a big step last year to become one of Vestavia’s top players.

Evans credits playing for the Pro One Basketball Club over the summer as a key part of his development.

“I realized I have the confidence in myself to

Vestavia Hills’ Ben Evans (24) dribbles the ball downcourt guarded by Mountain Brook’s Lawson Gardner (24) at Spartan Arena on Dec. 5. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

have a great season,” he said.

One thing Davis harps on with his team is “adding value” to the program, in whatever way possible. The tendency is to measure value based on a statistic like points or even rebounds and assists. Evans does that in several statistical categories, in addition to his presence inside the locker room.

“He’s that guy everybody on our team feels connected to,” Davis said. “He’s a great human being from a great family. He doesn’t deflect

any blame when he makes a mistake. … He adds value in every category imaginable.”

As one of seven seniors, Evans is looking to help lead the Rebels to plenty of success down the stretch and into the postseason. Last year, the Rebels got to the Class 7A Northwest Regional final, losing to eventual state champion Hoover.

Evans remembers sitting in the stands as a fifth grader, watching the Rebels and awaiting the day he got his chance to don the same

jersey. Now, he’s looking to make the most of his final days in the program, knowing some of the current fifth graders are forming the same memories.

Evans is still weighing his options for next year, and playing college basketball is certainly on the table.

As far as finishing the season on a high note, his coach delivered a message to him that has resonated.

“We’ve got to have you,” Davis said.

B10 • February 2024

Vestavia Voice

2023 Metro South middle school football Players of the Year announced

By KYLE PARMLEY

The Metro South seventh grade, top, and eighth grade, bottom, middle school football teams.

Photos courtesy of Barry Stephenson.

Following the 2023 football season, the Metro South Players of the Year were recognized for their outstanding performances over the seventh and eighth grade football seasons.

Terry Gillespie from Hewitt-Trussville was named the seventh grade Coach of the Year, while Liberty Park’s Brent Brizendine and Hewitt-Trussville’s Scott Bromley earned eighth grade Coach of the Year honors.

Grayson Roberts ► 8th grade: Braxton Hunt, Nick Smith, Finley Williams, Preston Deal

MOUNTAIN BROOK

► 7th grade: Braylon Cooley, Brooks Essig, Slade Wood, Sam Young ► 8th grade: Gray Anderson, Luke Carroll, Robinson Peer, Henry Singley

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► 7th grade: Angelo Petelos, Sam Zanthos, Silas Allday, Eli Byars ► 8th grade: Brody Hughes, Clayton Cherry, Tucker Kelly, Eli Ervin

BRAGG

► 7th grade: Karter Floyd, Hudson Cearlock, Noland Williamson, Riley Dodd ► 8th grade: Daniel Holmes, Hudson Mote, Charlie Allen, Lawson Manown

BUMPUS

► 7th grade: Briggs Patterson, Ian Maxwell, Harrison Swiney, Elijah Foster ► 8th grade: Jamal Jones, Andrew Thompson, Alex Frymark, Jordon Ward

► 7th grade: Jameer Hudson, Colton Spencer, Jakobie Bates, Crawford Portera ► 8th grade: Nicolas McKissic, Wyatt Baty, James Jones, JD Thompson

PIZITZ

► 7th grade: Brooks Beasley, Grayson Burdette, Nathaniel McCloy, Evan Storey ► 8th grade: Urijah Casey, Cohen Corbell, Mark Moody, Luke Pruitt ► 7th grade: Josiah Blair, Tyler Foran, Lake Hendricks, Phillip Maye ► 8th grade: Jerrell Anthony, Mario Gibbs, Rakaveon Goldsmith, Paxton Weatherly

CHELSEA

► 7th grade: Bryant Wisdom, Cole Carroll, Aiden Skoglund, Caaleb Thomas ► 8th grade: Hudson Picklesimer, TJ Spell, Noah Lee, Bronnor Sanders

SIMMONS

CLAY-CHALKVILLE

► 7th grade: Markell Compton, Kaleb Martin, Kobe Booker, Kejuan Pryor ► 8th grade: Christian Bennett Richardson, Rodriquez Penn, Markell Stephens, Oshea Abercrombie

HELENA

► 7th grade: Logan Wormington, Christian Grant, Kellen Schultz,

Tra’Veon Salter ► 8th grade: Brayden Jackson, Emmanuel Compton, Will Tayloe, Maddox Johnson

HEWITT-TRUSSVILLE

► 7th grade: Jack Floyd, Hunter Futrell, Searcy Ellis, Daniel Williams ► 8th grade: CJ Davis, Deonta Pickett, Michael Ross, Tyler Wilson

HOMEWOOD

► 7th grade: Andrew Knight, Juda Nix, Mac Abernathy, Jakari Haynes ► 8th grade: Quincy McGhee, Reid Goldstein, Tate Burdeshaw, Marcus McGhee

LIBERTY PARK

► 7th grade: William Dedmon, Caleb Hahn, Davis Heilbron,

THOMPSON

► 7th grade: Bralen Coleman, Isaiah Henley, Kingston Myers, Eli Ogles ► 8th grade: Whit Goodwin, Dedrick Kimbrough, Maleek Billingsley, Mehkii Billingsley Jason Watson contributed to this report.

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February 2024 • B11

Sports Editor’s Note By Kyle Parmley

Where to for the Super 7?

There’s plenty to talk more than 47,000 people, about in high school footfirst hosted the Super 7 ball at the moment. in 2021. It is quite a bit We’re not far removed smaller than Jordan-Hare from the completion of Stadium in Auburn and the 2023 season, which Bryant-Denny Stadium saw Central-Phenix City in Tuscaloosa. That made dethrone Thompson for the atmosphere, at least the Class 7A state title and for the 6A and 7A games, Clay-Chalkville defeat pretty electric in my defending champion opinion.

Saraland in a 6A game for So, that leads me to the the ages. question: Where should Parmley In the middle of Decemthe Super 7 be hosted each ber, the Alabama High School Athletic year? On one hand, there is something Association announced its reclassifica- unquantifiable about being able to play in tion and realignment for the following historic venues at Alabama and Auburn. two years. That news immediately sends But those stadiums just seem cavernous, coaches into a frenzy when it comes to even for the 6A and 7A games that bring in the biggest crowds. attempting to fill their schedules.

There is also a change in the College This past season in Tuscaloosa, the Football Playoff structure that could have Super 7 drew a total of 43,014 fans, an effect on the future of the Super 7, the including 11,891 on the opening day, most high school football state championship of those for the 7A contest. Keep in mind, event. The CFP is expanding to 12 teams Bryant-Denny holds over 100,000 people. beginning next season, meaning there is a On the other hand, playing at a smaller realistic opportunity the University of Ala- venue would allow for a more exciting bama and Auburn University could host atmosphere. Think of the last quarterfia quarterfinal game some years. In those nal or semifinal playoff game you went years, there would be no way for the Super to, and how big it felt. Personally, I enjoy 7 to happen at those venues. The Tusca- that the most.

Do you play it at Protective permaloosa News reported the potential future nently? Perhaps the Cramton Bowl in conflicts of that scenario in December.

Right now, the Super 7 rotates between Montgomery should be considered.

Tuscaloosa, Auburn and Birmingham Everyone has their own opinion, and it (Protective Stadium) in a contract that makes for great offseason fodder. runs through 2032. Will there be changes Let me know what you think by reaching made to the contract in order to ensure that out to me on Twitter at @KyleParmley or the Super 7 still has a solid venue each via email at kparmley@starnesmedia.com. season? I imagine so.

Protective Stadium, which opened in Kyle Parmley is the sports editor at 2021 in downtown Birmingham and holds Starnes Media.

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Vestavia Voice

AHSAA reclassification: Region, area changes for Rebels

By KYLE PARMLEY The Alabama High School Athletic Association released its new classifications for the next two school years on Dec. 18, following approval by the Central Board of Control.

The AHSAA reclassifies its member schools every two years based on enrollment data for public and private schools across Vestavia Hills football players run onto the field before a the state. The period game against the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies in October announced will be in 2023 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia. Photo

by David Leong. effect for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.

Class 7A contains the 32 largest schools years in 6A. The Lions will slot into Region 5 in the state, while the other six classes have alongside John Carroll, Center Point, Corner, Carver-Birmingham, Hayden, Ramsay and roughly twice that many schools in each one.

Locally, Spain Park and Chelsea will drop Wenonah.

The region and area alignments for other from 7A to 6A, beginning next school year.

Replacing them in football’s Region 3 will be fall sports were released as well, including Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa — which jumps from 6A for volleyball, cross-country, flag football and swimming and diving. to 7A — and Prattville.

In 5A volleyball, John Carroll will be in Hillcrest and Prattville will join a football region with Hewitt-Trussville, Hoover, Oak Area 9 with Northside, Sipsey Valley and Mountain, Thompson, Vestavia Hills and Tus- Wenonah. Briarwood will be in Area 8 with Central-Clay County, Shelby County and caloosa County.

Spain Park and Chelsea will be in Region 3 Sylacauga.

Area 8 of 6A will contain Chelsea, Helena, of 6A, with Benjamin Russell, Calera, Chilton Pelham and Spain Park. Homewood will County, Helena and Pelham.

As a result of that shakeup, Homewood headline Area 9 with Parker, Minor and Jackmoves from Region 3 to Region 5, play- son-Olin. Mountain Brook will be in Area 10 ing against the likes of Parker, Gardendale, with Huffman and Woodlawn.

7A volleyball will have a different look as Minor, Mortimer Jordan, Jackson-Olin and well. Area 6 will consist of Hillcrest, Hoover, Woodlawn.

Mountain Brook remains in 6A as well and Oak Mountain, Thompson and Tuscaloosa heads over to Region 6 with Clay-Chalkville, County, while Area 7 will have Hewitt-TrussHuffman, Oxford, Pell City, Pinson Valley ville, Vestavia Hills, Albertville, Grissom and Huntsville. and Shades Valley.

The full data can be accessed at ahsaa.com.

Briarwood will return to 5A after four

The 2023 All-Over-the-Mountain flag football team. Photo courtesy of Scott Butler.

All-OTM flag football team named

By KYLE PARMLEY Coaches from many of the local high school girls flag football teams put together an AllOver-the-Mountain team, recognizing the top players in the area for outstanding seasons.

Vestavia Hills was the top team in the area, as the Rebels finished as the state runner-up in the Class 6A-7A division.

Flag football has been offered the last three years as an emerging sport in the state. It will become fully sanctioned by the Alabama High School Athletic Association next fall, meaning a championship program will be in place and state titles recognized at the end of the season.

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February 2024 • B13

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B14 • February 2024

Vestavia Voice

Opinion Life Actually By Kari Kampakis

When your daughter doubts her beauty My daughter, at the ripe old age of 11, stared at her reflection in the mirror as I helped her prepare for an event.

What she saw in the mirror isn’t what I saw in the mirror, much to my dismay.

Out of the blue, she started critiquing herself. Naming and nitpicking every flaw. It broke my heart, but when I interrupted, telling her how beautiful she is, she got defensive and annoyed. No compliment could change her mind, and the more I talked, the more irritated she became.

That’s when I realized my daughter has an internal battle she’ll wrestle with, like almost every female I know. She has a critic in her head who will sometimes cloud her thinking and distort her self-image.

My instinct was to save her, to keep spurting affirmations and prove her analysis wrong, but since my talking made matters worse, I left it at this: “You are beautiful, and I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. I wish you could see the truth. My prayer for you is that you’ll learn to see yourself through God’s eyes, because He loves

you so much.”

I learned this insight the hard way. You see, there was a night several years prior to this when I was bashing myself in front of a mirror, and my husband had to listen.

We were getting ready for a date, and I was in a foul mood. I’d been working on deadlines and not taking care of myself, and my frustration came to a head as I stared in the mirror and tore myself apart.

My husband, being the smart husband he is, told me, “You are beautiful.

Why can’t you see that? There is nothing wrong with you. You’re an amazing woman, and I’m the luckiest guy to have you.”

His flattery lingered for two seconds — but then it went in one ear and out the other. I refused to listen, and after a little more mental abuse, I noticed him staring at me. His eyes were sad as he got quiet and looked at me in a way that revealed how much it bothered him to hear me mistreat myself.

“I wish you could see yourself the way I see you,” he said. “I don’t know what else to say to convince you that you’re wrong.”

Whoa. His words resonated, and it felt

like God speaking to me, telling me how much it pained Him to hear me insult what He’d created.

Ironically, I was working on a book to tell teen girls about God’s extravagant love. Clearly some of the messages — you are God’s masterpiece; God loves you at maximum capacity even on your worst days; if you could see the way God looks at you, you’d never doubt your worth again — had yet to sink into my own heart.

What I hoped to teach teenage girls was a message I needed myself.

I want my children to know they’re beautiful because they’re made in God’s image. I want a healthy self-love that propels them to live their best life with confidence and courage.

And while I’ll always affirm them and counter the critic in their head, I know my influence is limited. More critical than any dialogue I have with my girls is the dialogue they have with themselves. What they wrap their mind around and internalize as they stare into a mirror.

I can’t make my daughters believe they’re beautiful. As my husband learned with me, it’s not that simple. What I can

do is speak truth and pray for God to open their heart to this truth. I can pray for wisdom and clarity, asking God to help my daughters see themselves through His eyes.

Learning to embrace one’s beauty is a lifelong process. It’s often two steps forward and one step back. So whether it is your daughter who’s struggling with self-image or you, her ever-evolving mom, find hope through God, who gently leads us to self-acceptance and celebration of what He created.

Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Mountain Brook mom of four girls, author, speaker and blogger. Kari’s newest book, “More Than a Mom: How Prioritizing Your Wellness Helps You (and Your Family) Thrive,” is now available on Amazon, Audible and everywhere books are sold. Kari’s bestselling other books — “Love Her Well,” “Liked” and “10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know” have been used widely across the country for small group studies. Join Kari on Facebook and Instagram, visit her blog at karikampakis.com, or find her on the Girl Mom Podcast.

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February 2024 • B15

Sean of the South By Sean Dietrich

Girl Scout cookie season It’s Girl Scout cookie season again, which traditionally begins right after deer season and is followed by Lent.

This is the time of year when words like “Samoas,” “Shortbread Trefoils,” “Do-si-dos” and “Tagalongs” become household names. A season when many of us transition to wearing sweatpants full-time because we love cookies.

Some years ago, two Girl Scout Daisies (kindergarten-age recruits) visited my porch selling cookies. If you’ve never met a Daisy, make it your objective to do so. You will die from cuteness overload.

I told the Daisies that I wanted to buy 100 boxes. I was joking, of course, but they didn’t realize this.

One of the girls had to be revived with cold water. Her friend shouted, “Ohmygosh! Mom! A hundred boxes!”

Whereupon the girl’s mother (this is true) said, “That means we win a pink Cadillac!”

The reason I regularly order cookies is not only because they’re delicious, but because I believe in these girls. I believe in their values.

I believe in their organization. I believe in refined sugar.

My grandmother was a Girl Scout in the early 1920s. My mother was a Girl Scout. My wife was a Girl Scout Brownie — which is the same as a regular Scout, except they don’t file income taxes.

The Girl Scouts represent one of the finest institutions this country has ever produced, and that’s not an opinion. Take, for example, troop leader Emma Hall.

In 1913, during an era of flagrant racism,

Miss Emma’s “Red Rose origins back to 1917, a year Troop” in New Bedford, Masfraught with heartache and viosachusetts, was welcoming lence. There was a World War on. Twenty million men were African-American Girl Scouts into its group. And keep in dying overseas. Newspapers mind, this was happening were reporting rumors of a seven years before American possible Spanish flu epidemic on the horizon. women had the right to vote and 50 years before public A few girls from the “Misschools would be integrated. tletoe Troop” in Muskogee, Oklahoma, started baking I’m telling you, these girls are cool. and selling cookies in a highI first fell in love with the school cafeteria to raise money Dietrich Girl Scouts when I had a gig to send gifts to troops. These writing for a small publication soldiers would have been the in Savannah, Georgia. My assignment was to girls’ brothers, uncles and fathers.

The cookies were an instant hit. They cover local history.

One day, I was interviewing a local histo- became so popular that by the 1920s, Girl rian in a coffee shop, when this historian said, Scouts all over the nation were using the same “Have you ever visited the Juliette Gordon simple sugar cookie recipe to raise money.

Low house?”

Back then, the cost of ingredients was about 25 cents per seven dozen cookies. The girls “The what house?” I said.

In a few minutes this historian had whisked would bake several batches in one afternoon, me across town to Oglethorpe Avenue for an often on wood stoves, making serious attempts impromptu tour of the birthplace of Juliette to burn down their homes without parental Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts. And supervision. They would turn around and sell I was overwhelmed. these cookies at 35 cents per dozen.

The more I learned about these Scouts, In other words, they were raking it in, hand the more I liked them. This organization did over merit badge. more than introduce values of inclusion and By them ’30s, about 127 Girl Scout counself-confidence during an era when women cils in America were holding cookie sales. By were trivialized. These Scouts also introduced the 1950s, Girl Scout cookies were a national our nation to perhaps the most cherished thing, baked in commercial bakeries and American pastime ever established. delivered door-to-door by hand. By the ’60s, I am, of course, referring to Thin Mints. all Americans — no matter what their creed, The first Girl Scout cookies trace their shape or denomination — had the God-given

opportunity to eat these sacred cookies and gain serious adipose tissue.

I don’t have to tell you that the Scouts are still going strong today. Currently, there are about 2.5 million Girl Scouts in 92 countries.

In an average cookie-year, 1.7 million girl members raise about $800 million dollars.

The remarkable thing about this is that 100% of the money that’s raised stays within local councils and troops, which makes the Girl Scouts of America a very uniquely run organization. Especially when compared to, say, televangelism.

Even during the pandemic, the Scouts were still open for business, although their selling methods were different to keep customers socially distant and safe. But the idea is the same.

I am writing this because I believe in these kids. I admire what they stand for, I love what they do. And I want them to know that I support them. In fact, I just ordered my annual cookies online because, let it be stated here, my household supports our local troops.

Each one of these young women deserves to know that they, like their predecessors, have made my life infinitely more sunny. Not just because of their cookies, but also because in this troubled world, these girls are brave enough to call themselves Scouts.

Sean Dietrich is a columnist and novelist known for his commentary on life in the American South. He has authored nine books and is the creator of the “Sean of the South” blog and podcast.

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