Volume 3 | Issue 8 | December 2015
NO STOPPING CADEN JAMES
Suiting up
6-year-old Lil’ Rebels quarterback leads team despite Type 1 diagnosis
C
Harold Hagler dons a classic suit during the holidays. Read about his experience as the guy in red inside this issue.
By ANA GOOD
See page B1
Smylie Kaufman
Kaufman earned his first PGA tour win. Catch up with the Vestavia Hills alum inside.
See page B12
INSIDE About Us...............A4 City ........................A6 Business ...............A8 Community .........A21
Food ....................A28 School House......B10 Sports ..................B12 Calendar ..............B18
Caden James Mitchell, center, smiles as his coach encourages the team during halftime. Caden James was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and his football team, the Vestavia Lil’ Rebels, held a Blue Out game to raise awareness and money for research. Photos by Frank Couch.
Pre-Sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit #830
See CADEN JAMES | page A30
Future uncertain for mixed-use development in Cahaba Heights By EMILY FEATHERSTON
facebook.com/vestaviavoice
aden James Mitchell takes his place behind the center lineman under the bright lights at Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex. No. 24, Caden James is the team’s quarterback — though he sometimes plays as an outside lineman. As he waits for his coach, Tate Bowden, to finish positioning the team on the line of scrimmage, Caden James takes in the other team. It’s Hoover, the only team to have beaten his team this year. Despite the rivalry, Bowden said he sometimes has to remind his players to tackle their opponents. For this isn’t just any football team: It’s Vestavia Hills’ only pee wee football team, the Lil’ Rebels. The players staring back at Caden James might be his friends, the same boys he might play with on the playground. “It’s sometimes like herding cats,” said Bowden of coaching a football team of kindergartners and first-graders. As head coach, Bowden helps design the plays, but he’s also out on the field moving his players into place, à la Nick Saban on A-Day. “Last year, I had one of our best players come up to me in the middle of the season and ask me, ‘What’s offense?’” Bowden said with a laugh. “Our goal is to teach these kids the specifics of the game and mental toughness.” At 4 feet and 65 pounds, Caden James is a fraction of the size of his favorite players on the roster of the Alabama Crimson Tide,
A controversial mixed-use development project along Oakview Lane and Dolly Ridge Road in Cahaba Heights is facing an uncertain future. Rezoning requests for the property were scheduled for a vote at the Oct. 26 City Council meeting, where community members filled the Council’s new chambers to express their opinions on having the development built near Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights. However, BREC
Developments Managing Member Steven Hydinger proposed a change to the council that would alter his plan for a four-story development to a threestory, removing the “conditional use” request from the ordinance that would allow the development to proceed. Hydinger’s request led the council to postpone voting on Ordinance 2608 until Dec. 14—if the changes were not significant enough to require the ordinance to make a trip back through the
See CAHABA | page A31
Steven Hydinger (standing, right) talks with a community member during a November City Council meeting. Other Cahaba Heights residents came to the meeting in opposition to his mixed-use development proposal. Photo by Emily Featherston.
A2 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Located on Hwy 280, east of I-459
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December 2015 • A3
A4 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
About Us BEHIND THE LENS
Editor’s Note
By Sydney Cromwell This year will be my first Birmingham Christmas. I’ve lived part-time in the area for a few years, but I always returned to my family’s home in Tennessee around Christmas and New Year’s. I’ll still visit them for the holidays, but most of my time will be spent here, in my new home. It’s exciting because I finally get to attend the holiday events I’ve been writing about. I get to watch the city light up its Christmas tree and see the annual parade in Liberty Park. I might be a little too old for breakfast with Santa Claus, but I do want to see the beauty of the Nutcracker again. Aside from the lights, gifts and spectacle of the season, I think Christmas is a time for giving back and recognizing the needs in Vestavia Hills and beyond. Those needs exist year-round, and I hope the holidays will inspire you to volunteer, donate or otherwise lend a hand throughout the year. I hope the holidays are a time of happiness and safety for you and your family, whether you take part in these events or prefer to celebrate at home. As we prepare for a new year, I also hope you’ll have the opportunity to reflect on 2015, its highs and lows, and make plans for where you want to be when I’m writing this note in December 2016. I wish you confidence and peace in these final days of the year.
The Diabetes Dash held at Veterans Park in Hoover was sponsored by several high school Key Clubs, including Vestavia Hills High School. This was a combined service project to raise awareness for diabetes and promote fitn ss. Races and fun runs are plentiful on most weekends around the metro area. I have photographed my fair share of races, from fun runs to marathons packed with professional runners. Finding a different angle or great expression is what can make the coverage of each event unique and make the pictures stand out. Because this was a smaller race with fewer than 50 runners, I was able to get close to the starting line, and I chose a low angle to photograph runners as they began their run. This image of Lauren Miller framed between two fellow runners took a bit of planning with a pre-set focus and what I call a blind shooting angle: holding the camera on the ground while not looking through the viewfinde . I used a 24 mm lens with the Nikon D810 set to ISO 400 because it was a bit of an overcast day. The shutter was set to 1/800th, and the aperture was set to f4.5. Behind the Lens highlights the inspiration and execution of a photographer’s assignment. Got a question? Email Frank Couch at fcouch@starnespublishing.com.
Contributing Photographer: Frank Couch Intern: Sam Chandler Advertising Manager: Matthew Allen Publisher: Managing Editor: Design Editor: Video Editor Page Designers: Community Reporters: Staff Writer: Associate Editor: Copy Editor: Contributing Writers:
Dan Starnes Sydney Cromwell Kristin Williams Cherie Olivier Cameron Tipton Emily VanderMey Elizabeth Chick Ana Good Erica Techo Jon Anderson Emily Featherston Lucy Ridolphi Louisa Jeffries David Knox Kari Kampakis Rick Watson Leah Ingram Eagle Marienne Thomas Ogle Steve Irvine Rachel Burchfiel Chris Megginson Jesse Chambers Grace Thornton
Sales and Warren Caldwell Distribution: Don Harris Michelle Salem Haynes
Brittany Joffrion Rhonda Smith James Plunkett
For advertising contact: dan@vestaviavoice.com Contact Information: Vestavia Voice PO Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@280living.com
Please submit all articles, information and photos to: sydney@ starnespublishing.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253
Published by : Starnes Publishing LLC Legals: The Vestavia Voice is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. The Vestavia Voice is designed to inform the Vestavia community of area school, family and community events. Information in The Vestavia Voice is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of The Vestavia Voice. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.
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December 2015 • A5
A6 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
City
City lends support to caregivers By EMILY FEATHERSTON The Vestavia Hills City Council recognized November as Hospice and Palliative Care Month at its Nov. 9 meeting. Mayor Butch Zaragoza offered the proclamation, which was read by City Manager Jeff Downes, and recognized representatives from Affinity Hospice. Zaragoza said the city wanted to support what is already a nationally recognized awareness month. “Any time that we can promote the help that hospice gives in our community … we want to make people aware of all that’s going on in this community because it affects us all,” he said. The council heard updates from Downes, including the sale of the back parcel of Patchwork Farms to Resort Lifestyle Communities, which will begin construction immediately. Downes also showed the council the 20142015 year-to-date comparisons of property and pot-hole complaint resolutions after the installation of the Action Center last year, as well as the new “Welcome” signs being installed around the city. In other council business: ► The council approved an annexation resolution and ordinance for 1724 Vestaview Lane, one 90-day and one overnight respectively. ► The council approved a 90-day annexation resolution for a vacant lot at 2739 Rocky Ridge Road.
Mayor Butch Zaragoza recognizes representatives from Affinity Hospice as part of Hospice and Palliative Care Month. Photo by Emily Featherston.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • A7
New Iron Tribe location opening on U.S. 31
A new Iron Tribe location is opening next year on Montgomery Highway. Photo by Erica Techo.
By ERICA TECHO Iron Tribe is set to open its sixth Birmingham location off of Montgomery Highway. The storefront, which was formerly home to Soccer Locker, is one Iron Tribe founder and CEO Forrest Walden has had his eye on, said Iron Tribe VP of marketing Corbett Chandler. “This wasn’t a community we were serving,” Chandler said of Vestavia Hills. “… Forrest has been looking at this location forever.”
The new gym’s location is in a heavily trafficked area, Chandler said, which was one of the positive qualities of the property. “I think that’s great, just from an accessibility standpoint,” Chandler said. The store will be “80 percent the same” as Iron Tribe’s other locations, Chandler said. A few differences come from the layout of the gym as well as the branding. Some of Iron Tribe’s other Birmingham-area locations do not have the newest branding for the gym, while this location will have the updated branding.
The gym’s pro shop, which sells clothing, supplements and recovery drinks, will also be different from other area locations. Rather than integrate the shop throughout the store, it will be built out to the side. While there is no hard date for the gym, Chandler said they expect to be open by the end of January. “We’re super excited to get there, we’re super excited to get things up and running,” Chandler said. The gym will be at 1014 Montgomery Highway.
Mayor’s Minute
By Alberto “Butch” Zaragoza I would like to remind everyone about several upcoming city Christmas programs. On Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. at City Hall, we will have our annual tree lighting. Bring your child to the Civic Center’s Dogwood Room on Dec. 12 from 7:30-10 a.m. for Breakfast with Santa. Finally, we will have the annual Christmas Parade in Liberty Park beginning at 2 p.m. on Dec. 13. I encourage you to attend some or all of these holiday events. Also, if you have not gotten the chance to visit us at the new City Hall, feel free to drop by. We would be glad to take you on a tour. From a financial standpoint, our first month of the new fiscal year continued to show progress in the area of new construction permits in most regions of the city. To you and your family, I wish you a safe and joyous Christmas and a rewarding new year. Sincerely,
A8 • December 2015
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Now Open Player’s Choice Tennis is now open at 1074 Montgomery Highway in the Vestavia Plaza Shopping Center. The store was previously located in the Cahaba Village Plaza in Mountain Brook. 985-4989, playerschoicetennis.com
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Coming Soon Kool Korner Sandwiches is reopening in the Vestridge Commons shopping center, 1360 Montgomery Highway, Suite 106, in the space formerly occupied by Philly Connection. The popular Cuban restaurant was open for about six years in the Vestavia City Center and closed in June. They plan to reopen by mid-December.
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Relocations and Renovations Soccer Locker USA has relocated to 1082 Montgomery Highway, in the Vestavia Plaza Shopping Center. 822-7900
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News and Accomplishments Patti Schreiner of Re/MAX Southern Homes, 903 Montgomery Highway, was recognized as Residential Real Estate Associate of the Year by the Birmingham Association of Realtors. 222-5651, pattisold.com
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Cahaba Cycles, 3179 Cahaba Heights Road, was named one of “America’s Best Bike Shops” by the National Bicycle
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December 2015 • A9
Dealers Association for the third consecutive year. To be considered, a store representative (owner or manager) must apply by filling out a detailed application, as well as agreeing to be mystery shopped by an outside company. Applicants are awarded points based on the application and shopping results, with only the highest performers being selected. 967-2003, cahabacycles.com
Hirings and Promotions ARC Realty, 4274 Cahaba Heights Court, Suite 200, has hired Haley May, Laurance Washington, Ben Fikes and Donna Triantos as new Realtors. 969-8910, arcrealtyco.com
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Anniversaries Advanced Veterinary Care, 2509 Rocky Ridge Road, is celebrating its fourth anniversary on December 22. 823-5433, avcov.net
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Salon 12, 8000 Liberty Parkway, Suite 110, celebrated its second anniversary on November 1. 977-3812, thesalon12.com
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Kwik Kopy, 2017 Canyon Road, Suite 111, is celebrating its 31st anniversary in December. 979-5247, kk961.kwikkopy.com
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The UPS Store, 732 Montgomery Highway, is celebrating its 16th anniversary in December. 978-0770, vestaviahills-al-3091.theupsstore local.com
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“When it rains, we drain!”
244-1114 Heavy Runoff ? Standing Water? Erosion Problems? Storm Drainage Clogged? WaterDrainageSolutions.com
A10 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Chamber
Attorney: ‘This is a part of you’ Chamber speaker opines on lessons learned from 16th Street church bombing By ANA GOOD
Doug Jones talks about the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing at a Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Photo by Ana Good.
Birmingham lawyer Doug Jones had a strong message to share with the gathered audience at Vestavia Country Club on Nov. 9. “Birmingham is better than its past,” said Jones, perhaps best known for his work as United States attorney in the case of the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. During the monthly luncheon hosted by the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce, Jones shared the details of the investigation and 2001 trial through evidence pictures marked “State Exhibit” and crackling voice recordings of those involved. “This is a part of you,” he said about the bombing. “It will always be part of the history of Birmingham.” Jones said it is important to visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the 16th Street Church to look at the pictures of the children with the hoses and dogs—all to help us remember. “We don’t like to look at those images,” he said, “but we need to.” As if speaking in court to a jury, Jones pieced together the evidence that led to the bombers who killed 11-year-old Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley, all 14. Despite running over the allotted time, the audience sat transfixed throughout the remainder of Jones’ talk. “When you became a symbol of the 1963 movement in Birmingham, you became a target,” said Jones about why Thomas Blanton and Bobby Frank Cherry—the men he prosecuted—targeted the church and children.
The men, he said, concocted the sinister plan in the cover of night under the Cahaba River bridge along Highway 280. “I always think of them as trolls under the bridge,” said Jones. The men’s evil intentions, he said, made time stand still in Birmingham on Sept. 15, 1963. “A picture taken from inside a shop across the street from the bombing shows a clock frozen in time at the time of the blast,” said Jones, describing a black and white photograph on his PowerPoint. “10:24 a.m.” In describing the toll the bombings took on the girls’ families, Jones shared the story of Christopher McNair, father of Denise, who had held on the piece of mortar that had been lodged inside his young-daughter’s head. When Jones finally worked up the nerve to ask the father why he had done that, he never questioned his resolve again. “He told me that it is difficult for people to understand what happened until they see the size of the piece of mortar that was lodged in Denise’s skull,” said Jones. “It speaks to what people can do in the name of hate.” Jones warned against that very same type of hatred that continues to exist, and has now spread to include hatred against Hispanic people across the country. That hate, he said, is reminiscent of the hate that filled the nation during the Civil Rights movement. “We need to be careful,” he said. Birmingham, with its history, said Jones, is positioned to be a leader in the case for equality. “This is our story,” he said. “We need to tell the world we have overcome it. We are better than that. That is the lesson of the 16th Street bombing.”
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • A11
New burger joint seeks community feel By ERICA TECHO Adam Allen hopes residents will welcome Twisted Root Burger Co. as their burger place. “Basically, we really want to have the community have their own burger spot, their own fun place to go with their families,” said Allen, a co-owner of the restaurant. Twisted Root Burger Co. is a Texas-based burger chain, and the Vestavia Hills location is the first in Alabama. When Allen and his partner, Glynn Alan Harrison, were looking for locations, he said, Vestavia’s community-oriented nature was the best fit. “When we came here to do visits and look at locations, Vestavia just really fit our market portfolio,” Allen said. The former garage at 2501 Rocky Ridge Road, the site that will house the restaurant, also fit their vision. By renovating a unique space, Allen said, it guarantees that the restaurant doesn’t feel like a chain location. He said the goal is to make Twisted Root feel like it has been in Vestavia for a while. “This site in particular, we don’t like it to look like a franchise, so it was a unique location and really worked with our concept,” Allen said. The garage formerly housed Moe’s Original BBQ. Twisted Root will have an outdoor
Glynn Alan Harrison and Adam Allen, co-owners of the Twisted Root Burger Co. on Rocky Ridge Road, stand outside the restaurant while it is under construction. Photo by Erica Techo.
patio area where kids can roam around, Allen said, while their parents hang out.
When they found the location, Allen and Harrison did not know about the planned Rocky Ridge entertainment
district. Allen said he thinks the entertainment district will bring more customers to that area but otherwise not
affect business. This is the first Twisted Root franchise Allen and Harrison have opened, and the chain’s concept appealed to them because it is a place they would choose to eat. “We were searching for something fun that really appealed to our age groups, 30- to 40-year-olds,” he said. “A place for young families with a great atmosphere.” Allen also visited Twisted Root’s Shreveport, Louisiana, location, which was the company’s first franchise location. He said he enjoyed the restaurant’s food and atmosphere, and that led him to pursue opening his own franchise. Twisted Root serves gourmet hamburgers, hot dogs, salads and specialty homemade desserts. In addition to traditional burgers, Twisted Root also offers game meats such as venison, elk, lamb and others. A unique touch, Allen said, is their adult milkshake option, which adds a shot of liquor to traditional milkshake fare. The restaurant also has a full bar. After ordering, patrons draw a celebrity name out of a hat, and that name is called out to fill the order. Allen said those touches help add to the restaurant’s feel. “It’s a very fun atmosphere, with a lot of different, fun, quirky things we do,” he said. Twisted Root is set to open before the end of the year.
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A12 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Family bonds inspire Wind Charmer clothing By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE To say that Wind Charmer clothing is a family affair would be an understatement. Three Meeks brothers from Vestavia Hills married women with different talents and now have eight daughters among them, ranging from ages 1 to 10. The family recently launched their online children’s clothing boutique. The families live in the greater Birmingham area, two in Vestavia Hills and one in Chelsea. Mary Beth, the designer, lives in Chelsea with her husband and three daughters. The Vestavia residents are Jamie, who oversees marketing and has three daughters, and Sandi, who handles the finances and has two girls of her own. The company started out as just an idea, then quickly evolved into a family business. “It was really just our genuine love for our family and the connectivity we have with trying to raise this bounty of girls together,” Sandi said. “As sisters-in-law, we would talk about clothes, and ask each other what the girls would be wearing for Christmas, and have you seen this collection?” Once the ladies combined their talents and backgrounds, they fit together like a puzzle. They were the perfect combination to design, manage and market a business. The inspiration for the line came from Mary Beth, who grew up in Jasper. Her styles came from her love of the outdoors and her Southern roots. She had started a book of drawings, and when she showed it to her sisters-in-law, they were blown away.
Jamie, Sandi and Mary Beth Meeks are sisters-in-law who recently started Wind Charmer, a business selling clothing for children. Jamie and Sandi live in Vestavia Hills and Mary Beth lives in Chelsea. They were inspired by their experiences with their collective eight daughters. Photo courtesy of Jamie Meeks.
“I want these dresses to emphasize the child’s beauty, not distract from it,” said Mary Beth. “I want them to be able to look back at these dresses and remember the special things they were doing when they were being worn.” The three started researching what it would
take to build a company. The idea was born in February and launched just seven months later. The fall 2015 line debuted in September and features seven different styles for girls ages 1 to 6 years. Three collections are planned each year:
spring, summer and fall. The styles are modeled after classic and vintage designs of the past. The dresses for the fall line, which range from $48-$58, were produced in Chicago, and the spring collection, named after the ladies’ great-grandmothers, will be made in Georgia. Since the company started, the family has grown even closer than before. The women are in communication every day, and their kids are able to enjoy time playing together while they work. The extended family is also very involved in the business and help when needed. “They are all involved, from watching the kids, folding dresses, picking things up or mailing things,” Sandi said. “It’s really been this amazing support group of encouragement and cheerleaders.” The ladies took Wind Charmer to the Mt Laurel Fall Festival and the Southern Women’s Show in October, and they plan to be at the Vestavia UMC Magical Marketplace in November. “We want people to see and touch the dresses and their quality and get a feel of them,” Jamie said. “Seeing them is when you really realize how pretty and well-made they are. We are excited about getting out in the community.” Future plans include expanding sizes, offering a bubble in the spring line and options for coordinating sister sets. “Right now I’d say the sky is the limit,” Jamie said. “We started off what we thought was manageable, but not saying we will limit ourselves. We are open to anything.” To learn more, visit windcharmer.net.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • A13
Now that Horizon Church has combined its traditional and Brazilian congregations into a single service. Hymn lyrics are displayed in English and Portuguese during services. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
Brazilian congregation finds home at Hori on By GRACE THORNTON Every single Sunday when Pastor Joe Comer stands in the front pew and hears the congregation singing behind him, he finds himself speechless. “I’m overwhelmed every Sunday by the presence of God’s spirit in the service and the response of the people,” he said. There are a lot more people these days at Horizon Church on Columbiana Road — more than double what it was a year ago, in fact. And the majority is Brazilian. That’s something Comer never saw coming when he joined the staff at Horizon in 1992. But in 2011, he was approached by Fabricio Oliveira, the pastor of a local Brazilian congregation that was in need of a place to meet. “We sat down and talked and hit it off well with each other,” Comer said, noting that both churches were of the same denomination — Assemblies of God. The Brazilian church, which had been started several years prior by a Brazilian congregation in Atlanta, wanted to use Horizon’s building. “We worked out an agreement, and they began meeting on Sunday evenings in our building. We were two different churches, we were just sharing the facility,” Comer said. But recently that changed, thanks to an experiment gone right, Comer said. “Through the years, we have done more and more together — a party here and there, a combined service every now and then and occasionally a service project,” he said. Once they held a Brazilian festival to raise money for a children’s home in Zambia, and the event brought in more than $4,000. On another occasion, members from both congregations went together on a mission trip to Brazil. “Their [the Brazilian congregation’s] food choices are much different than ours, but they are so delicious,” Comer said. “Both congregations have really enjoyed getting to know each other and each other’s culture.” Then last summer, when church attendance was low because of congregation members vacationing, someone threw out the idea of combining the two churches for the summer. “We spent a year praying and having conversations with leadership teams to explore that possibility,” Comer said. “That culminated in this summer, when we combined as an experiment.
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I’m overwhelmed every Sunday by the presence of God’s spirit in the service and the response of the people.
”
JOE COMER
We met together for the full summer as one church.” It went so well that they decided not to stop. Now, the merge is permanent. “It’s been wonderful,” Comer said. “Separately our churches were OK, but when we come together it brings a different dynamic. There is so much more life in the church now, it’s incredible. We’re able to impact our community better. We have more people, more volunteers, more resources.” The Brazilian church had about 85 members in total, and Horizon had 50 or 60 before the mergee, Comer said. Now church attendance is more than 100 every Sunday. Oliveira said his church is so excited that Horizon opened the door — first to use their facility, then to become part of their church. “It’s a wonderful miracle for us to work together with the church,” he said. “It’s an amazing location and chance to serve for the kingdom.” Oliveira and Comer share the preaching load, even occasionally tag-team preaching the same sermon. “It’s a lot of fun,” Comer said. “The church loves it.” Because they were the same denomination, the congregations already sang a lot of the same songs in their services, and both churches held their services in English. But in the new combined Horizon Church, leaders incorporate the occasional chorus or verse in Portuguese, and translators translate the service into Portuguese through headsets for anyone who prefers to participate in that language. The church held a special service to celebrate the new combined congregation Oct. 18. For more information, visit horizonchurch.tv.
A14 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Wyatt’s legacy motivates others By ERICA TECHO John Gary Wyatt had his hands in a little bit of everything. The Vestavia Hills resident sang, cracked jokes, played violin, hunted, fished and generally took on whatever came his way. He had such a variety of interests that sometimes it was difficult to keep track of them all. “He had things that would come to his mind that, some people would think, ‘Well, I would like to do that …’ Well, John wouldn’t just like to do it, he just does it,” said John’s sister, Jennifer Carter. “He always had that kind of drive.” One of his interests was flying, and John received his instrument pilot certification at 19 years old. John died after his personal aircraft crashed into a field on Aug. 27. The exact cause of the crash is still being investigated, and John’s mother, Mary, said preliminary investigations show there was some sort of issue with the plane. Despite the accident taking John at the young age of 38, Mary said their family remains strong in their faith. “The only thing we can place blame on is an airplane,” Mary said. “But we can’t be mad with God because we know his promise.” In addition to flying, John enjoyed spending time outside. He enjoyed nature from a young age, bringing his mother worms and flowers, and continued that passion as an adult by hunting and hiking. Although he would hop around in his interests, Mary said John would always do his best in any new task. “One thing he did was once he started something, he followed through until he felt like he had really conquered and excelled at it,” Mary said. Once he conquered a task, Mary said he would move on to the next challenge. But his success never went to his head, Jennifer said. He wouldn’t brag about his own accomplishments and instead lauded others’ efforts.
W2W vestavia half page 1215.pdf 1 11/11/2015 11:52:40 PM
John Gary Wyatt with his wife, Mary, and their two daughters. Wyatt passed away in August when his personal airplane crashed. Photos courtesy of Mary Wyatt.
“He would make a big deal about other people, though,” Jennifer said. “If something happened for you, he was very excited for you.” His ability to support others was a quality of his compassion, Jennifer said. John often worked to help and connect with others. “He could make the other person feel comfortable and not feel judged or lesser than,” Jennifer said. “It was just an honest person talking to another honest person.” Human connection helped him as a leader, Mary said, giving John a personality that drew
others to him. Kara Kennedy, social media strategist at Samford University’s Brock School of Business, said she saw John’s success as a leader during the times she worked with him. “I think it [his personality] was very, from what I saw, what enables someone to motivate others,” she said. “If you’ve got compassion and you care about people, then you’re able to motivate others.” John used his leadership as president of Wyatt General Contractor, a Hoover-based construction firm, by encouraging and inspiring others, Mary
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said. Kennedy said he used his success to help members of the community, including after tornadoes hit the Birmingham and Cordova areas. “They [his company] built churches and things, rebuilt a bunch of things, but he also helped in relief efforts for that area by working to take water and food and helping people of that area,” Kennedy said. “He had a really big heart and big compassion for people. That’s what I saw in John.” Although Kennedy mainly knew John through a professional relationship, she said through
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • A15
Above: John Wyatt and his father, Gary Wyatt, at Samford University’s Hodges Divinity Chapel for John’s wedding. Right: John Gary Wyatt as he hiked the Appalachian Trail.
conversations they found several commonalities. One time, they realized her grandparents were friends with the grandparents of John’s wife, Mary Wyatt. Kennedy grew up going to Mary’s grandparents’ lake house. “That just shows you how connected we all are, when you find these little connections and you find you have something in common,” Kennedy said. John’s love for his family was obvious, Kennedy said, and if they weren’t talking about work, he mainly talked about his wife and two daughters, Mary Evelyn Epperson and Viola Rose Catherine. “You can tell from the photos how much he cared for them,” Kennedy said. When he became a father, John’s mother said he took the new responsibility in stride. He shared a passion for nature with his daughters and even learned to do their hair. John would be silly at times, Mary said, but he worked to teach them whatever he could. “He was always trying to give them the
knowledge he knew they were going to need when they grew up,” Jennifer said. His daughters are 3 and 5 years old, and Mary said the family plans to make sure they remember their father. “We’re hoping that they’ll have all the sweet memories of their daddy that we can help them remember in the pictures and in the things they did together,” Mary said. John was also a good husband, Mary said. He would help around the house, taking on tasks his wife would mention. “She said those were the best years of her life, and she said it will never be like that again,” John’s mother said. Having so many fond memories sometimes makes their loss more difficult, Mary said, but their faith helps push through the hard times. “We know we’ll see him again when we get to heaven,” Jennifer said. “We’ll all be together again.” “We know we’ll see him again, but it’s just a long journey to get there,” Mary added.
A16 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Every day is joy By SYDNEY CROMWELL Pete Petro’s relentless positive attitude is one of the first things people notice about him. Whether on campus at Samford University or in his Vestavia Hills home, Petro has a reason to smile because he knows he’s defied the odds. At 5 years old, Petro was unable to ride a bike despite repeated attempts. After seeing a few different doctors, one gave the diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. “I knew exactly what they were talking about, and it was devastating,” said his mother, Kathy Petro, who had already seen a friend’s son go through the same diagnosis. Duchenne is a muscle-wasting disease. Doctors expected Petro to be in a wheelchair at age 10 and said he was unlikely to reach his 21st birthday. Despite the expectations, Petro is now 21 and a full-time accounting and German student. He began using a wheelchair at age 19. “Pete has just dumbfounded [doctors],” Kathy said. Petro has a daily routine to help keep him healthy. He takes steroids to maintain his muscles, has a morning stretching routine and swims at the Lakeshore Foundation pool for therapy. However, the steroids stunt growth and weaken his bones, and two broken femurs during his freshman year of college convinced Petro to begin using the wheelchair. It keeps him safe and allows him to go places without worrying about fatigue. “Now I’m just trying to maintain what I have. I don’t want to walk, probably, anymore because that could hurt my bones again,” Petro said. “I’m just keeping up the hope that [researchers] are working on a lot of things to help even more.” Kathy said her son has an excellent team of doctors, but it’s far more than medical care that has helped Petro maintain his health this long.
“As a parent it was the most horrible thing in the world that you couldn’t imagine, to get a death sentence for your child … but through the years I’ve seen how the worst-case scenario has never played out. Pete is very positive, he’s very focused,” Kathy said. “You just move from a state of extreme sorrow, to I guess fear, to acceptance and then joy, really, because every day I get to be with him is joy. I think a lot of people don’t have that.” While a student at Vestavia Hills High School, Petro worked with student government to do a fundraiser for muscular dystrophy research, ultimately raising about $9,000. He has also spoken on the illness in classes at Samford and has participated in a “lock-up” fundraiser for the cause. The hardest part for Petro is accepting that he cannot do many things independently, including getting out of bed each morning. He said he doesn’t like relying on other people, but he tries not to dwell on things that can’t be changed and feels fortunate it was his body affected and not his mind. Because Petro lives with Kathy and his father, Paul, to receive that assistance, he has developed a close relationship with his parents. “It’s the three of us at home, and we have a great little unit. We work well together,” Kathy said. “We depend on each other a lot; we love each other a lot.” Petro is inspired by the book No Arms, No Legs, No Problem, written by Bob Lujano of the Lakeshore Foundation and Tara Schiro. He wants to become a public accountant, working in taxes or auditing, and eventually be a professor. In everything, he wants to “live up to whatever the plan is” for his life. “He’s focused forward, he has his life to live and he’s living it,” Kathy said. “I’ve learned more from him than I think from anybody … I’m not the same person I was when he was 4.”
Pete Petro was 5 years old when he was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and has been defying expectations since
Despite his diagnosis, Pete Petro, pictured with his mother, Kathy, is a junior at Samford University studying accounting and German. He has helped raise funds and awareness for muscular dystrophy. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • A17
Artists Incorporated spotlight: Karen Libecap By SYDNEY CROMWELL How did you get started as an artist? I have always been around art my entire life. My mother was an artist and my father was an engineer. My gymnastic coach in high school had a graphic design company that I worked at the summer before college and decided that was what I wanted to do. What drew you to make tiny paintings? When I was little I would write stories in as tiny print as possible and do illustrations to go with it. Within the last six or seven years, I started painting. I reconnected with my high school sweetheart here in Birmingham, and he has been my biggest inspiration and supporter and encouraged me to start painting. I have dabbled in most of the mediums, but pastel and watercolor are my favorites. My tiny paintings are mostly watercolor with gouache and colored pencil for some detail. Tell us about yourself. I have lived in many places throughout my life. I moved to Birmingham 8 years ago and am very happy to call it home. I went to school at Kent State University for graphic design and worked as an art director/freelance artist for several years. I owned and operated a photography studio and art studio where I taught art classes to kids and adults. Currently I am doing commissioned art, which includes portraits, house renderings and pets that keeps me busy when I am not doing my tiny art. I only had a few painting classes in college so am mostly self-taught. What is your favorite part about your art? I love to see the connection people have to my tiny paintings. I do a lot of vintage items and it is fun to see the nostalgic memories. I
love that I can be random, which is kind of how my mind works. One painting is a chocolate cake and the next might be Rock ’em Sock ’em robots. The possibilities are endless. Plus, I can usually finish in one sitting. I have difficulty completing some of the bigger pieces. What is the most difficult part? With each one, I try to get more and more detail, which is hard in a 1¼-by-1¼ square space. What project are you working on right now? I just finished Bluff Park Art Show and Kentuck. I am trying to complete one a day, but it doesn’t always work. If you could redo one piece, what would it be? I started doing the tiny paintings about a year ago, and I have learned techniques from doing so many that enable me to get more detail. I would like to redo all the ones from the beginning! Why do you like being an artist? I am so blessed to be able to do what I love every day! I love the challenge that each new painting brings. I love to see the clients’ appreciation of my work, and I love that I am able to preserve a person or memory in a creative way that will be appreciated for years to come. I have recently been featured on Huffington Post, MTV News, Bored Panda, My Modern Met and many other blogs for my tiny paintings. The interest in my work has been overwhelming, but I am so thankful and honored. To learn more about Libecap’s tiny — and fullsized — paintings, visit karenlibecap.com and find her on Facebook, Etsy and Instagram.
Artists Incorporated member Karen Libecap works on a new tiny painting. She tries to get as much detail as she can using watercolor and colored pencils. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
Karen Libecap’s tiny paintings have drawn national attention. She chooses her subjects at random, and tries to complete one per day. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
A18 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
VESTAVIA
Above: Members of the Pizitz Robotics Team control a robot they built. Photo by John Perry. Below: Vestavia residents attend meetings about the future of the VHHS Rebel mascot. Photo by Ron Burkett.
Dean Paugh, right, and his two sons, Morgan and Matthew, all won individual state wrestling championships while attending Vestavia Hills. Photo by Ron Burkett.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • A19
Sherri Burgess holds a framed picture of her son, Bronner, who died in 2008. Photo by Keith McCoy
Above: Children help to plant vegetables and flowers in the new Rocky Ridge Learning Center community garden in June. Photo by Katie Turpen. Right: Four-year-old Ellie Waldrop has neurofibromatosis (NF), and her parents helped to coordinate October’s NF Walk in Birmingham. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
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A20 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Costumes and cuisine mark annual Viva Vestavia
Above: Viva Vestavia guests compare costumes. Right: Klingler’s European Bakery and Cafe won the award for best presentation, and Snapper Grabbers (not pictured) won the best food category.
Katie Geurin, Dracula and Katie Woodruff greet guests at Viva Vestavia.
Story and photos by SYDNEY CROMWELL Guests at the annual Viva Vestavia had the chance Oct. 29 to wear costumes and try a sampling of the city’s restaurants. About 300 people attended, and they also voted for their favorite costumes and bid on silent auction items, including a Big Green Egg,
photo packages and wind chimes. Klingler’s received the crowd’s vote for best presentation, and Snapper Grabbers won the best food category. Proceeds from Viva Vestavia will go toward a scholarship for one Vestavia student and also for the Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s economic development projects.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • A21
Community 1456 Montgomery Hwy 31 Vestavia Hills
823-1213 823-1261
Guests admire holiday décor at the 2014 Christmas Home Tour. Courtesy of Lynn Parrish.
Vestavia Hills home featured in annual tour The Samford President’s House, which sits atop Shades Mountain, will be featured in this year’s Samford University Legacy League Christmas Home Tour. This is the fifth year for the tour, which will also include a new holiday gift market. The tour is set for Thursday, Dec. 10, and showcases the holiday décor of five homes, including four that are in Mountain Brook. Homes on the tour range from traditional to contemporary designs. One home includes a large outdoor living area and fireplace built by the owners. Another has contemporary design and includes an indoor fountain. Another tour residence includes exposed beams and limestone appointments, reflecting the English Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A fourth residence reflects New England architecture in a rural setting. At the Samford President’s House, guests will have hors d’oeuvres and desserts. They will also have the opportunity to shop at the holiday gift market, a new addition to this year’s tour. The gift market will have jewelry and accessories, art, children’s items, clothing, food and home items for sale. The market is sponsored by Event Rentals Unlimited.
Homes will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 through Dec. 8 or $30 at the door. To order tickets, visit samford.edu/legacyleague. For more information, call 726-2247 or visit the website. Proceeds from the home tour and gift market will be used for scholarships for students with significant financial need and challenging circumstances.
Featured homes include: Tricia and Mark Drew 4105 Kennesaw Drive, Mountain Brook Dimity and Alex Leath 4405 Old Brook Run, Mountain Brook Lynn and Duane Randleman 2717 Old Trace, Mountain Brook Shannon and Richard Riley 3505 Brookwood Road, Mountain Brook Jeanna and Andy Westmoreland Samford President’s Home 1994 Shades Crest Road, Vestavia Hills
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From left: Liz Estes, vice president of fundraising and philanthropy; Toni Vaughn, fundraising committee chairman; Harry Wooten, executive vice president of the Alabama Ear Institute; and Glenda Lott, chapter president. Photo courtesy of Glenda Lott.
Delta Zeta Birmingham Alumnae Chapter presents check to Alabama Ear Institute The Delta Zeta Birmingham Alumnae Chapter recently presented the Alabama Ear Institute with a $6,000 check. The money, raised at the chapter’s annual Make Some Noise fundraiser, will benefit the Alabama School for Hearing. Chapter President Glenda Lott presented the check to Harry Wooten, executive vice president for the Alabama Ear Institute, during a meeting at La Catrina Restaurant in Vestavia. Delta Zeta Sorority’s national philanthropy is speech and hearing, and the Birmingham chapter annually raises money for the Alabama School
for Hearing. This segment of the Alabama Ear Institute is for children ages 3-5 who are deaf or hard of hearing. Make Some Noise was held Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center. It featured a game day fashion show, luncheon, wine lottery and silent auction. Models in the fashion show were from both the community and the Alabama School for Hearing. For more information, visit dzbirminghamalumnae.org or email deltazetabirmingham@gmail.com. - Submitted by Glenda Lott
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A22 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Dashing for diabetes research
Photos by Frank Couch
Racers and volunteers gather around the finish line for a group picture after the Diabetes Dash.
Sarah Guilaume and Kristin Toms make their way to the finish line in the Diabetes Dash at Veterans Park on Oct. 24, 2015.
Walkers pushing strollers make their way along the course.
Runners came to Veterans Park on Oct. 24 to participate in the Diabetes Dash. The race was sponsored by the Key Clubs of Vestavia Hills, Oak Mountain and Spain Park to raise money for diabetes research. The race
included one-mile, two-mile and 5K distances. Kaylee Dressback took the top female spot with a 5K time of 18:49, and Albert Dasher took the top male spot with a time of 21:55.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • A23
A24 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Events VHES students, families give back through Angel Tree By ERICA TECHO
This year’s tree lighting ceremony will include new decorations and choral performances from city students. Staff photo.
Costumed children wave from their float in the Liberty Park Christmas Parade. Photo courtesy of Paige Hockman.
City to celebrate holidays with parade, tree lighting By SYDNEY CROMWELL The annual city Christmas Parade will be held on the main parkway of Liberty Park on
Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. The event will include floats, cars and decorated golf carts traveling from the sports complex to Alston Meadows. Signs will mark the parade route so families can find the
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best spot to watch. Organizer Paige Hockman said those interested in participating in the parade must register with the Chamber of Commerce via vestaviahills.org by Dec. 3. There will be awards for best decorated participants. Immediately after the parade will be Christmas in the Park at Alston Meadows. The park event includes photo opportunities with Santa and Mrs. Claus, free food and beverages, games, music, bounce houses and children’s activities. Other city events include the annual tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 1 at city hall and the breakfast with Santa Claus on Dec. 12 at the Civic Center’s Dogwood Room. The tree lighting begins at 6 p.m. and will feature choral performances from students, Santa and Mrs. Claus, caroling and a business expo. Assistant to the City Manager Melissa Hipp said the 20-foot tree will have new decorations courtesy of the Vestavia Hills Beautification Board. Visit vhal.org to find out more about the tree lighting.
Vestavia Hills Elementary School West each year around Christmas time reaches out to help needy families. A letter is sent to each family in the school, giving them three options: request help in fulfilling their family’s Christmas wishes, agree to sponsor another family’s child or send a donation or gift for any child as needed. Those families that feel like they need help can fill out a Christmas wish list and receive a sponsor, said school counselor Dawn Norris, who spearheads the effort. Families that want to sponsor a child will receive a wish list from an anonymous family and then can go shopping for the “angel” they are sponsoring. People who do not want to take on the financial commitment of an angel sponsorship can opt to send a donation or gift for the book and toy tree in the school’s front lobby. Wish lists started arriving in early November, and parents of sponsored “angels” can pick up the gifts Dec. 17-18, Norris said. The book and toy tree will be up from Dec. 7-18, so students and community members can stop by to drop off gifts for the tree. All gifts are turned in unwrapped, and then the school works to distribute the book and toy tree gifts to children who were not sponsored. Norris said she enjoys the chance to see families pick up their gifts before the holidays and to see their joy. “I’m just always amazed at how giving this community is and how generous they are,” Norris said. “Every single need a child has, every single need is fulfilled.”
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • A25
Santa’s Workshop returns to elementary school By ERICA TECHO Santa’s Workshop is returning to Vestavia Hills Elementary East this year. The Santa’s Workshop project is an annual event where students make goodie bags for students in inner-city schools. The project kicks off with “caring and sharing week,” during which each class is assigned a certain snack item — granola, grits, oatmeal, snack bars, fruit cups and more — and students are encouraged to bring that item to school. Then all of the food is collected, and the students use some of their physical education time to assemble bags by going to different stations and picking out snacks. Laura Tucker, a Parent Teacher Organization member in charge of Santa’s Workshop, said the event teaches kids about giving back and the meaning of Christmas. In addition to their snacks, students will place a stuffed animal in the bag and write and decorate a card. “It’s really neat because the kids learn that they’re bringing the food items and then they’re giving that food away,” Tucker said. Everyone is able to participate, even students
East students decorate cards for other students. Photo courtesy of Laura Tucker
who do not donate food or snack items. Students make between 750 and 800 bags a year to donate to an elementary school with a similar number of students in Birmingham. Tucker said this will be the third year they are donating to a school, and they appreciate the opportunity to give back. “We are actually really thankful that they let us keep doing it because it’s a good lesson for our kids, and they have always been so grateful and happy to do it with us,” Tucker said.
Birmingham Ballet brings twist to holiday classic
The classic Nutcracker ballet will be performed Dec. 11-13 by the dancers of the Birmingham Ballet. Photo courtesy of Cindy Free.
For the Birmingham Ballet’s 20th anniversary, the Vestavia Hills studio will perform not only the classic Nutcracker this season, but also a four-legged version. The Nutcracker and Mutt-cracker will be performed at the BJCC concert hall Dec. 11-13, along with a prequel piece called Dross, which was written specifically for the Birmingham Ballet. The Birmingham Ballet’s version of the Nutcracker is choreographed by studio Director Cindy Free and is the longest-running
performance in the city. The Mutt-cracker is in its fourth year as a special production to benefit the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. It includes more than 20 dogs throughout the ballet, and this year’s cast will include the local celebrity Pig, a dog born with short spine syndrome. Birmingham Ballet is located at 2198 Columbiana Road. For more information about their holiday performances, visit Birminghamballet. com. -Submitted by Cindy Free
Ballerinas are joined onstage by four-legged friends for the Mutt-cracker, benefiting the Humane Society. Photo courtesy of Cindy Free.
A26 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
holiday gift guide
For the
SWEET TOOTH German Christmas Stollen $21.99 Enjoy a two-pound loaf of the traditional German Christmas Bread that began in Dresden in the 14th century and is made with rum-soaked nuts, raisins, candied citrus, spices and topped with powdered sugar. It is formed to represent the Baby Jesus in swaddling clothes. Klingler’s Cafe & Catering 621 Montgomery Highway 823-4560
For the
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The Big Green Egg $1169.90 with 10% discount through Dec. 31 The original ceramic cooker is perfect for outdoor cooking year round.
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Hollywood Pools 1441 Montgomery Highway 979-7727
Moran’s Rocky Ridge Hardware 3354 Morgan Drive 979-5444
For the
HOME DECORATOR Silk screened, hand embroidered linen tea towels $45 Seven selections are available, featuring the work of beloved self-taught artist Clementine Hunter. Fancy Goods Variety 2512 Rocky Ridge Road, Suite 102 978-1451
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • A27 For the
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The Swurfer Swing $129 All you need is a big tree and an open area, and the wooden Swurfer Swing provides fun for kids who can sit or stand on the wooden swing made in Charleston, South Carolina. Homewood Toy & Hobby Shop 2830 18th Street S. 879-4444
JJ Eyes 2814 18th St. South 703-8596
For the
TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS Fontanini Nativity $31.95 to $89.95 Perfect for the family tradition. Start with four figures and then build year after year. The Blue Willow 3930 Crosshaven Drive 968-0909
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A28 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Pappas’ Grill’s owner and chef shares go-to holiday party recipe
WHAT’S COOKING
By EMILY FEATHERSTON Name: Greg Pappas – Owner & Chef Restaurant: Pappas’ Grill Q: How long have you been cooking? A: A little over 40 years. At this location we’re in our 24th year.
Greg Pappas prepares stuffed grape leaves at Pappas’ Grill. Photo by Emily Featherston.
Q: What do you like about where you work? A: Cooking has always been a great satisfaction to me. I like the community. We have such a loyal clientele here in Vestavia. We’re all like family. Q: If you have to bring a last-minute dish to a Christmas party, what’s your go-to choice? A: Stuffed Grape Leaves Q: What do you like about this dish? A: It’s unique, different, hard to make. You don’t get that type of food.
RECIPE GRAPE LEAVES • Grape leaves – 1 Jar • 1 Onion – Finely Chopped • 1 ½ lbs Ground Sirloin • 2 tsp Chopped Parsley • ¼ cup Rice • ¼ tsp Pepper • 1 ½ tsp Salt • Eggs – 2 • Juice of 1 Lemon •
Chicken Broth (enough to cover)
Drain and rinse grape leaves. Place ground sirloin, onion, parsley, rice, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and mix with the eggs and lemon juice.
Put one TBSP of the filling in the center of each leaf, folding the sides up and over, then roll into a log shape. Carefully place the rolls into a pot, layering as needed. Pour in enough chicken broth to completely submerge the grape leaves, placing a plate on top, if needed, to hold the leaves in place. Simmer for one hour. LEMON-EGG SAUCE • 3 Eggs – well beaten • Juice of 2 lemons
Beat the eggs until they are light and fluffy, slowly adding the lemon juice. Gradually add the hot liquid from the grape leaves, beating constantly, until the sauce thickens. Pour over grape leaves as desired.
Stuffed grape leaves. Photo by Emily Featherston.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • A29
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Royal Buick GMC is committed to our community and to supporting tomorrow’s leaders. Come to Vestavia High on December 12, take a test drive, and help us give back!
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A30 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
He’s our bionic boy.
”
STACY MITCHELL
CADEN JAMES
CONTINUED from page A1 but his passion for the sport transcends his size. Caden James, after all, isn’t your average firstgrade football player. While learning the basics of football alongside his teammates, the 6-year-old is also learning how to regulate his body in ways most never have to think about. Caden James is a Type 1 diabetic. A real-time continuous glucose monitor on his leg automatically tracks sugar level changes in his body. An insulin pump rests near his hip, continuously pumping the required levels of insulin into his body. “He’s our bionic boy,” said his mother, Stacy. Yet despite the tubes and tiny computers that Caden James must always be attached to, Stacy said her son has never limited his aspirations. He plays baseball and basketball as well, she said. “But football is my favorite,” said Caden James inside his Vestavia Hills home. As he talked about the details of his everyday life, a football bobbled back and forth between his small hands. “Can I go play football?” he asked his mother, seemingly bored with having to explain when and why he has to monitor his blood sugar levels. The specifics of his condition and how to monitor it are all second nature to the Mitchell family. When doctors diagnosed Caden James shortly after his second birthday, his parents
underwent two full days of training at Children’s of Alabama. It was mandatory, Stacy said, and necessary. His parents weigh everything Caden James eats to determine the sugar content and crunch out equations based on his glucose readings. They know how to inject him with insulin if his pump fails and what to do if he has another seizure. “I can do it all in my sleep,” Stacy said. “Caden James’ pump is like an arm, he doesn’t even think about it being there.” On his end, Caden James knows he must check in with the nurse at school before and after he eats, and he must never take off the pump for extended periods of time. But mostly, he’s concerned with being a kid. “His numbers spiked through the roof,” said Stacy, “the day after Halloween. He was sneaking candy.” “Yum,” her son said as he licked his lips and rubbed his belly. At school or on the football field, his diagnosis is nearly undetectable, but for an occasional “beep.” If his levels drop too low or climb too high, his monitoring device will beep, sending messages to a small computer his dad, James, keeps on the sideline. His teammates and classmates know what it means, said Stacy. “In class, they’ll just call out to their teacher, ‘Caden James is beeping again,’” said Stacy. “They know the drill.” Coach Bowden said he never knew his quarterback was a Type 1 diabetic until he heard the beeping in the middle of a game.
Caden James’ mother, Stacy Mitchell, said his diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes came as a shock and created a steep learning curve for the family as they had to monitor and maintain his blood sugar levels. Photo by Frank Couch.
“He told me he was low, and at first I wasn’t sure what he meant,” Bowden said. “Afterward, I was shocked. He’s a great athlete, and he’s determined to overcome any obstacles in his way.” Caden James’ successes, Bowden said, have inspired the community to learn about and support Type 1 diabetes research. On Oct. 17, the Lil’ Rebels held a fundraiser at Starbucks on U.S. 31 to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Alabama. Then, on Oct. 27, the team held a “Blue Out to Blow Out Type 1” event during a game to help kick off the November awareness month. Players wore neon blue socks in solidarity, while the local JDRF chapter collected donations toward the cause. Blue glow sticks and necklaces dotted the crowd.
JDRF Alabama Development Coordinator Anna Rambo said she was thrilled to be part of the event. “The Mitchells’ story has helped raise awareness throughout the community,” Rambo said. To date, Caden James’ school, Vestavia Hills Elementary West, has helped raise more than $11,000 for JDRF, Stacy said. “We’ve been really lucky,” Stacy said. “We’ve got the support of great, local doctors, our school nurse and the community.” As Caden James prepared for his last game of the season, he seemed confident in his abilities. “Nobody gets inside of me,” he said of playing as an outside lineman. “Can I go throw the football now?” he asked again, eager to perfect his throws.
VestaviaVoice.com CAHABA
CONTINUED from page A1 Planning and Zoning Commission. However, on Monday, Nov. 16, Hydinger submitted a request to the city to further postpone that vote until late January. In a public-notice email from City Clerk Rebecca Leavings, he is said to have requested the extension “in order for him to have time to work with his development details and not interfere into anyone’s holidays.” A new public hearing is now set for the Jan. 25 City Council meeting, subject to Hydinger submitting his revisions by Dec. 31 and the ordinance being reviewed by a zoning official. “In essence it’s a wait-and-see proposition right now,” City Manager Jeff Downes said. Hydinger said he was working with the city to pursue his current changes, and would comply with their deadlines. “Where we are with the project is, I have a three-story design that will work we can proceed with. However, at this time I am looking at all my options for that site,” Hydinger said. At the Oct. 26 meeting, Hydinger said that he and his company had heard the concerns of Cahaba Heights residents, and had taken them into account when formulating revisions to the plan. “I’m a father, I have young kids, I take safety very seriously,” Hydinger said. For the Cahaba Heights Community Foundation, there were still concerns as the group waited to know future of the ordinance. The group has opposed the Hydinger’s development, describing it as a safety hazard next to the school and a break from the desired character of the community. Lane Brown, a community member who supports the foundation, said many in the group were surprised by Hydinger’s decision. “He said he’s going to build within the zoning code, so that takes some of our concerns into consideration, and we appreciate that,” Brown said. However, Brown said the group is anxious to see his new plans and if they actually mitigate the group’s major concerns. “I think the size and the placement of this particular development has been the main concern
December 2015 • A31 all along,” Brown said. She said the group understands the master plan contains buildings with first-floor retail use and lofts or apartments above, but it’s the number and size of the apartments that still raise concern. She said several members of the group have spent time researching zoning code B-1.2, the code Hydinger is asking for. She said they have compared B-1.2’s requirements for green space, height restrictions and requirements for acreage to square-footage to those of other municipalities, and found it to be lacking. “I think that B-1.2 has some holes that need to be filled in, and that’s become pretty obvious in the last couple of things that have been brought to Planning and Zoning,” Brown said. Brown said the group has researched how the land could have been used to expand the school, and some think it should have been reserved for expansion. “There are so many schools in our system that are completely landlocked, and there was literally vacant land right next to an elementary school, and the city didn’t take advantage,” Brown said. Overall, Brown said the group has learned a lot about the process that ordinances of this type have to go through, and that they hope to use that knowledge going forward on more than just Ordinance 2608. “We are advocating for something that really does impact all of Vestavia,” Brown said. “The mayor said very plainly that the City Council has told Jeff Downes to recruit new development and if that’s the case, we’d like to see there be some regulations in place so the city of Vestavia doesn’t get overbuilt.” Downes said it is the city’s goal to grow, but in a smart manner that will help the city as a whole. “With the city being in the position that it is, located in the greater Birmingham area, the goals and objectives and priorities that have been expressed to me as the city manager are to very carefully grow the city and move it forward,” Downes said. “That’s what I try to do as part of every day, is to look at opportunities for growth and ways for the city to be able to sustain itself in the long term.” For updates on the status of Ordinance 2608 and Hydinger’s development proposal, visit vestaviavoice.com.
A Cahaba Heights Elementary student puts together a “Not in Our School Yard” sign for a fundraising and awareness lemonade stand prior to the Oct. 26 City Council discussion of a proposed mixed-use development neighboring the school. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
SECTION B School House B10 Sports B12 Calendar B18
Here comes SANTA CLAUS By GRACE THORNTON Harold Hagler has some intense negotiation skills on his resumé. The Vestavia Hills resident has decades of experience. That’s because for years, hundreds of children have asked Hagler for dogs and ponies while their parents stand a few feet away shaking their heads and mouthing “no.” Sometimes being Santa can be a tough gig. “You have to fake your way through it,” Hagler said with a laugh. “Because you don’t want to tell them no. So I just tell them how much of a responsibility it would be — that they would have to be the one to take care of it, feed it and make sure it has everything it needs. And I ask them if they are ready for that.” You just never know what a kid’s going to ask for when they get a crack at Santa, said Hagler, who for years has played the jolly, red-costumed guy locally for events such as the Vestavia Hills Christmas parade and breakfast with Santa. “I always ask them what they want for Christmas and if they’ve been good,” he said. “And of course, no one’s ever been bad. Everyone’s always been good.” And they almost always think he’s the real Santa — which one might argue is true, based on the evidence. He’s worked all over the map — Alabama, Florida, Texas, Indiana and a host of other places.
His initials — H.O.H. — are suspiciously close to “ho ho ho.” But underneath the white hair and beard is a brunette — well, maybe slightly graying — father and retiree who said playing Santa is just a fun volunteer activity he started doing in grad school. He’s visited children’s hospitals and charities. He’s been helped out a lot by his grandchildren, who have worn red and white dresses and passed out gifts to the children. Sometimes the line moves so fast he doesn’t get to talk very long to each child. But other times — especially on the hospital visits — he gets to have longer conversations with them. He hopes it’s something they’ll remember. “It’s just fun to let them talk,” he said. “A lot of kids are bright eyed and bushy tailed to see Santa and talk to him.” But not every child takes well to sitting on Santa’s lap — there are always those who run away screaming, Hagler said with a laugh. “They’re either excited or they’re crying,” he said. “There’s nothing in between. We always try to do our best to get them to come around and help them feel better.” And that’s one thing he loves about being Santa — not the crying, but the making kids feel better and hearing what they have to say. “Hopefully it’s a good memory for them,” he said.
Harold Hagler wears his Santa Claus suit outside his Vestavia Hills home. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
B2 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • B3
1493 Montgomery Highway Vestavia, AL 35216 • 205-874-9586
B4 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Aiding students with dyslexia
Vestavia Hills parents optimistic about new changes to education
By JESSE CHAMBERS With new rules about dyslexia adopted by the state Department of Education, some Vestavia Hills parents believe their dyslexic students will get the help they need sooner, boosting their grades and their confidence. The new regulations – the result of more than a decade of advocacy by parents, teachers and dyslexia groups – state that dyslexia is a “learning challenge,” not just a disability, and that dyslexic students can now get services as part of their regular school work without necessarily obtaining a special education certification. Under the old rules, students with dyslexia could not get services through special education programs until they had fallen far enough behind their peers to demonstrate the extent of their disability. Under the new rules – the Dyslexia Amendments to the Alabama Administrative Code adopted Oct. 8 – students will be screened for dyslexia as part of the general curriculum, and students with dyslexia will get immediate help without going to special education. “It will make a big difference for kids, because they will get diagnosed earlier in the school system and get services earlier,” said resident Julie Tapscott, whose son, Duncan, a sixthgrader at Louis Pizitz Middle School, is dyslexic. “With the old rules, you had to have enough of a discrepancy between your I.Q. and your ability, and that ruled out a lot of kids. “There are lots of issues – not just that they are behind, but that they feel it. They are aware that their peers are reading Harry Potter and they are still reading ‘Henry and Mudge,’” Tapscott said. Leigh Belcher, whose 17-year-old son, Grant, is dyslexic, agreed.
Grant Belcher, a VHHS junior, has dyslexia and often listens to audiobooks while reading the printed version to help him study. His mother, Leigh Belcher, has been appointed to the new state Dyslexia Advisory Council. Photo by Frank Couch.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • B5
There are lots of issues, not just that they are behind but that they feel it. They are aware that their peers are reading Harry Potter and they are still reading ‘Henry and Mudge.’
“The benefits of having these new rules are that all students can receive help in the regular education classroom setting.” The new regulations should mean that schools will be able to help more children “before their gaps get really significant,” said Debbie Hargrave, director of assessment and accountability for Vestavia Hills Schools. “We can target the remediation at a more basic level, and they don’t learn as many habits or personal practices that may hinder them, so they can cope more effectively at younger ages.” In a memorandum to city and county superintendents Oct. 16., State Superintendent of Education Tommy Bice agreed with the effectiveness of the new screenings. The amendments also call for intensive training for teachers and established a Dyslexia Advisory Council in
Alabama. The training, called Multisensory Structured Language Education (MSLE), is a specialized reading, writing and spelling instruction method that equips “students to simultaneously use multiple senses – vision, hearing, touch and movement.” Dyslexic students will have access to these multimedia learning aids and other assistance technology, as well as accommodations in their schoolwork, as part of the Response-to-Intervention process. Hargrave said Vestavia Hills schools are fortunate because some of their teachers received extensive MSLE instruction several years ago. “We have these folks who can help build the foundation for others,” she said. Belcher believes dyslexic students are generally very smart and should be encouraged to contribute fully to society, and she notes many dyslexics have been great entrepreneurs, such as Charles
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Schwab and Richard Branson. However, Belcher and other advocates believe dyslexic students perform much better when allowed to make small adjustments or accommodations in how they complete their schoolwork. For example, timed tests can be frustrating for students with dyslexia, according to Belcher. “Some of the dyslexic kids don’t take tests well, and their brains take a little longer to produce, sometimes, a better answer than a normal thinker would,” she said. Belcher has been involved in dyslexia advocacy since her son was diagnosed in 2007, and Bice has appointed her to the new Dyslexia Advisory Council. Efforts to change the rules took a long time because a lot of people do not understand dyslexia, according to Libby Crumpton, a former Vestavia Hills elementary school teacher and the mother
of a dyslexic son in the third-grade. “So many people have an idea of what they think (dyslexia) is – reversing letters and numbers, not being able to read – and they don’t take the time to learn what it really is,” Crumpton said. “It’s a neurological processing disorder. There is no cure, but there certainly are ways to better teach dyslexics. People with dyslexia don’t fit a mold.” The new amendments define dyslexia – which affects between 10 percent and 20 percent of Alabama schoolchildren, according to Bice’s memo – as “a specific learning challenge that is neurological in origin (and) is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.” To find the extensive new Alabama Dyslexia Resource guide, go to the web site for the Alabama State Department of Education at www.alsde.edu.
B6 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Elementary engineers
Jasmine Zhang, Addison Bailer and Livy Duffey work together during Makerspace. Photos courtesy of Megan Humphries.
By GRACE THORNTON Many people look back on third grade and think of cursive writing or chapter books. They don’t think of engineering projects. But the third-graders at Vestavia Hills Elementary West always will, thanks to a Makerspace program that teaches elementary students to harness their problem-solving skills from a
young age. “This year has been a huge push toward thinking like an engineer, thinking like a problem solver,” said Megan Humphries, a third-grade teacher at VHEW. “For the students, this is a very new experience.” And it plays out in the form of projects that teach teamwork and help students discover talents they might not realize they had, she said.
Denton McDonald tests the strength of his index card tower.
“The kids love it — they love the hands on, and it’s great for their motor skills,” Humphries said. “More importantly, it has really just been a good confidence booster for a lot of the students.” In one recent project, for example, third-graders were challenged to build the tallest tower they could with a limited amount of tape and paper cards.
And they began the year with a project that tasked them with working as a team to build a pyramid of cups. “They had 10 cups to use, but they were only allowed to touch them with a rubber band and four pieces of string that we had given them,” Humphries said. “They had to figure out how to use them to build the pyramid without touching the cups with their skin — and they had to do it
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • B7
Left: Audrey Spurling, Grayson Mizerany and Madelyn Wigley build a standing desk with paper and textbooks. Above: Selah Coleman, Madelyn Wigley, Sarah Gordon, and Leah Barnett celebrate after solving an engineering challenge.
without talking.” That last part was especially a challenge, she said. “They love to talk in the third grade.” But for many kids, the projects have ignited a rebirth of excitement about school. Every grade at VHEW participates in a Makerspace-style project in their classroom once a week, and third-graders who choose to can be a part of the Makerspace engineering club that meets every Wednesday afternoon after school.
“We have about 50 for that,” Humphries said. And 10 third-graders — a team of five from Humphries’ class and a team of five from teacher Terri Kennamer’s class — will be participating Dec. 11 at the second annual University of Montevallo Science Festival, put on by the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative and Shelby County Schools. At the festival, third- through fifth-graders compete in teams for engineering project awards.
“Once they arrive, they will be given their challenge,” Humphries said. “We’re pretty excited. This whole thing been really fun.” Kim Hauser, the VHEW principal, agreed. “Our students are thrilled for these opportunities. They seem to love trying new things, and they are good at it,” Hauser said. Makerspace fosters just the kind of learning VHEW values, she said. “We want our students planning, creating,
thinking, building and rebuilding. Makerspace allows for this type of engineering process,” Hauser said. And, she said, the program “provides the opportunity for students to participate in higher-order thinking while engaging in a motivational and purposeful activity.” For more information about the University of Montevallo Science Festival, visit umsciencefestival.com.
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B8 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Vestavia Hills Homecoming
2015
The Rebels bust through a homecoming banner before the game against Shades Valley on Oct. 30. Photo by John Perry.
The sophomore powder puff team poses after a competition during homecoming week. Photo by Elizabeth Nance. Homecoming Queen is crowned during the homecoming game. Photo by Elizabeth Nance.
Cheerleaders pump up the crowd during a superherothemed pep rally. Photo courtesy of Vestavia Hills High School yearbook staff. Candidates for Homecoming King take part in a pep rally with children from the school’s fall charity, Children’s Harbor. Photo by Elizabeth Nance.
VHHS cheerleaders pose during the homecoming game. Photo by John Perry.
Students wave signs during a homecoming pep rally. Photo courtesy of Vestavia Hills High School yearbook staff.
The Rebels dominated Shades Valley with a 33-14 victory in the homecoming game. Photo by John Perry.
APSA-1006_2.pdf 1 VestaviaVoice.com
8/18/15
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December 2015 • B9
A PUBLIC NOTICE FROM ALABAMA POWER
TREE CREWS WORKING IN VESTAVIA THROUGH EARLY 2016 Alabama Power crews are working in several Vestavia neighborhoods, removing trees and other vegetation that threaten the safety and reliability of our electrical system. As part of this process, Alabama Power goes to great lengths to talk with individual property owners. Company representatives are going door to door, leaving notices at locations where work is needed. If you have any questions before crews come by your home, please call Alabama Power at 205-257-2155 and ask for someone in the Vegetation Management Group to contact you. Or you can email us at apcvm@southernco.com. Work in Vestavia and nearby areas is expected to continue through early 2016. Also, you can go online to alpwr.co/vm for more information about these safety and reliability measures, as well as resources for property owners who would like recommendations about planting the right tree in the right place.
Thank you for your understanding. We appreciate your business. Vegetation Management Group 205-257-2155 | apcvm@southernco.com
Š 2015 Alabama Power Company.
B10 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
School House Siblings advance in Siemens Competition By ERICA TECHO Siblings Maya and Arjun Guru spent their summer working and learning in a laboratory at UAB. With the research they did on bladder cancer, they were the only students in the state to move onto the regional level of the 2015 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology. The Vestavia Hills residents and students at The Altamont School were selected from 466 semifinalists and were in a pool of 97 regional finalists. Only one group was selected from the region for the National Finals, and Maya and Arjun did not advance to the next round. With their study, they worked with Dr. Christopher Wiley, an associate professor of radiation oncology at UAB, nearly every day this summer for about four hours a day. Siemens Foundation CEO David Etzwiler said students in the regional competition were recognized for their work and the strength of their ideas. “Today’s regional finalists represent an outstanding group of students whose remarkable projects not only demonstrate a very advanced aptitude in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math], but represent ideas that address some of today’s most challenging issues,” Etzwiler said. Arjun said his desire to participate from the Siemens Competition came from an interest in science fairs and research. “I’ve enjoyed science fairs for a long time,” Arjun, a junior at Altamont, said. “It’s my favorite subject, and it’s not really because I necessarily wanted to compete in this specific science fair, it’s just that I really enjoy them and this is a really well-known science fair. It’s definitely a worthwhile opportunity to participate in.” Maya, a ninth grader at Altamont, said she enjoyed working in the lab and participating in Wiley’s research helped her narrow down potential career paths.
Siblings Arjun and Maya Guru were the only students from Alabama to advance to the regional level of the 2015 Siemens Competition. Photo by Erica Techo.
“Before the project, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do yet,” Maya said. “I just kind of explored a new field in doing this project, and I also realized when I did it that I really enjoyed the data analysis part of it.” Maya is now planning to take AP Statistics at Altamont to learn more about data analysis and help determine her long-term goals. Arjun said he is considering a career in engineering, but the competition and research with Wiley has helped
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him hone more than just science-based skills. “It’s definitely helped the value of experimenting in order to learn more, and it’s kind of enhanced my creative thinking in a way,” Arjun said. “Also, writing the paper was a valuable experience because it’s really important to be able to communicate your ideas.” At the regional level, Maya and Arjun were interviewed by a panel of judges at the University of Texas at Austin in mid-November, where they
discussed their study and answered questions. “We’re going back over the paper, just making sure we’ll be able to give the best answers possible to the judges from UT Austin,” Arjun said in regard to preparation for the regional competition. Their focus was on kinase activity related to bladder cancer. This was different than other studies, which tend to focus on gene mutations, Arjun said. Protein kinase is an enzyme that can modify other proteins. “We did that because we believe that the activity is a more essential determinate of tumor growth, as opposed to the mere quantity of the genes or proteins,” Arjun said. The study found the kinases with the most activity are in a family that is already targeted in drugs used to treat other kinds of cancer, Arjun said, and he said this information is a step in the right direction for research. Their study only focused on 24 patients, however, and the research should be replicated by a larger study. At the Altamont School, Maya and Arjun remain involved in activities outside the classroom. Margaret Whiteside, marketing and communications director for Altamont, said both are well-rounded students. Both students play tennis at the school, and Maya said photography is an important extracurricular to her. Arjun also runs cross country and participates on the math team and scholars bowl. “Altamont gives the chance to explore all different passions,” Whiteside said. “So they can do photography and tennis and do science. We’re very proud of them.” Maya said she would encourage others to participate in the Siemens Competition because it allows students to apply classroom knowledge to real life. “Using skills that you’ve learned in school and in the lab as well, and also using skills you’ve learning in the lab in science classes here — it’s a valuable experience,” she said.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • B11
Children’s holiday cheer Get in the Christmas spirit by attending the following student musicals and concerts in December. --Submitted by Whit McGhee
DECEMBER 1 VHEE third-grade choir – “Holiday in the Hills” – 6 p.m., City Hall Pizitz Middle School Holiday Band Concert – 7 p.m., Vestavia Hills High School
DECEMBER 8-9 VHEE second-grade students – “A Holiday Concert” -1:15 p.m., VHEE gymnasium
DECEMBER 10 VHHS band, choir, dance and theater
students – “Celebrating the Season” – 7 p.m., VHHS theater
DECEMBER 10-11 VHEW third-grade students – “Lights, Snow, Magic!” – 1 p.m., VHEW gymnasium
DECEMBER 14 Pizitz Choral Holiday Concert – 7 p.m., Shades Mountain Baptist Church Members of the VHEC choir perform inside city hall. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
Pizitz band heads to Chicago clinic Members of the Pizitz Band have been fundraising for their trip to the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. Director of Bands Kim Bain said the invitation to perform at the Dec. 14-17 clinic is “the highest honor a school band can receive,” and the 73 middle school students will play for an international audience. --Submitted by Kim Bain
The Pizitz jazz band performs outside City Hall. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
B12 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Sports
Smylie Kaufman posts fi st PGA Tour win By DAVID KNOX Smylie Kaufman earned his PGA Tour card just a couple of months ago. The former Vestavia Hills High star didn’t waste time proving he belonged. He just had to wait a while to grab the big check. Kaufman shot a 10-under-par 61 to charge from behind and then watched and waited while the leaders took their shots at him. None could catch him, and Kaufman was the winner of the Shriner’s Hospital for Children Open in Las Vegas. Kaufman picked up $1,152,000 and a spot in the Masters. Kaufman played the final 11 holes in 9 under with an eagle and seven birdies. The 23-year-old former LSU player set up the eagle with a 3-wood drive to 15 feet on the par-4 15th and closed with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th to post 16-under 268 at TPC Summerlin. “I was just hitting it so good the last few days and just wanted to give myself a chance and post a number, and that’s what it came down to,” said Kaufman, who was seven strokes back entering the round. “I dodged a lot of bullets coming down the stretch with guys coming in. ... So much more stressful than on the course. So much worse. “I felt like I was watching an LSU football game.” He said he waited it out while talking and hitting balls on the range with former Auburn golfer Patton Kizzire, who finished tied for second. “He was keeping me calm, kind of cracking some jokes here and there,” Kaufman said. “He actually made it a lot easier on me watching the finale.”
Besides a spot in the Masters, the win also locked up PGA Tour membership through the 2017-18 season, and invitations to The Players Championship and the PGA Championship. Not far from Kaufman’s mind was Sid Ortis, the Mountain Brook teenager who was battling cancer and is a big LSU fan. Kaufman tweeted after the win: “Well that was a dream come true. This one is dedicated to the real champion @sidortis #GeauxTigers” Ortis died just days later, on Oct. 31. Kaufman had already posted a top 10 finish at the Frys. com Open in his first PGA Tour event, and is fourth in FedEx Cup points and ranked 79th in the world. Now that Kaufman is making a name for himself, some uninformed wags have made a little fun of his name. But Carter Smylie Kaufman’s middle name is a tribute to his grandmother’s cousin, Smylie Gebhart, an All-American defensive end for Georgia Tech in 1971 – despite being just 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. “Think about that one,” said Smylie’s father, Jeff Kaufman. “They don’t even have kickers that size anymore.” Gebhart had a freak accident in 1979, in which a slipped disk ruptured his spinal cord. He became a quadriplegic and died at age 51. Jeff vowed that if he ever had a son, he would name him Smylie. “He was one of those guys that was very straight-faced, the kind of guy that you wanted your daughter to bring home,” said Jeff of Smylie Gebhart. “An incredible working guy, and to think of what he went through … I just always knew that if I ever had a son, it was going to be Smylie.”
Former Vestavia Hills resident Smylie Kaufman recently earned his first PGA win. Photo courtesy of Jeff Kaufman.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • B13
Beers earns All-State honors Alec Beers races in the state championship. Photo by Sam Chandler.
By SAM CHANDLER Vestavia Hills junior cross-country runner Alec Beers notched a 12th-place finish at the AHSAA State Cross Country Championships on Nov. 14, crossing the line in 16:09.86 and earning All-State recognition. Beers, who broke the elite 16-minute barrier for the 5k distance on the Oakville Indian Mounds Park course earlier this
fall, lowered his time from last year’s state meet by 58 seconds and improved his finish position by 28 places. A rising star in Class 7A, Beers was one of only four runners from Vestavia to qualify for the state meet. From the boys team, he was joined by sophomore teammate James Sweeney, while freshman Cat Yeilding and senior Sarahanne Pfitzer represented the Rebels girls.
Vestavia freshman volleyball team wins Birmingham Metro tournament
Front row: Mary Quinn Carter, Jackie Venable, Grace Belcher, Emma Shofner. Back row: Coach Madison Thompson, Elise Hoppenjans, Annabelle Bridges, Libby Jackson, Kayla Moncrief. Photo courtesy of Johnathon Burton.
The Vestavia Hills High School freshman volleyball team won the Birmingham Metro
volleyball tournament, defeating Hoover in the finals.
B14 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Rebel football recap By DAVID KNOX, SAM CHANDLER, DOUG GRABARCZYK AND CHRIS MEGGINSON Game 9, 10/23 VESTAVIA HILLS 15, TUSCALOOSA COUNTY 7 NORTHPORT – Curry Howard nailed three field goals to help lead the Vestavia Hills Rebels to a 15-7 road victory at Tuscaloosa County. Vestavia (7-2, 5-2) wrapped up region play in a three-way tie for second-place in Class 7A, Region 3 with Hoover and Hewitt-Trussville, but the Rebels eventually became the fourth seed after all tiebreakers were applied Howard made a 32-yard field goal to put the Rebels on the board with 49 seconds left in the first quarter. Tuscaloosa County’s Frank Garcia missed a 27-yard try on the next drive, and Howard added a 42-yard field goal to send the Rebels into halftime with a 6-0 lead with 1:02 remaining in the second quarter. Penalties plagued the Rebels’ offense during the night, collecting 11 penalties for 78 yards, including 70 yards against the offense. Vestavia didn’t find the end zone until 4:12 remaining in the third quarter on a 5-yard run by Morgan Long. Howard’s point after kick was no good. Tuscaloosa County looked to challenge the Rebels in the fourth quarter, but was forced to punt. The kick was mishandled on a fair catch and recovered by the Wildcats at the Rebels’ 31, but they turned the ball over on downs at the Vestavia 3. David Taylor later recovered a Vestavia fumble with 2:36 to play, helping to set up a 25-yard touchdown pass from Samuel Cooper to LaDarrian Mobley with 1:50 to play. Garcia’s PAT made it 15-7, but he his onside kick, which followed, landed in the Rebels’ hands. Vestavia went on to run out the clock. Brett Jones led the Vestavia offense, completing 9-of-12 passes for 133 yards, while Toliver Chatwood (89 yards) and Walker Minor (65 yards)
Remington Patterson sprints toward the end zone in the Rebels’ win over Shades Valley. Photo by John Perry.
controlled the bulk of the Rebels’ 182 rushing yards. Vestavia collected 315 total yards. Jones threw one interception, picked off by Cameron Rice. Jonathan Hess led Vestavia with 12 tackles, a pass breakup and a forced fumble, which was recovered by Nolan Turner. Turner and Jackson Ewing each had interceptions. Game 10, Oct. 30 VESTAVIA HILLS 33, SHADES VALLEY 14 Things were not looking good early for Vestavia Hills in the regular-season finale at Thompson Reynolds Stadium. After the Rebels allowed visiting Shades Valley to methodically march 77 yards down the field for a touchdown on the game’s opening drive, Vestavia struggled to respond offensively, failing to convert a fourth down and coughing up a fumble on its first two possessions. Enter Reid Adams. On the very next play after Vestavia’s fumble, Adams, a senior linebacker, intercepted Shades
Valley quarterback Claude Newell, returning the pick 26 yards for a touchdown and evening the score at 7-7 just over four minutes into the second quarter. “We’ve just been going through practice this week, and we know what they’re running,” Adams said. “I mean the coaches set it up for us, so it’s really easy.” After the interception, the Rebels (8-2, 5-2) didn’t look back, cruising to a 33-14 victory over Shades Valley (2-8, 2-4) and building momentum heading into the first round of the state playoffs. “I’m proud of our guys,” Vestavia coach Buddy Anderson said. “We made some mistakes we’ve got to correct, but we came out with a ‘W’ and we’re excited to do that.” Following Adams’ pick six, the Rebels found the end zone on their next two possessions, capturing a 21-7 lead at halftime. Running back Toliver Chatwood scored the team’s first offensive touchdown, strolling across the plane from 1-yard out on a toss play to the left. Chatwood accounted for 61 of the team’s 67 yards
on the drive, carrying the ball five times. Quarterback Brett Jones then connected with fleet-footed wide receiver Remington Patterson for a 30-yard touchdown pass on the following possession. Jones delivered a strike to his trusted target on an intermediate post route, allowing Patterson to outrun the defense before reaching the end zone. The duo would later connect on the same play in the fourth quarter for a 27-yard TD. “They had a good night,” Anderson said. “We’ve got to be able to do a little bit of everything. We’ve got to be able to run it. We’ve got to be able to throw it.” Game 11, AHSAA Class 7A playoffs, round one, 11/6 VESTAVIA HILLS 28, BOB JONES 17 HUNTSVILLE -- Yeah, Buddy! Buddy Anderson worked some playoff magic as his Vestavia Hills Rebels stunned Bob Jones 28-17 at Huntsville’s Milton Frank Stadium. Bob Jones of Madison had moved the game from its usual stadium in the Huntsville suburb because of poor field conditions. Just a week ago, Bob Jones was ranked No. 1 in Class 7A. But the Patriots dropped their regular-season finale to Austin and fell to No. 4. Still, they had to feel good about their chances as a No. 1 seed facing a No. 4 seed. They’ll have an offseason to figure out what went wrong. The final score wasn’t indicative of how much the Rebels dominated the game. The Rebels jumped on Bob Jones and never let up. Senior running back Walker Minor got it started with a 6-yard run with just about three minutes gone after quarterback Brett Jones had connected with Remington Patterson for a 74-yard gain. Curry Howard added the point-after for a 7-0 lead. Jones marched the Rebels down the field again, going 65 yards on seven plays, finishing it himself with a 5-yard run just before the first quarter ended. After Nolan Turner picked off a pass and set the Rebels up at the Patriots’ 20, Jones then hooked
VestaviaVoice.com up with Turner for a 5-yard TD pass with 3:27 left in the half. Vestavia led 21-0 at the half, and the rain was coming down like tears for the home team. The Rebels racked up 200 yards of offense in the first half to just 126 for the Patriots (9-2). Morgan Long had 54 yards rushing and Minor added 38. Jones was 3-of-5 passing for 83 yards and the TD. Bob Jones got on the board on a Matthew Stephenson 28-yard field goal to rim the margin to 21-3 on the final play of the third quarter. But Minor finished off a 66-yard drive with a 13-yard run for the Rebels’ only second-half score and a 28-3 lead with 5:18 left in the game. Bob Jones’ offense didn’t crack the end zone until 2:56 was left in the game. The Rebels fumbled at their 8 to give the Patriots great field position. Austin Polson hooked up with Derek Marion for the score. Then, as the sloppy conditions came into play again, the Pats’ Kade Koler scooped up a Minor fumble and ran it back 72 yards for a TD. The extra point cut the margin to 28-17 with 47 seconds left. But that was way too little, way too late. The Rebels outgained the Patriots 338 to 271 yards in total offense. Minor ended up with 140 yards on 25 carries and the two touchdowns as the Rebels rolled up 240 yards rushing. Jones was 4-of-8 passing for 98 yards. Reid Adams led the gritty Rebel defense with six stops and Turner added five tackles and picked off a pass. Bob Jones was held to 76 yards rushing and 195 passing. Game 11, AHSAA Class 7A playoffs, quarterfinals, 11/13 HOOVER 24, VESTAVIA HILLS 0 A dominant Hoover defense that gave up nothing was too much for Vestavia Hills to overcome in the quarterfinal round of the Class 7A playoffs. The Rebels (9-3) were held to just 138 total yards and nine first downs. The Bucs (10-2) forced five three-and-out drives and eight punts. Hoover advanced to face top-ranked Spain Park in the semifinals. Just like the Rebels, which defeated the Bucs 20-13 in October, Spain Park posted a 21-0 win over Hoover this regular season. “I thought they played a lot better but we just shot ourselves in the foot a lot, didn’t give ourselves a lot of chances,” said Rebels running back Walker
December 2015 • B15 Minor. “We just didn’t do enough to win, that’s all.” Minor led Vestavia in rushing all season, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and had a team-high 10 touchdowns. In this game all he could muster was 22 yards on 17 carries. The Rebels as a team had just 40 rushing yards. Jones completed 12 of 31 passes for 98 yards to go with two interceptions. “We made mistakes,” Vestavia Hill coach Buddy Anderson said. “You can’t make mistakes and we made mistakes. “They did a good job, they’re a good football team. They are a good defensive football team. They have some players over there and our kids battled and we just came up short. We were not able to run the ball like we wanted to, and they had a lot to do with that.” And the effort was truly a team one for Hoover. No Buc had more than six tackles (Temarcus Bryant and Kholbe Coleman led with six each), and Will Singleton and Jayden Jordan snagged the interceptions. It wasn’t that the Hoover offense was so hot either. The Bucs had just 178 yards and nine first downs, but when the opportunities to score came, Hoover pounced. Running back C.J. Sturdivant had 77 yards on 14 carries and scored twice, and quarterback Christopher Vacarella threw a touchdown pass. The Bucs finally took advantage of the battle for field position in the middle of the second quarter for the only two scores of the first half. After the Rebels quick-kicked to give the Bucs the ball at Vestavia 33, Hoover got a 35-yard field goal from Barrett Pickering with 8:57 left in the half. Vestavia went three-and-out on the ensuing drive, and a 15-yard punt set up the Bucs at the Rebels 17. Four plays later Sturdivant rumbled in from 5 yards out with 5:28 left in the half to give Hoover a 10-0 lead. Sturdivant scored again on a 7-yard run with 7:34 left in the third quarter for a 17-0 lead, and Javan Jackson caught Vacarella’s 36-pass over the middle in traffic for a score with 3:29 left in the quarter to complete the scoring. Still, it was an outstanding season for the Rebels, with a win over Hoover, and returning to the playoffs after a year’s absence and a 3-7 record in 2014.
B16 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
The Birmingham Hammers have joined the National Premier Soccer League after the end of their exhibition season. Photo by John Perry.
Birmingham Hammers officially join NPSL By DAVID KNOX The Vestavia Hills-based Birmingham Hammers soccer club has officially joined the National Premier Soccer League. The Hammers will begin league play in May 2016. Last season, the Hammers had a successful inaugural exhibition season both on and off the field.
The NPSL is a nationwide league founded in 2002 as the Men’s Premier Soccer League. In the 13 years since its founding, the league has grown to more than 80 teams spanning the country. The Hammers will be competing in the league’s Southeast Conference against clubs in Atlanta, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville and
New Orleans. The Hammers have partnered with Vestavia Hills Soccer Club for the second consecutive season. The team will train and host all league home matches at Vestavia’s Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex. The Hammers were founded in 2013 with the intent of bringing the world’s most popular sport
to Alabama’s largest and fastest-growing city. The 2015 season saw record crowds for each of the six home matches at Sicard Hollow. Season tickets for this historic first regular season will be available soon, according to team officials. For more information, visit BirminghamHammers.com or email info@Birmingham Hammers.com.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • B17
Vestavia Hills Real Estate Listings MLS #
Zip
Address
Status
Price
734077
35216
3340 Altaloma Drive
New
$419,900
733788
35216
1237 Lincoya Drive
New
$425,000
733969
35216
2200 Brookdale Lane
New
$262,000
733942
35216
2173 Myrtlewood Drive #20
New
$119,000
733911
35216
1030 Vestavia Manor Drive #C
New
$194,900
733624
35216
1828 Indian Hill Road
New
$325,000
733540
35216
2140 Mountain View Drive
New
$449,000
733499
35216
1812 Indian Hill Road
New
$337,000
733491
35216
1383 Starcross Drive
New
$299,900
733433
35216
2109 Woodhue Circle
New
$359,900
733347
35216
3256 Wisteria Drive
New
$239,900
733339
35216
4300 Ashwood Cove
New
$159,900
732837
35216
4729 Christie Lane
New
$179,900
733313
35216
1852 Canyon Road
New
$319,900
733194
35216
4318 Oak St.
New
$94,500
733188
35216
4257 Cahaba Lake Drive
New
$315,000
733057
35216
3038 Massey Road #A408
New
$234,000
732666
35216
1553 Savannah Park
New
$159,900
732595
35216
369 Heritage Drive
New
$299,900
732371
35216
305 Vesclub Drive
New
$325,000
Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on November 16. Visit birminghamrealtors.com.
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3340 Altaloma Drive
4729 Christie Lane
B18 • December 2015
Vestavia Voice
Calendar Vestavia Hills Library Events Kids Mondays: Maker Monday. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Work with the electric circuits. Something for everyone, but adults must accompany children. Tuesdays: Together With Twos. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Join Miss Cristina for a rollicking toddler time of stories, songs, finger pl ys and movement. Ages 18 mos. to 35 mos. Tuesdays: PJ Family Storytime. 6:30 p.m. Wear your PJs. All ages welcome. Wednesdays: Story Friends. 10:30 a.m. Join Mrs. Lisa for great stories and songs plus a surprise visitor or two. Ages 3 and up. Wednesdays & Fridays: W.H.Y? 3:30 p.m. Join Miss Alicia for a craft program on Wednesdays and a movie and snack on Friday. We Hear Ya! Something for our school age kids. Thursdays: L.I.F.T. (Library in the Forest Time). 9:30 a.m.-noon. Enjoy special play equipment in the program room for preschoolers and their caregivers. Thursdays: Book Babies. 10 a.m. A new program just for babies, with small classes limited to 12 each, where we begin the journey toward a life-long love of books! You must register each week. Birth to 18 mos. Call 978-0158 to register. Dec. 9: Story Friends (5 and under). Children’s Program Room.
Dec. 10: Preschool Pals. 11:30 a.m. Community Room.
classroom. Call 978-0155 for an appointment time.
Dec. 15: Family Night. 6 p.m. Dinner with a show at 6:30 p.m. Community Room.
Dec. 2: iPad essentials. 10 a.m. Electronic classroom. Call 978-0155 for an appointment time.
Dec. 26: Lego Wars. 11 a.m. Children’s Programming Room.
Teens Fridays: Open Gaming. 4-5:30 p.m. Enjoy video games on the Wii U and PS4. We will also have board games to play with fellow teens. Snacks served. Dec. 8: Fandom Tuesday. Community Room. Movies, crafts and themed foods. Dec. 9 & 23: Teen Writing Group. 4 p.m. Historical Room. Snacks served. Dec. 15: Otaku Time. 4 p.m. Historical Room. Dec. 16: Studio 1221: 4 p.m. Make crafts and artwork. Teen Department. Dec. 22: Anime Movie Night. 4 p.m.
Adults Dec. 1, 11, 14, 16, 21, 28: Kindle, iPad and Tablet Training. All day. Electronic
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Dec. 3: The Chemistry of Coffee. by Dr. Tracy Hamilton, Associate Professor of Chemistry, UAB on December 3, at 1:30pm. The presentation will be followed by coffee tasting and light refreshments. The program is free and information on 2016 OLLI programs will be available. Dec. 7, 22 & 30: Downloading library e-books. All day. Electronic classroom. Call 978-0155 for an appointment time. Dec. 7: Microsoft Excel Part 1. 4 p.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec 8: Basic Computer Troubleshooting. 10 a.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 8: Microsoft Excel Part 2. 4 p.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 9: Windows 10 Overview. 10:30 a.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 9: 3D Printing and Design. 4 p.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 10: Resume 101. All day. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 10, 17 & 31: Sunrise Rotary
Club. 6 a.m. Community Room. Dec. 10: Civil War Roundtable. 6 p.m. Community Room. Dec. 11: Online Job Hunting. 4 p.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 14: Amazon and Ebay. 4:30 p.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 15: Facebook 101. 10 a.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 15: Google Services. 4 p.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 16 Microsoft Publisher. 10 a.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 17: Youtube Essentials. 4 p.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 18: Friends of the Library Holiday Luncheon. 11 a.m. Community Room. Dec. 21: Microsoft PowerPoint. 4:30 p.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 22: Internet 101. 10:30 a.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 28: Mac 101. 4 p.m. Electronic Classroom. Dec. 29: Microsoft Word. 4:30 p.m. Electronic Classroom.
VestaviaVoice.com
December 2015 • B19
Calendar Area Events Dec. 4-19: Annual Holiday Art Show. Presented by Mountain Brook Art Association. Brookwood Village. 10 a.m.-8p.m. Two-week free holiday art show. Purchases will support Birmingham’s Hand in Paw Animal Assisted Therapy. Visit MountainBrookArtAssociation.com. Dec. 4-6, 11-13, 17-23, & 26-31: Zoo Light Safari presented by Wells Fargo. Birmingham Zoo. 5 p.m.- 9 p.m. $8 for non-members, free for members, $12.00 unlimited wristbands, $3.50 per attraction. Over one million lights synchronized to holiday music and activities. Visit birminghamzoo.com. Dec. 4-19: Annual Holiday Art Show. Presented by Mountain Brook Art Association. Brookwood Village. 10 a.m.-8p.m. Two-week free holiday art show. Purchases will support Birmingham’s Hand in Paw Animal Assisted Therapy. Visit MountainBrookArtAssociation.com.
Dec. 11: The Mutt-cracker. 7:30 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall. Benefitting the Gre ter Birmingham Humane Society. $20-$45. Visit ticketmaster.com Dec. 12-13: The Nutracker and premiering Dross, a prequel that tells the story behind the Nutcracker. BJCC Concert Hall Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec 13 at 2 p.m. $20-$45. Visit ticketmaster.com. Dec. 13: Eric Essix & 5 Men on a Stool. 7 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. If you’re looking to get in the groove of the holidays, you shouldn’t miss “Holiday Soul” at the ASC. Dec. 30: Season 6 Premiere of Downton Abbey. 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. Free, tick reservations available. Find out what will happen next on the most-watched drama in PBS history. Visit AlysStephens.org.
Dec. 5: Birmingham City Scholastic Chess Tournament. 8 a.m. Beginners welcomed.
Vestavia Events
Sun Valley Elementary School, 1010 18th Ave NW. Visit alabamachess.com. Dec. 5: Yuletide in Dogtown. 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. The dogs are back in town for this ArtPlay/ASC favorite holiday production. Dec. 10: Christmas Home Tour and Holiday Gift Market. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Homes in Mountain Brook and Vestavia. $25 through Dec. 8 and $30 at door. Visit Samford. edu/legacyleague or call 726-2247.
Dec. 1: Tree lighting ceremony. 6 p.m. at City Hall. Dec. 12: Breakfast with Santa. 7:30 a.m.10 a.m. Civic Center Dogwood Room. Dec. 13: Christmas Parade. 2 p.m. at Liberty Park.
Now Hiring Young Rembrandts After School Art Instructor in Vestavia/Cahaba Heights and Substitute/Trainer centrally located in the Birmingham area. Love art, love kids? We will train! Part-time work afternoons Monday-Thursday. Call 999-4264.
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