Helena City News by Dave Smith

Helena City News Serving the City of Helena and surrounding area

Spring 2013

Time Again for Music, Fun & Ducks! Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Weekend in Old Town

PHS Girls Softball Carry No. 2 State Ranking into April Girls high school softball is big and getting bigger around these parts

Helena HIGH School Building Update from Architect

Running ahead of schedule according to lead architect of the project

Helenaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fletcher Johnson wins Academic Achievement award for football. Signs scholarship to play collegiate baseball at UT Martin

www.MyHelenaCityNews.com / www.CityofHelena.org

From the Mayor “…we will continue to support and recruit new business to our city.”

Greetings to all, and I hope you had a great Spring Break and Easter Holiday. We have been hard at work in the first quarter of 2013 with the council passing a balanced budget and reviewing needs and improvements for our great City. We have also been successful in achieving significant savings in expenses by reviewing and renegotiating fees and expenditures on several services provided to the City. I, and every member of the City Council will continue working hard to look at funding needs for facility repairs, improvements and future infrastructure projects to make sure we have the right things in place for Helena to grow and prosper. Helena is poised for additional growth in the retail and industrial markets and welcomes opportunities for expansion in this area, and we will continue to support

and recruit new business to our city. We are hoping for some exciting news in the coming months on the retail front which will spur some the of the existing retail space to begin to fill up. I am happy to report that the Shelby County Highway Department received funding awards from the State to add much needed turn lanes at the Co. 52 / Co. 13 and the Co. 52/Co. 93 intersections. Over 3 million dollars was also awarded to allow improvements to the Bridge that spans the Cahaba River on Co. 52. We also expect to see Co. 91, which is a main route to Helena High and Helena Middle, be improved and repaved around the time the High school is set to open. The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham is also in the final stages of a traffic study regarding the impact of traffic generated by the opening of Helena High in the fall of 2014. The study should lay the

ground work for improvements in that area. I will continue to work closely and offer our support to Shelby County and State officials to see these projects completed in the near future. With spring here, we are ready for another fun and exciting softball and baseball season at our City parks. Thanks to our park staff and all the volunteers that help make the season a success. Be sure to go out and see a game, and don’t forget to get a delicious snack at the concession stand! I am very grateful to our area churches and ministers for organizing the annual “Son Rise” service at the Sports Complex as well. We are truly blessed. Also, a big thanks to all the volunteers and participants who worked to make the annual children’s Easter Egg Hunt a success this year. Your time and efforts are appreciated. In closing, please remember that Helena offers a business friendly environment offering affordable and convenient services for all who visit or live in the

area. As a city recognized as one of the top places in Alabama to raise your children and the recipient of other notated awards, Helena is one of the top Cities in our state. With around the clock full time professional police and fire protection, the city is safe, secure and ready to meet the challenges of public safety for all. Our public works and utility departments provide the best in public property maintenance, water and waste water treatment services. From our wide variety of affordable and upscale housing, beautiful parks, recreation facilities, retail, dining, and the new Helena High School set to open in the fall of 2014, we are sure that you will find that Helena is the place you want to be!

Best wishes,

Mark Mark R. Hall

Volunteer Opportunities Valid only at the following locations:

30 Coalmont Road • Helena • 205.663.0011 3437 Pelham Parkway • Pelham • 205.663-4100

5/31/13

2 Spring 2013 / www.CityOfHelena.org

Volunteers are needed for the Helena Market Days Farmers Market which begins on Saturday, June 1st and runs through the end of August. If you are interested in working a few hours on Saturday mornings for the market, please contact Ron Holly at 410-4496. The City of Helena is taking applications for the appointment to the Beautification Board. If you are interested in serving on this board, please email Council President Cris Nelson at cnelson@cityofhelena.org.

Amy Webb poses in her new ladies clothing and accessories boutique on Main Street in Old Town Helena. Stop in for the latest trends in fashion at a price that won’t break the bank!

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The name Helena Mercantile conjures up memories of an old country store with all sorts of goods from staples and candy to seeds and garden implements, but nothing could be farther from the reality of this smart new shop for women in Old Town Helena. Owner Amy Webb was born and raised in Shelby County before her family moved to Vestavia, where she graduated high school. She went on to college at UM before transferring to South Alabama and eventually married Barry Webb, a tennis pro. Today the couple,14-year Helena residents, have one 12-year-old son, Jacob, a 6th Grader at Helena Middle School who plays travel baseball, Helena Youth League football and plans to try out for the HMS football team this spring. “He taught himself to play piano and drums,” says Amy. “We have no idea where he gets his musical talent,” she laughed. Amy has always worked in retail, first at Parisian and then at a place called the Nuthouse in Mobile, which is where she got experience in going to market and all the other skills necessary to work in retail. She operated the tennis pro shop at the Country Club of Birmingham

back when her husband was the tennis pro there, before she got the idea to open a store with her own tastes in fashion in Old Town Helena recently. Amy says she wanted to open a boutique with an “urban vintage” look for ladies both young and young at heart. “I looked all over the Birmingham metro area for the right location,” says Amy, “but kept coming back home through Old Town Helena and decided this was where I needed to be, and it fits the look I was going for to a tee.” Helena Mercantile specializes in young ladies dresses, cowgirl boots and accessories to match. “Everything is affordable,” said Amy, “which I feel is very important in today’s economy. Many of the boutiques in the Birmingham market are just priced too high, in my opinion, so we felt is was very important to offer smart looks at prices regular people can afford,” she added. The next time you ladies are out shopping for your spring or summer wardrobe additions, be sure to check out Helena Mercantile and say hello to Amy.

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An “A Rig” Top: Pelham High Bass Club; right inset: coaches and two of three boat captains; and bottom: Justin Woodruff and Drew Wilson win the first tournament of 2013.

Pelham High School Bass Club wins first tournament of the season! In 2011, a local Pelham High parent named Marc Howard, an avid bass fisherman, got the idea for a high school bass club, and a new opportunity was created for Pelham High students. PHS Bass Club fished its first tournament in February, 2012, under the auspices of the Alabama Student Angler Bass Fishing Association (ASABFA). The Pelham High team has 12 fishermen, and it competes in five tournaments each year in a field of 197 teams representing 49 different Alabama high schools. In this season’s first tournament on Weiss Lake, the Pelham High duo of Justin Woodruff and Drew Wilson took first place with a five fish limit weighing in at 13 lbs 10 ozs. (Of the 197 boat crews that entered the tournament, only 67 had enough fish to weigh in, and only five of them had their limit.) Asked why he formed the club, founder Marc Howard offered this, “I believe kids are going to get involved in something whether it’s good or bad. We fish five prefish tournaments as well as five tournaments, so that means ten

weekends of good, clean fun for our student anglers.” Marc, a native of New Iberia, Louisiana, has a son, Tyler, who fishes on the team as a sophomore. Other team members include Jordan Humphries, Drew Wilson, Justin Woodruff, Austin Handley, Dalton Dewberry, Collin Hutto,Travis Kem, Bailey Eason and Jon Bailey. Marc is the head coach and the assistant coach is Kerry Wilson. Students are not allowed to drive the boats, so adult boat captains include the two coaches and Keith Handley, Mark Hutto and Terry White. Following are some excerpts from local bass fisherman Jacob Taylor’s account of the Lake Weiss tournament win from his fishing blog, BamaBite.com, including a Q&A with the winning fishermen: One-hundred-ninety-seven boats, each containing two student anglers and a boat captain, braved the elements February 16 on Lake Weiss for a chance at walking across the Gadsden State Cherokee Arena stage as champions. A bag of 13 lbs. 10 ozs. from the Pelham High School team of Drew Wilson

and Justin Woodruff would allow them to take that walk. We caught up with Drew and Justin to ask them a few questions about their big win. Here’s what they had to say… The conditions have been tough for awhile now. How did you guys go about locating fish during practice? Drew: “I didn’t have a good practice at all. I tried EVERYTHING to get a bite, but I didn’t catch a single fish during practice. Justin: “My dad and I did manage to catch a few fish in Little River on A-Rigs and Jigs. The quality was there, but there just weren’t many bites.” Obviously, things turned at some point for you guys. What made the difference come tournament time? Drew: ”Things started out much the same as practice. We didn’t catch a fish until mid-day, a non-keeper. We knew we needed to make a change, so we decided to run into Little River and give it a

shot.” Justin: “When we got into Little River, we starting catching fish in about 13 ft. of water, and we knew we had to stay in there the rest of the day.” What tactics did you use to trigger those bites? Justin: “We were throwing A-Rigs. You had to crawl it on the bottom to get a bite, but once we figured it out, it was one after another. Drew: “We landed a couple fish over 3 lbs., but we knew we needed another good fish to have a shot. I rolled my rig off the end of a big lay down, and a 3.64 lb. Largemouth smoked it. I just started screaming. I thought that fish might have done it for us, and it did!” Congratulations to these upand-coming anglers, and best of luck to all the young fishermen the rest of the season!

TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2013

Top left: AnnaKay poses third from right with some of her models during Birmingham Fashion Week, and right, Sarah Winford, center, poses with AnnaKay and one of her models,

Winford Sisters take second and third place respectively in Emerging Designers segment at Birmingham Fashion Week

AnnaKay and Sarah Winford use natural talent and design education to their advantage in February Birmingham Fashion Week (BFW) 2013 took place February 23-March 2. It featured designers from all over the nation, including Project Runway’s Anthony Ryan and Joshua McKinley as well as designers Tibi, Prophetik and Heidi Elnora (Heidi is also a cofounder of BFW). Helena had two homegrown designers take 2nd and 3rd Place honors in the Emerging Designer segment of the competition this year in AnnaKay and Sarah Winford. To compete in this category, new designers were asked to make a mini collection consisting of four originally designed and constructed looks. This means that everything from the patterns to the actual construction of the garments to fitting the models was done individually with no outside help. AnnaKay and Sarah auditioned for BFW in October 2012. The audition consisted of presenting concept boards and illustrations for their mini collections as well as two fully constructed garments to Heidi Elnora’s assistant, Rachel Wallace. Sarah says they called them a few weeks later and told both sisters that they had made it into the competition, and that’s when the real work began. “We had several meetings with Heidi throughout the months leading up to the competition,” said Sarah. Saks Fifth Avenue at the Summit was involved in the emerging designer competition this year. Each emerging designer had the 6 Spring 2013 / www.CityOfHelena.org

opportunity to display one of their four looks on mannequins in the store. At the end of the week, a runway show was held at Saks where each designer showed 2 full looks on the catwalk. Our Helena grown ladies say they were very excited at the opportunity. Sarah Winford, the 2nd Place winner, graduated from Auburn University in December 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Apparel Design and Production Management. Her collection featured a color palette of only black, white and camel. The collection relied heavily on its feminine silhouettes and structure to translate old Hollywood glamour. “The most challenging part of BFW this year was trying to get our models together,” said Sarah. “We were in charge of casting our own models this year. At the last minute I had two models drop out, but thankfully my older sister and sister-in-law stepped in to model for me! My favorite part about participating in Birmingham Fashion Week was meeting so many wonderful people and being able to see my collection walk down the runway!” AnnaKay Winford took 3rd Place honors. AnnaKay is a Junior in Auburn University’s Apparel Design and Production Management program. “I really focused on structure for my collection, seeking inspiration from different architectural structures around the world, such as the Sydney Opera House. My favorite part of BFW was just the overall excitement of being surrounded by fashion for the entire week. It was a lot of work trying to balance out 18 hours of classes while participating in this event, but it was all worth it! We had a great time, and I can’t wait till next year!” said Annakay. Look out for these two rising stars whose designs may soon be coming to a department store or boutique near you. Congratulations and best wishes to the Winford sisters on their accomplishments!

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FarmerGuard Pest Control Opens Office in Old Town Helena Elected officials, friends and well wishers joined in the festivities in February as Alan Farmer cut the ceremonial ribbon to his and J.J.’s new FarmerGuard Pest Control office in Old Town Helena. Looking for a local pest control company that does things the right way? Call Helena owned and operated Farmerguard Pest Control for all your pest control needs, 358-3200. Check out their Facebook page or visit them online at www.farmerguard.com They are also pleased to announce that Jake Turner has joined the FarmerGuard family as a Pest Control Technician. Jake is a long-time Helena resident and is well known throughout the community. Make sure you “honk and wave” when you see him around town taking care of FarmerGuard’s customers!

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Governor Appoints Elwyn Bearden to District 5 Seat of County Commission When life-long Helena resident Joel Bearden, Jr. passed away in November, he had just been re-elected to continue representing the residents of District 5 on the Shelby County Commission. With a vacant seat to fill, Governor Robert Bentley didn’t have to look outside of Helena when he appointed Elwyn Bearden, Joel’s nephew, to serve out the four-year term of the District 5 Shelby County Commissioner. Congratulations, Elwyn, on your appointment, we are sure Joel would be proud that you are keeping up the family tradition!

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Helena athletes Fletcher Johnson and Jackson Pruitt sign letters of Intent to play baseball at the college level On Thursday, February 28, Pelham High School star athletes Fletcher Johnson and Jackson Pruitt, both of Helena, signed letters of intent to continue their baseball careers at the next level. Although Fletcher Johnson had academic offers from several institutions including the University of Alabama and Vanderbilt University, he chose the University of Tennessee at Martin because they offered everything he was looking for in an institution of higher learning. According to Fletcher, UTM is a four-year college ranked among the best nationally with a terrific engineering program, and their Skyhawks baseball team competes at the Division I level in the Ohio Valley Conference (the same conference as rival Jacksonville State University). New Panthers Head Baseball Coach, Sean Anderson, welcomed everyone to the signing ceremony and then laughingly told the crowd, “We’d better get started now, because Fletcher has a soliloquy.” Fletcher, #22 for the Pelham Panthers, hopped behind the podium and began speaking immediately. He thanked everyone who had helped him get to this point in his life, and gave a special thanks to the many youth baseball and football coaches who not only helped him develop his athletic talent but taught him so many valuable life lessons which helped mold him into the young man he is today. Fletcher recounted a favorite quote often used by his Mudcats travel baseball team Coach, Larry Beall, “A broken clock is right at least twice a day.” He said his best school memory was when his 7th grade football team beat arch rival Thompson. He said his senior year as a receiver on the Panther football team was the best ever and gave thanks to all the coaches for making this past season’s football team a great one. “Even though we got into a fight during the first practice of the season, we really came together,” he said. Fletcher added that he is now a retired football player. He thanked his family, parents Bill and Donna Johnson, pictured with him above, his brother Will, and his grandparents for supporting him and coming to watch him play sports.

Fletcher gave a special thanks to dad, Bill, his first real coach, for always playing catch withluck him. He said he knew he couldn’t thank his mom, Donna, enough for all the games she had driven him to, for washing his dirty uniforms and underwear and always taking great care of him. Fletcher finished his speech by saying that being raised a good Alabama fan, the orange and blue he wore for the signing were NOT Auburn colors—they’re the colors of UT Martin! Jackson Pruitt wears the #14 jersey for the Pelham Panther baseball team and plays shortstop and pitcher. The right handed pitcher and batter signed with Snead State Community College in Boaz, Alabama, to play baseball for the Parsons (so named because the school actually began as a seminary) and their head coach, Gerry Ledbetter. Jackson, truly a man of few words, said simply after signing his letter of intent, “Go Parsons!” Jackson is pictured with his parents Meg and Tom Pruitt, sisters Stephanie, Jenny and Emma, and brother Jacob. Congratulations Jackson and Fletcher—we wish you both the best of luck in your future collegiate careers!

PHS Baseball Coach Sean Anderson with star baseball players Fletcher Johnson, left, and Jackson Pruitt, right.

TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2013

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Jackie Droxler, Head fitness trainer at Snap Fitness Helena

For the past two years, Jackie Droxler has worked as the head fitness trainer at Snap Fitness Helena. With almost 30 years of personal fitness training experience under his belt, he really knows how to help you get the results you want, no matter what those results might be! Case in point: readers will remember the article about the Bobby and Wendy Coats family in our last issue.This local family wanted to be prepared for skiing on a trip to Colorado, so they came and talked to Jackie about it. They were able to train for better Colorado skiing right here at Snap Fitness Helena with Jackie. Jackie started moving towards his career in personal fitness after graduating from Spring Garden High School in Piedmont, Alabama. He and a friend, Mark Anderson, realized their hometown of Piedmont didn’t have a gym and decided to change that.Their club did so well that two years after it opened, the city bought it from them, and it became part of the Piedmont Civic Center. Jackie stayed there as an advisor for a year before another friend realized the fitness knowledge that Jackie possessed would make him the perfect individual to manage his gym, the Cosmopolitan Health Club in Jacksonville, Alabama. It was at Cosmopolitan in 1985 that Jackie got his first taste of helping other people train with specific goals in mind. An older gentleman at the club wanted to enter a local body building competition and approached Jackie asking for help. Jackie thought,

“You want to pay me to show you how to work out? That’s a pretty novel idea right there!” And help he did—after training with Jackie, the man went on to win his competition! Around this time, JSU football players started coming to Jackie, who was still at Cosmopolitan, for help with their own sportsrelated training. About this time, a JSU freshman, the late Patrick Aaron, was hired and got to know Jackie at Cosmopolitan. It was Patrick who had the idea to bring a fitness club to the Helena-Pelham area since he was from here.“I hadn’t been in this area since 1978, when I came to see Oxford High play Thompson in football.There wasn’t much around back then, so my first thought was,‘cows don’t work out!’ But Patrick knew that Helena and Pelham had a bright future, and the rest, as they say, is history.” He and Patrick founded Paragon Fitness in 1990 on Hwy 31, which changed to World Gym in 1994. By the time they sold World Gym in 1999, it had 3,800 members— many who had come to know and trust Jackie with their personal fitness. Patrick went on to found Powerhouse Gym in 2000, while Jackie moved with him but began working solely as a personal trainer. Jackie later worked at Sportsplex in Hoover as a manager for two years. In 2010,Adam Stuart, owner of Snap Fitness Helena, approached Jackie about coming to work as a trainer for his new gym.“I liked Adam,” Jackie says.“I liked his business philosophy—it’s

all about the customer at Snap Fitness. He asked me to help him out, so I did. It’s in a great location—in the middle of a neighborhood—and the people who work out here are glad to have such a nice, modern facility so near their homes.” Snap Fitness is different from the larger gyms where Jackie has worked in the past, and he says that makes it even better and enables him to give more one-onone attention to those trying to either get into shape or train with some specific goal in mind. “This is a smaller club, and everybody knows everybody. It’s like Cheers! Everyone’s asking about you and your kids. It really drew me to this place.” “Snap Fitness has a family atmosphere, unlike the ‘big box’ gyms,” Jackie says.“In other gyms where I have worked, there is huge stress to sell memberships. It’s not like that here.There is nothing intimidating about Snap Fitness.” When someone new starts coming to exercise here, trainers like Jackie talk with them to determine their knowledge of fitness, the food they eat and any injuries they have so that they can more accurately build an exercise program to help them achieve their personal goals. The helpful and knowledgeable staff at Snap Fitness is what makes it such a great place to work out. Jackie says,“it’s a great place with good trainers who will always help you if you have a question or need assistance.” Especially with equipment. Jackie helps spot many people using weights, like regular attendee Lee Gladden on the bench press, (seen at right).

When asked about his own current fitness goals, Jackie said with a laugh,“My motivation for fitness at this point is to stay out of the back of an ambulance!” All jokes aside, exercise and fitness is an important part of staying healthy, and they know all about getting and staying healthy at Snap Fitness. Jackie’s discussions with orthopedic surgeons about how to exercise around injuries and other personal limitations has changed his own his regimens over the years and helped him craft better and more specific exercise routines for anyone who comes to talk with him. Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, train for a sport or just want to get back into shape, the trainers at Snap

Fitness Helena can help you. Snap is even offering two free sessions with a personal trainer, which includes a free Fit Score assessment, for new members. There’s never been a better time to start at Snap Fitness Helena than now!

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Churches EPISCOPAL

New Bethel A.M.E. Church Highway 261 • 201-5531 Pastor Rev. Wilma Merriweather Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.

Lamb of God Charismatic Episcopal 5140 County Road 17, 378-8022 Pastor Rev. Glenn E. Davis • lambofgodcec.org Sun. Worship/Children’s Church 10:00 a.m.

BAPTIST

Helena United Methodist Church 2035 County Road 58 • 663-0111 Pastor Rev. Michael Edmondson • helenaumc.org Worship 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Modern Worship Sunday 7:19 p.m. The Church at Cahaba Bend 3721 Highway 52 West • 621-8060 Pastor Rev. Lyle Holland • cahababend.org Sunday School 9:15 a.m. Contemporary Worship 10:30 a.m.

Church of Christ at Helena 2499 Highway 58 • 620-4575 Evgs Curtis Flatt & Bryan Moody • church-of-christ.org Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

Helena Cumberland Presbyterian 3396 Helena Road • 663-2174 Pastor Rev. Tommy Johnson • helenacpchurch.com Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Morning Worship 10:00 a.m.

METHODIST

CrossBridge Community Church Starkey Street (off Hwy 261) • 621-2695 Pastors Harris Cook & Bruce Squires • crossbridgehelena.com Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m. Wednesday Prayer Service 6:30 p.m. First Baptist Church Helena 815 Highway 52 E • 663-7879 Senior Pastor Greg Walker • fbhelena.org Sunday Bible Study 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. & 6:00 p.m. NAZARENE Gospel Light Baptist Church Trinity Church of the Nazarene 5781 Roy Drive • 685-0772 Laurel Woods Dr. & Hwy 58 • 664-4659 Pastor Steve Kilpatrick • glbcbham.com Pastor Rev. David Shirer • nazarene.ch/trinity/ Sunday Bible Study 10:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m. Morning Worship 10:00 a.m. Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church NON-DENOMINATIONAL Highway 261 • 663-5257 Celebration Church Pastor Rev. Edwin D. Dinkins • mpbchelena.com Meets at Helena Intermediate • 602-0805 Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Pastor David Bradford • hiscelebrationchurch.com Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Small Groups/Bible Study 9:15 a.m. New Elam Baptist Church Contemporary Worship 10:30 a.m. Cunningham Drive Cornerstone Church Pastor Rev. Lester 2694 Highway 58 • 663-9332 Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Pastor Rev. Tim Trimble Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Riverside Baptist Church Morning Worship 10:30 a.m. 1919 Highway 52 West • 426-1910 New Vision Christian Church Pastor J.J. Stanbridge • e-mail: jj@rbchelena.org 2383 Highway 95 • 664-4333 Sunday Worship 9:00 a.m. Pastor Van C. Houser, Sr. • nvcc4god.org Sunday Bible Study 10:30 a.m. Sun. Corporate Prayer 9:00 a.m. Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church Sunday Worship 10:15 a.m. 6700 Highway 13 • 424-4539 Voice of Faith International Ministries Pastor Rev. Randy Keef 1560 Cunningham Drive • 663-7396 Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Pastor Rev. Franklin L. Kirksey Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Sunday Worship 7:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. CHRISTIAN-DISCIPLES OF CHRIST Thursday Bible Teaching 10:00 a.m. Grace Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 869 Highway 52 • 426-1233 PRESBYTERIAN Pastor Tommy Morgan • gracechristianchurch.org Christ Community Church Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Meets at Helena Intermediate • 621-6248 Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m. Pastor Phil Chambers • cccbham.org Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m. CHURCH OF CHRIST

Our area churches offer many services and programs year-round. Many will be hosting Vacation Bible School beginning in June, please visit the church’s websites for more information on upcoming events. Attend the Church of Your Choice This Sunday!

664-8308

supporting your local library are important to you, please contact Library Director Daniel Dearing at 664-8308. We would like to remind residents that the library is here and open for business, so please drop by and see what all YOUR local library has to offer! For the latest book and DVD releases available at the library, visit www.cityofhelena.org and click on the Jane B. Holmes Library link.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES

Library Director Daniel Dearing

Greetings from the Jane B. Holmes Public Library! HOURS: Mon. 10-7, Tues. 10-6, Wed. 10-6, Thurs. 10-7, Fri. 10-5, Sat. 10-2, Sun. Closed. Want to know a great way to help your library and yourself? READ! The library has great resources for reading, listening, communicating, and learning. Stop in and see us soon! Now is a great time to come in to make sure your library card is up to date, and that you do not have any outstanding items, fines, etc. The library recently received a new self check-out machine! We would certainly like to thank the many people and organizations who helped us obtain this piece of equipment. The all-star list of those who were instrumental in procuring the high-tech machine includes the State of Alabama, City of Helena, Shelby County IT Department, Harrison Regional Library, and especially State Senator Cam Ward for his input, patience, and persistence in seeing this project through to the end. Be sure to stop by and try out the new machine. Attention parents with young children: Please remember Story time at the library is held every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 a.m. Mrs. Jennie tells funny stories that help children learn! As part of National Library Week April 14-20, 2013: Communities Matter @ Your Library, the library will host I Love The Library Day, Thursday, April 18 from 10a.m. to 7p.m. Everyone is encouraged to stop by on this important day to show their support for the library. Story time will go on as usual at 11a.m. Goodie bags filled with fun items will be given away all day to patrons who check out items! Don’t forget to visit our information table displaying the wide variety of services offered at the library. Please stop in and visit us on I Love The Library Day! The library now has a Book Club for adults. They have read books by Maeve Binchy, and the book club usually meets once a month at 10:a.m. Please contact the library for details. Spring is a great time to clean out unwanted items. Please remember the library when discarding books, movies, and/or music. We sell these items on our Book Sale Cart, which helps the library in many ways. This also gives fellow residents an opportunity to purchase items at an incredible price. The library also accepts monetary donations as well as cleaning supplies, current magazines, bathroom tissue, paper towels, scotch tape, and office supplies for projects and programs. If you have questions regarding donations, please contact the library. Are you interested in joining a Friends of the Jane B. Holmes Public Library BOOK CLUB FOR ADULTS group? If meeting new people and

Story time every Tuesday & Thursday at 11:00 a.m. Apr. 14 National Library Week Apr. 14-20 Apr. 18 I Love The Library Day 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. May 27 Library Closed in Observance of Memorial Day The summer will be here soon, and we are so excited about our annual Summer Reading Program. The theme for juveniles is Dig Into Reading, and the theme for teens is Beneath the Surface. We will have a lot going on with PRIZES and programs. Upcoming Summer Reading programs include: • 6/5/2013 at 2pm Library Kick-Off Party • 6/12/2013 at 2pm Fire Department Program • 6/19/2013 at 2pm Police Department Program • 6/26/2013 at 2pm Magician Russel Davis • 7/3/2013 at 2pm Alabama Museum of Natural History • 7/10/2013 at 2pm McWane Center Program Diggin’ Dinos • 7/17/2013 at 2pm Summer Reading Close Out Party!

Call or come by the library to get the latest titles, such as: Alex Cross, Run – James Patterson The Chance – Karen Kingsbury Unintended Consequences – Stuart Woods – Release Date – 4/16 Decadence – Eric Jerome Dickey – Release Date - 4/23 Dead Ever After: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel – Charlaine Harris- Release Date – 5/7 Quarryman’s Bride – Tracie Peterson Also, remember to check out these great movies! Wreck It Ralph – Animated The Hobbit – Starring Martin Freeman Les Miserables – Starring Anne Hathaway Argo – Starring Ben Affleck Downton Abbey – Season 3

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Around the world with Helena-based

Chris Griffin, Helena resident and 2002 graduate of the University of Montevallo, is quietly building quite a name for himself and his band, Act of Congress (AOC). In addition to his time spent on tour, Chris was recently named Creative Worship Director by Church of the Highlands in Birmingham. AOC is currently under contract to the U.S. State Department, recently completing a 35-day tour of Southeast Asia as U.S. Cultural Ambassadors and is set to travel this month to perform in Saudi Arabia.

Hailing from the hills of Alabama, the organic sound produced by Act of Congress has been consistently voted one of the “must see live acts in Alabama” by local media. Last April, AOC sold out its highly anticipated release show at Workplay Theatre, and its second full length release, “Worth Fighting For,” debuted at No. 18 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts. The band has performed for the likes of Paste Online, SXSW, Disney, NPR and Billboard. They have opened Live Nation VIP areas for John Mayer

and Edwin McCain and were featured on the nationally syndicated Woodsongs Radio on XM Radio. Other honors for AOC include its winning the IMWS Disc Makers’ Grand Prize and Colgate Country Showdown Regional Competition. In 2011, AOC performed its original music with four regional symphonies, including the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, and backed up country music star, Sara Evans, and American Idol winner, Taylor Hicks. AOC’s music has been described as “a little rock, a little folk, a little pop, a little bluegrass, a little jazz, a little classical, and some have compared their sound to Nickel Creek. One thing’s for sure, it’s the perfect choice when sitting back with one’s favorite beverage and relaxing to some great music! Check out AOC’s Web site at www.actofcongressmusic.com. Click the “Now Playing” arrow

at the top of the screen to sample the group’s music before clicking one of the buttons beside it to purchase some tracks for your listening pleasure. Helena City News first featured this band in its August 2007 edition and eagerly await an opportunity for them to perform at one of our local events. When home, the group often performs at churches, nightclubs, private events and festivals. The band has performed at Workplay and Bottletree Cafe in the past, and also played at Buck Creek Festival several years ago. In addition to Chris, who plays guitar, band members include: mandolinist Adam Wright, fiddler Connie Skellie and bassist Tim Carroll Jr. Best of luck to Chris and the band on their upcoming tour with the State Department, and best wishes for safe travels.

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Robyn Beeman Wins Second All-Around State Championship Title Talented gymnast Robyn Beeman won her second consecutive All Around title this past December at the 2012 State Championships held at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex in Montgomery. Robyn finished first All Around, on the uneven bars, beam and floor, just as she did in the 2011 State Championships. She placed fourth on vault, but only .125 point separated Robyn and the vault champion. Nine-year-old Robyn is a fourth grader in Mrs. Holleigh Hamby’s class at Helena Intermediate School. Robyn’s proud parents are Jacqueline and Robert Beeman, who have called Helena home for the past 17 years. Congratulations, Robyn, on your second Championship title in the last two years!

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Please pray for our Active Duty Military Personnel… We’re the Home of the Free Because of the Brave!

SGT Jon M. Aaron

AEAN Benjamin Lee Doaks

4/14 K CO (DET B), UNIT 43671, FPO AP 96426-3671; Al Anbar, Iraq; Karen Dickinson’s son

USN; NAS Jacksonville, FL; Joe & Tammy Williams’ son, Rev. Clifton & Mattie Taylor’s grandson

PFC Jonathan R. Barnett

Petty Officer 3rd Class Justin D. Gilbert

USA; Calvary Scout-3rd Brigade-1st Armor Div.; Fort Riley, KN; Susan Barnett’s son

USCG, Machinery Technician; Key West, FL; Leslie’s husband, Annette & Dan Duffy’s son-in-law

PFC Matt Barnett

USA; Delta Co.-232nd Medical Battalion; Fort Sam Houston, TX; Susan Barnett’s son

SGT Steven M Bennett

USA; Paratrooper/Rigger; Fort Benning, GA; Clara & Ken Lorino’s son

SFC Eric Bond

USA; 82nd ABD, 1-504 PIR; Baghdad, Iraq; Paul Zimmerman’s cousin

LT Commander Kimberly A. Oelschlager

USN; US Navy Hospital (Balboa)-Physician’s Asst., San Diego, CA; Ted & the late Sara Oelschlager’s daughter

Chief Petty Officer Termaine J. Pruitt

USN; NAS Pensacola, FL; Termaine Jr, Trevorn, Chelicia & Tristin’s father, Janice & Austin Pruitt’s son

SGT Peter J. “Pete” Reese

SSG Jay Gortney

ARNG; 152nd MP Co.; Lauren’s husband; Kai, Sam, Dalton, Brook & Kaiti’s father

ARNG; 20th Special Forces; Iraq; April’s husband

SGT Brooks Gray

Major David Russell Rigg

USA; Ranger; Scofield BKS, HI; John Gray’s son, Lauren & Ryan Gray’s brother

ALARNG;135th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Chief of Material Readiness; Kuwait; Shirley & Rusty Rigg’s son & Kim Rigg’s brother

SPC Michael Hubbard

SPC Dwight A Rosse Jr.

SRA Mitch Braswell

USA; Camp Liberty, Iraq; Ruth Meadows grandson, Kimberly’s husband, Bonnie Hubbard’s brother

PVT Vincent Brown

ARNG; 1/167 Inf. Bn Co. B, Operation Enduring Freedom; Afghanistan; Mike & Barbara Hunley’s son; late Chris Hunley’s brother

USA; 82nd ABD; Al Asad, Iraq; Shawn Sharp’s son

Christopher Dylan Burrell

CPL Michael Jeffries

ARNG; 1/167th Inf. Bn Co. B, Operation Enduring Freedom; Afghanistan

ARNG; 1/167 Inf. Bn Co. B, Operation Enduring Freedom; Afghanistan; Amy’s husband, Colin & Gavin’s father

USA; 3rd Inf. Div., 1-30 Inf.; Ft. Stewart, GA; Jesi Mason Squires’s father, Bruce & Tammy son, Aubrey & Austin’s brother

SGT Paul Bushnell

Lt. Commander David Kang

USAF; 16th EMS, 16th Special Op. Wing; Afghanistan; Mike & Judi Braswell’s son USMC; Chesapeake, VA; Leonetta Prevo’s son

SPC Eric Hunley

USA; 1-32 Cav 1st Bct, Fort Campbell, KY; Dwight & Michelle Rosse’s son, Britney & Carlton’s brother

SPC Patrick D. Sharp

SPC Ashley Bruce Squires Cpl Rodney Stephens

USMC; Expeditionary Unit deployed from 29 Palms, CA; Bill & Julie English’s son, Sarah’s husband

USN; Japan; Stanley & Sue Kang’s son, Sunny Kang’s brother

ARNG; 152nd Military Police Task Force 382nd, Iraq; Andrea & AnnaBelle’s father

SGT Dallas C Caviness

USA; Fort Rucker, AL.; Tom Lefebvre’s son

CW3 Corey Lefebvre

USAF; 552nd TRS; Tinker AFB, OK; Mark & Karole Traylor’s son

SPC Jacob S. Lenoir

USMC; 3-23 Inf; Baton Rouge, LA; Mark & Karole Traylor’s son

Petty Officer 3rd Class Erik B. McKenzie

USMC; VMMT 204 Flightline, MCAS; New River, NC; Keith & Sherill Vansant’s son

2nd Lt. Jacob Allen Meins

USAR; Afghanistan; Kathie’s husband, Maggie’s dad, Bette Ward’s son, Michelle (Lin) Saville’s brother

USA; 172 Inf. Brigade; Germany; Rebecca’s husband, Norah’s father, Rhonda’s son & Devin’s brother

PFC Zachary S Traylor

2nd Lt. William B. Cofer

USA; Sniper Unit of 1-64 Inf; Kandahar, Afghanistan; Beth Eades’ son, Caitlyn’s husband

LCPL Roberto M Conde

USN; USS Curtis Wilber, Yokosuka, Japan; Bond & Lisa McKenzie’s son, Brooke’s brother, Megan’s husband

USA; Fort Benning, GA; Dorothy & Jim Cofer’s son, Deborah’s brother & Kristen Beam’s boyfriend USMC; Expeditionary Unit deployed from Camp Lejeune, NC; Robert & Aurette Conde’s son

Petty Officer 1st Class Austin C. Daniel

2LT John M Traylor, Jr

SGT John Christian Vansant

USAF, Special Operations Command; Kathy Meins Martin’s son

Major Maxwell B. Ward Adam Walton

USN; Norfolk, VA; Mike & Claudia Daniel’s son, Justin, Tatum & Autumn’s brother

HM2 Daniel Mills

USN; Marine Corp Training & Advisory Group; HFD

USN; USS Nimitz; Randy & Peggy Walton’s son, Annalee’s brother

2nd Lt Eric C Darrenkamp

USA; Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI; Carol Darrenkamp’s son, Jon & Stephen’s brother

MSG Jacqueline M. Moore

USA, 387th; Wichita, KS; Leroy E. Lucas’ wife, Cameshia, Shaun, Chibukia & Chris’ mom

USA; 3-1 Cav. Regt. Delta Troop; Ft Benning, GA; Becky Click’s son, Alex Walton & Sydney Mollica’s brother, Amber’s husband

LT James Brooks Dickey

SSGT Christopher S. Murphy

USN; USS Lake Erie, Pearl Harbor, HI; Devinne Brooks’ husband

USN; The Alexander at Ghent, 1600 Granby St Apt 455, Norfolk, VA 23510; Charlie & Janie Brooks & Janet & Dennis Dickey’s son

PFC Zachary Walton

USMC; MWHS 3, San Diego, CA; Jack & Karen Murphy’s son, Alyssa’s husband

FC3 William J. Welch

E-mail Helena active duty military personnel’s name, address and where they’re stationed to helenacitynews@aol.com. If your loved one has returned, please let us know so that we can keep our prayer list current. Thank you!

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PHS Color Guard Teams Win Spring Break Competition! The JV and Varsity color guard teams won again against several local and state teams the first part of spring break. Going into the championship competition, the JV is sitting in first place against many JV and varsity teams in their division. The varsity is running neck and neck in first against some of the best color guard

teams in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky and are competing in the top class for any high school team. It is a tough competition for both teams, and we are extremely proud of their hard work. Their final championship round is April 5-7 in Nashville. Please congratulate the girls once again and wish them luck in the last and toughest competition of the year. They are making Pelham look good, and we are proud of what they have done.

Both JV and varsity pose with their trophies at top; Helena’s Alex Summerlin dances above and Katie Beth Rice, Allie Fain and Courtney Wood accept an award on behalf of the PHS Color Guard bottom left.

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Helena High school will have built in state mandated storm shelters designed to hold its entire student body and faculty. The school is projected to open with approximately 1,200 students and be 5A, according to its architect, Lee Bryant. “The project is currently running ahead of schedule,” he said.

Friends of Helena Schools

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“Alabama is the only state to have passed a law that stipulates all new schools built must have tornado shelters designed to withstand 250 MPH winds.”

Friends of Helena Schools Host Update on Helena High School Construction… Missy Brooks, president of the group, Friends of Helena Schools, introduced Lee Bryant from Lathan and Associates Architects a few weeks back as he gave an update on the latest information available concerning construction of the new Helena High School. Lee reported that all mass grading was now complete and that the school building was now approximately 50 percent finished. “Doster Construction is doing an outstanding job and are actually ahead of schedule,” he reported. “They work when others might not,” he said. As far as the athletics facilities go, the bids were opened recently 20 Spring 2013 / www.CityOfHelena.org

and the low bidder was forced to withdraw for reasons not disclosed. At the time, Lee said that they are trying to negotiate with the next lowest bidder to try and get his bid in line with their budget so the project does not have to be rebid. “We are trying to get the practice fields ready to be used by the spring of 2014,” he added. In regards to the state mandated built-in storm shelters at the school, Lee said that Alabama is the only state to have passed a law that stipulates all new schools built must have tornado shelters designed to withstand 250 MPH winds. In the Helena High School design, the shelter is being built to accommodate all projected students and faculty when it opens in the Fall of 2014 (with approximately 1,200 students), and be built so that they can be expanded as necessary. The shelters include emergency lighting, first aid equipment and the latest in tank type plumbing with

operation possible under even the most devastating circumstances. “The school is most probably going to start as a 5A school but probably will grow to 6A rapidly,” said Lee. The school is being built to be as secure as possible, with high windows, secure entrances, closed circuit monitors and some of the latest in security innovations. A second gym is also going to be “stubbed in” so that it can be built out later when demand calls for it. The auditorium is designed to hold half the student body at one time. Back to athletics, rest room facilities are being designed for comfort with toilets being built at the rate of about one per every 30 women, and one for every 50 men. Even the dugouts will feature a rest room. The football playing surface has yet to be determined, according to Lee, with the costs of maintaining grass field being weighed against the cost of a

modern artificial surface. As for the school’s exterior (its rendering has been published on these pages several times in the past), it will have a classic look the architect believes will stand the test of time and look as good 100 years from now as it does when it is completed. “The exterior will sort of blend the intermediate school’s look with that of the middle school,” said Lee, “from a brick color standpoint, and have columns in front giving it a classic appearance. The school is to have three elevators and be state-of-theart when it comes to energy conservation and cyber efficiency with conduits being installed throughout to upgrade as technology requires. There are to be three computer labs in the school and a band room with cabinetry for instrument storage. A premium grade wood floor with cushioning is planned for the gymnasium and also for the auditorium stage. Epoxy flooring

is planned for most of the remainder of the school, as Lee says the epoxy flooring systems have proven to be relatively easy to maintain and very serviceable. There are to be a total of three roads accessing the property, two initially and a third when the athletic facilities are completed, estimated to be the summer of 2014. “Currently, our contractors are ahead of schedule, so weather permitting, all is looking good,” he said. The school is to feature oversized corridors to accommodate future growth so may seem a bit wide initially. Lockers are all built on one side in order to prevent hallway confusion once students start classes. Friends President Missy Brooks said that Friends of Helena Schools is now officially a non-profit 501c3 organization, and they need everyone in the community’s help for our schools to thrive. The Friends are looking at holding various fund raisers like 5K runs and others, so be on the lookout for them! Thanks to Missy and all the board members of Friends of Helena Schools. They have put in a lot of time for the benefit of Helena students and deserve a huge round of applause for their continuing efforts!

Dr. Roderick White is pleased to announce his office relocation to Shelby Family Chiropractic. Prior to relocating, Dr. White practiced in Helena at Cahaba Wellness. The move to Shelby Family Chiropractic with Dr. Stan Stubbs will provide new treatment and diagnostic options for patients, including on-site x-ray, decompression tables, and a class IV K-laser. Both doctors are excited to offer one of the latest laser therapy options to their patients. Laser therapy is a non-surgical approach to help with acute and chronic pain. It can also help decrease inflammation, symptoms of osteoarthritis, reduce spasms and increase healing. For those who may be considering chiropractic services, Dr. White provides a wide variety of services to children, adults and the elderly who have musculoskeletal problems and loves seeing families get well together. He also spends a lot of time treating athletes and helping them function better. Dr. White has helped both amateur and professional athletes with chiropractic care. All patients receive comprehensive, personalized care. He will work closely with patients to help get them back to health and to full performance levels. Dr. White is a graduate of Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis, MO. He is a Samford alumni and serves as his class representative on the alumni council. He is an active member of the Alabama State Chiropractic Association. He serves as Vice President of the local chapter and is a member of the Ethics Committee. Dr. White would like to express his appreciation to his many patients for entrusting him with their health and wellness. He thanks them for their support during this transition. While his location has changed, his commitment to helping patients achieve optimum health through chiropractic treatment has not. Shelby Family Chiropractic is located across from Alabaster City Hall in the Hillside Medical Plaza building at 224 1st Street North in Alabaster, AL. For more information about the practice, visit their website at: www.shelbychiro.com. For an appointment call 663-5444.

pointing the way inside. On top of the band trophy case reclined a figure propped up on his elbow reading the newspaper and listening to otherworldly music through earbuds. And, atop a ladder standing randomly in the hallway, the lower half of a plastic figure—thighs, knees and feet—appeared to be ascending through the paneled ceiling intent on, perhaps, phantom repairs. Art teacher, Jennifer Baker, says she has chosen to give students a fresh perspective by introducing her classes to emerging artists who are creating works in different materials such as packaging tape, aluminum foil or Sharpie markers. Students studied Mark Jenkins prior to creating their own bubble people. Jenkins is also known for placing his sculptures in unusual settings. They looked at the work of John Clark as well, an artist who was featured on the Sharpie marker blog. “Today’s up and coming creative’s may be selling their work on etsy,” Baker noted, “rather than in a gallery.” “The seventh graders really got into this project in a thoughtful and expressive way. And Roger Williams, our custodian, enjoyed placing the work so much that he began adding touches of his own, like the earbuds,” she added. “Everyone in the school appreciated the novelty and humor this project brought to our surroundings.”

Outside the art classroom, Kaleb Davis, Chance Stembridge and Joey Paroda strike a tableaux with Bubble Man who still has the most colorful hair of them all.

Bubble People Invade HMS If you were in the halls of Helena Middle School before Christmas break, you might have been both surprised and amused to come upon sculptured bodies in various unusual poses. Dangling from the ceiling in front of the cafeteria entrance was a life-size body made of plastic bubble wrap and packaging tape TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2013

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Fourth Year-in-a-row Buck Creek Festival Logo Winner! Laura Joseph’s design was chosen once again as the official logo for the Buck Creek Festival. It’s getting to be a habit for Laura—this makes the fourth year for her to earn this honor. Laura says she tries to incorporate

the waterfall at Buck Creek into the design, but it’s a challenge to make it simple enough so that it can be color separated and printed on T-shirts.” I’d say she hit the nail on the head this year as it may just be her best work yet! Congratulations to Laura, pictured to the right at last year’s Buck Creek Festival with husband, T.J., and daughter Anna

Kate, 5. Not pictured is the couple’s son, Marshall, 2.

Saturday, May 11th: HEADLINERS www.theHillbillySiNs.com The Hillbilly Sins is Tennessee’s newest and baddest Outlaw Country band with a Rock edge. The Hillbilly SiNs, have been referred to as “heavy hillbilly” and “rockin’ outlaw.” Nothing’s watered down and no excuses. The band writes and sings about real life in the south. It doesn’t matter if it’s women, drinking, friends, momma, fighting, or smoky old bars; The Hillbilly Sins covers the good and the bad of what we know from real life experiences. One thing’s for sure, it’s hard to put a single label on the SiNs. They’ve developed a sound that is somewhere between outlaw country, heavy southern rock, and roadhouse blues. This is a band that both country and rock fans alike who enjoy Waylon to AC/DC shouldn’t miss the Hardest Rockin’ Hillbilly Band in the Land. The Hillbilly SiNs, have been

referred to as “heavy hillbilly” & “rockin’ outlaw.” Meet the Hillbilly SiNs band members: • Stephen Walsh handles lead vocals and crowd rowsing. • Anthony Sims “AKA The Reverend Sims” takes care of lead guitar, rhythm guitar, and confessions. • Nigel Newberry holds down lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backup vocals and peanut picking. • Nathan Renfro plays bass guitar and does Jerry Reed impressions. • Raylon Summars plays drums and is in charge of general shenanigans.

Friday, May 10th: HEADLINERS www.trotline.net Trotline is a high energy Country band from Valdosta, Georgia, that plays a wide variety of music, from Party, Classic and Southern Rock to Motown and Oldies. Since forming in 1997, Trotline has become a top choice in the south for parties and events, and the band has grown to enjoy one of the greatest followings in the Southeast. Meet the band members: • Kenny Strickland - handles lead vocals, accoustic guitar and harmonica. Kenny started playing guitar when he was 9 with his family at gatherings on the weekends, where they sang and played country and bluegrass songs. • Gil Trimm - plays lead guitar and mandolin. Gil also grew up in south Georgia and began playing guitar soon after birth at family get-togethers. • Garry Barnes - playes drums. • Alex Craig - handles bass

guitar and backup vocals. Alex was born in Mobile and grew up in Montgomery, where he began singing at a very early age at school and in church. In October 2005 Alex got the call to pick up the bass and sing backup vocals for Trotline. • Dustin Erwin - plays fiddle and guitar. Dustin is a Shelby County native from just down the street in Chelsea, Alabama, where he grew up playing the guitar and singing at family gatherings, high school parties, camp fires and local events. After graduating high school, Dustin continued to play his acoustic at small local bars while attending Auburn University for two years. He then transferred to the University of Alabama where he graduated with a degree in business management. Throtline is a sure fired crowd pleaser, so get there early for best seating!

Volunteers are needed for the 12th Annual Buck Creek Festival! If you are interested in helping out at this year’s event, please contact Amy Lisenba at 527-2415 or email to: tlisenba@att.net. The dates are May 10th and 11th, and this does qualify for the “Give me Five” community service hours some need for school.

Sponsors

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Tentative Stage Schedule

Presenting Clear Channel Radio Stations— The Bull & Magic 96 ABC 33/40 Shelby County Reporter Regions Bank Jim N Nicks—Alabaster Pinnex Group

FRIDAY, MAY 11th 7:00pm Zach Dylan & D-Railed Band Outlaw Country Trotline Alternative /Country /Rock

SATURDAY, MAY 12th

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Helena’s Amphitheater Park. On the banks of Buck

Check the Festival Website for the latest info!

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2nd Ave

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Calendar of Events Regular Weekly Events Mondays Police Explorers at Explorer Training Facility, 4-7 p.m. Fire Explorers at Station 2, 5 p.m. Tuesdays Kiwanis Club at Helena Senior Citizens Center, 7 a.m. Storytime at Jane B. Holmes Library, 11 a.m. Thursdays Storytime at Jane B. Holmes Library, 11 a.m.

April

1 3th - Special Needs Expo, Pelham Civic Complex, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. 14th - Celebrate National Library Week Apr. 14-20 15th - Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6 p.m. 18th - I Love The Library Day, Jane B. Holmes Library, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. 20th - Ride for Cure, begins at Pelham Civic Complex ends at Texas Roadhouse - Aaron’s Staff (FREE) Respite Care-special needs 0-21, must reserve: aaronsstaffrespite.org 22nd - Earth Day - Helena Planning & Zoning, Helena Municipal Building, 6 p.m.

May

2nd - HES New 5K Parent Meeting, Cafeteria, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Info 620-5540 6th - Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6 p.m. - HES Art Show May 6-10 7th - Helena Business Association (helenabusinessassociation.com), 8 a.m., visit web site or Facebook for meeting site - Emergency Siren Test, 10 a.m. - HES Family Art Show Night 4:30 p.m.; 2nd Grade Program 6:15 p.m. 10th - 12th Annual Buck Creek Festival-Live music, numerous vendors, great food, Old Town Amphitheater, 6 p.m. til… buckcreekfestival.com 11th - 12th Annual Buck Creek Festival-Live music, duck race, vendors, great food, Old Town Amphitheater, 10 a.m. til… buckcreekfestival.com 12th - Mother’s Day 16th - Planning & Zoning Commission, Helena Municipal Building, 6 p.m. 18th - Aaron’s Staff (FREE) Respite Care-special needs 0-21, must reserve aaronsstaffrespite.org 20th - HES H “Field” Day: 5K 8:15-9:30; 1st 9:45-11:45; 2nd 12-1:30 - Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6 p.m. 23rd - Shelby Co. School year ends, Students dismiss 1 p.m., Faculty/staff 3 p.m. 24th - Shelby Co. Schools Teacher Workday 27th - Memorial Day - Municipal Offices & Library Closed, NO garbage collection: Monday & Tuesday’s routes picked up Tues., May 28

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PHS Yearbook Staff Earns National Recognition Congratulations to the PHS Pinnacle yearbook staff. This year’s edition has been selected to be a national sample yearbook. The yearbook will be displayed at national conventions and workshops and will be used as a model for yearbook production. Less than 4 percent of all yearbooks produced are selected for this award. This is the fifth year in a row that the PHS yearbook staff has been recognized with this award. Hats off to the students on their hard work and effort.

Pelham High School Yearbook Staff: First Row: Morgan Scott, Amy Jones, Yaline Hernandez, Lexus, Beal. Second Row: Kate Snow, Lillie Gaston, Anna Felts, Lili Crosby, Danielle Haynes, Hayley Gillen. Third Row: Maddie Gathings, Emily Spain, Lauren Ranson, Nicole Franks, Mallory Flurry, Cokie Palmer. Fourth Row: Rachel Rome, Zach Walker, Natalie Sutton, Austin Ford, Presley Sherer, Christina Crawford.

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If you’re looking for a gourmet dish, Chef Bobby can fulfill your wish. He makes it look easy. And nothing is greasy; Be it fowl or beef or fish.

Chef Bobby Beard relaxes at home in Helena with a glass of Pinot Noir after a long day’s work at Ross Bridge Resort.

Helena award winning chef cooking for Rio’s 1st Crawfish Boil benefitting Two by Two Animal Rescue! by Jim Parks, contributing writer When Bobby Beard left Montgomery in 2008, he could have moved anywhere in the country. Fortunately, for the folks in this area, he made his home here in Helena. “My decision to move to Helena was somewhat based on how I cook,” Beard said. “I don’t always take the straight A to B route to get to my final destination,” Beard said. “I was looking for a home in the Birmingham area, and decided on Helena because of its quiet, slower paced atmosphere, and I’ve been very happy here ever since.” Beard, or Chef Bobby, as he is affectionately known among friends and peers, is an awardwinning Sous Chef at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa in Hoover. He earned the accolade twice in the past three years as part of an advanced culinary training program, when he competed against some two-

dozen chefs from across the entire country. A typical week in his current position might include cooking for one to five major corporate conferences involving 50 to 800 people, a wedding or two, complete with rehearsal dinners, plus the hustle and bustle of the two Ross Bridge restaurants—Brock’s and the Club House Grill. His love of the culinary arts began as a teenager when he started cooking “steak’em” sandwiches for his friends at parties. In fact, still today, Chef Bobby confesses his favorite dish is anything between two slices of bread. “I love building new sandwiches and burgers,” he said. Strangely enough, Beard began his career as a dishwasher for a Montgomery restaurant. Within two weeks, the ambitious 15-year-old was promoted to garde’ manger (French for “keeper

of the cold kitchen”). A month later, he was cooking food on the hot line. After another three years in Montgomery, Beard enrolled in the culinary arts program at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina, and the rest is history. “I can honestly say that marinating in Helena has been a blessing, and I am proud to call it home,” said the now 35-year-old chef. And as a caring and concerned resident of Helena, Chef Bobby believes in giving back to his community. On Saturday, April 27, he will donate his time and cooking skills for a charity Crawfish Boil benefiting Helena’s Two by Two Animal Rescue Program at Rio’s Bar and Grill. “I enjoy participating in these types of charity events,” Beard said. “Especially one like this be-

cause I am also an animal lover. I would love to see a big turn out to help us support something that is truly dear to my heart.” The all-day event will be held at Rio’s Bar and Grill, located at the corner of county roads 95 and 58 in Helena. This is just one of several fund raisers Rio’s has hosted since opening less than a year ago. “As a business owner and longtime resident of Helena, I believe in giving back to the community,” said Rio’s owner, Crystal Hamrick. “We have held a number of fund-raising events since opening last year, and have raised more than $6,000. We are very blessed to have one of our favorite customers donate his time and talent for this event. Bobby is an awesome person and a great chef. You’ll love his crawfish.”

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If you own ANY business in Shelby County or the State of Alabama, you may be entitled to recover a cash settlement from the BP Horizon Settlement. Businesses and professionals all across Alabama are currently making claims under this Class Action Settlement EVEN THOUGH THEIR BUSINESSES ARE NOT ON THE COAST. The oil spill affected the economy of this State as a whole. You owe it to yourself and your business to determine if you qualify. Determining your eligibility to recover is a very simple process. There is no charge to evaluate your claim. Any qualifying business is entitled to recover regardless of the type of business you own. • DOCTORS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS • FURNITURE STORES • REAL ESTATE AGENTS • PHARMACIES • CONTRACTORS • GAS STATIONS • TIRE STORES • MANUFACTURERS • BEAUTY SALONS • HARDWARE STORES • RESTAURANTS (Just to name a few) For more information call:

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Above left: The Lady panthers donned pink early in the season to raise awareness of breast cancer; right: with trophy after winning their spring break tournament

Lady Panthers coming down home stretch with No. 2 state ranking! Amy Sullivan coached the Lady Panthers softball team to another victory on the chilly night of March 26. Head coach of the Varsity, Amy, along with assistants Sabrina Tutchtone and Anna Laura Dyer comprise the varsity coaching staff. (Ashley Belew coaches the Junior Varsity.) This win against rival Oak Mountain was the Panthers’ 19th of the season, and the team is currently ranked No. 2 in the state and sports a national ranking of No. 39. When asked about her team’s success to this point of the season, Amy was optimistic, “We’ve only lost two games, one of them against Oak Mountain, but then we beat them tonight.” The Panthers were previously beaten by Oak Mountain on March 9 during the fourth game in the Wetumpka Tournament, after having beaten Wetumpka, Mountain Brook and Saint James. The team’s only other loss this season was against Scottsboro in the Spain Park Tournament March 1. “The key element to this team’s success,” said Amy, “is teamwork and playing with focused intensity from beginning to end. It’s all about keeping things in perspective. We always try to get them to play like the score is 0-0.” Amy wants to keep the girls playing to a standard, and it has definitely paid off. Their terrific record this season has been buoyed

by the play of athletes like Panthers pitcher and 2012 Birmingham News Shelby Player of the Year, Whitney Gillespie, consistently making plays that help win games. Whitney and Emily Spain together pitched a no-hitter against Stanhope Elmore February 19, with Rebekah Fox doing the same to Jefferson Davis March 1. Emily and Whitney threw shutouts against West Blocton and Prattville in February. The Panthers don’t only excel at pitching, though; they’re also strong at the plate. Whitney, Reagan Curtis and Caitlyn Sapp’s slugging abilities and RBIs really helped pull the girls from behind in a game against Moody March 1— the team scored 8 runs in the final inning to win 11-5. Alicia Richardson joined Reagan, Emily and Caitlyn in helping pound out hits in a 13-hit game against ClayChalkville in February. Madi Walker and Kristian Foster are also added to the list of power hitters, helping Emily in an 18-hit game vs Clay-Chalkville in March. Kristian also hit two home runs and scored all 4 runs in a win against Hillcrest and scored along with Caitlyn and Jordan Ingram in the final inning of game one in the Wetumpka Tournament against Mountain Brook. The Panthers compete in 6A, Region 8 this season along with Chelsea, Oak Mountain and Spain

Park. Having some opponents shuffled into and out of the new Region 8 hasn’t changed their outlook much, though. “The whole 13 years I’ve been here, we’ve played against Hoover in our region” Amy recalls. “They’re always a powerhouse. And this year we’re up against the defending state champs, Chelsea.” So you might say she’s used to the back-and-forth of shuffled school regions. “Which teams the Panthers come up against doesn’t really matter,” says Amy, who also teaches PE at Helena Middle School during the school day. “All these kids [in the Birmingham area] play so much ball, they’re all good teams.” Although the games this year have been great so far for the Panthers, it hasn’t been so great in another way—the weather. Stephanie Gillespie, mother of Whitney, lamented last year’s warmer weather. “I think at our opening game [last year]…I got a little cool after the sun went down, but I don’t remember bringing a blanket to any of the games. This year, we’ve only had one game where blankets weren’t needed and the girls didn’t wear their Under Armour.” The colder weather has taken its toll on everyone. Not only are a ll of the parents and other Panther fans wrapped up in multiple layers of clothing and blankets, several even brought portable space heaters to try and keep warm. Stephanie

said several of the girls were playing with the sniffles or a cough on the 26th, and Amy was coaching with pneumonia—but she was right there with her girls wearing a toboggan, hoodie and sweats! Hopefully, we’ll see the spring warm up soon—the team still has just under half the season to go. This includes several tournaments like the Pelham Tournament they’ll host at Pelham High School on April 13-14. Following that, the area, regional and state tournaments all happen in May, so there is still plenty of time to go out and show your support for our No. 2 ranked Lady Panthers!

Caitlyn Sapp with another big hit and Madi Walker sliding into home for another Lady Panther run. Above inset: Coaches Sullivan and Tutchtone talk strategy in the on deck circle with Whitney Gillespie.

TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2013

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Alicia Richardson to become a Lady Warhawk next spring Pelham High School senior Alicia Richardson signed to continue her softball career at the next level February 7 when she received an athletic scholarship to attend Jefferson Davis Community College (JDCC) in Brewton, Alabama, where she will join the Lady Warhawks. When talking about Alicia, who plays primarily behind the plate, but is used wherever the team needs her, PHS Lady Panthers Head Coach Amy Sullivan said, “Alicia is a true teammate. She is always in a good mood, and she works extremely hard to get better everyday.” With tears in her eyes, Assistant PHS Coach Anna Laura Dyer offered her own message about not only Alicia the softball player but also Alicia the kind-hearted, loving Christian young lady. Coach Dyer said servanthood pops into her head when she thinks of Alicia and the ways she lives her life. “She lives a holistic life; she always considers others before herself. She is a prime example of living out what you believe, and she embodies Philippians II behind the scenes. If one of her teammates didn’t do her assigned cleanup chore, Alicia is the first to say, “I’ll do it.” Teammate Whitney Gillespie, recent Jax State signee, said, “I’m not usually serious, but God has

a plan for you, and we all love you!” Sophomore teammate, Madi Watkins, told Alicia, “You are my role model, the best teammate anyone could have, and I am so proud of you.” Alicia’s travel team, The Bandits, and its coaches, Mike Swindle and Chuck Clark, were on hand to congratulate the signee. Bandits Coach Swindle talked about Alicia’s toughness—playing with a broken foot, broken ankle, a broken thumb, and too many other injuries to name, but through them all she NEVER complained! He concluded with “I am so proud of you.” Bandits Coach Clark said, “Alicia always works hard to get better.” What more could you ask for in an athlete?!? Alicia is the daughter of Sam and Anjela Richardson of Helena, and she grew up in a house full of boys with all male siblings. She gave thanks to God and her mom, dad and coaches for enabling her to have the skills necessary to play the game of softball and to have the opportunity to continue her career at the collegiate level. Congratulations, Alicia, on your scholarship. With a work ethic like yours, the world is your oyster. Best of luck at JDCC!

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Anna Morris Selected HES Teacher of the Year 2012-13 When you enter the kindergarten classroom of Anna Morris, HES Teacher of the Year, you are surrounded by a colorful cocoon of learning. Morris is in her third year teaching at HES, plus two previous years as an Eclipse Program Instructional Aid. She attended Auburn and received her M.Ed. from University of Montevallo. She also serves as United Way Coordinator, Fall on the Farm Coordinator, Guidance Advisory Committee Member and Math Committee Member. “My interest in teaching began as a little girl. I had a mock classroom set-up in my bedroom and I took every opportunity to teach everyone—including my dolls and stuffed animals.” “Over the years,” Morris said, “I have discovered that not only does teaching fulfill my desire to work with children, but it also gives me a chance to explore my other interests such as crafts, art, and technology. Teaching provides me with the opportunity to combine many of my passions.” Morris and her class went to Baker Farms to choose and bring back their classroom Christmas tree, which was decorated with gingerbread people, each with the photographed face of a student. “I make my classroom my second home, and you will see that everything on our walls is made by the students,” Morris pointed out. In March at Open House, parents will visit the classroom and each child will show what he has learned in reading, writing and math.

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Stacey Parr, Clinical Orthodontic Assistant

Christine Conway, Marketing Coordinator

Nicole Richardson, Clinical Orthodontic Assistant

Stacey grew up in Oak Grove, Alabama. She is married to Jeremy and has three children: Jayme, 19; Kinslea, 6 and Bentley, 1. Being a country girl, Stacey is an avid deer hunter and enjoys fishing whenever she gets the chance. “Dr. Denny and the ladies who work here at Oak Mountain Orthodontics make going to work fun every day,” said Stacey. It’s a real team effort here, and everybody wants to make our patients’ visits as comfortable as possible. “Our goal is to transform their teeth into ‘Movie Star Smiles,’ and with Dr. Denny’s skillful expertise, it happens every day! It is very rewarding to watch the patients as their confidence and smiles grow. Working with Dr. Denny is just an added bonus. She has a way of making our patients relax and become like members of our family.

Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Christine and her husband, John, have two daughters: Chayse, 16 and Skyler, 13. The family moved to the area six years ago when John was transferred here to open a branch for his company, Bartlett Bearing. “We love it!” said Christine. Christine says she loves getting to know the children who come in to Oak Mountain Orthodontics best. “Watching them grow up and seeing their confidence grow as their smiles transform from ordinary and guarded to the ‘Movie Star Smiles’ for which we have become famous makes my job such a pleasure,” she said. Christine has worked with Dr. Denny four years and works in both her Pelham and Helena offices. She adds another thing she enjoys as marketing coordinator is participating in all the area events and festivals which Dr. Denny sponsors in the community.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Nicole has been an orthodontic assistant for the past 19 years. She has two children: daughter Anna Sage, 9 and son Hannon, 7. “We run from sport to sport when I am not working,” laughed Nicole. “From horseback riding and gymnastics for Anna Sage to lacrosse and basketball for Hannon, we stay active year round. “The thing I love most at Oak Mountain Orthodontics is meeting all the new patients,” she said. I love the laid back atmosphere Dr. Denny has in her offices. It is very rewarding to watch the patients’ faces when, after going through months and years of orthodontic treatment, they finally get their braces off and look at their new ‘Movie Star Smiles’ in the mirror for the first time. You can actually watch their faces light up as their confidence grows!”

Amy Dufour, Financial Coordinator Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Amy and her husband, Damon, transferred to the area with his job in construction sales. The couple has two daughters: Olivia, 11 and Elyse, 8. Amy is a relative newcomer to Dr. Denny’s office. She says her favorite part of

34 Spring 2013 / www.CityOfHelena.org

working for Oak Mountain Orthodontics is the friendly family environment. “Working with Dr. Denny and seeing her interact with her patients is an inspiration,” said Amy. “They always leave with a smile, and as their treatment progresses, that smile gets bigger and bigger!”

Alabama Law Services opens in Helena Also does tax preparation for individuals Attorney and Tax Preparer Justin Smitherman says he liked the looks and feel of the town of Helena since he was a young boy helping his father, Greg Smitherman, build houses here. “I always thought Helena was a beautiful place. With Buck Creek and the Cahaba River running through it, Helena has always seemed like a slice of paradise to me. These days, I enjoy sitting on the deck and taking in the scenery at the Depot Deli and Grill,” said Justin. Originally from Montevallo and a graduate of UA and Samford’s Cumberland School of Law, Justin decided to hang out his shingle as Alabama Law Services in the CVS Shopping Center, right across Highway 17 from Publix.

Being a relatively new practice, you’ll find you get a lot of one-on-one time with Justin, who has worked extensively in estate planning, family law, bankruptcy and real estate (both landlord/tenant law and sales). Justin would also like last minute tax filers to know that he does income taxes for individuals. Tax Preparation fees start at $60. “I have always been a “numbers guy,” he said, “and work hard to insure that I get all the money back that is due each tax payer. Additionally, I am happy to offer free consultations for any legal or tax questions clients may have,” said Justin. Alabama Law Services has convenient hours during tax season, opening at 8 a.m. and working until 6:30 p.m. during the week

and from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturdays. “And I will open earlier or later by appointment,” he adds. If you are in need of legal advice or services or need your taxes done at this late date, Alabama Law Services, LLC give Justin N. Smitherman Attorney Attorney at Law Justin Smitherman a call and find out all that he can do to help you.

Alabama Law Services, LLC Simplifying All Your Legal and Tax Needs

Justin N. Smitherman Attorney at Law

www.AlabamaLawServices.com jsmitherman@alabamalawservices.com 4685 Highway 17 Suite D, Helena, AL 35080 Office: (205) 419-4414 Fax: (205) 419-4407 No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed are greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2013

Helena’s Savanna Windham Crowned Miss PHS 2013 Pelham High School senior Savanna Windham is the 2013 Miss PHS. The pageant was held January 19 in the school auditorium before a capacity crowd. Savanna was crowned by Bethany Wood, 2012 Miss PHS, after a grueling day of competition. Contestants are awarded points for personality, interviews, and the beauty walk. Traditionally, the senior with the highest overall score is crowned the new Miss PHS. This year’s senior alternates were: 1st alternate Alexis Maske; a tie for 2nd alternate, Morgan Wood and Maddie Gathings; 3rd alternate Lydia Cobb; and 4th alternate went to Kaitlyn Peterson. In addition, the girl with the highest scores from their respective grade was given a title. This year’s recipients were: Junior Elite Kaitlin Moon, Sophomore Elite Katie Beth Rice and Freshman Elite Emily Gallant. Miss Congeniality, voted on by pageant participants, was awarded to Tarsi Woods, and the Best Escort title went to Michael Boyd. The school’s jazz band provided musical entertainment during the event, emceed by Pelham High teachers Karen Varner and Keith Beard. Escorts were Michael Boyd, Tanner Adams, Mauricio Sandoval, John Perko, Thomas Lowery, Connor Slane, Drew Romanowski, Gerardo Hernandez and Will Wallace.

Miss PHS Savanna Windham

1st Alternate Alexis Maske

Freshman Elite Emily Gallant

Sophomore Elite Katie Beth Rice

2nd Alternate-tie Morgan Wood

2nd Alternate-tie Maddie Gathings

3rd Alternate Lydia Cobb

4th Alternate Kaitlyn Peterson

Miss Congeniality Tarsi Woods

Congratulations to all who participated and especially to those who placed!

36 Spring 2013 / www.CityOfHelena.org

photos by Traci Dubberly, PawPrintsbyTraci.com

Junior Elite Kaitlin Moon

Best Escort Michael Boyd

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April 22nd-28th

consignment sale

Buy and Sell gently used children’s items: clothing, toys, baby equipment, furniture, etc.

Volunteers and Consignors shop early! Open to the public April 24th-28th Location: 159 Business Center Dr., Pelham, AL Visit our website for more information www.KidsExchange.net Contact: Birmingham@KidsExchange.net Receiving: Monday / 10am-8pm Tuesday/10am-1pm Sale Hours: Worker Sale - Tuesday: 1pm-3pm Seller Sale - Tuesday: 3pm-8pm Public Sale - Wednesday: 9am-8pm Thursday: 9am-8pm Friday: 9am-8pm Saturday: 9am-6pm Sunday: 10am-5pm (HALF PRICE DAY!) PICK UP FOR UNSOLD ITEMS: Sunday: 7pm-9pm

SPRING INTO YOUR NEW FAVORITE DRESS AT HELENA MERCANTILE!

Helena Mercantile Tuesday - Saturday 10:30am - 6:30 pm TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2013

Middle right: a young patron gazes at an old typewriter, one of many historic items on display at the Helena Museum. Far right: John Henry Mitchell and wife, Martha Elizabeth (nee Dunnam) left and daughter, Sarah Iola, right.

From the Archives Helena Update c.1888. See it for yourself at the Helena Museum! The Penhale History Museum, located in the old Masonic Lodge building on Main Street in Old Town Helena recently acquired a letter written in 1888 by H.W. Bowers, a member of the Masonic Lodge, to his friend and former fellow lodge member, John Mitchell. John Henry Mitchell was a miner from Cornwall, England, who wandered into Helena by way of Michigan after the Civil War. There he courted and won the hand of Martha Elizabeth Dunnam, shown at left in photo. In 1872, a daughter, Sarah Iola (right), was born. After serving two years as warden in one of the convict mines near town, John tried his hand at farming. By 1880, he had grown tired of the southern climate and got restless wanting to go to California. The family moved and in her later memoirs, Sarah Iola wrote, “It nearly broke my mother’s heart to leave her dear blind father who was 38 Spring 2013 / www.CityOfHelena.org

84-years-old.” “In essence,” said Ken Penhale, “this letter gives all the Helena news and gossip of the day.” Penhale also mentions that John Mitchell was possibly a cousin of his great-grandfather, William Henry Penhale, who also came from County Cornwall before moving, via Tennessee, to Helena in 1875. Bowers tells Mitchell in the letter that since his departure, the Masonic Lodge had initiated two new members, bringing their number up to forty-two. Bowers says an acre and a half has been fenced around the Lodge graveyard, and the graves are well kept. “There are ore mines almost as thick as toads after a shower in Jefferson and I can’t tell you how many new coal mines and still there is almost a coal famine. The old Eureka Company [is] working the Helena vein which is down about twelve hundred feet. They are also sinking a slope

Polley and Addey Griffin married last spring [both] married widowers. Addey married well but Polley got a hard bargain.” “There was the [biggest] kind of a crop of babies around Old Hillsboro last summer… one in every house in town but mine.” “You must have quit mining and gone to farming from the way you turn out Irish Potatoes and I think you must be keeping a market garden. Are the mines turning out much gold? Did you make the strike you explain? Is there any coal out there?” John and Martha Elizabeth Mitchell both died in 1896 and are buried in Fresno, California.

on the Buck vein which they intend to use for [coke] at their furnace at [Oxmoor].” “There is also a core of engineers surveying here now for another RR into [Jones] Valley if they can find a suitable [route]. There [are] now six Rail Roads running into Birmingham,” Bowers writes. Bowers enumerates those who have since passed. “Mrs. Ruffin died, also Mrs. Tucker & John Tucker [were] killed by a Rail Road collision just one month after his mother died. Kesiah Riddle died with typhoid fever.” “Etter Dunnam was married to George Peel in December.

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TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2013

Helena Wildcat Cheering Squads Represent Several months ago, the Helena Wildcat cheering squads represented their city well in competition. Below are pictures of the squads submitted by mothers and/or sponsors along with the names of the girls who competed. Congratulations girls, and keep up the good work!

2nd grade – 2nd place

Allie Rae Anderson, Nina Fuller, Allie Graydon, Lauren Greene, Ariel Harris, Sadie Henderson, Victoria Mauterer, Mackenzie Myrick, Sydney Risch, Emma Sisson, and Gracey Whipple

3rd grade – 3rd place

Sara Anderson, Gracie Arnold, Maddie Clayton, Lexie Cooper, Elise Dufour, Katelynn Gilliland, Kate Hawes, Deztiney Hunter, Kyla Jones, Madelyn Lockwood, Chandlee Morgan, Samantha Ranson, Lacey Roller, Reese Tew, Raegan Thrasher, Abigail Viola, Kendal Watkins, Alysa Webb, and Emma Whitten

1st grade – 1st place

Rylie Worthy, Madison Massone, Abbey Kate Bedsole, Henley Montalbano, Haylie Deifenderfer, Anna Beth Goodman, Bryleigh Morton, Madelyn Gray, Harley Morrison, Graysen Smith, Rebekah Osborne, Macy Ozley, Charlotte Vincent, Presley Lively, Miah Rosener and Cammi Pugh

5th grade – 2nd place

Jaycee Adams, McKenzy Armstrong, Bailey Brophy, Madison Chapman, Caroline Cook, Ashanti Cowart, Jillian Daugherty, Audrey Deifenderfer, Olivia Dufour, Lauren Eads, Haleigh Faulk, Trinity Glover, Alyssa Gossett, Abbey Hess, Brooke Hopton-Jones, Lauren Lancaster, Mary Katelyn Latham, Marisa Morris, Ally O’Dell, Caitlin Pannell, Alaina Pitts, Lauren Pritchett, Chloe Risch, Caylee Rutland, Katelyn Schlotzhauer, Anna Kathryn Sharp, Emily Steen, Claire Vonderau, Lexi Webb, Ashley Weidler, Hayley Weidler, Kiersten Weidner, and Jenna Winter 40 Spring 2013 / www.CityOfHelena.org

4th grade – 3rd place

Brooke Baker, Hope Fuller, Cylie Jones, Chloe Cyphers, Emily Gruhn, Megan Calvert, Bree Thrasher, Sydney Aldrich, Brittney Henderson, Victoria Whisenant, SaVanna Cook, Chloe Carter, McKenzie Akins, Kourtnei Britton, Kristin Radice, Emma Franklin, and Addie Weathers

6th grade – 3rd place Riley Kathryn Bright, Laura Calero, Taylor Causey, Savanna Cutchin, Leeanna Henderson, Maddie Hollon, Elisabeth Hulbert, Anna Claire Hulbert, Haidyn Montalbano, Grayson Murphy, Lily Grace Owen, Emily Raley, Cristina Ryder, Holland Seitz, Sheridan Sharp, Maggie Vonderau, Tamia Ward, Jo Jo Ward, Carlie Watts and Kayla White

Same Name. Same Physicians. Same Great Patient Care.

New Location!

Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic is pleased to announce its new location at 120 Cahaba Valley Parkway, Suite 100, in Pelham. The new 10,000 square foot facility was designed with patients’ comfort in mind. It is beautifully landscaped, easily accessible from all major highways, provides convenient parking and a turn around for easy drop off. The reception area is spacious, furnished with stylish/comfortable seating, two walls of plasma HD televisions and computers for quick and easy registration. The colors and artwork throughout the building are visually appealing, and there is a soothing balance of natural and artificial light that creates a warm and inviting environment. There are large examination rooms, a casting room, X-ray room and a state-of-the-art physical therapy department. The facility has a curative feel that helps diminish tensions that some people may have during a doctor’s visit. The practice is staffed with friendly, hard- working office personnel, nurses who provide personalized care and physical therapists who work closely with

the surgeons to develop treatment plans specific to each patient’s goals. While based in Shelby County, Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic provides service to patients across the state, with hospital privileges at Trinity, Brookwood, Saint Vincent’s and the Baptist Medical Centers. With over 65 years of collective experience, they are one of the most highly referred practices by other physicians and previous patients. Dr. Daryl Dykes, Dr. Michael Gerhardt, Dr. Lloyd Johnson and Dr. Chad Mathis have devoted years of their lives to the treatment of injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Their passion for their work is demonstrated in the compassion shown to each patient. Whether athletic injuries in the young or degenerative conditions in the aging, Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic’s goal is to restore and help you return to an active and comfortable lifestyle. Online scheduling is available, along with registration forms. To make an appointment or to learn more about Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic, visit them at AlabamaBoneAndJoint.com or call 205-621-3778.

Daryl G. Dykes, MD

Lloyd Johnson III, MD

Michael C. Gierhardt, MD

Chad E. Mathis, MD

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YMCA Pelham is the place to be with programs, classes, and free special events all summer long for the entire family.

• Summer Day Camp • Summer Swim Team • Y Active youth fitness class

• Swim Lessons • TRX Suspension Training • Movies by the Pool every Friday in June and July

April is Alumni Month Rejoin YMCA Pelham or any YMCA of Greater Birmingham Branch in April for

No Enrollment Fee Offer ends April 30, 2013

YMCA Pelham 2610 Pelham Parkway Pelham, AL 35124

664-9622 ymcabham.org

MISSION To put Judeo-Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. VISION We will lead our community to become the healthiest in America. A United Way Partner. 42 Spring 2013 / www.CityOfHelena.org

Helena Middle Show Choir is “Scary Good!” The Music Machine is a fiftymember Show Choir extension of the traditional choral program directed by Frank Andrews at Helena Middle School. Comprised of fantastic singers and team members from 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, this group exists to provide a positive extracurricular experience for HMS singers who love to dance and perform. This year, the show choir took on a Zombie theme and was a crowd favorite. The show featured the songs “I Will Survive”, “Music In Me”, “I’ll Be There”, “Mercy”, “Zombie and I

Know It”, and “Thriller”. Zombies are so much fun, which is what we’re all about. Just a lot of great stuff to do that’s very different from what folks expect from a Show Choir performance. Our choreographer, Delle Kincaid, did a great job of Zombify-ing our dances. This year, the choir has toured all around the state, going to Show Choir Festivals that attract some of the best show choir programs in the southeast. The choirs traveled to the Albertville Diamond Classic,

where we tied for 1st in Best Overall Effects and came in 5th Place overall. We also traveled to the Montgomery Capital City Classic, the Homewood Southeastern Classic, and Hoover’s Choirs for a Cause. We finish out our season Saturday, April 6th with the Dessert Cabaret at Helena Middle School. One of the best things about our program is the way our parents rally around it, and make it successful. Our kids are fortunate to have so many parents who volunteer time for

our choir. We have a wonderful parent support group, POTCA (Patrons of the Choral Arts), that has worked very hard to help make our show fantastic this year. They made the Zombie Costumes happen, they built our sets, they worked backstage, and the list goes on and on. There are a lot of hands at work creating and maintaining this program. I’m proud to be a part of it. Frank Andrews, Helena Middle School Choral Department

Julie Johnston Selected HIS Teacher of the Year 2012-13 Julie Johnston, HIS Teacher of the Year, grew up in Tuscaloosa and spent her college years at Auburn University where she received her B.S. in Elementary Education. At HIS, she is on the Math Instruction Team, Yearbook Committee, and New Teacher Mentoring Program. Johnston appreciates the new math program, Investigations. “It is much more hands on and involves more games. Its implementation has taught teachers new, easier ways to teach multiplication and division.” “It teaches the kids there is

more than one way to learn a skill and makes so much more sense than older traditional methods.” “My students understand that wrong answers are not dumb answers; they’re just “wrinkles of confusion” waiting to be ironed out.” Johnston believes that every child can learn and says she will never let a student give up. “I teach my students to work in a group—and we practice from day one. This also enhances their understanding that every one of their classmates has a valuable opinion or thought just waiting to be shared.” TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2013

663-5677 Open Mon-Fri 8-5

Owners: Adam and Rikki Lowery

Truck and Automotive repair Fleet Services Welcome! 8601 Hwy 119, Alabaster, AL 35007

We now offer full detail for trucks & cars!

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2013 Starts Saturday, June 1! Head Football Coach Brett Burnett recognizes PHS Academic Achievement Award Winner Helena’s Fletcher Johnson

Volunteers are needed for “Helena Market Days” Farmers Market which begins Saturday, June 1st and runs through the end of August. If you are interested in working a few hours on Saturday mornings for the market, please contact Ron Holly at 410-4496.

Offensive MVP Eli Beall

Defensive MVP Chisom Muraoko

PHS Football Awards 2012 Pelham High School’s football team celebrated its 2012 season with a banquet at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena in December. The coaches stood up and recognized contributions many of the players made this year, and Coach Brett Burnett presented an individual accolade when he honored senior Fletcher Johnson with the team’s Academic Achievement Award for his hard work in the classroom. Helena City News would also like to recognize a few players for last season’s performance. The winners are all pictured at right. Congratulations to them all and good luck! Offensive MVP Eli Beall From his fullback position, Eli lit up opposing defenses, rushing

Academic Achievement Fletcher Johnson

Lineman of the Year Gardner fish

for 1,433 yards for a 6.5 yard average. Defensive MVP Chisom Muruako Chisom racked up 35 tackles on the season with 5 QB sacks from his position as defensive end. Lineman of the year Gardner Fish The Panthers were known this year for their powerful rushing attack, and that doesn’t happen without some road graders up front to blaze the trail. Gardner excelled at that in 2012. C

CMY

Last but not least, Coach Brett Burnett handed out the Jane Bishop Service Award this year to Becky Beall for all she did to help the team. The award is named for former athletic department assistant Jane Bishop, who died March 25, 2011. The award is given annually to someone who exemplifies Jane’s volunteer spirit of selfless giving. K

www.HelenaMarketDays.com

Ride_for_a_Cure_bkgrnd.pdf

3/28/13

10:58 PM

Ride for a Cure 2nd Annual

2LT Matthew Blount

M e m o rial R i d e

to Benefit the Sarcoma Foundation of America Ride Begins at Pelham Civic Complex Pelham, Alabama Saturday, April 20, 2013 Registration: 7:30 - 8:30 AM Cost: $50.00 per Bike Coffee and Biscuit Breakfast: 7:30 - 8:45 AM Kickstands Up at 9:00 AM Pre-Registration can be done a Soldiering4sarcoma.com After Your Journey, Texas Roadhouse will be serving lunch with 15% of the proceeds going to the SFA. Join us for lunch, giveaways, and fellowship! Be safe and thank you for your generosity. For additional information please contact: Nicole Hernandez or Melinda Blount at info@soldiering4sarcoma.com

TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2013

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There is a new soap company in Helena. Kimberly Ford’s Skull Girl Soaps are hand-made with all natural ingredients, and she is proud that her business is a small, family-owned operation. Her soaps can be purchased at SkullGirlSoaps.com, Etsy.com and on Facebook. You can also find her at local events; she will be at the Buck Creek Festival and various other events where vendors show their wares. Kim says her motivation and the catalyst for starting her new business venture was a genuine appreciation of quality handmade soaps. “I used to purchase soaps from another person until they moved away and no longer produced them, so I started making my own soap. As requests began to get more numerous from friends and family, I decided I’d sell them, and Skull Girl Soaps was born.” For more info or to order you favorite scented soap, call Kimberly at 902-1555.

The distinction of Senior Elite is the highest honor bestowed by an academic department at UM. achievement. Elite Night began in 1933 when the yearbook staff presented the “First Ladies at Alabama.” Historical accounts indicate Elite Night was an occasion to honor the Beauties, the Favorites, and Who’s Who of Alabama College, a women’s institution at the time. Shelby County is home to nine UM Senior Elite students, two of which hail from Helena. Alan Evans was recognized as a

Helena students honored at University of Montevallo as Senior Elite The University of Montevallo recognized 30 of its “best and brightest” at Elite Night recently, naming the top senior student in each major. The distinction of Senior Elite 46 Spring 2013 / www.CityOfHelena.org

is the highest honor bestowed by an academic department at UM. The faculty in each major selects their Senior Elite in recognition of exceptional leadership and outstanding academic

Senior Elite in health professions, and Tavi Juarez was named Senior Elite in theatre. Tavi also graduated last month from the Leading Edge Institute (LEI). LEI is a dynamic ninemonth leadership program dedicated to working with college women across the state of Alabama to change the face of leadership. LEI’s mission is to inspire, prepare and empower the young women of Alabama to lead our state to a more equitable and prosperous future. After completing her degree at UM, Tavi plans to go on to graduate school. Her life dream is to be a humanitarian, activist, role model and actress. Congratulations and best of luck to both of these outstanding young representatives of our city!

TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2013

P.O. Box 1209 Pelham, AL 35124 www.MyHelenaCityNews.com/www.CityOfHelena.org

Please patronize our local merchants. They are here to support your activities and provide you with convenience and professionalism. Show them you care by keeping your sales tax dollars at home where they will do YOU the most good!

Presort Std. U.S.Postage Paid Permit 15 Pelham, AL

Mayor

Mark R. Hall

City Clerk

Amanda Traywick

POSTAL PATRON

City Council

Leigh Hulsey Pres. Pro-Tem, Place 1 Mike Jones, Place 2 Cris Nelson, President, Place 3 Leslie Bartlett, Place 4 Hal Woodman, Place 5

Need an eye doc? See Dr. Paul. Need some fun? Check out the Buck Creek Festival and Rubber Duck Race May 10 & 11! Anyone interested in being a part of the City of Helena Beautification Board, please contact a city council member or Email Council President Cris Nelson at canelson@bellsouth.net.

Send us your articles & pictures! Article and/or picture submissions should be directed to: helenacitynews@aol.com. Photos should be in color, high resolution (as close to 300 DPI as possible), and saved as jpEg files. For additional information, call 746-1188.

For Advertising Information, call 746-1188 or Visit Us at www.MyHelenaCityNews.com Opinions expressed in the Helena City News are often those of contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein.

This and every issue of the Helena City News is brought to you by our advertisers!

April is Women’s Eye Health Month Protect your family’s vision, Schedule an Eye Exam Today! Official Sponsors of the 2013 Buck Creek Festival

Family Eye Care of Helena Paul J. Schifanella, O.D.

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• Prevent Wind & Storm Damage • Dangerous Tree & Limb Removal • Trimming & Pruning • Stump Removal

Now Accepting Consignments

Decor Consignment 3221 Hwy 52W, Creekview Plaza (just before the RR tracks & Donut Joe’s)

664-4454

www.ClassicHomeDecorConsignment.com

Astonishingly Affordable Prices! Open Mon-Sat 10-5:30 Sun 1-5

Furniture • Rugs • Lamps • Accessories

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