NEWS

By Anne Ruisi

Hugs and huge smiles were the order of the day as Post Place in Vestavia Hills, an arm of nonprofit organization Unless U, held its grand opening Aug. 5.

“We’re thankful to the Lord for the expansion and provision to serve more families,” said Lindy Cleveland, Unless U’s founder and executive director.

Unless U provides faith-based continuing education for adults with intellectual and development disabilities. It also provides instruction in development and life skills to its students.

Post Place, in the former Jefferson County ARC site on Hackberry Road, is a satellite campus of the main Unless U site next to Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. Unless U moved into the Post Place facility on June 6, Greer said. The building was completely renovated to make it appropriate to the organization’s needs.

The day program is a college-style experience for small groups of adults with special needs that had been offered at the main campus. The students now at Post Place require more assistance, and space constraints at the main campus meant Unless U could only work with five students a day, said Doug Williamson, a member of the organization’s board of directors and Cleveland’s father. The new facility will have a capacity of 40.

“We’re really excited about the opportunity to expand the services of Unless U and increase services to the families we serve at this location,” Williamson said.

Those services include classes in math, reading, science, history, Bible study and electives in the fine arts. Students also learn life skills, such as communication and healthy interaction, said Paula Heath, community and outreach coordinator. More oneon-one instruction is offered at Post Place and class sizes are smaller.

“It gives students with different abilities the opportunity to grow and learn,” said Jennifer Greer, Post Place director.

Unless U and Post Place services are strictly for people 18 and older who’ve graduated high school, according to Unless U’s website.

“The whole concept is these families and students don’t have a lot of options once they become adults. Lindy saw the need and wanted to provide services,” Heath said.

Greer, who was a special education teacher for 25 years in Vestavia Hills City Schools, agreed that once special needs students graduate from high school, there aren’t a lot of options.

“It’s heartbreaking,” she said.

While the Post Place students now are young adults, there are no age limits as to how long they can stay, Greer said.

“When I think about Post Place, the word hope comes into my heart,” Greer said.

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

NEWS OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL ‘Opportunity to Grow’

Unless U Opens Satellite Campus in Vestavia Hills

GRAND OPENING: Above, Lindy Cleveland, Unless U’s founder and executive director and Jennifer Greer, Post Place director at the Post Place ribbon cutting last week. Unless U provides faith-based continuing education for adults with intellectual and development disabilities. Below left, Athena Hontzas shares a hug with the Chick-fil-A cow. Below right, Unless U Staffers, from left, Mary Grace Sauermann, Lisa Ferguson, Meredith Binkley and Lisa Williamson. Larry O’Berry and Will Toffel

The Accidental Entrepreneur

MB Chamber Quarterly Luncheon

Jennifer Senske Ryan, founder and owner of BLUEROOT and Croux, was the keynote speaker at the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce quarterly luncheon on Aug. 2.

Ryan shared her inspirational story of moving to Birmingham in 2019 and wanting to find food that was good for her and easy to get, which led her to open BLUEROOT.

Ryan also talked about how the pandemic led her to the idea of her latest venture: Croux.

Croux is an app that matches vetted local talent with opportunity to help restaurants fill shifts quickly and provide workers with choice as well as flexibility.

Also during the meeting John Wilson was named as the recipient of the Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award, “given in grateful appreciation or going above and beyond during many years of dedicated service to the Mountain Brook Chamber.”

Wilson is president/managing director of accounting services firm Borland Benefield.

Maury Wald, publisher of Over The Mountain Journal, was recognized for outstanding service and partnership with the Mountain Brook Chamber. The Journal celebrated its 32nd anniversary on Aug. 2.

Jennifer Ryan, above left, talks with guests at the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce quarterly luncheon last week. Above right, John Wilson with members of the Borland Bennefied team. Wilson received the Outstanding Corporate Citizen award at the luncheon.

Vestavia Hills Buys Days Inn Property for Redevelopment

By Anne Ruisi

Vestavia Hills has bought the former Days Inn property at 1485 Montgomery Highway with plans to demolish the former hotel and sell the site to a developer.

The City Council unanimously approved buying the property for $3.6 million from RAM Hospitality LLC during a called meeting Aug. 1, said Cinnamon McCulley, the city’s communications director. The funds to buy the property are from $8 million in federal stimulus money the city received through the American Rescue Plan.

Redevelopment will be an important step to improving the area, which is an important business corridor, McCulley said.

“It’s a gateway to that part of Vestavia Hills,” and an important business corridor, McCulley said.

Private property owners have done a lot of work in the area, which is prone to flooding in heavy downpours, she said. Newer businesses, such as the Verizon store, have made improvements that include flood mitigation measures.

City officials haven’t set a firm timeline to raze the former hotel and prepare it to sell, as they have to get permits and put the demolition project out for bids, McCulley said. They would like to do that as soon as possible, probably in a few months.

Before it was a Days Inn, the property was the site of a Howard Johnson’s motel.

Journal photo by Maury Wald

The City Council unanimously approved buying the property for $3.6 million from RAM Hospitality LLC during a called meeting Aug. 1

6 Running for Mountain Brook City Council

Mountain Brook voters will cast their ballots for candidates running for three at-large seats on the City Council in the Aug. 23 municipal election.

Place 1 incumbent Alice B. Womack is not running for reelection. Vying for her seat are Christopher Powanda and Graham Smith, City Clerk Heather Richards said.

The two incumbents for Place 3 and Place 5 are running for reelection and face challengers. Incumbent William S. “Billy” Pritchard III is running against Kent Osband for Place 3 and incumbent Lloyd C. Shelton is running against Tate Davis for Place 5, Richards said.

Candidates will be on hand to meet the public at a Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce Meet and Greet event Aug. 16 at City Hall. The event, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., will be on the front lawn. Other city leaders and the chamber’s new executive director, Emily Jensen, will attend.

The elected council members will take office Nov. 7. HANNA

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To: Hanna Antique From: Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 Date: April Talk about health screenings with a doctor This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the April 7th issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246. who listens Please make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number! Health screenings are important for all of us. Taking care of yourself means being proactive about your health. So talk with a doctor with Ascension St. Vincent’s about the screenings that are right for you, Please initial and fax back within 24 hours. based on your age and family history. They may help detect cancer If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, early, when it’s most treatable. your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday. Thank you for your prompt attention. If you need more care, including more advanced treatment options, you are connected to compassionate care teams right for you.