ON TYBEE ISLAND TIME • JON OSBORNE’S REDEMPTIVE ART • MAGIC CITY THEATRE ON ICE
RED & WHITE
A COLUMBIANA WINE SHOP DEEPLY ROOTED IN HISTORY
let the
LIGHT IN
INSIDE DECORATOR MARY BEASLEY’S MT LAUREL HOME
MARCH/APRIL 2022 ShelbyLiving.com Volume 14 | Issue 2 $4.95
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2 March/April 2022
FEATURES 50
NOT ALONE For Amanda Gremillion, talking about postpartum OCD, anxiety and depression is key to ending the stigma around it and helping others through it.
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HOPE IN BLOOM Project Sunflower is repurposing florals to bring joy and smiles to hospital patients and nursing home residents across the area.
63 HIT THE ROAD
ON TYBEE TIME Slow down to explore sandy beaches, marshes and historical sites on this small island off the southern coast of Georgia.
69 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
With spring comes the time for cleaning and home projects. Here’s your guide to renovations, landscaping and other resources.
4 March/April 2022
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
BUILDERS & BUYERS
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PHOTO BY MORGAN HUNT
arts & culture
11 Life in Color: Jon Osborne’s Redemptive Contemporary Art 18 Arts Council Corner: Student Showcase
schools & sports
19 Theatre on Ice: Where Athleticism Meets the Arts
food
& drink
27 Red & White: A Wine Shop Deeply Rooted in History 36 Five Questions For: Next Level Chef’s Jonathan Harrison
home
in every issue 4 Contributors 5 From the Editor 6 The Question 7 The Guide 74 Business Connections 80 Out & About 86 Marketplace 88 My Shelby County
& style
37 Mixing It Up: Inside a Decorator’s Mt Laurel Home
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contributors EDITORIAL
Alec Etheredge Meg Herndon Michelle Love Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Emily Sparacino
CONTRIBUTORS
Carmen Brown Christina & Daniel Dennis Lauren Dowdle Morgan Hunt Sasha Johns Christiana Roussel Mary Tweedy
DESIGN
Jamie Dawkins Connor Martin-Lively Kimberly Myers Briana Sansom
Carmen Brown, Writer
Carmen is a feature writer and editor with an M.A. in communication and information sciences from the University of Alabama. She has written for several local and national publications including The Executive, Home Care, Tuscaloosa Magazine and, of course, Shelby Living. In addition to chasing a good story, she loves writing about music, health and fitness, and stories of resilience.
Morgan Hunt, Photographer
Morgan recently finished her MA in photography from Savannah College of Art and Design and also holds a BS in art from the University of Montevallo. With her business, Morgan Hunt Media, she works as a freelance commercial and wedding photographer in the Birmingham area. She believes that photographs have a very unique storytelling ability, and her work lives in a space between journalism and fine art.
MARKETING
Octavia Campbell Evann Campbell Jessica Caudill Kari George Michaela Hancock Rachel Henderson Rhett McCreight Tori Montjoy Viridiana Romero
ADMINISTRATION Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Daniel Holmes Stacey Meadows Tim Prince Brittany Schofield Savana Tarwater Anna Willis
Sasha Johns, Writer
Sasha is constantly inspired by the century-old house she inhabits in the heart of Columbiana along with her husband, Robert, and three kids. She is a community columnist for the Shelby County Reporter and co-founder of Common Threads Storytelling. When she’s not spinning a tale or writing about the happenings in our county seat, she can be found at the SCHS football field watching her kids march in the Pride of Shelby County Band.
Christiana Roussel, Writer
Where should we have dinner? Where should we go on our next family vacation or couple’s getaway? What kind of shotgun should I buy? These are all queries writer Christiana Roussel has answered in recent months. While food writing is her original passion, she has really enjoyed expanding her repertoire to include travel and sporting activities that might involve an upland adventure. And no, it is not just because there might be a need for new clothes for the expedition.
Shelby Living Magazine is published bi-monthly by Shelby County Newspapers Inc., P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Shelby Living Magazine is a registered trademark. All contents herein are the sole property of Shelby County Newspapers Inc. [the Publisher]. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. Please address all correspondence (including but not limited to letters, story ideas and requests to reprint materials) to: Editor, Shelby Living Magazine, P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Shelby Living Magazine is mailed to select households throughout Shelby County, and a limited number of free copies are available at local businesses. Please visit ShelbyLiving.com for a list of those locations. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $14.95 plus tax for one year by visiting ShelbyLiving.com or calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 532. Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing advertise@ShelbyLiving.com, or by calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 536.
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from the editor
A
ON THE COVER
At age 16, I learned to merge across Highway 280 morning congestion at rapid speed. There began the rectangle of sorts I lived my life in, driving up Valleydale Road, across Caldwell Mill and then back up Highway 119 to 280 once again. I didn’t think much of it at the time; it was all I knew. But then I left the state, and when I came back, I truly saw the beauty of a forested Double Oak Mountain and took in the pastoral, sometimes mountainous scenery along the roads I’d driven day after day. But little did I know that was just the start of mining the depths of the area where I’d played in backyards and ridden yellow buses. To know Shelby County is to know its enchanting landscapes, and editing this magazine the past almost two years has opened my eyes to the profundity of it—much thanks to photos we’ve featured by photographers like Beau Taylor (@wkeeper1117) and Denise George (@drivin.miss.daisy.pics). To know Shelby County is to know the vibrant sunsets you can see looking westbound from Helena High School, the rushing creek waters you’ll hear along the Dunnavant Valley Greenway and the fog you’ll find cloaking horse pastures in Montevallo at daybreak. But that’s not all, I’ve learned. To know Shelby County is to know teachers who cheerlead the next generation with all they have, nonprofits passionately shaping the world around them for the better and homes interiors with a warmth of hospitality you can’t quite perceive in magazine photos. To know Shelby County is to know entrepreneurs, artists, bakers, farmers, chefs and athletes—some well known, others content to live their visions and passions quietly behind the scenes. To know Shelby County is to know one sparkling smile after another, one friendly face after another, one story of loss after another, one story of redemption after another. Shelby County, sharing your stories has left me endlessly in awe of humanity and its beauty that shines just as bright if not brighter than the landscapes around it. And that is what will stick with me as I bid farewell to a sweet season of editing this publication after this issue, and I know that’s what will continue to drive what you’ll find in the pages of this magazine in issues to come. If I know myself, this certainly won’t be the end of my storytelling here either. Thanks for sharing in this journey with me!
Let the Light In
Mary Beasley mixes textures and styles in her Mt Laurel home just as she does for decorating clients through Let’s Be Frank Designs. Photo by Morgan Hunt Design by Jamie Dawkins
madoline.markham@shelbyliving.com
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“ ” THE QUESTION
Where’s the best place to be in Shelby County in the spring?
The American Village at the Tulip Festival!
Oak Mountain State Park! We have so many amazing native plants that bloom there in the spring. Tiny crocus and native azalea are two of my favorites.
Saturday afternoon with the family at Cat-n-Bird Winery—food trucks, live music, pets, friends.
The Depot in Helena listening to the waterfall while outside eating!
Anywhere on Lay Lake is nice during the spring, but I enjoy the park at Beeswax Creek.
Veterans Park in Alabaster on a Saturday during baseball/softball/soccer season.
The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum. In addition to Saturday train rides starting in March, there are also special events happening almost every month!
The best place to be in Shelby County is my yard— in the hammock, gardening or getting the pool ready!
-Jessica Pounders Henry
-Christy Salter
-Gary Weaver
-Lindsay Schluntz Barnett
8 March/April 2022
-Melissa Phillips
-Renee Brown Bailey
-Michelle Kent Brakefield
-Stephanie Ehley
THE GUIDE
BIRMINGHAM BULLS GAMES Pelham Civic Center Come out to see Birmingham’s hockey team in action. Find tickets and game times at bullshockey.net. MARCH 4: Vs. Pensacola Ice Flyers MARCH 5: Vs. Knoxville Ice Bears MARCH 10: Vs. Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs MARCH 26: Vs. Knoxville Ice Bears MARCH 31: Vs. Evansville Thunderbolts APRIL 8: Vs. Huntsville Havoc APRIL 9: Vs. Huntsville Havoc ShelbyLiving.com
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THE GUIDE AROUND TOWN MARCH 5 Hoover Service Club Hearts in Harmony Fundraiser Hoover Country Club MARCH 5 ASPIRE Wine 10K and Benchmark First Responder 5K The Finley Center, Hoover Met MARCH 5 Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-Off Brookwood Village
APRIL 9
Mt Laurel Spring Festival TOWN OF MT LAUREL The Town of Mt Laurel will celebrate spring with a street fair, dishes from
local food trucks and live music on the Bryson Square Stage. Find more details on mtlaurel.com.
PLAY ON Look no further than the Shelby County Arts Council in Columbiana for your next night out for an evening of live music of your choice in the Song Theater. For tickets and information, visit shelbycountyartscouncil.com and click on the “Tickets & Event Calendar” tab. MARCH 25: Led Zeppelin Acoustic Tribute APRIL 8: Sweet Tea Trio APRIL 30: Rose Colored Glasses
2022 Statewide High School Juried Art Exhibit See work from the most talented high school artists from around the state at this annual exhibit. Artwork will be on display 10 March/April 2022
MARCH 19 Iron City Trailfest Oak Mountain State Park MARCH 19 Circle of Love 5K Veterans Park MARCH 26 Rumpshaker 5K Regions Field MARCH 28-APRIL 1 Spring Break Shelby County Schools
MARCH 28-APRIL 24
Shelby County Arts Council, Columbiana
MARCH 10 Taste of Homewood Rosewood Hall Plaza MARCH 12 GreenWise Market Village 2 Village 10K and 7.5K Mountain Brook Village
LIVE MUSIC
MARCH 4: Rick and Debbie Bond with Lil Jimmy Reed MARCH 11: The Dill Pickers MARCH 19: Lenny Leblanc, Bob Bennet and Mo Pitney
MARCH 10-11 Tried and True Children’s Consignment Riverchase Day School
until the closing reception and awards ceremony on April 24 at 2 p.m. that is open to the public. This show is made possible by the UAB Department of Art and Art History and The University of Montevallo Department of Art.
MARCH 31-APRIL 10 Stephen Sondheim’s Company Virginia Samford Theatre APRIL 2 Pelham Polar Plunge Oak Mountain State Park APRIL 2 Ellis Porch Statue to Statue 15K Starts at Vulcan Park & Museum
THE GUIDE APRIL 8-10 Birmingham Barons Home Openers vs. Rocket City Trash Pandas Regions Field APRIL 8-24 Once Red Mountain Theatre Company APRIL 9 Diabetes Walk for Camp Seale Harris Veterans Park APRIL 9 Cornhole Classic The Bell Center APRIL 22-24 Magic City Art Connection Linn Park APRIL 23 Mutt Strut: Dog-Friendly 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run Benefitting Hand in Paw Homewood Central Park APRIL 28-29 Spring Plant Sale Aldridge Gardens APRIL 29-MAY 1 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Barber Motorsports APRIL 30 Celebrate Hoover Day Veterans Park APRIL 30 Highlands College Half Marathon + 10K Downtown Birmingham APRIL 30 Gumbo Gala Presented by Episcopal Place Cahaba Brewing Company APRIL 30 Bob Sykes BBQ & Blues Festival DeBardeleben Park, Bessemer
MARCH 26
Bama Bully Rescue’s Running for the Bulls 5K and 1-Mile 9 A.M. Oak Mountain State Park
Come out for a family and fur friendly event to raise money for Bama Bully Rescue. Since 2008, the rescue has been pulling bully breed dogs from Alabama shelters and placing them in loving foster homes. Once these pups learn the ropes on how to belong in a family, they are ready to go to their forever homes. Their goal is to decrease the number of bullies that would, without our support, be relinquished by their owners. Register online.
MARCH 19
Barktober Fest 11 A.M.-6 P.M. Helena Amphitheater Park
Come out for largest annual fundraiser for Two by Two Rescue and support their foster and adoption services and celebrating all pets in the Greater Birmingham area. The festival will be filled with food and beverage vendors, shopping, dog-friendly activities and kidapproved fun. For details, visit Twobytworescue.com/ events/barktoberfest/.
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THE GUIDE MARCH 15
Taste of Pelham 6 P.M. Pelham Civic Complex
APRIL 16
Judy M. Merritt Memorial 5K and Eggstravaganza Veterans Park in Hoover Jefferson State’s sixth-annual spring 5K race and Easter egg hunt promises a morning of family fun. More than 10,000 eggs will be up for grabs, along with a variety of prizes, including gift cards, cash, toys, TVs and more. The Easter Bunny will be onsite for photos, of course, and kids can also enjoy face painting, glitter tattoos, bounce houses and inflatable slides. Visit Jeffersonstate.edu/5K for registration information.
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The Pelham Library Guild wants to match hearty appetites with a sample of local restaurants and caterers in the name of raising money to build a new library. Get tickets at 2022tasteofpelham.eventbrite.com.
&CULTURE
ARTS
LIFE IN COLOR
Jon Osborne uses vibrant hues to create happy endings in his redemptive contemporary art. BY LAUREN H. DOWDLE PHOTOS BY MARY TWEEDY ShelbyLiving.com
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Jon Osborne uses not one, not two, but three types of paint in his pieces. House paint reminds him of his southern roots and upbringing in rural Davenport, Alabama—an aesthetic of his humble beginnings. “House paint makes everything look warm and helps me to tell the story of hometown,” he says. The spray paint he incorporates shows how energetic he is now in his life. “I’m very vibrant and grateful, so I wanted to pay homage to that.” And then the acrylic paint represents where he’s going in life and has a permanent, matte style to it. “Each paint style plays a part aesthetically in telling the stories I want to portray in my paintings,” Jon says. While his style fits in no single box, he thinks of it as redemptive contemporary that’s been inspired by folk art that started with painting on found objects that helped him express a narrative.
“I like to share stories of positivity or redemption in my work, whether that’s something personal to me or a story of someone else who was able to overcome something,” he says. A creative child growing up, Jon remembers always having his hands in something artsy all the way through school. He majored in fine arts with a minor in graphic design at Alabama State University before transferring to Trenholm State Community College to earn a graphic communications degree. “I’ve always had a big imagination, and most everyone in my family was artistic—though more music-wise,” he says. “I used that to help the time go by when I wasn’t doing homework or chores. It kept me busy.” Jon transitioned to a professional artist in 2016 and now paints full time from his home in Shelby County. His pieces can be found in Design Supply ShelbyLiving.com
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at Pepper Place and Art On 7th in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Both Jon and his artwork have evolved through the years, from mostly smaller pieces to the larger, more detailed paintings he focuses on now. “At first, I was creating art for fun,” he says. “Now, it’s turned into something I was meant to do.” Besides his humble beginnings, there’s something else that contributes to his artistic style—something that’s much more personal. Recently, Jon discovered he has synesthesia, meaning he experiences one of his senses through another—though putting into words what it’s like is difficult. “If you play music, any genre, I see the colors and lights in lines, shapes, etc.,” Jon explains. “Sometimes, my artwork comes to me in my dreams. But most of the time it comes from my synesthesia now, which inspires me to illustrate how it unravels and evolves.” His pieces allow him to focus on something he’s passionate about, while also giving him an avenue to connect with people. “I’m able to touch people with my artwork, and I feel very fortunate that art 16 March/April 2022
Jon Osborne likes to use vibrant colors to uplift others as he paints from his North Shelby County home studio.
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HEALING THROUGH ART Following an assault in 2019, Jon’s synesthesia was enhanced, and he decided to take a break from painting because it became overwhelming. Now, he says he’s learning to incorporate this neurological condition into his artistic style. “It’s a blessing,” he says. During his own personal healing, Jon explored being more vulnerable in his purpose and his perception. He wanted others to have that opportunity too, striving to bring awareness to art therapy and creativity— especially for the younger generation. He says he often sees children who have gifts or think differently but aren’t allowed to explore that side of themselves. “To get through my traumatic brain injury and the
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rehabilitation around my incident, I had to learn how to speak again, comprehend, balance, everything. I had to create,” Jon says. “It changed my life to be an artist. It helped me to heal a lot, and that’s why I pushed.” Having walked that journey, he can understand and identify when anyone is dealing with their own struggles, whether that’s from an experience, recovery and/or disability. But Jon says there is healing through art and music.
has that ability,” Jon says. “I’m also able to share the story around the piece.” One of his favorite pieces he’s created is called “Liberation.” As the name suggests, it set him free from his own artistic insecurities, allowing him to open up and also talk with other creative friends. “It was a piece where, at the time I created it, it clicked to me that part of my purpose was to create,” Jon says. “It was a validation and a spark for me personally that what I was doing was right and that it was alright to be an artist.” Jon meditates before he paints, drawing artistic inspiration from music, imagination and identity—sometimes using the lyrics of a song he’s listening to as the title of a piece. His first round with a piece is where he can let himself play and see what comes out. Then, he goes back to see what he’s created to better define what message the piece is portraying. “Ultimately, I want to tell a story at the end,” he says. While his audience may be growing around the 18 March/April 2022
Birmingham area and beyond, the message he hopes to instill in each piece stays the same. “Most of my work has a little happy ending. I like to uplift people, and I use vibrant colors as a metaphor for that,” Jon says. “I would love to use a bold choice and step outside of the box. That’s how I use my imagination.” To view or purchase Jon’s pieces, visit jonosbornejr.com or follow him on social media at @jonosborneartist.
2016
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ARTS COUNCIL CORNER
STUDENT SHOWCASE
Stop by the SCAC for the Statewide High School Juried Art Exhibit and a show in the theatre this spring. BY LINDSAY DYESS PHOTO CONTRIBUTED We’re chasing those winter blues away and preparing for a fun spring at the Shelby County Arts Council. If you still haven’t been to the Arts Center located in beautiful Columbiana, what are you waiting for? Take a stroll through the beautiful Old Mill Square Park, toss a coin in the gorgeous Italian style fountain, and then come inside the Arts Center to see one of the rotating gallery exhibits. There is always something happening at the Shelby County 2021 Statewide High School Arts Council. Whether Juried Art Exhibit Best it’s a performance in the in Show Winner “Sun City” by Ashley Luna Mendez Song (Black Box) Theater, a gallery exhibit, or art or music class, everyone is welcome to participate! Opening in the EBSCO Fine Art Gallery in March is the 2022 Statewide High School Juried Art Exhibit. Each year this exhibit opens submission in January to all Alabama high school students in grades 10-12. There is no cost to enter the exhibit and students are encouraged to enter as a way to gain experience in entering a professional level art competition. Students also have the chance to compete for cash prizes for the winners of the best in each category and the best in show. Each year the University of Montevallo and UAB provide the SCAC with experienced artists and professors to judge the competition. These college professors are challenged with first viewing all the work through a digital submission, making their selections to be placed in the gallery, and then once the work is on site, choosing the winning selections. They take careful 20 March/April 2022
consideration in choosing each piece of art that will be on display. It is exciting each year to see the talent of high schools from across Alabama! The High School Juried Art Exhibit will open the week of March 28. The exhibit will conclude on Sunday, April 24 2-4 p.m. with a closing reception and awards ceremony. Everyone is invited to attend this closing event. Join us in honoring these talented young artists! This gallery exhibit is sponsored by the University of Montevallo’s Department of Art, UAB’s Department of Art and Art History and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Caring Foundation. If you’re looking for more events and opportunities this spring, check out a show in the Song Theater! Our upcoming lineup includes: Rick and Debbie Bond with Lil Jimmy Reed on March 4; The Dill Pickers on March 11; Lenny Leblanc, Bob Bennet and Mo Pitney on March 19; A Led Zeppelin acoustic tribute on March 25; Sweet Tea Trio on April 8; and Rose Colored Glasses on April 30! For tickets and information on these upcoming performances, visit shelbycountyartscouncil.com and click on the “Tickets & Event Calendar” tab. And while you’re there, treat yourself or someone special to an art class or workshop. We have something for everyone, no experience required. For more information on everything happening at the Shelby County Arts Council, visit shelbycountyartscouncil.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@shelby_county_arts).
SCHOOL
&SPORTS
THEATRE ON ICE
What do you get when you combine figure skating with theatre and dance? Find out at Pelham’s ice rink. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY MELANIE HEANEY PHOTOGRAPHY ShelbyLiving.com
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I
It’s hard to watch the Winter Olympics and not be mesmerized by figure skating—and likely want to lace up some skates yourself. Lucky for us, we have an ice rink close to home in the Pelham Civic Center. What you might not know, though, is that it’s also home to the only theatre on ice program in the state that draws skaters locally and from Huntsville and Montgomery. To learn more about it and how anyone can try ice skating, we chatted with Anita Saxena, one of the directors of Magic City Theatre on Ice. First of all, what exactly is theatre on ice? It’s a growing division of US figure skating, and teams have eight to 24 skaters. It’s a mixture of the athleticism of figure skating with the grace and artistry of theatre and dance. What do you like about this form of skating? I grew up as a competitive skater. It’s an individual sport. You train on your own, work on your own, compete on your own. Theatre on ice adds this team dynamic. It’s great to be able to work on a team, set a goal together, have other people out there on the ice with you. It can give you a sense of a security to know you have teammates out there with you. How did Magic City Theatre on Ice get started? In 2016 the Pelham Civic Complex was awarded the opportunity to host the national Theatre on Ice Championships, but there was no theatre team at the time. A group of us skaters got together and called ourselves Magic City Theatre on Ice. We competed and had an amazing time. We ended up in the middle of the pack, and so we organized ourselves a little better. In 2017 we went to the national championships in Evansville, Indiana, and we got fifth that year. After that season Emily Sanders and I said to the facility that we thought we could lead this program, and we worked our booties off that year and took home our national title in 2018. We repeated that win in 2019 and 2021.
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Magic City Theatre on Ice performed a routine to music from Beetlejuice to take home a national title in 2021.
There are two types of routines you prepare for your competitions. Can you tell us more about those? One is called a choreographic exercise, and in that US figure skating declares a theme for every year. You can pick any type of music that helps you express the theme, and every team has to show acceleration in something call flocking. If you are watching a group of birds in the sky and you see how they change formations as they fly across the crowds, similarly we have to show that in how we change leader and change shape. That’s our short program, and you wear simple black. For the long program you can skate to whatever you want and express whatever theme you want and tell whatever story that you want. What have been some of your routines and 24 March/April 2022
themes from the past few years? In 2018 we did a western theme free skate and skated to “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly” and the “William Tell Overture,” and we told a comedic story of a little town and the people in the town who robbed the bank and a show-off. For our choreographic exercise that year, we took a series of poems about transforming yourself, and a friend recorded and narrated it for us. In 2019, the chorographic exercise was cultural dance. One team did an Irish drinking song, and the other team did a Hawaiian theme with drums and mixed in music from Lilo & Stitch. For the free skates, we did one with Aladdin music, and for our other team we did a story where a mom and a daughter see a circus and the daughter joins. In the end everyone danced with the circus.
150 Artists • Corks & Chefs Live Performances Imagination Festival for Kids Cafe & Lounges • Special Exhibitions
You took 2020 off due to COVID and won a national title again in 2021. What was the show for that year that we see in the photos for this article? We skated to music from the Broadway musical and the movie Beetlejuice, and the man who plays Beetlejuice is the retired director of the Pelham Civic Complex, Danny Tate. We had skaters on that team from ages 8 to 55, and it was cool to see the different ages work together and mentor each other and help each other. What about the costumes? We start by coming up with a color palette, and then you find pieces that reflect what you are skating to. We don’t have to be matchy-matchy. Each skater can have a slightly different costume but still reflect the color palette and the theme. It takes a whole
FIND ART
April 22-24, 2022 Sloss Furnaces
Image: Chloe York, “Washy Decorator 2”
www.magiccityart.com 2022 SPONSORS: Alabama State Council on the Arts & the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency • Avadian Credit Union • Bancography • BlueCross and BlueShield of Alabama • Coca Cola United • Dermal Brands EventWorks Rentals • Jemison Investment Company, Inc. • Joe Piper, Inc. • Kinetic Communications Sloss Furnaces Foundation, Inc. • Yarbrough Festival Foodservices MEDIA SPONSORS: AL.com • Babypalooza • Bham Now • Birmingham Mountain Radio 107.3fm • B-Metro • EXCURSIONSgo.com High Level Marketing • Over the Mountain Journal • Shelby Living • Starnes Media • The Birmingham Times This is Alabama • WBHM Public Radio 90.3fm
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local skaters perform solos and duets. This year we will have a sendoff exhibition June 18, and it’s free What are rehearsals for theatre on ice like? to the public. We’ll be exhibiting the programs we’ll It’s a lot like football. In between practices I be taking to nationals at the end of June in Wichita, review footage. We have GoPros up around the Kansas. arena. The judges see it from the bird’s eye view, and when we coach we are down at ice level. Earlier Other than theatre on ice, can you share in the season there is a good bit of trial and error. some about other ice skating opportunities It’s great to go through that creative process and at the Pelham Civic Center? We have Learn to Skate classes for tots, children learn to try new things. and adults a couple times a week. We have freestyle When can the public see Magic City Theatre lessons where skaters at any level can work with a coach privately. We also have public sessions where on Ice live? Usually the Pelham Skate School has an annual you can drop by and rent skates, and they also offer holiday ice show, and we exhibited at that this past birthday parties. We are also home to the December. Last April we put on our own show Birmingham Bulls; you can find their schedules called the Ice Gala and invited nine other teams online. There is always something happening. from across the county who performed and had season for it to come together.
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What would you tell someone who wants to try skating but is intimidated by it? We have a great adult class program on Monday evenings. They will walk you through the process. You will lace up skates, walk around the lobby, learn how to sit down and get up in the lobby, and then when you feel comfortable, someone will help you on the ice. We offer something similar for children. It’s valid to have concerns because ice is slippery, but some guidance can go a long way. Aside from coaching ice skating, you are also a writer. Tell us about your new book. There are very few authentic fiction books out there about figure skating. I actually have a middle grade book that just came out through Gatekeeper Press called Double Axle or Nothing, and it talks about a 12-year-old girl who is trying to be a competitive ice skater and the personal hurdles she grows through and the growth and journey she has. I wanted it to come out around the Olympics. Costumes for Magic City Theatre on Ice coordinate on a theme but do not have to all match.
What’s a moment that stands out from your time with Magic City Theatre on Ice? We took a group of young girls to Evansville, Indiana, for their first theatre on ice nationals, and
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one of the girls said, “This was more fun than Disney World!” The kids love dressing up and getting to perform, and the adults too. Magic City Theatre on Ice is a 503(c)(3) nonprofit. Learn more about how to support it at magiccitytheatreonice.com.
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&DRINK
FOOD
RED & WHITE
A wine shop deeply rooted in family history in Columbiana has become a favorite, and not just for locals. BY SASHA JOHNS PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA & DANIEL DENNIS ShelbyLiving.com
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Kelly Davis opened Just a Tish wine shop in Columbiana in 2020.
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Kelly Davis remembers first being curious about wine when she was a little girl at her grandparents’ home in Columbiana. “Growing up, they always had a carboy with a little balloon on top, fermenting in the kitchen,” she says with a fond smile while reminiscing. Like many families in the South, making muscadine wine was a homestead practice, and each family had its own methods and secrets. In later years, as her grandmother got older, when someone asked her if she wanted some wine, she’d always respond with, “Just a tish.” Little did she know that it would foreshadow her granddaughter’s future. Kelly’s deep family roots in the area go back to her great-grandfather Leven Handy Ellis, a former mayor, state senator and lieutenant governor of Alabama. He set an example for his family that has resulted in generations that have served and been deeply invested in their communities in various ways from business to politics to volunteerism. Handy’s son, Frank, married Annie Christine Moody, a fourth-grade teacher who became known as “Teenie” to her friends and eventually her grandchildren too, and today Kelly’s homage to her grandmother Teenie and her family roots can be felt all over her wine store in Columbiana, aptly named Just a Tish. To the left of her bar is a vintage photo of Teenie that is enlarged. The photo shows the sass and character of a woman who knew how to enjoy life and how to make others laugh. Across the center of the bar are wines that are available for tasting. True to the name of the shop, a customer can get “just a tish” of a bottle to see if they like it in her signature tiny “tish” tasting glasses. In the front of the shop sits a comfortable seating area with couches and a low table. Just beyond the table you’ll find vintage yearbooks
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Just a Tish has a collection of Shelby County High School yearbooks for customers to reminisce when they visit. Owner Kelly Davis and her family members are graduates of the school as well.
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Just a Tish got its name from a catchphrase Kelly’s grandmother Annie Christine “Teenie” Moody Ellis often was known for saying. Teenie is pictured looking to the right with relatives in this black and white photo.
T H A N K YO U A R D E N T PA R E N T S ! MAGAZINE
HOOVER’S
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from Shelby County High School, where Kelly and her ancestors went to school. She’s been collecting yearbooks for friends and customers to reminisce over when they visit the store. After the idea for the store was sparked in the fall of 2019, Kelly took her time to plan, and cautiously opened her doors during the quarantine in May of 2020. “My goal was to start slow,” she says. “I didn’t want to get into debt, and I wanted to build my selection at the rate that my business grew.” Working from that idea, she started by finding a location that more than made sense just off Main Street on West College. Conveniently, it shares parking with the Shelby County Arts Council complex that opened just months before she did, giving the shop ready access to events and a clientele that wanted to enjoy a glass just before a show. When she opened her doors, though, Kelly only had one wall full of the first wines she selected for ShelbyLiving.com
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THE MAKINGS OF CHEESE BOARDS Stop by Just a Tish for a cheese board lunch and a glass of wine! · Havarti, cheddar or goat cheese
· Raspberry spread or
a house made pimento cheese
· Finger foods like crackers, grapes,
almonds, and housemade pickles
· Slices of Italian salami to finish things off
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her inventory at what is now a mid-range price point. It was important to her that anyone could come in and afford her wines, but she eventually brought in several higher-end “special occasion” wines as well as some lower price point varieties. Whether you want a $10 glass or a $100 glass, there is truly something for every preference and budget. The shop’s proximity to the Lay Lake crowd has also been beneficial to her business. “As folks stopped by on their way to the lake, word began to get out that I was here,” Kelly recounts. “They’d tell their friends about us, and pretty soon folks started making the trip from Calera and Chelsea and even eventually Chilton County too.” No matter where customers come from or the knowledge they have about it, Kelly’s joy comes from helping them find just the right wine. As distributors have begun to bring her more wine to consider and taste, she’s found it easier to meet ShelbyLiving.com
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TRY JUST A TISH! The “just a tish” wines are a rotating selection of: · 3 white wines · 3 red wines · 1 rose’
You can also select a full bottle of retail wine to open for a small corkage fee, and craft beers are also available.
those needs and learn the right questions to ask, and she’s started to host regular wine tasting events with her distributors. For her, owning a wine shop is all about learning and not snobbery. “That’s not at all what it’s about,” she stresses, “I’m learning new stuff about wine myself daily, and I love sharing my passion with others.” Just a Tish is located at 123 West College Street, Suite B in Columbiana. Learn more at justatishwine.com or follow them on Facebook or @just_a_tish_wine on Instagram.
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FOOD & DRINK
5
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR
Jonathan Harrison
Next Level Chef Contestant PHOTO BY KEITH MCCOY
Jonathan Harrison has always wanted to throw dinner parties for a living, but he’d never worked in food professionally—not until he was selected as a contestant on Gordon Ramsay’s new show Next Level Chef this season. And that changed everything for him. Each week Jonathan, a 29-year-old from Columbiana, and 14 other contestants are competing on three floors of differently designed kitchens with ingredients passing through each floor and the top floor getting first pick and the bottom floor getting what is left over. Watch Next Level Chef on Fox Wednesdays at 8 p.m. through mid-March, but first learn more about him in his own words. How did your interest in food begin? I come from a very food-centric family, and my happiest times as a kid were around the table. I have always loved gardening since my grandparents did it, but my real respect for food started to come when I was 12 when I discovered Ina Garten. She was living the life I wanted to live with a nice house and having people for dinner all the time, making food I had never heard of before. I asked my mom to buy some ingredients for beef bourguignon when I was 12, and it turned out pretty good. What have been some highlights from the first three episodes that have aired as of this interview date? Winning episode three was incredible. Obviously I thanked the Father, the Son and Kacey Musgraves, and Kacey put it on her social media story. In the first episode Gordon said that whoever cooked the pork steak has the flair I am looking for, and that was me. 38 March/April 2022
If you could take three pieces of equipment from one of the kitchens you worked in on the show home with you, what would they be? I would take one of these pretty blue Staub Dutch ovens, the Shun knives and everything HexClad in the kitchen—a brand of pans that conduct heat really well.
from real estate right now but I do love real estate. I love working at the 4-H Center as the onsite program coordinator, and I bartend now and then at The Local. If I’m not cooking, it’s because I am at the 4-H Center. When I get home, I immediately open the refrigerator.
Can you tell us about some of your favorite things to cook? My favorite thing is to take Alabama What has your life looked like since you ingredients like Birmingham beer to returned home from filming the show develop recipes; it imparts so much flavor. last fall? I do a butternut squash and pickled peach I had never had a professional gig before I left for the show, and the wheels hit when soup that I made with Stone Hollow Farm I got home with texts people asking for me Sweet Mary Mix and add a Thai flavor with to cook. It hasn’t stopped since. I have ginger and lemongrass. I love braising been doing private chefing for different chicken with the raspberry sour from people around town and a lot of birthday TrimTab. When you can get it, I like doing parties. I have always wanted to throw a beef roast braised in Hero Doughnut dinner parties for a living, and that’s what stout from TrimTab. I also love putting I have been doing. I catered 120 for my pickled green tomatoes from Stones watch part at the 4-H Center and the same Hollow in a gratin and green curry, and number at a farm-to-table event for Golden Eagle syrup is a staple as a well as Columbiana Main Street. I am on hiatus honey.
&STYLE
HOME
MIXING IT UP
Mary Beasley blends metals with textures and rustic with industrial in her Mt Laurel home. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY MORGAN HUNT ShelbyLiving.com
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Take a little bit of rustic style and add in some farmhouse elements plus some industrial ones. Oh, and make sure you have some vintage pieces, altered somehow, and plenty of books. That’s how you land on the style you’ll find throughout Mary Beasley’s Mt Laurel home as well as the homes of her interior decorating clients. Mary and her husband, Mark, were drawn to the brick, wood beams, open concept and custom lights in the new build home by Scott Masters when they came across its open house one day. It came complete with cool colors on walls and cabinets, and to it Mary added plenty of warm pieces. To woods, she mixed in metals. To polished chrome, she added in golds. Throughout the home you’ll find antlers along with vintage books—including four copies of Mary’s favorite title, The Great Gatsby. In her own spaces she practices what she preaches to her decorating clients
about adding plenty of textures in a space and finding looks for less online, like velvet blackout curtains she recommends from Amazon. Locally she also shops at The White House Interiors and Urban Home Market, as well as Stock & Trade, Restoration Hardware, Arhaus and Pottery Barn. She paints her own artwork for clients as well, often in ombre, sometimes on top of existing artwork she no longer wants. After 16 years working in sales, Mary decided to turn her decorating hobby into a business and started Let’s Be Frank Designs—named for her dachshund Frank—in 2019 with a tagline promising “honest home decorating.” Not many months later came COVID-19, and Let’s Be Frank Designs blew up as many people were at home thinking about the spaces they wanted to change all day every day for a season. And it certainly didn’t hurt that she had her own home to showcase her style as a sort of portfolio too. ShelbyLiving.com
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Living Room Mary likes to find a good deal on home décor items online, but for staples like this couch from The White House Interiors she likes to splurge. She also mixes up textures everywhere including in her pillows. As an English major and former English teacher, Mary decorates shelves with book she’s read, sometimes with their spines facing the wall.
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Office While most of the house is painted in cool tones, Mary painted her office a dark peppercorn in the same color family as the grey doors throughout the home. You can see dachshund figures on her desk since she named her decorating business Let’s Be Frank Designs after her own dachshund, Frank.
Powder Room Mary likes to mix different metals, so she brought in gold lighting and hardware to complement the silver tones in this space’s tile. The gold also pops against the navy vanity.
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Dining Room At this base of this light-filled, two-story space with a vaulted ceiling sit leather Gabby chairs from The White House Interiors around a farmhousestyle table from Wayfair. The home’s builder had this industrial light fixture custom made with pipes and Edison bulbs.
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Kitchen Natural light fills this hardworking kitchen and its silver stone cabinets. Mary stores her copper pot collection behind the glass in the upper cabinets and found the upholstered counter stools at Target. 46 March/April 2022
TASTE. SIP. REPEAT.
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Guest Room Mary believes every room should have at least one antique piece to add character. For this one she repurposed an old suitcase into a nightstand.
25th YEAR
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Master Bedroom Pillows with a geese fabric add a touch of a rustic vibe to this neutral bedding— which Mary likes to mix and match from stores like Home Goods and TJ Maxx. The nightstand on the left doesn’t match the one on the right side of the bed (not pictured) since Mary prefers not to have a matchy-matchy look. 48 March/April 2022
Man Cave Mary’s vison for this space above their garage was for it to have a cigar lounge vibe. To start with, her husband, Mark, laid pine, hickory and birch floors made from restored barn wood, and then they added a faux brick wallpaper and plenty of Mark’s guitars.
Master Bathroom Mary added white curtains and neutral baskets to the silver and chrome coolness already in this spacious bathroom.
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SPONSORED CONTENT
GUIDEPOST MONTESSORI’S APPROACH TO EDUCATION When exploring various options on where to send their children for Kindergarten, many parents often consider programs such as the Montessori program, veering from the traditional classroom approach. The Montessori education is a child-focused approach that Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician, developed for educating children. “Montessori education is a timetested, front-runner in education reform,” said a representative for Guidepost Montessori at Birmingham. “More parents today are questioning if conventional methods of teaching are truly setting children up for success in life, while struggling to fully align with the alternative education movement where academics are often left unstructured. What makes Montessori education ideal is that it is a ‘third option’ in the middle of this pendulum. Students experience agency to lead their learning and follow their interests, but there is still a structured core of foundational knowledge that they are introduced to.”
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A Guidepost Representative said within their organization, they have experienced a rapid growth as Montessori education continues to grow globally. Since opening the first Guidepost Montessori school in 2016, they are now preparing to open the 100th Montessori school this spring, with the majority of them based in the United States. When considering the differences between a Montessori program, versus a traditional kindergarten, and the Guidepost representative said Montessori children learn how to learn rather than waiting to be told what to learn. “Kindergarten in Montessori is the final year of the Montessori Children’s House program, which is a three-year learning community that combines preschoolers and kindergartners,” the representative said. “Each year of the program is purposeful, and is often compared to building a house. In their first year, the three-year-old lays a foundation. At age four, they start to build the walls, and by age five,
the child is ready to secure the roof. The child keeps progressing by deepening their knowledge with new layers, it is not the same experience year after year.” For many children who have experienced the Montessori approach to education, they tend to excel academically, socially and emotionally, the representative said. The Montessori Method helps prepare children for life–not for any one particular system of education. “Montessori environments actively nurture executive functioning skills—which are things like the ability to plan, follow-through, initiate, problemsolve, manage one’s time,” a representative said. “In Montessori, there is a greater autonomy for each child to lead their learning and engage these life skills. These life skills are essential to our success outside of school and in the real world.” Sometimes the financial aspect can play a role in parents deciding where to send their children to school, and a representative for
SPONSORED CONTENT Guidepost said the Montessori program is continuing to develop ways to improve accessibility to the program. “Every Guidepost Montessori campus offers financial aid, and we are proud to partner with Child Care Aware of America, as a participating provider of tuition assistance for military families,” a Guidepost representative said. “We have also developed programs that deliver our Montessori curriculum outside of our schools so that families can access this path from anywhere in the world in a way that best meets their individual needs. Our at-home programs are an example of this, where we offer a low-cost online homeschool subscription at $99 a month, as well as a robust virtual school alternative that has become a preferred enrollment path for thousands of families to date.”
Geographic accessibility is also something the program is working to figure out, honoring the fact that learning is not limited to a classroom–and that some families need to travel or move frequently as part of the demands of their careers. Guidepost families can seamlessly transfer between or programs as part of a networklevel continuity where learning naturally intersects with living. Montessori education seeks to raise lifelong learners who develop skills to adapt, create, and collaborate. Guidepost Montessori partners with the MACTE-accredited Prepared Montessorian Institute, where educators, caregivers and parents of all experience levels are welcome to discover more about Montessori education at their own pace.
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FOR AMANDA GREMILLION, TALKING ABOUT POSTPARTUM OCD, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IS KEY TO ENDING THE STIGMA AROUND IT AND HELPING OTHERS THROUGH IT. BY MADOLINE MARKAM | PHOTOS BY ALLISON GARZA & CONTRIBUTED
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It is estimated that 80 percent of mothers feel depressed for the first two weeks after birth. For most the “baby blues” go away on their own, but for 10 to 20 percent of women they can lead to postpartum mood disorder or other mental health disorders. Amanda Gremillion—a Thompson High School graduate now raising her 13-year-old daughter in Calera with her husband, Jay—was that 10 to 20 percent, and now she wants to walk with others in the valley that she knows well from experience. That’s why she wrote her book Just Buy Her a Dress and She’ll Be Fine: My Postpartum OCD, Anxiety and Depression Story, and that’s what she graciously shared with us about in this interview.
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Calera resident Amanda Gremillion, pictured on the right, has written a book about her postpartum exprience after her daughter, who is now 13, was born.
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Why do you think it’s important to share about your mental health experiences with others? When I started to share this stuff online, I got so many private messages from people I knew, and people I did not know, thanking me because they no longer felt alone. Talking about it is how you end the stigma. I did not realize anything was wrong with me at first; I just thought I was a bad person for feeling the way I did until I realized how common it was and that there was a way to stop it.
What nonprofits are you donating proceeds from your book to? I have mainly donated to Postpartum Support International, but have also donated to other causes such as Jenny’s Light and the Baby Blues Connection.
What would you say to a person who is currently struggling postpartum? Talk to your doctor, talk to your family and friends, and accept all the help you can. Try to create your own village. You are not alone. The earlier you get help, the better. What works for everyone is What do your book, blog and podcast share different. Many are scared of medicine, but that does help many people and that is unique in the realm helped me even though it of mental health scared me at first too. Therapy resources? also helped, as well as talking When I first started writing about it with others and my book years ago, I could not exercise, especially yoga. I did find other books or blogs like not get help for two years, and that and I don’t think podcasts it almost destroyed my were a thing yet, but now marriage. As soon as I began to humor in all of them is get help, my relationship with becoming more common and I my daughter, my spouse and am glad. It can be depressing to everyone else improved. Also, talk about depression, and you often already have a mood when you are trying to get disorder that just got worse better, that is the last thing you postpartum and were not want. Some resources get too aware of it. I realized I was clinical for the average person, always OCD, and it caused and they just want to hear from anxiety. an average normal person who has been through the same and The largest risk factor for a got better. man getting depressed after having a child is if his Can you talk about where wife does. Can you say the title of your book more about that? comes from? Being around a depressed Someone I know once said they bought someone a dress when they had a baby person is depressing, and often the other person is so they would not get postpartum depression. If affected before they even realize their spouse is. only it were that simple. I do think it can often be This often affects the marriage as both are now prevented, or at least become less severe if certain depressed and not themselves, and many marriages precautions are taken and of course the earlier end when children are young for this reason. Both of someone gets help. There are other cultures where you are losing sleep and are losing the time you had new mothers receive more support, and this support alone together, and you constantly feel like you are majorly impacts the number of postpartum mood competing to prove who is doing more or less as you disorders. They say it takes a village to raise a child, figure out what roles you each should play as parents but in America most do not have a village and it is and spouses. There is even a larger stigma around every man for himself, which makes parenting very men getting depression, especially after having a baby. People often think postpartum depression hard. simply has to do with hormones so only women can be affected.
“I did not realize anything was wrong with me at first; I just thought I was a bad person for feeling the way I did until I realized how common it was and that there was a way to stop it.”
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What is one other common misconception about mental health you’d like to correct? That people with mental illness are weak or lazy when instead people who overcome it are actually the strongest people that I know. I have seen people die by suicide, I have had family members drink themselves to death or give up and do nothing by lie in bed, but I still do not think they are weak or lazy. I now see how hard it truly is to overcome, but you can overcome it. I graduated college in only three years, I had a 401(k) at 21, owned my first house at 22 and was a manager by age 25, but by age 28 I was praying to go to sleep and not wake up. Anyone can become mentally ill, just like anyone can become physically ill.
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You have family members on both sides of your family with mental health issues who went undiagnosed for years. How has the general understanding of mental health changed since the years when they were undiagnosed? When I was open about my own postpartum depression, older women in my family realized they probably went through the same 20 plus years ago, but they did not even realize it then. Their lives, marriages or jobs were often affected negatively, and some generational trauma was passed down. There was no social media back then, and there were no blogs or podcasts or the number of books now on the subject. I think this generation in general is trying harder to break the generational curses passed down by untreated mental illness and making it more normal and acceptable to openly talk about it and get help. How has your own understanding of mental health evolved over your lifetime? I now prioritize my mental health as much as my physical health and try to do the same for my child and others I love. I take care of myself first so that I can take care of others. I now realize you cannot help those who will not help themselves. People have to want help and have to accept it, but I do try to judge them less harshly, even when they will not accept help and I try to never give up hope that they eventually will. You wrote blog posts for Steve Austin, who lived in Alabaster, wrote about mental health and died in June. What do you see as his legacy? Steve helped so many others by sharing his own struggles and inspired me to do the same. His death
Amanda with her daughter when she was younger
We help navigate the mental health system for teens and children. also taught me that simply being open about your struggles or aware of them and having overcome them before does not mean you will always overcome them, and that despite overwhelming support from many, lack of support from just a few can still overwhelm you. His death was very hard for me honestly, but his wife posted something that reminded me that Steve had been through some trauma as a child that I and many others luckily never experienced. Steve made me and many others brave enough to be our true selves even when it was not popular, but he also made me realize how important it is to try and prevent children from ever going through trauma like that in the first place. What would you say to a friend of someone walking through mental illness about how to be a good friend to them in this time? The most important thing is just to try and be their friend if they let you, but it can be hard and you also have to protect your own mental health. I lost a couple of friends when I was at my lowest point in life, and it still hurts over ten years later because you need love the most when you least deserve it. I am beyond thankful for those who stuck by me even at my lowest, sometimes with tough love and sometimes with much needed unconditional love instead, and for understanding I was not myself. Their reward was getting an even better version of me than I was before when I got better. Learn more about Amanda’s book and read her blog at justbuyheradress.com.
Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC)
205- 638-PIRC (7472 )
PIRC is a confidential phone response center linking adult callers to mental health resources for children and teens. Service is provided by licensed mental health professionals who educate callers and recommend the most appropriate treatment options. PIRC hours are 8:00 am — 11:00 pm, 7 days a week.
PIRC is NOT a crisis or suicide hotline. Call for mental health resources.
The PIRC is generously supported by funding from the Anne B. LaRussa Foundation of Hope, Brasfield and Gorrie, LLC, the Daniel Foundation of Alabama, the Hill Crest Foundation, the Gorrie family, and the Walker Area Community Foundation.
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Hope in Bloom
PROJECT SUNFLOWER IS REPURPOSING FLORALS TO BRING JOY AND SMILES TO HOSPITAL PATIENTS AND NURSING HOME RESIDENTS ACROSS THE AREA. BY CARMEN BROWN | PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
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Last July, Chris Nam was sipping his morning cup of joe at a coffee shop in Hawaii, planning his next steps for the future. As a lifelong creator and innovator, he was getting ready to finish his graduate degree in multidisciplinary biomedical sciences from UAB and was trying to think of a way he could use his background to make a difference in his community more than 4,000 miles away. This was when he came across a Washington Post article about Eleanor Love and The Simple Sunflower. Eleanor, a physician in Richmond, Virginia, takes leftover flowers from local events and brings them to hospital patients. “I had shadowed lots of physicians and had the opportunity to see patients laying in their beds living the same routine lives every single day until they were discharged,” Chris says. “At the same time, I saw students who were my age trying their best to create a competitive resume for graduate schools that includes getting volunteer hours and
patient contact hours.” And there came the spark for him to start something similar in Birmingham that would allow students to get the patient contact and volunteer hours they needed while “putting a smile on someone’s face.” “I emailed one of my professors who’s like my idea generator and supporter, and she said it was a great idea,” Chris recounts. “One week later, we got together and had a meeting, and we got seven people to sign up right away.” Similar to The Simple Sunflower, Birmingham’s own Project Sunflower volunteers pick up leftover flowers from weddings and other local events, repurpose them into bouquets, and take them to patients at local hospitals and nursing homes. Still the project did not really begin to bloom until an unexpected reunion took place between Nam and Executive Director Joan Ware. They had worked together at the café at the Grandview
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Project Sunflower volunteers deliver floral arrangements leftover from local events to area hospitals as well as Morningside of Riverchase and Danberry of Inverness.
campus of Church of the Highlands where they both attended, but after Joan retired and began traveling, they had not seen each other in about a year. “I saw him walking down the hall before church one day, and I asked him what he had been doing,” Joan recounts. “He told me about Project Sunflower and said he needed someone to help him. Since I was retired and sort of looking for something to do, it’s almost like it was meant to be.” Today Joan, along with her husband, Terry, and other volunteers pick up flowers from weddings,
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memorials and other events. Volunteers typically meet at the Forge in downtown Birmingham and use the Bloom & Grow floral design process to put together bouquets. “The people love it, especially the brides at a lot of the weddings we go to,” Joan says. “They’re so glad that we’re going to get some use out of these flowers to help other people.” Morningside of Riverchase was one of the first locations to receive visitors, and Danberry of Inverness is also a frequent visitation spot. “Danberry is my favorite place to go,” Joan says.
“It’s so fun to see the ladies there, and they love to have someone to talk to.” By the first month, Project Sunflower had 56 volunteers and became UAB’s first trial for getting visitors to hospitals during COVID at Spain Rehabilitation Center. “In a time when patients cannot have as many visitors as they would like, flowers carry a lot of meaning and hope,” Chris says. “Patients in hospitals are mostly just sitting there alone, so we like to just add a little sunflower to their day. It can be therapeutic for volunteers as well. One of my friends lost his dad to COVID last year, and going to see patients at the hospitals made him feel better.” Since starting in August, Project Sunflower has delivered close to 400 bouquets to two hospitals and five nursing homes. They have also formed partnerships with Barnes & Noble, Trader Joe’s, Thank You Books and Davis Wholesale Flowers, and it recently became an official student organization within UAB and a registered nonprofit organization in the state of Alabama. By November, they were up to 150 volunteers. “The vision behind this project is to provide
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relief for healthcare workers and patients who are under constant pressure of the current pandemic and the conditions of the economy, as the world is under immense stress and depression,” Chris says. “Our hope is that the food and flowers will bring joy and smiles across the medical field of Birmingham, and eventually spread that joy into the community.” To start the new year of 2022, CareHealth, as part of the nonprofit Urban Avenues, and Project Sunflower partnered for a community relief project delivering baked goods and flowers to healthcare facilities, aiming to make a delivery to four different hospitals across the city of Birmingham: UAB Spain Rehab Center, St. Vincent’s Birmingham, Children’s of Alabama and Brookwood Baptist Hospital. “Our hope is that the food and flowers will bring joy and smiles across the medical field of Birmingham, and eventually spread that joy into the community and the world,” Chris says. To donate, volunteer or provide a location to upcycle flowers, visit theprojectsunflower. org or @projectsunflowerbham on Instagram.
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On Tybee Time Slow down to explore sandy beaches, marshes and historical sites on this small island off the southern coast of Georgia. By Christiana Roussel | Photos Courtesy of Tybee Island & Local Businesses Referenced in Captions ShelbyLiving.com
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HIT THE ROAD
Road trips are a funny thing. We start out in our own driveways, surrounded by the familiar—the twists and turns of our own neighborhood streets—which gradually give way to multi-lane highways, streams of cars and trucks all rushing to their destinations. And as we approach our own journey’s end, in this case, Tybee Island, we take a moment to notice the still-unfamiliar but highly anticipated. The highway recedes, and we find ourselves on a simple two-lane road that will ultimately end at the ocean, exactly where we wish to be. At only three miles long and less than a mile wide, Tybee Island—one of the famed Sea Islands off the coast of southern Georgia—is a natural respite from the rigors of daily life. With sandy beaches to the east and tidal marshes to the western interior, Tybee is replete with marine activity far different from the towns dotting the northern Florida panhandle where many of us have vacationed. Life on Tybee Island is dictated by the tides, the ebb and flow of a life lived more slowly, more in tune with the native world around us, and one rich in history.
Alabama
South Carolina
Georgia Atlanta
Birmingham
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Macon
6 hrs., 22 min. 411 Miles
Auburn
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Columbus
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Savannah
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Tybee Island
HISTORY
These islands have seen their fair share of Revolutionary War battles, and Fort Pulaski (nps.gov/ fopu/index.htm) is a must-visit for any history buff. Named for Casimir Pulaski, a Polish soldier and commander who fought in the Revolutionary War, this coastal fortification played a key role in rifled cannon combat. Today the site is part of the National Park Service and available to visit year-round. During the Industrial Revolution, Tybee Island was the southern-most stop on the Central of Georgia Railway line, making it the ideal destination for residents of densely populated cities up north who were seeking healthier climes as remedies to ailments associated with industrial pollution. For lighthouse enthusiasts (yes, that is a thing!), Tybee Island is home to Georgia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse, the original being constructed in 1736. The Tybee Island Historical Society oversees the Tybee Island Light Station and Museum (tybeelighthouse.org), and it is a must-visit.
WHEN (and HOW) TO GO There are those who favor beach visits only when you can don a bathing suit while others prefer to go when the wide expanse of sand is not chock-a-block with umbrellas and beach towels. Honestly, there isn’t a bad time to be on the island. The spring sees more temperate days and nights making Tybee Island ideal for a weeklong getaway, a day trip from Savannah or anything in between. The drive to Tybee Island from Birmingham is a little over six hours. There is plenty to see along the way, and it might be nice to have your car for extended exploration. Plane travelers can fly into Savannah and make the 20-minute drive onto the island.
WEDDING DESTINATIONS
Those looking to plan their nuptials on the island should book The Reeve Cottage (thereevecottage.com) guest house, located on a prime acre of land at the Southern-most tip of the island. With an unrivaled view of the ocean, Little Tybee Island and epic sunsets, guests will appreciate the location as much as the bride and groom themselves. The Tybee Island Wedding Chapel and Grand Ballroom is also worth checking out (tybeeweddingchapel. com). (Miley Cyrus fans might recognize the chapel from her movie, The Last Song.)
Reeve Cottage
Photo by Roland Broda
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HIT THE ROAD
WHAT TO DO A visit to Tybee Island should come with a commitment to adventure and to being outdoors—there is so much to explore.
Forget the Car
Many visitors bring their own bikes or rent on the island from places like Tim’s Bike & Beach Gear (timsbeachgear.com). Still others like the ease of a golf cart, renting one at Tybee Golf Carts (tybeegolfcarts.com).
Tim’s Bike & Beach Gear
Sea Treasures
Take to the marshes in a kayak or SUP with Sea Kayak Georgia. Book a Sundial Charter Tour to hunt for fossils (megalodon sharks teeth!) and lost treasures from the sea. Sundial also offers crabbing and light-tackle fishing for those looking for sport. Dolphin watching and sunset tours are always popular with anyone visiting Tybee, and there are several outfitters offering these experiences as well.
Meet the Turtles
Kids of all ages will enjoy visiting the Tybee Island Marine Science Center (tybeemarinescience.org) to learn more about the coastal marine life. Sea turtle nesting season begins around May 1; local volunteers spend time searching the local shoreline for these nests and then sit with them to protect them from scavengers. Visitors can meet Ike the sea turtle who was born September 2020 and now calls the center his home.
Tybee by Night
Evening entertainment can often be found at the Tybee Post Theater (tybeeposttheater. org), which was once a movie house for soldiers stationed at Fort Screven. Nowadays, you can not only catch a screening but also see live music or a local theater production.
Tybee Post Theater
WHERE TO STAY Life on Tybee is definitely “island time” and many hotel options lean toward casual. After all, with so much going on outdoors, you’re not likely to spend too much time in your hotel room.
The Beachview Inn and Spa (beachviewtybee.com) is minutes from the beach, with hospitality that combines the relaxed coastal atmosphere with Southern charm. The Back River area of Tybee is less densely populated with several VRBO options, cottages for groups or family gatherings too.
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Meet Your Travel Guide Proud to call Birmingham home, Christiana Roussel loves discovering every corner of the Magic City. But the road beckons often. She’s been known to make a wrong turn into the right choice, dig in with the locals and try to talk her way out of a speeding ticket or two. Curiosity drives her and finding connection is her passion.
WHERE TO EAT Ahhh, we’ve saved the best for last—the food. As you can imagine, the menus at most Tybee Island restaurants feature seafood. It is the history and the vibe that makes them all distinct. The Crab
Simply Seafood
Longtime visitors, larger groups and anyone looking for a bit of old-school beach schmaltz will clamor to go to The Crab Shack (thecrabshack.com), an island institution where guests arrive via car or boat. Large holes in the center of each table give way to trash cans underneath, perfect for making a mess and tossing in shrimp shells and tails, corncobs or any other detritus from a good seafood boil. Note: the baby alligator on-site might be the other reason kids love coming here. AJ’s Dockside (ajsdocksidetybee.com) is equally casual and attached to the marina where you can spend the afternoon watching fishermen bring in their hauls.
A Step Above
Looking for something a bit more upscale?
Shack
Photo by Amy Murphy
Try Sundae Café (sundaecafe.com), where you might have to choose between sushi nachos, shrimp and grits, a Lowcountry bouillabaisse or burgers with thick-cut bacon. Over at Salt Island Fish and Beer (saltislandfb.com), you’ll be looking at the blue crab poutine, baked oysters or a whole fish, straight off the boat.
Until Whenever
Late night diners have been known to favor Huc-a-Poos (hucapoos.com), where closing time is noted as “whenever.” As popular
with the locals as it is with vacationers, this is where you can meal hard on wraps, pizzas, nachos or anything that pairs well with beer.
To Start the Day
If breakfast is more your speed, uber-laidback diner-style Breakfast Club might be just for you. Locals call this “no frills,” and that is saying something because Tybee is already pretty low-key. Omelets as well as classic fare like steak-and-eggs or hash browns are the order of the day at Sunrise Breakfast (sunrisesavannah.com) as well.
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2022 BUILDERS AND BUYERS GUIDE
Real Estate • Interior Design • Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Outdoor Living • Organization
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BUILDERS AND BUYERS
DK Renovations & More 205-436-6884 • 205-601-7777 dkrenovationsandmore@gmail.com • facebook.com/DK-Renovations-More-111195558164239 DK Renovations & More is a licensed and insured family-owned business that provides quality customer service to Shelby County and the surrounding areas. Their main services include plumbing, painting, handyman repairs, complete renovations and flooring. The owner, Fernando Jimenez, has been in the industry for 14 years. Two years ago Fernando decided to take the leap and start his own business. The business has quickly grown from just small handyman repair jobs to full remodel projects. The DK Renovation team has since expanded, but Fernando still makes a point to be hands-on with all projects to ensure the highest level of customer service is being provided. DK Renovations works hand-in-hand with well known businesses to offer the best materials for the best price. DK Renovations is available MondaySaturday 7 a.m.-7 p.m. for free estimates and inquiries. Also, ask about payment plan options (limitations may apply).
Bath Planet 205-590-6979 • bathplanetbhm.com
From seamless shower and bath replacement services to a complete bathroom renovation, you can count on the expert professionals at Bath Planet of Birmingham for high quality, industryleading products, unparalleled customer service and professional installation. Our goal is to make remodeling your bathroom a worry-free process, working with you from beginning to end to ensure you get the bath remodel of your dreams at a price that fits your budget. At Bath Planet of Birmingham, we understand that everybody deserves a functional and working bathroom that is also stylish. Whether you want cost-effective tub-to-shower or shower-to-tub conversions, aging-in-place walk-in bathtub solutions or a barrier-free shower, or new or replacement bathtubs and showers, we offer extensive bath remodeling products and services to accommodate you! 72 March/April 2022
BUILDERS AND BUYERS
Cahaba Glass Company 160 Chandalar Place Drive • Pelham, AL 35124 205-621-7355 • cahabaglassco.com Cahaba Glass is your ultimate resource for any automotive, residential and small commercial glass needs. For the home, we specialize in the installation of custom shower enclosures, mirrors, glass shelving, furniture top glass, cabinet door glass and specialty glass. Our glazier will replace unsightly window units and patio door glass to give your home that “like new” look. If your small commercial building needs updating, we offer a full range of glass and architectural products to meet your needs. Our experienced staff will assist you with your automobile insurance claims to make the necessary repairs or replacements due to breakage as well. When you choose Cahaba Glass Company, you are choosing a proven leader in the glass business. Let us help you make your project shine!
A Better Closet 1031 14th Street • Calera, AL 35040 205-621-1638 • abettercloset.net • sales@abettercloset.net A professional design and installation service, A Better Closet delivers custom storage solutions to help organize every room of your home. A Better Closet is a locally owned, family-operated business, and we have been building custom storage for over 30 years. Our designers and craftsmen will transform every area of your home (floor to ceiling) to the custom storage of your dreams—with beautiful, lasting results that are guaranteed over the life of your home. At A Better Closet, exceptional service is built in to the equation. When you schedule a free in-home consultation, we focus on finding the plan that is best for you because we know your home, family, preferences and needs are unique. A Better Closet wants to maximize every inch of space to increase your home’s storage potential and value. Whether you want to make the most of a walk-in closet, custom storage, kitchen pantry or home office, A Better Closet can help. ShelbyLiving.com
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BUILDERS AND BUYERS
Homewood Carpet & Flooring 813 Green Springs Hwy • Birmingham 35209 205-518-6423 • www.homewoodcarpet.com
A name you can trust!
“Our slogan is “Foo and You!” because it’s all about you getting the floor and service you want at a fair price,” says Fuad “Foo” Shunnarah. Homewood Carpet & Flooring offers the best selection of carpet, hardwood, and tile in Birmingham for your home or business without costing you a fortune. Foo and his team specialize in consulting with clients in their home or business to find the perfect floor for any application. They provide samples to match your decor, as well as offer professional advice about the type of flooring that will work best for you. They bring many years of experience to your project and will make sure that you get a great installation of a quality product from some of the biggest names in the industry. If your hardwood floor is starting to show its age, we will transform your hardwood into something that will make you proud. They also offer specialty floors including rubber flooring, which is a great option for gyms, recreational facilities and basements.
Vulcan Pest Control 115 Commerce Drive • Pelham, AL 35124 205-598-2581 • Toll Free: 1-855-663-4208 • vulcantermite.com
Protect your most valuable assets! Don’t let termites cause destruction on your property—get them gone quickly with professional termite pest control. If you’re looking for the best termite company in Central Alabama, you’ve found it. Vulcan’s Termite Division has over 120 years of combined experience providing commercial and home termite treatment. Our staff works diligently to provide inspections and necessary reports in a timely manner so the stress of buying or selling your home is minimized. Schedule your FREE termite inspection today! One of our termite exterminators can evaluate the situation and suggest the best treatment method. 74 March/April 2022
SUBSCRIBE NOW! EVERYTHING SHELBY COUNTY. ALL YEAR LONG. Visit ShelbyLiving.com and subscribe for $14.95 plus tax a year, or call 205-669-3131. @shelbylivingmagazine
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Newsletter
The Shelby County Chamber BUSINESS CONNECTIONS
March/April 2022 Events Tuesday, March 1, 2022 Ambassador Work Group 11:30AM - 1:00PM
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 Career Readiness/Existing Business and Industry Work Group 8:30AM - 9:30AM
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 Chelsea Business Alliance Luncheon 11:30AM - 1:00PM Chelsea Community Center
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 Small Business Work Group 4:00PM-5:00PM
Friday, March 4, 2022 CoffeeNET 8:30AM-9:30AM East 59 Cafe
Wednesday, March 9, 2022 Women’s Business Council 11:30AM-1:00PM Faulkner University
Chamber’s “CoffeeNET” Heads To East 59 Café Be sure to mark your calendar for FRIDAY, March 4 and join The Shelby County Chamber for a CoffeeNET event at East 59 Cafe located off the 280 corridor (701 Doug Baker Blvd Suite 103). This morning meeting, held from 8:30AM – 9:30AM, is designed for investors to enjoy networking, coffee and light refreshments -- all before heading to the office. CoffeeNET events, Co-Sponsored by Shelby County Newspapers and Cahaba Valley Computer Services, are a great way to
Thursday, March 10, 2022 Investor Reception 11:30-1:00PM The Shelby County Chamber
Be ready to make some serious business contacts on April 5 from 5:30PM until 7:00PM at Just A Tish, Wine & More in Columbiana. The investment – which includes hors d’oeuvres and two beverage coupons -- for any Chamber investor is $10 per
2022 Sponsor
person and $20 for “Future” investors. Reservations are required, so please register via email at
jordan@shelbychamber.org, by phone at 205-663-4542 or online at shelbychamber.org by noon on Monday, April 4.
March “Community Luncheon” The Chamber’s March “Community Luncheon”, hosted by the Tourism & Recreation Work Group on March 30, will feature an Update on Oak Mountain State Park, Alabama’s largest State Park. The meeting will be held at the Pel-
1301 COUNTY SERVICES DR. 76 March/April 2022
2022 Sponsors
April Business After Hours @ Just A Tish
Thursday, March 10, 2022
Govermental Affairs Work Group 8:30AM - 9:30AM Sain Associates - HWY280
make new business contacts so bring plenty of business cards. There is no cost to attend; however, reservations are requested by NOON on Thursday, March 3 to assist in preparation. Please contact The Shelby County Chamber by phone at 205663-4542 or register at jordan@shelbychamber.org.
ham Civic Complex, with doors opening at 11:30AM for business networking and the program beginning promptly at Noon. The cost is $20 per person for Chamber investors and $30 per person for “Future” investors and includes
a luncheon buffet. To allow for proper planning, reservations are requested by no later than March 25. Reservations can be made by contacting the Chamber at info@shelbychamber.org, by telephone at 205-663-4542 or register online.
PELHAM, AL, 35124
2022 Sponsor
Celebrating Growth
Friday, March 11, 2022
Health Services Work Group 8:30AM - 9:30AM
Wednesday, March 30, 2022 Community Luncheon 11:30AM - 1:00PM Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Alabama Goodwill - Brook Highland
Frida Kahlo Modern Mexican Cuisine - Pelham
Ambassador Work Group 11:30AM - 1:00PM
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Kyocera - Pelham
Kamali Creole Kitchen - Lee Branch
Newsletter
Career Readiness/Existing Business and Industry Work Group 8:30AM - 9:30AM
Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Chelsea Business Alliance Luncheon 11:30AM - 1:00PM Chelsea Community Center
Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Nursing Queen - Pelham
Oak Mountain Brewing Company - Pelham
Small Business Work Group 4:00PM-5:00PM
Thursday, April 7, 2022
Connections Luncheon 11:30AM-1:00PM Grande Hall @ Old Mill Square
Process Barron - Pelham
Soul Spot - Montevallo
205 - 663 - 4542
SafeHouse Shelby - Pelham
Subway - Alabaster
For information on Chamber work groups and how to get involved visit shelbychamber.org or email info@shelbychamber. org. Read more details or register for events online at www. shelbychamber.org or the Chamber office 205-663-4542. Unless otherwise noted events listed will be held at 1301 County Services Dr., Pelham 35124. CANCELLATION POLICY REMINDER: Cancellation for a paying event must be made TWO days prior to the event.
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Newsletter
Health Focus of the Month:
Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Healthcare Public health relies on a range of knowledge across multiple disciplines to combat issues such as violence, including intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious, preventable public health problem that affects millions of Americans. The term “intimate partner violence” describes physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse including coercion. Intimate partner violence occurs regardless of gender, race, culture, or socioeconomic class. As mentioned above intimate partner violence is a growing public health issue with a national average of 1 in 3 women and 1 in 10 men experiencing physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner in their lifetime. Huecker et al., (2021) shares that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 71 men will experience a sexual assault in their lifetime and of those 45% will be by an intimate partner. Long-term exposure to intimate partner violence increas-
es a victim survivors risk for negative adverse health outcomes. Victims of intimate partner violence can experience both acute and chronic health effects. Acute or more short term impacts include fractures or sprains, traumatic brain injuries, skin lacerations, burns, and even death. Often times acute injuries can heal but long term effects have more severe consequences than short term ones. Chronic health problems can include anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, depression, chronic physical illnesses, suicidal ideations, and more. Additionally, women are at higher risks
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, October 9). Intimate Partner Violence |Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/index.html
for miscarriages, low birth weights, eclampsia, fetal death, and lower rates of prenatal care. It is important for healthcare provides to identify the intersections between intimate partner violence and healthcare. SafeHouse of Shelby County is a 501©3 non-profit United Way organization providing critical domestic and sexual violence response, prevention and intervention programs for the communities of Shelby, Coosa, Clay, and Chilton Counties in Central Alabama. SafeHouse offers free and confidential services that are designed to the needs of each survivor. SafeShelby, a program of
SafeHouse, offers specially trained forensic nurses to respond to all victims who experience intimate partner violence including physical violence and sexual violence. Nurses and victim advocates provide immediate response to assess for safety and wellness. The nurse can provide a comprehensive head to toe examination, with evidence collection as necessary, and ensure access to healthcare partners in efforts to reduce risk of long term negative health outcomes. Additionally, SafeShelby works closely with the residential team to provide emergency shelter to those fleeing domestic or sexual violence. SafeHouse operates 24/7 365 days a year. If you or someone you know has been impacted by intimate partner violence, you may call the 24/7 crisis hotline at 205-669-SAFE (7233) or visit www.safehouse.org. You may also scan the QR code from any smart phone for more information.
2. Huecker, M. R., King, K., & Smock, W. (2021, February 17). Domestic Violence. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499891/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20 CDC%2C%201,sexual%20violence%20during%20their%20lifetimes. 3. SafeHouse of Shelby County. www.safehouse.org
2021 Ambassador of the Year Denise Grissom is with Sawyer Solutions where she serves in Sales and Customer Relations. Denise has over 11 years experience in the IT industry and feels very blessed to be working with Sawyer Solutions. Sawyer Solutions is a local Managed Service Provider that serves businesses with all of their IT needs. They specialize in the security and compliance side of IT to help business
78 March/April 2022
2022 Sponsors
owners sleep at night knowing their business is protected. Denise is active in her community and throughout Shelby
County with her church, professional and community organizations. Denise is a proud resident of Shelby County and happy to be involved in the Shelby Chamber. For more information about Sawyer Solutions, call Denise at 205882-8077 or email denise. grissom@sawyersolutionsllc.com.
Is Your Organization Taking Full Advantage of Your Chamber Investor Benefits? Join us on March 10 for our 1st Quarter Investor Reception to make sure! Whether you’re a long-time investor, or relatively new, we encourage you to join your fellow investors and Chamber staff for some business networking and to learn how to maximize your investment. This working lunch meeting is from 11:30AM - 1:00PM at the Pelham County Services Building (1301 County Services Drive). A complimentary boxed lunch will be provided for all attendees. Reservations are required – and space is limited -- so please contact the Chamber by no later than noon on March 9 via e-mail at jordan@shelbychamber.org, by phone at 205-663-4542 or register online to reserve your place. AmFirst_Shelby Living_hp.pdf 1 8/2/2021 4:17:20 PM
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Newsletter
Chamber Celebrates 10th Year of Keeping It Real Programming The Shelby County Chamber has entered its tenth year, presenting “Keeping it Real” a career readiness program geared toward money management, responsibility and all things “adulting”. While the pandemic moved the program to a virtual format during the 2020-2021 year, The Shelby County Chamber headed back into the classroom in 2022. Shelby County High School freshmen got a first had perspective Friday, January 14th as The Shelby County Chamber along with Bite of Reality partner eCO Credit Union brought its ShelbyOne initiative program “Keeping It Real” to their campus. Workforce development has been a top priority for the chamber over the past several years, and this program is intended to teach ninth-graders about the future challenges of adulthood and encourage them to prepare as they get closer to independence. “Our hope for the program is that students can see the value in going after additional training and pursuing a high-wage, high-opportunity careers,” said Pari Barzegari Vice President of Community and Career Development the Chamber. “It’s a way we can engage with ninth-graders and develop a pathway to their future.” The Chamber has recently revamped the program, and added the “Bite of Reality” app which eliminates paper budgets and guides students in an app-based platform, akin to online banking - we are all familiar with. This program is open to both public and private schools in the Shelby County area between September and March each year. Currently it works in conjunction with the career prep
classes at the high schools and teaches skills such as work ethic, time management and the importance of communication. The program also puts heavy emphasis on financial planning for life after high school. We hope the take away for students will be learning the difference between gross and net income, the importance of budgeting and just how expensive “real life” can be. Through the Bite of Reality app, sponsored by eCO Credit Union freshman visit 8 platforms to make decisions on expenses such as child care, utilities, finances, housing, transportation, groceries, clothing and entertainment. “We are so thankful and excited to be partnering with the Shelby County Chamber for a second year to present Bite of Reality® as part
1301 COUNTY SERVICES DR. 80 March/April 2022
of the Keeping It Real Program,” said Hope Finley, ēCO Credit Union Marketing Director. “The hands-on gamification that is used for the Bite of Reality® presentation is impactful for the students because they are in control of the decisions, they make in regards to their simulated life-scenario. The app is designed for the students to “fail” or “run out of money”, because we learn best when we fail, and it better prepares them for making real purchasing decisions, with real money, and realize there are real-life consequences of bad money management. We hope participating in Bite of Reality® helped students think about their future and begin having conversations with their parents or guardians about how to effectively manage money.”
Ashely Crumpton, educator with Shelby County Schools welcomed Keeping it Real into her career prep classrooms on Friday. “Keeping it Real is such an amazing learning experience for High School Students. Through Keeping it Real, students are able to see the cost of living and general expenses that await them in adulthood. It is very eye opening for them! Keeping it Real paired with Bite of Reality is a simulation that all students should walk through before they graduate.” “I learned that as you get to a point in life where you start making money, you have to really choose wisely on the daily needs of you and your family.” Notes Campbell Aderholt, SCHS Freshman and Mallory Venable, SCHS Freshman adds “I learned that keeping up with the money you spend or save is important in order for you to budget your money accurately to benefit your future.” With programs going through 12th grade, students beginning the “Keeping It Real” program as freshmen are just starting their journey. Tenth-graders participate in Connect 2 Careers, which works as an interactive career fair. Juniors take part in Communication Matters to prepare for job interviews, resume building and other ways to showcase their talents. As seniors, students learn more about local companies and their apprenticeships through Shelby County’s 58 Inc., which promotes workforce readiness and economic development. To learn more about the chamber programs offered to high schoolers, visit shelbychamber.org/ about-us/shelbyone-next-level
PELHAM, AL, 35124
F i n d U s O n l i ne |
Access our member directory
2022 Board of Directors (as of 1/28/22)
OFFICERS (EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE) Chamber Chair Brian Massey Ascension St. Vincent’s Chair-Elect Mechelle Wilder ARC Realty Vice Chair, Business Development & Support Kelly Thrasher Fox Hand Arendall, Harrison, Sale LLC Vice Chair, Communications & Marketing Lee Dorrill Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama Vice Chair, Community & Career Development Kevin Morris America’s First Federal Credit Union Vice Chair, Finance & Administration April Harry Warren, Averett, LLC Vice Chair, Governmental Affairs Mike Swinson Spire Alabama, Inc. Vice Chair, Investor Relations Daniel Listi BBH / Shelby Baptist Medical Center
Vice Chair, Tourism & Recreation John Collier Regions Bank Immediate Past Chair Chris Grace Barge Design Solutions, Inc DIRECTORS Rux Bentley Rux Carter Insurance Keith Brown Jefferson State Community College
Steven Smith Specification Rubber Products Melinda Bennett Candlewood Suites – Alabaster Traci Fox T Fox SalonSpa Kimberly L. Jackson Alabama Power Company
New Investors
(December 20, 2021- January 25, 2022) Ray & Poynor Birmingham
Oak House Mt. Laurel
Sellsource.net Pelham
Guild Mortgage Helena
MortgageBanc Birmingham
Rare Transportation Pelham
Alzheimer’s Association Birmingham
Legacy Insurance & Financial Services Birmingham
Frida Kahlo Modern Mexican Cuisine LLC Pelham
Bob Butterworth State Farm Insurance Montevallo
Will Norwood Valley Bank
Timberline Construction Group LLC Pelham
Laura Clarke SYNOVUS
Benji Sawyer Sawyer Solutions, LLC
Hardcore Jeet Kune Do Chelsea
KLJ Solutions LLC Chelsea
Jeff Purvis A. C. Legg, Inc.
Chad Scroggins Shelby County
Great American RV Superstores Calera
Mama Suz’s Kitchen Pelham
Brownie Fusion Calera
Guy Locker SouthWest Water Company
Gretchen DiFante City of Pelham
Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship - REACH Women’s Business Center Clanton
Amiee Mellon University of Montevallo
Meribeth Gilbert McLeod Software
Melissa Dixon Charles Dixon Industries
Bruce Gouin Express Employment Professionals
Daniel Holmes Shelby County Newspapers, Inc.
Keith Richards Taziki’s Mediterranean Café
Khiari McAlpin Vinehouse Nursery
Chris Stricklin Dunn Companies
Maurice Mercer KATs Delivery
The Hon. Brian Puckett (Ex-Officio, SCMA) City of Helena
Kyle Mims Edward Jones Investments – Kyle Mims Agency
205 - 663 - 4542
Amy Sturdivant (Ex-Officio) 58, INC
EXP Realty - Karl Heckman Birmingham
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First Federal Mortgage Birmingham
Leader’s Corner Coffee & Tea Columbiana
Your Chamber at work (December 12 – January 15, 2021)
- Responded to 64 requests for business & community information. - Promoting Chamber investors as well as Chamber & Community events through the following Social Media outlets: - Facebook: 24 “new likes”, 426 “views”, 16, 741 “post reaches” and 4,346 “total likes”. - Twitter: 10 “tweets”, 1,944 “tweet impressions”, 95 “profile visits”, 3,054 “followers”. - Instagram: 1,364 “posts and stories”, 1,345 “followers”. - LinkedIn: 485 “followers”
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OUT & ABOUT
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SCAC 2022 ADULT JURIED ART EXHIBIT
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On Jan. 6, the Shelby County Arts Council opened the doors to its 2022 Adult Juried Art Exhibit for a gallery reception and to announce the winning artists. 1.
Haley Oliver
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Ed and Anna Flemming
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Jimmy, Nancy and Morgan McGowan
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Jann Smith and Dobrah Clark
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Katelyn and Karen Avery
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Jan and Paul Barrett
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Laura Dudley
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Josh Hoggle and Jonathan Sweatt
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Sasha and Ruthie Johns
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SCAC HOLIDAY MARKET PHOTOS BY MEG HERNDON
The Shelby County Arts Council held this annual market Dec. 3-4 for artists to sell their arts and crafts.
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George Ann Hester
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Donna Glausier, and Rilee Kate and Lindsay Kate Skinner
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Portia Franklin and Demario Wiley
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Jackie Greenhill and Christy Hobson
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Tim Tingle
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Katlyn Coley
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Lindsay Dyess and Daniela DeLuca
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Debbie Ballough and Linda Meadows
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Pat Lucas and Karen Ingram
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MLK UNITY MARCH AND PROGRAM
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Local residents came together on Jan. 17 to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at a unity march and program in Montevallo. 1.
Bobby Pierson, Tijuana Everhart and Kenneth Dukes
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Cheryl Allen and Bobby Pierson
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Taylor Sellers and Bobby Pierson
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Cissy Johnson and Bobby Pierson
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Sharis Hazel, Vivian Marvray, Bobby Pierson, Starletta Stoves and Sherita Coachman
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Joshua Brown, Esclavon Prewitt, Justice Houser and Bobby Pierson
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Bobby Pierson, Joseph Hampton and the Rev. Kenneth Dukes
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Joseph Hampton, Bryant Cline, Bobby Pierson and Kenneth Dukes
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Deborah Staffney, Teresa Stafford and Bobby Pierson
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NORTH POLE EXPRESS PHOTOS BY MEG HERNDON
Children visited the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera on Dec. 11 for the North Pole Express. Passengers listened to Christmas songs, had snacks and hot chocolate, and visited with Santa.
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The Minton Family
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The Walls Family
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Nolan, Brooks and Declan Johnson
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Madelyn, Lisa and Key Warren
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The Abbotts Family
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Justin, Jada, Judson, Jana and Sheila Taylor
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OUT & ABOUT
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CALERA CHRISTMAS VILLAGE
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PHOTOS BY MEG HERNDON
Vendors and small businesses from around the area sold their goods before the Calera Christmas Parade at this market on Dec. 4. 1.
Peggy Harrison
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Myles and Megan Jones
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Macie Fulmer
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Brooke and Averie Markham
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Carolinea and Sydney Selman
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Mike and Kelley Frederick
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Cherie Stubbs
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Venecia Miller
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Kristin Jackson
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OUT & ABOUT
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CHELSEA CHRISTMAS PARADE PHOTOS BY EMILY SPARACINO
Hundreds of people attended the 2021 Chelsea Christmas Parade, which featured a variety of floats, decorated vehicles and, of course, Santa Claus.
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Grayson Carson and Kayden Peterson
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Rachel and Logan Till
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Phoebe Garrard; Isabella and Cecilia Flint; and Vivienne Harris
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Misty Tyler; Allison, Hadley and Jackson Rupertus; Connor Cochran; and Mindy and Hudson Kitchen
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Brad, Blaire, Hannah James and Paige Dawson
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Savanah Cooley with Jared, Amber, Lyla and Ava Anderson
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Robert Devine and Julie Lee
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Claire and Quinn Pierce with Brenda Skipper
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Patrick, Monica and Jameson Ray
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MARKETPLACE
Marketplace Shelby Living Magazine • 205.669.3131
A BIRTHDAY PLACE BAKING, PARTY SUPPLIES & GIFTS • CUSTOM PARTY DECORATIONS, INHOUSE GFX TEAM TO MAKE YOUR PARTY • SAME-DAY PICKUP 205-637-0010 QUESTIONS@ BIRTHDAYPLACE.COM 2706C PELHAM PARKWAY PELHAM, AL 35124
Associated Grocers of the South HIRING EXPERIENCED STANDUP FORKLIFT OPERATOR. $19.85/HOUR, PLUS $$$ PRODUCTION & SAFETY INCENTIVES. 2nd shift starts at 4:00pm. Great benefits including Blue Cross Health+Dental Insurance $59/week. Paid vacation & holidays, matching 401k. APPLY AT WWW.AGSOUTH.COM Automation Personnel Services Hiring IMMEDIATELY For: Automotive Assembly, General Labor, Production, Clerical, Machine Operator, Quality, Carpentry, Welder, Foundry. Positions In: Calera, Clanton, Pelham, Bessemer, McCalla. Walkin applications accepted. Clanton (205)280-0002. Pelham (205)444-9774. Bama Concrete Now Hiring: Diesel Mechanic 4 Years Minimum Experience. CDL Preferred. Competitive Pay. Great Benefits. Apply in person: 2180 Hwy 87 Alabaster, 35007 Now Hiring For Utility Positions Starting pay $14.42/hour Must be able to pass background screen. Please apply at: www.bc.com $80,000+ Yearly Potential Sales positions available at Burton Campers. Please call Mickey Price for phone interview: 205-668-0075
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Chilton and Shelby County Treatment Center Now Hiring Masters in counseling/ social work and related fields. Email resume to: donnajoiner53@gmail.com Or call 205-755-4300 for more information. Kelly Education • Shelby County Schools • Hiring Substitute Teachers. Limitless opportunities for passionate people! •Free pre-hire training •Paid orientation •Ongoing professional development •Steady, yet flexible, work •Weekly pay •Your preference of schools. Contact Anne Gamble: O: 205.682.7062 M: 205.532.1122 anne.gamble@ kellyservices.com Lancaster Place Apartments. Location, community & quality living in Calera, AL. 1, 2, & 3 bedroom apartments available. Call today for specials!! 205-668-6871. Or visit hpilancasterplace.com Marble Valley Manor. Affordable 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments for Elderly & Disabled. Many on-site services! 2115 Motes Rd, Sylacauga. 256-245-6500 •TDD#s: 800-548-2547(V) • 800-548-2546(T/A). Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am4pm. Equal Opportunity Provider/Employer
Oxford Healthcare in Montgomery currently hiring certified CNA’s and/or Home Health aides in the Clanton, Marbury and Maplesville areas. Must be able to pass complete background check, have reliable transportation and have a strong work ethic. Serious inquiries only. Call 334-409-0035 or apply on-line at www. Oxfordhealthcare.com
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LAND FOR SALE 180 acres, located on Walnut Creek. Will not divide property. Call for more information: 205-369-5641 Part-Time Maintenance Manager Position Opening at Riverside Baptist Church Helena. Good employment for qualified retired or semiretired person. Call 205-426-1910 for additional information. South Haven Health & Rehab NOW HIRING!!! •LPN’s & RN’s -$5,000 Sign-on Bonus for Full-Time shift •CNA’s Apply in person: 3141 Old Columbiana Rd Birmingham, AL-35266
CLOCK REPAIR SVS. * Setup * Repair * Maintenance. I can fix your Mother’s clock. Alabaster/ Pelham. Call Stephen (205)663-2822 Electrician - FT Supreme Electric, local-based company in Pelham. Must be willing to learn & work hard. Go to: supremeelectric-al. com Print employment application under Contact Us. Mail to: Supreme Electric 231 Commerce Pkwy Pelham, AL 35124 or call 205-453-9327. Become a Dental Assistant in ONLY 8 WEEKS! Please visit our website capstonedental assisting.com or call (205)561-8118 and get your career started! Now Hiring! Termite Treaters and Inspectors. Work with a great local company, in business for over 50 years. BC/ BS insurance, 401k, opportunities available. No experience required. Must have a good driving record and be able to pass drug screen. Email
to facsmith@charter.net or call 205-369-6250. Vulcan Termite and Pest Control Now hiring RN’s and LPN’s throughout Alabama! $250 community referral bonus for RN’s and LPN’s. Signon Bonuses available at select locations! For more information please contact: Paige Gandolfi Call/text: 724-691-7474 pgandolfi@ wexfordhealth.com HIRING EXPERIENCED PIPE LAYERS & CDL DRIVERS REV Construction seeking Experienced Pipe Layers CDL Drivers Class A or B 2yrs dump truck exp. preferred Benefits include: BCBS Medical Insurance, 401k Paid holidays & vacation time. Email resume: mtucker@ revconstructioninc.com Fax: 205-349-1862 Call: 205-349-1860 DONAVAN LAKES FISHING CLUB & INN Marion, Perry Co. AL 2131 Eagle Grove Church Rd. Marion, Alabama •8 Lakes •17 Piers •Bass, Bream, Crappie, Catfish. •Camping, Nature Trails, Birding. Membership $1000 for 2022 Contact Thomas Wilson 334-247-2101 wils5789@bellsouth.net www.donavanlakes.orgg High Expectations Cleaning 205-728-8854 highexpertcleaning.com GENERAL MANAGER: SONIC–CHELSEA. DUTIES: Responsible for operations, training and development of all employees; execution of policies, programs and systems, including Sonic Operations Manual. Creates and maintains an “Employer of Choice” environment.
REQUIREMENTS: -Highly motivated -High School diploma/GED -Two years restaurant management experience (P&L experience preferred) -Advanced studies in business, restaurant management, or related field preferred. -Proven experience managing all shifts without supervision. -Willingness to relocate. BENEFITS: -Competitive Pay -Bonus Plan -Health Insurance -Optional Life Insurance, IRA -Paid Vacation -Excellent training program Are you “Sonic Good”? Mail Resume: J.W. Cain 6 County Road 455 Iuka, MS 38852 Call 662-424-0706 Email: john@mfmanagementllp. com Experienced Termite Technician or someone experienced in routeservice work and wants to learn new profession. Work-vehicle/equipment provided. Must drive straight-shift, have clean driving record/be 21/ pass background/drug test. Training provided. Insurance/401K offered. M-F 7:00-4:30 + 1 Saturday/month. Pay $13hr. Send resume to facsmith@charter.net Southeastern Sealcoating Now Hiring RECEPTIONIST Requirements: Microsoft Office proficiency, Organizational skills, Personable phone skills. We offer benefits & 401k! Must pass drug test. Email resume: Grace@southeastern sealcoating.com LOOKING FOR A TRAVEL TRAILER We have several to choose from Travel Trailers, 5th wheels and Motorhomes Financing available W.A.C. Give Me A Call Now! 205-991-3500
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MY SHELBY COUNTY
JAKOB & HAYDEN BLANKENSHIP Discovering Shelby For Ourselves Founders
Onewheeling & Beyond
Cahaba River Park Like at Oak Mountain, there’s lots of great trails at Cahaba River Park. You can enjoy hiking, biking, Onewheeling, swimming, kayaking, etc. Bonus: it’s free! Check out our episodes on this park on our YouTube Channel, Discovering Shelby For Ourselves.
All Aboard
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum Jakob celebrated his third birthday at The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum and loved riding the trains. When he was first getting into video production, he went back to the museum and produced a 1920s-style silent short film, Like Treasure.
Where It All Started
Dominion Baptist Church Our favorite place in Shelby County is Dominion Baptist Church. The solid preaching and close fellowship are vital to our daily lives. Hayden has enjoyed directing the Christmas program there for almost a decade. Dominion is also where we first met!
The Great Outdoors
Oak Mountain State Park Some of Hayden’s fondest childhood memories were made at Oak Mountain State Park. We love going there as a family to hike, swim and simply enjoy nature. Our favorite trail is the hike to Peavine Falls.
A Step into the Past
American Village We love going to The American Village with our daughters Atarah and Bithia to learn about our nation’s history. We spent many hours there as children too. Jakob played in a harmonica band for their Independence Day celebrations, and Hayden worked in their Junior Interpreter Program.
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SPA CAHABA YOUR LOCAL ESCAPE
Relax. Refresh. Renew.
SPA CAHABA | 205.564.9458 WWW.SHOPCAHABA.COM 92 March/April 2022
