280 living august 2015

August 2015 | Volume 8 | Issue 12

n e i g h b o r l y n e w s & e n t e r t a i n m e n t

280Living

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Sponsors ............. A4280 News ............ A6Business...........A10Community.......A27Faith...............A30

Events...............B4Back to School....B11 School House .. .B18Sports............... .B21Calendar ...........B25

INSIDE

Students share why they’re excited for the new school year.

See page B12

See page B4

A new challenge

Ready for school

Local CrossFit enthusiasts prepare for a new competition coming to Oak Mountain State Park.

See MEDICAL | page A28

See SUBSTATION | page A31

Treating 280

By ERICA TECHO

Grandview Medical Center is set to open Oct. 10, and the focus is on its network.

Along with a new building, Grandview Medical Center — formerly Trinity Medical Center — will offer a network of primary care

physicians and specialists in order to provide easy access to a variety of treatments, said Keith Granger, president and CEO of Trinity Medical Center. There are primary care offi ces in Chelsea, Lee Branch, Trussville, Liberty Park and Springville, and a Hoover offi ce is about to open.

“As we’ve seen in the disbursement of the population at the 280 corridor, we envision that we want to be a convenient stop for citizens that make those areas either their home or maybe where they work,” Granger said.

Grandview Medical Center’s network of physicians aims to bring convenience

to patients along U.S. 280

Dr. Virginia Winston, Dr. Margaret Miklic, Dr. Thomas McFaden and Dr. Bill Clifford are part of the soon-to-be Grandview Medical Group network, which brings specialists to primary care offi ces on a rotating basis. Photo by Keith McCoy.

Sheriff’s Offi ce substation opensBy OLIVIA BURTON and SYDNEY CROMWELL

Located in the former offi ce of a fl ooring company, the new Shelby County Sheriff’s substation on U.S. 280 might have the nicest fl oors of any police station in the state.

The new substation, located at Suite 117 in Greystone Park on U.S. 280, opened at the end of July. Construction on the sub-station was completed during the week of June 22, but the idea started while Sheriff John Samaniego was on the campaign trail.

As he talked to Shelby County residents on the path to win-ning the sheriff election, Samaniego said he heard over and over that there was a need for a new substation serving the thousands

Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego stands in front of Greystone Park, where the new substation opened in July. Photo by Keith McCoy.

A2 • August 2015 280 Living

August 2015 • A3280Living.com

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Legals: 280 Living is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. 280 Living is designed to inform the 280 community of area school, family and community events. Information in 280 Living is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of 280 Living. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.

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It takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a village to educate one.

As I’ve put together this Back to School issue, it’s become crystal clear to me that preparing our chil-dren for their future is the work of many hands.

These hands include adminis-trators like Larry Giangrosso, the new principal at Spain Park High School, and their visions to improve their schools. They also include the parent-teacher organizations who fundraise to bring some of those projects to life.

Groups like the Shelby County Drug-Free Ini-tiative and Wise Up Initiative are working to make

sure an athletic injury or drug use won’t derail students from reach-ing their full potential. They’re joined by even more people at work behind the scenes, all with the same goal.

I can’t help but be impressed with the quality of the men and women who have dedicated themselves to creating the best possible future for the children in our schools.

Editor’s Note By Sydney Cromwell

A4 • August 2015 280 Living

Yetzael, 20 months, having fun on the playground at Veterans Park on a July day. Photo by Jordan Hays.

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280 NewsChelsea City Council discusses ball park plans at meetingsBy ERICA TECHO

At the July 7 and 21 meetings, Chelsea City Council discussed plans for a future ball park it hopes to have ready to go by next spring as part of the Chelsea Sports Complex.

Each baseball field will have a 225-foot fence, irrigation and netting to protect spectators from foul balls. Further possibilities were discussed, including a dugout that is partially block and partially wire, in order to keep the players cooler.

On July 21, Hager presented three examples of concrete and split-face block dugouts with fencing on the front. Council members agreed with a full-height fence on the front of the dugout. This would include a gated entrance to protect the players.

Hager also suggested including a storage closet for bases, chalk and other equipment within the dugouts.

Options for shading on spectator bleachers were presented, with costs ranging from $2,700 to $8,000 per bleacher. The Council discussed the possibility of having a local company build the coverings at a lower cost. There will also be two batting cages per field.

Away from the fields, there are plans for 212 parking spaces, a play-ground, a lake, a maintenance building and an electrical control building.

A two-story structure including

a concession stand, restrooms, umpire dressing room, rest area and press box was also discussed. Approximately $300,000 has been allocated for that.

Lt. Don Williamson of Chelsea Fire & Rescue asked about the park’s highest capacity, citing concerns for bad weather conditions as well as how emergency vehicles could access the fields.

Council members said steps to pre-vent parking along the road will be taken, and Hager said the concession stand and maintenance building would be constructed to provide some shelter.

Chelsea Fire Chief Wayne Shirley

asked how the maintenance building, located behind the baseball fields, could be reached by a fire engine. Plans for a 12-foot wide paved trail would likely be the way to accommodate emergency vehicle access to the maintenance build-ing, Niven said.

Niven said the Council expects to have a plan out for bid following the Aug. 4. council meeting, so the fields will be open by next spring.

Future additions to the sports complex include additional fields for baseball or softball, a football field and multiple tennis courts.

Chelsea City Engineer Frank Spencer discusses plans for the sports complex with the city council. Photo by Erica Techo.

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Rezoning makes way for senior living facilityBy ERICA TECHO

The Shelby County Planning Commission approved a rezoning request to construct a senior living facility on July 20.

The request was from Jesse Marinko, president and CEO of Georgia-based Phoenix Senior Living, on behalf of Eagle Investments.

Located at the corner of Eagle Point Parkway and U.S. 280, the 9.6 acres of property were redistricted from agri-cultural and neighborhood business districts to multi-fam-ily and special districts.

Plans for the property include a senior living facility with 132 rooms, 172 beds and a putting green, children’s playground, walking trails and picnic areas on the prop-erty. Access to the facility will be off of Farley Lane.

Marinko has senior living facilities around the South-east, including multiple properties in Georgia and one in Baton Rouge. The company is also working on another development in Huntsville.

“We’re excited about becoming a member of Shelby County and the Birmingham area to provide a great service and much needed service offering for the residents of the area,” Marinko said.

Commission member Rachel Garrett asked Marinko about staffing plans, including medical staff. He said there will be an around-the-clock on-site nurse, a medical director as well as other staff. The facility also includes a 1,200-square-foot wellness and rehab center.

Residents will also have freedom of choice in regard to hospice services, Marinko said.

“We are championing to allow residents to stay. Trans-fer trauma is a very real thing with seniors,” Marinko said. “Once they reside in my community, I like to provide the best quality of life possible.”

After receiving approval from the commission, the applicant now must submit a resurvey to combine the two lots, as well as a fully-developed sight plan. Both submissions must meet zoning requirements and will be considered separately.

280Living.com August 2015 • A7

Hoover to decide on increased lodging tax

By ROY L. WILLIAMS

The city portion of the tax for staying in Hoover hotels and motels could soon double.

On Aug. 3, the Hoover City Council will consider a proposal from Mayor Gary Ivey to raise the city’s lodging tax rate from 3 percent to 6 percent.

Including the 4 percent the State of Alabama receives from the city lodging tax and 7 percent both Jefferson and Shelby Counties receive, that would increase the total lodging tax in Hoover from 14 percent to 17 percent.

Hoover’s 3 percent lodging tax generates about $1.5 million a year, so the boost to 6 percent would double that revenue. The city would use the extra lodging tax revenue to fund Hoover various capital projects and debt service. The proposal was first read at the July 6

meeting and discussion carried over at the July 20 meeting.

The tax would go into effect in October 2015. If approved, Hoover’s 6 percent lodg-ing tax would still be equal to or lower than most Birmingham area cities, said Hoover City Councilman John Lyda. Homewood, Leeds and Bessemer all have a 6 percent lodging tax, while Irondale’s is 7 percent and Fultondale’s lodging tax is 9 percent.

“This has been talked about for years,” Lyda said. “If we were to go in this direction, our lodging tax would still be in line with other area cities.”

However, Hoover’s lodging tax rate would be double the 3 percent current lodging tax

in neighboring cities Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills.

On July 20, representatives from Hoover hotels spoke at the meeting against the pro-posal, which they said would hurt their busi-ness and discourage tourism, meetings and events being held in Hoover hotels.

“An increase in taxes will undoubtedly com-promise future business in our Hoover hotels, negatively impacting our staff, economy and millions of dollars in investments made by our owners,” said Dominic Buompastore, general manager of Hyatt Regency Birmingham. “We are hopeful that the mayor and council will consider the impact on future business when bringing this ordinance forward.”

While city hotels enjoy a great relation-ship with and typically support the City of Hoover and the council, Buompastore said in an interview prior to the council meeting that “the entire Hoover hotel community” is united against the proposed increase in the hotel occu-pancy tax.

Lyda said he wants more clarity on use of funds from the lodging tax increase. The pro-posed ordinance, as worded today, simply ear-marks the revenue for capital project and debt.

“Our community deserves the opportunity to know what we plan to do with $30 million of new revenue over the next 20 years,” Lyda said. “We’re talking about an awful lot of money here, money that may can be leveraged for matching funds from other sources and fur-ther increase its impact on our community.”

Shoal Creek cottage-style housing approved

By ERICA TECHO

Amendments to the Shoal Creek master plan were approved at the Shelby County Planning Commission meeting on July 20.

The Shoal Creek master plan amendment was requested by property owner and president of Thompson Reality Inc. Caroline Little. The amendment involved allowing for the recon-figuration of roads and lots in the Hamlets at Shoal Creek, where cottage-style housing will be provided.

Frazier Christy, civil engineer on the project, said the change was requested as a result of recent research.

“One of the main things that we’ve learned in the Shoal Creek development is there are people that live there that have big homes,” Christy said. “They don’t want to leave, but they don’t want the big homes.”

The proposed area will include lots ranging from one quarter to one acre lots to accom-modate multiple living options, from first-time home buyers to empty nesters looking to move out of a larger home in the community.

Commissioner Amy Smith asked about

landscape buffers and greenspace in the area, and Christy said the eight proposed lots will be on 11 acres, allowing room for greenspace and common areas.

“Buffers and trees are something that is very well-protected in Shoal Creek, so I wouldn’t be too greatly concerned about it,” he said.

Another question came up about the entrance to the leasing office and the community. Little said that the office will likely be gated off from the rest of the community to allow the level of security residents expect in Shoal Creek.

In other news, the commission: } Approved a conditional use request for a portable building at 5429 Highway 280. The building will house Cowboy’s Georgia Pitt BBQ. Georgia Pitt BBQ will have walk-up service and no dining area.

} Approved a conditional use request for a portable building at 5349 Highway 280. The building will house Snow Biz, an ice cream shop, and includes a covered seating area and walk-up service.

} Approved a resubdivision of two lots of Sanders Mooney Acres. The two lots were reconfigured into three lots.

Civil engineer Frazier Christy discusses proposed changes to the Shoal Creek Master Plan. Photo by Erica Techo

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Commercial developments under consideration for Mt Laurel areaBy SYDNEY CROMWELL

Two commercial changes are in the future for properties in Mt Laurel and its neighbor, Dunna-vant Square.

On July 20, the Shelby County Planning Commission amended the master plan for the Mt Laurel community.

This change redesignated two lots of multi-family housing, bounded by Olmsted Street, Par-sons Street and Hawthorn Street, as single-family residences.

The residential lots were previ-ously designated for 16 apartment lots, four of which were previously re-designated and developed. The remaining 12 apartment lots were re-designated at 15 single-family units.

It also redesignated a section of common green space, located between Hilltop Montessori School and Dunnavant Valley Road, as

commercial and residential lots.Shelby County Senior Plan-

ner Sharman Brooks said these changes were always intended as part of the master plan for the community. No commercial plans have been made for the common area yet, except that it will con-tinue to house the office of TBI Construction.

The parts of the property that will be zoned institutional will allow Hilltop Montessori to con-struct a new gymnasium.

A private developer is also in the early stages of planning new commercial development in the area. Bill Thornton of Bill Thorn-ton Construction said he wants to bring new retail, potentially including a gas station, bank or shops, to property he owns in the Dunnavant Square area.

Thornton has owned these properties for about eight years, and he said the master plan has

The Shelby County Planning Commission approved several changes to the Mt Laurel master plan.

Alabama tax-free weekend to be held Aug. 7-9By OLIVIA BURTON

Alabama’s annual Back-to-School tax-free weekend will take place from 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 7 to midnight on Sunday, Aug. 9. Mountain Brook, Hoover, Vestavia, Homewood, and Shelby County will be participating in the tax exemption.

In addition to the sales tax exemption, many stores will feature special sales over the weekend.

“It’s a great opportunity to get back-to-school supplies as well as other things, such

as clothing,” said Kirk Mancer, president and CEO of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce. According to Mancer, the tax exemption benefits both shoppers and businesses because it encourages shoppers to spend money while allowing them to save on what they need.

General-use apparel such as dresses, jackets, pants, shirts, shoes and underwear will be exempt from Alabama’s sales tax over the weekend. All clothing items must be under $100. Clothing accessories such as cosmetics, jewelry, wallets and watches,

protective equipment such as tool belts and hard hats, and sport or recreational equip-ment such as goggles and shoulder pads will not be exempt from sales tax.

The exemption also applies to computers and other electronics under $750, school supplies under $50, educational books under $30 and required textbooks between $30 and $50. Furniture, video games, mag-azines and newspapers will remain taxable.

For more information and a complete list of exemptions, visit revenue.alabama.gov/salestax/salestaxhol.cfm.

Brooklyn Navarre tries on a pair of fall Minnetonka boots with her mom, Angie, owner of Highland Shoe Company in Lee Branch. Photo by Olivia Burton.

always included the option of commer-cial uses. The lots are designated as spe-cial district zones, which offer a wide variety of residential and commercial

development options.While he emphasized that design plans

are “all conceptual” at this stage, Thorn-ton believes a grocery store in the area

“would be fantastic for the valley.”Thornton expects to have more

detailed design plans created before the end of summer.


Chelsea fire department offering car seat checks

By ERICA TECHO

Chelsea Fire and Rescue employees are now certified car seat technicians.

This certification offers a service to the com-munity, said public information officer Paul Williams, which is why Chelsea City Fire Chief Wayne Shirley set the plan in motion. Full-time employees at the fire department are now able to install car seats, inspect the instal-lation of car seats or answer questions about car seats and safety.

“You can know that your car seat is installed properly and ensure the safety of your child,” Williams said.

To get certified, employees took a week-long course taught by Patrick Fowler, through the Alabama Fire College. Other fire depart-ments in the area also came to the training, and

Williams said each department benefited from the course. Chelsea Fire and Rescue saw it as a win-win for the departments and the communi-ties they serve, Williams said. By offering the chance to check car seats, the department can help avoid greater injury.

“Prevention is really our main goal,” Wil-liams said. “You have a greater chance of sur-viving if you’re strapped in.”

Training used a simulator to keep the pro-cess hands-on and make sure they got practice with checking the degree, height and securing of car seats. Fire and rescue officers can also check that a car seat is the proper size for a child or answer other questions.

Anyone with car seat questions or hoping for an inspection can stop by the Chelsea City Fire Department at 160 Chesser Drive from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Officer Scott Jackson checks a car seat for proper installation. Chelsea Fire and Rescue officers are now certified car seat technicians. Photo by Erica Techo.

Oak Mountain archery park opening Aug. 4

By ERICA TECHO

Oak Mountain State Park is opening an archery park on Aug. 4. The park will be the state’s 11th community archery park.

The park will be open year-round for recre-ational shooting, competitive tournaments and outdoor educational programming. It includes eight targets for adults ranging from 15-50 yards, eight targets for youths ranging from 5-20 yards and a four-target range from 10-40 yards. There is also a 12-foot elevated shooting platform for bow hunters who want to practice shooting from their stands.

Kelly Ezell, superintendent of Oak Moun-tain State Park, said most people will bring their own equipment, but the park will host some classes where equipment is provided.

These classes will start in the fall, Ezell said, and will be geared toward younger archers. The park’s naturalist Emily Cook is certified to teach archery and will serve as an instructor.

Entry fees will apply to the park — $4 for visitors 12 years old and up, $1 for 6-11 year olds — but the archery park is free to use.

Alabama residents between 16-65 years old must have a hunting license, Wildlife Manage-ment Area license or Wildlife Heritage license in order to use the archery park. A hunting license can be obtained through local retailers, outdooralabama.com or at the park. Non-resi-dents can use an annual Wildlife Management license or non-resident hunting license.

The archery park is the result of a partner-ship with the Alabama Department of Con-servation and Natural Resources Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Shelby County and Alabama State Parks, Ezell said.

“We’re really happy,” Ezell said. “It’s another user group that will be able to come into our park and enjoy their sport.”

The archery park’s grand opening will be at Aug. 4 at 10 a.m.

The archery park has different series of targets for a variety of ages and skill levels. Photo by Jordan Hays.


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280Business Happenings

Now OpenPinto Thai & Sushi is now open in Chelsea at 16712 Highway 280,

Suite B.

Pathway Pediatrics is now open in Chelsea at 398 Chesser Drive, Suite 7.

678-1286, pathwaypeds.patientmedrecords.com

Coming SoonVerizon Wireless has leased space at 104 Inverness Corners for a new

retail store. An opening date has not been announced.verizonwireless.com

Relocations and Renovations

Communications Unlimited, Inc., a cable technician and installation

company, has leased offi ce space at 22 Inverness Center Parkway, Suite 310. 402-0515, cuicable.com

Dr. Lee Goldberg, a family wellness chiropractor, and the staff of

Greystone Chiropractic has relocated to 5428 U.S. 280 East, Suite 7. It is located in the same shopping center as Chuck’s Fish. 981-8090, greystonechiropractor.com

New OwnershipCVS/pharmacy has reached an agreement to buy Target’s

pharmacies nationwide, including the Target pharmacy at 4616 Highway 280. Pharmacies within Target will be rebranded as CVS/pharmacy and will be owned and operated by CVS. No timeline has been announced, but the transaction is expected to be fi nal by the end of 2015.991-6248, target.com/pharmacy

News and Accomplishments

Valerie Leonard, fi nancial advisor and partner with Grinkmeyer Leonard

Financial, was named to Investment News’ “40 Under 40” list. She was the only person from Alabama to be named to the list. Grinkmeyer Leonard Financial is located at 1950 Stonegate Drive, Suite 275.970-9088, grinkmeyerleonard.com

Reliance Financial Group was recently recognized by the

Birmingham Business Journal as a fi nalist in the 2015 Nonprofi t Awards in the Corporate

Citizen category. Its corporate offi ce is located in Liberty Park at 1400 Urban Center Drive, Suite 475.397-2450, rfgadvisory.com

Urban Cookhouse, 250 Summit Blvd., Suite 102, has added

strawberry lemonade milkshakes to its menu. Restaurant owners purchase 1,000 gallons of strawberries annually from Harvest Farm in Cullman to make the lemonade and shakes.969-6700, urbancookhouse.com

Hirings and Promotions

RealtySouth’s Inverness offi ce, 109 Inverness Plaza, has welcomed

Jason Boner, Rene Harris, Cody Holcombe, Timothy Johnson and Mari Wohlfarth as new agents.991-6565, realtysouth.com

Alabama Allergy & Asthma Center, 16691 Highway 280, Chelsea, has

hired Dr. Amy CaJacob to join their staff. Dr. CaJacob completed her fellowship in allergy, asthma and immunology at UAB.871-9661, alabamaallergy.com

Sara Franklin has been named director of public relations for The

Lollar Group, a communications fi rm at 800 Corporate Parkway, Suite 100. She will be focused on working with locally owned businesses and nonprofi t organizations.807-3759, thelollargroup.com

Lisa Charbonneau, DO, MS, has been promoted to the position of

chief medical offi cer at HealthSouth, 3660 Grandview Parkway, Suite 200.967-7116, healthsouth.com

Dr. Alice Hardy has joined Pathway Pediatrics in Chelsea at 398 Chesser

Drive, Suite 7. Prior to joining Pathway, Dr. Hardy practiced at South Trace Pediatrics in Hoover and Chelsea Pediatrics at the Narrows. She is now accepting new patients.678-1286, pathwaypeds.patientmedrecords.com

Gresham, Smith & Partners, 3595 Grandview Parkway, Suite 300, has

hired Derrick Murphy as an engineer.298-9200, greshamsmith.com

AnniversariesCalypso St. Barth, 225 Summit Blvd., Suite 100, is celebrating the

fi rst anniversary of its Birmingham store.262-2996, calypsostbarth.com

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Chelsea Community Center completion delayed

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE

It will still be at least a month until Chelsea residents can enjoy their new community center, as the grand opening has been delayed because of weather and changes in the plans.

Lori King, Chelsea city treasurer, said that even once the outside is com-pleted, the city still has to furnish the inside.

The facility may be open by Sep-tember, said Chelsea Mayor Earl Niven.

Construction on the $3.68 million, 29,000-square-foot facility began in June 2014. Bob Wanninger, the archi-tect for the project, said the project is still going, just slowly. In late June, he met with the contractor, Argo Build-ing, and Niven about the project, but said the contractor wasn’t forthcoming with any definitive scheduling.

“The place is looking great and the contractor is doing an excellent job,” Wanninger said. “It’s more compli-cated than what it looks like from [the] road, especially with all the mechani-cal and electrical systems.”

One of the latest projects has been installing basketball goals. Once they are approved, it will be six more weeks until they are ready to be

installed. Construction on the covered canopy for the entrance also began this summer.

The community center will feature parking around it on all four sides as well as an entrance from Highway

47 and Highway 39. The inside will have an administrative section at the entrance for check-in and equipment check-out, a nursery for parents using the exercise room, two meeting rooms for civic groups, a gymnasium with

seating for 300 people, an indoor track, a basketball court, badminton court and pickle ball court.

The dining room will seat up to 100 people and include a warming kitchen. An outdoor dining room will feature

a large fireplace and outdoor cooking facilities. Two general activities rooms for seniors and a dance studio will also be included.

“When we interviewed the seniors it was the first thing they asked for,” Wanninger said. “They have a dance group that has been commuting to Vestavia.”

Horseshoes and shuffleboard are among the outdoor games being planned. Wanninger hopes to include a putting green with nine holes so the seniors can have tournaments, along with a chipping green for putting practice.

Other features of the community center are handicapped toilets, a full mechanical system for air condition-ing and heating and data outlets scat-tered throughout the building to be used by staff and also seniors.

Wanninger said Niven is currently in the process of hiring a director for the community center, and once on board, they can start sending things out and hopefully get a date for the facility to begin serving the community.

“That’s one of our major concerns right now is our opening date,” Wan-ninger said. “There is great interest in it.”

Construction continues on the Chelsea Community Center, but the opening has been delayed by weather and design changes. Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.


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Justin Scarsella Tae Kwon Do to open new location

By CHRIS GRIESEDIECK

Justin Scarsella said when people think of a martial arts school, the words that come to mind most often are small, dirty and smelly. The new World Class Tae Kwon Do facility opening in August will be the exact opposite of that.

World Class Tae Kwon Do is cur-rently located in Inverness Corners, but the new 7,500-square-foot build-ing is located on Valleydale Road, next to Beaumont Pharmacy. Scar-sella, the owner and master instruc-tor, said the new building will offer several features, including the best training mats on the market, plenty of padded seating for parents, polished floors, a cedar entryway and more than 60 parking spaces.

The new facility will be opening for classes in August with the official grand opening celebration on Aug. 22. Guest masters from all over the coun-try will visit.

Scarsella said the reason for moving to a stand-alone martial art school of this size is for the students and fam-ilies to benefit even more from their taekwondo training. The new location will be double the size of the current facility and will increase their training mat space by 2,000 square feet.

“With two main training floors, we will have the ability to have longer classes and more class options. We can also easily split classes to pro-vide more personal attention for each student, so even though the facility is

bigger, the classes will actually feel smaller and more personal,” Scarsella said.

With a new stand-alone facility of this size, Scarsella said they are able to host most of their special events throughout the year instead of renting out local facilities. Some of the spe-cial events include picnics, festivals, charity board breaking events, black belt demonstrations and parent appre-ciation classes.

At the current location, Master Scarsella and his instructors have

taught focus, confidence and respect to children and adults for more than 10 years.

Wende Berryhill, whose son has been a student of Scarsella’s for the last eight years, spoke about tae-kwondo impacting her son’s life, as well as her own.

“Taekwondo has taught my son focus, discipline, respect and has boosted his confidence so much,” she said. “I believe that Master Scarsella’s TKD has given my son such a great foundation in physical fitness, in his

respect and cooperation with others and most importantly, in the way he believes in himself.”

“The class schedule is also very flexible, which is of utmost impor-tance to any mom or dad,” Berryhill added.

Berryhill’s son, James, was 6 years old when he began taking classes, and he is now one of the instructors at the school. She was so impressed with the program that she took up taekwondo herself.

“I love the bond that I have been

able to share with my son all of these years,” she said. “For myself, Master Scarsella has made physical fitness fun with his high energy, positive attitude and enthusiasm.”

Scarsella has taught over 10,000 students across the country and has been teaching taekwondo for over 15 years. Scarsella said that when he was growing up, he was very small and shy.

“My size and lack of confidence made me feel like I was not quite good enough to make team sports. The positive impact taekwondo had on me changed my life in every way,” Scarsella said.

When the new Valleydale Road location opens this month, it will be part of Scarsella’s plans to bring these benefits to more children and adults in Birmingham.

“This building is part of the World Class Tae Kwon Do vision to impact our community by making it safer and more peaceful,” Scarsella said.

Visit alabamatkd.com for more information or call 981-9636.

Master Justin Scarsella is the owner and instructor at World Class Tae Kwon Do, which is opening a new, larger location this month. Photo by Jordan Hays.

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Pinto Thai16712 Hwy 280, Suite B677-4206Hours: Sun.-Sat., 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (Lunch)5-9 p.m. (Dinner)

Pinto Thai brings

new flavor to Chelsea


When Punika and Phichaya Arimrahong moved to Chelsea from West Palm Beach, Flor-ida two years ago, they knew they wanted to open a restaurant in their community. Their dream recently became a reality, with the open-ing of Pinto Thai in mid-July.

“We were looking for a place to work close to our house, so we could spend more time with our kids,” said Punika, who is the manager of the restaurant. “We have four kids and would otherwise have to drive 30 to 40 minutes each morning and evening to go to work.”

They have both worked in the restaurant busi-ness for many years, as relatives on both sides of their family are restaurant owners. Phichaya’s mother owns a restaurant in Florida, and Puni-ka’s sister owns Thai Orchid in North Carolina. Prichaya spent a year working in his sister-in-law’s restaurant to gain owner experience.

Pinto Thai, located in the Chelsea Court shopping center near Chesser Drive, will offer a variety of dishes ranging from Thai, sushi and hibachi. The Arimrahongs described their food as full of flavor and spice.

They recommended several menu items, including pineapple fried rice, seafood basil and hot plates and the Thai iced tea and coffee.

“We use fine ingredients and prepare real Thai food,” said Phichaya, who is the owner and chef.

The Arimrahongs will bring in a chef with over 20 years’ experience cooking Thai food. Besides the quality of the food, the couple said that one of their highest priorities is for their restaurant to be clean.

“We have both worked in a lot of restaurants and can’t stand it if it’s not clean,” Punika said.

When Pinto Thai’s sign first went on the build-ing, interest began to grow even before they opened their doors.

“People have been stopping by and looking at our sample menu on the door and asking when we would be open,” Punika said.

The couple’s four children attend Chelsea Park Elementary and Chelsea Middle School. The teachers and staff at these schools can look forward to lunch deliveries.

“They can place their orders a week or even a month ahead and they will deliver to them,” Punika said.

“My son’s teacher said she wants to work here

so she can have Thai food every day,” Phichaya added.

The restaurant seats 15 people, but Pinto Thai will offer take-out and delivery within a five-mile radius. The Arimrahongs are open to bigger things in the future.

“We wanted to start with something small first,” Punika said.

Punika and Phichaya Arimrahong opened their restaurant, Pinto Thai, in mid-July. Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.


Pathway Pediatrics opens Chelsea office


When Dr. Leslie Sawyer and phy-sician assistant Megan Moore decided to go into business together, they were told many times their partnership wouldn’t work. However, there was no way either could operate their busi-ness, Pathway Pediatrics, by herself.

In less than a year, their partnership has worked so well that they recently opened a second office of Pathway Pediatrics, located in Chelsea.

After completing her pediatric residency, Sawyer went to work for Coosa Valley Pediatrics in Sylacauga in 2008. She met Moore during one of her rotations as a PA student in April 2012 and Moore joined the practice in January 2013.

The two bought the practice on Nov. 1, 2014 and renamed it Pathway Pediatrics, taking from the Bible verse Proverbs 22:6 about directing children on the right path.

“When we decided to buy the practice, we also decided we would open a second one,” Moore said. “We procured the area [in Chelsea] in November, hired additional staff in March – going from five employees to 22 – and in June, we opened.”

They chose Chelsea for their second location because they felt the area was in need of pediatricians.

“This half of Shelby County has a larger population than the three counties we serve in the Sylacauga

area,” said Sawyer, who is a Chelsea resident. “Chelsea is the second fast-est-growing city in the fastest-growing county in the state.”

The Pathway Pediatrics office in Chelsea opened on June 25. Sawyer, Moore and RN and practice manager Megan Epperson designed it with par-ents in mind. There are separate sick and well entrances and waiting rooms, large bathrooms that can accommo-date strollers, two triage rooms, six

colorful patient rooms with televisions and a lactation lounge with a recliner and couch. Most of the laboratory work is done in-house and the entire office is handicap accessible.

All the nurses at Pathway are RNs. Most of them are parents of patients that wanted to join the Pathway team. Epperson is also a Board Certified Lactation Consultant and is passionate about helping mothers achieve their breastfeeding goals.

Pathway Pediatrics is one of the few places in the area that provides QB testing, an FDA-approved com-puterized test that checks for ADHD.

Medical ear piercing is also done in the office by nurses. Children must be over two months old and be up to date on all their shots to qualify. This offers an alternative to going to a store for ear piercing.

Recently, another Chelsea doctor joined the practice. Dr. Alice Hardy,

who worked in Chelsea from 2004-2009, became the second doctor on staff on July 20. Her arrival comes at the perfect time to keep everything moving, as Moore is due with her second child in August.

“We are really excited she is coming back to the Chelsea area,” Moore said. “She has a large client base and will bring a lot of patients with her.”

Although the process of opening a second location hasn’t been always easy, the women agree that their faith got them through.

“It’s been a lot of hard work,” Epperson said. “There have been very few off days, but it has been a very fun and awesome experience, an humbling, eye opening, faith building experience.”

Moore added, “He has put every-thing in place at the right time and pro-vided exactly what we need. We don’t want to take the credit for him. This is the pathway he has laid out for us.”

The staff of Pathway Pediatrics, which opened in late June, is made up of registered nurses, many of whom have children treated at Pathway. The pediatricians have offices in Sylacauga and Chelsea. Photo courtesy of Pathway Pediatrics.

Pathway Pediatrics398 Chesser Drive, Suite 7Chelsea678-1286Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.Saturdays: Sick patients only, 9 a.m.-noon


Monogram Spot makes crafting passion a reality

By DANNI ZHOU

Some call it luck, others call it destiny. Nine years ago, Reata Nix attended her first craft show and immediately her interest in handcrafted designs was sparked.

She eventually found her niche in mono-gramming as her participation in craft shows frequented through the years. Soon after, Nix began crafting homemade monograms and quickly attracted the attention of coworkers and friends, setting the basis for her next step into the business world.

Nix recently opened The Monogram Spot in Lee Branch shopping center located near U.S. 280.

The Monogram Spot provides ready-made monogrammed merchandise but also encour-ages customers to bring in personal items to be monogrammed.

“My very first customer brought in a hand towel to be monogrammed,” Nix shares. “I don’t want customers to feel like they have to buy something from the store. My main focus is on making items, bought or owned, personalized for them.”

Furthermore, monogramming divides into var-ious categories. The store offers a wide selection: embroidery, heat press, adhesive vinyl and subli-mation. Lastly, The Monogram Spot strays from limitations on monogram-able items, and the store includes diverse merchandise far beyond the common apparel sets and accessories.

“If I can find a way to get the item onto the machine, I can monogram it,” Nix said.

Though the Monogram Spot opened recently, Nix said she has already seen many satisfied customers.

“I want this place to be known for having

everything you need at great prices, but espe-cially to be inviting to customers,” Nix said.

“She is very customer service-oriented,” Nix’s friend and customer Jennifer Wesson said.

Nix is a firm believer in that the positive expe-rience of her customers sets the path for a suc-cessful business.

Starting a huge project, especially a business, is never easy. However, each step seemed to fall in line for preparation of The Monogram Spot’s opening.

“I set a goal for my very first day of open-ing. I beat it by $4.11 in the last five minutes before closing,” Nix said. “Everything I needed from the starting point has been handed to me by God.”

When asked how she would advise others through a similar process of opening a business, Nix recommended prayer, research and leaning on the support of family and friends.

“My heart bursts with the amount of love I have received through this process,” Nix said.

The Monogram Spot offers different types of monograms on a wide variety of products, or customers can bring in their own items to monogram. Photo by Danni Zhou.

The Monogram Spot611 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 114637-6933Find them on Facebook and EtsyTuesday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.


Yoga studio opens in Lee BranchBy MADISON MILLER

Krista Young never intended to run a yoga studio, but when the studio she worked at closed its doors, she didn’t wanted her teaching to end.

“There were so many people in my class who had just discovered yoga, and I just enjoyed teaching it so much,” she said. “I had my family coming to my class. I just didn’t want it to end, and there was nothing else out there.”

Young decided to fill the gap that was left in the community by opening The Lemon Tree Yoga Studio on Doug Baker Boulevard. The studio opened for business on July 25.

Ten years ago, Young fell in love with yoga after other fitness routines like running proved to be stressful on her back. She was looking for an activity that would provide fitness while avoid-ing the strain that other exercises had caused. Yoga was the answer.

Many of Young’s students have found relief with yoga for a variety of physical issues, includ-ing strength-building, joint mobility, balance, posture, hand-eye coordination, digestion and sleeplessness.

Though many choose yoga for physical ben-efits, Young also said she and her students often benefit from mental clarity provided by the activity. Young, a CPA, finds that doing yoga has taught her how to work through stress in any situation, even while she is not in the studio.

“I think there’s so many people who can bene-fit from [yoga],” she said. “Especially when I’m sitting on 280 and I’m doing my breathing and I look around and see all those angry faces.”

The Lemon Tree Yoga Studio has classes for all skill levels of yoga, especially in its first few months of operation, to allow as many commu-nity members to become involved as possible. Young will also offer more advanced and unique classes focusing on athletics, weight loss and even Acro Yoga, which is done with a partner to allow students to move into positions that they could not do by themselves.

The studio’s design will focus on a simple

layout, Young said. The space will feature full-length mirrors and heating panels on the studio’s ceilings to allow for student’s comfort. The front desk area will also feature several yoga items and accessories for sale.

“There will be something for everyone,” Young said.

When looking for instructors for the studio, Young picked instructors with a variety of expe-rience and backgrounds. Many of the instruc-tors are local to the area, which Young said she believes will help with getting involved in the community.

“They want to be able to teach yoga to their friends and bring yoga to their community,” she said.

Instructors will also focus on each student individually and develop routines based on what works best for them.

“What we’re going to try to do is modify the classes,” Young said. “Every yoga class should be individual. It really should be at everyone’s own individual pace.”

The studio is located at 611 Doug Baker Blvd. Visit lemontree.yoga for more information and class schedules.

Instructors at the Lemon Tree Yoga Studio pose near their Doug Baker Boulevard location. Photo by Keith McCoy.

The Lemon Tree Yoga Studio

661 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 116

913-3491

lemontree.yoga

Hours vary. Visit website for detailed class schedules.


Summit Internal Medicine relocates to 280 corridor

By ROY L. WILLIAMS

When Trinity Medical Center’s plans to relocate to the new Grand-view Hospital on U.S. 280 were approved, experts figured that internal medicine clinics and other healthcare businesses would also make the move to the busy corridor.

For Dr. David Wynne, founder of Summit Internal Medicine, P.C., it was a natural fit, as his practice trains some of Trinity’s medical residents.

In June, after 12 years of operat-ing his practice inside a professional office next to Trinity Medical Center on Montclair Road, Wynne relocated Summit Internal Medicine to a street-level office at 3570 Grandview Park-way. He also added a new doctor to his practice,

Wynne said Trinity Medical Cen-ter’s plan to relocate and rebrand as Grandview Medical Center in Octo-ber 2015 was a major factor in his decision to relocate. He envisions the U.S. 280 corridor to become a major medical hub over the next few years.

The move has been well received by patients, Wynne said.

“Concerns regarding 280 traffic have not dissuaded my patients from making their appointments,” he said. “In fact, the majority of my patients have supported this location being near I-459, as it is easier to access than my Trinity office.”

Summit specializes in internal medicine, providing health care for

patients ages 18 and older. The office has a full-service lab, digital X-ray and short wait times.

Terry Ponder, who has operated Ponder Commercial Real Estate in Meadowbrook Office Park since 1995, said the trend of healthcare-related

businesses relocating to the suburbs like U.S. 280 area is not a temporary thing, but will be a long-term trend.

“I think it’s starting to happen nationwide,” Ponder said. “As the opening of the Grandview hospital approaches, you will see even more

doing this.” Ponder said the arrival of doctors

practices and other medical facilities is one of the biggest trends on the U.S. 280 corridor. Of the 30-plus businesses that have opened in the area over the past year, some of the

biggest projects are health-related.Among them: • Medhelp Urgent Care’s expanded

two-story building near the Grand-view Medical Center that opens this fall.

• A new building under construc-tion at the intersection of U.S. 280 and Cahaba River Road. Tenants include Lemak Health, Drayer Physical Ther-apy Institute and Sonos Imaging and others to be announced soon, Ponder said.

• Total Care Now, a doctor’s prac-tice in the former two-story Don’s Carpet Building in Greystone.

• Dr. Lisa Miller Oral Facial Sur-gery at One Inverness Center Parkway.

• St. Vincent’s One Nineteen expan-sion underway just off Highway 119 in Greystone.

• Brookwood Medical Center’s new Freestanding Emergency Department opening in November on U.S. 280 near Greystone.

• American Family Care’s reloca-tion of its headquarters into a new building on Cahaba Beach Road.

Ponder said these projects are just the start of a major medical corridor on U.S. 280 being spawned.

“This is a new trend to take the heat off the emergency room and make emergency rooms for true emergen-cies,” Ponder said. “Patients with minor problems such as minor inju-ries, flu, colds and so on will go to these facilities.”

Dr. David Wynne recently relocated his practice, Summit Internal Medicine, to be closer to the new Grandview Medical Center. Photo by Roy L. Williams.


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Meet the new senior pastor at Brook Hills: Matt Mason

By ERICA TECHO

Matt Mason didn’t plan to enter the pool of candidates for The Church at Brook Hills’ new senior pastor. Mem-bers of the congregation approached him, encouraging him to put his name in the hat, but Mason said he wanted to avoid the pressure an internal can-didate could put on the search team.

“Meanwhile, behind closed doors I was on the list, so I’m grateful for that,” Mason said.

Mason was selected as the new senior pastor of The Church at Brook Hills on June 28 following a vote from the congregation. He received 96 per-cent of the congregation’s vote.

“It was just really encouraging,” Mason said. “That 90 percent is sig-nificant, so we were just praying, and it’s just going to have to be the Lord to get 90 percent of a congregation this large to all agree on the same thing.”

There are close to 4,500 members in the congregation at Brook Hills, although Mason said he was not sure how many members were present for the June 28 vote. Mason took on the role of senior pastor immediately fol-lowing the vote, and he was formally installed by Pastor Jim Shaddox on July 5.

“Once [former Senior Pastor] David [Platt] left, Jim Shaddox was kind of the leading voice and lead pastor in a way, in the interim period, and so it meant a great deal for him to be the guy to kind of pass the baton,”

Mason said.Mason has worked in several

ministry roles since graduating from Christ for the Nations College in 1996, including serving as a college and adult singles pastor, planning and teaching worship series, overseeing small groups and leading musical worship. Mason and his family joined

Church of Brook Hills in 2012 after 10 years with Lakeview Christian Center in New Orleans.

His family, including Paula, his wife of 19 years, is involved in many aspects of the church.

Mason said his time with Brook Hills helped make the decision to become senior pastor an easy one. He

read an article on 10 questions anyone who is about to become senior pastor should ask the church’s search team, and he knew the answers to all of the questions.

“I know how our leaders are, I know the chemistry of our teams, I know our staff and the dynamics of the staff,” Mason said. “In those ways,

the biggest things that could cause a leader to have misgivings about going into a congregation situation, because there are blind spots everywhere, were things that I was just overjoyed about.”

Mason said he hopes to see the church community become more tightly connected, making sure mem-bers feel like they belong. This is a difficult task in such a large church, Mason said, but it is something he and the elders hope to improve.

“That’s a tough thing. It’s a chal-lenge in a church this size for people to feel like they belong, to feel that they are known by others,” Mason said. “It’s easy to be invisible in a group this large.”

He also plans to build on the church’s strengths, including its ded-ication to mission trips. Brook Hills is known for its missions as the result of former Senior Pastor David Platt, who resigned in September 2014 to become president of the International Missions Board.

Taking over as senior pastor, Mason said he does not plan to reinvent the wheel. Instead, he looks forward to opportunities to work to strengthen the church community.

“I wouldn’t view my coming into this role fundamentally along the lines of turning the ship in a dramatically new direction,” he said. “One of the reasons why I’m happy about stepping into this role is I think it’s a healthy church.”

Senior Pastor Matt Mason took on his new role at the Church at Brook Hills on June 28. Photo by Erica Techo.


Rebel with a causeBrook Highland residents attend Magna Carta anniversary ceremonies in honor of ancestor

By MADISON MILLER

As a lawyer, Brook Highland resi-dent Jack Hood knows the importance of the 1215 signing of the Magna Carta. The document, which English barons forced King John to sign, was one of the first documents in history limiting the power of the king.

Hood’s interest in the document, however, goes beyond the legal. He is a direct descendent of Saer de Quincey, the First Earl of Winchester and one of the key negotiators in the signing of the Magna Carta. Hood grew up knowing of his lineage after his aunt paid to track the family’s ancestry in the 1950s.

This year, Hood, his daughter, Laura and his 8-year-old grandson, Inverness Elementary student Walkin Cleage, took a trip to Runnymede, England, for the American Bar Asso-ciation (ABA)’s monument dedica-tion during the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta’s signing. When the trip was announced last year, Hood jumped at the chance to attend.

“I realized immediately that it was going to be people clamoring to go, so I signed up immediately,” he said.

The trip had nostalgic reasons, as Hood attended the University of Cam-bridge in England for his graduate program, but it was also a chance to pass down knowledge to his grandson.

“It’s been a really great educational experience for my grandson. He’s starting to think about some things he

never thought about before. It’s had a huge impact on him. We could see it immediately,” he said.

De Quincey is Hood’s “great great 25th” grandfather. While on the trip, Hood learned more about his involve-ment with the Magna Carta when he met historian Julian Harrison at the British Library. Harrison told him

that de Quincey served as exchequer for King John and held important knowledge of the financial state of the country. Though King John made de Quincey an earl, he refused to give him a castle, Hood said. Harrison believed that this might have been one of the factors that caused de Quincey to turn against him with the signing.

“He was a rebel with a cause,” Hood said.

As a member of the ABA, Hood said the importance of the document can be seen throughout many govern-ments in history.

“The Magna Carta was such an important document in the English common law and the history of rights

of individuals in America,” he said. “It had a huge influence on our Dec-laration of Independence, our Con-stitution, it’s still cited from time to time by different courts talking about fundamental rights of people.”

Several members of the royal family were in attendance at the cer-emony, including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, William Duke of Cam-bridge, Princess Anne, Prime Minis-ter David Cameron and more. Walkin was also interviewed by British TV reporters as he sported an American flag bow tie.

“Everyone wanted to stop and get their picture made with Walkin and his little bowtie,” Laura said.

Hood and his daughter both value the learning experience that the three-week trip gave them, but more impor-tantly, they value the time that they were able to connect as a family with Walkin. Hood’s family eventually made its way to the United States in the late 1600s or early 1700s, Hood said. Though less is known about some family members than others, Laura said she has noticed one trend throughout several generations.

“In terms of our [family], they’ve always been in some sort of service to others. Whether it be postal work-ers, lawyers, nurses, teachers, they’ve always done something in service to others,” Laura said. “Which is kind of interesting that it even goes all the way back to this guy [de Quincey].”

Jack Hood, Laura Hood and Walkin Cleage display souvenirs from their trip to the 800th anniversary ceremony of the Magna Carta signing in honor of their ancestor, Saer de Quincey. Photo by Madison Miller.


Old designs, new purposeBy LEAH INGRAM EAGLE

Walking into Lucy Farmer’s home, it’s obvious why she was cast as a member of the HGTV show “Beach Flip.” Her passion for taking reclaimed pieces and repurposing them is apparent from her front door, which came from the Bessemer Courthouse, to her kitchen floor, which used to be in an old general store.

“That’s how I like to design everything,” Farmer said. “I like to find old things and give them a new purpose.”

She and her husband, Connor, have built eight homes together. The family moved to their new home off Caldwell Mill Road in April.

“Together, it feels like everything we do is home-involved,” Farmer said.

Last year, Farmer came across an open cast-ing call for an HGTV show called “Beach Flip.” Thinking it sounded like an interesting oppor-tunity, she applied, already knowing who her partner would be.

“My girlfriend Daphney [Massey] is a real estate agent in Birmingham and has personality plus,” Farmer said. “I knew if anyone was going with me, it would be her.”

In September, the duo got a call to come to New York for an interview with the show’s pro-ducers. That day, Farmer was “sick as a dog.”

“I was popping Tylenol and Advil and had the shakes from the 104 degree fever,” she said. “It turned out to be a kidney infection, but I barely made it through the interview.”

They expected to hear back from the produc-ers by Thanksgiving, but as time passed, Farmer and Massey became convinced they didn’t make the cut.

“The minute I told my husband they should have already called, they literally called the next day,” Farmer said. “When I told him we made it, he said he didn’t think we were actually going to follow through with it. The next few weeks, my whole line was, ‘What if I don’t do it?’ When I’m 80 years old, I say to my grandchildren I could

have been on a TV show.”Farmer and Massey traveled to Gulf Shores,

where they spent eight weeks filming their ren-ovation of a home. They worked 12-hour days, with a camera on them the entire time, and only got to call home once a day. Farmer said she is glad she did it, but once is enough for her. She missed her 19th wedding anniversary and her son’s birthday while she was away.

“Out of 52 weeks in the year, I was gone for eight of those,” Farmer said. “I’m glad I did it, and I would go back and do it again, knowing what would happen. But to do it for the second

time — no. It was hard not seeing my family. That probably was the biggest challenge of all of it.”

Besides remodeling homes, Farmer’s love for repurposing old things led her to pursue jewelry making full-time in July 2014. She created Lucy’s Lockets, which features architectural hardware pieces that she turns into unique jewelry. The busi-ness was a success, and by January 2015, she had three employees working for her. The line is sold online and in boutiques in Alabama, including Highland’s Shoe Company in Lee Branch and Simply Southern in Inverness Heights Shopping Center, as well as several other states.

Lucy’s Lockets was featured in the July issue of Southern Living, which has brought even more exposure to her creations.

Farmer is also active in her community. Her two children attend Oak Mountain schools, one is a cheerleader and the other an athlete. The family is also part of Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church.

As for the future, Farmer has signed up for several craft shows in the fall. Her goal is to get in more stores outside of Alabama.

“It’s great to have exposure in different places,” Farmer said. “I’m definitely working that angle.”

Lucy Farmer (far left) works on a beachfront home as part of the HGTV series “Beach Flip.” Photo courtesy of HGTV.


New anti-drug program introduced in Shelby County Schools

By ERICA TECHO

Shelby County Schools will learn to be Above the Influence this year. Through the nationwide anti-drug campaign, students will learn to stand up to negative influences, including pressure to use drugs and alcohol.

Shelby County Drug Free Coalition Coordinator Jan Corbett said the pro-gram’s structure helps facilitate open and honest discussion. Rather than having counselors lead the campaign, teachers will act as peer helper spon-sors to work with groups of students.

“The peer helper sponsor is actually the facilitator,” Corbett said. “She’s not preaching and teaching and telling them ‘You have to do this, you better do this,’ but the program is in such a way that you get the kids thinking about their influences.”

Andrew Hertzberg, who leads Above the Influence for the nation-wide Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, said having teens address each other is what sets the program apart from others. The campaign has changed since its launch in 2006, and Hertz-berg said it works to keep up-to-date with social media and pop culture to relate to participating students.

One of the biggest lessons, Hertz-berg said, is that media depictions of drug and alcohol use are not reality.

“While pop culture and media may glamorize it, may make it seem excit-ing, students learn the fact is most kids aren’t doing these things,” he said.

Students interested in acting as

peer helpers submit an application, and sponsors select a group of around 25 students to participate in activities and lessons twice a week to promote positive self-image and choices.

“These are things that are happen-ing every day in their life, and they affect each other,” he said. “So this broader messaging gives them the strength to really understand what it is they face every day.”

Students will also learn how to identify drugs, the negative influence

of drugs and any available resources.“They need to know what it looks

like, what it’s going to do to them, in case they have a friend that might be involved in a certain kind of drug. This peer helper will have the type of information they may need to help their friend,” Corbett said.

Through Above the Influence, all students will have access to online resources including videos, informa-tional guides and monitored discus-sion boards through drugfree.org.

The Drug Free Coalition is also working with schools to bring in guest speakers from the sheriff’s department, coroner’s office and the community. The Shelby County Sher-iff’s Office will provide resources to the Drug Free Coalition as well as instructional classes and discussions with parents at the schools.

“Our message is the same,” said Sheriff’s Office Lt. Clay Hammac. “We want to work with the Drug Free Coalition as a multiplier to get the

message out.”Through these community discus-

sions, Corbett hopes to provide infor-mation and start conversations for the whole community.

“They’re hoping the kids will be real and transparent and hoping that this will help the leaders – the mayor, the police chief and everything — to just be more informed about what is going on out there with these kids and how they can help,” she said.

Participating schools include:Chelsea High School

Chelsea Middle School

Oak Mountain High School

Oak Mountain Middle School

Oak Mountain Intermediate School

Mt. Laurel Intermediate School

Inverness Elementary School

Forest Oaks Elementary School

Shelby County Drug Free Coalition Coordinator Jan Corbett is working to educate students about drugs through the Above the Influence program. Photo by Erica Techo.


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Familiar faces.New local bank.

Perfect matchLongtime acquaintance was kidney donor for local personal trainer

By MADOLINE MARKHAM

Three years ago Greg Hasberry was preparing to compete in a bodybuilding competition, just as he had been doing for 20 years, when his energy level plummeted and his lower back began to hurt. He went to his mom’s house and sat down. For the next eight hours, he didn’t move.

Hasberry soon learned he had double acute renal failure and needed a kidney transplant. He spent the next month and a half at Brookwood Medical Center before returning home to begin a different form of dialysis treatments.

For years, Hasberry underwent testing at hospitals in several cities to find a donor. His brother was the closest match, but he was unable to donate because of his high blood pressure.

Three days a week Hasberry received dialysis, first for eight hours at a time and then for four. Hasberry said the process depleted his body of both bad and good things.

“It literally leaves you with nothing,” he said. “It was pretty brutal.”

Hasberry was able to continue working as a personal trainer until late April 2015, though he had to sit more than before. Then he received news that changed his physical journey.

“By the grace of God, [my donor] showed up with a kidney,” Hasberry said. “I was open to whatever and wherever, but [the kidney] was right here under my nose.”

Hasberry first met the donor* about 12 years ago, when he was working at the gym where the donor worked out. They would “talk shop” and about their families and children, seeing each other here and there over the years.

On April 7, the donor called Hasberry and asked to meet him at Starbucks. He told Has-berry he was willing to donate his kidney.

“I cried like a baby for like 10 minutes,”

Hasberry said. “I kept asking him, ‘Are you sure? Are you serious?’ It felt like someone lifted a building off my shoulders.”

The donor had heard about Hasberry’s need for a kidney and that they shared an O+ blood type. At the moment he heard about the need, he “had a feeling” he would be the donor. UAB screened him, and he was a perfect match.

On May 20, they both went into surgery at UAB. They exchanged texts in the meantime, a mixture of jokes and mentions of nervousness.

After the surgery, they visited one another

down the hall. Hasberry was up and walking on May 21.

Today, Hasberry said in some ways their rela-tionship “is pretty much just the same.” They’re still calling each other with jokes.

“But he’s more than just a buddy,” Hasberry said.

Typically transplant patients spend seven to 10 days in the hospital. Both Hasberry and his donor were released after four days. Three weeks later, Hasberry was back at work at 24e Fitness on Highway 31.

“Some of it is sheer determination,” he said. “I definitely feel blessed beyond anything I can think of.”

Now, he said, some of his clients aren’t used to seeing him full of energy.

“It’s funny,” Hasberry said. “They are sort of like deer in headlights.”

Although he has retired from bodybuilding, Hasberry plans to continue training his German shepherds and staying active with his 16-year-old daughter Brittney, a guard forward on the Hoover High School basketball team. He also has a 5K on the calendar.

After his initial diagnosis, a group of friends and clients organized a Hearts for Hasberry 5K to raise money for Hasberry’s medical expenses. The second year, Hasberry requested that the funds raised go toward the Alabama Kidney Foundation, which assists patients with medica-tion, rides to dialysis and other services.

In past years he didn’t have the energy to par-ticipate, but Hasberry’s planning to run it when the event returns to Mt Laurel in February.

The years of dialysis followed by the trans-plant have also inspired Hasberry to become a patient advocate for the 3,559 patients in Alabama and 101,694 in the U.S. waiting for a kidney transplant, according to the Alabama Organ Center. He’s serving as an ambassador for the Dialysis Patient Citizens and will speak at the annual conference in Washington, D.C.

The experience also changed his outlook on life and has him committed to no longer take on stress.

“It’s a mental thing,” he said. “For the most part, why worry about things when God’s going to handle things? If it’s not about life or death, there’s no need to worry about it.”

*Editor’s note: Hasberry’s kidney donor requested that we not use his name in this story.

Greg Hasberry returned to light workouts at 24e Fitness three weeks after his kidney transplant. He also works at the gym as a personal trainer. Photo by Madoline Markham.


Call us to schedule a complimentary initial exam!

Your Health Today By Dr. Irma Leon Palmer

Supplements Made Simple

Last year in the United States, Ameri-cans spent well over $25 billion on vita-mins and supplements. With that massive expenditure, why does the United States have such dire statistics of degenerative disease? Does that mean you should ditch your vitamin collection and hope for the best? We at Chiropractic Today think not. While we do believe supplements are key to optimal health, we also fi rmly believe they do not produce wellness in and of themselves. Let’s discuss a few founda-tional rules to taking vitamins.

Type - Vitamins are not all created equal, and the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. Just as it is widely accepted that whole foods, rich in micronutrients, are better for us than refi ned foods, whole food supplements are superior to isolated sup-plements. Isolated, refi ned vitamins have had their accessory nutrients removed, and can create a variety of imbalances and issues in the body if taken for extended periods of time. Whole food supplements are highly complex structures that combine enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants, trace elements, and many other components that provide your body with building blocks of defense against sickness. Nature never

produces isolated nutrients in animal or plant form. So should we not conclude that they work best in conjunction with their partnering nutrients? Studies have shown that the body treats these isolated nutrients as foreign substances. For example, taking a Vitamin B supplement often colors the urine bright yellow, however eating foods high in Vitamin B will never cause this to happen. For an isolated nutrient to work properly, it needs all its naturally occurring counterparts, which it will derive from the body’s stored supply causing depletion. We highly recommend the Standard Process line of whole food supplements to be the support system to maintain and assist full spectrum wellness.

Quality – When shopping for vitamins, look for a company that openly states their phases of production, including the grow-ing of ingredients, manufacturing, testing for potency, capsuling, packaging and quality control. You should fi nd no differ-ence between the whole foods you buy for your home and the whole foods that go into your supplements.

Lifestyle - Vitamins do not replace healthy lifestyle under any circumstances. Health is built on the foundation of what

we call the “Big 5” – faith fi rst, neurolog-ical connection, eating well, moving and intentional thinking. If each of the fi ve spokes of the wheel of life is whole, then you are able to smoothly drive through life without interruption. Whole food supple-ments play a supporting role to fi ll in where our diets may lack. With such an elaborate and distant food supply system, we can never be quite sure of the quality of our food, or the soil it is grown in. This can leave nutritional gaps which high quality whole food supplements can accurately fi ll.

Bioindividuality – Every body is dif-ferent, biologically, chemically, and phys-ically. We have genetic predispositions, varying diets, and a wide range of lifestyles and habits. Therefore, there is no “one size fi ts all” vitamin list that will meet every-one’s needs. So, are there universal recom-mendations or is every person unique in what they should be taking every day? The answer is – both! High quality Omega-3 fi sh oils and probiotics are essential for everyone to take. Omega-3’s support natural infl ammatory responses, support cognition and emotional balance through cell health, provide antioxidants, and so much more! Probiotics support healthy gut

fl ora and digestion, therefore maintaining the immune system and our body’s natural toxin fi ltration system in the gut. Standard Process also has a Daily Fundamentals trio of essential fatty acids, vitamins and miner-als that your body requires every day. Tuna Omega-3, Trace Minerals B12 and Catalyn bridge the nutritional gaps in your diets while supporting both organs and glands.

We use several tools to determine your customized supplementation needs. The fi rst is hair analysis. This measures the mineral content of your hair which refl ects the mineral content of your body’s tissues. If a mineral defi ciency or excess exists in the hair, it usually indicates a mineral defi ciency or excess within the body, or biounavailability. This points us towards what your body is lacking, so we can accurately recommend your supplements. We also use the Systems Survey, a ques-tionnaire showing weaknesses in each of the body systems that point to reoccurring nutrient defi ciencies.

If you would be interested in speaking with us about supplementing your health, give us a call to schedule an appointment. You can also attend our free Wellness Workshop on July 20th.


Safety for the futureLocal organizations spread awareness on the long-term dangers of head injuries

By MADISON MILLER

Cognitive issues, short term memory loss, depression, headaches and more are just some of the issues Kevin Drake deals with on a daily basis, even though he doesn’t like admitting it. A former NFL player, Drake now owns Drake Fitness on Cahaba River Road and also serves as the program director of the Wise Up Initiative, a program dedicated to spreading awareness of concussions and head injuries.

His own experiences with concussions are what Drake believes led him to the issues he has today.

“A lot of guys, especially football players and former football players, you still want to be tough. You still want to say, ‘I can make it through this. I’m fine. I can manage it,’ when really you need to go get help,” Drake said.

Drake and his wife, Kimberly, started the ini-tiative in 2013 after his health began affecting him. His doctors linked the problems to the 10 or more concussions he sustained through his years in athletics.

“Because of Kevin’s experience, we obvi-ously felt a need, here in our area especially, to do more about education and research in this particular field,” Kimberly said. “The more we learned about it, the more our eyes were opened to how serious of an issue it really is.”

Drake’s organization recently teamed up with the Kevin Turner Foundation, which also raises funds and awareness for athletic head injuries, for a fundraising event at Good People Brewing Company. The foundation’s namesake, Kevin Turner, is a Vestavia Hills resident and was diagnosed with ALS in 2010. Turner played for the University of Alabama before playing in the NFL. He suffered several brain injuries.

“From 2009 to 2010, I watched Kevin, short

of dying, go through so much at one time,” Turn-er’s former roommate and long-time friend Craig Sanderson said. “[Keeping] his sense of humor and desire to make people laugh through that time is a real testament to his spirit.”

Brain injuries have not been proven to cause diseases like ALS, but studies have shown a higher percentage of former athletes diagnosed with the disease, said Tamara Alan of the Kevin Turner Foundation.

“It’s our duty to warn people about the dan-gers of concussions [and that they] can lead to something as horrible as ALS,” Tamara said.

Though both organizations understand con-cussions are not preventable, their goal is to spread awareness of what should be done when

concussions inevitably happen, especially to children.

“Concussions happen every day at home, playing on the playground, rough housing with each other,” Drake said.

Both organizations believe one of the main reasons many concussions have long-term affects is because they go unidentified and are not given the proper treatment to heal. Many athletes and coaches, Tamara said, still believe that one has to be knocked unconscious to suffer a concussion. In reality, any head injury could result in a concussion.

“I got smelling salts and walked off to the sidelines until I came to a little bit. I’d stay away from the trainers as much as I could and

then go right back in the game. It’s probably the dumbest thing I ever did, but you didn’t know at the time. There was no research on long-term effects,” Drake said.

Through working with experts from UAB, Children’s Hospital and leading concussion researchers out of Boston, Drake and his wife have stayed up to date on the latest concussion research. Though concussions are usually easy to heal from, proper treatment is necessary to prevent long-term effects.

Parents who suspect their children might have a concussion should seek a doctor trained in rec-ognizing concussions, Drake said. Symptoms can range from an inability to think clearly to physical problems such as headaches, nausea or dizziness. Concussion diagnosis, Drake said, is more complicated than it may seem. The injury does not show up on brain scans and it can go unrecognized by some doctors. Drake said it is important to parents to pay attention to their gut feeling when dealing with concussions.

“Parents are the ones that take their kids home. They’re their first line of defense or their last line of defense. They really need to be educated on what their son or daughter might be going through if they do get a concussion,” Drake said.

During recovery, rest and the least amount of brain stimulation possible is essential for healing. Though it is often thought that sleeping during a concussion is dangerous, it is actually an important step in the healing process, Drake said. Parents should also take away cell phones, tele-vision, computers, books and any other device that causes a child’s brain to be stimulated.

“If you have a broken arm or broken leg, you don’t walk, you don’t use it, you allow time to heal,” Drake said. “It’s the same thing with the brain. You have to allow time to heal.”

Kimberly and Kevin Drake organized the Wise Up Initiative on Cahaba River Road in 2013. Photo by Madison Miller.


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Little gymnast,

big talent


Mia Eiler has not taken a break from gymnastics since she began at age two and a half.

Mia’s mom, Ashley, started taking her to mommy-and-me classes, but it wasn’t long until Mia said she wanted to do it by herself.

“She was tiny and strong and upside down all the time,” Eiler said. “It was something she and I could do together.”

Mia began training at a facility closer to home, but has been a part of JamJev Gymnastics in Bessemer for more than two years. The family lives in Mt Laurel, but Eiler said with the location only 15 minutes from The Summit, that the distance isn’t bad.

Mia has been coached most of her life by Brittany Stephens. Stephens pulled Mia from her regular classes when she was four to put her in

TOPs (Talent Opportunity Program), a national ranking program that is a talent search and educational program for female gymnasts ages seven-10 and their coaches.

“Brittany has been very much in charge of which direction Mia goes, what pace she goes, and makes sure she gets what she needs,” Eiler said.

Last year was an outstanding year for nine-year-old Mia, who has always been among the youngest in her age group.

At a state competition in December 2014, Mia was a Level 4 State Cham-pion All-Around in her division, plac-ing first on bar and beam routines and second on the floor routine.

In business for eight years, JamJev is owned and operated by married couple Dara and John Lowery. The program starts at age three with rec-reational gymnastics, and goes all the way through competitive gymnastics

and even on to scouting for college.“Dara and John know how to get

you to college gymnastics,” Eiler said. “[Dara] is also a physical therapist, and it is very helpful that she is able to help take care of their bodies.”

Mia and some of her teammates began a homeschool pilot program in January. This program offers the girls continued individual attention by spreading out the time and bodies that train in the space. Eiler said she is a huge fan of the new program, and has seen positive changes in the gymnasts since this program began.

“It’s a dream, because they have the whole gym to themselves in the morning,” Eiler said. “They’re done at noon and can go home and see family at night. Normally kids on teams train from 4 to 8 p.m., but now we are done with school and gym by early afternoon.”

Mia is training this summer along with five others. Their goal is to test on the state and national level at the end of July, and ultimately be invited to train with the national training staff at Bela Karolyi’s Olympic Training Center in Texas.

Out of the top 300 gymnasts in the U.S., only 10 are invited to different developmental camps at the Karolyi ranch. The ranch is considered one of the top producers of Olympic hopefuls for the U.S. gymnastics team.

Mia may only be nine, but she’s already got her eyes set on a gold medal.

“College gymnastics would be a huge win, and training with the Olym-pic training staff at the ranch would be huge,” Eiler said.

Nine-year-old Mia Eiler has been a gymnast for years and won a state championship in December. She is currently training in hopes of being accepted to an Olympic training camp in Texas. Photo courtesy of Ashley Eiler.


Community

Bark & Wine raises money for animal shelter

Over 140 people attended the sold-out Bark & Wine benefit-ting Shelby Humane Society on June 13. Held at the Inverness Country Club in Hoover, guests were treated to club buffet dinner, drinks and a live auction with Ken Jackson. Mayor Stancil Handley of Columbiana served as emcee and updated the crowd on the many successful programs and services at the Shelby Humane Society including local adoptions, transports to northern states and

“quick fix” spay and neuter pro-grams to reduce overpopulation.

As the only open-admission animal shelter in Shelby County, Shelby Humane Society cares for over 5,000 animals each year.

EBSCO Industries Inc., PAC Insurance Agency, Patton Chapel Animal Clinic, Oak View Animal Hospital and Valleydale Animal Clinic sponsored the event.

Some of the items won during the silent and live auctions include a three-night stay at Phoenix West

2 condo, a dinner and tour at Stone Hollow Farmstead, an Auburn University basketball autographed by Bruce Pearl, a University of Alabama football autographed by multiple players, a guitar auto-graphed by multiple musicians, a gift certificate to Pampered Pet Resort, Orbix wine glasses and a diamond and white gold necklace from Diamonds Direct.

Submitted by Lacey Bacchus

The Shelby County Humane Society board of directors at the 2015 Bark & Wine event. Photo by Bob Farley.

Tuskegee University Alumni Chapter seeks new members

Tuskegee University graduates residing in Shelby County estab-lished a Shelby County Tuskegee University Alumni Club on May 3. The purpose of this organization is to foster the ideas of Tuskegee University and of its founder, Dr. Booker T. Washington, and to encourage liberal and gener-ous moral and financial support of Tuskegee University and its policies.

The alumni club will also encourage and assist the graduates and former students toward the highest development of character

and service as reflecting the work of the university. In addition, it will assist in building up and maintaining a strong, effective and serviceable Tuskegee National Alumni Association of Tuskegee University by affiliating actively with the same. The chapter is seeking all graduates and former students of Tuskegee University who are interested in joining.

Please contact Bill Mathis, Class of ’78 and club president, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 306-2665.

Submitted by William Mathis

Tuskegee graduates in Shelby County have established a new alumni chapter. Photo courtesy of William Mathis.


“SEE” your way back to schoolwith our $99 eyeglass sale!

Visit us on Thursday, July 30, from 1-5pm, as wecelebrate our grand re-opening and back to school sale!

Enjoy refreshments, inflatables for the kids, doorprizes, and much more!

Jessica Palmer, OD13521 Old Highway 280, Suite 249 | in The Narrows

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narrowsFAMILY EYE CARE

Grandview’s network will bring spe-cialists into the primary care facilities on a rotating basis. That way, patients will not have to travel or schedule mul-tiple appointments.

“Providing that service in that loca-tion is another differentiation point [from other practices],” said Drew Mason, COO of Trinity Medical Center. “You might not have those resources and those relationships and be able to have a specialist come to your primary care office.”

Bringing specialists to primary care offices simplifies scheduling for patients, said Dr. Virginia Winston, an OB-GYN in the Trinity/Grandview network.

“[Patients] get an opportunity to go to one location and see many doctors for many of their different needs,” Win-ston said. “As an OB-GYN doctor, I specialize in the pelvis and diseases and disorders there, but then a person can come to the same building at a dif-ferent time and take care of their other needs.”

Along with benefits to patients, Winston said rotating specialists bene-fit through the variety of locations and physicians they work with.

“As a doctor and in my personal life, it sort of breaks the monotony of your days,” she said. “You get to go to a different location, see how different clinics operate and interact and just see the dynamics there. So for me, it’s a very good lifestyle variation.”

Dr. Bill Clifford started as a primary care physician at Grandview’s Chelsea office in early July. The partnership with Grandview, Clifford said, pro-vides extra resources to him and his patients.

1

21

EndocrinologistRotating

Chelsea

Lee Branch Trace Crossings

Trussville

Trinity 1 Trinity 2 Trinity 3

Trinity 4 Trinity 5 Trinity 6

Springville

Med Help on 280

Liberty Park

Specialists

40 Health Care Providers 13 Locations

19 Primary Care Physicians

Rotating Rotating5

OB-GYNs

2Orthopedic Surgeons

Grandview Medical Group

60Health Care Providers

Physician Office Building225,000square feet

Grandview Medical Group will have care facilities spread across the 280 corridor, anchored by Grandview Medical Center opening in October.

MEDICAL CONTINUED from page A1


Clifford formerly worked in the U.S. mil-itary, as a ground doctor in Afghanistan in 2013 and most recently as a flight surgeon in Kosovo. His experiences in the military have helped prepare him to bring care to the city of Chelsea, he said.

“Just the level of complexity of things that you saw brings a different perspective to your practice and how you practice medicine,” Clifford said. “You get a lot of experience overseas in a very short amount of time, so that kind of experience in Afghanistan would take somebody 10 years in an ER, maybe, to get in the U.S.”

Clifford’s military experience not only demonstrated his training but also his ded-ication to community. These aspects made him a great fit for the Chelsea community, Granger said.

“I think it certainly reflects the character of the individual we have selected in this case,” Granger said. “We know that [the Chelsea] market values those type of characteristics.”

Clifford has lived in Shelby County since 2006, and he is looking forward to working close to home. He said he plans to work with the community and individuals to accomplish

long-term goals for patients. The ability to develop a closer patient-physician relation-ship, he said, helps separate his practice from other available facilities.

“They have a lot of urgent cares around,” Clifford said, “and not knocking urgent cares at all, but if you go to an urgent care you kind of miss out on the opportunity to have some-one that really understands you and knows your health and is really interested in your long-term outlook.”

He hopes to set up resources for community members, including walking groups and gym discounts, in order to establish a culture of health in Chelsea.

“Living in the area, and his heartfelt appre-ciation for what is going on, makes a great addition,” Granger said.

As a Shelby resident, Clifford also likes that patients will have the main Grandview campus closer to home and will not have to travel downtown for certain treatments.

“One of the great things about being with Trinity Medical Group here in Chelsea is that with the addition of our new hospital on 280, we’ll be able to get our patients prompt care at a hospital nearby home so that [they] don’t

have to drive so far downtown, away from our community,” Clifford said.

The last crane left Grandview’s construc-tion site in May, and Granger said most work is currently going on inside the building, including moving in equipment and setting up offices. Grandview should receive its cer-tificate of occupancy by August or September, Granger said.

“Construction continues to go extremely well,” Granger said. “Our contractors on the project are running ahead of the projected schedules.”

Preparation for its October opening has been underway for months, as the Grandview staff must coordinate the transfer of patients, equipment and staff within one day. Once Grandview opens its doors, however, it will create a unified brand across all primary care facilities and websites, making appointment scheduling and network connections easier, Harris said.

“I think overall I would say that it’s really an exciting time for us as an organization, where we’ve had the opportunity to estab-lish these sorts of physician relationships,” Granger said.

Grandview Medical Center

688members of

Beds medical staff

1total

millioncost$280 372

project

millionsquarefeet

Data provided by Leisha Harris, public relations and marketing coordinator for Trinity Medical Center.


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Faith

It’s rare to hear anyone say they loved middle school. Even people with positive memories never tout it as the best years of their life.

Simply put, it’s an awkward season. It’s a time of constant changes, social shake-ups and swing-ing emotions. If I’ve learned anything from my work with adolescent girls, it’s how hungry this age group is for comfort and reassurance.

So, middle school kids, let me assure you that life picks up. There’s a bigger, more promising world beyond your current of passage. In the meantime, I have a few truths to center you. I hope they bring you peace and a little friendly guidance.

Truth #8: Today’s most awkward moments will be tomorrow’s funniest memories. Keep a sense of humor.

Those braces on your teeth that collect food? That acne on your face that miracle creams can’t cure? That giddy rush you get when your crush walks by and you can’t think straight? One day these things will be really funny! They’ll be the memories you rehash over and over with your siblings and oldest friends.

Eventually you’ll have a dazzling smile, clear skin and someone to love. Your current prob-lems will have closure. So stay mindful of the big picture, and remember that even your worst experiences will pass.

Truth #7: You don’t want to peak in middle school (or high school or college, for that matter).

The worst goal you can have is popularity.

What often makes adolescents popular – run-ning with the fast crowd, dominating peers, living a superficial lifestyle – eventually leads to problems.

A successful person gets better with time. You go from being version 1.0 of yourself to version 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and so on. But when you chase popularity, you peak early. You stop grow-ing because you’re stuck in instant gratification mode.

Seek to peak later in life. Make good choices that set you up for a bright future. If you’re not a superstar now, that’s okay. This simply means there are better things ahead.

Truth #6: Technology makes it easier than ever to ruin relationships and reputations.

We live in an age where people post every-thing online – feelings, emotions and pictures. Technology used wisely is great, but too often, it’s used impulsively. Our fingers jump ahead of our brains, and within seconds, we can trigger pain and misunderstandings.

So please, think twice before texting, email-ing or posting on social media. Cool off before giving someone a piece of your mind, reacting out of jealousy or anger, embarrassing someone or sending an inappropriate photo. Use the Inter-net for good, not as a dumping ground.

Truth #5: Surrounding yourself with good company is imperative.

Yes, you’re called to love everyone, but not everyone deserves a place in your innermost circle. Some people you love up close and

personal; others you love at arm’s length because inviting them into your life invites disaster.

Sooner or later, a bad influence will rub off. You’ll either make choices against your better judgment or wind up in a bad predicament.

Your closest friends should lift you up. They should have goals, values, and a genuine desire to see you reach your full potential.

Truth #4: It’s okay if you don’t have your life planned out.

You probably know kids with immense talent and drive. They’ve trained for years and know exactly what they want in life.

Deep down, you may fear you’re getting left behind. Why do they have their act together, and you don’t?

But even the best plans will face curveballs. Even driven kids will wind up on different paths than they originally envisioned. So if your future isn’t mapped out by ninth grade, take heart! You’re young and have plenty of time to explore your interests. Just set goals for yourself, use your gifts and head in a good direction. Set a positive trajectory so that when you do discover your “thing” you’re ready to soar.

Truth #3: Applause can be misleading. Even a huge mistake can get you cheered on wildly.

Through social media, popularity is quantifi-able. You can gauge your performance by how many “likes,” comments and shares you get.

But remember, numbers alone can be mislead-ing. To get the full picture, you must measure

numbers against the truth. After all, Jesus Christ had 12 followers. Adolf Hitler had millions. These figures speak for themselves.

Live for the quiet peace inside you. What makes you feel good about yourself? What helps you rest easy at night? You know the truth by how you feel deep down. And when you seek your applause from within, you don’t need the applause of public approval.

Truth #2: There’s a difference between helpful advice and hurtful criticism. Be care-ful who you listen to.

Some people want you to succeed. Others don’t. Develop a strong filter for whose words you take to heart – and whose words you ignore.

Truth #1: You’re awesome. Truly, you are. And all these crazy changes

are leading to something amazing. In the grand scheme of life middle school is just a blip, so keep it in check. Have fun, dream big and make good choices. One day you’ll look back and laugh at the absurdities, and if you’re lucky, you’ll enjoy some humor in it now.

Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Birmingham mom of four girls, columnist, and blogger for The Huffington Post. Her first book, 10 Ulti-mate Truths Girls Should Know, is available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold. Join her Facebook community at “Kari Kampakis, Writer,” visit her blog at karikampakis.com or contact her at [email protected].

Life Actually By Kari Kampakis

Eight truths middle schoolers should know


of homes and businesses in the north part of the county. The 280 corridor is also one of the busiest patrol areas for sheriff’s deputies.

“This is in a crossroads to six different [patrol] beats,” Samaniego said of the substation, which is located between Doug Baker Boulevard and Eagle Point.

Samaniego said the Heardmont Park substation on Cahaba Valley Road was an initial attempt to meet this need, but it does not have the full capabilities of the Sheriff’s Offi ce. The Greystone Park substation will be a “full-ser-vice station.”

Shelby County residents may use the new 280 substation to fi le and obtain copies of acci-dent and crime incident reports. They can also use the substation to meet with deputies and, unlike the Heardmont station, apply for pistol permits.

“It’s a very convenient loca-tion for the north part of the county so people don’t have to drive all the way to Columbiana anymore to get a pistol permit,” Capt. Jeff Hartley said.

Kevin Williams, an employee of CrossFit 280 in the Greystone Center as well as a nearby resi-dent, said that the area has had a need for a substation for a long time and he appreciates the greater sense of safety provided by its presence.

“It’s centrally located to some of the bigger neighborhoods here, so it will help provide better coverage,” he said.

There will be one administra-tive clerk, who has been training for the job for the past month,

on duty at the substation from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. However, citizens can arrange to meet deputies at the station at all hours, and Samaniego antici-pates between eight and 12 dep-uties regularly making use of the station.

“It kind of adds that more per-sonal touch,” Samaniego said.

Construction of the new 1,500-square-foot substation cost an estimated $100,000, Maj. Ken Burchfi eld said, and it includes a private room where citizens can fi le reports, a secure customer ser-vice counter with a waiting room, offi ce space for computers and desks, a briefi ng area, a kitchen, roll call area and two bathrooms.

Samaniego said despite the small square footage, the Sher-iff’s Offi ce designed the substa-tion to maximize the uses both for deputies and residents.

In the future, he said the sub-station could provide a spot for small community meetings in the roll call room. With a grow-ing county, he also “wouldn’t rule out” more substations in the future or the construction of a larger county services build-ing to give the Sheriff’s Offi ce a more permanent presence in north Shelby County. For the present, he anticipates the new Greystone Park substation will fi ll a lot of those needs.

“The reason this site was chosen is because of the pop-ulation density around here,” said Burchfi eld. “A large part of the public we serve lives on the north end of the county, so we tried to put this in a place that made sense for them.”

For more information, visit the Shelby County Sheriff’s Offi ce website at shelbyso.com.

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Chelsea’s Cadence Bank is currently under construc-tion and will soon be the home of Lemak Health and Drayer Physical Therapy.

Matthew Lemak, the CEO of Lemak Health, said his company bought the building at Chelsea Point Drive in April. It consists of about 3,000 square feet inside the bank building and 2,800 in the drive-through. The original building will be the new Drayer offi ces and the drive-through will be walled in for Lemak’s use.

Lemak Health, formerly Lemak Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, has several locations south of Birmingham, including a new location preparing to open on Cahaba River Road in early 2016. However, Lemak said none of his offi ces are near Chelsea, forcing some patients to make a lengthy drive.

“We like to go to our patients and we like to be in their

community,” Lemak said.Drayer will move in at the end of August and Lemak

Health will follow in early September. Each will have around fi ve staff members in the offi ce, including one physician at Lemak Health. Drayer offers outpatient and athletic physical therapy, while Lemak Health offers orthopedics and treatment for acute injuries in soft tissue.

With these injuries, Lemak said it’s easier for patients to have close parking with no stairs between them and the physician’s offi ce.

“It’s about us being convenient and patient-centric to the folks that we serve,” Lemak said.

While the Chelsea location prepares to open, Lemak said appointments can be made through the Alabas-ter offi ce at 358-9120. For more information, visit lemakhealth.com.

Lemak Health moving into former Cadence Bank

The former Cadence Bank building in Chelsea is under construction to house Lemak Health and Drayer Physical Therapy at the end of August. Photo courtesy of Lemak Health Group.

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Waiting for a heartBy SYDNEY CROMWELL

Chris Ritter is playing the waiting game. Confined to a hospital bed at UAB, the 23-year-old is waiting to find out when he will get a new heart.

In March, Ritter went to the emer-gency room after experiencing shortness of breath for a week. Despite no history of heart problems, the Eagle Point res-ident was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and dilated cardiomyopa-thy, an enlargement of the heart. While it was unusual that he did not experience pneumonia or another illness leading up to his diagnosis, Ritter said young patients with heart failure are more common than he initially thought.

“I was fine and didn’t feel like I was dying or anything like that,” Ritter said. “Some nurses told me there’s a surpris-ing number of people that are here, that have been here, that are my age.”

Medications and rest did not solve the problem, and on July 6 he was hos-pitalized and subjected to two weeks of tests. Doctors have placed him on the high priority list for a heart trans-plant, which means Ritter could be at UAB for a few days or for weeks before doctors find a viable heart.

While he waits, Ritter has a catheter in his pulmonary artery and a number of machines to monitor his heart and help it function. Even while bedridden,

the strain on his heart is obvious.“Laying in bed right now, his heart

rate is 118 [beats per minute], so his body constantly feels like he’s run-ning. And it’s been that way for at least since March, I assume before that,” said his fiancee, Mallory Matthews.

The diagnosis and transplant have put a number of things in Ritter’s life on hold. He’ll be out of work for at least six months, and he and Matthews

have indefinitely postponed the wed-ding they had planned for October.

He won’t be able to ride motorcy-cles with friends or shoot targets with his grandfather until he’s completely healed and his immune system is repaired. Once the surgery happens, Ritter may also have to get rid of his pets, two dogs and two cats.

“Once he’s on transplant, he cannot live with indoor cats,” said Matthews,

who owns Salon MK at the Colonnade and has been dating Ritter since high school. “When he gets [the] trans-plant, they’ll knock out his immune system on purpose just so that his body doesn’t reject it. And so that’s part of it, he has no immune system to fight that sort of stuff that normally would be able to.”

The recovery process, however, will be quicker than Ritter and

Matthews expected when they first got the diagnosis. When they first arrived, another heart transplant patient was able to walk in independently and talk to them only a month after his surgery.

“From what I hear it’s not really much of a recovery process. I mean, you’re basically up and at them. They want you walking the same day that they do the surgery,” Ritter said. “I guess if the surgery itself goes well, recovery might not be as bad as I expected.”

Matthews said that without insur-ance, the heart transplant alone will cost $1 million. They aren’t sure how much of that cost will be covered, but their bills will be steep with the extended hospital stay and testing. Matthews and Ritter’s family have set up a GoFundMe page, titled “Chris Ritter’s medical bills,” for friends who want to contribute to the costs.

While he will need frequent lab tests and anti-rejection medications for the rest of his life, Ritter anticipates a mostly normal life within several months of the surgery. Based on what he’s heard from other transplant patients, he’s optimistic about what lies ahead.

“I’ve talked to a few people who said, ‘I didn’t know how bad I felt. It’s great feeling good again,’” Ritter said. “I am kind of excited to see that, to see what normal is.”

Chris Ritter is at UAB Hospital waiting for a heart transplant with his family and fiancee, Mallory Matthews. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

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Got Pain?

Hoover firefighter wins Iron City Chef 2015

By JORDAN HAYS

Despite being the last one to leave the kitchen, Edward Pegues would walk away in first place as 2015’s Iron City Chef.

Vestavia Hills Rotary Club decided to put a twist on their annual cooking competition. Four firefighters traded in their helmets for chef hats for Iron City Chef at Jefferson State Commu-nity College Culinary Institute, July 18.

“It was a wonderful event tonight,” said Kent Howard, rotarian and event chairman. “It was a great community effort by all of our fire departments. We really enjoyed it. The chefs did an outstanding job. A couple of them could open their own restaurant from the comments I’ve heard.”

Competitors included Homewood’s Alexander Glover, Mountain Brook’s Lee Currie, Hoover’s Edward Pegues and Vestavia’s Trey VanHooser, each with more than a decade of firefighting experience.

The firefighters — chefs — began prepping their entrees days in advance for a sold out crowd of 300 hungry attendees. After the attendees’ votes were counted for best meal, it was VanHooser’s herb roasted roulade with apple chutney and Pegues’ shrimp and grits that would earn them spots in the head-to-head round.

In this round, VanHooser and Pegues had 30 minutes to complete a dish for three judges using a mystery

ingredient: beef tenderloin. Jefferson State Community College culinary instructor Dodd Jackson oversaw the event and provided limited ingredients for the contestants to use.

“It’s actually fun, but it’s also mind-boggling,” Jackson said. “When you look to see what your options are, you have four starches and five different vegetables. So narrowing it down, that’s the hardest part.”

Pegues prepared his beef tenderloin

and served sweet potatoes, spring risotto and asparagus with an arti-choke drizzle as his side dishes. Pegues said he had never worked with beef tenderloin or made risotto before. He also said he did not do anything to prepare for the 30-minute cook-off, but it wasn’t out of cockiness.

“I went in blind because it’s hard to prepare for that,” Pegues said. “Hon-estly, I just didn’t know how to pre-pare for the last 30-minute part.”

Both contestants were in for a challenge. As Jackson counted down the last ten seconds, VanHooser and Pegues finished their entrees with three seconds left to spare.

Leah van Deren, culinary arts teacher at Shelby County College and Career Center in Columbiana and judge for Iron City Chef, said Pegues’s beef tenderloin with sweet potatoes and asparagus was “the clear winner.”

“I liked the presentation on the dish;

it was a lot more colorful,” van Deren said. “The flavor just popped, espe-cially with the sweet potatoes. The asparagus, which was thin asparagus and is very easy to overcook, was cooked perfectly. The steak was also seasoned very nicely.”

Pegues said he had been nervous since he received an email from his fire chief asking if he’d like to com-pete in Iron City Chef. To prepare, Pegues watched “Chopped” and prac-ticed making his entrée for his family and coworkers.

Each contestant was paired with a culinary student from Jefferson State Community College. Ian Triggs, a Jefferson State student majoring in food management, assisted Pegues and said 2015 Iron City Chef was his first time competing ever. For helping Pegues win the competition, Triggs was awarded a $1,000 scholarship — an award that was not announced beforehand.

“It actually came as a shock,” Triggs said. “It was 50/50 either way, and when I heard the 30 seconds, that’s when you go into ‘go mode.’ I’m thrilled. I can pay off my tuition. That’s a big boost.”

Pegues said he thanks his wife for putting up with his high level of stress since he was entered into the competition, Hoover fire Chief Chuck Wingate for presenting him with the opportunity and his coworkers for eating his food.

Edward Pegues congratulates Ian Triggs on his surprise scholarship award. Photo by Jordan Hays.

280Living.com August 2015 • B3

Mayhem on the Mountain adds new challenges to CrossFit

By OLIVIA BURTON

Mayhem on the Mountain, hosted by Forge Fitness at Oak Mountain State Park on Aug. 8 and 9, promises to challenge the athletic versatility of competitors by adding new elements to the typical CrossFit competition.

The incorporation of swimming makes Mayhem on the Mountain stand out from other CrossFit competitions in the Birmingham area, according to Forge Fitness event organizer Kasey

Strickland. “It’s something you see in triathlons,

but not typically in a CrossFit competi-tion,” she said.

Participants in Mayhem on the Mountain will compete in events on a CrossFit rig as well as in swimming events in Oak Mountain’s main lake. The individual competition will take place on Saturday, Aug. 8 and the team competition will take place on Sunday, Aug. 9. Each competition will include four different workout events.

“Most individuals who do CrossFit have a bit of a competitive edge on them, so competing is a great way to see how their work has paid off,” said Strickland.

Mens Rx, Womens Rx, Mens Scaled, Womens Scaled, Mens Mas-ters and Womens Masters divisions will be offered, according to the event’s website. Registration will take place from 7-8 a.m. each day. Prereg-istration through the event’s website is mandatory and will remain open until

the day of the event. “This is a great testimony of some-

one who’s truly athletic,” said Rich Pennino, who opened Forge Fitness in July 2013. “In this event, you’re going to see people compete in many different types of events: gymnastics, Olympic lifting, swimming and running. This is the kind of event where you get to see the versatility of athletes.”

CrossFit is a general fitness regi-men with more than 11,000 affiliated gyms worldwide. Participants follow a

regimen of “constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity in a communal environment” in order to achieve health and fitness, according to the official CrossFit website.

For more information or to prereg-ister for the event, visit forgevestavia.com/mayhem or find the event on Facebook.

(above) Chris Wade, former captain on the Clemson football team, works as an instructor at Forge Fitness in Vestavia. (left) Mayhem on the Mountain will combine typical CrossFit competition events with different elements, such as swimming. Photos by Olivia Burton.

Scan the QR code to watch the promotional video.

280 LivingB4 • August 2015

Chirps and Chips brings gambling for a good cause


Patrons at the 4th Annual Chirps and Chips fundraiser will be able to “bet on the birds” for a good cause.

The event, presented by the Ala-bama Wildlife Center’s Junior Board and Raptor Force, will take place at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on Saturday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. Attendees can play casino-style games, bid on items in the silent auction and enjoy food, beverages and live entertainment.

The fundraiser benefits the Ala-bama Wildlife Center. Located at Oak Mountain State Park, Alabama’s oldest and largest wildlife rehab facility cares for over 2,000 of Alabama’s native birds each year, from hummingbirds to red-tailed hawks.

Doug Adair, executive director of AWC, said this fundraiser is very sig-nificant to the non-profit organization, which does not receive state or local funding.

“It takes a lot of resources to care for these animals and provide the pro-gramming that we do throughout the state,” Adair said. “Our resources are stretched to the limit, especially during this summer baby bird season. We very much depend on an event like this to provide the funding we need to fulfill our mission.”

The mission of the AWC is to rescue, rehabilitate and release birds back into the wild. They also provide education and outreach to schools, business

groups and civic organizations.“Chirps and Chips provides a really

fun opportunity for people in the com-munity and throughout the state to come together and have a really fun night of entertainment and support the Alabama Wildlife Center at the same time,” Adair said.

Guests will also have an oppor-tunity to meet AWC’s “Education Ambassadors,” glove-trained birds of prey that are non-releasable because of their injuries. These raptors serve as ambassadors for their species and are part of the education programming to introduce people to these animals.

Gina Hinson, volunteer and former Junior Raptor president, has been a part of this event since its inception. She said its popularity has grown with each year.

“It’s fun for people of all ages,” Hinson said. “Our fundraisers are a great way for us to not only raise money, but also awareness about what we do at the center.”

Money raised at the event will be used to improve the visitors experi-ence at the headquarters. Adair said they hope to upgrade the facility and improve the exhibits.

Tickets are $50 and can be pur-chased prior to the event at awrc.org or by calling 663-7930. They will also be on sale at the door prior to the event. Those who buy their tickets early will be entered into a drawing for an Ala-bama barbecue sampler.

Phyllis Alldredge and Tammy Cook enjoying slot-style machines at Chirps and Chips 2-14. Photo courtesy of Doug Adair.


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R(un) for One celebrates adoptive families

By MARIENNE THOMAS OGLE

When Dina and Alan Long knew in their hearts they wanted to expand their family of four through adoption, they turned to Lifeline Children’s Ser-vices and its branch, (un)adopted, for advice.

As a result of the organizations’ guidance, the Mountain Brook couple welcomed Joshua and Olivia, now ages nine and seven, from Pakistan to their home. They have also started their own non-profit, Developing Hope, to assist a Pakistani orphanage.

According to Dina, the whole Long family will be part of the crowd at the Aug. 22 (un)adopted R(un) for One 5K, which supports a safe environ-ment, ministry and education for orphans around the world. In addition to Joshua and Olivia, the Long chil-dren include Isabella, Luke, Samuel, Emma Sophia and adopted five-year-old twins Alexis and Alex.

“We can’t say enough about Life-line as a whole and (un)adopted, which serves locally through foster care plus helps teach life skills to orphans internationally,” Dina said. “And the R(un) for One is not only fun, but gives people a tangible way to be part of an important solution.”

The (un)adopted R(un) for One 5K will be Aug. 22 at Veterans Park. The run will begin at 8 a.m. with a 7 a.m. registration. A fun run will be held at 8:45 a.m., said Krystal Brummitt, Lifeline events and merchandising manager.

According to Brummitt, less than 1 percent of the 153 million orphans worldwide will be adopted. Most are not equipped to make a dignified living, so they can fall prey to sexual exploitation, drug abuse and slavery.

“The R(un) for One brings individ-uals and teams together to run, walk

and raise money for specific projects, such as a school in Uganda, a job skills camp in Liberia, a home for boys in Dominican Republic and a foster home in China,” Brummitt said. “All the participants will help children receive an education, job skills or even life-saving surgery.”

Ashley Chesnut of Birmingham has taken part in the R(un) for One for three years and is now serving on its planning committee.

“This is important because orphan care is an important part of our church, including fostering, adoption and supporting families that assist with

orphans,” Chesnut said. “The run is a way to show the love of Christ to children who have no earthly families by supporting a very worthy cause.”

For more information about (un)adopted Run for One 5K and (un)adopted, visit unadopted.org.

Olivia Bickel, left, and her mom, Nanette, cross the finish line at the (un)adopted R(un) for One 5K. The race will be Aug. 22 at Veterans Park. Photo courtesy of Hillary Dickey.

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Food, fellowship and festivities at annual Sozo Children’s Dinner

By ERICA TECHO

The annual Sozo Children’s Dinner is a time for celebration and a time for planning, and this year’s dinner will mark the start of a new campaign.

“This event is our big annual fund-raising dinner,” said Sozo Children relations coordinator Laura Haley. “It’s kind of two-fold. We always say part of the reason we have this is to celebrate [thanking donors and spon-sors] and to kick off our new cam-paign for next year.”

At the Aug. 15 dinner, attendees will celebrate the success of the Village

Project campaign and begin work toward the Let’s Build campaign.

The Village Project campaign raised money to acquire more land in Uganda, Haley said. It took three years and Sozo Children was able to purchase 28 acres of land in the Ngon-golo village, which is outside of Sozo Children’s current homes in Kampala, Uganda.

The Let’s Build campaign aims to create a village on the land, includ-ing 28 children’s homes, a medical facility and a school. The land will also be self-sustainable, Haley said, by building fisheries, planting crops

and providing livestock. So far, crops such as maize and pineapple have been planted on the land, and three large chicken houses have been built.

“Our kids can learn about the agri-culture and learn about the trades as well,” Haley said. “If the borders are closed for some reason, we want them to be completely self-sustainable.”

Older children will learn about brick making and woodwork so they can build structures and furniture for the village.

Through donations at the dinner, Sozo Children will raise money to build the infrastructure of the

village. Anyone wanting to par-ticipate has a choice between multiple levels of involvement. “Whether it’s ‘Hey, I’m going to buy three or four chickens,’ or ‘I want to buy a cow that’s going to be in the vil-lage,’ there are lots of ways for people to get involved,” Haley said.

Attendees can purchase an individ-ual seat at the dinner for $80, or there is the option for a corporate spon-sorship table of 10 seats for $2,500. Corporate sponsors will also receive a hand-carved plaque, which is made in Uganda.

The dinner will include a

presentation from a guest speaker as well as a silent and live auction to help raise money. Any donations for the auctions can be submitted on the Sozo Children website at sozochildren.org/dinner. A full list of items will be posted as the dinner grows closer.

Haley said the hope is to have a member of the Ugandan staff speak at the dinner, but plans have not been finalized at this point. In addition to the guest speaker, other members of Sozo Children will share their testimony and experience with the organization.

Fifth Annual Sozo Children’s DinnerSaturday, Aug. 15

5:30-9 p.m.

The Cahaba Grand Conference Center

3660 Grandview Parkway

Cost: $80 for individuals or $2,500 for a corporate sponsorship table

Sozochildren.org/dinner

Money raised at this year’s Sozo Children’s Dinner will go toward helping build a new village for the children currently in living Kampala, Uganda. Photo courtesy of Laura Kelley.

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Lake Stomp returns to Oak Mountain


If you know a child that loves bugs and water, Oak Mountain State Park is hosting an event they’ll be sure to enjoy.

Park naturalist Emily Cook will lead the event, which helps children and adults alike learn what lives in the waters at the park. Depending on the Alabama summer weather, Cook said she may look in the creek instead, for macroinvertebrates and insect larvae.

“This event open for anybody that really wants to get in the lake and get wet and learn about what’s found in there,” Cook said. “I’ll talk about how finding certain insects can tell us if the water is clean or polluted.”

Some of the insects and amphibians found in the water include sunflies, mayflies, salaman-ders and frogs.

“There are certain insects that will lay their eggs in the water,” Cook said. “Dragonflies are flying insects, but they lay their eggs to develop in a water system that is clean. Leeches love polluted water but can survive in clean water as well. If I found a bunch of leeches, I’d know water I wouldn’t want to be in.”

The crowd, who is usually made up of younger children and their parents, should wear water-friendly shoes and be prepared to get wet.

In addition to finding out the cleanliness of the water, participants can also catch their find-ings in a net.

The Lake Stomp will take place the last weekend before most area schools start, Sat-urday, Aug. 8 at 10 a.m. The event is free with a paid park admission: $4 ages 12 and up, $1 children 6-11 and under age 5 is free.

Lake Stomp participants can use nets to catch and learn about insects and amphibians living in the water at Oak Mountain State Park. Photo courtesy of Emily Cook.

Tailgate Challenge back on home turf

By MARIENNE THOMAS OGLE

Chelsea resident Paul Mann is ready to throw down the gauntlet at this year’s Bell Center Tailgate. The two-time people’s choice trophy winner is going to defend his title on Aug. 29 for the 6th annual fundraiser.

Mann is an Alabama fan and has com-peted in the past with a neighbor who pulls for Auburn and an LSU fan friend.

“The first year we did the ‘a house divided’ theme and in 2014, a LSU/Mardi Gras celebration — with a Cajun boil, lots of bead throwing, Moon Pies, the whole shebang,” Mann said. “That was such a success, we’re going to do it again this year.”

While Mann has a real affinity for the Tailgate Challenge, it can’t compare with his love of The Bell Center, where his son A.J. was enrolled from 2010 to 2014. Diagnosed with Down syndrome, A.J. began at The Bell Center at six months, Mann said.

“It was great for him because he started learning skills such as speech and social, even singing, at such a young age, and he’s so much better prepared now to go to school,” Mann said. “It also helps the par-ents because it’s a community with other

families in similar situations.”The tailgate challenge was held at the

Summit last year, but this year it will be held at The Bell Center itself, located in Homewood at 1700 29th Court South.

Bell Center Fund Development Direc-tor Kelly Peoples said this year’s goal is to have 50 teams of challengers from the Birmingham area, each with their own themed tent, who will attempt to outdo each other to claim the awards for best tasting food, best team spirit and best all around.

For more information about The Bell Center and the Tailgate Challenge, go to thebellcenter.org.

Paul Mann (third from left) and his team are going for their third people’s choice award this year at The Bell Center Tailgate Challenge.

Bell Center Tailgate Challenge

Aug. 29, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

1700 29th Court S., Home-wood

$15 per adult, $5 children age 4-10, free for children 3 and under

thebellcenter.org


Race to honor mother lost to ovarian cancer


Each year, over 20,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. While it is the eighth most common cancer among women, it causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. Accounting for only about 3 percent of all cancers in women, treatment is most effec-tive when the disease is found early.

The Johnsons are one of the many families who have been affected by ovarian cancer. Johnny Johnson, along with his children, started the Save the O’s 5K race in 2005 to honor their wife and mother, Lori Johnson, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. When she passed in 2006, they decided to continue it in her honor. The race, which is sponsored by The Greystone Foundation, is in its 11th year. It has grown from a small community run into a much larger event.

Susan DuBose, who handles public rela-tions for the race, has been involved from the beginning. She said both the community of Greystone, as well as the Country Club, have been very supportive.

“People come from many different places and we have a lot of teams. It’s grown in the past two years, and they are steadily raising $40,000 each year,” DuBose said.

Johnny has since remarried, and his wife

Jennifer serves as the chairman of the Save the O’s Committee. The husband and wife are also board members of the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation, which strives to improve the survival rate and quality of life for women with ovarian cancer through awareness and education. To date, the NLOCF organiza-tion has donated over $1 million for ovarian cancer research.

Terri Jonseof, an ovarian cancer survivor, has participated in the race for the past two years. Her family and friends surprised her the first year when they put together “Team Terri,” a group of over 100 people who came to run on her behalf.

“I was still recovering from a major surgery and all of this was a surprise to me,” Jonseof said. “When I showed up at Greystone the morning of the run, needless to say, I was completely overwhelmed by the support of the adults and children on our team.”

Jonseof said the team was comprised mostly of non-runners, but it was a way to show sup-port, love and encouragement to her.

“There are really not words to describe how it felt to be on the cancer side of the run instead of being there to support someone, but I can say that it struck an emotion inside of me that I will never forget,” she said.

Jonseof plans to continue participating in the event so she can provide an experience like hers each year to people who have just started their journey with cancer, or to encourage those who are still fighting.

“[The organizers] do such a great job every year putting together a day full of encourage-ment and hope,” she said.

The 11th Annual Save the O’s 5K and Fun Run will be held Aug. 29 at Greystone Golf and Country Club. Registration from Aug. 1 to race day is $35 for the 5K and $25 for the fun run, and the fee includes a T-shirt. Race-day registration begins at 6:30 a.m. and the race will start at 8 a.m., followed by food, music, raffle prizes, silent auction and a pool party.

For more information, or to register, visit savetheos5k.com.

Save the O’s 5K and Fun RunAugust 29, 6:30 a.m. registration, 8 a.m. race start

5K run, 1-mile Fun Run

Greystone Golf and Country Club Aquatic Complex

4100 Greystone Drive

Registration Fee: $35 (5K), $25 (Fun Run)

savetheos5k.com

Ovarian cancer survivor Terri Jonseof celebrates crossing the finish line in the 2014 Save the O’s 5K. Photo courtesy of Terri Jonseof.


A legacy of changing the world


Laura Langley was on a quest to make the world a better place. Even though she passed away three years ago, she continues to do so through her legacy.

A 2007 graduate of Oak Mountain High School, Langley was involved in a car accident on June 3, 2012. During the attempts at UAB Hospital to save her life, she received over 50 units of blood. Within a few days, neigh-bors of her parents in the Ross Bridge community wanted to do something to help. They organized a blood drive in Laura’s honor, knowing she would

have been the fi rst to do something to help.

“Our fi rst drive was so successful, we knew we needed to do it again,” said Laura’s mom, Ann Langley. “It needed to be where people knew and loved her, so we moved it to First Christian Church [where Laura grew up attending], and it was equally successful.”

Each pint of blood donated can save up to three lives, and Langley is con-fi dent that more than 1,000 lives have been saved through this blood drive.

“That is a legacy of Laura’s that is important,” Langley said. “She would be thrilled something so tragic has had

lasting benefi ts to others.”Students at the University of Ala-

bama, where Laura attended college, are also benefi ting from her legacy. Within hours of her death, her fellow students appealed to the faculty to establish the Laura Langley Social Justice Award in recognition of a student’s efforts to address social justice concerns. Laura’s parents also established a scholarship with insur-ance money they received, which is awarded to high-potential students for whom fi nancial assistance would be helpful.

Laura’s memory is also being hon-ored through her former workplace,

AIDS Alabama. In 2004, her father, Jim Langley, became a part of their management team. Executive Direc-tor of AIDS Alabama Elaine Cottle said she and the staff watched Laura grow, graduate and go off to college. A social worker position became avail-able, and Laura worked there from February until she passed away.

“In those few short months, she impressed us all with her quiet strength and quirky sense of fun, alongside a deep commitment to ending injustice,” Cottle said. “AIDS Alabama staff decided to name their Campus Activity Center after Laura and her father. It is a testament to her

indomitable spirit that in less than four months, an entire agency and its board of directors unanimously dedicated a building in her name — a building where those with little justice in their lives hopefully begin to fi nd hope and vision for recovery,” Cittle said.

Laura’s mom said things like this continue to mean so much to her.

“What I’m comforted by today is that Laura wanted her life to make a difference, and it still is,” Ann said.

This year’s blood drive will be Aug. 22 at First Christian Church. To make an appointment to donate blood, visit redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: Laura.

A college friend of Laura Langley (front chair) gives blood in her memory at the annual blood drive. Photo courtesy of Ann Langley.

4th Annual Laura Langley Memorial Blood Drive

Aug. 22, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. First Christian Church 4954 Valleydale Road


By OLIVIA BURTON

Larry Giangrosso, newly appointed principal of Spain Park High School, wants his students to dream big.

“You can’t just do the core of education with-out passion, because that’s what drives people,” he said. “That’s what drove me.”

As a child, Giangrosso dreamed about being a major league baseball player. Today, he is thankful to his parents and teachers for encouraging him to dream while also preparing him for the future.

“We want our students to dream and to have really passionate, big goals, but at the same time, we have to prepare them for different changes in their lives that may lead them down a different path,” he said.

Spain Park is home to a unique program of career-specific “academies” whose classes allow students to explore a wide range of career

options, including health sciences, law, technol-ogy, engineering and fi nance.

“At any time, you can see a trial going on, or you can see the handiwork of a future engineer, or you can see people that are going into the health science fi eld learn to save lives as fi rst responders,” Giangrosso said.

In the health sciences academy, students expe-rience hands-on learning in a recreation of an emergency room. Remote-controlled manne-quins can be programmed to simulate various emergencies such as a heart attack, and cameras in the room allow students to go over their per-formances afterwards.

Over the summer, Spain Park has been constructing new labs for the engineering and technology students. Also new to Spain Park this upcoming year will be courses in Mandarin Chinese taught by Steven Frost.

“These students that are in our school system now will be competing globally for jobs and for

leadership roles,” Giangrosso said. “We have to prepare them not just for the state of Alabama, but for the world.”

During over 40 years in education, Giangrosso has served as both a coach and a teacher in various sports and subjects. His career began at the origi-nal W.A. Berry High School, where he served as an English teacher and coach. From 1990-1999, Giangrosso worked at Central Alabama Com-munity College, where he started the school’s fi rst baseball program. Before serving as assis-tant principal of Spain Park from 2012 to 2015, Giangrosso was head baseball coach at UAB and assistant principal at Pelham High School.

Giangrosso’s experience on the diamond and in the classroom has helped him understand the importance of passion and time management for high school students.

“We’re all young at some time, but as we get older we sometimes forget the challenges that students have when they’re trying to balance

getting a good education with having a passion for a sport or an extracurricular activity like band,” he said. “There’s just so many hours in a day.”

In addition to encouraging students to balance their passions with a core education, Giangrosso plans to focus on helping all students reach their goals regardless of where they are when they reach Spain Park. He recalls a saying of Bob Finley, former head football coach of Berry High School: “Our job is to teach and coach them all.”

“I’ve never forgotten that,” said Giangrosso. With its academies, extracurricular activities,

rigorous classes and sports, Giangrosso looks forward to a busy year.

“What we’re trying to do here is get every student plugged into something where they feel important, where they can thrive and where they can become leaders in the school,” said Giangrosso. “This is what education is all about. Our plates are full, and that’s the way it should be.”


5299 Valleydale Road, Suite 111 • Birmingham, AL 35242 (two blocks from 280)

www.southeasternjewelers.net • 980-9030

Rooted in core education, reaching

for the starsLarry Giangrosso’s vision for

Spain Park High School Larry Giangrosso’s diverse roles in schools across Alabama have prepared him to take on his new role as principal of Spain Park High School. Photo courtesy of Larry Giangrosso.

Back to School

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“My teacher, I guess, because her daughter is in fourth grade with me.

I’m also excited for the books I’m going to read,”

Griffin Sorenson, fourth grade, Evangel Classical Christian School

“Just being there. Lunch, eating,”

Walker Sorenson, second grade, Evangel Classical

Christian School.

“Math because I like numbers … And sometimes reading if it’s fun,” Christian Bothwell, fourth grade, Oak Mountain Intermediate School.

“I’m excited to see what it’s like because I’m wondering if there are any more challenges than the fourth grade,”Matthew Womack, fifth grade, homeschooled in Shelby County.

Back to school:I’m excited for…

Local students share their thoughts on the new school year


“I’m excited for my teacher because I used to have a teacher who was really fun and she

said this teacher is even more fun,”

Mia Hall, kindergarten, St. Rose of Lima School

“I do musical theater and I’m doing a group

called Previews, and I’ll get to travel a bunch of

places and perform,” Autumn O’Connor, fourth

grade, homeschooled in Shelby County.

“Because I get to go to recess again. I get to play tag and go on the tire swings,” Hudson Hagood, second grade, Inverness Elementary School.

“Science and art … I like drawing and drawing my family,” Jordan Bothwell, second grade, Oak Mountain Elementary School.


Greystone

By SYDNEY CROMWELL

Books, pencils and a backpack — every-thing’s ready for school except a great new outfi t for the fi rst day. Check out these outfits from local boutiques to get inspiration to update your student’s back to school wardrobe.

Photos by Jordan Hays

Versatile vintage

Southern Roots is making back to school fashion simple with this vintage vest ($38) layered over a white T-shirt ($26). Add destroyed skinny jeans ($61) and an arrowhead necklace ($12) to complete the look.

Relaxedruffl es

Look great at the lockers with a teal ruffl e swing top ($59) paired with printed bell bottoms ($49) and wedges ($125) from Ditsy Daisy.

Peasantpizazz

Make a stylish entrance on the fi rst day with a printed peasant tunic ($45), cuffed skinny jeans ($125), asymmetrical cowboy boots ($100), a cross-body bag ($60) and metallic tassel necklace ($30) from Everly’s Boutique.

Back to school fashionBooks, pencils and

a backpack — every-thing’s ready for school except a great new outfi t for the fi rst day. Check out these outfits from local boutiques to get inspiration to update your student’s back to

Photos by Jordan Hays

Versatile vintage

Southern Roots is making back to school fashion simple with this vintage vest ($38) layered over a white T-shirt ($26). Add destroyed skinny jeans ($61) and an arrowhead necklace ($12) to complete the look.

Look great at the lockers with a teal ruffl e swing top ($59) paired with printed bell bottoms ($49) and wedges ($125) from Ditsy Daisy.

Peasantpizazz

Make a stylish entrance on the fi rst day with a printed peasant tunic ($45), cuffed skinny jeans ($125), asymmetrical cowboy boots ($100), a cross-body bag ($60) and metallic tassel necklace ($30) from Everly’s

Look great at the lockers with a teal ruffl e swing top ($59) paired with printed bell bottoms ($49) and wedges ($125) from

Peasantpizazz

Make a stylish entrance on the fi rst day with a printed peasant tunic ($45), cuffed skinny jeans ($125), asymmetrical cowboy boots ($100), a cross-body bag ($60) and metallic tassel necklace ($30) from Everly’s Boutique.

Back to school fashion280 LivingB14 • August 2015

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Back to School

Bright and colorful

Playful patterns and bright colors are the way to go for elementary school style. Clothing lines at Sew Precious range from $40 to $75.

Floral funA fl oral open-back tank top ($23.50) and a white denim jacket ($25.50) from Renaissance Consignment are perfect for fall, especially with dark bell bottom jeans ($59.50) and open-toe canvas shoes ($17.70).

Fringe benefi ts

Dress up a graphic T-shirt ($53) with a black lace vest ($52) and chunky jewelry ($20-63) from Elite Boutique.

Get these looks

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Meet the

PTO presidents

Nicole ErwinChelsea Middle [email protected]

Courtney CashMt Laurel [email protected]

Ashlee HarperForest Oaks Elementary School [email protected]

Becky WhiteOak Mountain [email protected]

Becky LaneyGreystone ElementaryGreystone Elementary website PTA page, greystoneelem.al.hce.schoolinsites.com

Julie HolstadOak Mountain [email protected]

Janet DeesSpain Park High533-3349

Lisa GeorgeChelsea Park Elementary222-0093, [email protected]

Amy RileyOak Mountain Elementary School478-9828 or [email protected]

Marci HackbarthOak Mountain Middle682-5210 (OMMS)

Amy TubreInverness [email protected]

Maxine RetzerBerry [email protected]

Tabetha LemondsChelsea High [email protected]

“I decided to become president because I am very proud of Chelsea Middle School. We have had tremendous growth and change in the last few years, and I really want to be a part of that in this next school year … We have a lot of new things happening at Chelsea Middle School this year, cosmetically and inside the classroom. I’m excited and looking forward to seeing these things unfold.”

“I decided to be president because we have such a great school. It gives me the opportunity to partner with other volunteers to support our Administration, faculty and students … This year I am looking forward to our 1st annual Coin Drive and hoping for great success.”

“This is my second year as president, and previously, I served as secretary and box tops coordinator. I have enjoyed all of the positions I have held, but being president has helped me be able to raise money for our school and work closely with the faculty and staff. I also enjoy all the planning and coordinating of events that goes into being on the PTO, especially as the president.”

“It’s important to me that my children know I care about what they are involved in. I’m looking forward to working with all the wonderful people who have volunteered this year at the school. I’m excited to work with Dr. LeQuier, the principal at the school. She is a great principal and cares so much about the students there.”

“This is a wonderful community. I want to be president so I may support this community. I look forward to supporting our faculty and staff next year while helping provide extra opportunities for our students, such as author visits, enrichment week and our outdoor classroom.”

“The PTO’s role is to help transform our school from a building into a community where the administration, teachers and students know they are supported. The focus this year, and each year to come, will make our school a better learning environment for our children.”

“I am proud to be a Spain Park parent, and my husband and I love being involved in the things that are important to our family. My children have had a wonderful experience at Spain Park … I wanted to work along side all of these amazing people to help Spain Park continue to be the best it can be.”

“I love to volunteer at the school. We have the most dedicated and caring teachers at CPES. The kids are so fun to be around. I love to hear kids saying “Hey Mrs. George” and waving as I walk down the hall. The position of PTO president is much like a full-time job. This is the last year that all three of my boys will be in the same school, so I want to be as involved as much as I possibly can.”

“I enjoy planning events and assisting our wonderful faculty with numerous projects … I look forward to another fun filled, successful year [and] planning our 2nd Annual Grandparents Day, another Movie on the Mountain and several other school wide community-building events. But mostly, I look forward to encouraging other parents to give a little of their time to help support our strong OMES PTO.”

“When I was a middle school teacher, I appreciated the commitment of our PTO and knew how great it was to have parents involved. I want to give that back to the teachers at OMMS. They work effortlessly and need to feel appreciated and supported - that’s our job. I have big shoes to fill so this year, I just look forward to getting to know the staff as I learn the position.“

“I love my children’s school. I wanted to give back and be a part of its continued success … We have an exciting year ahead. We are going to continue with programs from previous years, but also try some new things to help bring together more students, families, teachers and our community.”

“Berry’s PTO does a fantastic job of supporting the students, administration and faculty each year. Our PTO board and committee chairs bring numerous skills and talents to our organization. I am excited to work closely with everyone to support the initiatives of our school and continued learning and growth of all of our students.”

“My daughter is a senior, so this is my final opportunity to share my ideas, encourage others and serve our school. I look forward to working with my board of directors to help our students and parents have an enjoyable school year.”


August 2015 • B17280Living.com

School House

OMHS grads earn ‘Service Above Self’ scholarshipsThe North Shelby-Inverness Rotary

club, through its non-profit North Shelby-Inverness Foundation, has awarded “Service Above Self” col-lege scholarships to two 2015 grad-uates of Oak Mountain High School. The purpose of this award is to recog-nize students who have demonstrated humanitarian service in any form and at any level with emphasis on personal

volunteer efforts. The motto “Service Above Self” was established in 1950 at the Rotary International Convention in Chicago.

The scholarships, at $1,200 each, were funded with proceeds from var-ious fundraisers held throughout the year. The proceeds may be used at any accredited institute of higher learning of the recipients choosing. The awards

were based on academic achievement and community involvement.

This year’s award receipts are: } Russell ‘Barrett’ Maraman- Bar-rett participated in varsity football, track and Boy Scouts, where he par-ticipated in numerous service proj-ects like feeding the homeless at the Firehouse Shelter. He was also a member of the National Honor

Society. Barrett will be attending Auburn University where he will be studying engineering. While in school, he will be participating in ROTC and plans to join the military.

} Wesley James Monnette- Wesley has participated in OMHS Robot-ics club, Birmingham Fencing Club and Alabama Youth in Government.

He also has been on a building team for Habitat for Humanity, and a vol-unteer for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. Wesley will be attending Auburn University where he will be studying mechanical engineering.-Submitted by the North Shelby-

Inverness Rotary Club.

By ERICA TECHO

Becoming an administrator means helping schools, students and teachers grow, said Laura Junkin, the new assistant principal at Oak Moun-tain Intermediate School.

Junkin entered the realm of teaching after real-izing she wasn’t happy with her job in finance. A friend working with Teach for America encour-aged her to join the program.

“Being in those first few years of being in Teach for America, I knew I wanted to be in administration,” Junkin said. “I wanted to help those systems.”

Along with 12 years of teaching experience, Junkin has a master’s in elementary education, a master’s in educational leadership and an edu-cation specialist degree. Her experience helped make her a good candidate for Oak Mountain Intermediate School, principal Pat LeQuier said.

“For us, she had intermediate level experi-ence,” LeQuier said. “It’s really a very distinct

age group, it’s that change for children between childhood and early adolescence. I knew she would relate really well to our kids.”

Junkin also has experience as an Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative trainer (AMSTI). LeQuier said Oak Mountain Interme-diate teachers returned from Junkin’s AMSTI training excited and ready for the change, and she believes Junkin will bring the same excite-ment into the school. Her experience also makes it easier to discuss AMSTI with parents and teachers.

“I kind of know where the teachers started from, and I’ve helped in that transition, so I think that will help me in discussions with the parents, with teachers,” Junkin said.

Junkin’s last position was as assistant princi-pal at Gardendale Elementary school, where she worked for two years. Moving to Oak Mountain from another assistant principal position helps make the transition easier, Junkin said. The tran-sition from teacher to administrator is a difficult

one, but moving into another administrator posi-tion comes with helpful experience.

“I’ve really learned the importance of balance – being there for the parents, being there for the students and being there for the teachers, where being a teacher means more being there for the students and parents,” Junkin said.

As assistant principal, Junkin serves as the chairperson of the problem solving team, a group that helps teachers address concerns about stu-dents. The group also includes a literacy coach and lead teacher, and they brainstorm plans of action to help students reach their potential.

“I’m really excited to work with those stu-dents,” Junkin said. “I really like to be able to find what it is that will trigger their love for learning and help them grow.”

Junkin said she is excited to work with Oak Mountain Intermediate students during their transition from elementary to middle school as she transitions from Jefferson County Schools to Shelby County Schools.

“I’m just really excited to be a part of the Shelby County family and to have this opportu-nity to work with Oak Mountain Intermediate,” Junkin said.

New assistant principal excited to join ‘Shelby County family’

Laura Junkin is the new assistant principal at Oak Mountain Intermediate School. Photo courtesy of Shelby County Board of Education.


Ken Jarnigan tenure as principal ends at Spain Park High School

By ROY L. WILLIAMS

Veteran educator Ken Jarnigan’s tenure as Spain Park High School principal has come to an end.

Jarnigan stepped down after three years as principal, effective at the end of June, to return to his first love: teaching band. In May, the Hoover Board of Education approved Jarnigan’s request to transfer from principal at Spain Park to become assistant band director at Bumpus Middle School and Brock’s Gap Intermediate School, effective this fall for the 2015-16 school year.

Jarnigan said the move to a less-stressful job as assistant band director is part of plans he and his wife, Phyllis, have made as he prepares for his second, final retirement in two years.

Jarnigan, who turned 62 in May, joined the Hoover school system 10 years ago after retir-ing from a long education career in Tennessee.

“After my retirement from Tennessee, our plan has always been to work for 10 years in Alabama,” Jarnigan said. “We are committed to staying with that plan, but with an adjust-ment in my job duties.”

Since he joined the Hoover school system in 2007 as chief academic officer, Jarnigan said he has served in fairly stressful, high-exposure

jobs, including stints as interim principal at Hoover High and the past three years as prin-cipal at Spain Park High.

“The high school principal jobs at Hoover and Spain Park are, unfortunately, packed with pressure, massive time obligations and a high degree of negativity,” Jarnigan said. “The prin-cipal jobs are also very gratifying and reward-ing at times. With only two years left until I retire from Alabama, we have a new strategy.”

Jarnigan said the transfer this fall will take him back to what initially led him to education — teaching band.

The assistant band director position “will situate me in a lower-stress, off-the-grid kind of job,” Jarnigan said.

“I will be teaching the brand new beginners and then helping with the second and third-year band students,” he said. “Just teaching those little kids how to play music. I already feel a lot of stress relief and really look for-ward to returning to my original professional passion — music education.”

Jarnigan starts his new position on August 10. He will replace David Koelz, who resigned his job at Bumpus Middle and Brock’s Gap at the end of May.

The Hoover Board of Education announced Larry Giangrosso will serve as principal at Spain Park this fall.

Ken Jernigan speaks at a Spain Park event. Photo courtesy of Hoover City Schools.

Oak Mountain Middle School students place in top 10 at national robotics competitionBy JORDAN HAYS

Two Oak Mountain Middle School students placed in the top 10 of three competitions at the national VEX Robotics Competition in Grapevine, Texas on June 28-July 2.

Spencer Dunn and Hamid Choucha placed fourth in the teamwork challenge, seventh in programming skills and ninth in combined skills.

This was Spencer and Hamid’s first time competing at the VEX Robotics Competition. Spencer prepared for a year for the competi-tion. Hamid, however, came in a month before the competition after Spencer’s partner moved to Colorado.

“They’ve known each other for several years, but they’ve never worked as a team [before the competition],” said Sherri White-head, Project Lead the Way teacher at Oak Mountain Middle School. “Hamid and Spen-cer complement each other extremely well.”

Whitehead said Hamid is great at program-ming and usually competes in high school level competitions. When the team arrived at the VEX competition, the program they had

created for their robot stopped working, but Hamid was able to completely reprogram the robot.

Spencer is “never rattled and always very even-keeled,” Whitehead said.

“In the midst of a competition, [Spencer] is the calming force,” Whitehead said. “Because of his calm demeanor he has about him, he is a strong, strong player on this team.”

Competitors had to build a robot that would move colored blocks from one side of the playing field to the other and then stack those blocks based on their color in 60 sec-onds. To build the robot, Spencer and Hamid had to learn about gear ratios and computer programming.

“I was so thrilled we came in fourth in the nation [in the Teamwork Challenge],” White-head said. “I could not have asked for a better way to end that competition than to let those students get the recognition they deserve.”

The VEX Robotics Competition is held in association with National Technology Student Association (TSA) Competition, which pro-vides co-curricular competitions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.


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Summer

FUNPhoto Contest

Winner recieves $50 gift card

to Alabama Outdoors

Last Chance to submit for

To enter, email your photos in a jpeg format to [email protected] four photos are allowed per person.

Winners will be announced in the September issue.

Category 1: Any summer fun photoCategory 2: A summer fun photo displaying a copy of 280 Living wherever you are

Deadline is August 9, 2015

#280SummerFun

LaminatingSchool ProjectsBindingPosters, FoamboardBanners, SignsNotaryMailboxesPassport photosPostcardsBlue printsYard Signs and more

Printing and Business Services

(next to Bahama Bucks)

Home-schoolers may be able to play

by fall 2016

In 2016, home-schooled students could be wearing the jerseys of area schools due to potential changes in AHSAA rules. Photo by Ted Melton.

By DAVID KNOX

The proposed Tim Tebow Act did not make it out of the Alabama state legislature this session, but home-schooled students will likely get a chance to play sports for the public school for which they are they are zoned.

Steve Savarese, the executive director of the Alabama High School Athletic Associa-tion, said the association will continue to meet with respective committees to develop policies applicable concerning home-schooled students gaining athletic eligibility at member schools.

“Just like with virtual schools or students in dual-enrollment programs at local colleges, now, in accordance with our rules, we will be adding rules to allow home-school students to play,” Savarese said.

The details of the new rules will be crafted during the coming months and will likely be approved in April 2016, allowing home-school-ers to begin play in the fall of 2016.

The bill, technically called House Bill 236, is named after former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow from the University of Florida, who was home-schooled and played at Nease High School, near Jacksonville, Fla. Had it passed, it would force the AHSAA to allow home-schooled students and others who attend private schools to be allowed to try out for the school’s teams for which those students are zoned.

Rep. Mike Ball introduced the bill into the legislature, but now that the AHSAA is taking it up, he will not be pursuing it.

“My objective was not to pass a bill,” Ball said as the legislature wrapped up its regular session. “My objective is to open the door to allow these children to participate. And if they’re willing to do it and got a definite timeta-ble to do it, then I always prefer to do it without legislation.”

Savarese was reluctant to speak to the details at this stage of the process.

“It’s too early to discuss the home schools as it will affect participation until policy has been established. There is no policy right now. For me to be speculative would be dangerous,” Savarese said.

The AHSAA and many member schools have opposed the Tebow law because they said the AHSAA, not the state legislature, should make the rules. They are concerned about administra-tion of the rule and how it affects classification, since those students would not count toward population counts, and how home-schooled

students could be held to the same academic standards and team rules.

“Issues for all of our participants are funda-mental issues of fair play,” Savarese said. “For 94 years, our association has maintained the highest level of integrity with all of our sports programs and has consistently upheld all stan-dards. What we’ll want to study as we move along is holding everyone as close as we can to holding everybody to similar standards.”

“I’ve expressed my concerns to the legis-lature and I summarized all of them in ‘unin-tended consequences,’” he added. “There are a lot of people who do a great job with home-schooling their children, and as a parent myself I support school choice. But those unintended consequences, when they occur, can create issues and that will be our job as we move forward to minimize those.”

Ball said that he understood from studying the issues and talking to coaches and adminis-trators that the concern was not so much about allowing home-schoolers to participate.

“There was a lot of concern that maybe some coaches might find a way to take advantage of this to ‘game’ the system. The high school ath-letic association I think can find ways to govern that,” Ball said.

This move toward allowing home-schoolers to play for public schools has been a growing trend. According to the website TimTebowBill.com, a site devoted to promoting equal access for Alabama home-schoolers, 31 schools in the nation currently have some sort of pro-vision that allows it. Most of the rules were forced by state legislative action – 26 in fact. In other cases, the state association went ahead and authorized it. Some states, such as Ohio, require “partial enrollment.”

Besides Alabama, 11 other states have legis-lation pending or have their athletic association studying it. Among those states are Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas and Oklahoma.

Savarese said he’s been expecting this sooner or later, and the AHSAA has been talking to other state athletic associations to prepare. It’s unclear how many students would take advan-tage of the new rule. Based on other states’ figures and on the number of home-schooled students in Alabama, the number could be any-where from 400 to 1,000. Savarese believes the number would grow each year.

The AHSAA does not govern other extracur-ricular activities, such as band, choir, theater, scholar bowl teams or debate.


Sports

Chamber recognizes United Way in Shelby County

By MADISON MILLER

When United Way fundraising chair Nancy Collat Goedecke is asked why she gives back, she says it is because she has seen fi rsthand the difference giving can make.

The question is a main focus for this year’s fundraising campaign for United Way of Central Alabama. Goedecke and her team are asking sponsors to help raise awareness for the cause by explaining why they give to United Way, both in-person and through social media with the hashtag #whyigive.

So far, the answers have ranged from enjoying giving back to more personal experiences such as “I give because United Way taught me to read.”

Goedecke explained United Way’s new campaign and more on its impact on the county at the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce’s Luncheon on June 24. In its 93-year history, United Way of Central Alabama has served fi ve counties in Alabama including Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker. It is made up of 80 pro-grams and initiatives with a fund-raising impact of over $37 million.

This year, Goedecke became the fi rst woman in the program’s history to serve as its campaign chair. Out-side of United Way, she is also the

President of the Board and CEO of Mayer Electric Supply Company, a wholesale-distributor of electrical equipment and supplies.

“I grew up hearing stories from my parents, Patsy and Charles Collat, as they described going door-to-door raising money for the United Way campaign,” Goe-decke said. “Sixty years ago, they had a handful of pledge cards and

often took donations at the door. At that time, the campaign raised $1,313,000.”

Though fundraising strategies have changed, Goedecke explained that the only thing that hasn’t changed in that time is the need.

“We see it, we read about it, we hear about it on the evening news and some of you may be experi-encing it fi rsthand,” she said.

Campaign Chair Nancy Collat Goedecke discusses United Way’s fundraising efforts at the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Luncheon in June. Photo by Madison Miller.

Chamber280 LivingB22 • August 2015

Preview ofGreater Shelby ChamberLuncheonThe August luncheon will rec-

ognize the fi rst winner of the new Healthcare Professional of the Year award. Healthcare professionals across the county were nominated for their “out-standing contribution” to their communities. The chamber’s health services work group will host the event.

Healthcare organizations in the county are also invited to participate in a Showcase Fea-ture to share information about their businesses during the net-working portion of the event.

The luncheon will be Aug. 26 at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena’s banquet hall. Networking begins at 11 a.m. and the luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m.

Registration costs $20 for chamber members and $30 for non-members. Contact Keyla Handley at [email protected] to participate in the Showcase Feature. Call 663-4542 or visit shelbychamber.org to register.

[email protected].

When accepting the role of campaign chair in January, Goe-decke wanted to create both realistic and stretch fundraising goals. Last year’s campaign raised $38,255,000. Though 2015 will include the most online fundrais-ing in the United Way’s history, Goedecke said she still values face-to-face interactions with business owners and potential sponsors.

Though United Way’s fundrais-ing goal for this year has not been announced, Goedecke said that she is aiming high.

“Past history will tell us that we will get close to $39 million in our fundraising efforts this year. Our goal must be realistic, but my team has agreed to set a stretch goal as well,” Goedecke said.

This year, Goedecke and her team have made a commitment to meet with 700 business leaders in the area. Though many give to the United Way in order to provide for others, Goedecke pointed out that giving back also helps the economy.

“These individuals aren’t going to the Bahamas. They’re buying groceries and paying their bills,” she said.

The United Way is currently in its summer fundraising season and will announce its offi cial fundraising goal this fall. For more information, visit www.uwca.org/givetoday.

By ROY L. WILLIAMS

The head of a nonprofi t agency devoted to helping revitalize commu-nities across Alabama was the speaker at the South Shelby Chamber of Com-merce luncheon on July 9. She encour-aged chamber members to invest in downtowns as a means to spark eco-nomic revitalization.

“My message is to help cities understand the economic impact that downtowns can have on their com-munities. When you ignore your core, you have issues outside of the core,” said Mary Helmer, president of Main Street Alabama, a statewide agency that reopened in Birmingham two years ago after a 10-year absence.

Main Street Alabama is a statewide organization, and works with 16 dif-ferent community agencies, such as REV Birmingham, that provide small business seminars and other services for entrepreneurs and would-be busi-ness owners. In her luncheon address at Columbiana United Methodist Church, Helmer talked about how cities can reuse traditional downtowns in a new way.

“Main Street Alabama works with cities desiring to spark economic development by focusing on small businesses and entrepreneurship, and how that adds to the greater devel-opment of the city,” Helmer said. “Instead of always trying to recruit new industry, why don’t you help train some of your city residents on how to run a business? Create your own.”

April Stone, executive director of the South Shelby Chamber, hopes

Investing in downtowns pays off, speaker tells South Shelby Chamber

Mary Helmer, president of Main Street Alabama, during a July 9 luncheon address shared tips with the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce on how cities can boost business development in downtowns. The meeting took place at Columbiana United Methodist Church. Photo by Roy L. Williams.

Preview ofSouth Shelby ChamberLuncheonAs the new school year be-

gins, Shelby County Schools Superintendent Randy Full-er will give a “State of the Schools” address to the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce. Fuller last spoke at the chamber’s luncheon in April for the spring State of the Schools speech.

The luncheon will be Aug. 6 at Columbiana United Meth-odist Church. The event lasts from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with Honey Baked Ham of Alabas-ter catering. No prior regis-tration is required, but the cost of lunch is $12, payable by cash, check or credit card.

For more information, contact the chamber at 669-9075 or [email protected].

Helmer’s address planted seeds that will inspire some of the business and city leaders to take action. Among those in attendance were the mayors of Wilsonville, Columbiana and Harpersville.

“We work closely with six com-munities, and three of them have tra-ditional downtowns — Columbiana, Vincent and Wilsonville, which has a square,” Stone said. “Each of them are unique.”

Stone said she “would love to see investment” in old buildings instead of tearing them down.

“I like the way she talked about reusing historic buildings,” Stone said. “All of them have downtown space

that can be utilized. Why not use what you have? I would love for some of our towns to take that history and use it to plan for their future.”


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Real Estate ListingsMLS # Zip Address Status Price

722946 35043 1008 Kingston Road New $359,900

723212 35043 1274 Liberty Road New $249,900

723044 35043 306 Dogwood Drive New $139,900

722878 35043 259 Polo Downs, Unit 119 New $169,900

722874 35043 721 Shelby Forest Trail New $115,000

722704 35043 520 El Camino Real New $289,000

722695 35043 120 Bent Creek Drive New $325,000

722680 35043 171 Hackberry Circle New $259,900

722437 35043 3088 Chelsea Park Ridge New $259,900

722420 35043 765 Shelby Forest Trail New $160,000

723298 35242 2122 Kirkman Drive, Unit 62 New $427,109

723291 35242 5128 Greystone Way New $699,900


723283 35242 612 North Lake Circle New $274,900


723197 35242 2089 Eagle Ridge Drive New $220,000

723193 35242 4909 Reynolds Lane New $699,900

723164 35242 4521 Little Ridge Drive New $260,000

723158 35242 1540 Southern Drive New $234,550

723141 35242 305 Woodward Court, Unit 23 New $499,000

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Calendar

Community EventsAug. 1: Shake and Bake Run. 8 a.m. Mt Laurel. $25 in advance. $30 on race day. Visit shakeandbake5k.com.

Aug. 8: Lake Stomp. 10 a.m. Oak Mountain State Park. Visit alapark.com.

Aug. 12: Shelby County Schools First Day of School. Visit shelbyed.k12.al.us.

Aug. 13: Hoover City Schools First Day of School. Visit hoovercityschools.net.

Aug. 14: Overnight Campout. 7 p.m.-8 a.m. Greystone Golf and Country Club’s Founder Driving Range. $20 per camper. Bonfire, s’mores, stories and more. Call 986-5147.

Aug. 15: Back to School Blast. 1-6 p.m. Greystone Golf and Country Club’s Founders Clubhouse. Waterslide, face paintings, music, food and more. Call 776-3195.

Aug. 15: Sozo Children’s Dinner. 5:30-9 p.m. The Cahaba Grand

Conference Center. $80 for individuals, $2,500 for corporate sponsorship. Visit sozochildren.org./dinner.

Aug. 18: Briarwood Christian School First Day of School. Visit briarwoodchristianschool.org.

Aug. 22: R(un) for One 5K. 8 a.m. Veterans Park. $30 before Aug. 15. $35 on race day. Visit unadopted.org/run.

Aug. 22: Laura Langley Memorial Blood Drive. 10 a.m.-

4 p.m. First Christian Church, 4954 Valleydale Road. Visit redcrossblood.org.

Aug. 28: Chirps & Chips. 7-10 p.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Casino-themed games, silent auction and drawing will benefit the Alabama Wildlife Center. $50. Visit awrc.org.

Aug. 28: SPHS Varsity Football vs. Hueytown. 7 p.m. Spain Park High School. Visit spainparkathletics.org.

Aug. 28: OMHS Varsity Football

vs. Hillcrest. 7 p.m. Heardmont Stadium. Visit shelbyed.k12.al.us.

Aug. 28: Briarwood Christian School Varsity Football vs. Chelsea. 7 p.m. Briarwood Christian School. Visit briarwoodchristianschool.org or shelby.k12.al.us.

Aug. 29: Save the O’s 5K and Fun Run. 8 a.m. Greystone Golf and Country Club Aquatic Complex. $35 for 5K. $25 for fun run. Visit savetheos5k.com.

Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce1301 County Services Drive

shelbychamber.org, 663-4542

Aug. 5: Ambassadors Work Group. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber Office.

Aug. 5: Small Business Work Group. 4-5 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber Office.

Aug. 11: Education Work Group. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Shelby County

Instructional Services Center, 601 First Street South, Alabaster.

Aug. 11: Go & Grow Workshop “Sales Management Success.” 11:30-2 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber Office.

Aug. 11: Small Business Mentorship Appointments. 2:30-

4 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber Office.

Aug. 12: Existing Business & Industry Work Group. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Canon, 3535 Grandview Parkway, Suite 500.

Aug. 13: CoffeeNet. 8:30-9:30 a.m. The Egg & I, 5479 Highway 280, Suite 128. RSVP requested by Aug. 12.

Aug. 14: Health Services Work Group. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Greater Shelby Chamber Office.

Aug. 18: Entrepreneur Roundtable I. 8-10:30 a.m. Greater Shelby Chamber Office.

Aug. 26: GSCC Community Luncheon. 11:30-1 p.m. Pelham Civic

Complex & Ice Arena. Luncheon will focus on “Healthcare Professionals of the Year.” Reservations requested by noon Aug. 24. Members $20, Non-members $30.

Aug. 27: Governmental Affairs Work Group. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Sain Associates, Two Perimeter Park South, Suite 500.


Calendar

Area EventsJuly 31-Aug. 2: Secret Stages. Friday 6-11 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday noon-6 p.m. A walking music festival in downtown Birmingham. $25 weekend passes. Visit secretstages.net.

Aug. 1-8: Shrek the Musical. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Virginia Samford Theatre. The VST STARS present Shrek the Musical. Visit virginiasamfordtheatre.org.

Aug. 2: Andy Grammer and American Authors with AJR. 7:30 p.m. Iron City, 513 22nd St. South. $22-$25. Visit ironcitybham.com.

Aug. 6: Birmingham Art Crawl. 5-9 p.m. Downtown Birmingham, 113 22nd St. North. Free. A walking art gallery with artists, performers, food and fun. Visit birminghamartcrawl.com.

Aug. 8: Good Old War. 9 p.m. Saturn Birmingham, 200 41st St. South. $15 in advance, $17 day of show. Visit saturnbirmingham.com.

Aug. 9: Auntie Mame. 2 p.m. Alabama Theatre. $8. Part of Alabama Theatre’s Summer Film Series. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

Aug. 9: Christina Perri. 7 p.m. Iron City, 513 22nd St. South. Visit ironcitybham.com.

Aug. 10: My Morning Jacket. 8 p.m. Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North. $43. Visit mymorningjacket.com.

Aug. 13: Pre-Code Film Festival. 6:30-8 p.m. Homewood Public Library. Pre-code film made in 1933 starring Barbara Stanwyck. Visit homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Aug. 14: Grease. 7 p.m. Alabama Theatre. $8.

Boiling N’ Bragging will kick of tailgating season at Otey’s Tavern on Aug. 15. Photo courtesy of Children’s of Alabama.

Part of Alabama Theatre’s Summer Film Series. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

Aug. 14: Art on the Rocks. 7-11 p.m. Birmingham Museum of Art. $15 for members, $25 for non-members. Visit artsbma.org.

Aug. 16: The Sound of Music. 2 p.m. Alabama Theatre. $8. Part of Alabama Theatre’s Summer Film Series. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

Aug. 19: Iron Cinema Presents Garden State. 7 p.m. Iron City, 513 22nd St. South. Free. Visit ironcitybham.com.

Aug. 22: Rock ‘n’ Run. 8 a.m. Homewood Central Park. The ‘70s-themed run will benefit IMPACT Family Counseling. Visit impactal.org.

Aug. 22: Baby Steps Memorial 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run. 8 a.m. Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park. Run allows grieving families and their friends to come together to remember lost loved ones. Visit ameliacenter.org.

Aug. 22: Kishi Bashi. 9 p.m. Saturn Birmingham, 200 41st St. South. $13 in advance, $15 day of show. Visit saturnbirmingham.com.

Aug. 23: Southern Bridal Show. Noon-5 p.m. Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North. Meet face-to-face with wedding professionals and find everything you need to create the wedding of your dreams. $15 at the door. Visit eliteevents.com.

Aug. 28-30: Sidewalk Film Festival. Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m., Sunday 10:30 a.m. Over 200 movies, parties, workshops, music, food and more. Visit sidewalkfest.com.

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Calendar

July 31-Aug. 1: Summer Lovin’ Romance Reader Conference. Friday night dinner with author Dianna Love. Saturday panel discussion.

Aug. 7: Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging-Medicare. 10 a.m. Informational meeting about Medicare.

Aug. 23: Long Range Planning Committee Meeting. 3 p.m. The North

Shelby Library is planning for the future and would like input. Light refreshments served.

Wednesdays: Mr. Mac. 10:45 a.m. Stories, puppets and lots of music for every member of the family. All ages. No registration required.

Fridays: Gaming. 3-5:45 p.m. Board games, card games, Wii, Xbox One and Minecraft.

Mt Laurel Library 111 Olmsted Street

mtlaurellibrary.org, 991-1660

Aug. 6: Mt Laurel Book Club. 7 p.m. Book Club will meet at the library to discuss The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker & In Manchuria by Michael Meyer.

St. Vincent’s One Nineteen7191 Cahaba Valley Road

408-6600, onenineteen.com

Wednesdays: Breastfeeding Support Group. 10 a.m.-noon. Moms will meet with a lactation consultant, as well as network with other breastfeeding moms.

Aug. 11: Blood Pressure/Body Mass Index Screening. 8-11:30 a.m. A representative will screen for blood pressure and BMI in the front entrance. Free.

Aug. 14: Comprehensive Diabetes Education. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Physician’s referral required, and pre-assessments given preceding class date.

Aug. 18: Breakfast with the Expert. 8-9 a.m. Join a license massage therapist at Spa One Nineteen specializing in sports and medical massage, to learn about the common benefits and misconceptions of massage therapy. Free. Call 408-6550.

Aug. 22: Charcot Marie Tooth Support Group. 2-3:30 p.m. A new support group for patients and families who have Charcot-Marie-Tooth. Free.

Aug. 25: Wellness Screenings. 7:30 a.m.-

5 p.m. Cholesterol, blood glucose, blood pressure, BMI and waist circumference by appointment. $20.

Aug. 25: Medicare Educational Meeting. 10 a.m.-noon. Blue Cross/Blue Shield will hold a meeting to inform customers about senior products. Free.

Aug. 25: Individual Insurance Products. Noon-2 p.m. Blue Cross/Blue Shield will hold a meeting to discuss individual products for those under 65 years of age. Free. Registration required. Call 1-855-764-1333.

Aug. 26: Wellness Wednesday. 9:30-11:30 a.m. St. Vincent’s One Nineteen Fitness Center will present a cooking demonstration. Free.

Aug. 26: CPR for Family and Friends. 6-8:30 p.m. Class will focus on how to help an adult, child, or infant who is choking. $20.

Aug. 27: Healthy Tailgating Recipe Demo Tasting. 6-7:30 p.m. Cooking demo and tasting of healthy tailgating food with culinary nutrition expert and registered dietician, Holley Grainger. $15. Call 408-6550 for reservations.

North Shelby Library 5521 Cahaba Valley Road

northshelbylibrary.org, 439-5500


Heardmont Senior Center 5452 Cahaba Valley Road, 991-5742

Mondays: Tai Chi. 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Mondays: Mah Jongg. 9:30 a.m.-noon.

Mondays: Canasta. 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Tuesdays: Bible Study. 11 a.m.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays: Lunch. Noon.

Tuesdays and Thursdays: Aerobics. 10 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. on Tuesdays, 10:15 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Thursdays.

Tuesdays and Thursdays: Bingo and Board Games. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Wednesdays: Bridge. 9 a.m.-noon.

Fridays: Zumba Gold. 9-10 a.m.

Fridays: Intermediate Line Dancing. 10-11 a.m.

Fridays: Beginning Line Dancing. 11 a.m.-noon.

Aug. 20: Becky with Harrison Library. 11 a.m.

Aug. 27: Team Spirit Day. Wear your team colors.

Aug. 28: Heardmont Dance. 6:30-9 p.m.

3010 Columbiana Rd · At the Corner of I-65 and Highway 31 in Vestavia

(877) 418-9701 · www.royalbuickgmc.net

Where you’re always treated like royalty!

B U I C K G M C

The Alfano family presenting Joe Jr. with his new 2015 GMC Canyon as he gets ready to begin his college career at UAB this fall.

CONGRATULATIONS, JOE!

280 living august 2015

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