280 Living April 2013 by Starnes Media

280 Living

280Living.com

April 62013 April 2013 | Volume | Issue 8

neighborly news & entertainment

Spring Home Guide Special page 22

Outdoor

excitement

Pam’s purpose A mother’s journey from patient to proponent ›› Relay for Life: Chelsea May 3, Oak Mountain April 26 By MEGAN SMITH

Don’t miss spring’s big runs, walks and events in the area. Learn about the Italian Food Festival, Stadium Fest, Mt Laurel Spring Festival, Walk Me Home and Celebrate Hoover Day inside.

Community pages 5-7

Trending now See styles hot as the summer sun, and stay fashionable this season without ever leaving 280!

Special page 9

INSIDE Sponsors ...... 2 280 News ..... 4 Community .. 5 Business ....... 10 Food .............. 11

School House ... 14 Sports ............... 19 Music ................. 27 Opinion ............. 28 Calendar ........... 30

Pam Sciara sat quietly as her son Austin cut her hair into a Mohawk. Moments before, the 10-year-old had shaved his father’s head. Sciara’s husband, Samuel, was showing moral support and trying to ease their 8-year-old son Vincent into the family’s new look. After the Mohawk, Austin gave Sciara a new style she called “G.I. Pam.” There was brief moment of ensuing laughter. Vincent, though, was hidden in his room. He failed to see the humor in the situation. After all, his mom had cancer. A mammogram performed in July 2010 during Sciara’s annual checkup had shown abnormal results. She

Pam Sciara, left, and son Austin wore pink wigs to their first Race for a Cure in 2011. Sciara, a breast cancer survivor, believes her purpose is to share her story, which she intends to continue doing at this year’s Relay for Life in Chelsea. Photo courtesy of Pam Sciara.

wasn’t worried until her second test yielded abnormal results, as well. A month prior, on her sister’s birthday, Sciara and her husband received the news: she had Stage 2B lobular carcinoma, a form of invasive breast cancer. Less than two weeks later, doctors performed

a double mastectomy and learned cancerous cells were in 15 lymph nodes. She was prescribed 12 rounds of chemotherapy and 35 rounds of radiation therapy. In order to keep family and friends updated on her treatment, she started a journal with caringbridge.org. In it,

she mentioned the first four weeks were the worst, nicknamed “the red devil” and retold she got a “Halle Berry cut” to prepare herself for chemo’s side effects. Less than two weeks after starting

See PAM | page 16

Time’s up: U.S. 280 plan to be bid this month ›› Project details online at 280living.com

Pre-Sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Birmingham, AL Permit #656

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By JEFF THOMPSON Official word from the Alabama Department of Transportation is that the revised U.S. 280 intersection improvement plans are final and will be bid in April, but some local business owners are hoping there’s still time for change. ALDOT presented its final versions during a public involvement meeting in February at the Church of Brook Hills. There, Cahaba Plaza owners Scott

Buzbee and Cathy Galbreath Buzbee poured over the overhead image of the Resource Center Parkway. ALDOT plans to remove the signal on U.S. 280 at the intersection and prohibit left turns from the highway into their center, which houses among other businesses Absco Fireplace and Patio, Macarena Grocery, and Courtyard Bar and Grill. Their primary concern isn’t the

See ALDOT | page 28

Cathy Galbreath Buzbee and Scott Buzbee, left, discuss the Resource Center Parkway and U.S. 280 intersection with Darrell Skipper, right, project consultant and president of Skipper Consulting. Photo by Jeff Thompson.

April 2013

280 Living

About Us Photo of the month

Please Support our Sponsors Greystone Golf and Country Club Pros visited Greystone Elementary in March to present a New Teaching Method called SNAG Golf. Pictured are Greystone Golf and Country Club teachers with fifth grade students.

Editor’s Note By Madoline Markham

Welcome back, old friend Stadium Fest, a free Someone changed my life last month. His name is series of Christian concerts and more at Spain Sunshine. Those first few days Park High School, is April 12-13; Mt Laurel Spring when he came out, my Festival is April 13; Saint mood instantly brightened. After days and weeks and Mark’s second annual Italian Food Festival is months of rain and cold as miserable as sitting on 280 April 27; and Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans at 459 at 5 p.m., I felt like Park is May 4 I had driven all the way down 280 without stopping If you are into runs Madoline at a single light — better and walks or even just supporting the causes bethan that, actually. Now that there are many days of hind them, there’s one every weekend bright blue skies without the impend- this month, including Walk Me Home, ing summer heat, I’ve become obsessed a walk to raise foster care awareness, with spending as much time outdoors as April 27 at Veteran’s Park (page 7). Plus, Steel City Pops (10) and Seapossible. Fortunately for me and the rest of you in 280 land, there are lots of op- sons 52 with its local, seasonal menus at The Summit are both scheduled to open portunities to get out this month.

by this month, and area high school baseball teams will be wrap up their final games of the season (19). Somewhere in there, I should also make the time to stay home and tackle those spring projects that I have been thinking of. Find inspiration and tips for decorating, gardening, water drainage and more in this month’s Spring Home Guide (22). So get out there and enjoy this weather, and let us know if we missed any events or other news your neighbors should know about. You can always reach Jeff or me over email at jeff@280living.com or madoline@280living.com. Happy spring to you!

Meet our staff: Interns Nathan Kelly and Megan Smith Nathan Kelly Nathan, 23, is a full-time student at Auburn University. He was born and raised in Pensacola, where he grew to love the outdoors with the beach only a 15-minute drive from his house. His time at Auburn has taken him on many journeys including the Rocky Mountains and Canyonlands National Park in Utah. His internship is the first time he’s lived in the Birmingham area and he’s loved meeting business owners, city council members, mayors and head coaches.

280 Living neighborly news & entertainment

Publisher : Creative Director : Executive Editor : Managing Editor : Advertising Manager: Sales and Distribution : Contributing Writers :

Interns : Published by :

Dan Starnes Keith McCoy Jeff Thompson Madoline Markham Matthew Allen Rhonda Smith Warren Caldwell Rick Watson Kari Kampakis Rebecca Walden Paul Johnson Lisa Johnsey Clayton Hurdle Nathan Kelly Megan Smith 280 Living LLC

Megan Smith Megan is a native of Mobile, home of Mardi Gras and Bayfest. She is a journalism major and English minor at Auburn University, set to graduate in May. She enjoys watching The Walking Dead, reading novels in series and writing novels. In her free time, she plays with her 3-year-old Great Dane-Lab mix, Aurora.

Contact Information: 280 Living #3 Office Park Circle, Suite 316 Birmingham, AL 35223 313-1780 dan@280living.com Please submit all articles, information and photos to: jeff@280living.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 For advertising contact: dan@280living.com 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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Alabama Allergy & Asthma Center (12) Alabama Ballet (31) Alabama Power (6) Alabama Shakespeare Festival (26) Allstate Insurance - Jay Barker Agency (26) Backyard Adventures (25) Beaumont Pharmacy (21) Bellini’s (21) Birmingham Bake & Cook Co. (30) Birmingham Speech and Hearing Associates (12) Charles Dunn (9) Children’s of Alabama (8) Chiropractic Today (12) Comfort Keepers (16) Cousins Insurance Agency (17) Cutting Edge Salon (11) Diana Holladay (9) Elite Tan (26) Encore Rehabilitation (28) Exclusively Ballet (10) Eye Do (15) Fancy Fur- Paws and Claws (16) Faux Studio Designs (24) GeGe’s Salon (15) Greystone Antiques & Marketplace (23) Hanna’s Garden Shop (23) Isbell Jewelers (13) Junior League of Birmingham (19) Kobe Japanese Steakhouse (20) Leaf & Petal (11) M&F Bank (29) Mosquito Squad of Birmingham (22) Mountain Brook Art Association (30) Nex21, LLC (18) North Shelby Baptist Church (31) Oak Mountain Youth Football (27) Pak Mail (30) Pastry Art (14) Plain Jane Children & Gift Shop (9) Plastic Surgery Specialists (10) RealtySouth Marketing (25) Red Mountain Theatre Company (10) Renaissance Consignment and Marketplace (3, 30) Richard Joseph Salon and Spa (1) Roger’s Trading Company (15) Royal Automotive (32) Sew Sheri Designs (24) Skin Wellness Center of Alabama (13) Southeastern Jewelers (4) Snider’s Discount Pharmacy (14) St. Vincent’s One Nineteen (20) Studio Red (16) The Blue Willow (28) The Cuckoo’s Nest (22) The Ditsy Daisy (17) The UPS Store (14) The Urban Barn (18) Total Care 280 (15) Town of Mt Laurel (19) Tutoring Club Inverness (18) Varsity Sports (19) Village Dermatology (7) YMCA Camp Hargis Retreat (17)

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April 2013 3

April 2013

280 Living

280 News Upgrades to Alabama 119 planned for later this year By JEFF THOMPSON Piggybacking on its intersection improvement plan for U.S. 280, the Alabama Department of Transportation introduced a proposal in February for major changes to Cahaba Valley Road (Alabama 119) where it connects with the main thoroughfare. According to ALDOT Preconstruction Engineer Lance Taylor, the Department is proposing to increase the width of highway on the north side between Brook Highland Drive and U.S. 280 from a two-lane road to a four-lane. A ﬁfth drop lane would be added running south toward the 280 intersection. This would increase the intersection to two left turn lanes from Cahaba Valley Road onto 280, and allow for two left turn lanes from 280 eastbound. Across the intersection, an additional lane is proposed from Corporate Drive to the 280 intersection that would create an additional through lane at the intersection. A second left turn lane off U.S. 280 westbound is also proposed. “We’re doing as much as we possibly can without driving the price up,” Taylor said, indicating 119 is a separate project from plans introduced in November 2012 for a reason.

Moon Glow Lake development to proceed By JEFF THOMPSON

ALDOT Preconstruction Engineer Lance Taylor, right, explains upgrades to U.S. 280 intersections to area residents at a public involvement meeting on Feb. 28. Photo by Jeff Thompson.

In planning for the proposed improvements to 27 U.S. 280 intersections between Hollywood Blvd. and Doug Baker Blvd., ALDOT Director John Cooper instructed engineers to leave out intersections that would require the purchase of right-ofway property, Taylor said. As currently proposed, the cost for conducting all 27 intersection improvements is $12 million-$15 million. Right-of-way property on the Alabama 119 project alone is expected to cost $8 million. Adding construction and utility relocation

costs is projected to push the total price as high as $18.5 million. Taylor indicated much of the feedback for the Alabama 119 proposal has been positive, aside from a handful of complaints about limiting access from Alabama 119 to the BP service station at the intersection to right in/out only. ALDOT intends to bid the intersection improvements that do not require right of way purchase in April. Taylor said the Alabama 119 project would likely be bid as those projects wrapped up – likely in fall 2013.

5299 Valleydale Road Suite 111 Birmingham, AL 35242 (two blocks from 280) www.southeasternjewelers.net 980-9030

The battle to prevent development around Moon Glow Lake concluded in March in a public hearing where no one spoke in opposition. Thanks to collaborative efforts between developer Signature Homes and homeowner associations from surrounding neighborhoods, the brief hearing held during the Hoover City Council’s regular meeting ended months of disagreement on the proposed development. Credit for the resolve went to collaboration between the developer and surrounding residents. Signature Homes President Jonathan Belcher said his company ﬁnalized formal agreements with Inverness Master, Woodford and The Sanctuary at Caldwell Crossings Homeowners Associations the morning of the hearing. These agreements were presented to the council along with a letter from Signature Homes afﬁrming its runoff prevention commitments to residents of Indian Valley Lake. “My hats off to these communities for working together,” Councilman Adm. Jack Natter said, “and to Mr. Belcher and Mr. (Dwight) Sandlin for getting this to pass.”

The agreements establish strict guidelines for construction hours, home sizes, neighborhood access points, buffer zones and more. “It is tough for anybody, myself included,” Belcher said after the meeting. “If a developer comes in and wants to change our surroundings, it’s hard not to think of anyone but ourselves. “What I appreciate the most is that while it took several months and we had a lot of tough discussions, the adjoining neighborhoods were very gracious in offering fair requests to accommodate what they deem to be most important to their communities to allow us to come to an agreement for the rezoning.” The council approved Signature Homes’ request to rezone the property, which is located just north of Berry Middle School off Caldwell Mill Road, from agricultural to planned residential development. This will allow the company to build 109 homes on approximately 66 acres of the current woodland surrounding Moon Glow Lake. Belcher said the next step is to get approval on the ﬁrst phase of engineering. He anticipated work would start by the beginning of summer.

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Community

Italian Food Festival returns

Results page A12

Attendees of last year’s Italian Festival buy Italian baked goods.

The second annual Feast of Saint Mark Italian Food Festival looks to offer food and entertainment for a night full of fun and Italian culture at Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church. The principles behind the festival are to recognize and further the understanding of Saint Mark the Evangelist and the Catholic faith in an authentic Italian environment. The Festival will be held Saturday, April 27, at 4 p.m. with a 4:30 p.m. mass. Following the mass will be an evening of food, entertainment and activities for youth. The finale of the event will be a bonfire for all to enjoy. Area restaurants providing food include: ff Amore’ Ristorante Italiano ff Arnone’s Italian Sausage ff Bongiorno Italian Restaurant ff Joe’s Italian Pizza, Pasta & Cafe

ff La Dolce Vita ff Lovoy’s Restaurant ff Mangia Mangia Deli & Catering ff Mr P’s Butcher Shop & Deli Entertainment lineup includes: ff Henry Lovoy and Razz Ma Tazz – 5:306:30 p.m. ff Fred Astaire Dance Studio (Featuring Fabian Sanchez of Dancing with the Stars, schedule permitting) – 6:30-7:30 p.m. ff Dance South Dance Team – 7:30-8 p.m. ff Vince DiChiara and Total A$$et$ - 8-10 p.m. ff Strolling Accordian Players Enzo Cilento & Richard Tamburro Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church is located at 7340 Cahaba Valley Road. For more, visit feastofstmark.com or call 980-1810.

Spring Festival fun at Mt Laurel

Families enjoy last year’s Mt Laurel Spring Festival.

Join the community of Mt Laurel for a farmers market, craft fair and springtime fun. The Spring Festival is set for Saturday, April 13 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Admission is free, rain or shine. The annual festival brings activities for the whole family, pets included. Kids at the festival will get to participate in face painting, inflatables and hay rides. There will also be live music, concession stands and the annual Doggie Dressup Contest. Guests will also get to walk through custom homes and new floor plans around the Mt Laurel community. Taking a walk down the festival grounds will lead visitors to a variety of shops and restaurants to explore and a look ahead at the Mt Laurel Farmers’ Market, which starts June 4. A few fictional celebrities will also be spotted

at the festival. Cinderella will be walking through the grounds along with characters from the Ghostbusters, Harry Potter and Star Wars. In past festivals, Mt. Laurel has hosted up to 3,500 people according to Kim McFall of Mt Laurel’s Sales Office. Interested vendors who sell produce, plants, flowers, art, children’s items, jewelry and hand-crafted merchandise are invited to register to sell at the festival. The registration fee for a festival farmer booth is $10, and all other booths are $20. Set up time is as early as 7 a.m., and there are no reserved booth spots. Vendors can register the day of the event. Vendors are asked to make checks payable to EBSCO Development Company. For more, visit mtlaurel.com, or call 408-8696.

April 2013

280 Living

Switchfoot and Newsboys to headline Stadium Fest 2013

Celebrate Hoover Day returns The annual Celebrate Hoover Day will return Saturday, May 4. The free family-friendly event draws more than 10,000 residents of all ages to Veterans Park on Valleydale for a fun day at the park. The event will feature a Veterans Memorial Paver Dedication, an expansive exhibitor pavilion, a car show and live entertainment. There will be a kids zone with inflatables and games, a giant apple pie and Blue Bell ice cream. Festivities will run from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Complimentary shuttles to the park will be provided. If weather forces a reschedule, the rain date is Sunday May 5, from 1:30-5:30 p.m.

Rick Burgess from the “Rick & Bubba Show” speaks at Stadium Fest 2011.

Crowds at the 2011 Stadium Fest.

By NATHAN KELLY Christian rock bands Switchfoot and the Newsboys will headline this year’s Stadium Fest event at Spain Park High School’s football stadium. The free Christian music and speaker festival hosted by the Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association (SDEA) will extend two days, April 12-13. In its first year, 2009, the biennial event hosted more than 25,000 people in Samford University’s Seibert Stadium. popularity grew to more than 39,000 attendees in the 2011 Stadium Fest. Gina Mayfield, director of conference administration at SDEA, said with this year’s headliners, Stadium Fest is expected to draw 50,000 in attendance.

The event begins on Friday night at 6 p.m. with a lineup that includes: Contemporary Christian singer Jamie Grace; Christian alternative band Rhett Walker Band; Bill “Bubba” Bussey and Rick Burgess from The Rick and Bubba radio talk-show; and Switchfoot, who won a Grammy award in 2011 for Best Rock Gospel album. Friday night festivities end at 9:30 p.m. Saturday’s events begin at noon with an evening lineup of Christian rock singer David Crowder; a message from Stadium Fest host and evangelist Scott Dawson; and the Newsboys as headliners. The two-day festival will conclude with a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. Stadium Fest 2013 provides entertainment for all ages with events like comic stuntman Bello Nock and the famous

Bello the Clown from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. A section of Spain Park’s stadium will also feature Bronner Burgess Playground. The playground will be a tribute from Stadium Fest to the son of Rick Burgess, Bronner, who died in an accidental drowning in 2008. SDEA was formed by Scott Dawson and is in its 25th year of existence. Its purpose is to spread the news of Christian faith, a calling of Dawson’s since his college years at Samford University. He began the evangelistic association when he was 20. Since then, Dawson and his team at SDEA have used festivals and conferences as a forum to reach the association’s goals. SDEA also hosts AtlantaFest, Safe at Home conferences and the Strength to Stand Conference, which began in 1989.

SEC Women’s Golf Tournament coming to Greystone Greystone Golf and Country Club will host the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Women’s Golf Championship April 19-21. This will be the first of four consecutive SEC Women’s Golf tourneys held at Greystone. Play will begin on Friday April 19 at 8:30 am. The 54-hole stroke play tournament includes all SEC schools with the best four out of five scores counted daily for a team score. All 14 SEC teams will be represented with the Defending National Champion Alabama and Defending SEC Champion Auburn participating. Both state schools are currently ranked in the Top 10 nationally. The field will feature many of the future stars of the LPGA tour. The top American player and current top five LPGA player Stacy Lewis played at Arkansas. Children are welcome and can attend for free. For more, call 986-5120 or visit greystonecc.com.

April 2013 7

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Runs ‘round town Walk me home... to the place where I belong April 27, Veteran’s Park Last year, Frank Burder and his wife decided to bring “Walk Me Home,” an awareness fundraiser for foster care, home to Alabama. Slightly fewer than 300 people arrived, making it the single largest walk for fostering in the nation. This year they plan to make it an event and not just a walk on April 27, Burder said. There will be a 5K run and a 5K walk, with gold, silver and bronze medals awarded to runners in different age groups. All participants will receive T-shirts, rubber bracelets inscribed with “Walk

Me Home,” lapel foster pins, and a blue ribbon to decorate the magnolia trees. The trees be covered in 5,000 blue ribbons, one for each foster child in Alabama. Along the path, there will be signs about fostering every 100 feet. These signs will include facts like “there are currently 1,000 children in the foster system.” Guest speakers, live music, craft booths, inflatables and a resource area with information for foster parents and potential foster parents will be part of the event.

The grand finale of the event will be more than 100 Hogs and Harleys arriving with police escort. Children attending will determine the winners and award medals. Registration, $30, will be 7-8 a.m., and the run will begin at 8 a.m. Proceeds go to foster parents. Burder said it’s impossible to help the child without helping the parents. Visit firstgiving.com/walkmehome/ shelby or email Frank Burder at fhburder@gmail.com.

Luke, 11, and Mark, 5, were adopted from the foster care system by Charlie and Monika Prewett

280 Area Runs and Walks 10th Annual Walk for Autism

April 6, Veteran’s Park This 1-mile walk and 5K race at Veteran’s Park will benefit the Autism Society of Alabama. The ASA mascot Jerry, a frog, and a sulcata tortoise named Frankie will make an appearance. A DJ and food vendors will also be present. Registration is $30 ($35 day of event) and includes a T-shirt. Awards will be given for top fundraiser and best team spirit. Race checkin begins at 7 a.m., and the race begins at 7:30 a.m. Check-in for the walk starts at 8:30 a.m., and the walk will begin at 9:30 a.m. Visit walkforautismal.com or email lauren@autism-alabama.org.

Ready. Set. Cure. 5K

April 13, Oak Mountain State Park The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Junior Board will host this 5K to help cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. For the event, park admission will be free. Meet at the Dogwood Pavilion, the race start and end point. Registration is at 7 a.m., the race at 8 a.m. and awards and giveaways at 9 a.m. To register visit active.com; children 12 and under free, adults are $30. Visit facebook.com/pages/ ReadySetCure/351632744851331.

Birmingham’s 8th Annual Walk to End Lupus

April 20, Veteran’s Park The former “Walk for Lupus Now” 3-mile walk will raise awareness and funds for services provided by the Lupus Foundation of America. There will be music, snacks, face painting, entertainment and information about living with lupus. Registration is at 8:30 a.m., and the walk begins at 10:30 a.m. Proceeds go toward the Mid-South chapter and lupus research. Visit lupuswalkbirmingham.kintera.org or call Mike Singer at (615) 298-2273.

Build A Library 5K and Fun Run

May 4, Town of Mt Laurel The run, which starts at 8 a.m., will take participants through the streets of the Town of Mt Laurel. The 5K will be followed by a one-mile family Fun Run. The Friends of Mt Laurel Public Library hopes proceeds from the race will push the library’s building fund over the finish line so construction can begin on a permanent library to serve the Dunnavant Valley/Highway 41 area. Register at dg-racing.net or pick up a form at the Mt Laurel Library’s temporary location at 33 Olmsted Street or mtlaurellibraryrun.com.

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Call 877-9773 to make your appointment

April 2013

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Miss CMS/Little Miss Chelsea winners Little Miss Chelsea (Fourth-Fifth grade) ff Maggie Bradford – Second Runner Up ff Daley Mims – First Runner Up ff Mallee Nichols – Little Miss Chelsea and Best Interview ff Emily Teel – Miss Photogenic and Viewers’ Choice

The Little Miss Chelsea and Miss Chelsea Middle School Pageants were held in February. All proceeds from the event benefitted the Chelsea Middle School Starlets Dance Team. Little Mr. Chelsea (Boys birth-5 years old) ff Brock Garrett – Photogenic Award, Viewers’ Choice and Little Mr. Chelsea crown

Miss CMS Sixth Grade ff Kirkland Thomas – Sixth Grade Princess and Viewers’ Choice ff Melissa McCarty – First Runner Up

Wee Miss Chelsea (Birth-5 years old) ff Madelyn Gaither – Wee Miss Chelsea and Miss Photogenic ff Grier Feldman – First Runner Up ff Piper Diliberto – Second Runner Up ff Mila Goggins - Viewers’ Choice Tiny Miss Chelsea (Kindergarten-First grade) ff Ali Mims – First Runner Up and Viewers’ Choice ff Emma Edwards – Tiny Miss Chelsea and Miss Photogenic ff Jaeda Nelms – Second Runner Up Petite Miss Chelsea (Second-Third grade) ff Avery Harris – Second Runner Up ff Morgan Diliberto – Petite Miss Chelsea and Miss Photogenic ff Cadence Hudson – First Runner Up ff Kimberly Brown – Viewers’ Choice

Little Miss Chelsea

Miss CMS Eighth Grade

Wee Miss Chelsea

Petite Miss Chelsea

Miss CMS Seventh Grade ff Madeline Rigdon – Second Runner Up ff Laney Gilmer – Seventh Grade Princess ff Gracie Bradford – First Runner Up ff Christlyn Horst – Viewers’ Choice ff Ally Thrasher – Miss Congeniality (not pictured) Miss CMS Eighth Grade ff Sadie Watson – First Runner up and Miss Photogenic ff Kelley Snider – Miss Chelsea Middle School 2013, Viewers’ Choice and Best Interview ff Madison Smith – Second Runner Up Escorts, selected by majority vote by eighth-grade teachers, were Zalon Reynolds, Zac Young, Michael Allen and Parker Beasley.

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April 2013

Spring trend report #2

By MEGAN SMITH Brighten your wardrobe with musthave items for spring with a drive down 280. Hot styles this season like leather, lace, white, emerald, floral and stripes can be found at local boutiques. For spring, bold colors will make a statement and contrast with popular patterns and prints.

Stripes

Emerald Green

White

Bright Bottoms

Thin, wide, horizontal or asymmetrical, thick or thin, striped dresses, skirts, tops and bottoms add dimension to any look. Striped halter dress, $82; Coral platform sandals, $58 from Chic Boutique.

Named Pantone’s color of the year, emerald green’s vibrant hue adds richness to any outfit. C. Luce dress, $96 from The Ditsy Daisy.

From dresses to suits and silk to lace, this minimalist color trend can be dressed up with bold accessories or kept classic and chic. Accordion pleated dress with crochet knit overlay, $66; Leather cuff bracelet with rhinestone cross, $28 from the Urban Barn.

Exude boldness with an eye-catching pop of color without overdoing it. Level 99 shorts, $74.99; Niki Biki Tube Top, $19.99; Sugar lips crochet top, $49.99 from Rogers Trading Company.

Get your summer look... the beach is calling! Diana Holladay Hair 280 175 Inverness Plaza

(Next to Planet Fitness)

For appointments please call or text 205.601.9414

Great graduation gi�s! Monogrammed, Laundry Bags, Totes, Towels, Bath Wraps, and more! 270 Doug Baker Blvd, Lee Branch • 991-1995

www.plainjanegifts.com • Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm, Sat 10am - 5pm

10 April 2013

280 Living

Business Happenings Steel City Pops to open at The Summit

Offering quality training in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Dance Team Preparation, Pageant Preparation

June 3 – August 1

Princess Camp Ages 3-5 Diva Camp Ages 6-12 Pageant Camp Ages 8-Adult Dance Intensive Ages 8-Adult

Fall Open House & Registration Saturday, July 27th 10:00am-2:00pm

7154 Cahaba Valley Road

995.9220

www.ExclusivelyBallet.com

Exclusiveballet@bellsouth.net

Steel City Pops is opening a new location at The Summit. Owner Jim Watkins said the new space is projected to open in April. “My family and I are excited about our new location since it will be held in the community we live in,” Watkins said. “It’s going to be a great chance to reach out to the entire Birmingham area as well.” The original Steel City Pops in Homewood will still produce organic fruit pops, but the location in The Summit will sell the same flavors found at its original location. Steel City Pops will sit between the Johnny Rockets and Michelson Laser Vision in The Summit. For more, call Watkins at 969-8770 or visit steelcitypops.com.

Excellence in Business Top 25 Awards Seven local businesses were commemorated by UAB as part of the 2013 UAB Excellence in Business Top 25 Awards: Sam Miller, Burton Advertising; Al and Jennifer Ellison, Ellison & Ellison, P.C.; Donald W. Huey, Magic City Title; David W. Brasfield, TriNovus; Corey L. Hartman, M.D., Skin Wellness Center of Alabama; Vincent B. Caltagirone Jr.; and Steve M. Foster, Therapy South. To qualify business must be owned or operated by UAB alumni for 36 months before 2013 and have revenues of at least $150,000 for the last year. The awards program is conducted by the UAB National Alumni Society and the Birmingham Business Journal to recognize and celebrate the success of UAB alumni.

Fitness Factory now offers small group training Fitness Factory Group Training LLC opened for business in February in The Narrows. The gym focuses on functional training with a variety of equipment including kettle bells, trampolines and rowing oars. The non-membership gym instead offers small group training sessions of up to five people for each session, according to owner Andrew Mills. Mills moved to America from Manchester, England in 2006 and is the gym’s only trainer and employee. Every day of the week features a different theme of workouts at Fitness Factory.

Group classes are one hour long and $10 per session, or $50 for a six-session pass. The gym also offers an unlimited pass for $65 to give clients access to the gym for any session throughout the week. Call ahead to reserve a spot for a session. For more, call Andrew at 7892977 or visit fitnessfactorytraining.com.

Max’s under new ownership Steven Dubrinksky, owner of Max’s Delicatessen, is hanging up his apron. He sold the business in March, but will be staying on as a consultant and assures the same quality and quantities found during his ownership will continue. Max’s Delicatessen is located at 3431 Colonnade Parkway, Suite 400.

Frontier Bank now Heritage Bank of the South On March 8, LaGrange, Ga.-based Frontier Bank was seized and sold to Albany-based HeritageBank of the South. Doors reopened in March under the new ownership. All deposit accounts were transferred to HeritageBank of the South. Heritage Bank agreed to acquire all of Frontier’s $224.1 million in deposits and the majority of its $258.8 million in assets. Heritage Bank of the South is located at 134 Foothills Parkway in Chelsea. Visit eheritagebank.com.

Greater Shelby Chamber’s ShelbyOne Campaign exceeds $1.7 million goal ShelbyOne, the Greater Shelby County Chamber’s five-year stategic plan, bolstered collaborative partnerships, quality employment and attracted new business and development to Shelby County. The campaign raised $1,913,600. The expanded program of work will include business development and support, community and workforce development, governmental relations, and marketing of the county and organization. The Chamber also formed new groups to work toward meeting the goals of the 2013 Business Plan, related to its Strategic Plan.

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April 2013

Read all the past Restaurant Showcases at 280Living.com

Restaurant Showcase 5299 Valleydale Road 822-4142 Ashleymacs.com Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Ashley Mac’s

Ashley Mac’s Strawberry Cake. Photos by Nathan Kelly.

By NATHAN KELLY The dynamic duo behind Ashley Mac’s has combined family recipes with business-savvy minds to create a fresh restaurant concept. Ashley McMakin and husband Andy met in college at the University of Alabama where they received business degrees in marketing and accounting. Andy worked as a CPA in Mountain Brook until the food service business Ashley started in Bluff Park in 2006 boomed, and they opened a Cahaba Heights café. McMakin said the best part about working with her husband is the amount of trust they have in each other, something other business partners might not have. The two feed off each other well and have similar visions because both

Owner Ashley McMakin at Ashley Mac’s Inverness Café.

have backgrounds are in business, she said. Keeping up with the demand is the most challenging part of running Ashley Mac’s, McMakin said. The two locations grew regulars so fast that adding another café was the best choice going forward. McMakin did all the cooking when Bluff Park was the only Ashley Mac’s location. Instead of going to culinary school, she taught herself and used family recipes from her mom. “When I started in 2006, I was the cook and we had one employee,” she said. “Since adding the two locations, we’ve grown to more than 50 employees helping with my dream.” Ashley Mac’s has been so successful due to the amount of time Andy and Ashley put into their employees, she said.

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Ashley Mac’s Chicken Salad entrée.

“We’re very picky about who we hire, meaning we have high standards,” McMakin said. “Good attitude, picking up on things and being easily trainable are qualities you have to have to work here.” The Inverness location opened in January and is the largest of the three Ashley Mac’s. It seats more than 70 inside and has a 24-seat patio that will open this spring. “We have a lot of tennis players and outdoors lovers that eat here,” McMakin said. “We’re really excited for spring and summer to get here because a lot of our food is just meant to be eaten outside in the warm Birmingham weather.” McMakin described her café as a lunch place for ladies. Salads and sandwiches

made with local fresh ingredients from the Birmingham market make up most of the Ashley Mac’s menu. The chicken salad is the most popular choice. It’s made from scratch and available on the café, catering and gourmet to-go menus. Strawberry cake is the biggest hit on the dessert menu. The gourmet to-go portion of Ashley Mac’s offers frozen dinners with casseroles, pasta dishes and sides. Ashley Mac’s also reaches out to the Birmingham community. The restaurant’s food has been donated to Lifeline Children’s Service, the American Cancer Society and various churches. McMakin said she has catered for Inverness and Mountain Brook school events, too.

April 2013

280 Living

Your Health Today By Dr. Irma Palmer

Well, at least your body is! Consider this from Dr. Richard Cabot, a Harvard Medical School instructor from the late 1800’s, “The wisdom of the body is responsible for 90% of the hope of patients to recover. The body has a super wisdom that is in favor of life, rather than death. This is the power that we depend on for life. All doctors are responsible for letting their patients know of this great force working within them.” While those are Dr. Cabot’s words, they could easily have been mine. I’ve been telling my patients for almost 20 years that their body has an innate ability to heal itself. What happens when you cut yourself? It scabs over and eventually you’ll never even know the cut was there. What about when you break a bone? A doctor can set the bones back in alignment, but he can’t knit the bones back together. Ultimately, it is the body that does that! All we as humans can do is bring about conditions within the body that will help it do what it was designed by God to do, which is heal itself! Consider this. Your body has a language all its own. It gives you signals all the time. We learn early how to interpret many of them…hunger tells us it’s time

to eat. Pressure in our bladder means it’s time to urinate. The list goes on. However, once we get past the obvious signals, it gets a little harder to interpret them. It’s like moving from your ﬁrst year of studying a foreign language to years three or four...it’s pretty easy starting out, but as you go along, it takes more study. What do you do when you want to learn a foreign language? You take a class. When you want to learn to interpret your body’s signals to feel empowered to live a wellness lifestyle instead of a diseaseridden one, you go to a chiropractor! Many in the medical and pharmaceutical communities will scoff at this assertion. Ask yourself why! Do doctors and pharmacists make money (and we’re talking millions of dollars!) if they don’t have sick patients to treat or drugs to prescribe? No, they don’t! But let me be clear. I am not asserting that every health problem known to man can be cured by chiropractic. I am saying, however, that the human body is genetically designed by God to always strive for balance and correction. Helping the body’s innate intelligence keep you well is the job of a wellnessoriented chiropractor.

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You’re wiser than you think! Think about how many systems in your body function without any conscious awareness on your part… digestion, healing, breathing, and blinking just to name a few…and when do we become aware of these? Only when they aren’t functioning properly. Your body is on duty 24/7 taking care of things, but unless you’re having problems, you generally don’t think about digestion or how many breaths to take in a minute’s time. The best way to reduce functionality problems is by keeping your body operating as it was designed to…in a state of wellness. So how do we make sure all of our body processes are functioning at their best in a state of wellness? First, recognize that when you are ill, it’s because there is something interfering with your body’s normal physiology. Next, work to eliminate all causes of interference. These include subluxations (irritation or pressure on nerves caused by misalignment of vertebrae causing those nerves to malfunction and interfere with the signals traveling over those nerves) and mental, emotional, physical or chemical stress. Any type of stress will affect/interfere with your body’s ability

to heal itself or be healthy. I encourage you to make an appointment to come into my ofﬁce and learn more about your body’s incredible innate ability to keep you healthy. We’ll teach you everything you need to know. We start by educating you about what health is (and isn’t!) and provide you with the tools you need to lead you into a lifetime of wellness. We cover everything from optimal nervous system function (what you probably expect a chiropractor to provide!) to programs for eating right, and also advise you on making good exercise choices, detoxing your body and improving your mental attitude. Wellness is an active process of making better choices to ensure a higher quality of life. We can give you tools you need to make it happen, but it’s up to you to use them! Please don’t wait – it’s never too late to get started on the road to wellness. Be wise! God has given you an amazing power…it’s up to you to use it! Call us at 205-991-3511 and let us know how we can help you get started on the road to wellness. Our next workshop is on April 30th. Visit us at www.chiropractictoday. com for more information.

280Living.com

April 2013

Should standardized testing be part of high school curriculum? A 280 Living Special Series: Chelsea High School Debate Team gives you both sides of the issue Resolved: High School Standardized testing (ACT) should not be part of the Alabama state curriculum. As a whole, we believe that ACT should be a part of the Alabama state curriculum. As of 2009, the Alabama State Graduation Exam was removed from the curriculum and replaced with year-end tests for each grade and the ACT for juniors. The state covers the cost of one ACT exam for each 11th grade student. High school standardized testing should be a part of the state curriculum because: it provides common ground for comparison between high school students across schools; The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 states that all student must take standardized tests; and it allows the U.S. to “catch back up” to other countries in the educational race. Contention 1: The test provides common ground for comparison between high school students across schools. Standardized testing allows students located in various schools, districts and even states to be compared. Without standardized testing, this comparison would not be possible. Public school students in the state of Texas are all required to take the same state standardized tests. This means a student in Amarillo can be compared to a student in Dallas. Being able to accurately compare data is invaluable, which is why the Standards have been adopted. These will allow for a more accurate comparison between states. Standards are a U.S. education initiative that seeks to bring diverse state curriculum into alignment with other states by following the principles of standards-based education reform. This helps colleges and universities search and find promising students more easily. Contention 2: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 states that all students must take standardized tests. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002’s mission is having 100 percent of students pass standardized math and reading tests by 2014.

Under the plan in Alabama, which is still being developed, a new test would be given to third through seventh graders. High school students would take various versions of the ACT college entrance exam designed to help students figure out their career interests, which schools are already planning to do. And the graduation exam would be replaced in 2013 by end-of-course exams. Contention 3: The test allows the U.S. to “catch back up” to other countries in the educational race. Every year, countries around the world have their students take standardized test to evaluate the education they are receiving. However, the U.S. is falling drastically behind. In the year 2010, with the average country scoring around 500 in math, the U.S. placed 31st with a score of 487, compared to China’s 600 (PBS). For reading, Korea scored 539, but the U.S placed 17th with a score of 500 (PBS). In science the U.S placed 23rd with a score of 502, while Finland scored at 554 (PBS). Many of these countries that scored higher than the United States prepare students more for these tests because they are a central part of their curriculum. Standardized testing needs to become more a part of the Alabama state curriculum to bring U.S. scores up so that we may better compete with

other developed nations and ultimately become greater involved in our world as a whole.

Resolved: High school standardized testing shouldn’t be part of the Alabama State curriculum. The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) was first administered in 1926. It is not beneficial in any way to students and therefore should not be a standard part of Alabama curriculum for these three reasons: it does not reveal full potential of students; the initial test and prep courses can cost a significant amount of money; and SATs are inessential to acquire numerous occupations. Contention 1: The SAT was meant to measure some “sort of underlying, biological potential,” according to Harvard professor Christopher Jencks, and it was often called aptitude and sometimes genes or intelligence. However, the College Board said the SAT measures nothing except developed reasoning skills, which students develop both in school and out. Contention 2: The costs are too substantial. The SAT serves no substantial purpose with today’s society. According to sat.collegeboard.org, the SAT costs $50 dollars per test. The amount

being paid for the SAT is too much for public schools to spend. This money spent on testing can better be used to stimulate the local economy and plan for further education. Contention 3: Students are often burdened with anxiety and tend to not completely focus on learning because they are focusing on the score of their ACT or SAT. There is an aura about these tests that make it seem as if the student does not score very high, his or her future in college and obtaining a job is lowered. Richard Atkinson, a psychologist for the University of California, said “the test hurls kids into months of practicing word games and math riddles at the expense of studying chemistry or poetry.” He also expressed how he “wants to make SAT scores an optional part of the application for all 90,000 kids who want to go to U.C. each year.” SAT and ACT scores do not necessarily represent how well a student will do in college or how intelligent he or she is. An online article on U.S. News’ website states, “Knowing the meanings of laconic, loquacious, or lugubrious does not prove you are smart. Nor does knowing how many real roots there are for a quadratic or the rules of logarithms, apostrophes or parallel structure. Mastery of that information demonstrates knowledge, not intelligence.” Ultimately, standardized testing can be said to trigger unneeded stress to students and display an inaccurate future for their college or occupation. Contention 4: The SAT is irrelevant if you are not going to college. Standardized tests are designed for colleges to determine which students to admit based on a ranking of intelligence. However, if a student is not planning on attending college, this score is irrelevant to the rest of his or her life in the work force. Only around 39 percent of 18-24 year olds were enrolled in college in 2007, making up the minority. If the majority of students aren’t going to need their SAT scores, we shouldn’t require them.

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April 2013

280 Living

School House

Student raises awareness about humane society

Liberty Park Middle School Student Megan Cather with items she donated to the humane society.

As part of an independent school project, sixth grader Megan Cather brought awareness about the Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS) to her classmates at Liberty Park Middle School. In the fall, Cather created an online survey asking her sixth

grade classmates if they had any pets, if they had ever visited the GBHS and if they had ever adopted an animal from GBHS. Over the winter break, she took a tour of the Humane Society and interviewed one of the staff members. She shared what she learned with classmates through

a presentation that included a virtual tour of the shelter. To complete the project, she held a wish list drive to encourage students to bring newspaper, pet food, pet toys and fleece blankets. Megan and her dad delivered all the donated items to the GBHS.

Scouts share food and supplies with homeless Troop 30455 members Zoe Donahue, Victoria Peters and Kayla Wiggins, seventh graders at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School, recently earned the Girl Scout Silver Award for their project, Sharing the Light of Christ, Cookies and Smiles with the

Homeless. The girls collected toiletries, blankets, socks and even Girl Scout cookies from their church and passed them out to the men at Firehouse Shelter. They also volunteered by cooking and serving food at the shelter. The Girl Scout Silver

Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette (grades 6-8) can earn. This award symbolizes a Girl Scout Cadette’s accomplishments in Girl Scouting and community activities as she matures and works to better her life and the lives of others.

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Liberty Park students with their project on Dr. Patricia Bath.

Liberty Park students reach out to historic inventor As a part of Black History Month, a group of girls in Desiree Spencer’s sixth grade science class at Liberty Park Middle School decided to go beyond the assigned requirements of a project to research black inventors and scientists. Taylor Brown, Mary Emma Davidson, Maggie Nelson and Andrea Rodriguez contacted Dr. Patricia Bath, the first black female doctor to patent a medical invention. After many attempts to Skype, email and call, the students received an email correspondence and a phone interview with the assistance of Spencer and parent. Bath praised the girls and sent them photos of her working in the lab during the invention process for her method for

removing cataract lenses by using a laser device. “The challenge to achieve excellence will forever stimulate you to do your best,” Bath said in the interview, “so I invite you to continue to become an even better student. I have concluded that you have some of the same spirit, tenacity and diligence that I had when I was your age. I know you will be successful and achieve great things.” The girls were inspired by Bath and agreed to keep her updated on their academic journey. “I am thankful for the inspiration and praise from Dr. Bath that motivated our girls in the field of science,” Spencer said.

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April 2013

SPHS’s Crawford elected YIG Governor By CLAYTON HURDLE Noah Crawford became the governor of Alabama’s Youth In Government (YIG) program during the annual Youth Legislature convention in February. It was the end of a long road for the Spain Park junior. Noah first announced his campaign in a September 2012 YIG planning retreat. His first obstacle was getting past a district nomination in December, where he beat out a candidate from Mountain Brook who was also popular within the district. After being nominated out of the district, Noah’s next campaign took him right to the state capitol in Montgomery, where he urged fellow Youth Legislature delegates to vote for him during the February convention.

“There were just two of us running for governor,” Noah said. “I ordered pins and handed out business cards, and I gave a speech and participated in a debate. It was exhausting, but it paid off.” For the next year, it will be up to Noah to control many important aspects of Alabama’s YIG. Policy, logistics and recruitment are all at the hands of Noah and his team of staff members. One of Noah’s campaign promises involved reaching out to potential participants in YIG, specifically at the middle school level. He plans to spend several weekends within the coming year visiting schools throughout the state, encouraging younger students to join their school’s youth legislature club. Noah’s election capped off an exciting year for Spain Park’s

Spain Park High School student Noah Crawford. Photo by Clayton Hurdle.

government club, which is led by faculty adviser Libby Day. “We went to New York for

a judicial conference and got stranded in Hurricane Sandy,” Day said. “Then we came back and Noah was best attorney at another competition, and his team came in second place. The first place team was also from our school. Now one of our students is the governor, so this is definitely the cherry on top of a great year.” Noah is planning to study political science after graduating next year, with the intent of attending law school. “It’s because of the campaign that I want to get involved in politics and be involved in campaigns in some way.” Youth In Government, sponsored by the YMCA, is an educational program that gives students the opportunity to interact as professional lawmakers and judicial members.

Boosterthon comes back to Mt Laurel

Weston Higginbotham runs to support MLES during the 2012 Boosterthon.

In April 12, Mt Laurel Elementary will host one of the school’s largest annual fundraisers, the Boosterthon Fun Run. Boosterthon promotes character, leadership, a good attitude, learning and fitness. Each day during the week-long pledge drive, members from the Boosterthon team will be at MLES to pump up students, as well as teach them about American heroes such as Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Glen Cunnigham and Amelia Earhart.

This year’s Boosterthon theme is “Highway USA: On the Road to Good Choices.” In conjunction, MLES’s school wide theme is “21st Century School.” During this fundraiser, which begins April 2 with the students receiving pledges for laps they will run, Mt Laurel hopes to raise $50,000. Proceeds will be used to purchase technology such as iPads, Nooks and new laptops to complete the school’s rolling laptop library. With this new technology,

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students will be able to stay in their classrooms and take assessments, hook up their tablet to the Smartboard for presentations and even upload textbooks and apps. Parents, relatives and friends are encouraged to come out April 12 and support students as they run to help make Mt Laurel a “21st Century School.” If you or someone you know, would like to make a donation to the MLES Boosterthon Fun Run 2013, contact Nancy Higginbotham at nancyhig@gmail.com.

April 2013

SCIARA

CONTINUED from page 1 chemo, Sciara started seeing signs of hair loss and had Austin shave her head. She ultimately decided to go without a wig. Her aunt made her a hat that said “No Hair Day” to protect her head. “I wasn’t ashamed, and I wanted my boys to see faith and courage,” she said, “and just because I looked different, I was the same person inside.” Sciara didn’t want her illness to affect her children negatively and was grateful to finish chemo before Christmas.

‘I just wanted to be a mom and take care of my boys.’ – Pam Sciara “My sons weren’t used to seeing me laying on the couch not feeling good,” Sciara said. “I wanted it to be as normal as possible when they were out of school for Christmas break. I wanted us to celebrate and not worry about cancer.” But their break was short lived. In January 2011, the second round of her treatment began: radiation therapy. Sciara drove herself to the Shelby Cancer Center every weekday for seven weeks for radiation. During treatment, Sciara took a leave of absence from working as a substitute teacher and for an after-school day care at Chelsea Park Elementary. “My youngest didn’t like seeing me like that,” she said of Vincent, so she felt it best not to worry the other children. Her husband worked extra hours to make up for lost income, and her friends brought the family meals. “You truly find out who your friends are,” Sciara said. When she was finally deemed cancer-

280 Living free, the suffering wasn’t over. Sciara had a hysterectomy shortly after radiation therapy as a preventative measure for relapse. The tissue expanders she had implanted after her double mastectomy caused issues throughout her treatment and finally collapsed, as her tissue kept rejecting reconstruction. In one year, she’d had seven surgeries. She had had enough. “I just wanted to be a mom and take care of my boys,” Sciara said. “I didn’t want them to have another summer with me constantly at the doctor.” After reconstruction failed, she settled for using a prosthesis. “Breasts aren’t as big of a deal as my life,” she wrote in a journal entry. On May 16, 2011 as a part of Relay for Life Chelsea, Sciara participated as a first time cancer survivor and held a sign during the Survivor’s Lap. Going around the track and telling her story with other survivors made a lasting impression on her. Two years later, in February 2013, Sciara found herself standing before the Chelsea Relay for Life Kickoff Party telling her story again. She spoke about the mammogram that changed her life and God’s help through it all. At 43, Sciara believes she has a purpose to share her story and to advocate getting yearly checkups and mammograms. Relay for Life Chelsea will begin at 6 p.m. on May 3 at Chelsea High School and run until 10 a.m. the next day. Sciara will be there with her team “Pam’s Purpose,” walking and sharing her experience with others. Relay for Life of Oak Mountain will be held at 4 p.m. on April 26 at Heardmont Park Stadium. For more on either Relay event, visit relayforlife.org or contact Paula Johnson at 918-3212 or paula. johnson@cancer.org. Relay for Life of Oak Mountain will be held at 4 p.m. on April 26 at Heardmont Park Stadium.

Author shares stories of the wild outdoors with LPMS students

Liberty Park Middle School students pose with Watt Key, author of Alabama Moon.

Watt Key, author of Alabama Moon, visited Liberty Park Middle School recently to share his experiences. Key, a native of Point Clear, Ala., spoke to students about growing up by the bay with a swamp across the street. The oldest of seven children, he told many stories about his interesting childhood. He attended a school where there were only nine boys in his class. He also used a boat to get around, didn’t watch a lot of television and had a pet grey squirrel named Smokey. As a child, Key was very interested in trapping animals. He explained that he ate, skinned or kept animals he caught. With one of the hides, he once made a squirrel purse for his mother with the tail hanging down. Key told students his mother knew he was proud of his accomplishment, so she took the purse to church. Key attended Birmingham-Southern College but was discouraged in his writing classes. He said that his grammar skills were not the best and that he hadn’t read a lot of the books that the other students had read. He did decide to write on his own. “It is kinda of like playing a guitar; if you enjoy it you are going to do it anyway,” he said.

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He said he completed his first novel as a freshman in college but did not get a book deal until he was 34 years old. In the meantime, he worked as a computer programmer. His book, Alabama Moon, came from an experience he and his friends had as college students. During interim term, Key, 19 at the time, decided to design his own course. The topic was “Surviving in the Woods.” He and two friends spent two weeks in the swamp trying to survive. They bought bows and arrows from yard sales and only took ponchos, sleeping bags, a hatchet, candles, matches and a skillet into the wild. They did not take a tent and only had the clothes on their backs. The nearest store was five miles away. Key described to students how for food they used the bow and arrows and shot a water moccasin and five little pigs. He also killed an armadillo and cut off its shell. Their other food consisted of pine needle tea, pine bark and toasted acorns. By the last day Key said he was so weak he could barely stand and had lost 15 pounds. Key’s visit was coordinated by LPMS Librarian Jean Deal. - Submitted by Liberty Park Middle School.

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April 2013

Chelsea’s Starlets place fifth at national competition

OLV’s Troop 455 earns Silver Award

Troop 455 members serve dinner at the Firehouse Shelter downtown as a part of their Silver Award project.

Chelsea Middle School’s Starlets Dance Team with their national trophies.

Recently, Chelsea Middle School’s Starlets Dance Team competed in three state competitions and traveled to a national competition in Orlando to showcase its skills against top-ranked competitors. The team returned to school with several awards to decorate Chelsea’s growing trophy case. Hosting school Hoover High initiated the Starlets’ success at the Alabama State Dance Team Competition in January when the Starlets finished second place in Jazz and Kick. On Jan. 19, the team traveled to Auburn University for the Official American All Star competition. The Starlets swept the competition winning first place in Kick and Jazz. Strong performances throughout the competition earned the Starlets other awards including a choreography award for their jazz routine and the Junior High Sweepstakes award for the highest total scores of all competing junior high teams. In addition, all three Starlets’ soloists placed in the individual competition: Hannah

Dawson, first place; Lauren Mims, second place; and MacKenzie Day, third place. State competitions culminated on Jan. 26 at the Alabama Dance Championship hosted by Spain Park High School. This competition challenged the girls, but the Starlets still shined even after a threatening injury to a fellow teammate. Chelsea’s Starlets placed third in Kick and Jazz. Two soloists finished in the top five; Lauren Mims placed second and Hannah Dawson fourth. The state competition season fueled the Starlets with confidence and determination, which carried the team to the National Dance Team Championship in Orlando Feb. 2-3. After grueling practices and stellar performances, the Starlets finished their season fifth in the nation in Kick and only 1.5 points from making Jazz finals. Although the Starlets and Coach Michelle Nivens enjoyed a successful season, they hated to see it end. However, with tryouts right around the corner in April, the team will be back together in no time.

Troop 455 members Clare Brewster, LeeAllyn Harper, Reagan Harris and Anne Sherman, seventh graders at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School, recently earned the Girl Scout Silver Award for their project, “Serving the Homeless and Touching Souls.” The girls held a blanket drive at their church and donated the blankets to the homeless. They also

volunteered by serving dinner at Firehouse Shelter. The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette (grades 6-8) can earn. This award symbolizes a Girl Scout Cadette’s accomplishments in Girl Scouting and community activities as she matures and works to better her life and the lives of others.

April 2013

280 Living

OMES takes part in Mercedes Marathon

Playing fairy tales for a day

Piper Stevens and Beckett Howell

OMES teachers who ran the Mercedes Marathon.

One hundred students from Oak Mountain Elementary registered to run in the Mercedes Marathon 1 Mile Fun Run in February. PE coaches Allen McGowan and Sallie Youngblood worked with these students to prepare them for the big day. Students learned not only about having a healthy mindset but also about reaching their goals. Eighteen members of the faculty and staff from the school also took part in the Mercedes Marathon the next day.

Some of the 100 OMES students who ran the Fun Run portion of the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham.

A sky full of stars at OMES Oak Mountain Elementary recently hosted their annual STARLAB Week. STARLAB is an inflatable planetarium that brings the night sky into the classroom. All students, kindergarten through third grade, had the opportunity to enter the planetarium and get an up-close look at the stars, discover the constellations

and learn folk legends about many of the constellations. Third grade students got an even more in-depth understanding about our sky. They studied solar weather, what defines a light year, star clusters and galaxies, how constellations are used in science today, the effects of light pollution and the usage of telescopes.

Students enter the STARLAB at Oak Mountain Elementary.

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In February second grade students at Greystone Elementary dressed as their favorite fairy tale characters as a part of a unit studying different tales. They each gave presentations about the story from the character’s point of view, including many Red Riding Hoods and Big Bad Wolves. Also as a part of the unit, the students listened to fairy tales on iPods and iPads and acted them out in reader’s theater.

Flying high at Greystone Elementary Greystone Elementary fourth graders learned about aerospace engineering and flight from a pilot Major Tim Spaulding recently. Spaulding discussed the four forces of flight, lift, thrust, drag and weight with the students and then helped each of them create a paper airplane to test these forces. Students then ran several test flights to see these forces in action.

April 2013 19

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Sports

157 Resource Center Parkway Suite 102

Season’s end

Area baseball play wrapping up this month

Behind Logan’s Roadhouse on 280 Your source for teams sports

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OMHS baseball in stride By CLAYTON HURDLE

The 2013 Briarwood Christian School baseball team is looking toward the state playoffs.

Lions hope preparation pays off in Area 9 By CLAYTON HURDLE The Briarwood Christian School baseball team faces Class 6A-quality teams in AHSAA Class 5A, Area 9 play. Naturally, the Lions have been playing 6A schools all winter to be ready for the challenge. Briarwood went 6-5 before beginning area play in March. The Lions beat Pelham, lost to Hoover and split two games against Spain Park in some of their notable matchups against 6A squads. “We’ve got to prepare for a tough

area run, so hopefully that will help us,” head coach Steve Renfroe said. The Lions will be up against former 6A member Homewood and John Carroll, whom Briarwood beat 17-4 in their season opener. “Homewood is outstanding,” Renfroe said. “They’ve got a great team coming down from 6A, and everybody has told me that they’re the best team around in 5A.” Ramsay fills out the region. Briarwood hammered the Rams 12-1 in the area opener March 12. The Lions will finish their season

with Area games against Homewood and John Carroll in April, as well as doubleheaders against 6A squads Oak Mountain and Gardendale. Renfroe looks forward to the challenge, and he hopes his team has what it takes to make the Alabama playoffs. “I think we’re on track,” he said. “We’re scrapping and getting better. We’re playing maybe the toughest schedule in the state, and the challenge for us is that we have got to get better in the next two weeks.”

The Oak Mountain Eagles are hitting their stride at the right time. After splitting their first Class 6A, Area 8 series against Spain Park, the Eagles won five in a row and are shaping up for the homestretch of area play. Oak Mountain played in a tournament during Spring Break against Clay-Chalkville and Mountain Brook, coming through with huge wins that the Eagles hope will propel them into a two-game showdown against Chelsea that will open the month of April. The strength of the Oak Mountain team is its seniors, five of whom have signed on to play college ball in 2014. Leading the way are outfielder Heath Quinn, a Samford commit, and Hoyt, who is heading to Jacksonville State.

“We’re playing good baseball right now,” senior pitcher Justin Hoyt said. “We’re playing good defense, the pitches are getting through and we’re hitting well. We look to continue it.” The Eagles got off to a slow start. “Then we had a four or five game stretch where we really played good baseball,” head coach Brian Breeze said. “Pitching, defense and hitting came together. We had a week’s stretch where we didn’t have a game, and then we were just figuring it all out again. But the last 10 ballgames we have played really good baseball.” Now, to advance into the playoffs, Oak Mountain needs a strong showing in a tightly played area. “We’ve just got to play fundamental and not make errors, and make good team plays,” Quinn said.

Chelsea Hornets need big second half of ball season By CLAYTON HURDLE Even with a losing record through the first half of the season, the Hornets can still end up near the top of its region with a strong finish. Four out of its eight games in April are regional games for Chelsea. For the Hornets to have a chance in the postseason, it needs to be a mirror im-

age of the first half of the season. The 2013 Hornets are led by Head Coach Michael Stallings and lefthanded pitcher Tripp Hobbs, who signed a letter of intent to play baseball with The University of South Alabama in February. The Hornets’ regular season will end with a double header on Monday, April 15, against the Childersburg Tigers.

20 April 2013

280 Living

Raney hired to head Jaguar football By CLAYTON HURDLE Spain Park High School found its new head football coach, and the Jaguars didn’t have to look far. In fact, they only had to go 12 miles to find Chip Lindsey’s replacement. Hoover High School defensive coordinator Shawn Raney accepted the job during a Hoover Board of Education meeting in March. He will take over a Jaguar squad that finished 10-3 in 2012 and reached the AHSAA Class 6A quarterfinals under Lindsey. Last season, Raney led the defensive unit of a Hoover squad that went undefeated in 2012 and won the Class 6A state championship. Prior to his three years with the Bucs, Raney coached at Oak Mountain High School, Iowa State University, UAB and Butler County Community College in Kansas. Raney takes over the vacancy

“It’s such a great job and such a great opportunity. It just worked out perfectly.’ SPHS Head Football Coach Shawn Raney.

left when Lindsey accepted a position in February to work with the Auburn Tigers football program in an off-the-field support role. He announced the decision to his team earlier in the month, according to a release from Spain Park Athletic Director

– Shawn Raney SPHS Head Coach Patrick Kellogg. Lindsey was head coach for the Jaguars for two seasons, leading the team to its first 6A Region championship in 2012. He also served as offensive coordinator for the Hoover High Buccaneers in 2007, taking the team to a 10-2

record and advancing to the third round of the State Playoffs. “Coach Lindsey is a great person, family man, mentor to studentathletes and, most importantly, a great educator,” Kellogg said. “He will be greatly missed. Calls to Lindsey for comment were not returned. Raney said he is excited to take the reins at Spain Park. “It’s such a great job and such a great opportunity,” he said. “It just worked out perfectly.” Hoover principal Don Hulin praised Raney’s Hoover tenure at the board meeting but left his new cross-town rival a word of warning. “We’ll always love you, except for that one night,” he said in reference to whenever Spain Park and Hoover will face each other on the football field. Raney, an Oklahoma native, and his wife, Jennifer, live in Shelby County.

SPHS freshman being noticed nationally

SPHS freshman Hayden Freeman

Spain Park baseball entering tough Area schedule By CLAYTON HURDLE Not only are they geographically close, but the teams that make up AHSAA Class 6A, Area 8 all play at nearly the same skill level. The Spain Park baseball team feels that its chances of getting past the tough region are good, as long as they put in the work to do so. The Jags already began region play, with two games against neighbor Oak Mountain in March. Pelham will play Spain Park April 2 and 4, while the Jaguars will finish things out in the area against Chelsea April 8 and 10.

“It’s one of the toughest, if not the toughest areas in 6A,” head coach Will Smith said. “I think four out of the six wins gets you in the playoffs, just because there’s so much parity in the league.” Spain Park started the season in the Birmingham-Huntsville Challenge. The Jaguars opened with a four-game win streak before losing to Oak Mountain in the tournament’s final game. After another loss, Spain Park won three consecutive games and had a formidable 7-2 record. The Jags struggled going into the area opener against Oak Mountain and were 9-6

when region play began. “We started the season really well against a bunch of good teams,” Smith said. “It’s been kind of up-and-down since then; we’ve gotten banged up with some nagging injuries.” As of March 22, the Jaguars were 12-13. Spain Park will have the help of seven seniors, with catcher Grant Veteto leading the way for the Jaguars going into region play. “Every day we’re out here we’re looking to improve to get a shot at Area,” he said. For Spain Park to win its first ever state baseball title, the Jaguars will look to start April strong and never look back.

Hayden Freeman, a 15-year-old student at Spain Park High School and member of the Jaguar Junior Varsity Baseball Team, was one of only six freshmen invited to participate in the 2013 Under Armour Pre-Season All-American Tournament in Arizona. There, he competed with and against about 400 students from across the country. Hayden was invited to the event after participating in other Under Armour competitions, which included the Perfect Game 2012 National Underclass Showcase in Ft. Myers, Fla. He was one of only three freshmen to receive Honorable Mention honors from that event. Hayden’s brother, Colton Freeman, is a freshman on the baseball team at the University of Alabama. His grandfather, Wayne Freeman, was an All-American in football at UA.

Lunch with the Doc Quality Sleep for Everyone Thursday, April 18 12:00-1:00 p.m. Join Patricia Patterson, MD, with Birmingham Pulmonary Group, P.C., as she discusses the importance of sleep. Since sleep typically takes up one third of your life, find out if your sleep patterns are healthy. Sleep is as important as diet and exercise, only easier. Bring your questions and enjoy a delicious, light lunch.

Please call 408-6550 to register for this free seminar.

7191 Cahaba Valley Road, Birmingham, Alabama 35242 onenineteen.com

280Living.com

April 2013

Waldrop accepts position in North Alabama By NATHAN KELLY After a decade of coaching sports at Chelsea High School, Coach Wade Waldrop is moving on to the next chapter of his life. Starting in March, Waldrop began his tenure as head football coach at James Clemens High School Madison, outside Huntsville. Waldrop served as the head football coach and athletic director at Chelsea seven out of the 10 years he worked at the school. The decision to move schools began in early February when James Clemens started its coach search and chose Waldrop out of more than 100 candidates. Waldrop said choosing to leave Chelsea as a whole wasn’t the hard part. The tough part came when he began thinking of the relationships he made at Chelsea would be changing after calling the school his home for 10 years. “My roots are deep in Chelsea, it’s bittersweet,” Waldrop said. “My family and I have benefited so much from living in this community, but we feel like this is the right move and firmly believe this is God’s plan for us.” Waldrop said he’s always received a tremendous amount of support since he began at Chelsea and that when he announced he would be leaving, he was treated with the

Wade Waldrop served as Chelsea High Schools’ football coach for 10 years. Photo courtesy of Cari Dean.

highest respect for his decision. The first person Waldrop told he would be leaving was his principal, Jay Peoples. He then informed his coaching staff and held a meeting with his players. “One thing I wanted to make sure of was that I told our players in person,” Waldrop said. “I told them in our meeting that whenever they graduate from Chelsea to represent the school and myself. I told them that as I leave, I’ll be representing them and the time we all spent together.”

James Clemens, a sister school of Bob Jones High School in Madison, opened its doors in 2012. It is a 6A football program that played only freshman and sophomore students on the team last season. Since Waldrop won’t be acting as both a coach and athletic director, his time at James Clemens will be entirely dedicated to maturing and preparing the young football team for next year’s 6A schedule. Waldrop said when he worked both jobs at Chelsea, focusing solely on the football team had to be put on the backburner since he needed to make decisions for the entire athletic program at Chelsea. He’s met with his new coaching staff and is preparing to get a head start on the 2013 season as his family waits to move to Huntsville until the end of the school year. “I’ll be honest, the next three months are gonna be tough with my family still living in Chelsea,” Waldrop said. “I’ll be trying to get the ball rolling immediately by building new relationships with the coaches and players at James Clemens.” The toughest part about adopting a new football program as head coach is getting coaches and players used to the new language of a new system, Waldrop said. After coaching in one community for so long, the learning curve that comes with

a new offense and defense wasn’t much of a problem. The James Clemens football team might be a young, but Waldrop is excited to coach a team that is undoubtedly mentally tough after facing a 6A football schedule in its first season. “Our goals for the offseason and preseason are going to be growing physically stronger and educating the team by watching a lot of tape,” Waldrop said. “I harp on my players to be mentally tough, and I think they’ve already got a head start in that area.” As Waldrop transitions to the next part of his coaching career, he reflected on his first year as head coach at Chelsea. He was put into a similarly unique position there as the football team had just moved from 4A to 5A. His experiences in that first season will hopefully carry him and his new team to success at James Clemens he said. Waldrop said he will always cherish the memories he made at Chelsea with the administration, players and friends he made through his ten years. He plans to stay in touch and always remember the great phase of his life he spent there. “I’m a high school coach no matter where I live. It’s my heart and my passion,” he said. “But I’m really going to miss wearing that Chelsea blue on the sidelines.”

Spain Park Tennis defeats Auburn The Spain Park High School girls tennis team won 7-2 over Auburn High in a recent match at Auburn University. The Jags started the season with a 3-0 record. Kendal Holladay, Olivia Cissell, Tierney Sovic, Kensley Yarbrough, Lulu Zhang and Madison Luther.

Beaumont Pharmacy Pharmacy Compounding 101 By Tammy Rogers, Pharmacist I receive a lot of questions from my customers about pharmacy compounding. Beaumont Pharmacy is proud to offer a full line of compounding services for all your families needs. Compounding in a lost art which is absent from a lot of pharmacies today. I was lucky to attend a school of pharmacy that taught the art of compounding, and I have always incorporated that art into my practice. Compounding is the art of formulating tablets and powders into gels, creams, capsules, liquids or other dosage forms which are not otherwise available. Compounding is helpful if you have problems swallowing pills, or if you need a certain medication in liquid form. We are often able to compound products for our hospice patients, and I have found that this service brings great relief to the family members of critically ill patients. We can also flavor medications that taste bad into many great flavors. Our most popular flavor for children and adults is bubble gum. We do a lot of compounding for children and adults, including hormone replacement therapy. We prepare topically creams and capsules such as progesterone, estradiol and testosterone. These products are often used to restore hormone levels to normal during menopause and perimenopause. We also do a lot of compounding for pets. Pets are a part of the family in so many households today, mine included! We have a lot of pet patients that we prepare capsules and liquids for. We also have special flavoring for our pet patients that include: tuna, chicken pot pie, and beef flavors. Ear gels are a popular way to deliver medications to cats, and we have several pet parents that use our service for their furry friends. If you have any special needs that require pharmacy compounding, please stop by and talk with me today. I would also be happy to answer any questions that you may have about the lost art of pharmacy compounding.

Celebrating our 5th anniversary April 2013

Special THANK YOU to all our guest who have supported us over the years. Founders/Owners Doug & Nicole Hovanec Executive Chef Matthew G. Lagace.

BEAUMONT PHARMACY &

Gift Boutique

264 Inverness Ctr. Dr. • 205-991-7171 WWW.BEAUMONTPHARMACY.COM

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22 April 2013

Spring

280 Living

Home Guide

Six things to consider

when choosing fabric By MADOLINE MARKHAM Sheri Corey is entering outdoor cushion order season, but her store, Sew Sheri, is still taking plenty of fabric orders for drapery, bedding, furniture and more. With 20 years in the business and two and half owning her Mountain Brook Village showroom, Corey certainly knows fabrics. She boasts that, despite conceptions about a local store, it offers competitive prices and sales at least once a week. Most of all, she wants people to know that shopping with Sew Sheri allows you to customize a project just as you want it, and you are purchasing something made in the United States. “People don’t always realized you get superior quality over anything ready-made,” she said. We talked with her about what to consider as you think about tackling spring fabric projects.

Sheri Corey works in her Mountain Brook Village showroom, Sew Sheri. Photos by Madoline Markham.

1. When it’s time: You need new fabric when you see it fading and starting to get thin.

2. Reupholster vs. slipcover: If you like your current fabric and/or have children or pets, a slipcover is a good option for furniture. If your current fabric has wear and tear, consider reupholstering. 3. How much “wearability”: Consider how much the fabric will be used and sat on to determine the quantity of “double rubs,” which are the measure of how many abrasions a fabric can take before it wears out. Most fabrics come in at least 30,000 double rubs, but Sew Sheri carries fabrics with up to 150,000. 4. Indoor/outdoor fabric: Indoor/ outdoor fabric has become popular with parents of small children. The fabrics are now made soft to touch, and can be washed with soap and water. They also do not bleach or fade from sun exposure. 5. Neutral for big pieces: For big furniture pieces, Corey recommends choosing a neutral fabric instead of a pattern. If you get tired of a patterned fabric, it’s much easier to redo a chair or pillows than a sofa.

6. What’s trending: Corey said Sew Sheri is finally starting to see more colors, especially blues and greens as well as corals. Geometric, suzani (Asian-inspired designs with floral elements) and ikat (zigzag, diamondshaped and geometric patterns with feathered lines) designs are also big. For more about Sew Sheri call 8798278 or visit sewsheri.com.

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April 2013 23

Spring Home Guide

Make a lamp

out of anything

By MADOLINE MARKHAM Katie Baker Bolton built her first lamp at age 8. Her grandfather, a lamp store owner by trade, had told her not to, that little girls don’t play with electricity. So she waited to actually plug in the completed lamp until she had shown it to him. “Well, you did it right,” he said. And it worked. Since then, she said she has had a lifelong sickness and incurable addiction to lamp making. For years Bolton practiced drilling holes on cups and saucers from thrift stores before moving on to porcelain vases to act as a lamp base. Later she would teach herself faux finishes to revive old lamps and learn to look for vases, figurines or other architectural pieces to serve as bases. Eventually she would add children’s blocks, an antique ship, bird cages and old wooden laundry hampers to her repertoire. “If you can come up with an idea of what you want, I can figure out how to do it,” she said. “Sometimes I wake up at 3 a.m. with a solution.” Since 2000, Bolton and her mom, Dianne Baker-Clelland, have run Baker Lamps and Linens. Her mom had a lamp store on Lorna Road before coming to the Inverness business. “You don’t see things made in the way we try to do it,” Bolton said. “We reclaim, restore and redecorate. You can repair an old lamp much easier than a new lamp.”

How to make a lamp out of a vase Tips from Katie Baker Bolton 1. Drill a 9/16-inch hole into the bottom of the vase with a diamond-tipped bit on a drill press (not a hand drill). 2. Cap the top with a vase cap. Vase caps come in a variety of sizes and in metal or wood. Baker said she has someone who makes custom wooden caps for any unique shape of vase. 3. Set out a wood, metal or acrylic lamp base. 4. Run a rod through the base cap, vase and base, and bolt them together with nuts and washers. 5. Add harped wings and a socket base to the structure. Screw in the harp at the top and the socket at the base of the structure.

Baker Lamps and Linens Owner Katie Baker Bolton, left, and mother, Diane Baker-Clelland, make lamps out of an assortment of objects.

Bolton’s three kids have lamps made of a bubble gum machine, a stack of three baseballs, a parking meter — anything she can figure out how to run a rod through or behind. Around her house you’ll also find eclectic lamps made of a silver clarinet,

wallpaper rollers, wine bottles, an old decanter and an old water cooler glass. “When looking for a lamp, I encourage people to think outside the box and not just settle,” she said. In addition to completed

Vendors & Consignors Welcome

Decorating & Upholstery Services Available Celebrate spring at our Open House April 11, 12 & 13th

Over 70 vendors and consignors including High Cotton & Co. Clothing Boutique, Drapes Etc. Shelayne Thompson, Floral Designer and Wicker Furniture Door Prizes & Light Refreshments Served 5475 Highway 280 Birmingham, AL • 205-995-4773

lamps, Baker Lamps and Linens sells lamp parts for customers interested in making their own. Baker Lamps and Linens is located at 5299 Valleydale Road, Suite 115. For more,call 981-3330 or visit bakerlampsandlinens. com.

6. Run a cord up from the bottom. Connect the cord to the terminals of the socket interior. Terminals must be connected to the correct charges on the cords. 7. Wire the cord to the socket. 8. Put a socket cap over the interior socket and snap it into the base. 9. After the lamp is completed, select a shade and ﬁnial.

24 April 2013

280 Living

Spring Home Guide

The problem with puddles Standing water around your home deserves your attention What to watch for: ›› Sod dying ›› Standing water ›› Moisture in foundation ›› Cracks in foundation, patio or porch ›› Heavily eroded areas ›› Poorly graded beds and flat areas Water Drainage Solutions General Manager Jonathan Messner, Project Manager Brian Didcoct and Scot Thompson, responsible for landscape, design and installation.

By JEFF THOMPSON The product of April showers isn’t always pretty. Puddles and spots of dying sod are dead giveaways your property might have bigger issues. Even something as small as where your gutter’s downspout releases could predict the need for thousands of dollars in repairs in the future. “Water is one of nature’s most destructive forces – if not the most destructive,” said Jonathan Messner, general manager of Water Drainage Solutions in Hoover. “And a water problem is not going to go away on its own.” 280 Living reached out to Water

Drainage Solutions for what to look for in your yard this spring to avoid costly repairs or a reduction in property value. Here’s what they said:

›› Identify where your downspouts empty

Messner said that keeping an eye on where rainwater from your gutters ends up is the difference between a healthy foundation and one that will attract negative attention from a home inspector. When downspouts empty next to your house, water often soaks into the soil alongside the foundation and can cause erosion. This can cause damage to the foundation. Check your basement walls for

moisture, a clear sign this may be occurring, said Scot Thompson, who is responsible for landscape, design and installation with Water Drainage Solutions. Other, much more severe signs, he said, are cracks in the foundation that can cause the house to shift. “You have to have gutters, spouts and drains to carry water away from your house a minimum of five feet,” Thompson said. “Otherwise, it’s going straight into your foundation.”

›› Keep an eye on your grass

Messner said if your house is on a slab, erosion around the foundation isn’t your biggest worry. Your yard,

however, is another story. Pooling water or “soupy, sloppy wet grass” are signs water isn’t draining off your property. It kills sod and trees and could eventually erode an area much larger than the obvious problem spot. Often, he said, this is either an issue with the slope of your yard or your home’s proximity to your neighbor. “With slab homes, especially homes no more than 15-20 feet apart, it’s very difficult to get the slope right,” Thompson said. “No sunlight means the water won’t evaporate, and if it’s already not running off that means it’s not going anywhere.” Taking care of these problems quickly is extremely important to

the health of your property, and professionals can design aesthetic solutions, including French drains or flumes that appear as dry creek beds. “Even if you do not see a water issue at this time, if you don’t have drains for your downspouts or poorly graded foundation beds you should give someone a call,” Messner said. “It may not be a problem yet, but it is better to design and install a system before that happens so you are not stretched with the expense of fixing the damage.” For more on Water Drainage Solutions, call 244-1114 or visit waterdrainagesolutions.com.

280Living.com

Spring Home Guide

Like-new furniture,

timeless feel

Stacey Christensen, right, uses chalk paint to breathe new life into old furniture at her business, Faux Studio Designs in Pelham. Photos by Nathan Kelly.

By NATHAN KELLY Stacey Christensen has made a career of getting the most out of furniture that has been taken care of the least. Taking the craftiness her grandmothers instilled in her and combining it with her love for painting, Christensen breathes new life into old pieces at her business, Faux Studio Designs in Pelham. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is what drives everything in Christensen’s studio. Sloan, a painter from England, invented her paint 20 years ago and it was made available in the U.S. three years ago. Christensen had a head’s-up the paint was coming and started

using the product as soon as it was here. “I took the first Annie Sloan class given in the United States,” she said. “Since I knew how great her product was, the first opportunity that I had, I began to sell it.” Workshops Christensen leads at her studio are intensive, three-day classes that teach a painter everything he or she needs to know without having any prior knowledge of chalk paint. 280 Living reached out to Christensen for tips on how to take her techniques and apply them in your home. For more on Faux Studio designs, call 982-4464 or visit fauxstudiodesigns.com.

How to give your furniture a rustic, European feel in six easy steps 1. Clean your piece. Removing grease and dust from the item you’re recovering is vital to your success.

4. Distress it. Use 220 grade sandpaper knock off corners until you achieve your desired look.

2. Paint it. Pick your color, slap it on.

5. Wax it again. Hit sanded areas with clear wax again and wipe off.

3. Apply clear wax. Push your wax it into the paint and wipe off the excess. Christensen recommends Annie’s Wax, a mix of carnuva wax, bees wax and mineral spirits.

5. Wax it one more time. Apply a dark wax, and your piece will look like it’s been around for decades. Christensen recommends Annie’s Dark Wax.

Expires 5/31/13

7023 Meadowlark Dr • 408-4FUN (4386) • wwwbackyardal.com (Turn Between Walmart and Lowe’s)

April 2013 25

26 April 2013

280 Living

Spring Home Guide

Garden trends to try this spring

By HILARY ROSS Like interiors, landscapes evolve over time and certain trends become evident. In landscape design, the following trends have become increasingly popular: use of edibles, structure in the garden and furnishing with garden accents. Use of edibles The use of edible landscape material has gained momentum not only in an “eat local and fresh” way but also in an ornamental, decorative method as well. A classmate who was studying plant propagation as a way to combat hunger in her native Sudan could not understand why anyone would plant something they could not eat. It really opened my eyes to the fact that with edibles, you can have both beauty and food! The next time you visit any of the villages in Mountain Brook, notice the herbs mixed in with spring or fall annuals in planters and the flower beds. What to plant: Start with herbs like my favorites parsley, chives, ‘Golden Lemon’ thyme and ‘Kent Beauty’ oregano. Mix your herbs in border plantings with your annuals, in window boxes, or containers and urns. Then, move on to these easy, prolifically producing vegetables: ‘Sun Gold’ and ‘Better Boy’ tomatoes, ‘Sweet Banana’ and ‘Jalapeno’ peppers and eggplant. If you would like to grow your own fruit, I recommend are ‘Early Girl’ strawberries, ‘Tophat’ and ‘TifBlue’ blueberries, and ‘Celeste’ and ‘Brown Turkey’ figs. So find an area in your yard that gets at least six hours sunlight, has good drainage, is rich in

Incorporating structure in the garden is a key component for Troy Rhone of Troy Rhone Garden Designs. Here herbs and roses in a formal boxwood potager provide a romantic effect for this kitchen garden. Garden accents are also included in the design.

organic material, and start your own “eat local and fresh” movement by visiting a local shop like Leaf & Petal or Oak Street. Structure in the garden Typically, when structure is mentioned in the garden, most people are thinking of fences or hardscape materials. But the structure we are discussing has to do with the use of evergreen shrubs in the garden to form the backbone or “structure” of the landscape. English-style hedges have really exploded in popularity and for good reason. They provide year-round consistency and act as a backdrop to showcase the ornamental plants in your yard. Evergreen shrubs can be

used to edge parterre gardens, form small hedges to define areas and create privacy. What to plant: Boxwoods like ‘Wintergreen’, ‘Winter Gem’, ‘Green Velvet’ or ‘Green Beauty’ are excellent choices. You will also see ‘Suffruticosa’ English Boxwood commonly used. For a less formal look, try herbs such as rosemary or lavender as a low hedge. For a good backdrop shrub, buy hollies such as ‘Mary Nell’ and ‘Nellie R Stevens’, Fragrant Tea Olives, Camellia, Arborvitae, Wax Myrtles, and Glossy Privet. Or try these evergreen trees for a large screen: ‘Claudia Wannamaker’, ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ or ‘DD Blanchard’ Magnolia.

The home of Dana Wolter of Dana Wolter Interiors features boxwoods as a backdrop to showcase her beautiful foxglove, snapdragons, violas and parsley seen pictured here.

Furnishing with garden accents With mild weather in the South, landscapes are an extension of our home and used most of the year. Often outdoor “rooms” complement interiors. Accents can include anything from urns, to whimsical statues, to classical sculptures and columns. Weathered stone basins, pottery or wall-hung vessels as water features can also be used as a tranquil, garden accent. These accents can fill an area where plant material may not thrive and add a touch of the homeowner’s personality. Peyton King, Mountain Brook resident and co-owner of Elegant Earth at the Arbor, said he has seen items from their collections used not only in the landscape but also in some of the most

well-appointed interiors in the South. “Blending exteriors through the use of our urns, benches, tables and decorative items has gained popularity,” King said. “Clean lines and classic proportions, as found in our Birmingham collection like the Forest Park Trough and the English Village Urn, are increasingly used for their timeless design.” Hilary Ross completed the landscape design program through Jefferson State Community College and is a certified landscape designer and horticulturist. In 2011, she launched Mater Natura Designs. For more, visit maternaturadesigns.com or maternaturadesigns.blogspot.com or find her on Facebook.

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April 2013 27

Live Entertainment & Music Listings HOGANS Irish Pub & Grill 507 Cahaba Park Circle • 995-0533 Every Wednesday / Thursday 8 p.m. Live Music by Razz Ma Tazz Every Friday / Saturday 9 p.m. - Until Live Music by Razz Ma Tazz

CAFE FIRENZE

110 Inverness Plaza • 980-1315 Call for this month’s music listings.

Pablo’s Restaurant and Cantina 3439 Colonnade Parkway • 969-1411 Live music Wednesday and Thursday, 6 – 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 6 – 10:30 p.m.

Village Tavern The Summit, Lower Level • 970-1640 Every Wednesday and Thursday, 6:30 - 9 p.m. Artist Jeff Tyler performs. Fridays, 9 -11:30 p.m., Various live music.

City Vineyard Arbor Place, 5479 Highway 280, Suite 102 437-3360 • cityvineyard.net Every Friday Night live music, 7-10 p.m. on the patio. Inside, they have a wine tasting, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

BILLY’S BAR & GRILL

Courtyard Oyster Bar & Grill 280 4/1 - Dj Johnny D 4/2 - Dj Kop 4/3 - Matt Hill and Sean Bunn 4/5 - Matt Hill band 4/6 - Brad Cornelius Band 4/7 - Kyle & Josh / Dwayne Duo / Jager Muffin 4/8 - Dj Johnny D 4/9 - Dj Kop 4/10 - Matt Hill & Sean Bunn / Aaron Blades 4/11 - Erica acoustic 4/12 - Zac Doss & Kentucky’s Finest / Jager Muffin 4/13 - Brooklyn Cry / Kyle & Josh 4/14 - Aaron Blades / Matt Bennet / Zac Doss 4/15 - Dj Johnny D 4/16 - Dj Kop 4/17 - Matt Hill & Sean Bunn 4/19 - Cowboy Down / SK5 4/20 - F-5 4/21 - Kyle & Josh / Dwayne Duo / Jager Muffin 4/22 - Dj Johnny D 4/23 - Dj Kop 4/24 - Matt Hill & Sean Bunn 4/25 - Erica acoustic 4/26 - Matt Bennet band / Matt Hill band 4/27 - Pharmband / Kyle & Josh 4/28 - Aaron Blades / Zac Doss 4/29 - Dj Johnny D 4/30 - Dj Kop

Grey Bar 5426 U.S. 280 • 874-6361 greybarbham.com

Call for this month’s music listings.

4/5 - 90 Proof 4/6 - Seven Stone Riot 4/13 - 5th Annual Crawfish Boil 4/19 - Dance DJ Dance 4/26 - Double Wide Soul 4/27 - 90 Proof 5/3 - 90 Proof

GREYSTONE, 5407 HWY 280 • 980-8600 Every Thursday night live music with Jeff Taylor. All Parrotheads are invited.

Childcare Worker:

Sunday AM and Wednesday PM. References and background check are required. St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, Hwy 39, Chelsea AL. • 205-618-8367 or rector@StCatherinesAL.com

Comfort Keepers

is currently hiring quality caregivers. 205-981-1800

HELP WANTED

FULL OR PART TIME SALES ASSOCIATE. HOURS AVAIL: 12-6: SUN-SAT Apply Rogers Trading Company, Hwy. 280, resource center parkway: send resume or application to jenrtc@aol. com No phone inquiries accepted

HELP WANTED

Plain Jane’s Women & Children Shop is looking for part time help for web site & emails creation. They must have a working knowledge of Photoshop Elements, and picture editing. Will train. Call Rosemary at 205-991-1995.

280 Medical Supply

is looking for part time help: Candidate will be responsible for making deliveries and repairing DME. Please send resume to info@BhamMed.com, fax to 888-611-8229 or call 205-678-8755.

Home Instead Senior Care

4520 Overton Road, Suite 104 Liberty Park • 956-2323

The Fish Market Restaurant

Classifieds

Looking for part time CAREGivers for Non-medical in home care. Apply at: www.homeinstead.com/bham 205.822.1915

Help wanted

Meadow Brook Animal Clinic is looking to fill an eventual full time position. Experience is helpful but not required. It would be preferable if you lived close to the 35242 zip code, but we will not exclude any qualified applicant. Please email us at mac7019@gmail. com and we will send you an application.

Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce April Events April 3: Ambassadors Work Group. 11:30 a.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham. April 3: Small Business Work Group. 4 p.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham. April 9: Existing Business & Industry Work Group. 9 a.m. Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon, Inc., 3535 Grandview Parkway, Suite 500, Birmingham. April 9: Education Work Group. 10 a.m. Shelby County Instructional Services Center, 601 First Street South, Alabaster. April 12: Health Services Work Group. 8:30 a.m. Cardiovascular Associates, 3890 Colonnade Parkway, Birmingham. April 24: Membership Luncheon. Dr. James Colvard of Oak Mountain Family Medicine will speak. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Pelham Civic Complex, 500 Amphitheater Road, Pelham. RSVP required by noon on March 22. Members $17, future-members $25. April 25: Governmental Affairs Work Group. 9 a.m. Greater Shelby Chamber, 1301 County Services Drive, Pelham.

For more visit ShelbyChamber.org or call 663-4542.

28 April 2013 ALDOT CONTINUED from page 1 inconvenience – it’s the impossibility. The only right in/out entrance to their center will likely deter customers, they said, but removing left turn access from eastbound 280 requires large trucks to conduct a complicated maneuver at the crossing east of Cahaba Park Circle to reach them. The maneuver requires crossing the highway at an unsignalized location, traveling down a decline and making a less-than-90-degree turn on an incline – all within a few car lengths. This would be required to service not only the Buzbees’ businesses, but also others in the area including Papa Johns Pizza and Zaxbys. Scott Buzbee said more than a dozen trucks a day use the signal to reach those businesses. He added after he learned of ALDOT’s proposal, he had a delivery truck attempt the maneuver. “He just about got stuck,” Scott said of the attempt. “These trucks, they just can’t do it. And forcing them to is going to kill our business.” During the meeting, the Buzbees discussed their concerns with project consultant Darrell Skipper, president of Skipper Consulting in Birmingham, who indicated redrafting the Resource Center Parkway intersection to include an unsignalized left turn from 280 eastbound may be a possibility. Of the other 26 intersection improvements proposed in November 2012, few changes were made following public comments except to those in Mountain Brook. ALDOT Preconstruction Engineer Lance Taylor said during the meeting that the biggest additions to the project were improvements to Rocky Ridge Road. There, ALDOT will increase the left turn lanes onto 280 to three, coordinate signals between Shades Crest Road and 280, and make Florida Short Route into a cul-de-sac. “Unless something else arises,” Taylor said, “we want to have these projects bid in April and completed by Thanksgiving.”

See the full list of intersection changes at 280living.com.

280 Living

Opinion Life Actually By Kari Kampakis

If love is blind, let’s put on glasses This column is about love — parental love, to be specific. But before I dive in, I want to share a story. It’s about a girl I’ll call Anna, a happily married, healthy adult. As a teenager, Anna had an eating disorder, and in her 20s her parents sent her to rehab. It was an intense journey, but over time she healed and eventually got a new lease on life. Her story is not uncommon, but what makes it unique is how Anna got treatment. It wasn’t her parents who forced the issue, or even Anna herself. While her parents were aware a problem existed, they weren’t sure how to respond. Not until Anna’s friends got involved were they moved to action. Anna’s friends had noticed her slipping into a dangerous place, so they banded together to confront her parents. They said they couldn’t keep watching Anna do this to herself. Her illness was serious, and unless her parents did something, Anna would die. Immediately Anna’s parents sought help and turned her over to trained professionals. The intervention saved Anna’s life. When I think about this story, I’m struck by the courage of Anna’s friends. At their age, I was relatively passive. I avoided controversy at all costs. I also was self-absorbed, and probably too clueless to have realized the urgency of this situation. In short, it’s a good thing Anna’s fate

Kampakis didn’t rest in the hands of someone like me, because someone like me may have taken the path of least resistance, and hoped the problem would settle itself. But problems like Anna’s rarely settle themselves. They grow and grow until someone says, “Enough.” And if you think it’s parents who come to the rescue first, think again. In many cases parents are the worst enablers. We’re often the last to see or admit an issue, despite any evidence. This parenting truth is something widely known in counseling circles. As I’ve heard one psychologist explain it, eight out of 10 times when someone brings a troubled soul to her office, it’s a friend or sibling, not a parent. It’s not that we don’t love our children. We do. But admitting

our child has a problem is painful. It calls to question our parenting skills. And unless the proof is glaring, it’s easier to leave that rock unturned than to pick it up and see what lurks beneath. So we go on denying. And getting mad at those who raise concern. And ignoring warning signs that call us to investigate. Even good parents can be oblivious because changes in our child are gradual. What’s obvious to others isn’t so obvious when we live under the same roof. In addition, parents operate under high emotions. We love our kids madly and place them on pedestals, admiring them through rose-colored lenses. In this skewed reality, our ability to stand back objectively and see our children as they truly are can be hindered. It can make us easier to deceive and more likely to get defensive when criticism’s raised. The truth is, our kids aren’t perfect. They’re bound to disappoint or surprise us somehow. But if we can acknowledge this and become a student of their lives, we may pick up on details that raise a red flag. We can address an issue before it gets out of hand, asking ourselves hard questions like: Is my child drinking? I know she hangs with a fast crowd, but I’m afraid to speak up because I want her to be popular. Am I shirking my responsibility as a parent by staying silent? My child’s teacher said she

cheated. I chewed the teacher out, but I wonder if she’s right. Should I probe deeper? I hear my son’s on drugs. Could that be why he’s acting weird? I’m told my daughter is the mean girl, but she says she’s being bullied. I saw a hateful text message that she sent. Is there a side of her I don’t know? None of us want to fail as parents. Of all our life goals, raising good kids tops the list. But for our children to thrive, we must get real. We must love them madly but always be aware of blinders that hinder clarity. If love is blind, let’s put on glasses. Let’s apply 20/20 vision to our family even when it hurts. Let’s support parents who make the hard call to seek help for their child, because there is no shame in this. I have tremendous respect for parents who take this step. And while we can’t control the outcome, we can find a little peace knowing we’ve tried our best. Love is bold. Love is honest. Love puts long-term well being over short-term payoffs. Let us remember these truths with everyone we care about, most of all our children. Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Birmingham mom of four with a background in PR, writing and photography. Read her blog at karikampakis.com or find her on Facebook and Twitter. Email her at kari@karikampakis.com.

We Love to See You Move!

280Living.com

Opinion My South By Rick Watson

GPS Folks on Wall Street or Silicon two-lane road that had more curves Valley probably wouldn’t call than a go-cart track. So I followed me an “early adopter,” but I’m behind gritting my teeth and saying comfortable with new technology unkind things about his parents. and not afraid of wires and switches. The road took us through When the new iPhone 5 came Brewton, Castleberry, Flomaton out, I was one of the first people and eventually Pensacola. to have one here in my community Apparently this route had been and quickly came to love the GPS. mislabeled in my GPS. It should have My time installing phones with said: This route is for intoxicated Watson MaBell honed my directional skills, truck drivers hauling toxic waste or and I can say without hesitation that I’ve never bales of marijuana who want to dodge roadblocks been lost. My wife, Jilda, would beg to differ, and weighing stations. but she always takes the short view. After all, I’m At any rate, it was not meant for a cranky sitting home right now typing these words, and if couple with stiff joints and stomachs growling like I’d really been lost, well, I wouldn’t be here. I rest they contained angry ocelots trying to gnaw their my case. way to freedom. Anyhow, the stars lined up against us on my We could have taken the route through Denver birthday so we couldn’t get out of town, but this and arrived sooner. If Jilda could have pried the past weekend we decided to head to the beach. We iPhone out of my hand, it would now reside at the haven’t been in about two years, and I was having bottom of Pensacola Bay. sandy withdrawals. When we finally rolled into Gulf Shores, the Jilda and I have been to Gulf Shores and Mobile sun had dipped below the ocean an hour earlier, more times that I care to recall. Either of us could and all that remained were clouds tinted with drive to Gulf Shores blindfolded and snockered. I traces of maroon and magenta. do want to clarify with my insurance agent, who After checking into our room, we headed out reads my column, that neither of us make it a habit for seafood. of driving blindfolded or snockered. But I digress. When we returned, we went out on the seaside We packed our bags and headed out for a little balcony to listen to the pounding surf, and feel the sunny bliss by the Gulf. Just for grins, I tapped salty breeze on our faces. Soon the drive down the address into the GPS on my phone, and she was a faded memory. dutifully found several routes. A few days in the sun and sand rejuvenated About 40 miles south of Montgomery, I heard the us. As we loaded the car for the return trip on sexy voice of the GPS woman say, “Turn here.” Sunday, Jilda started to say something about the Hmm, I thought. This is a little early, but maybe GPS, but I interrupted. “Say no more,” I said as she wants to take me on a new and interesting I put the Volvo in drive and headed home the route. Jilda was fiddling with the CD player and old familiar way. didn’t object to trying a new route to the beach. You can learn more about Rick Watson at Almost as soon as we turned off, we got behind homefolkmedia.com. He is available for speaking an 18-wheeler driving as slow as a hearse. engagements and other events. Contact him at Normally that’s not an issue, but we were on a rick@homefolkmedia.com.

That’s Life By Paul Johnson

Partnering If you recall, in our last article we are more comfortable being we met Maggie and Jane. Maggie told by someone in charge what was struggling, for she felt alone in to do, when to do it, when to a place where she felt she shouldn’t show up and when we can go be alone, and shouldn’t admit she home. It takes effort to be one was alone — in her home. Maggie, of the ones in charge, making in the eyes of many of her friends, decisions and doing so equally had an ideal husband and father with another. We open ourselves to their children. He was loving, up to disappointment when our caring and attentive to the family expectations are not met. We feel Johnson needs, yet as Maggie exclaimed, we are carrying the bulk of the load she felt something was missing, perhaps a level or guilty if we feel the other is. Often we lose in their relationship that escaped both hers and motivation or interest or find it difficult to talk or his awareness. communicate, to be truthful yet affirming with She noted, and then asked: “I know details one another. We think, “Just let me do what I do are not Darryl’s strength, they’re mine. But best, and then go home.” A partnership requires good grief, do the details of daily life all have a great deal of personal diligence, attention and to fall on me? Is it too much to ask for a little awareness. It takes effort. It requires presence, attention to the details and to do the practical thinking, follow-up and adaptation. In short, it matters of us and our family together?” is work even when the work is done because the Jane, in a moment of understanding and goal is something bigger. compassion, took Maggie’s hand in her own Ok, the previous definition is a little too and replied, “No, no it is not” (too much to ask). business-y to leave it that way, so let’s reword it. The key word in Maggie’s question is Let us say that a partnership, for our home and “together.” The key words not said are “for family purposes, is a consensual and covenantal me.” Maggie is not asking for anything selfish. relationship between spouses carrying on a She is asking for something ideal, something joint family venture with a view to having subtly expected in our vows of “I do” and in our impact, both personally and communally, each agreements to take on certain responsibilities flexibly playing an agreed upon role but sharing such as child raising. She is asking for mutually in the meeting of responsibilities, and partnership. She is asking how she and her enjoying mutually the moments of fulfillment in husband could turn their roles of parenting and the family and home. marriage into a partnership, a partnership of But how do we get there? practicalities as well as matters of the heart. To be continued... A partnership, according to dictionary. Paul Johnson is a professionally licensed com (sorry, Webster), is “a contractual marriage and family therapist and professionally relationship between two or more persons licensed counselor at the Samaritan Counseling carrying on a joint business venture with a Center, whose main office is located at 100 view to profit, each incurring liability for losses Missionary Ridge, Birmingham, 35242. You and the right to share in the profit.” A business may reach him at 807-6645, or at paul@ partnership can be quite difficult. Sometimes samaritancc.org.

April 2013 29

30 April 2013

280 Living

Community Calendar

Style Reborn for Home and Fashion

6801 Cahaba Valley Road (Hwy 119) 1/4 South of Hwy 280 205-980-4471 RenaissanceConsignment.com

April 3: Photography Roundtable. Hank Siegel will discuss the History of Photography as Art. 6 p.m. Shelby County Arts Council Gallery. Visit shelbycountyartscouncil.com. April 4-7: Annual Birmingham and Tuscaloosa Kennel Club Dog Show. Includes 4-6 month beginner puppy competition, AKC National Owner-Handler series and three days of obedience and rally. Shelby County Exhibition Center. 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit birminghamkc.org. April 5: 3rd Annual Shelby County’s Best BBQ/Classic Car Cruise-In. This is a joint fundraiser for the Shelby County Arts Council and the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce. Cooking begins at 6 a.m. Tasting and cruisein opens at 4 p.m. Tasting tickets $10. Visit shelbycountyartscouncil.com. April 6: 10th Annual Walk for Autism. Benefits the Autism Society of Alabama. $30 in advance, $35 race day. Veteran’s Park. 7 a.m. run check-in, 7:30 a.m. run. 8 a.m. walk check-in, 8:30 a.m. walk. Visit walkforautismal. com or email lauren@autism-alabama.org. April 6: Miss Senior Shelby County Pageant. For ladies over 60, the pageant is a preliminary for Miss Senior Alabama. Serve-Pro Facilities. 2 p.m. Call Edwinda Chappell, 678-6619. April 6: The Roots of American Music. Free reception featuring Lennie Jones and Bruce Andrew. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Concert with 2Blue and the Lucky Stiff is $12.Shelby County Arts Council Gallery. Call 669-0044. April 6: Spring Gospel Music Festival 2013. Bring a blanket or chair and enjoy music of the Clay Boys. Food and drinks will be provided. 4 p.m.-dark. Bold Springs Presbyterian Church. Visit BoldSpringsChurch.org or call 991-3040. April 6: Double Oak Duathlon. Oak Mountain State Mark. Visit team-magic.com/events/ doubleoak/.

980-3661 5291 Valleydale Rd Birmingham. 35242

www.BakeAndCookCo.com

April 12-13: Stadium Fest 2013. Performances by Switchfoot, David Crowder, Newsboys and other Christian artists. Free. Friday 6-9:30 p.m., Saturday noon-9:30 p.m. Spain Park High School Stadium, 4700 Jaguar Drive. Visit stadiumfest.com.

Join the world’s to end cancer.

April 13: Mt Laurel Spring Festival. Features a farmer’s market, craft fair, tour of new homes, inﬂatables, hayrides, face painting and live music. Free. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit mtlaurel.com April 13: Ready. Set Cure. 5K. Held by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Junior Board. Oak Mountain State Park Dogwood Pavilion. 7 a.m. registration, 8 a.m. race, 9 a.m. awards. $30 adults, free for children 12 and under. Visit facebook.com/pages/ ReadySetCure/351632744851331. April 18: Hoover Chamber Luncheon. Arrive at 11:30 a.m. Lunch begins at noon at the Hoover country club. $18, $20 without reservations. Visit hooverchamber.org. April 18-20: Southeastern Conference Women’s Golf Championship. Free for children. Greystone Country Club. Call 986-5120 or visit greystonecc.com. April 20: Bats of Alabama/Things That Go Bump in the Night Hike. Oak Mountain State Park. Come learn about the creatures that are active at night. This hike will take place in conjunction with Southeastern Outings. Meet at the Park Office Parking Lot on Terrace Drive at 7 p.m. Visit alaparks.com/oakmountain or call 620-2520. April 20: Walk to End Lupus. Veteran’s Park. 8:30 a.m. registration, 10:30 a.m. walk. Visit lupuswalkbirmingham.kintera.org or call Mike Singer at (615) 298-2273. April 26: Relay for Life of Oak Mountain. 4 p.m. Heardmont Park Stadium. Visit relayforlife. org or contact Paula Johnson at 918-3212 or paula.johnson@cancer.org. April 27: Italian Food Festival. Food, entertainment and activities for youth. 4 p.m. start, 4:30 p.m. mass. Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, 7340 Cahaba Valley Road. Visit feastofstmark.com or call 980-1810. April 27: Walk Me Home 5K Run and Walk. Awareness fundraiser for foster care. $30. 7 a.m. registration, 8 a.m. run. Veteran’s Park. Visit firstgiving.com/walkmehome/shelby or email Frank Burder at fhburder@gmail.com. April 27: Taste of the South. Cooking competition and food tasting. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. North Shelby Baptist Church, 4100 Belcher

Teams: Dedicated teams of friends, families and coworkers rally together to raise funds in support of those who have been touched by this disease.

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Relay For Life of Vestavia Hills High School April 20 | 12:00 p.m. Thompson-Reynolds Stadium Relay For Life of Chelsea May 3 | 6:00 p.m. Chelsea High School

Relay For Life of Oak Mountain High School April 26 | 4:00 p.m. Heardmont Park Stadium

Relay For Life of South Shelby May 10 | 6:00 p.m. Columbiana Sports Complex

For more information, call 205-930-8860 or visit relayforlife.org/bhamrelays. 1.800.227.2345 | relayforlife.org | cancer.org

May 4: Celebrate Hoover Day. Kids activities, car show, entertainment and more. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Veteran’s Park.

Community Events

April 5-7: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Four races in three days at Barber Motorsports Park. Children 12 and under free accompanied with a ticketed adult. Visit barbermotorsports.com. April 5-7: Birmingham Botanical Gardens Spring Plant Sale. Friday 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free admission. Former Century Plaza JC Penney, 7580 Crestwood Blvd. Visit www. bbgardens.org/springplantsale. April 6: Funky Fish Fry. Benefitting the Autism Society of Alabama and Mitchell’s Place. Avondale Brewery. 12:30-8 p.m. The fundraiser will feature live music, a kids area and food from Ezell’s Catfish and Urban Cookhouse. $20 in advance ($25 at the door). Visit funkyfishfry.com. April 11: First Magic Chocolate City Challenge. Disability Rights & Resources’ Junior Board will sponsor this event at Cantina Pepper Place. There will be chocolate sampling and happy hour drink prices. Proceeds will help fund the new facility in the Civil Rights District. $25. Visit drradvocates. org. April 13: Walk MS. 1, 2 or 3-mile walk; entertainment; wellness fair. Homewood Central Park. 7:30 am. registration, 9:30 a.m walk. Visit nationalmssociety.org or active.com, or email Amanda Burton at amanda.burton@nmss.org. April 13, 27: Easy Container Gardening. Free hands-on demonstrative program. 1 p.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Visit bbgardens. org. April 13-14, 20-21: Southern Region Volleyball Jr. Championships. BJCC. Competition for

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Luminaria: During a special luminaria ceremony, candles will be lit remembering loved ones and honoring those battling cancer. Activities: Entertainment and activities are planned to keep the event festive from dusk till dawn.

May 3: Relay for Life of Chelsea. 6 p.m. Chelsea High School. Visit relayforlife.org or contact Paula Johnson at 918-3212 or paula. johnson@cancer.org.

Rained-out makeup day: Sunday April 21, 12:00 - 5:00

Come support the Relay For Life and make a difference in the fight against cancer. Together we’ll stay well, get well, find cures and fight back. Relay For Life is a time to remember those lost to cancer and celebrate those who have survived. It’s a community event that supports the American Cancer Society’s mission to save lives.

Drive. Call 995-9056 or visit northshelbybaptist. org.

Mountain Brook Art Association

THOUSANDS of dresses

280 Area Events

980.8879

www.pakmailleebranch.com

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280Living.com

junior boys and girls 18 and under. Admission is free. Contact Kenneth Cain, Jr. krcj@bellsouth.net. April 15: Home School Lab: Robotics. McWane Science Center. Introduces students to what robots are and how they are used. Participants will learn robot and programming terminology, program their own robot and troubleshoot problems as they make their robot perform specific tasks. $15 non-members, $12 members. Reservations required. Call 714-8414. April 20: Brookwood Celebrates. Part of Birmingham Reads, an event that supports Better Basics’ literacy programs for at-risk students. Bring a new or gently used book to donate. There will be music and entertainment. Colonial Brookwood Village.10 a.m.-2 p.m. Visit birminghamreads.com. April 20: Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama Presents Garden Art Party. Even will feature auction of artwork created by Alzheimer’s patients. 7-10 p.m. $95 admission. Ted’s Garage. Call 871-7979 or visit alzca.org. April 20: Mountain Brook Art Association 32nd Spring Art Festival. Crestline Elementary School Athletic Field, 25 Vine Street. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. If it rains, the event will take place April 21 from 12-5 p.m. Visit mountainbrookartassociation.com. April 20: Walk to End Lupus. Veteran’s Park. 8:30 a.m. registration, 10:30 a.m. walk. Visit lupuswalkbirmingham.kintera. org or call Mike Singer at (615) 298-2273. April 20-May 2: Decorator’s ShowHouse. $20. 2082 Royal Fern Lane, Hoover. A shuttle will pick up at Riverchase United Methodist. MondayFriday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 2-6 p.m. Visit ShowHouse-Al.com. April 25: Bargain Carousel Bash. 6-10 p.m. $40 VIP, 7-10 p.m. $30 general admission. Visit jlbonline. com/?nd=bargain_carousel. April 26-28: Bargain Carousel. Annual

April 2013 31

Library 1,000-family garage sale to benefit Junior League of Birmingham projects. 10 a.m.5 p.m. $5. Former JC Penney location, 7580 Crestwood Blvd. Visit jlbonline. com/?nd=bargain_carousel. April 28: Our Mockingbird. Documentary showing. Carver Theatre. 3 p.m. Visit 50yearsforward.com/events. May 2: Legacy League Annual Scholarship Gala. Sean Tuohy, the adoptive father of Michael Oher, will be the guest speaker. Reservations required, available until April 25. Private reception at 6 p.m. and dinner, $125. Dinner only, 7 p.m., $75. Call 726-2247. May 4: Food Truck Round Up. Benefits Preschool Partners. Macy’s in Colonial Brookwood Village. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Visit preschool-partners.org or email Allene Neighbors at allene.neighbors@gmail. com.

Food All classes 6:30-9 p.m., $50 at Birmingham Bake and Cook Co.. Call 980-3661 to register or visit bakeandcookco.com. April 4: The Three Tier High Tea Service. With Rebekah Mills of the TownHouse Tea Shoppe. April 9: Get Saucy! Susan Green. April 11: Indian Street Food. Traditional Kebabs and Wraps, Mukta Josh and Himanshu Pant of Kurry Guru. April 16: Very, Very Vanilla. Susan Green. April 18: Hands-On beginning cake decorating. Shannon Lescarini. April 23: Cooking with Fresh Herbs. Ginny Barr of The Nelson Team and Susan Green. April 25: Traditional Jewish Baking. Melanie Thorn and Susan Green. April 30: Vibrant Mexican Cuisine for a Cinco de Mayo Celebration! Lori Sours of Salsa Senorita and Susan Green.

North Shelby Library Special Programming

April 6, 10-11:30 a.m. Lego Club All ages. No registration. April 8, 4 p.m. Spring Craft All ages. Registration required. March 20, 1 p.m. Homeschool Hangout: Birmingham Audubon Society Ages 8-12. Registration required. April 20, 1:30 p.m. Family Movie: Matilda Snacks served. No registration. April 22, 6 p.m. NSL Yarn Arts Hangout Open to all skill levels. No fee. All ages. No registration. Story-Time Programming Mondays, 9:30, 10:30 a.m. Toddler Tales Registration will begin one week prior to each story time. Ages 19-36 months. Registration required. Tuesdays, 9:30-10 a.m. Baby Tales Story Time Ages birth to 18 months. Registration required, begins one week prior to program date. Wednesdays, 10:45 a.m. Mr. Mac (Storyteller Extraordinaire!) All ages. No registration. Thursdays, 7 p.m. P. J. Story Time All ages. No registration. For more, contact the Children’s Department at 439-5504 or northshelbyyouth@gmail.

com or visit northshelbylibrary.org/children. html Teen Happenings Fridays, 3:30-5:45 p.m. Gaming April 11, 6 p.m. Anime Night April 18, 4:30 p.m. Young Adult Writing Group Snacks served. Call or email Kate or Daniel at 439-5512 or nsyouth@shelbycounty-al.org for more.

Mt Laurel Public Library April 3 & 17, 10 a.m. Toddler Tales Registration begins two weeks prior to each story-time. Age 3 and younger. Registration required. April 3 & 17, 11 a.m. Storytime with Ms Kristy All ages. No registration required. April 13, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Crafty Saturday All ages with parent help. Registration is not required, but supplies are limited. April 13, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Friends of the Mt Laurel Library’s Used Book Sale Find great book prices during the Mt Laurel Spring Festival. Email mtlaurellibraryfriends@gmail.com for more. Contact the Mt Laurel Library at 991-1660 or mtlaurellibrary@gmail.com for more information or to register. Register online using the Calendar on mtlaurellibrary.org.

April 2013

280 Living