Cahaba Sun June 2017

GOING THE DISTANCE Hewitt-Trussville boys take 4th at state meet. 24

Vol 2 | Issue 8 | June 2017 As Trussville As It Gets

aiming HIGHER

Middle schooler ďŹ nds archery team rewarding. 18

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ARTIST FINDS INSPIRATION

SUSTAINABILITY SOUTH OF SANITY

Pam Truitt is inspired by nature, Scripture and everything in between. 14

The Atchisons take backyard farming to the next level. 16

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PHOTO OF THE MONTH EDITOR’S NOTE | SYDNEY CROMWELL The best part of my job is that I get to interview people way cooler than me.

Visiting South of Sanity Farms this month definitely qualifies for that. I’m a big fan of goats, for one thing, so getting to meet a herd of them was the highlight of my day. But more than that, I was impressed by the way the Atchison family has fearlessly embraced the idea of their own sustainable family farm.

Despite almost no agricultural experience, they’ve taken on raising a variety of livestock, a greenhouse and producing soaps and other products to sell or use in their own homes. And the crazy part is, they make it look pretty easy — Steve Atchison said it only takes an hour or so per day to keep their little backyard (and front yard) farm running.

While South of Sanity Farms may be the story I enjoyed most this month, I also loved learning about one of Trussville’s talented young archers, as well as the brewery coming to the city.

There’s lots to enjoy in this June issue of the Cahaba Sun. We hope you’ll like reading it as much as we liked creating it.

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Trussville Mayor Buddy Choat leads the Hewitt-Trussville mountain bike team and others on the inaugural Mayor’s Bike Ride on May 6. Photo by Ron Burkett.

Publishers: Dan Starnes Scott Buttram General Manager: Matthew Allen Managing Editor: Sydney Cromwell Design Editor: Kristin Williams Director of Photography: Sarah Finnegan Digital Editor: Alyx Chandler Page Designers: Cameron Tipton Melanie Viering Copy Editor: Louisa Jeffries Contributing Writers: Rick Watson Saige Leopard Chris Megginson David Knox Sam Chandler Sales and Distribution: Warren Caldwell Don Harris Michelle Salem Haynes Rhonda Smith James Plunkett Eric Clements Layton Dudley Vicky Hager Contributing Photographer: Ron Burkett

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Published by: Cahaba Sun LLC Legals: The Cahaba Sun is published monthly. Reproduction or

use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. The Cahaba Sun is designed to inform the Trussville community of area school, family and community events. Information in The Cahaba Sun is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of The Cahaba Sun. 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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ON TAP Slag Heap Brewing Company hopes to open in October

By SAIGE LEOPARD

Joe Meadows, owner of Slag Heap Brewing Company, poses outside the site of his future brewery. The brewing house is set to open this fall at 227 Main St. Photos by Ron Burkett.

Joe Meadows could talk beer all day — the history of the India pale ale, better known as IPA, and why it can often be both strong and bitter. He can talk about the subtle differences between the varieties of pilsners, porters, pale ales and stouts and a whole other slew of terms common in the brewer’s world.

As owner of Slag Heap Brewing Company, set to open this fall at 227 Main St., it’s clear that this is a dream realized for the self-taught brewer — one that started in the Meadows’ home on the kitchen stove two decades ago. Meadows previously worked as a nursing home administrator for 25 years, and he created his business, Slag Heap Brewing Company, in 2015.

“What I love most about this business is the process of brewing,” Meadows said.

“It’s how you can manipulate four different

JUNE 2017 ingredients, and when you learn the process, you can make it exactly what you want.”

Through trial and error over the years, Meadows has learned that certain conditions must be right: Their home consistently stays a cool 68 degrees, which is the perfect brewing temperature, he said.

Also, the yeast is key, he said.

His favorite type of beer really depends on the time of year.

“I have 40 different beers in my book that I’ve brewed, but I do love Belgians,” Meadows said.

From start to finish, where it is kegged, it usually takes Meadows a little more than two weeks to brew a batch.

At Slag Heap Brewing, they will expose customers to a real variety of beer, he said.

“We will offer some Belgian beers, IPAs and a couple of beers that will be on tap year round,” Meadows said. “Everyone will be able to watch it being brewed. It’s a three to four barrel at a time system. This gives us flexibility, so we can brew two different beers in one day.”

Of course, their flagship beer, the award-winning German wheat Weizenbock, will be ever-present.

Meadows already has painted the picture in his mind: locals relaxing on the patio on Saturday afternoons sipping one of the daily creations from their neighborhood brewery that even bears its area’s namesake — Slag Heap.

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He first scouted locations in Birmingham, which has become a mecca for craft brewing, but after viewing Trussville’s master plan to revitalize downtown, he knew it was the better fit. He has enjoyed working daily in the place that will become his second home.

The building that was formerly an ice house, among other businesses, has been pared down to its bare bones. Currently, the cork insulation that was used in the ice house’s cooler area is exposed, and Meadows plans to place it in large shadowboxes for viewing. There will be subway tile added to the interior wall where the brewery equipment will be. What was the original ice house office will become the women’s bathroom, and Meadows hopes to keep the overall space character-rich with its exposed ductwork in the ceiling and existing concrete flooring.

In the coming months, the building’s interior and exterior will be aesthetically updated with coats of paint in Slag Heap’s palette of black, powder blue, gray and white, and local blacksmiths will build a few iron pieces to add as well.

Outdoor seating will be added adjacent Meadows plans to display the original cork insulation to keep the space character-rich. to the building. Indoors, they will be able to accommodate about 70 people, Meadows said, and customers can bring their own food. scored and evaluated. He has competed IPA brew took a second place award in the “This location and with all the parking nationally and placed in 24 different events. Tampa regionals of the National Homebrew area behind us, it will be a fantastic spot for Slag Heap Brewing recently took first place Competition in the Specialty IPA division. It at AlaBev’s Masters of the Brewniverse will be advancing to the finals. a food truck rally,” he said.

For more information, find the brewery on Meadows will continue competing in the competition in Huntsville with their Weizenbeer circuit where his brews are judged, bock brew, and its At My Wits End White Facebook at Slag Heap Brewing Company.

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Business Happenings

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Relocations and Renovations

The Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce recognized Christine Leonardi, owner of The Three Earred Rabbit, 209 Main St., Suite 101, as its Customer Service Award winner for April.

655-2000, thethreeearredrabbit.com

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The Trussville City Council gave Mayor Buddy Choat the go-ahead to enter a real estate agreement with Edgar’s Bakery’s parent company for the bakery to open a new location at 156 Main St. If the deal goes through, which it is expected to do, the projected opening date is early 2018. edgarsbakery.com

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News and Accomplishments

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Coming Soon

Keller Williams Realty has relocated to its new office, 219 Main St., in downtown Trussville.

661-0662, kwtrussville.com

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Panera Bread is now open at 5444 Patrick Way in the new Homestead Village shopping center. This new location marks the eighth location in the metro Birmingham area for the popular bakery-café chain.

725-7410, panerabread.com

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Old Springville Road, Suite 101.

228-0060, lhcgroup.com/locations/ala bama-hospice-care-of-birmingham

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Closings Rue21 has announced it will close its store at the Promenade of Tutwiler Farms, 1616 Gadsden Highway, Suite 100, as part of a closing of 400 stores nationwide.

655-8076, rue21.com

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CHAMBER Chamber to host annual golf tournament at Pine Tree

By CHRIS MEGGINSON

A portion of the proceeds from the tournament helps to fund the chamber’s scholarship program. Photo courtesy of Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce.

The 10th annual Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament will highlight chamber-sponsored events this summer.

The tournament is scheduled for June 27 at Pine Tree Country Club with a shotgun start at 8 a.m.

Registration is $600 per team. Each player registered will receive a $70 credit to the pro shop and lunch provided by Moe’s Original Bar-B-Q. Prizes are available for making a hole-in-one on various holes, highlighted by a $10,000 prize from Courtesy Buick GMC if a golfer sinks a hole-in-one on Hole No. 7.

“This is our 10th annual golf tournament, and it helps to fund our scholarship program,” said Diane Poole, director of the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce. “Our golfers love the fact that they get pro shop credit to spend however they like instead of getting something they can’t use or have too many of. Plus we just have a lot of fun at our tournament.”

Each year, the tournament donates a

portion of its proceeds to fund the chamber’s scholarship program, which awards an annual $1,000 renewable scholarship to a graduating senior from Trussville City Schools.

More than $30,000 in scholarship money has been awarded by the chamber in the last eight years. The scholarship is renewable for up to four years if the student maintains a “B” average.

Presenting sponsors for the tournament are State Sens. Slade Blackwell and Shay Shelnutt.

The chamber also is scheduled to host its monthly luncheon at the Trussville Civic Center June 15 at 11:30 a.m., where it will recognize its monthly customer service award recipient. The event will be sponsored by ServPro of Birmingham. For more information, or to make reservations ($17 each), call the chamber office at 655-7535 by noon on June 13.

For updated info on chamber events, go to TrussvilleChamber.com or find the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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COMMUNITY Merchants hosting ‘Third Saturday Downtown’ summer series

By CHRIS MEGGINSON Local music, classic cars and past arts are part of what downtown Trussville will have to offer this summer. The Trussville Downtown Merchants Association will host a three-month series called “3rd Saturday Downtown” – June 17, July 15 and Aug. 19.

Greg Carroll, owner of Carroll’s Pharmacy and president of the Downtown Merchants Association, said the summer series will take place rain or shine and is all about “food trucks, family and fun.”

“Basically it’s a new and improved version of what we did last August,” Carroll said.

Last summer, downtown business leaders hosted their first event with a three-hour Trussville Downtown Block Party, with food trucks and extended shopping hours. This year’s events will begin at 2 p.m. and go to 8 p.m. Both members and nonmembers of the Trussville Downtown Merchants Association plan to participate, according to Carroll.

“The idea is to promote downtown

and what all businesses and activities are offered downtown,” he said. “We want to get people used to shopping in a friendly, casual atmosphere where it’s safe to walk and bring your family down for a few hours to shop and eat and have a good time downtown.”

While food trucks will be at each month’s event at the old Sticks ‘N Stuff vacant lot (156 Main St.), each month will have a different theme.

June 17 is focused on local music and local talent. A stage will be set up at the food trucks area, while various shops are expected to have local talent present. Food vendors confirmed for the June event include Off the Hook, Eugene’s Hot Chicken and Bendie’s Cookies and Cream, which all participated in last summer’s event. Additions include Old Towne Pizza and Pop’s Cool Spot.

July 15 will be a downtown sock hop with merchants dressed in ’50s attire and a classic car show at the food area, similar to last summer’s block party.

The third Saturday in August will highlight local artists and folk crafts from the

The Downtown Merchants Association will bring a car show, similar to this one, to the downtown area as part of its summer events. Photo by Ron Burkett.

Trussville area.

“Whether it be a blacksmith, an artist or a gardener — it can be anything to do with times gone by that they’re passionate about,” Carroll said. “We want to have an educational setting throughout the downtown district and

the different merchants.”

A list of local talent and artists was not available at press time. For updates, go to Trussville Downtown Merchants Association on Facebook, or email trussvilledowntown@gmail.com.

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The Carroll Pharmacy Caring Bear mascot made an appearance at City Fest to promote the pharmacy’s bear collection drive. Photo courtesy of Maegan Reynolds.

Local pharmacy to donate teddy bears to Children’s of Alabama Carroll Pharmacy is collecting teddy bears to give to Children’s of Alabama.

The teddy bears are collected through a “buy one, give one” program. This means for every bear sold, one will be donated to children who are patients at Children’s of Alabama, at the Teddy Bear Social hosted

by Carroll Pharmacy on June 20.

Anyone can donate by purchasing a bear.

The bears will be sold in Carroll Pharmacy daily, and the goal is to collect 200 in total.

This event has been made possible through Carroll Pharmacy’s partnership with a company called Bears for Humanity, which provides teddy bears made

using only certified organic materials that are hypoallergenic. They are also made in the U.S. “Our hope is that these teddy bears will provide a source of comfort for the kids during their time at Children’s. Something to hold onto when getting shots. Something to snuggle when they are feeling really sick or scared,” Kristen Holloway, gift shop coordinator at Carroll Pharmacy, said.

Carroll Pharmacy is a locally owned and operated pharmacy with two locations serving the Trussville and Clay areas.

– Submitted by Maegan Reynolds, Carroll Pharmacy.

Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club announces scholarship recipient The Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club has announced its scholarship recipient for this year. Alan Roper, a senior at Hewitt-Trussville, will attend UAB this fall and plans to major in a health- or pharmacy-related field.

Roper’s other achievements include Eagle Scout (2015); Science Olympiad – 1st Place; President of HTHS Ambassadors; Service Association Member; and HTHS Leadership Team. He is an active member of First Baptist Church Trussville.

The scholarship, valued at $5,000, was presented at the Hewitt-Trussville Awards Day ceremony on April 28. Roper is shown in the photo receiving the scholarship award from Rotary Club President Tommy Trimm.

– Submitted by Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club.

Photo courtesy of Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club.

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City Fest

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By SYDNEY CROMWELL

bout 4,000 people gathered in downtown Trussville for this year’s City Fest on May 6.

The 37th annual festival included games and activities such as “hamster balls” and carnival rides, as well as vendors, inflatables and food.

Musical acts included several local bands, the Kool Kats, Jay Freeman, the Chris Lombardo Band, County Wyde and headliners Kari and Billy. The day closed with a fireworks show for families to enjoy.

Photos by Ron Burkett.

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By SAIGE LEOPARD

happy SEND A LITTLE

Collage artist finds inspiration everywhere

Pam Truitt creates collages and paintings out of her Trussville home. Photos by Ron Burkett.

A

rt is like an onion, or so thinks Trussville mixed media artist Pam Truitt.

“I always think — when you meet someone, you’re just seeing their outer shell,” she said. “It’s like an onion — you have to peel away the layers. Art is like that. One day you see one thing in my art, and another day you will see something else.”

She and her husband, Eric Truitt, are permanent fixtures at Alabama Art Supply in Birmingham, where Truitt has worked for 36 years. He works in the accounting sector and she handles the educational part — working with high schools in three counties — as well as purchasing and networking with local artists.

“It’s a full-time job,” she said.

“There’s no way I could be an artist full time. It wouldn’t work.”

Self-taught, a lover of collage art and acrylic paint, Truitt said she has always dabbled in various types of art dating back to her high school days.

“But now, that part of the collage in the art has to come in for me,” she said. “Sometimes it’s paper; sometimes it’s pen and ink. And I choose acrylic because I’m impatient, and it dries fast.”

Since her children are grown, she’s

JUNE 2017 downsized to her current studio in her Trussville home, where her table doubles as a workstation, with flat-file storage underneath and a dining table when family comes together. Artwork by her mentors dots her walls, and it doesn’t stop there.

“There’s a story behind every piece of art and every plant in my yard,” she said.

“That’s why I can’t move.”

One recent favorite project was born from a difficult time in her life when Truitt’s mother had an extended hospital stay. Her “She Is” series was created in honor of all the women who have crossed her path, and it is based on Proverbs 31:25.

“It was jolting for me,” she said.

“And that verse — ‘She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future’ — is all about that.”

She hasn’t produced much work since that point, she said, but is now in her season for rest and rejuvenation.

But daily, she still draws inspiration from many sources.

“It can be something I read in my devotion in the morning or something I see or hear,” Truitt said. “It can even be a woman’s colorful blouse who’s sitting on the church pew in front of me.”

She is also a true lover of nature, especially birds and trees, and those are

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displayed on her custom cards.

“I love trees. They’re so imperfect and perfect,” Truitt said. “And I will see a bird in the yard and then research it — its spiritual meaning, etc.”

On her larger pieces, she often pairs birds with unexpected items such as teacups and hats and always in a vibrant mix of colors. Her husband prints her cards in high definition, so they may be framed as artwork.

“I always say ‘just send a little happy to someone,’” Truitt said. “Put down the technology. Instead of texting or emailing, send them a card.”

As an experimental artist, she said she appreciates learning new things but always goes back to what she knows, too.

“When we get a new product in, I take it home and learn it,” Truitt said. She then gives feedback about the item to other artists.

Because part of the beauty of collage is its flexibility, she doesn’t do commissions because it’s too structured and stressful.

“If someone tells me I have to paint a bird red, I shut down,” she said. “I can’t do it.”

Her work can be found in local art shows throughout the year including ones in Homewood, Riverchase and Crestline.

For more information, go to her Facebook page at Pamela Comer-Truitt.

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Pam Truitt draws inspiration from nature, especially birds and trees.

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The Atchison family owns South of Sanity Farms, located in Pinson. Dairy goats are a main part of South of Sanity Farms, as the Atchison family drinks their raw milk and also uses it to make butter, soap and other products to sell. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

By SYDNEY CROMWELL

T

he Atchison family doesn’t have to look far to find the source of their milk, eggs and herbs. A glance out their window reveals the goats, pigs, greenhouse and more that make up their small-scale family farm.

Steve and Susan Atchison have lived in their Pinson home for 11 years. They had

no background with farm animals — Steve Atchison works in landscaping, and Susan Atchison works as a nurse at Brookwood Medical Center — before they bought a few chickens and started a garden about seven years ago.

“We keep everything on a real small scale,” Steve Atchison said. “To me this is a big learning experience.”

The Atchisons began adding to their

backyard farm because they wanted a more self-sustaining lifestyle and to teach their children — Elizabeth, Luke and Will — about the origins of their food. Plus, raising some of their own food meant a few less trips to the grocery store.

“With three kids, grocery bills are through the roof, and we try to buy organic, but if you buy organic you know how expensive that is,” Steve Atchison said.

They keep a flock of dairy goats, one sheep, chickens, ducks, pigs and rabbits, as well as a greenhouse and an herb garden Elizabeth Atchison works on as part of a school project. They’re hoping in the future to add beehives, fruits, rain barrels and to try aquaponics, a system where fish and hydroponic plants are grown together, with the plants purifying water and the fish waste providing nutrients for the plants. The kids also are

JUNE 2017 lobbying for a horse.

While the whole experience has been a learning process, Steve Atchison said it’s not as labor-intensive as a beginning farmer might think.

“Everything that we do here as far as the animals go, it can be done in about an hour a day,” he said.

Their kids are home-schooled and help out with the various chores around the farm.

“My 6-year-old Luke, to him, I guess, it’s so normal to him. He’s out there with us all the time,” Steve Atchison said. “I think he’s more a farmer than I’ll ever be.”

In return for their efforts, the Atchisons get about a gallon and a half of milk a day, which they can drink raw or make into butter, kefir, yogurt, cheese or goat milk soap and body products. They also get about a dozen eggs a day. Steve Atchison said learning to butcher and process their pigs and rabbits is one of the hardest parts of the job for him, but it also makes the family much less likely to waste any part because they know the time and care that went into that animal’s life.

“It’s just neat to go out here and to milk them, to get the eggs, and you bring it home.

You cook it; you eat it, and you can kind of say, ‘I did that,’” Steve Atchison said.

While the farm is primarily about sustainability for their own kitchen table, the Atchisons also use it as a place to introduce others to the small-scale farming concept. They host summer camps for boys to learn about

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farming with the help of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, as well as events through the year such as a pig roast and a Nativity play for families to attend.

One of the things that surprises many people, Susan Atchison said, is how little space their farm takes up. The Atchisons own about five acres, but their livestock and gardens use much less than that.

“Most people are really interested in it.

Some people think it’s kind of strange, and some people want to do it, and they just don’t know how, and they think they don’t have the time or the resources,” Susan Atchison said. “I didn’t know how to do anything, when we got married, like this. I really didn’t even learn to cook growing up.”

“We talk to people who are interested in what we do but for whatever reason aren’t going to take that leap to try it. And I’ve always been more a hands-on, learning experience guy. … For me the best education is to jump in and just start doing it, and if I tinker with it long enough eventually I’ll figure it out,” Steve Atchison said.

After adding dairy goats to their front yard, Steve Atchison began pursuing his interest in making goat milk products. They now sell soaps, shampoos, balms, lotions and more as South of Sanity Farms, both online and at events such as Pepper Place Market, Homestead Hollow and the Christmas Village Market.

Steve Atchison said the inspiration for the

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The Atchison family owns South of Sanity Farms, located in Pinson. The Atchison family, from left: Susan, Elizabeth, Steve, Will and Luke.

name came from a funny sign he saw outside a Trussville veterinarian’s office: “Everybody is somebody’s weirdo.” The phrase stuck in his mind, and seemed fitting for a backyard project started with almost no farming experience.

“It really stuck with me, and the more we

got into this, the more — even my own family — they were questioning my sanity. ‘Why am I doing this? Because it’s so much work,’” Steve Atchison said. “In my mind I felt like I was becoming their weirdo, so I figured we’re all a little south of sanity in somebody’s eyes.”

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COVER STORY: Middle schooler finds archery team rewarding It’s the sheer quiet, the mental focus and the precision of archery that drew 13-year-old Grace Bellew to the sport. Photo and cover photo by Ron Burkett.

aiming HIGHER

By SAIGE LEOPARD

“I

first got into archery when I was 8 or 9,” said Grace Bellew, now 13. “My dad got me a Cub Scout bow, and it went from there.”

As the eighth-grader progressed with her skills and built her strength, her draw weight — or peak amount of weight an archer will pull while drawing the bow — increased, too.

“When I started shooting, I got bigger and stronger,” Grace said. “Now I use a Genesis bow. The team uses this, and I started using it when I tried out for the team.”

She’s been on Hewitt-Trussville Middle School’s archery team for two years now.

“I love archery,” Grace said. “It’s fun — almost rewarding. I work so hard at it.

I don’t do any other sports, so it’s so good to have something to work at and get good at.”

The team competes against surrounding schools with archery programs once per year at the regional tournament. It’s held locally, in the springtime, and this year it was in Pell City. The team usually practices indoors during quad time, which is after second period.

Archery is a family affair, too. Grace and her mom, Gloria Bellew, practice together with a recurve bow, or a traditional-style bow with only a bow body and one string.

Grace said that knowledge of the sport leads to success, especially knowing the proper draw weight for her size.

“The Genesis comes in three sizes,” she said. “We use the original, meaning anyone can use it. You can string it to different bow heights. It’s a compound bow, with three strings, and has a 20-25 pound bow string pull back. You don’t really outgrow the Genesis bow.”

With most of her friends playing lacrosse or soccer, Grace doesn’t mind the solitary escape of archery. After the regional

tournament, if the team hasn’t qualified for the state tournament, they don’t practice as much. But Grace can often be found honing her skills at home in the front or backyard, she said, with two standard targets of her own.

Although she has no interest in hunting, Grace is no stranger to the thrill of drawing back her bow, taking aim and landing it exactly where it needs to be. She said she loves being committed to archery and the discipline it requires.

“It’s also so cool hitting a bull’s eye,” she said.

The strongest demand of the sport comes down to aim, she said, but a lot of practice helps with that. Pulling back the bow is also difficult, she said. Grace is right-handed and wears a special glove that covers the three fingers she uses to pull the bow back.

Archers have the benefit of choosing to practice indoors or outdoors.

“I like indoor and outdoor practice equally, but I do like the extra challenge of

outdoor practice with the wind,” she said.

Grace said the archery team has proven to be a great thing for her.

“Our coaches are really helpful to us,” she said. “They always have new information and advice for us. Coach [Morgan] Griffin helps a lot with aim, and I really like that, too.”

“Grace is a great leader, bringing experience through her several years of participation on the team,” said Amanda Hayes, physical education teacher and one of the archery coaches. “She has great poise, never getting rattled no matter how much pressure she is under while shooting.”

Grace was vital to the team this spring, Hayes said.

“Not only is she a great archer, but she is a great student as well,” she said.

Trussville Parks and Recreation has started a program for kids interested in archery up to the age of 18. For more information, go to trussvilleparks.org/ programs/athletics.

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SCHOOL HOUSE

leading THE WAY

Chris Bond stands next to a drone built from scratch. All the parts were 3-D printed by his students. Photo by Ron Burkett.

By SAIGE LEOPARD

D

espite his engineering projects helping people around the world and his students winning top honors across the state, a dose of humility and an easy smile are what greet visitors to Chris Bond’s engineering classroom at Hewitt-Trussville High School.

Bond was named the Alabama Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Engineering Teacher of the Year in late 2016, and HTHS Assistant Principal Joy Young was named Alabama PLTW Administrator of the Year.

Bond has been teaching for a decade and co-founded the engineering academy at the school. He uses the PLTW curriculum — the nation’s leading engineer program, and teaches Engineering Design and Development, Introduction to Engineering Design, and Principles of Engineering.

PLTW brings much to Trussville classrooms, Bond said.

“It is project-based learning and open-ended learning,” he said. “When you mesh those together, you get thinking and problem solving. Two key aspects involved are skills they need to be successful in life — no matter their occupation.

First, it gets them interested in a field to discover if it’s for them; second, it gets them to think.”

In the academy’s senior class, Bond asked students to find a problem that exists in the world and to solve it.

One student team designed a wheelchair that operates with the sound of a voice, similar to Amazon’s Echo, for

quadriplegics or those with cerebral palsy.

“It will give them freedom to move about,” Bond said, adding, “to be able to say ‘wheelchair forward’ and it moves.”

Another group is working on a project for those with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which affects the nervous system and weakens muscles. For people who have reached the final stages in life and can’t communicate, they’ve devised a “sip ’n puff” that can blow Morse code to text or display their thoughts to loved ones.

“We have projects that are grandiose-type and then there are others,” Bond said.

Those others include a makeshift kickstand for a mountain bike.

“We have some kids who love mountain biking, and mountain bikes don’t have kickstands,” he said. “It’s like the fanny pack for runners — they don’t have them because they don’t look good. The students are designing components to do a makeshift kickstand from the bike seat.”

Bond said one of his favorite projects from years past was a smart cane for the vision-impaired.

“A lot of times, the blind don’t want to ask for directions,” he said. “We designed a cane that would provide a path and can be placed on any type of medium — concrete, whatever. It would lead them to the bathroom or the restaurant, wherever.”

Another project was one for hikers that converts the movement from a trekking pole into storable electricity with use of an interior magnet. Another is a way for countries that have high levels of arsenic in their groundwater to have safe

drinking water.

“A lot of the students make me proud,” Bond said.

Many designs make it to science and engineering fairs across Alabama — beating out hundreds of others for top honors. But overall, the projects of his 125 or so students are dictated by what they find interesting or are passionate about.

There are no requirements to be in the academy as a freshman, since it’s an elective class.

“We have valedictorians and we have students with IEPs,” Bond said. “You don’t know who’s going to be successful based off grades. I have some students who might be doing poorly in their core classes, but in here, they’re doing great.

It’s just a different learning style.”

The majority of his students do aspire to become engineers, but some are future accountants or mechanics or any number of career aspirations, he said.

“Everyone has problems to solve,” Bond said. “My goal is for the students to walk away a better person, to have enjoyed learning new things, and for me to have had a positive effect on their life or who they are as a person,” Bond said.

HTHS engineering academy serves as a model school for engineering in Alabama, and Bond has been a PLTW master teacher for three years, meaning he is involved in its curriculum, development, training teachers and more.

“I don’t think I could teach anything else,” he said. “The way it’s set up, it’s so beneficial to a student. I’m totally bought into the pedagogy of how PLTW teaches the students. The premise is, ‘You’ve learned something, so now let’s apply it.’”

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HTHS to host Parent EdCamp Trussville City Schools has been actively working on a family involvement plan since December 2015. They hope their plan will increase family involvement that will result in increased student achievement, by linking the effects of family involvement on learning.

This summer, Hewitt-Trussville High School will host a Parent EdCamp on June 23. Parents may choose to attend up to five different sessions throughout the day. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and classes last from 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., with a break for lunch.

Potential topics for the day include: ► Understanding How Math is Taught Today ► Raising a Reader ► How to Keep the Love of Reading in Your Middle Grades Student ► Google Classroom ► Counseling 101 ► Neuroscience of Learning ► Drug Trends ► PACE – The Trussville City Schools

Character Education Program ► Cyber Bullying ► Transitioning from Middle to High School ► Electives and Extracurricular Opportunities for Students ► Husky Hour Information ► Round Table Discussions with Principals and TCS Curriculum Directors ► Grade Level Expectations ► College and Career Planning ► General vs. Advanced Pathways at HTHS ► Academy Showcase ► Special Education Services ► Changes in Science Curriculum 5E Model ► Digital Footprints and Photo Sharing ► New Student and Parent Orientation ► How to Help Your Child with Daily Expectations and Homework Additional sessions may be added prior to June 20. Visit the TCS website for more information.

– Submitted by Trussville City Schools.

HTHS students compete in state science and engineering fair Mackenzie Dotson and Evan Morse from Hewitt-Trussville High School traveled to the University of Alabama at Huntsville in April to compete in the Alabama Science and Engineering Fair. Their competition was students from all across the state, selected only by winning at their respective regional science fairs.

These students conducted 100 percent of their own work, gathered their own research, conducted their own testing and came to their own conclusions.

Dotson, whose project was a voice-command motorized wheelchair for quadriplegic individuals, won the Photo courtesy of Trussville City Schools. following awards: ► First place in her cate► A total of $475 in cash prizes, a silver gory (Robotics and Artificial Intelligence) medallion and more ► Boeing Company – Best in Category Evan Morse, whose project was the reducAward tion of premature death of game fish due to ► Boeing Company Grand Award – Best internal injury caused by ingested fish hooks, Innovative Concept won the following awards: ► U.S. Army Special Award ► First place in his category (Materials ► U.S. Army – Most Outstanding Senior Engineering) Project ► Tennessee Valley Association – Most ► Outstanding Project – IEEE Huntsville Outstanding Project ► Armed Forces Communications and ► Boeing Company – Best in Category Electronics Association Special Award Award ► Greater Huntsville Rotary Club ► A total of $150 in cash prizes Special Award – Submitted by Trussville City Schools.

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Magnolia Elementary receives playground equipment

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Photo courtesy of Trussville City Schools.

In late April, Magnolia Elementary held a ribbon- cutting ceremony for the installation of new playground equipment. The school’s

parent-teacher organization raised the funds to purchase new basketball goals and a fun ball goal.

– Submitted by Trussville City Schools.

Superintendent Pattie Neill at a Trussville Board of Education meeting.

Photo courtesy of Trussville City Schools.

HTMS dance team announces 2017-18 members

Superintendent awarded Auburn Outstanding Alumni Educator

The members of next year’s middle school dance team are, from left to right: Top: Sara Tandy Christopher, Peyton Hendon, Sara Crawford, Phoebe Greene, Megan Zielke, Sarah Kate Swann, Miller Smith. Middle: Molly Bruno, Bella Sahagun, Maddie Corbitt, Landry Motley, Payton Tice, Marissa Dunn, Brianna Plant. Bottom: Shea Boeker, Anne Stewart Rogers, Sara Kate Lombardo, Savannah Limbaugh, Kalea Townes, Elyse Box, (Not pictured: Sydney Davidson.)

– Submitted by Trussville City Schools.

Trussville City Schools Superintendent Pattie Neill recently received Auburn University’s Outstanding Alumni Educator award.

Jay Jacobs, Auburn’s director of athletics, said: “In her current role as superintendent of Trussville City Schools, Pattie continues to embody Auburn’s highest ideals. She models servant leadership, impeccable character and an outstanding work ethic.

Photo courtesy of Trussville City Schools.

Many current superintendents in the state of Alabama were trained by Pattie at Samford University. She enjoys watching the success of her adult students perform at the highest level of leadership in public school education. She continues to be a mentor to those superintendents who were her former graduate students.”

– Submitted by Trussville City Schools.

As

Trussville as it gets.

Advertise with us, and tell your story to all of Trussville. matthew@starnespublishing.com | 205-313-1780

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SPORTS Husky offense leads spring win over Cordova

By DAVID KNOX Hewitt-Trussville’s offense was missing Connor Adair, Noah Igbinoghene and Grayson Cash.

What it wasn’t missing from last season was a beat.

The Huskies’ offense seemingly picked up where last year’s record-setting offense left off with a 45-26 win over Cordova, Tennessee, in their spring game at Jacksonville State University on May 13.

Quarterback Paul Tyson, who will be a junior in the fall, threw a pair of first-quarter touchdown passes as the Huskies had a three-TD lead before Cordova could manage a first down. Tyson hit Malachi Moore for an 11-yard TD pass to end a 65-yard drive.

After a 3-and-out for the Huskies defense, Tyson found rising sophomore Dazalin Worsham behind everyone for a 59-yard strike.

After another 3-and-out, quarterback Grey Ryle ended a drive with a 7-yard run. Parker Colburn’s third extra point made it 21-0.

Cordova managed a score, but Hewitt answered with Colburn’s 27-yard field goal.

Cordova cut it to 24-14 before Tyson unloaded a strike again to Worsham for a 48-yard score.

The half ended 31-14, Hewitt.

The defense gave up a few plays, but Simon Miskelley was especially disruptive from his middle linebacker spot in the first half.

Elliott McElwain had a solid day running and catching the ball and Antonio Reed showed flashes of tough running.

In the second half, which was two 10-minute quarters, Cordova scored first and Hewitt had a 55-yard TD pass from Tyson to Logan Pitts called back for ineligible receiver downfield.

But Tyson and Pitts hooked up again for a big play down to the 3, and Cameron Bledsoe took it home for a 38-20 Huskies lead after three periods.

The Huskies gave up a long TD pass early in the fourth to Cordova — which went 12-2 last season and lost in the Tennessee Class 6A semifinals. But the Huskies added an 8-yard run by Reed for the 45-26 finals.

“Paul came out here and threw the ball well; there weren’t a whole of lot of drops,” Hewitt-Trussville coach Josh Floyd said. “Our

Hewitt-Trussville wide receiver Logan Pitts is shown in a playoff game last season against Oak Mountain. Pitts had a solid day in the Huskies’ spring game May 13.

Photo by Todd Lester.

guys made some plays and we showed our speed at wide receiver. Dazalin had a big day, Malachi had a big day, Pitts a long TD catch called back. Big problem offensively is, we had two touchdowns called back. That’ll cost you in a big game.”

Defensively, Floyd said, “We gave up some big plays, we took some chances. Simon [Miskelley] did great, Simon’s had a phenomenal spring. He’s one of the best linebackers in the state of Alabama. I was pleased with how he did this spring and he just keeps getting better.”

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FLYING

HIGH

Hewitt-Trussville boys take 4th at state meet By: SAM CHANDLER

Noah Igbinoghene competes in the second day of the AHSAA Class 4A-7A state outdoor track and field championships May 5, at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex in Gulf Shores. Photos by Sarah Finnegan.

Milan Brown competes in the first day of the AHSAA Class 4A-7A state outdoor track and field championships May 4.

placed third in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs and finished eighth in the 800 meters.

After the Hewitt-Trussville High School Ngaruiya kept himself in title contention boys track and field team earned a runner-up until the closing stretches of the two longer finish at February’s Class 7A state indoor meet, races. He ran 4:22.51 in the 1,600 and 9:29.2 head coach David Dobbs kept getting asked the in the 3,200. same question.

“Being All-State in every race, yeah, I’m Could the Huskies do it again outdoors? really excited about that,” Ngaruiya said.

“I’m like, ‘It’s a whole different animal Junior Jake Diggs also scored critical points — not different events, but more of them,” for his team. He ran 48.77 to finish second in Dobbs recalled saying. “I said, ‘If we get top the 400-meter dash. Stone Shelnutt placed five, I’ll be happy.’” seventh in the 300-meter hurdles, an event Consider his team’s fourth-place finish in which the Hewitt-Trussville girls excelled at the 7A state outdoor meet a victory. The as well.

Hewitt-Trussville boys totaled 47 points Jada Jenkins and Aubrey Mavin placed during the May 4-6 meet at the Gulf Shores third and fifth in the 300 hurdles, helping Sportsplex to cement their top-five spot. lead their team to an eighth-place finish.

Hoover won with 104.

Hewitt-Trussville tallied 32 points. Hoover “We got points accumulated 128.5 to where we thought,” clinch the team title Dobbs said. “We for a sixth consecualways want a few tive year.

We’ve had a great more, but we came Hope Igbinoghene, in and everybody that Noah Igbinoghene’s meet, great kids. They came in we thought sister, propelled her did what they were was going to score, Huskies to the top 10 supposed to do. scored. You can’t ask showing. She finished for any more than DAVID DOBBS second in the 100that.” meter dash and fifth Noah Igbinoghene in the 200-meter dash. led the charge, col“Everything’s startlecting nearly half of his team’s points. The ing to come together,” Dobbs said. “She’s Hewitt-Trussville senior won the long and starting to mature, and she’s starting to triple jumps and took seventh in the 100- believe that she can be with these girls.” meter dash.

Hope Igbinoghene, a sophomore, clocked His triumphs didn’t come without drama. times of 12.28 (100) and 24.79 (200) seconds Igbinoghene waited until his sixth and in her signature events. She also contributed final long jump attempt to clinch the title. to Hewitt-Trussville’s fifth-place 4x100-meAmid blustery conditions, he leaped 23 feet, ter relay team.

11 inches. Murphy’s Maurice Robinson had Mavin, the 300 hurdler, added to her team’s jumped 23-8.5 earlier in the competition and total by snagging fifth place in the 100-meter finished runner-up. hurdles. Josie Lyster finished seventh in Igbinoghene also saved his best for last in the javelin. the triple jump. He soared 49-10.5 on his final “We’ve had a great meet, great kids,” attempt, breaking the 7A state-meet record for Dobbs said. “They did what they were supthe third time in 20 minutes. He surpassed the posed to do.” previous record of 48-7.75 — set in 2016 by Huntsville’s Michael Wiggins — on his third 6A LOCALS STAND OUT leap. He then extended that mark twice in his While Hewitt-Trussville battled in 7A, a final three attempts. few local standouts showcased their talent at “He’s such a technician and student of the 6A level. the sport,” Dobbs said. “I’m very lucky as Clay-Chalkville’s Adrienne Lewis won in a coach to have had someone like him come the girls triple jump, leaping 37-11.75. She through our program. He’s a once- or twice- also placed fourth in the long jump. in-a-coaching-career-type athlete.”

Her teammate, Miles Chaney, flashed his Igbinoghene’s fellow senior, John skill, too. He finished third in the 300 hurdles Ngaruiya, performed nearly as well. He and fourth in the 110-meter hurdles.

“

”

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GOING THE DISTANCE After an outstanding prep career, Ngaruiya is ready for the next level

By SAM CHANDLER Tim Meacham spotted John Ngaruiya and his brother, Timothy, in a Hewitt-Trussville High School physical education class at the beginning of the 2013 school year.

The fraternal twins fresh from Kenya were hard to miss. They spoke with thick Swahili accents and ran with unmistakable rhythm.

“They were just so out of place,” recalled Meacham, a longtime teacher. “I said, ‘Kenyans run the marathon. They need to be running cross-country for Hewitt-Trussville.’”

Once Meacham relayed the news to Husky head coach David Dobbs, that’s precisely what John and Timothy did.

The rest is history.

Over the past four years, the brothers have become ingrained in the fabric of the Hewitt-Trussville program. They’ve competed in cross-country each fall and track and field

each winter and spring.

John, in particular, has excelled.

As a result, the 15-time All-State performer will continue his running career at Central Arizona College on a full scholarship. Timothy also will run collegiately for San Diego Christian College.

“I’m so excited,” John said. “Going to the next level has really been my goal since sophomore year.”

Before that, John didn’t even know he could pursue college running. In Nairobi, Kenya, where John and Timothy lived with their mother and sisters before joining their father in Trussville, athletics were separated from academics.

School was school. Sport was sport.

John discovered that wasn’t the case in the United States his 10th-grade year. As he rode with Dobbs to an indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex, he noticed that Birmingham-Southern College had a track

John Ngaruiya, who moved to Trussville from Kenya before the 2013-14 school year, will run collegiately at Central Arizona College. Photos by Sarah Finnegan.

JUNE 2017 near the edge of its campus.

John asked if it was a high school. “‘No, it’s a college,’” Dobbs responded. “‘You know, if you run fast, you can to go college for free.’”

The answer stunned John, who second-guessed his coach’s revelation. Dobbs explained to him that he would need to run not only fast, but “very fast” to secure a college scholarship. The training required to get to that level, he said, would be painful.

“He goes, ‘I’ll hurt,’” Dobbs said. “That was it. It was like the light bulb went off.”

John went on a two-and-a-half-year tear after his epiphany. In that period, he transformed from an on-the-verge standout into one of the state’s top talents. This year, he placed third or higher in five state championship races. He finished as the Class 7A state runner-up in cross-country and in the indoor 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.

That’s significant improvement for an athlete who only took up running seriously a few years ago. In Kenya, he had played soccer.

“First of all, I didn’t enjoy it because I wasn’t very good at it,” John said of distance running. “But as you continue, you love it because you become better at it, and then you get to know people who are doing it.”

One person John became acquainted with through running was Paul Barlow, a former Auburn High star John used to race frequently.

Barlow signed last year with Central Arizona.

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John sought him for advice when weighing his decision.

Ideally, John will receive a substantial scholarship offer from an NCAA Division I university after two years at Central Arizona, which is an athletically revered community college about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson.

“Apparently it’s the feeding ground of the major sports other than football — well, really softball, baseball, volleyball, cross-country and track,” Dobbs said.

“If you’re a college coach, that’s the first Juco [junior college] or second Juco that you visit.”

Dobbs originally connected John with Central Arizona’s coach through Dan Waters, head cross-country and track and field coach at the University of Alabama. Waters recruited John, but he couldn’t offer the amount of scholarship John needed. Waters knew the coach at Central Arizona and directed Dobbs his way.

John is not afraid of his upcoming location change. Timothy will only be one state over, and his parents and siblings will be in the general region. They are moving this summer to Seattle, Washington, where they have extended family.

Recently, Dobbs showed John a map to illustrate the distance he will travel in a few short months. He pointed to Trussville, and then to Tucson.

That’s a long way away, Dobbs told him. “‘No, coach,’” he replied. “‘Kenya’s a long way away.’”

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Hewitt-Trussville High School senior John Ngaruiya has earned All-State honors 15 times in his high school career.

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OPINION My South By Rick Watson

Father’s Day My dad died in May 1986. It was a few weeks before Father’s Day and the only thing I remember is that my family cried a great deal that day when we all gathered for lunch with my mom.

Up until then, I lost grandfathers and a grandmother, but nothing prepared me for the empty place in my heart left by my dad.

Even after all these years, I find myself feeling melancholy at the loss. But my father left me things that I cling to.

He felt at home in work pants. I’m not sure if he got married in overalls, but he wore them in the only surviving picture from their wedding day. Whenever he had a job to do around the house, he’d zip into his coveralls, put his work gloves in his back pocket and get after it.

When our family was young, feeding the wife and kids took most of the money, so if the car broke down, he fixed it. I remember him tapping a cigarette from the pack, and opening the top of his Zippo lighter using

the leg of his overalls. He My brother and I helped would lean his head to one him wire the house, install side, flick the flint wheel with light fixtures, hang Sheetrock his thumb and light the cigaand install the plumbing. That rette. Opening the hood, he house kept the family warm would study the motor as if it and dry for years. I think he were an ancient text. After a coined the phrase, “Just do while, he’d say, “I think I can it,” years before Nike tradefix this.” marked the concept. That’s When old enough, I something my dad taught became his designated helper. me that has served me well I held flashlights, fetched through the years.

The relationship between tools and kept a cold glass Watson of iced tea within his reach. my father and me was rocky He didn’t consider himself a after I returned from the mechanic, but when something broke, he’d Army. I grew tired of people wearing green say, “It ain’t going to fix itself.” And more telling me to cut my hair, so when I returned home after my service in 1973, I decided to often than not, he fixed the problem.

In the early 1960s, my folks scrimped go with the flow and let my hair grow. My and saved enough to buy a Jim Walter dad had a problem with that. I was young, shell home. After the sound of knocking stupid and stubborn. I got the stubborn part hammers and hacking handsaws faded, my from him, so our relationship suffered.

During that time when he didn’t say dad’s work began.

much to me, he still talked to Jilda. He adored her.

After a few years, I think we both grew weary of holding on to the anger. Afterward, it was as if we’d never had a harsh word between us.

This morning after our first cup of coffee, I heard Jilda’s car keys jingling, and I realized she had an early morning session at work today. She called over her shoulder as she walked out the door, “The fan in the bedroom is making a funny noise.”

I poured my second cup of coffee and went into the bedroom. I sat and sipped for a long while looking at the fan before saying to myself, “I think I can fix this.”

Happy Father’s Day. Rick Watson is a columnist and author.

His latest book, “Life Changes,” is available on Amazon.com. You can contact him via email at rick@homefolk media.com.

DEADLINE IS AUGUST 4 Winners will be announced in our September issue.

Category 1: Any summer fun photo Category 2: A summer fun photo displaying a copy of Cahaba Sun wherever you are To enter: Email high resolution photos in .JPG format* and captions including location, names of anyone pictured and photo credit to kwilliams@starnespublishing.com. *Four photos allowed per person.

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Trussville

5419 Camellia Lane

Real Estate Listings MLS #

Zip

Address

Status

Price

782761

35173

5419 Camellia Lane

New

$219,900

783881

35173

8490 Will Keith Road

New

$465,000

783849

35173

118 Dew Drive

New

$160,000

783539

35173

334 Glen Cross Way

New

$245,000

783537

35173

524 Willow Lane

New

$260,000

783512

35173

207 Wildwood Drive

New

$215,000

783487

35173

5467 Camellia Lane

New

$178,000

783428

35173

2927 Floyd Bradford

New

$389,900

783424

35173

3464 Floyd Bradford

New

$249,900

783421

35173

6321 Trussville Clay Road

New

$169,000

783114

35173

219 Delane Drive

New

$289,900

783274

35173

5245 Peppertree Lane

New

$289,900

783257

35173

109 Calumet Circle

New

$197,900

783006 35173

5036 Park Pass

New

$249,900

782939

35173

6271 Kidron Place

New

$389,900

782916

35173

490 Lakeridge Drive

New

$369,900

782908

35173

3155 Cambridge Circle

New

$209,900

782492

35173

770 Cahaba Springs Drive

New

$485,000

782448

35173

4204 Waterford Lane

New

$349,900

782439

35173

523 Rockridge Ave.

New

$234,900

782329

35173

7421 Old Springville Road

New

$469,900

783574

35173

109 Munger Circle

New

$369,900

782324

35173

7114 Roundstone Drive

New

$225,900

782291

35173

4630 Woodfield Lane

New

$299,900

782288

35173

4413 Parkwood Circle

New

$186,900

782273

35173

200 Choctaw Trail

New

$215,000

782207

35173

5221 Peppertree Lane

New

$319,000

782102

35173

6535 Spring St.

New

$270,000

782099

35173

4574 Trussville Clay Road

New

$267,500

782073

35173

7178 Cavern Road

New

$248,500

783761

35173

382 Vick Circle

New

$420,000

782068

35173

219 Honeybee Circle

New

$204,900

781994

35173

6255 Peregrine Circle

New

$239,900

781931

35173

8559 Highlands Trace

New

$329,561

781908

35173

6701 Heather Ridge Circle

New

$175,000

Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on May 15.

Visit birminghamrealtors.com.

219 Delane Drive

109 Munger Circle

382 Vick Circle

29

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CALENDAR TRUSSVILLE EVENTS May 27: Trussville City Pool opens. Visit trussvilleparks.org/facilities/pool for membership information.

May 29: Memorial Day. May 30-July 18: Adult softball summer league season. Visit trussvilleparks.org/programs/athletics/adult-softball.

May 31-June 4: Lifeguard certification course. Trussville YMCA. $220 per student, or $100 for lifeguards re-certifying an existing certification. Visit ymcabham.org/tv-healthyliving.

June 1: Trussville youth basketball league games begin.

June 1-July 5: Husky lacrosse camp registration open. The camp is open to new players grades 4-6 and will be held July 10, 11, 13, 17, 18 and 20. Cost is $50 per child.

Visit trussvillelacrosse.org.

June 2-15: National Senior Games.

Pickleball, basketball, tennis and table tennis games will be hosted by Trussville Parks and Recreation.

June 3: State ARPA Track Meet. 7:30 a.m.3:30 p.m. Husky Stadium.

June 3: Clay Library Summer Reading kickoff. 10 a.m.-noon. Clay Public Library. Bounce houses, face painting, balloon art, cotton candy and more.

June 5: Trussville Gymnastics summer registration opens. Visit trussvillegymnastics.com.

June 5-8: Girls youth basketball camp.

8:30-11 a.m. Hewitt-Trussville High School.

June 1: HTHS Graduation.

June 1: Trussville City Schools Athletic Foundation meeting. 5 p.m. HTHS Stadium Husky room.

June 2: Last day of school. Students dismiss at noon.

June 6-8: Summer school registration.

June 10: ACT testing. HTHS. June 12-29: Summer school session I. June 12-29: Girls basketball. 9 a.m.

Mondays and Wednesdays, 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

June 12-July 21: Pre-Team Swim Team.

6:30-7:30 a.m. Trussville City Pool. Cost is $110 per child. Registration closes June 9.

Visit trussvilleparks.org.

June 13: Zumba Kids. 10 a.m. Clay Public Library.

June 13: City Council. 6 p.m. City Hall.

June 15: Obstacle Course. 10 a.m. Clay Public Library.

June 6: Zumba Kids. 10 a.m. Clay Public Library.

June 18: Father’s Day.

June 9-11: Trussville United Soccer Club La Liga Futbol Camp. Open to ages 7-18. Visit trussvilleunitedsoccer.com.

June 19-22: Trussville United Soccer Club Skills Camp I. Open to ages 5-12. Visit trussvilleunitedsoccer.com.

June 10: CPR and First Aid Certification.

Trussville YMCA. $60 per person. Visit ymcabham.org/tv-healthy-living.

June 19-22: First Baptist Trussville Conservatory Fine Arts Camp. 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

First Baptist Church Trussville. Open to rising second-through sixth-graders. $140 per child.

Visit fbctconservatory.org.

June 10: Birmingham Academy of Martial Arts. 10 a.m. Clay Public Library.

June 12: City Planning and Zoning meeting.

TRUSSVILLE CITY SCHOOLS May 30: Paine Elementary kindergarten graduation. 6 p.m. First Baptist Church Trussville.

6 p.m. City Hall.

June 16-17: State Track Meet. HTHS Stadium.

June 22: District ED Camp. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

HTHS first floor A & B wings.

June 22: Paine Elementary Parent Champ Camp. 6 p.m. Paine Elementary north cafeteria.

Open to parents of rising kindergarteners to learn about the upcoming school year.

June 23: Parent ED camp. 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

HTHS first floor A & B wings, lecture hall, library.

June 20: Bubble Show. 10 a.m. Clay Public Library.

June 22: Storytime. 10 a.m. Clay Public Library.

June 26-29: Joyful Noise Music and Arts Camp. Trussville First United Methodist Church. Open to rising first-through sixth-graders. Cost is $25 per child. Register at vbspro.events/p/makeajoyfulnoise.

June 26-29: First Baptist Trussville Conservatory Princess Dance Camp. 9 a.m.-noon.

First Baptist Church Trussville. Open to girls grade 3-10. $70 per child. Visit fbctconservatory.org.

June 27: Magic Man. 10 a.m. Clay Public Library.

June 27: Trussville Chamber Golf Tournament. Pine Tree Country Club. Hosted by the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce. Visit trussville chamber.com/chamber-events/golf-tournament.

June 27: City Council. 6 p.m. City Hall.

June 29: Science Lady. 6 p.m. Clay Public Library.

AREA EVENTS Tuesdays: Tour Tuesdays at NSLM. Negro Southern League Museum, 120 16th St. S. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Explore the history of Birmingham at a museum that chronicles a critical part of baseball history. Group reservations are welcome. Admission free. For information, call 581-3040 or visit birmingham nslm.org.

Saturdays: The Market at Pepper Place. 7 a.m.-12 p.m. Visit pepperplacemarket.com.

June 26-29: Laying the Foundation and SSC3 training. 8:30-3:30 p.m. HTHS.

May 30-June 3: Birmingham Barons vs.

Chattanooga Lookouts. 7:05 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 12:30 p.m. Wednesday; 6:30 p.m. Saturday. $7-$14. Visit barons.com.

June 26-30: Summer Singers music enrichment program. 8 a.m.-noon. Cahaba Elementary. This summer enrichment camp is also a fundraiser for the school music department. Open to rising third-sixth graders.

Now-June 6: Third Space: Shifting Conversations About Contemporary Art. Birmingham Museum of Art, 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd. This is the first large exhibition of contemporary art from

the BMA’s own collection and features more than 100 works, including paintings, sculpture, photography and video. Admission is free. For times and other information, call 254-2565 or go to artsbma.org.

June 1: Birmingham Art Crawl. 5 p.m.9 p.m. 113 22nd St. N. Meet local artists and performers and buy their work. Visit birming hamartcrawl.com.

June 2: Alabama Symphony Orchestra Coffee Concerts: Delfs Conducts Brahms 2.

11 a.m. Alys Stephens Center. $18, $28 and $34. Visit alabamasymphony.org.

June 2: Scandalous Hair. 8 p.m. Musical stage play. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

June 2-3: Alabama Symphony Orchestra EBSCO Masterworks Series: Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. 8 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. $25-$74. Visit alabamasymphony.org.

JUNE 2017

CAHABA SUN

June 2-3: Steel City Jazz Festival. Linn Park, 710 20th St. N. downtown. Friday, gates open at 4 p.m., show begins at 5 p.m.; Saturday, gates open at 10 a.m., show at 11 a.m. Jazz players appear with some legendary R&B performers and MCs. For ticket information, call 800-595-4849 or go to steelcityjazzfest bham.com.

June 2-15: National Senior Games. Numerous venues in Birmingham area, including BJCC, Birmingham CrossPlex and UAB Campus Recreation Center. More than 10,000 athletes 50 and older will visit the Magic City to compete in 19 sports. For more information, including volunteer opportunities, call 225-766-6800 or go to nsga.com.

June 3-4: 44th Tannehill Gem, Mineral, Fossil & Trade Show. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park. $3-$5. Visit tannehill.org.

June 5: BAO Bingo. 7 p.m. Birmingham AIDS Outreach. $15-$25. Visit birminghamaids outreach.org.

June 9: “Psycho.” 7 p.m. $8. Visit alabama theatre.com.

June 9-June 13: Birmingham Barons vs.

Mobile BayBears. 7:05 p.m. Friday, Tuesday; 6:30 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday; 11:30 a.m. Monday. $7-$14. Visit barons.com.

June 9-25: “Fiddler on the Roof.” Dorothy Jemison Day Theater. 7:30 p.m. WednesdayFriday; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m.

Sunday. Red Mountain Theatre Company presents the beloved, Tony Award-winning musical about a Jewish milkman named Tevye whose daughter falls in love with a poor tailor rather than the middle-aged butcher chosen for her. $25 and up. Visit redmountaintheatre.org.

June 10: Johnny Lang. 8 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. $54-$72. Visit alysstephenscenter.org.

June 10: Chris Stapleton. 7 p.m. Oak Mountain Amphitheatre. Featuring Anderson East and Brent Cobb. $30-$75. Visit livenation.com.

June 10: Second Saturday at Sloss Walk and Talk.10:30 a.m. Garden at Sloss Quarters.

Common and Holy Basils-Tinctures and Teas.

Presented by Birmingham Historical Society.

Visit bhistorical.org.

CAHABASUN.COM

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1024 Old Walker Chapel Road, Fultondale.

Open to the public, visitors are welcome.

For more information, call Glenn Keeton at 205-902-1783 or visit olemiss.edu.

June 16: “Mean Girls.” 7 p.m. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

June 17: LOCAL: A Celebration of Everything Alabama. 5 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. Visit alysstephenscenter.org.

June 17: Gladys Knight. 8 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall. $39-$91. Visit ticketmaster.com.

June 17: Bennie Mac. 8 p.m. BJCC Theatre. $22-$27. Visit ticketmaster.com.

June 17: Southeastern Outings Kayak & Canoe Trip on Terrapin Creek. Depart 9 a.m. from Applebee’s Restaurant Trussville. For information, call 205-631-4680 or email seoutings@ bellsouth.net.

June 17-18: Tannehill Trade Days. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park. $3-$5. Visit tannehill.org.

June 19-July 16: Gypsy. Virginia Samford Theatre. 1116 26th St. S. Thursdays through Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2:30 p.m. The classic musical — based on the 1957 memoir by striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee — tells the story of a woman determined to get her daughters into show business. Tickets $30 and $35; students $15. 251-1206. virginia samfordtheatre.org June 18: “Paper Moon.” 2 p.m. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

June 23: “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” 7 p.m. $8. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

June 24: Birmingham’s Small Business Expo.

10 a.m.-6 p.m. BJCC Exhibition Hall. Free admission. Visit eventbrite.com.

June 24: Southeastern Outings River Float on the Locust Fork River. Depart 9 a.m. from the Cleveland Chevron. Call 205-631-4680 or email seoutings@bellsouth.net.

June 25: Cabaret. 2 p.m. $8. Visit alabama theatre.com.

June 11: “The Wizard of Oz.” 2 p.m. $8.

Visit alabamatheatre.com.

June 28-July 3: Birmingham Barons vs.

Biloxi Shuckers. 7:05 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 6:30 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday; 6:30 p.m.

Monday. $7-$14. Visit barons.com.

June 14-18: Birmingham Barons vs. Jackson Generals. 7:05 p.m. Wed-Fri, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday. $7-$14. Visit barons.com.

June 30: Magic City Con. Hyatt Regency, Wynfrey Hotel. Friday, 12 p.m.-12 a.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-12 a.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.6 p.m. $30. Visit magiccitycon.com.

June 15-17: National Sacred Harp Convention. 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Covered dish lunch from 12 p.m.-1 p.m. BSDA Friendship Hall.

June 30: Independence Day. 7 p.m. $8.

Visit alabamatheatre.com.

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