Village Living July 2010

Village Living

| July 2010 |

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

neighborly news & entertainment for Mountain Brook

Sam Gaston

Market Day

Sports

Lane Parke Yes pg 10

pg6

pg 12

Volume 1 | Issue 4 | July 2010

Watkins Brook flood work City Council approves amended plan underway

By Jennifer Gray

By Jennifer Gray and Dan Starnes

The City Council voted by a show of hands

On Monday, June 28 the City Council voted 4-1 to approve the proposed development known as Lane Parke.

The vote came after a year long process that involved multiple hearings, hundreds of emails to council members, and yard signs both for and against the project around the city.

After the meeting John Evans said, “We’re gratified that the City is giving us the opportunity to do this project after three years of planning.”

The ordinance passed with

July Features • Photo of the Month

2

• Living Local

4

• Restaurant Showcase

4

• Swank

5

• Kari Kampakis

7

• Summer Reading

8 14

• Andy Portera

15

• School House

16

• Renee McMinn

18

• Calendar of Events

19

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

• Mountain Brook Baptist

councilmen Billy Pritchard, Jack Carl, Jesse Vogtle and City Council President Virginia Smith voting in favor. Councilman Bob Moody was the only “no” vote. In his statement before the vote, Moody said, “This is the most important decision the City Council will or has ever made.”

Others making statements prior to the vote were City Council President Smith, councilmen Vogtle and Pritchard.

All emphasized their appreciation for the public’s involvement in the process. “The design has changed and evolved for the

better because of your comments,” Smith said.

Immediately following the meeting, Mayor Terry Oden addressed the crowd still present, speaking most directly to those who fought against the Lane Parke plan. “I know exactly how you feel,” he said, referring to his own disappointing loss in his fight against the Cahaba Village project that culminated in a failed lawsuit.

“Learn from my mistakes,” he said. “Get on board or let it go.”

Since 1995, when Hurricane Opal swept through our state -- including Mountain Brook -- flooding has been a severe and reoccurring problem along Watkins Brook. The brook is a tributary of Shades Creek and the portion that runs through Mountain Brook Village is of greatest concern.

Flooding in this area creates the potential of large amounts of property damage in the historic Village and the areas surrounding it. This area is home to many of Mountain Brook’s local businesses and is a source of the City’s tax base and revenue.

Large amounts of property damages in this area could result in a financial blow to those businesses and the City along with the potential threats to individual safety to those in that area. Finding a solution to this problem has been a top priority of the City for some time.

After Hurricane Opal, the City of

SEE FLOOD | pg 11

“The Girl With A Future” Faye Ireland Remembers the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II

By Jim Noles Sixty-five years ago, on July 4, 1945, President Harry S. Truman delivered a brief speech as his war-weary nation paused to celebrate the anniversary of its independence.

“In this year of 1945,” the President declared, “we have pride in the combined might of this nation which has contributed signally to the defeat of the enemy in Europe. We have confidence that, under Providence, we may soon crush the enemy in the Pacific. We have humility for the guidance that has been given us of God in serving His will as a leader of freedom for the world.”

But bearing the mantle of freedom’s leadership through the Second World War exacted a heavy toll. Birmingham’s Faye Belt Ireland, a member of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps during the Second World War, still attests to that.

On December 7, 1941, Ireland was a freshman Chi Omega at the University of Alabama, attending a Sunday lunch at the Pi Kappa Alpha House. One of the Pikes turned on the radio for some music; instead, they heard the announcement of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor.

“We didn’t know what to think,” Ireland recalled, “but the world changed

Faye Ireland with her granddaughter Kitty who is studying to become a nurse

right there. We knew that, with Roosevelt supplying Great Britain, there might be a war with Germany, but Japan?”

“It seems like everyone ran off to enlist,” she said. “But so many of those boys had what we called ‘white-coat syndrome’ – as soon as they saw the doctor walk in his white coat, their blood pressure rose and they failed their induction physical.”

“But they had a solution for that,” she laughed. “They’d go home and go on

a four-day diet of grapefruit and epsom salts. By the time they went back in for their physicals, they’d be so washed out and weak that high blood pressure wasn’t a problem!”

As Ireland watched her friends depart for the war, she decided that she wanted to join the effort herself. Before, she had harbored ambitions of studying to become

SEE NURSE | pg 9

$200 OFF

any Project Over $2000 must present coupon time of estimate to receive discount.

Not valid with other discounts or prior service.

Expires 8/15/10

TM

www.tpcBirmingham.com

Free Estimates

995.5559

2

| July 2010 | Welcome Friends

Village Living Photo of the Month

Editor’s Note Summer is the perfect time to catch up on lots of things…. friends, gardening, that book you have been wanting to read, or maybe you need a recommendation.

Village Living has got you covered! We have worked with Emmet O’Neal to round up the best reads this summer. Look over that story, and I am sure you will find what you are looking for. We also have gardening tips. Everyone likes plants that have a long blooming season. Don’t miss Andy Portera’s picks for the best bloomers.

All Star sports have been in full swing, and we have some of the highlights and pictures for you to see. If your child is involved in any summer sports, please

let us know if you’d like to see it here!!

And speaking of things going on around Mountain Brook, the Watkins Brook Flood Hazard Mitigation Project is underway.

Don’t miss our story that will keep you up to date on the work, street closings, and the benefits this project will bring to our city.

And who can forget that July 4th we celebrate our nation’s independence. Jim Noles has a great story on Faye Ireland and her service to our country during World War II. We applaud all those who have sacrificed so much for our country and know that we are fortunate to have so many veterans in our community.

Finally, mark your calendars for Market Day, July 24th in Mountain Brook Village. We hope everyone comes out to support our local merchants, shop the sales, and have some fun!! Hope to see you there.

Clock tower should chime

Grant Griffin demonstrates his pitching skills while en route to the 9U Spartans’ win against Vestavia. Photo courtesy of Alison Gault

Staff & Friends Contributing Writers

Alison Gault | Bama Hager | Hilary Ross Judy McDonald | Andy Portera | Kari Kampakis Michael Seale | Will Hightower | Jim Noles | Kathryn Acree

Contributing Photographers

I was just reading Village Living and noticed the clock tower at the top of the first page.

The thought struck me that the Crestline clock tower needs to be heard and I would like to offer a simple suggestion.

It doesn’t demand an expensive or complicated set of notes -- just a simple hour strike. Simplicity is the objective here (as well as the reduced cost). The volume range should include only the general village area--not loud enough for neighbors to complain. No music, no half hour noise.

Would chime from seven in the morning to

nine or ten at night.

The clock tower was a terrific addition to the history, character and image of the small village. It needs to let us know that it is there. Surely, this has been thought of before. Maybe this may serve as a reminder that it should not stand there silent much longer.

Mountain Brook Village and English village will be jealous. But that’s just too bad, they don’t have a clock tower.

Thanks, Charles Vallely Crestline

We love hearing what you think, send your coments to feedback@villagelivingonline.com

DonÕ t Forget to send your lake photos for the first annual Lake Lover’s Photo Contest

Image Arts | Alison Gault

Publisher Dan Starnes

Editor Jennifer Gray

Creative Director

Hulsey Boehme

Keith McCoy

Published by Village Living LLC

Sales and Distribution Dan Starnes Angela Morris

Journalism Intern Erica Breen

Enjoying beautiful Lake Martin: Madeline Mitchell, Henry Boehme, and Guy Mitchell

Sam Hunt, Age 5 Lake Toxawat, NC. First fish using bread as bait!

E-mail them in a jpeg file to feedback@villagelivingonline.com

Contact Information: Village Living #4 Office Park Circle, Suite 314-A Birmingham, AL 35223 313-1780 dan@VillageLivingOnline.com

Please submit all articles, information and photos to:

Erica Breen is a contributing writer from Arab, Alabama.

Erica contributes her many talents to Village Living and its sister publication 280 Living in variety of ways including writing, photography, and editing. She will be graduating this December from Samford University with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in General Business.

Jennifer@VillageLivingOnline.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 Legals: Village Living is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. Village Living is designed to inform the Mountain Brook community of area school, faith, family and community events. Information in Village Living is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of Village 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) 370-0732 or by email.

Jim Noles is a partner with the law firm Balch & Bingham, where he practices environmental law. Although the law is his vocation, history and writing are his avocations. The Mountain Brook resident and father of two is the author of several books, to include A Pocketful of History, Twenty-Three-Minutes to Eternity, and, most recently, Mighty by Sacrifice: The Destruction of an American Bomber Squadron, August 29, 1944. For more information on Jim’s books, or to contact him, visit www.jimnoles.com.

Village Living

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

| July 2010 |

3

“Your rock and stone experts”

402-2110

View hundreds of additional photos of our past work on our website:

www.OutdoorLivingAreas.net

…Healthy skin for life

• Patios & Walls • Outdoor Kitchens • Outdoor Fireplaces & Fire pits • Arbors and Pergolas Alabama G C L #43737

Jenny O. Sobera, MD Board Certified Dermatologist

General & Surgical Dermatology

Skin Care Boutique

Cosmetic Dermatology

• Adult, pediatric, and geriatric • Blue Light Therapy for precancers • Skin Cancer Screenings • Moles • Skin Rashes/Dry Skin • Psoriasis • Eczema • Rosacea • Skin Tags • Warts • Molluscum

• Laser removal of brown spots, red spots and facial veins • Laser skin resurfacingphotorejuvenation • Laser hair removal • Botox and Dysport • Sculptra, Juvederm, Restylane, and Radiesse • Treatment of leg veins • Ear piercing

• Facials- custom and acne • Silk Peel- advanced microderm • Dermaplaning • Waxing • Medical grade skincare products • Mineral powder and liquid makeup • Sunscreens and antioxidants

877-9773 2 9 0 1 CA H A B A RO A D , MO U N T A I N BR O O K VI L L A G E

WWW.VILLAGEDERMATOLOGY.NET

4

| July 2010 | Village Flavor

SALE

20% OFF SALE July 23rd - July 31st

(some exclusions apply - see store for details)

Market Day in the Village

Saturday, July 24th Additional 10% OFF FROM 8am-10am! (some exclusions apply - see store for details)

Mon-Fri, 10-5 • Sat, 10-4

2841 Cahaba Road 879-5277

all sales final! no returns! no gift wrap!

It’s like having the beach in your own backyard

CRESTLINE

SEAFOOD COMPANY

1/2 price oysters & Beer Specials

Lunch & Dinner Served Daily

Great Wine Selection

Every Saturday All Summer 63 Church Street • 637-7460

www.crestlineseafood.blogspot.com

Living the local lifestyle in Mountain Brook

By Allie Black What’s for dinner?? The proverbial phrase that gets asked over and over again all year long. To some, it’s the bain of their existence, to others it’s pure fun to cook up a new menu each week. As summer approaches, the colors are breath taking when it comes to fresh produce, and that means a plethora of ideas for the menu on your table.

More and more the trend nationally is moving towards living locally in hopes of bringing down our carbon footprint and increasing the nutrients you are eating.

Historically, many cultures embrace a local lifestyle of living for all of its advantages it brings to the table. Many Europeans revel in daily shopping and eating as they believe in buying it all fresh that day versus purchasing pre-packaged items that tend to sit for long periods of time in stores and are more regularly filled with preservatives and additives.

Oak Street’s local market

Local options in Villages With four villages bustling with opportunity right here in Mountain Brook--living the local lifestyle is becoming easier by the moment.

Assistant Manager of Continental Bakery in English Village, Jason Grover says his customers feel a big need for “connection to their food” and that’s why they do it all fresh in their French bakery.

Their customers demand the natural, no preservatives approach with all baking done the day you buy it. Plus, you are 2 steps away from the bakery; if there is ever an issue you can speak directly to the baker which gives many peace of mind for daily eating. He says, “gone are the days of wondering where your eggs, bread, fruit and veggies actually came from. Walk on in and just ask me…odds are it’s just been

SEE LIFESTYLE | pg 6

Maki Fresh & Yogurt Mountain a great combination

Maki Fresh 970-3242

|

by staff writer

Restaurant Showcase

www.makifresh.com

Yogurt Mountain 970-7778 www.yogurtmountain.com Cahaba Village Plaza

As I sat down at Maki Fresh, Dan, the publisher, looked at me and nicely said, “Just the facts. Less fluff; more facts.”

With that in mind, I must tell you that the Seared Ahi Tuna brown rice Maki bowl was absolutely exquisite.

When he first suggested, less fluff, I was sitting and eating my Edamame. I thought to myself, “I can do this; it should be relatively easy to get to the facts at a Japanese Grill; how special can a dinner here really be?” So, I pondered over the Edamame and started writing my piece in my head. I was going to express that the Edamame was fresh and crisp and a wonderful beginning to a meal.

Shortly after, an art piece was placed in front of me. I had never seen anything like it. I suddenly was presented with a brown rice bowl decorated with an array of colors.

The greens and yellows and reds distracted me from the fact that this was my dinner.

The rice was covered with golden raisins, cucumbers, sliced avocados, and slices of Tuna. The taste was as magnificent as the appearance. I couldn’t believe that this masterpiece was less than $10.

Maki Fresh also offers a variety of sushi rolls. This evening Dan chose the Crunch Crunch and the Spicy Tuna. The sushi rolls were great. But to be honest, I know that from him and from past visits. This time, I didn’t eat any of his sushi because I had no desire to share my Maki bowl.

Now for facts… As we were sitting and eating dinner, I couldn’t help but stare at some of the selections that were being delivered around us. The table behind us had a cup filled with something fried.

We stopped the waiter because we just had to know what they were eating. They had ordered fried green beans. The waiter explained that they weren’t on the menu, but they could be prepared upon request.

The girl to the left of us had ordered a Maki salmon sandwich that looked like it would be a definite must on a future visit.

After our dinner, we walked across the parking lot to visit Yogurt Mountain.

In Yogurt Mountain, the right side of the wall is filled with a row of various frozen yogurt flavors. The left wall is filled with all of the toppings: candies, cereals, syrups, nuts, fruits, granola…If you can imagine it, they probably have it.

So, here’s how it works, you choose your yogurt flavor or flavors, fill your cup with as much as you would like and then circle around to the toppings. Choose your pleasure; you can make it sinfully decadent or as low fat as possible; make it big or make it small… just know that you weigh and pay at the end.

Dan chose sinful with an assortment of chocolate candies and chocolate syrups

topping his vanilla yogurt. It tasted wonderful. I chose to explore the rich array of yogurt flavors and avoid the toppings all together. In my cup, I made little hills of different yogurts and carefully spread them in the cup with precision and purpose. I tried the blueberry, pomegranate, green apple, cheesecake, and banana pudding.

Overall, a great night at Cahaba Village Plaza!

Oops! Do you think Dan will think that I missed the boat and don’t understand about facts? Well, here are some facts for the reader. Maki Fresh was opened by John Cassimus, who is the head of the Zoe Kitchen chain and the chic sushi restaurant, Jinsei. The restaurant opened in October 2008 and serves sushi, salads, rice bowls, and mini sandwiches. And, Yogurt Mountain… Yogurt Mountain is a franchise, but we are glad that it finally made it to Birmingham!

Chefs create delicious dishes at Maki Fresh

Customers choose from an assortment of flavors and toppings

Village Spotlight

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Swank 2732 Cahaba Road 205-871-2324

|

| July 2010 |

by Erica Breen

Business Spotlight

Swank: Birmingham’s source for the latest, trendy styles Classy, elegant and great customer service. These are three things you will instantly think as you walk into the Swank Boutique. With clothing from Elizabeth & James and jewelry from House of Harlow it is a store you were not expecting to see in Birmingham. You will instantly feel at ease as your walk into the girlish, yet modern store complete with candy on a glass table and an adorable dog named Sommer.

Owned by Emily Dees Boulden and managed by Nicole Clemons Noles, Swank has been in Birmingham for four years.

As Nicole Clemons Noles says,“Mountain Brook is great, everyone knows about this place and it’s great to be able to walk everywhere and have such nice neighbors.” The owner Emily Dees Boulden has now moved to Atlanta and opened another Swank this past February, but still visits Birmingham from time to time.

Swank is a luxury boutique that carries numerous lines of clothing such as Mara Hoffman, Vivienne Tam, William Rast, shoes by Barbara Bui, and many other wellknown brands. It’s very different from other boutiques because every article of clothing is carefully picked out at specialty buyer shows. Best friends Noles and Boulden love to travel frequently to stay fashion forward and pick out unique items to sell in their stores. They

accessories available at swank

like to offer clothes that people wouldn’t think they could find in Birmingham. It’s a way for locals in Birmingham to feel like they are shopping in Manhattan. They currently even have the miniature Vivienne Tam laptop that Samantha uses in the new “Sex & the City 2” movie!

Swank caters to all ages and body types and offers something for any type of event.

Whether your spending a day at the ball park, going to lunch with friends, or dressing for a fabulous cocktail party, Swank has something for you! Customers will leave looking stylish and telling their friends about Swank.

Swank also makes sure to a have a wide price range, this way everyone can come in and leave with an item. It’s very important to manager Nicole Clemons Noles to build lasting relationships with her customers.

She considers the store and its employees, “One big happy family,” and she wants her customers to see that and come back again and again.

“I absolutely love Swank, it doesn’t even feel like a job. Retail and fashion have always been a passion for me. I love being able to tell someone they look fabulous and to see them light up with confidence because they know they truly do,” says Noles. This is why customer service is a number one priority at Swank. Ms. Noles always makes sure customers are greeted when they enter the door and that they are always happy with items they bought.

No matter your age, price range, or what you are looking for, Swank is the place for you. A boutique like no other in Birmingham you are sure to leave one happy and stylish girl.

“I absolutely love Swank, it doesn’t even feel like a job”

Nicole Clemons Noles and her dog Sommer

Constance Longworth Collection

Coming to Mountain Brook This September

F

ine Furniture. Unique Chandeliers. Decorator Rugs. Upscale Candles. Unique Gifts. In-home Design Service. Window Treatments and Bedding. Longworth Collection opened its doors in July 2007, and since then, has evolved into the premier upper-end designer businesses on Highway 280. Aside from the in-store selection, owner Constance Longworth is able to order items from many companies including Drexel Heritage, Lexington, American Drew, Lea Childrens, Bradburn, and Pulaski Furniture Companies, to name a few.

A one stop shop for everything for the home, with a guarantee that you will love all you either buy from the store or order. If not, Constance will take it back and go back to the drawing board and find the perfect item. “I want you to love everything you purchase,” says Constance.

Constance Longworth Collection 2408 Canterbury Rd.

(Next to Charlotte Woodson Antiques)

803-4040

Swank’s newest styles

5

6

| July 2010 | Village Living

Market Day in Mountain Brook Village Looking for incredible discounts and good food? Then go to Mountain Brook Village on Saturday, July 24th for Market Day 2010.

From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at least 30 stores will offer sales, specials and discounts up to 75% off. It’s a European-style sidewalk and tent sale that offers music, food and discounts. With many shops offering discounted items under outdoor tents in front of their stores, people with dogs and kids are able to enjoy the hot weather

and find bargains under the safety of the shade. Many businesses will be handing out snacks, juice and bottled water for shoppers as they enjoy Market Day. From home furnishings and novelty items to clothing and jewelry, Market Day has something for everyone! So be sure to stop by for a fun-filled day of shopping! For more information go to welcometomountainbrook.com or call the Mountain Brook Chamber at 205-871-3779.

Ladies out enjoying Market Day

LIFESTYLE from pg 4

made within hours of your arrival and the ingredients delivered earlier from a local, natural vendor.”

For the past 25 years Continental’s business has flourished in the benefits of fresh, local living, and with one quick glance around Mountain Brook, you can see the shift to follow in their footsteps quickly—with many storefronts popping up around town with a “back to basics” approach. Keeping their items the way nature intended, Indie Candy in Crestline village will not allow anything artificial in their products. “Living cleanly doesn’t mean you give up the fun,” that according to owner Hanson Watkins who goes on to say the trend to “do natural” is overpowering her business. She only opened her doors originally to utilize the space’s kitchen to make her notorious gummies--but locals thought otherwise and have been knocking down her door ever since she opened. She hopes to educate her regulars that REAL food won’t kill you and it tastes good… this as she prepares natural “Camp Boxes” with homemade Chex Mix and Muddy

Buddies for children this summer. Parents can breathe easy knowing they are 100% clean and not filled with extra yuck.

Little changes make a big difference The words “organic” and “natural” are thrown around a lot as the trend in our culture to get back to what nature intended grows. Why? A new study published just this month in the Journal Pediatrics links pesticide exposure in children to a diagnosis of ADHD among several other issues as well. Diet is a major source of pesticide exposure in children, according to the National Academy of Sciences, and much of that exposure comes from favorite fruits and vegetables. Many wonder, how can we keep ourselves and our children safe from high levels of exposure? Nationally renowned doctors are encouraging families to choose local and organic when it comes to what you are putting into your mouth, thus keeping the levels of exposure at a minimum.

Ellen Riley knows all too well the advantages of keeping things cleaner and closer to home. Working with Oak Street’s fresh market in Crestline, she tries to stick to a strict 100 mile radius for all her local

Fresh bread is baked daily at the Continental Bakery

famers calling it their “local foodshed” and is proud to say she can and does talk to her growers and knows how they are growing the foods they buy. She revels in being able to provide free range eggs from Cahaba Hill Farm in Leeds and natural cheeses from R & N farms in Clanton and Blount County strawberries. She also says “if you can’t pronounce it, put it down.” We know all our ingredients we sell here at Oak Street Market.

That’s also true for mega shopping grocery chain, Whole Foods in Cahaba Village. We have a demand for organic with our regulars says Demo Specialist, Stephanie Minderhout. The trend for going local and fresh has been gradually growing, but it’s really starting to boom now with families taking a vested interest in what exactly is in their food and where it came from. Minderhout goes on to say, “customers feel confident that our products are all natural and real food,” crediting their high quality standards where every product goes through strict testing for no artificial ingredients at all.

Organic ‘Higher Ground’ coffees, milks, teas and cereals plus on-site scratch bagels bring in locals galore at Crestline

Silver Queen at Oak Street, Yum!

Bagel. With no preservatives, additives or anything artificial, owners see 75-100 “regulars” embrace the local lifestyle, that according to Hiram Centeno.

Across the street, Chad Adams with Crestline Seafood says this trend sits well with him as most of his customers walk in his doors and say “what’s fresh today?”

They depend on his fresh fish, cold shrimp and oysters too plus ‘on site’ home made corn pudding and mom’s recipe corn bread. He says if you top it all off with a bottle of organic wine...you are all set in living the local life.

Ah yes, it’s that time of year again, when nature beckons us outside warmly and sweetly to frolic in the backyard or play in the park. With all these delicious and easy to reach places at our fingertips, you can make mealtime another wonderful excuse to get outside and enjoy eating local.

Allie Black is a Mountain Brook mother of two young children and the founder of Wholesome, which is a service for busy families looking to make healthier choices in what the eat and how they live, regardless of their budget. You can learn more at www.wholesomebyallie.com

Village Living | July 2010 |

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

LifeAct ually

By Kari Kampakis

Shiny Happy People

A picture says a thousand words, but what it doesn’t tell is backstory.

With kids, this means all the begging, bribing, crying, cajoling, blaming, and threatening parents employ in quest of a perfect shot.

There are 32 million seconds in a year, and all I want is one moment where my children shine in unison. My vain attempt to immortalize them in their finest form also serves to prove they can co-exist in peace, love, and happiness. It’s a simple request, right?

Wrong.

As a former children’s photographer, I recognize how most parents long for the same Kodak moments I do. Photos are, after all, priceless possessions. They’re a memory bank of time, reminders of things we think we’ll never forget but do. The irony, of course, is our kids could care less.

Flippant and unenthused, they endure photo shoots with moans, fake smiles, and tantrums. We have to wonder: Are they scheming against us?

It often seems so—causing the most even-keeled parents to unravel as a result.

People think other people’s kids behave better, but the true anomaly is a child who can take pictures for an hour in perfect spirits. As wonderful as it is, it’s not typical.

And it doesn’t guarantee great pictures.

Some of my favorite shots emerge in the wake of a meltdown. I always used to point this out to moms on the verge.

Right after I assured them my kids unglued me, too.

It’s true. Despite my patience with other children, portraits of my crew stir the monster in me. Our last Christmas card shoot sounded like this: “Enough with the fake smiles, y’all look constipated…Quit gritting your teeth, Sophie…Marie Claire, put your tongue in your mouth…Ella, quit jabbing your sister…Okay, nobody’s listening, no ICEEs afterward…Y’all are driving me nuts…Next year I’m hiring a photographer…!”

Year after year, it’s an excruciating process, but I tough it out. Why? Because persistence pays off. Taking pictures is like childbirth, and once a shoot “delivers,” the pain fades away. With a pretty picture in hand, I can laugh at the day’s follies, admit I’d do it again (only next time with anesthesia).

I share my experience behind the lens to encourage others to step there. Thanks to digital, it’s easier than ever to pick up the hobby. When I first started seven years ago, everything was film, and it took days to see my mistakes. Now, through instant feedback, I make corrections on the spot.

I click away without fear of lab fees. By cutting time and money from the learning curve, digital has broken down age barriers, allowing teens and even preteens to learn the ropes early.

I find this wonderful. As crucial as professional photographers are—the good ones deserve every penny—we can’t hire them for everything. One, it’s costly, and two, there’s no reason. Every family has someone interested in photography, and with a little practice, they can meet your needs just fine. Following are a few pointers to get started: Invest in a good camera. Two userfriendly options are the Canon Digital Rebel and the Nikon D90. To buy locally, visit Cameras Brookwood, known for its wide range of equipment and knowledgeable sales staff. For an online source, check out www.b&hphotovideo.com.

Find inspiration on the Internet.

Join www.ilovephotography.com for a one-stop shop of photographer websites.

The work, you’ll see, is breathtaking.

Another creative source for ideas is www. whispersphotography.com.

When photographing siblings or a group, go for “relationships.” Position people close together and capture how they relate—the way one child looks at another, a funny expression, a flash of personality.

When a moment tugs your heart, snap away.

Turn your camera. People tend to keep their camera horizontal, but turning it vertical—especially for close-ups—can yield big improvements.

Fill the frame. Zoom in on your subject; the closer the better. If your camera has a lens—28-108 mm, for example—turn it to 108 for a flattering close-up.

Watch your light. The best light is in the morning (before 10 a.m.) or afternoon (after 4 p.m.). Avoid outdoor photos in the blazing sun unless you’re in the shade.

If all else fails, go for funny. Pictures that provoke laughter are often the most unforgettable.

Above all, remember it’s better to snap something than nothing. When I look back on photos of my kids, the ones that thrilled me at the time aren’t what captivate me now. No, in hindsight I appreciate the quirky shots I hardly remember capturing: Sophie’s spiky baby hair, Marie’s Claire’s scoot, Ella’s pout, all three of them wrestling in the sand like cartoon characters.

As much as I cherish my Kodak moments, these ordinary photos are what launch me back in time. They fill in the blanks of an era come and gone.

And may not be as idyllic as a portrait, they’re every bit as special.

Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Mtn. Brook mom of four with a background in PR, writing, and photography. Contact her at kampakis@charter. net.

Antiques & Linens BR

Beverly Ruff

Birmingham’s exclusive dealer of Eva Gordon hand painted and hand sculpted plates

2417 Canterbury Road. Mountain Brook Village Monday - Saturday 10 am - 4 pm.

871-7872

7

Shoot Outside Your Box

Summer’s an ideal time to capture fleeting, care-free moments of your family. At the lake or the beach, keep your camera handy in your bag and sneak it out when no one’s looking. According to Catherine Pittman Smith, a local portrait, fine art and wedding photographer, the key is to watch kids through the lens… think and act like a child…and get down on their level—literally.

“Keep your body in motion,” Catherine says. “Squat down, lie on your tummy, lean sideways, get on stairs above the kids and shoot down—or vice versa.

Move your camera up, down, shoot from every angle. And use your zoom lens.

Zoom, zoom, zoom.”

Catherine also offers this sage advice: Act crazy; act stupid. Don’t be shy about making kids laugh. They love it and will respond.

Be creative. To get a “real smile,” ask about their favorite thing they did that day, what their most magical dream is, what they want for dessert.

1, 2, 3. Another tip to overcome the fake smile: Ask the child to look down while you count to 3. Have them look up on 3— and click quickly.

The good, the bad, the ugly. Show them what you’ve shot—and ask if they can tell the difference in a good smile and a bad one. They’ll straighten up.

Leave your comfort zone. Take your camera off “program mode” and shoot in aperture-priority mode. Shoot with a low F-stop (i.e. F5.6, F4, or lower) and purposefully throw some of your subject out of focus. This produces a more photojournalistic edge.

Rollins and Garner Wilkerson

Be spontaneous. Set your camera on continuous shooting mode. This enables you to press the shutter continually (without releasing) to get more spontaneous movement/expressions.

You’d be surprised at how fun the results are.

Tell a story. Weave photos of your kids together to tell the story of a trip to the lake or beach. Even if they aren’t pictureperfect, you’ve captured a time you can’t get back. Your children will thank you one day.

Remove all expectations. Have fun; see what you get.

Eliminate blur. When the kids are running or swimming, shoot in shutterpriority. This captures motion without blur.

Be decisive. Delete what you don’t like on the camera, download to the computer, and edit. Jettisoning bad ones upfront eliminates work on the back end.

Reduce glare. Use a polarizer when photographing near or on the water. It reduces glare and sun flare. It isn’t an expensive investment.

Catherine Pittman Smith’s studio and gallery is located at 31 Church Street. E-mail Catherine at cpsphotography@att.net or check out her website at www.catherinepittmansmith.com.

8

| July 2010 | Village Living

mudtown eat & drink 205.967.3300

3144 Green Valley Road

Cahaba Heights

www.mudtownalabama.com Buy One Entrée

GET ONE

FREE

Monday-Wednesday After 4pm

Reading and feeding This summer, library patrons are planting, watering, and weeding in the new Emmet O’Neal Library Community Garden sponsored by the Oak Street Garden Shop.

The young gardeners have planted a wide variety of delicious summer vegetables which will be tended by children participating in the library’s Summer Reading Program and harvested in the fall. A portion of the harvest will be sampled by the gardeners and the remainder will be donated to Magic City Harvest, a non-profit food recovery program that distributes excess food to organizations serving those in need.

The garden is located across from the library at the corner of Oak Street and Keely Court. Oak Street Garden Shop provides all the tools, materials and expertise necessary for the garden. Children and families can drop by to garden before and after select Emmet O’Neal Library Summer Reading programs through July 20th.

Please visit the library’s website, www.eolib.org or the Children’s Department blog, www.eolib.org/children-blog. php, for a full list of Emmet O’Neal Library Community Garden Reading and Feeding opportunities.

expires 8-31-10

Emmet O’Neal Library 2010 Adult Summer Reading Program Catch the Wave of the 2010 Emmet O’Neal Library Adult Summer Reading Program! This summer, one lucky person will win a new iPad! Earn entries into the drawing by registering for Summer Reading, attending programs, and completing bingo cards! Stop by the 2nd floor Reference Desk to register or to get more information! Call or email too!

205/445-1121 or mbholds@bham.lib.al.us!

The library is located at 50 Oak Street, 35213.

On Tuesday, July 13th at 6:30pm,

local authors Jim Reed and Irene Latham will share a program all about poetry, photography, and art. If you are interested in the arts, this will be the event for you.

As Always, we will have food and a grab bag of books for you to win! Sign up for the Adult Summer Reading Program and receive an extra entry into the drawing for the iPad!!!

The library offers a variety of regular programming year-round so check out the website for book groups, film series, computer classes and more! www.eolib.org

Jack Allison and Billy Angel of Oak Street Garden shop add vegetable plants to the Community Garden.

Summer reading picks Summer seems to be when so many of us can stop and take time for some relaxation.

Often times, this include reading a good book. If you are in search for a great read during your vacation or just love good books, look no further. Several times per year, the librarians in the Adult Department of the Emmet O’Neal Library give a presentation about new books to crowds of eager readers. If you missed the Summer Book Preview in June, never fear! Here is a list of the best of the best of currently available and forthcoming books you’ll be sure to love!

In Charles Martin’s The Mountain Between Us, two strangers charter a private plane out of Salt Lake City after their commercial flights are canceled. Midflight, over one of the largest stretches of harsh and remote land in the United States, the pilot has a heart attack and the plane crashes. Now writer Ashley Knox and Dr. Ben Payne, both severely injured, must fight for their lives in the High Uintas Wilderness.

Sweet Misfortune by Kevin Alan Milne tells the story of Sophie Jones, owner of a sweets shop and seller of Misfortune Cookies – dipped in bitter chocolate and

Readers listen in at the latest book presentation

containing messages like “Your car seems fine now, but just wait…it will eventually be a source of frustration and unexpected delay.” When Sophie’s ex-fiancée, Garrett Black, moves back to town, he is surprised by how bitter and unhappy Sophie has become and proposes a bet. Sophie takes out an ad in the local paper simply stating, “Wanted: Happiness.” If at least 100 people respond, she has to go out on a date with Garrett. If not, he’ll leave her alone forever.

Things get interesting when a reporter becomes interested in the ad and posts it in newspapers across the country.

Adrienne McDonnell bases her new book, The Doctor and the Diva, on the story of her own family history and incorporates facts about the history of fertility research into the tale of an early 20th century opera singer torn between her career and motherhood. Mezzo soprano Erika von Kessler and her husband have been trying without success to conceive a child. Their doctor is focused on success at all costs but as the years go by, Erika begins to give up on children and dreams instead of the opera stage.

If you like a little more bite to your books, don’t miss the hottest buzz

surrounding The Passage by Justin Cronin!

There are no beautiful, brooding vampires in this story of a virus leading to a plague of vampiric revenants that wipes out most of the population. A meager group of survivors, called the Colony, hide out in aging shelters that are becoming increasingly fragile as time goes by. One day the Colony is stunned to find a young girl, Amy, living outside the protection of the shelters. The race is on to find out how and why Amy shares the revenant’s agelessness, but not their mindless hunger.

This is the first book in a projected trilogy.

Aimee Bender takes an unusual approach to family in her new book, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. Nine-yearold Rose Edelstein is startled to discover that she has the ability to taste the emotions of the person who cooked her food. Even more startling to the young girl is that her mother is disguising a deep unhappiness that Rose has never before noticed but which she now tastes clearly in her mother’s special lemon cake. Life becomes an obstacle course, not only for young Rose, but for the other gifted members of the Edelstein clan in this intriguing coming-ofage tale.

In his new novel, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell takes readers on a majestic journey to a rarely visited point in history. In 1799, Nagasaki Harbor is the Japanese Empire’s sole port and window to the world, effectively keeping the West at bay. A young Dutch clerk, Jacob de Zoet, has arrived to make his fortune in order to win the hand of a wealthy young lady back in Holland. A chance meeting with a mysterious young midwife changes everything as Jacob finds his vision clouding, making rash promises, and giving in to this place of devious merchants, deceitful interpreters, costly courtesans, earthquakes, and typhoons.

James Tabor’s new book, Blind

Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth, exposes to the light of day a little known, yet incredibly dangerous, pursuit: to discover the deepest cave on Earth. Extreme mountaineering and ocean exploration pale in comparison to the thrilling adventures of these supercavers: thousand-foot drops, deadly flooded tunnels, raging whitewater rivers, monstrous waterfalls, mile-long belly crawls, and the psychological horrors produced by weeks plunged into absolute, perpetual darkness, beyond all hope of rescue, including a particularly insidious derangement called The Rapture.

It has been ten years since the publication of Anthony Bourdain’s classic Kitchen Confidential. Now the star of the Travel Channel show No Reservations is back with Medium Raw: a Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook.

Just like in his TV show, Bourdain scours a path through his own life in food and the changes that have cropped up along the way.

After the breakaway success of the Michael Lewis’ book The Blind Side and the subsequent success of the Oscar-winning movie of the same name, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy are telling the heartwarming story of their lives with Michael Oher in their own way and in their own words in the new book In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving.

As NASA’s manned space flight program comes to an end, Mary Roach is shedding light on the science of life in space and space on Earth. In Packing for Mars: the Curious Science of Life in the Void Roach takes readers right inside the sometimes quizzical and bizarre space flight simulations no one talks about, from the space shuttle training lavatory to what happens if an astronaut gets sick during a space walk.

Come by the library today and see if the book you want is in stock! The Emmet O’Neal Library is located in Crestline Village at 50 Oak Street behind City Hall.

Call (205)445-1121 or visit EOL online at www.eolib.org!

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

NURSE cover story

a lab technician. Now, however, Ireland decided to follow her own mother into the

nursing field.

“All the boys were leaving to go to war, so I figured I had to go to war,” Ireland explained. “Everybody was doing something for the war effort and I decided that I would go into nursing because that was where they seemed to need me.”

On September 24, 1943, Ireland enrolled at Cornell University Medical School’s School of Nursing, from where her own mother had graduated in 1920.

Simultaneously, she joined the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps.

“You can be a cadet nurse and it won’t cost you anything, they said,” Ireland remembered. “Well, I wasn’t going to turn that down because it was not cheap to go to Cornell!”

The U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps was a program of the U.S. Public Health Service, created by legislation which passed unanimously through Congress in the summer of 1943. The Cadet Nurse Corps was intended to not only replenish the civilian ranks of the thousands of nurses who had left civilian hospitals to join the armed forces but also to create a supply of nurses capable of further staffing those forces.

“Cadet Nurse: The Girl With A Future,” recruiting posters proclaimed. “Enlist!: A Lifetime Education Free for High School Graduates Who Qualify,” declared others.

Answering the call to duty, Ireland counted herself among the 170,000 other women who ultimately joined the Corps.

Upon her induction, she raised her right hand and solemnly pledged “to my country my service in essential nursing for the duration of the war.”

For the next three years, Ireland worked 48-hour weeks, laboring to keep a hospital running that had seen all of its own nurses deploy to the Pacific with the Army’s Ninth General Hospital.

“We didn’t have a whole lot of time

Village Living to see New York,” Ireland remembered, “but I did have my first pizza there. And I remember seeing Frank Sinatra singing in a theater. He was so skinny, I wasn’t sure if he was holding up the microphone stand or if it was holding him up.”

As a cadet nurse, Ireland received a free tuition, books, and even a small stipend for living expenses. She also received a smartlooking gray uniform, emblazoned with a red-and-white “U.S. Cadet Nurse” patch on its left shoulder.

Despite the uniform, the military aspect of the nursing program was fairly limited. Still, the nurses did occasionally drill, much to the amusement of Ireland’s fellow cadets.

“We would have to count off – one, two, three, four – and whenever I said ‘four,’” – Ireland’s genteel Southern drawl made the word the two-syllable “foh-ahh” – “all the other girls would just fall out laughing,” Ireland said. “You see, I was the only girl there from south of the MasonDixon.”

“In fact,” she continued, “I remember when I received a phone call one night from a friend from Tuscaloosa who was in the pre-flight program at Columbia University.

‘Faye,’ he said, ‘you need to come up here this weekend. We’ve been fighting the Civil War here every night and we haven’t lost yet!””

The real war, however, was never far from Ireland’s mind.

“All the boys I knew from Alabama would come up and visit me from Fort Meade before they shipped overseas,” Ireland remembered. “I could track the progress of the whole war from the V-Mail letters they would send me.”

Ireland’s younger brother Philip Belt was one such soldier. Although originally exempted from the draft due to bad eyesight, he had been drafted in 1943 nevertheless. Assigned to the Army’s 36th Infantry Division, the teenaged soldier landed at Salerno, fought north across Italy to help liberate Rome, and ultimately stormed ashore in southern France as part

Classic style...

with a modern twist!

5299 Valleydale Road

dwellings

981-7779 between Baker Lamps & Linens and Southeastern Jewelers

of Operation Dragoon.

In France, a German sniper cut Belt’s service short, shooting the bespectacled soldier in the side of the head as he carried his BAR automatic rifle forward. Only the fortuitous presence of a former brain surgeon in a forward battalion aid station saved Belt’s life.

The V-Mail letters of another one of Ireland’s acquaintances, an Army Air Forces bombardier, stopped arriving when his plane was shot down on a bombing mission over Germany. Still other letters ceased when another friend lost his life crashing his P-40 Warhawk.

There were dangers on the home front as well. Working a Saturday shift at the hospital on July 28, 1945, Ireland looked out the window as a thick morning fog cleared from the New York skyline. To her surprise, she spied the wreckage of a B-25 bomber protruding from the building’s 79th floor. Lost in the fog, the plane’s pilot had crashed into what was then the world’s tallest building.

“Ten to one there was somebody from Alabama on that plane,” Ireland said dolefully to a nearby doctor.

She did not know it at the time, but Ireland was absolutely right. The plane’s pilot, a decorated lieutenant colonel named William F. Smith, Jr., hailed from Birmingham, where he had graduated from Woodlawn High School.

The war in Europe ended on May 8, 1945; Japan capitulated on August 15, 1945.

Both events sparked joyous celebrations in Times Square.

“But I didn’t get to go to Times Square either time,” Ireland remembered.

“I was on duty. And when we landed on Normandy on June 6, 1944, I was stuck in the hospital making baby formula! It’s funny the things you remember.”

Ireland completed her initial nurse training and became a Senior Cadet Nurse on March 25, 1946, and graduated six months later. She returned to Alabama and became a Senior Public Health Nurse.

| July 2010 |

9

An example of a poster for the Cadet Nurse Corps from the 1940’s.

Photo courtesy of the National Archives

By then, however, a young Navy veteran had also returned to Alabama from his own wartime tour of duty with the U.S. Navy. Wasting little time, William R. Ireland courted and married Ireland, bringing an end to her nursing career as the two newlyweds set about to raise a family that eventually numbered five sons.

Although none of Ireland’s sons followed their mother into nursing, two of their daughters did, ensuring that the Belt nursing legacy would continue for another generation.

Looking back on that legacy and on her time as a nurse on the home front during the Second World War, Ireland’s observations remain simple ones, even as another Fourth of July approaches.

“You have to take life as it is presented to you,” she said. “Back then, we were confronted first by the Great Depression and then the war. But we stayed patriotic and we stayed unified.

We should remember that, and stay that way now.”

More than a lamp shop...

Baker Lamps & Linens Great selection of lamps & shades, custom made lamps, repairs & restoration, beautiful bedding, unique gifts, accessories and quality customer service.

981-3330

5299 Valleydale Road Just ¼ mile off of Hwy 280 Don’t Forget…BRING IN YOUR LAMP WHEN BUYING A SHADE!

10

| July 2010 | Village Living

Gaston elected President of ICMA

By Jennifer Gray

Saint Luke’s hosts Saddle Ridge Ranch VBS Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church recently held their annual Vacation Bible School. This year the theme was “Saddle Ridge Ranch: Roundin’ Up Questions, Drivin’ Home Answers.” Approximately 160 children were enrolled and each day they searched for the Biblical answer to a different question including “Who Am I?” and “How Can I Be Like Jesus?.

Throughout the week, the children brought offering money to go towards Krik? Krak!, a lunch program for school children in Crochu, Haiti. By the end of the week they had raised almost $600.00 to go to this wonderful organization!

The week was full of fun activities including crafts, recreation, silly skits by “Sherriff Rich”, aka Rev. Rich Webster and “Cowboy Chris”, aka Rev. Chris Girata and the hunt for the rattle snake! Check out the website for photos and the video, www. saint-lukes.com. Mark your calendars, 2011 VBS, June 6th-9th.

Mountain Brook City Manager, Sam Gaston, was recently elected President of the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA).

He is the first person from Alabama to have served on the organization’s board and also the first to serve as President. Gaston will begin serving as President Elect in October, then, serve as President beginning in September 2011.

He has held the position of Mountain Brook’s City Manager for 17 years. “When I took the job, I had no idea I would be here for so long. It is such a wonderful job with great people to work with. I am still motivated every day to come to work,” says Gaston.

In 1942, Mountain Brook became the first city in the state to have a City Manager. “The City Manager is the chief administrative officer of the city,” Gaston explains. “They handle all of the hiring, they help the City Council establish policy, and then they help to carry those policies out.” The benefits of this type of government structure, according to Gaston, are many. First, since the City Manager is an appointed position and not an elected position, it removes politics from the running of the city. It also allows for greater efficiency, better trained and paid employees, and more of a long-term vision for the community he says.

Gaston has been involved in ICMA, a 9000 member organization based in Washington, D.C., for many years. He served on the board as one of the three Vice Presidents of his region from 2005-2008. In order for a member to run for President, he must serve on the board, then be off the board for two years before running. Gaston said he was encouraged by several people, including some council members, to run.

The organization was founded in 1914 as the premiere organization for local government professionals. They promote best practices, strict ethical conduct, a non

Sam Gaston

political approach to local government, and professional development of its members. Membership includes not only government officials in the United States, but also in Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

As President, Gaston will preside over the board meetings of the group, regional summits, and make at least one international trip.

“I’m looking forward to representing a profession that I love so much, promoting the benefits of membership, and the importance of local government in improving the lives of residents along with promoting local services,” he said.

Israeli Teens to Entertain

Rebecca deBow & Lori Smith

The Matnas

Members of the Saint Luke’s Saddle Ridge Ranch VBS

From July 21st – 25th, community members will have the opportunity to share in a unique cultural experience. A group of talented teenagers from Rosh Ha’ayin, Israel, known as the Matnas will sing and dance at a number of local venues, including the YWCA, the Levite Jewish Community Center Summer Camp, Children’s Hospital, and Temple EmanuEl. Before the Red Mountain Theatre Company’s July 22nd production of The Sound of Music, the Matnas will join the Red Mountain Performing Ensemble in singing a compilation of Israeli and American

songs. On July 24th, the group will perform a production of their own at the Levite Jewish Community Center.

Local families will house and entertain the Israeli teenagers throughout their stay.

The Matnas, who hail from Birmingham’s Israeli Sister City, will also dine with Birmingham mayor, William Bell.

This exchange, which is partially funded by the Birmingham Jewish Federation, is sure to be an enriching one.

Co-chairs for this project are Donna Schiff and Nancy Denney. For more information, please contact Caren Seligman or Lauren Klinner at the BJF office at 879-0416.

Village Living | July 2010 |

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

FLOOD

Mountain Brook was able to secure a FEMA grant to study cover story the problem. Walter Schoel Engineering and Lehe Planning completed the initial study and identified ways to reduce the flooding in the Village, but the city had no way to fund the work.

Following Hurricane Ivan in 2004, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program set aside designated money for the state of Alabama due to the significant damage the state had from the storm. Mountain Brook put together a phased plan and applied for the funds. In April of 2006, the city was notified that it had been awarded the grant.

The total cost of the project is projected to be $6.54 million. The FEMA grant will pay for $4.3 million to $4.9 million of the project.

The project will reduce the estimated depth of the 100-year flood at the shopping center by three and a half feet. It is estimated that for every dollar spent, two dollars will be saved in property damage.

Three parts to the Project There are three parts to this project, two of which are currently underway. The timing of these projects has been coordinated as to interfere with business and shopping in the Village as little as possible.

Regions Bank Culvert- replacing this culvert, which is grossly undersized is underway now, and is supposed to be finished by November 1. This should insure that the work does not interfere with the heavy holiday shopping season in the Village. The Morris Group will do this work.

Cahaba Road Diversionunderway already, this work will tear up portions of Cahaba Road and put a culvert down which will pick up water and divert it downstream. Most of the work is to be done before school begins so it will not interfere with Mountain Brook Elementary School traffic. Rast Construction will do this work.

Montevallo Road Bridge- The portion of the project will begin January 3, 2011. It involves replacing the bridge on Montevallo Road near Regions Bank.

Traffic will be rerouted through the shopping center during construction. The work must be completed by March 23, 2011 so as not to interfere with spring shopping in the village. The Alabama Historical Commission also approved this portion of the project. The Morris Group will do this work.

Flooding Facts: October 1995- Hurricane Opal- 5.86 inches of rain falls in a 24 hour period June 14, 1999- 4.5 inches of rain falls in two hours Damage includes: $145,000 in damages to the Junior High

Hopefully this won’t happen again in Mountain Brook Village

$450,000 in damages to Park Lane Apartments Floodwater rose more than 11 feet in Watkins Brook where 35 Village businesses flooded Snakes were found in many homes and businesses September 22, 2005 5.25 inches of rain fell in 12 hours Damage included: 24 units at Park Lane Apartments flooded Many basements of single family homes in the area flooded 11 businesses in the Mountain Brook Mall area flooded This culvert looks to be undersized

Residences • Apartment Complexes Golf Courses • Commercial Properties Sub-division Common Areas • Churches Schools • Parks • And More!

Tired of constantly spreading new pine straw / mulch?

Let us extend the life of your ground cover.

Before

• Our colorant / protectant is guaranteed to make your pine straw last for 6-8 months not 6-8 weeks.

• We will supply and spread new pine straw with treatment application.

• Reduces amount of pine straw needed for future spreadings by up to 50% • Applies to current pine straw and mulch beds

After

205-601-5445

www.landscapecoversolutions.com Before

Call for a FREE estimate

11

After

12 |

July 2010 |

Village Sports

Village Sports

2nd grade Girls’ American Team enjoys All Star season All Stars game

Mountain Brook green vs Mountain Brook gold

Mountain Brook All Stars teams are organized following the Spring Recreation league’s season end. The girls’ play begin practices in mid May for the All Star season. The tournaments begin at the end of May. The girls’ All Stars play in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. This American team played in Hoover, Vestavia, Odenville and Hueytown. Every weekend in June the teams play a minimum of 4 games. The more the teams win the more they get to play.

The coaches of the American team were Greg Cashio, Stacey Gilbert, Ed Bethea and Rhett Butler. Chris Cole kept the books for the games. The players on the team were: Lucy Cawthon, Emma Hallman, Ryann Clark, Margie Cashio, Cooper Cashio, Anne Ross Bethea, Lilly Gilbert, Turner Cole, Ellie Meadows, Reaves Gardner,Abby Murphree, Molly Keller, Sara Frances Berte, and Kate Amberson. These players just completed 1st and 2nd grade. According to Meredith Cashio, mother of two of the players, “the girls have had a ball this summer!”

Coach Greg Cashio with daughters Margie and Cooper Cashio along with Coach Ed Bethea and daughter Anne Ross Bethea.

David Anderson playing 2nd base for MB Gold, and William Preston running to 2nd for MB Green.

bottom L to R: Emma Hallman, Cooper Cashio, Ellie Meadows, Molly Keller, Lucy Cawthon, Turner Cole, Margie Cashio top L to R: Anne Ross Bethea, Ryann Clark, Reaves Gardner, Sara Frances Berte, Abby Murphree, Kate Amberson, Lilly Gilbert

Margie Cashio up to bat

Worth Trammell This is Crestline 2nd grader Mac Scott getting a celebratory hug from his dad, Walter Scott, after his first ever home run. He plays for Todd Liscomb’s MB Green team (this was taken during their game against Shades Valley) Jarrett Harrison 2

Zachary “Zeke” Meadows

Joe Saia with his home run ball

9U Gold after Joe Saia homer

Village Sports

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

6U T-ball team participates in tournament

kneeling, L to R, are Heath Griffin, Will Monroe, Mac MdGowan, Alex Abele, Carter Brooks, and Jackson Abele. Players shown standing are, L to R, John Abele, Hayes Griffin, George Schofield, Wyatt Brooks, and Bibb Albright. Coaches in back are Chad McGowan and Michael Brooks.

| July 2010 |

13

Todd Russell and Wendy Prine Win 5th Annual James Sulzby IV Croquet Tournament

Mountain Brook’s 6U t-ball team participated in the t-ball tournament in Hoover.

They made it all the way to the championship game but lost to Hoover East. Here they are with their runner-up trophies.

Spartans’ 15U baseball team places first Wendy Prine and Todd Russell win the 5th Annual James Sulzby IV Memorial Croquet Tournament

First place winners in Memorial Day weekend tournament in Franklin,TnFront row- Miller Sisson, Kenny Cobb, Edward Morris, Matthew Moore, Reagan Alexander, Will Deer, John Kampakis, Patrick Collins, Coach John Moore 2nd Row- Coach Stovie Moore, Coach Matthew Centeno, Hartson Harmon, Henry Shook, William DeGuenther, Jimbo Kent, Dan Shelton, Sam Centeno, Douglass Hubbard, Patrick Sullivan, Stuart Harmon, Bobby Cope, Drew Herndon

By Michael Seale The 5th Annual James Sulzby IV Croquet Tournament, held June 19 at the Lake Wehapa home of Mountain Brook residents Dr. and Mrs. Jerry Jackson, included one of the largest fields in the tournament’s history, with 14 players all vying for the championship cup.

The tournament is sponsored each year in part by the Crestline Park Lawn Sports Society, an organization started eight years ago, and is played in honor of one of the organization’s founders, Jim Sulzby, who passed away in 2006. This year’s winners were Todd Russell and Wendy Prine.

“This has become a great event,” said Russell, who in addition to being this year’s champion, is also the CPLSS Executive Director. Russell, who graduated from Mountain Brook High School with Sulzby in 1990, said the CPLSS has continued to grow, and that Sulzby “would be proud” to see how the group has evolved.

Russell and Prine defeated Sunni

Parrish and Eddie Greenhalgh in the championship, sweeping the best-of-three series two games to none. Greenhalgh and Parrish defeated Robert Schoel and David Miller in the semi-final round, as Prine and Russell survived a close match against Keelan Parrish and Michael Summar to reach the championship.

In addition to the finalists, other tournament competitors were Matthew Jackson, Derry Crawford, David Schoel, David Fleenor, Robert Bruce and Jonathan McCain. A large crowd of guests was on hand to watch the tournament and honor the life of Jim Sulzby. Family and friends of Sulzby were treated to a day of croquet and other activities, and a barbecue lunch catered by Golden Rule was served, compliments of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Sulzby III. The Sulzby’s were on hand to present the cup to Russell and Prine, who are both first-time winners of the tournament.

Just a Chat with Wilson Love

Wilson Love celebrates a defensive touchdown against Pelham. (Photo courtesy of Image Arts)

By Will Hightower Wilson Love starred on the Mountain Brook High School defensive line for the last three years, and now has transitioned to the next level. A few weeks ago, Love headed to Tuscaloosa for his first training with the Crimson Tide. We asked him a few questions about how his life has changed, the impact of an older brother on the team, and his thoughts on next season.

Q: Describe your day-to-day schedule.

A: Wake up bright and early at 5:45 for a run. Then head to class for a few hours until about 11:30. Then eat a lot of food because

it’s not going to stay in my body much longer. After that weights roll along. After a couple of hours at the complex, I usually come back to the dorm to chill. Or some days I’ll go fishing for a little relaxation.

Then study at the academic center and call it a night around 11.

Q: What has been your biggest surprise during your time at Tuscaloosa?

A: Just the free time that I used to have that is gone now. I’m always busy.

Q: What are your favorite places to eat?

A: Buffalo Phil’s, Mugshots, and Subway.

Q: How does having Tyler there affect you? Does it give you a leg up as far as what to expect?

A: Tyler is a huge help. He has told me what to expect and guides me through the hard work out times with Scott Cochran as well. Also, my brother Harrison always has food so I make my way to his house on a regular basis.

Q: What are the staff’s expectations for you by the end of training?

A: The strength the coaches expect the D-Lineman to bench is 415 pounds by the end of training. As a player, the expectations are just to learn all the plays and be as productive as possible during practice and to the whole team.

Q: Do you come into contact with Coach Nick Saban often?

A: Well, the coaches by NCAA rules can’t be at workouts, but we had a team meeting and it went well. But since I’ve been down here I haven’t seen him much.

Q: Have any of the older players been helpful besides your brother?

A: I’ve made a ton of friends. Our class gets along very well and is really tight. Marcell Dareus, Damion Square, Josh Chapman, and Nick Gentry have really helped me out a lot over the past weeks. I really tip my hat to them and have the utmost respect for those guys.

Q: Do you have time for a social life or does football/classes take up all your time?

A: The thing about it is you have to make your own free time during the week

like going to the pool or fishing. But the weekends definitely give me some time to have some fun.

Q: Is there anything you miss about Mountain Brook so far?

A: Mother’s cooking; she was right, I would miss it. All my friends in Mountain Brook who will be down here in the fall. And all the people who touched my life during my time in the Brook.

Q: How much playing time do you think you will get? Will you be redshirted?

A: As for playing time, I’m not sure yet, it depends how I do in camp. Coach Saban doesn’t promise anyone playing time, besides Mark [Ingram] or Julio [Jones].

And I will probably be redshirted, but you never know.

Q: Who is ahead of you on the depth chart?

A: I’m a freshman, and as a freshman you really aren’t on the depth chart just yet.

There are a lot of guys ahead of me. Those guys are just something that will make me work harder.

Q: Lastly, what are your expectations for the team?

A: I’m confident we will at least win the SEC Championship again and be in another BCS Bowl.

14

| July 2010 | Village Worship

Village Worship Mountain Brook Baptist Church

By Erica Breen Mountain Brook Baptist Church is located at 3631 Montevallo Rd S. Their services are at 10 a.m., Contemporary Worship Service and 10 a.m., Traditional Worship Service. James D. Moebes is the Senior Minister at Mountain Brook Baptist.

How many members do you have? How many on your staff?

Total membership at the church is 2,012. We have 10 ministerial and 12 administrative members on staff and three maintenance workers.

When was Mountain Brook Baptist founded, and has it always been in this location? The Church was founded in April 1944 as Crestline Baptist Church and we met in Crestline City Hall and Crestline School. Later, the name was changed to Valley Baptist Church and the congregation moved into a house on Jackson Avenue, which the Church had bought and renovated to be used as a pastor’s home and meeting place for the Church. The congregation voted to change the name to Mountain Brook Baptist Church on July 17, 1944. Property was bought and the Chapel was constructed on Montevallo Road and was dedicated on January 14, 1951.

What types of outreach projects are currently the focus of your church? We are involved in many missions across Birmingham and the state of Alabama. We had major involvement in Disaster Relief for Hurricane Katrina. For the past two years we have been down to the coast five times and we went to Biloxi, and Kiln and helped repair some of the damage. We are also involved with Habitat for Humanity in conjunction with Mountain Brook High School. We have built two houses in the past year. We are also actively involved in

Mountain Brook Baptist has been at its current location since 1951

James D. Moebes Senior Minister

Seeds of Hope in Perry County.

Inside our church, the Reaching People Committee visits prospects, new members, and visitors and our At Home Committee visits members who need personal contact because of illness, confinement due to medical conditions, etc. Our Deacons also deliver informational packets to new members and visitors.

Do you have any annual events that you host each year for your members and community? Community is invited to all MBBC events. A few of these events are the Holy Week Services, Easter Egg Hunt for Preschool/Children, Living Nativity at Christmas, Outdoor picnics, concerts, Fall Festival for Children, and Vacation Bible School.

The Living Nativity started in the early 70’s and still continues to this day. It is on December 21, 22, and 23 every year with three performances each night. It has

live animals such as a cow, a donkey, sheep and even a camel. It is held on the lower parking area and viewers can sit in their car and watch the show.

Our Vacation Bible School is also very popular in the summer. We do bible stories, crafts and plays with consistent bible teaching. This year it will be on July 12-16 with a “rodeo, western” theme.

What other groups use your church facility? A few groups that use our church facility are Junior High and High School events, Adult Study Groups (book clubs, etc), Birmingham Boys Choir, Birmingham Hospitality Network, Big Oak Ranch Auxiliary.

What projects are your youth involved in? Several Projects are the First and Third Wednesday evening service projects, Sunday night worship service “The Brook”, Acteens on Wednesdays, Fall and Spring Retreats for recreation and bible study, Junior High Bible Study every Wednesday morning and High School breakfast each Friday. On June 10, our youth left to go to Kenya. In Kenya, our senior youth will be working on building and repairing many of the roads in Kenya. They will also help teach students in primary school. We have had previous members of our congregation that grew up in Kenya and we had heard of

other churches doing missions in Kenya so we were very interested.

Does your church have a Day School or full time child care programs? Yes, our Early Learning Center is birth through 5 year kindergarten. Historically, the Kindergarten program began with 143 children and a 5 day per week operation in 1982. Also, a Mother’s Day Out Program was available 3 days a week. Full time Day Care was inaugurated in 1993. Currently, our Early Learning Center has an enrollment of 135 children in Full Day and 205 students in the Half Day program.

To learn more about Mountain Brook Baptist, or to volunteer with any of these outreach ministries, visit their website, www.mbbc.org or call 205-871-0331.

Mountain Brook Baptist Church

Is Your Backyard Wild Yet? Canterbury United

Methodist Galactic VBS

Everything you need to turn your backyard into a Wild Bird Center.

Our new larger store offers the BEST selection of: • Bird Houses • Feeders • Seed • Hardware • Baths Lower Division kids enjoying their time in the Galactic Observatory

• Gifts and much more Visit our new store 2 doors down from the old location

416 Cahaba Park Circle Hwy 280 Inverness

(

Shopping center across from Chick-fil-A, next to McDonald’s

15% Off

995-2473

)

Entire Purchase

Excludes seed and suet, can't be combined with other offers, prior purchases or gift certificates.

Expires 8/7/10

Canterbury VBS 2010 was truly a Galactic Blast for the over 510 children, youth, and adult participants who took a trip on the starship Galactic Praise, June 7-11. Thanks to our stellar directors Lee Alice Estes and Amy Knight and a whole galaxy of adult and youth helpers, the children were treated to Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments that focused on God’s wonderful, incredible, amazing, magnificent, and absolutely awesome love for us. Three talking gorillas (that’s right, we said “gorillas”) accompanied us on this space trek and reminded us daily of our responsibility to be good stewards of God’s amazing creation.

Younger children enjoyed science experiments (have you ever tried to drink water upside down?) in the Galactic

Observatory, and the older kids took a field trip to the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. Hopefully, these seemingly secular experiences will help the children remember that God is the author of all creation, even to the very ends of our galaxy and beyond. He has provided all that we need (even gravity to keep us “down to earth”), and all He asks in return is our love and praise.

The Canterbury VBS Mission Project for this year was Ashlee’s Toy Closet, and the students collected over 600 gently used and restored toys to share with children who have lost their homes through natural disasters like fire or tornados. Over $350 was also donated to pay the postage to send these toys to Nevada for distribution.

Village Living | July 2010 |

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

15

More bloom for your buck

Double Knockout Rose

By Andy Portera Tired of those one and done plants that bloom for a couple of weeks then are done till next year? Everyone loves a yard in full bloom. Unfortunately, many plants’ blooming season is very short. Make your yard happy and your neighbors jealous by planting flowers and shrubs that offer an abundance of color for weeks and months on end. The following plants have long blooming periods or have unique foliage that offers a splash of color year round: Perennials Chapel Hill Lantana is a low, spreading shrub (18” tall by 2-3’ wide) that blooms yellow and prefers full sun.

It is extremely cold hardy and has been known to live through mild Winters in the Southeast.

Balloon Flower is a low-growing, profuse bloomer (blue, white and pale pink) that blooms throughout Summer. It appreciates a just a little afternoon shade in our climate.

Pincushion Flower grows to about 2-3 feet tall and is a heavy bloomer all Summer long. ‘ Becky’ Shasta Daisy was the 2003 Perennial Plant of the Year. It is a whitebloomer that grows to about 3.5 feet tall

and looks great in both formal and informal gardens.

Deciduous Shrubs Double Knockout Rose offers a ton of blooms from Spring to Fall. This shrub can grow tall (6-8 feet) and is extremely low maintenance.

Drift Rose is a lower-growing, shrub rose with a long blooming season. These roses grow to only a couple of feet tall and do great in small gardens.

Butterfly Bush is a large shrub that can grow to 10-12 feet tall. They bloom in a variety of different colors depending on the variety and are some of the best shrubs at attracting butterflies and other wildlife as it’s name suggests.

‘Endless Summer’ Hydrangea offers an abundance of blooms all Summer long.

It needs afternoon shade and grows to about 4-5 feet tall.

Evergreen/Semi-Evergreen Shrubs Encore Azalea is an evergreen shrub that blooms repeatedly from late Spring through Fall. They do best with afternoon shade and ‘Autumn Twist’ is my favorite variety.

Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’ is a compact, ornamental shrub that offers “electric” yellow foliage that changes colors with the seasons taking on a reddish-orange hue at times. In Winter, it tends to hold it’s leaves better than other Abelia varieties but it does suffer some.

‘Purple Diamond’ Loropetalum has deep burgundy foliage that is a great contrast in most landscapes. I like this variety because it keeps its color year round and is more compact than most loropetalum varieties.

Try one or more of these and you will be happy you did!

Andy Portera is the co-owner of Portera Landscape Design, which is located in the Crestline area. You can find out more about Andy and his company at www. porteralandscape.com

2010-2011 Registration Mountain Brook Elementary Auditorium Monday - July 26th 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Returning Students Tuesday - July 27th 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Open to all Students www.dancewithlauren.com

Predator Zone opens at Birmingham Zoo The Birmingham Zoo recently opened its new Predator Zone. With the unveiling, a roar of excitement resonates throughout the Zoo as this renovated exhibit gives visitors and members an up-close and personal encounter with these magnificent animals.

This exhibit features two African Lions, a 5-year-old male, Kwanza and a 4-year-old female, Akili, at the Birmingham Zoo. “The Birmingham Zoo is one of the city’s best attractions. We are so excited to have this new interactive exhibit be a part of the zoo experience,” said Birmingham Mayor William Bell. Zoo visitors will see the training that zookeepers conduct on a daily basis through commands. This exhibit is the first of its kind in the United States with African Lions. This interaction serves as another tool for zookeepers to monitor the animals’ health and well-being on a regular basis.

Predator Zone is sponsored by

Birmingha Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

“Birmingham Coca-Cola has been a long time supporter of the Birmingham Zoo and we are proud to be a sponsor of this new and exciting exhibit”, says Walker Jones, Community Relations Director of Birmingham Coca-Cola. Working with the Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative animal management organization amongst zoos worldwide, the Birmingham Zoo hopes that Kwanza and Akili will unite and create the Zoo’s new lion pride.

Predator Zone features a training area where zookeepers and visitors are on the same level as the animals. The training area is made of steel mesh with a metal roll up door in front of it. This multi-dimensional opportunity takes place at 1 p.m. daily and it provides an up-close experience to see, hear and even smell the African Lions.

Visitors can view the Zoo’s map insert and web site for any additional training session updates.

Birmingham Zoo CEO Dr. Bill Foster addresses the audience

Zookeepers interact with lions

16

| July 2010 | School House

80th anniversary Cinderella performed celebration & spring fling by Sixth graders Mountain Brook Elementary recently celebrated its 80th birthday! To commemorate this special occasion, current teachers and staff invited former alumni to attend a special open house.

As guests entered the reception, they were surrounded by artwork and literary samples of current students. The work described favorite moments while attending MBE and included well wishes for its 80th year and beyond.

In addition to creative samples by students, Barb Sullivan, contestant in

A close up of the 80th year commemorative cake is the last photo.

(L-R), 3rd graders Ruthie Jolly, Mallie Reed, Claire Collier and Adelia Collier are having fun at Spring Fling.

“The Ultimate Cake-Off” on TLC, created a spectacular scale-modeled cake replicating the school.

Festivities culminated with the annual Spring Fling event. Students and their families enjoyed good food and cool drinks on picnic blankets on the lawn while listening to upbeat tunes played by the DJ. Prizes were awarded to students in both dance and hula-hoop contests. MBE hosts this annual event to celebrate an end to another successful school year.

(L-R) are students: Davis Campbell, Carlisle Wilson, Lindsey Jane Drummond, and Miller Drummond.

The sixth grade at Mountain Brook Elementary recently presented four performances of Cinderella, a musical directed by Louisa Elmore, the music teacher.

Fantastical sets and props were designed by local artist Lucy Hollis, who has a sixth grader, Max Hollis, who was in the play.

Musical songs included “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”, “BibbidiBobbidi-Boo” and “The Tale of Cinderella”.

Cinderella, played by Charlotte McRae, is commanded by her evil stepmother, Mathilde Sharman, to wait on her obnoxious, spoiled stepsisters, Drizella and Anastasia, convincingly portrayed by Helen Camp and Sophie Barnes.

News of a royal ball where the King, Rob Pulliam, invites all eligible ladies to attend, gives Cinderella hope of a better life. As she works to complete her chores so she can join her stepfamily at the ball, her mice friends, Gus, John Gross, Jaq, Huston West, Perla, Gabby Turnbough, and Luke, Knox Taylor, make a dress for Cinderalla to wear to the ball.

When the dress is destroyed by the evil stepsisters, the Fairy Godmother, played

by Frances Patrick, comes to the rescue.

In her beautiful gown, Cinderella arrives at the ball and enchants Prince Charming, McKinnon Cox. Leaving a glass slipper behind, eventually the prince discovers her identity and they live happily ever after.

(L to R) Delia Vandevelde, Anne Kendall Outland, Ellie Polk, Ann McQueen Whatley and Virginia Winn pose for a photo.

Drizella (Helen Camp), Anastasia (Sophie Barnes), Luke (Knox Taylor), Jaq (Huston West), Gus (John Gross), Perla (Gabby Turnbough), Herald (John Lloyd Reed), King (Rob Pulliam), Fairy Godmother (Frances Patrick), Grand Duke (Marc Straus), Cinderella (Charlotte McRae) and Prince Charming (McKinnon Cox).

the evil Stepmother (Mathilde Sharman) schemes while Drizella (Helen Camp) and Anastasia (Sophie Barnes) look on.

INFLATABLES • GO KARTS • ROCK WALL • ARCADE PARTY ROOMS & MUCH MORE!

OVER 20,000 SQ.FT. OF AIR CONDITIONED FUN!

The Fairy Godmother (Francis Patrick) comes to the rescue of Cinderella (Charlotte McRae) as the mice look on

981-2696

www.iJumpinc.com

Glad the performances are over, John Lloyd Reed (Herald), Owen Ross (Stage Crew) and Rob Pulliam (King)

Annual Recognition Day

THANK YOU FOR VOTING iJump #1 PARTY PLACE IN BIRMINGHAM!

Buy One Get One FREE Buy one general admission and choose either the Go Kart or Rock Climb

For FREE!!

15% OFF

Any Birthday Party (When booked in July or August)

OR

A FREE LIMO RIDE

(

One way. When booked in July or August. 15 mile limit.

INC. OFFER EXPIRES 8.31.2010

)

INC. N.104

OFFER EXPIRES 8.31.2010

N.105

Located Just Off HWY 280. Behind Logans Road House 157 RESOURCE CENTER PKWY . BIRMINGHAM, AL

Highlands students moving up to the next grade level L to R: Leila Haikala, Nathan Sorscher, Eli Cohen, Kathryn Cotton, Dakotah Murphree, and Mrs. Garland Darden On Wednesday, May 19, Highlands Students were recognized during the Annual Recognition Day Program. Ms. Amy Torok Mendel, Head of Lower School, delivered an inspiring speech on the supportive environment of Highlands and on its high achieving students. Following the ceremony, in which many students, from elementary through middle school,

were recognized, Ms. Mendel conducted the second annual “Move-Up” Ceremony, in which students were asked to leave the auditorium seats they occupied all year with their current grade level, and move up to the seats that they will occupy when they advance to the next grade level for the 2010-2011 school year.

School House

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

| July 2010 |

17

Sixth Grade graduation Fourth Grade Cherokee Bend 6th graders had a busy and funfilled last month of school leading up to graduation.

They first participated in “mini-courses,” a learning experience unique to Cherokee Bend. The students were taught various hobbies and sports of their choosing, ranging from ping pong to Ultimate Frisbee to tennis to sewing. Then, during the last week of school, the 6th graders PIctured here during the graduation reception are Parker Bethea formed a procession for a final and David Kirkpatrick, front; standing are Morgan Brown, Creagh Goings, Madeline Barron, Catherine Fruin, Rix Curtis, walk through the halls, with Drew Smith, Kate Lanier Carter, Meghan Beck, and Molly students from grades K - 5 Rose Bloomston. clapping and cheering them on. Finally, they attended the graduation followed by a reception with faculty and ceremony, and were treated to a slideshow parents. All students left Cherokee Bend of photographs showing each student knowing they will be missed, and with lots through their years at Cherokee Bend, of best wishes as they move on to MBJH.

studies famous Alabamians Cherokee Bend 4th graders learned all about Famous Alabamians during the last month of school. Their studies culminated in a program the last week, where they presented oral reports to friends and parents dressed as their famous Alabamian.

They also collected items to display that represented something significant in the famous person’s life. Some of the famous people included Helen Keller, Booker T. Washington, Heather Whitestone, George Wallace, Hank Aaron, and Tallulah Bankhead.

Caroline Pope dressed as a Tallulah Bankhead

Second Graders study butterflies

PTO luncheon held The Cherokee Bend PTO held its end-ofthe-year luncheon recently. President Tricia Pugh installed officers for the upcoming school year, and was thanked for her dedication and service to the school during the current year. The officers installed for the upcoming 2010 - 2011 school year are President: Tracy Bragg; President-Elect: Amy Roberts; VP of Registration: Allison Weil; VP of Communication: Stephanie Carothers; VP of Finance: Michelle Kelly; Recording Secretary: Meredith Cashio; Correspondence Secretary: Jennifer Ware; Treasurer: Beth Hinson; Treasurer-Elect: Isabel Corley; and Parliamentarian: Tricia Pugh.

2010-2011 PTO Officers, seated, Tracy Bragg, Tricia Pugh, and Amy Roberts; standing, Jennifer Ware, Beth Hinson, Michelle Kelly, Meredith Cashio, Allison Weil, and Isabel Corley.

62 students graduate

Brookwood Forest Elementary Graduates Julia Bell Pope, Katie Klasing, Caroline Wagnon and Adalyn Glover enjoy their graduation celebration on May 28.

Brookwood Forest Elementary sixth grade class celebrated graduation from elementary school on Friday May 28 at BWF. Friends and family gathered to watch the 62 sixth grade students receive a certificate of achievement and completion.

A presentation of BWF memories and student photos was enjoyed by all attendees. Principal Yvette Faught shared memories from the students’

BWF years and special stories about class activities. Students, family, special friends and faculty enjoyed a reception after the ceremony. Graduates attended a graduation party at Pinetree Country Club on Friday afternoon May 28. Students swam and danced at Pinetree Country Club at the start of their summer vacation. The students will attend Mountain Brook Junior High School next fall.

Beloved custodian honored for service Mrs. Christine Bell, custodian at Brookwood Forest Elementary was honored with a reception in honor of her retirement after 20 years of service to the school. Mrs. Bell’s family and friends gathered with coworkers and BWF families on Sunday May 23 for the special presentation and reception. A DVD was prepared by BWF students and faculty and presented at the gathering. All in attendance enjoyed refreshments and visited with Mrs. Bell and her family. Yvette Faught, Principal at BWF honored Mrs. Bell with a camera and photography gear to enjoy during her retirement. The PTO presented Mrs. Bell with the BWF cookbook and some cooking utensils to enjoy during her much deserved break after years of service. Coworkers made comments during the ceremony highlighting Mrs. Bell’s contributions

Left to Right: Louise Knight, Cole Knight, BWF PTO President Amy Knight, honoree Christine Bell and Principal Yvette Faught attend Mrs. Bell’s retirement celebration at BWF Elementary School.

to BWF. She will be missed and the faculty and students wish her well in her retirement.

Pictured above is teacher Melinda Curtis with her students front, L to R, Davis White, Aaron Weil, Cooper Cashio, Charles Nicrosi, Samson Sands, Vann Logan, Sam Ryesdorph, and William Cox. Back, L to R, John Norris, Anne Ross Bethea, Jack Irby, Marilyn Joyce, Sarah Freeman, Elaine Russell, Katie Ramsbacher, Cate Jones, Cece Kelly, Trenton Stewart, Melinda Curtis, and Sibley Powell.

Cherokee Bend 2nd graders studied the butterfly life cycle during the last month of school. Each student was given a caterpillar in their classroom, so that

they could observe the transition from caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly. Their studies concluded with a field trip to the butterfly exhibit at the Birmingham Zoo.

18

| July 2010 | Village Living

The Family Dinner Table

By Renee Kampakis McMinn

“Dinner! Come to the table!”

I can vividly remember my mom calling these words to me, my brother, and my sister. It was our cue to drop what we were doing—usually playing outside with neighbors–and come eat. Dirty and starved, we’d race one another inside to the sweet aroma of her kitchen.

Over a home-cooked meal, our family would recap the day and discuss issues relevant to our lives. In typical Greek fashion, we lingered for hours—bonding without realizing it. At the time, I thought nothing about our simple tradition, but as an adult I cling to the memories. Mom’s love for cooking did more than nourish me.

It shaped who I am.

Like my mother, I love to cook. But getting my kids to sit at the table isn’t as easy as calling them inside. When 5 p.m. rolls around, I’m oftentimes in my car— not the kitchen—and if I haven’t planned ahead, dinner consists of burgers at the drive-thru or ball park chicken fingers. It’s never been harder to “schedule” a family dinner, yet there’s nothing I want more.

Times may have changed, but I haven’t.

At least not in this sense.

So here’s the question I wrestle with: How can I recreate for my family what my mother gave us? How can I make “dinner at the table” work with an on-the-go lifestyle?

According to a study mentioned in “Focus on the Family,” research shows families that eat together at least four times per week are far less likely to see their kids make harmful choices. This alone motivates me to make mealtime together a priority for our family.

I don’t have any hard-and-fast solutions, but I have found some simple ways to achieve this goal. Obviously, it helps to be organized and plan ahead. On really busy days, I often prepare dinner before the kids arrive home from school (for one idea, see “Katherine Grace’s Favorite

Shrimp”). I also take short-cuts, using store-bought Rotisserie chicken wherever possible (see “Paul’s Chicken Pockets”).

The “Early Bird Special” – which means dinner together between 4:30-5 p.m., before our afternoon/nightly activities kick in – works for us as well (assuming a snack later that night). On nights when we’re all gone until 7 p.m., we might gather for dessert, wind down together.

Whether your dishes are simple or gourmet, the point is to congregate. Eating on the run is, understandably, part of our times. But you’d be surprised how easily you can gather everyone around your table a few times each week. If you’re all early risers, maybe breakfast will work.

Whatever time you choose, it’s beneficial for both children and adults.

Following are a few weeknight favorites in my home. These low-prep dishes allow me to spend every possible minute with my family. Try them out and then break bread with your family, reconnect with the people you love the most. Hopefully you’ll look back fondly on the time you spend around your dinner table.

Katherine Grace’s Favorite Shrimp • 2 lbs. peeled, deveined shrimp (thawed if necessary) • 1 cup Hungry Jack or Aunt Jemima Original Pancake mix • 1 cup olive oil (enough to cover bottom of skillet) • Salt and pepper, optional (I do not add seasonings to this recipe) Preheat an electric skillet to 350 degrees. Add olive oil to heat. Rinse shrimp and place in a gallon-size Ziplock bag. Add pancake mix and shake bag to coat shrimp evenly. Place shrimp in the prepared skillet and cook each side until

golden brown, approximately 2 minutes per side. Drain shrimp on paper towels.

Tip: I cook the shrimp ahead of time, leave them at room temperature, and place on a cookie sheet to warm in a 300 degree oven before dinner. My kids eat them like candy!

Paul’s Chicken Pockets (Serves 4) • 2-2 ½ cups cooked chicken (short cut: Use a Rotisserie chicken) • 3-4 oz. cream cheese, softened • 1/8 cup milk • Dash of soy sauce • ¾ cup sautéed mushrooms, optional (I sauté in butter and occasionally add sherry cooking wine) • 8 oz. can crescent rolls Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a greased cookie sheet, roll out dough. Press seams of 2 triangles together to form a rectangle. Repeat process with remaining dough. Mix all ingredients and spread evenly in the center of the four rectangles.

(Hint: Prepare mix ahead of time.) Bring all corners to the center of each rectangle and pinch together.

Cook the four chicken pockets at 375 degrees for approximately 12 minutes or until golden brown. I usually serve this entrée with a salad and fruit.

Kamp’s Favorite Pork Tenderloin • 2 pork tenderloins • 1 packed cup brown sugar, divided • 1/4 cup olive oil • 2 tablespoons soy sauce • 8-12 slices bacon Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle ½ cup brown sugar on the bottom on the pan. Wrap each tenderloin with bacon slices and place them on top of the sugar. Pour olive oil and soy sauce over

tenderloins. Top with remaining brown sugar. Bake pork for approximately 45 minutes or until done.

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert • 19 ice cream sandwiches • 1 (16 oz.) container of frozen whipped topping, thawed • 1 (12 oz.) jar hot fudge ice cream topping, warm • 1 (8 oz.) Heath English Toffee bits or candy or nut topping of your choice Grease a 13 x 9 dish with cooking spray. Arrange two rows of 4 ice cream sandwiches going across the pan. Then cut one ice cream sandwich in half, and place one whole and one half sandwich along the short side of the pan to create the bottom layer. Spread with half of the whipped topping. Pour warm fudge onto whipped topping. Sprinkle with 1/2 of your desired candy or nut choice.

Repeat layers with remaining ice cream sandwiches, whipped topping and choice of candy/nut.

Cover and freeze. Remove from the freezer several minutes before serving.

Cut into squares.

For an adult version, follow the same instructions, except use ¼ - ½ cup Kahlua instead of the fudge topping. Mix the desired amount of Kahlua with 16 ounces of whipped topping and divide mixture evenly between layers. Top with your choice of candy or nuts.

Renee McMinn is a mother of 3 who grew up in a Greek home that inspired her to embrace the importance of family as well as the love of good food. She enjoys actively serving her church, family, community and kids’ school.

Tales from the Drive-In...

Shrek, Buzz, and a Wooden Leg

By Kathryn Acree So summer is in full swing and you’re looking for an affordable way to entertain the family. Take a trip back in time to the age of the drive-in movie at the Harpersville Drive-in located off Highway 280 just one mile east of The Meadows golf course. In the summer movies are shown seven nights a week starting at dusk or approximately 8:30 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children.

The Harpersville Drive-in is one of three drive-ins owned by Brian Skinner of Springville. Skinner first opened a drivein in Argo off Highway 11 after reading a 1997 article in the former Birmingham Post-Herald about drive-ins becoming popular again on the West coast. “I’ve always loved movies and knew something

the Harpersville drive-in movie

like that would be great in Birmingham,” says Skinner.

Following the success of the Argo Drive-in, Skinner opened the Harpersville Drive-in in the summer of 2006 and most recently opened the Anniston Starlight drive-in off Highway 202 in Munford.

He grew up in the Harpersville area and decided the property that was once the old Evan’s Flea-market would be a great location off Highway 280. It took a few months to get zoning approval, but the drive-in finally opened as a safe, clean and affordable movie destination.

Skinner shares a favorite story regarding the drive-in’s location: “Currently they are working to repave 280. I stopped and chatted with a crew of

the guys doing the paving in front of the drive-in and met Barry Evans who told me his grandfather owned the old flea-market.

He said his grandfather rode around the property on a tractor because he had only one leg. I told him I remembered that story of his grandfather from when I was growing up and asked him to hold on for a second.

I left for bit and came back with a wooden leg I found in one of the old buildings on the property. Low and behold if that wasn’t his grandfather’s wooden leg! How about that for story,” explains Skinner.

Besides being a great storyteller, Skinner sees the drive-in as a family destination. “We keep the movies affordable for everyone. We show current movies and strive to carry mostly G, PG, or PG-13 movies. I want this to be a place people can bring their kids and not be embarrassed by what’s on the screen,” says Skinner. “In early July our biggest summer movie will open, Toy Story 3, and we started the summer out with Shrek Forever After.”

The concession stand offers a big variety of snacks at reasonable prices too.

“Again, we wanted that to be affordable,” says Skinner. “Candy starts at $1 and drinks and popcorn are $2 or $3.”

Skinner shares an interesting appeal of a drive-in , easy accessibility. “We’ve noticed that folks in handicapped vans enjoy coming here, or maybe someone getting out that has had surgery and is not up to getting in and out of a car a lot yet. We fulfill a need that often goes overlooked,” explains Skinner.

Going to a drive-in can be similar to a tail-gating experience. Patrons pull their

bring the whole family

vehicles in and park, set their radios to the station for the screen’s audio and then set-up chairs or blankets near their car to watch the movie. Often times kids will toss a frisbee or football around before the movie starts at dusk.

The drive-in is a popular party destination too. Sports teams, birthday party groups or companies can arrange coming to the drive-in early to grill out or enjoy time together and then see that night’s movie at a group rate.

Movies are shown year-round; seven nights a week during the summer and weekends during the school-year. Special double-feature nights are also held in the summer.

To receive email updates on the latest movies being shown at the Harpersville Drive-In, go to their website, www. harpersvilledrive-in.com and join their email list. The phone number is (205) 6728484.

www.VillageLivingOnline.com

Music & Arts

Village Living Calendar

| July 2010 |

19

Family Fun

7/4- 7:30 p.m., UAB Music presents the Annual 4th of July Concert. UAB’s Bartow

7/4 -5:30 p.m., Annual July 4th Celebration, Downtown Homewood, ticket

7/9- 8:00 p.m., ACME Zydeco Dance, Concordia Club, ticket information,

7/4 - 9:00 p.m., Thunder on the Mountain 2010 4th of July Fireworks Extravaganza

Arena, 617 13th St. South. Free admission, 205-934-7376

205-951-3463

information, 205-332-6709

at Vulcan Park, Prime viewing locations include Southside, Five Points South, downtown Homewood, UAB campus, Mountain Brook, and many others, call 205-933-1409 or email info@visitvulcan.com for more info.

7/10- 8:00 p.m., She and Him in Concert, Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, tickets, 205-324-1911

7/11- 3:00 p.m., Jazz in the Park concert series, Ensley Park, 205-616-1735

7/4 -Every Sunday afternoon from 2 - 5 pm, kids’ chess club at the Books A Million children’s section at the Brookwood Village. In addition to chess, there are a number of other mind sports games such as checkers, Go and other games.

Michael Ciamarra, Instructor. Beginners welcome.

7/16- 5:00 p.m., Art on the Rocks, Birmingham Museum of Art, 205-254-2565 7/23- 8:00 p.m., Mary Chapin Carpenter in Concert, Alys Stephens Center, tickets, 205-975-2787.

7/12-16 - Mountain Brook Baptist church will hold VBS 7/16,17,18- Birmingham Deer Expo, BJCC Exhibition Hall, admission and info, visit www.bjcc.org

Food & Wine 7/5,12,19,26- 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Magic City Mondays Wine & Cheese Pairings,

7/24 - 10:00 a.m., Butterflies of Alabama, Oak Mountain State Park, contact 205-620-2520

Whole Foods, contact 205-912-8400

7/3- Cooking Demonstration by George Sarris of The Fish Market Restaurant,

7/24 - Market Day in Mountain Brook Village 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Pepper Place Market, www.pepperplacemarket.com

Summer Movie Series

7/5- 8:00 a.m., Fresh Market on the Green, Ross Bridge Welcome Center, 205-680-5372

7/2- Fantastic Mr. Fox- Homewood Park- www.homewoodparks.com

7/10- Cooking Demonstrations by Evans Estinfort of Cafe de Paris, Pepper Place Market, www.pepperplacemarket.com

7/9- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs- Homewood Parkwww.homewoodparks.com

Gardening/Nature

7/10- Sleeping Beauty 2:00 p.m. Alabama Theatre- www.alabamatheatre.com

7/3- 4th of July fun at DSP, DeSoto State Park, call 256-997-5025 or email Brittney.

7/11- Tammy and the Bachelor 2:00 p.m. Alabama Theatrewww.alabamatheatre.com

Hughes@dcnr.alabama.gov

7/4- 10:00 a.m., Flag Making & Parade, Oak Mountain State Park, Park admission is $3 adults, $1 children, $1 seniors, children 5 & under are free. Call 205-620-2520 or email oakmountain.naturalist@dcnr.alabama.gov for more information

7/10- 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Gardening 101: Composting with Sallie Lee & “Capt.

Compost”, 1112 Montgomery Highway, 205-978-3684

7/10 - 7:15 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., Frogs for Families, Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, 205-833-8264

7/16- The Goonies-Homewood Park- www.homewoodparks.com 7/17- The Lion King 2:00 p.m. Alabama Theatre- www.alabamatheatre.com 7/17- The Odd Couple 7:00 p.m. Alabama Theatre- www.alabamatheatre.com 7/18- Some Like it Hot 2:00 p.m. Alabama Theatre- www.alabamatheatre.com 7/23- Monsters vs. Aliens-Homewood Park- www.homewoodparks.com 7/25- The Glenn Miller Story 2:00 p.m. Alabama Theatrewww.alabamatheatre.com

7/17- 7:30 a.m., Breakfast With the Animals, Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, 205-833-8264

7/30- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs- Homewood Parkwww.homewood parks.com

7/17- 7:00 p.m., Stargazing, Oak Mountain State Park, Park admission is $3 adults, $1 children, $1 seniors, children 5 & under are free. Call 205-620-2520 or email oakmountain.naturalist@dcnr.alabama.gov for more information

7/31- 10:00 a.m., Scavenger Hunt, Oak Mountain State Park, Park admission is $3 adults, $1 children, $1 seniors, children 5 & under are free. Call 205-620-2520 or email oakmountain.naturalist@dcnr.alabama.gov.

SPORTS 7/1,2,3,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,28,29,30,31- Birmingham Barons home games, Regions Park, game times vary, for tickets call 205-988-3200

7/31- Bedknobs and Broomsticks 2:00 p.m. Alabama Theatrewww.alabamatheatre.com

7/31- The African Queen 7:00 p.m. Alabama Theatre- www.alabamatheatre.com

Theatre 7/15-7/18, 7/22-7/25, 7/29-7/31- “The Sound of Music” presented by the Virginia Samford Theatre, tickets and show times, call 205-324-2424

7/22-8/07- “Tobacco Road” presented by the Birmingham Festival Theatre, call

Do you know of events in our community? We would love to include them. Please email Jennifer@villagelivingonline.com by the 15th of each month for the publication in the next month’s issue.

Village Live Music Listings

205-933-2383 for more details

Save the Date: Dawg Daze August 21st in Crestline Village

Otey’s Billy’s

224 Country Club Park 871-8435

7/8 The Tamed Dogs 7/9 Zippy D & Dirty Love 7/10 TBA 7/15 Pharm Hand Trio 7/16 TBA 7/17 Spoonful 7/22 The Uptown Rulers 7/23 Rescue Dogs 7/24 ODIE 7/30 Pharm Hand 7/31 The Little Memphis Blues

7/1- Erin McGinty & Carlos Pino 7/2- The Magnetic Elite 7/3- Allen Barlow & Jon Campbell 7/8- Jason Bailey Trio 7/9- Altamont 7/10- Sticky 7/15- Joe Breckenridge & Brandon Peoples 7/16- Big Papa 7/17- The Jacks 7/22- Gabriel Tajeu & Allen Barlow (of Bonus Round) 7/23- CBH 7/24- tba 7/29- Noble Freeland Band 7/30- The Negotiators 7/31- tba

2012 Cahaba Road 879-2238

craigslist