Volume 3 | Issue 12 | April 2016
35 YEARS of great memories for Hatchett
Making a place for creativity By SYDNEY CROMWELL The Library in the Forest isn’t just for books anymore. Library Director Taneisha Tucker wants to make it a place for children, teens and adults to explore their creative side. In 2014, Tucker learned about makerspaces, which are workspaces for people to share tools, materials and creative ideas. She visited a library makerspace in December and saw an opportunity for the Library in the Forest to grow. “Everything that they mentioned just fascinated me because they were interested in taking the library in a different direction,” Tucker said. “We’ve been here since 2010 and I felt like it was time for us to see what was out there to do more than what we’ve been offering.” She started small, by asking the different department heads to create regular “maker” programs to gauge the city’s interest. Upcycle City, a monthly DIY class for adults, and Maker Mondays for elementary school children have been in place for about two years now. “It was kind of a way to dip our toe into the maker world,” said April Moon, who works with Maker Mondays in the Children’s Department.
ENCOURAGING CHILDREN’S CREATIVITY
The longtime coach boasts a powerful resume, accumulating over 550 wins in a career that began at Fairfield High School in 1974 and 35 years with the Rebels. He
On Monday evenings at the library, anywhere from a handful of children up to 50 will arrive to participate in Maker Mondays. The activities are slightly different each time to keep them interested, volunteer Alicia Eyer said. “I think it’s good for them to explore and try out things. I think that’s really important,” Eyer said. “It gets them to think differently too, and it’s more hands-on.” Those activities range from a pottery wheel or kinetic sand to circuit-building and simple robots. The children can also experiment with Legos, fashion design, building kits and artwork. Eyer said it’s all to keep kids “doing, exploring and making.” “I think that they feel successful after they
See HATCHETT | page A30
See LIBRARY | page A31
George Hatchett was always known for being a fiery competitor on the sidelines. Photo by Ted Melton.
By KYLE PARMLEY
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Despite winning a pair of state championships in 1992 and 2009 and being named coach of the year in both seasons, retiring Vestavia Hills High School basketball coach George
Hatchett only admits to being good at one thing: spoiling his granddaughter. “I’m going to play a lot of golf,” Hatchett said of his retirement plans. “I’ve got a granddaughter that I’m going to try to spoil rotten. I’m pretty good at that, by the way.”
INSIDE INSIDE
Sponsors ...................... A4 City ................................ A6
Business .......................A8 Chamber.......................A10
Community .................A13 School House ............A26
Sports ........................... B6 Calendar .....................B30 facebook.com/vestaviavoice
Spring Home Guide
Spring is in bloom, and it’s the perfect time to plant a garden, do some cleaning or start a home renovation. Find tips and tricks from area businesses in our Spring Home Guide to jump-start any project.
See page B9
New tricks While Matthew Hardwick is learning to walk again, he is teaching his puppy, Milo, to skateboard.
See page B1