Vestavia Voice June 2023

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June 2023 | Volume 11 | Issue 2

Vestavia City Center Brook Highland Plaza SERVING VESTAVIA HILLS, THE 280 CORRIDOR, HOMEWOOD, HOOVER, MOUNTAIN BROOK AND TRUSSVILLE

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More than music Birmingham Boys Choir celebrates 50 years

By NEAL EMBRY

Boxing tournament run by Vestavia resident brings in talented fighters

See page A18

Honoring Earl Tew

F

or 50 years, the Birmingham Boys Choir has entertained audiences at their spring and Christmas concerts, along with other shows they perform throughout the year.

They’ve traveled far and wide with their historic choral music, with more than 100 boys singing songs in unison, and they’re widely praised.

Still, music director and resident composer Ken Berg said it’s not just about the music. The staff at the Birmingham Boys Choir is not only teaching the boys how to sing, but a “right way to live,” Berg said.

“We hear a lot about toxic masculinity,” Berg said. “What is the remedy for that?

Biblical masculinity.”

Boys are taught to hold on to “creation truths,” to values such as honesty, goodness, strength, kindness and more, Berg

said. And when those who hear their voices have a chance to interact with them off the stage, or when a boy’s parents see what the choir does for their child, they understand it too, Berg said.

“What they really appreciate is the integrity [that is] taught,” he said. “We take representing Birmingham very seriously.”

See BOYS CHOIR | page A23

Earl Tew, a Vestavia Hills resident who pastored multiple churches during a long career in ministry, died April 26 at the age of 93.

See page B1

INSIDE Sponsors .......... A4 News ..................A6 Business ............A11 Community...... A15 Schoolhouse......B4

Events ................B9 Getaway for a Day............ B10 Sports................B12 Opinion............. B14

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Ken Berg, the director of the Birmingham Boys Choir, leads the graduate singers, ninth through 12th graders, during a Birmingham Boys Choir rehearsal at Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Vestavia Hills on May 6. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Balancing father and coach

Vestavia Hills’ Jackson Harris (6) hands his dad, head coach Jamie Harris, his shin gaurd as they fistbump during a timeout after Harris hit a double in game one of a Class 7A playoff series against Spain Park at Sammy Dunn Field on May 5. Photo by Erin Nelson.

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By KYLE PARMLEY Playing for your dad can be a difficult thing.

Coaching your child is a delicate balance.

Neither is easy, but most agree they would not have it any other way.

With Father’s Day approaching, the Vestavia Voice caught up with a few current coaches to talk about the joys and challenges of playing for and being coached by dad.

TRIAL AND ERROR

John Simmons has two daughters, Madison and Miah, and has coached them both in various sports over the years. Madison is the oldest, and Simmons admits it was a challenge to learn the best methods to use when coaching her.

See COACHES | page A22

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A4 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

About Us Editor’s Note By Neal Embry This month, we celebrate our fathers and father figures.

I miss my dad and my grandfather every day, so if you have a chance to spend time with your father or grandfather, I encourage you to do that this month. There’s a great line in Stephen King’s book, “Fairy Tale,” that is a sobering reminder to cherish the ones we love: “You never know where the trap doors are in your life, do you?”

In one of this month’s cover stories, we feature coaches in Vestavia Hills who have had the pleasure of coaching their children. We also feature the Birmingham Boys Choir, which is renowned for their concerts. Every other year, fathers and father figures are able to join their sons on stage to sing with them.

Also in this month’s issue, we feature

a story on the 10th anniversary of The Fig Tree restaurant. I’ve enjoyed talking with owner JP Holland, and I know you’ll enjoy reading it.

We also feature a story on local artist Sherri Arias, who illustrates scenes in

real-time at weddings and other events.

Read more about her exciting work in this month’s paper.

Lastly, we tell you more about the exciting development on lower U.S. 31 being brought to residents by Ward Neely and John Michael Bodnar. This development will bring Big Bad Breakfast and Waldo’s Chicken and Beer, along with other tenants, to the former Motor Lodge site.

Remember to be kind and call your parents every once in a while. And as always, thank you for reading.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

The Rebels celebrate in the dugout after Vestavia Hills’ John Paul Head (13) hit an infield 2-run homer during game one of a Class 7A playoff series against Spain Park at Sammy Dunn Field on May 5. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Publisher: Dan Starnes Community Editors: Neal Embry Leah Ingram Eagle Jon Anderson Sports Editor: Kyle Parmley Design Editor: Melanie Viering Photo Editor: Erin Nelson Page Designer: Ted Perry Production Assistant: Simeon Delante Contributing Writers: Solomon Crenshaw Jr. Chris K. Davidson Sean Dietrich Sarah Gilliland Kari Kampakis Loyd McIntosh Graphic Designer: Emily VanderMey Client Success Specialist: Warren Caldwell Business Development Exec: Don Harris Business Development Rep: Madison Gaines Operations Specialist: Sarah Villar

For advertising contact: dan@starnesmedia.com Contact Information: Vestavia Voice P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@starnesmedia.com

Please submit all articles, information and photos to: nembry@starnesmedia.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253

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

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Find Us Pick up the latest issue of Vestavia Voice at the following locations: ► Diplomat Deli ► Dry Clean City ► Galleria Woods ► Moe’s Original BBQ – Vestavia ► Morningside of Vestavia Hills ► Pappas’ Grill ► RealtySouth Acton Road ► Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church ► The Vintage Barber Shop ► Town Village Vestavia Hills ► Vestavia Hills Board of

Education ► Vestavia Hills City Hall ► Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce ► Vestavia Hills High School ► Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest ► Vestavia Hills Recreation Center Want to join this list or get Vestavia Voice mailed to your home? Contact Dan Starnes at dan@ starnesmedia.com

VestaviaVoice.com

June 2023 • A5

Thursday, June 22, 2023 6:00 pm at Wald Park Presented by:

Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce & City of Vestavia Hills 6:00-8:00 pm Free Swimming at the Wald Park Aquatic Complex Children’s Area Sponsored by Vestavia Hills Methodist Church Sponsor Booths Live Music 6:00-8:30 pm

FIREWORKS SHOW at 8:45 pm Free Shuttles will be available from nearby parking lots.

Visit www.vestaviahills.org for Parking and other information.

NO PETS please.

Rain Date: June 29

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A6 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

City City manager discusses stormwater project

By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR. At the April 24 city council meeting, Vestavia Hills City Manager Jeff Downes noted the city’s efforts in addressing stormwater infrastructure and identified what public projects could work to improve that infrastructure.

The city is able to obtain some federal funding for projects, Downes said, as long as it meets certain criteria.

“We have been in collaboration with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and we feel like one of our projects on our stormwater master plan over at Ridgedale meets the criteria,” he said.

Ridgedale Drive is located adjacent to Rocky Ridge Road and is part of an 8.55-acre drainage basin, Downes said. The area has experienced “repeated flooding events due to inadequate stormwater infrastructure,” he said.

“The flooding and failing infrastructure has impacted residential and commercial properties in the area,” Downes said. “Furthermore, it places the transportation networks at risk if the cross drains were to fail. These networks are vital to the flow of traffic between multiple cities and schools. In recent years, the city has replaced public stormwater pipes along Morgan Drive that are a part of this overall drainage system as well.”

Sain Associates developed a stormwater master plan for the area and recommended installing drainage pipes, inlets and gutter systems within the public right-of-way in conjunction with private drainage pipe upgrades, which would be paid for by private parties, Downes said. There would also be interjurisdictional improvements for stormwater management in the area.

The cost of the project is about $295,000, and Downes told the council he would be asking them to approve a request from ADEM

Water runs down a hill in Vestavia Hills on Rocky Ridge Road after a heavy rain.

Photo

by Erin Nelson.

for $150,000 in funding for the project.

The timeline and contractor will be determined as feedback is received, he said.

Downes also told the council about discussions with the offices of U.S. Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville about congressionally-directed spending for stormwater improvements.

“We have submitted our Upper [U.S.] 31 stormwater plan document that was ready to hand to them, and within a week we had a young member of Tuberville’s staff come and visit to take a look at that stormwater plan and get more facts,” Downes said. “We’re very

encouraged with two funding sources that help facilitate stormwater master plans we put together.”

The council also accepted a bid for improvements to Altadena Valley Park. The first phase of work will include moving dirt to make way for a parking lot, improving walkways and landscaping. The low bid of about $700,000 was submitted by Forestry Environmental Services.

In other business, the council: ► Passed an ordinance authorizing the city manager to use opioid financial settlement proceeds that will be received during the next 10

years. The city expects to collect $790,000.

The spending plan for those funds budgets $20,000 for paramedic training, $9,500 for advanced life support, $8,000 for opioid response supplies, $75,000 annually for an additional school resource officer and $40,000 that will be used periodically for community education. ► Ended its association with Uprise Health as its employee assistance program provider.

The city will instead engage Employee Assistance Services.

– Community Editor Neal Embry contributed to this report.

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June 2023 • A7

Council welcomes new public services director, authorizes additional funds for street paving

By NEAL EMBRY In a short meeting on May 8, the Vestavia Hills City Council approved additional spending for street paving and officially welcomed a new director of public services.

Lori Beth Kearley, formerly the assistant city engineer, has been promoted to director of public services, following the resignation of Brian Davis.

“I just want to let you all know I’m very grateful for this opportunity,” Kearley said. “I love working for the city of Vestavia Hills, and I’m so excited for what the future holds.”

Kearley has been working for the city for almost nine years. Davis recently left his position to lead the Parks and Recreation Department for the city of Tuscaloosa.

“He expressed that parks and recreation is his passion, and we are excited for him to have this opportunity. He is a talented leader and we wish him well in Tuscaloosa,” Assistant City Manager Cinnamon McCulley said of Davis, who worked for the city of Vestavia Hills for a little more than 20 years.

The city council authorized an extra $780,000 to reach the city’s goal of paving 7.5 miles this fiscal year. City Manager Jeff Downes said the city has spent about $650,000 already this year and paved about 3.65 miles, not quite halfway to the goal.

The cost of paving has increased “exponentially” due to the rise in fuel costs, Downes said. The money will be taken from capital funds.

The council also declared four vehicles from public works and building safety as surplus.

Downes said selling them earlier in their life cycle allows the city to reap higher profits from the sale, thus helping pay for newer vehicles in the city’s fleet.

Mayor Ashley Curry praised the Vestavia Hills Police Department, who recently used Narcan to help save a woman’s life after she

Lori Beth Kearley was recently promoted to director of public services for the city of Vestavia Hills after previously being the assistant city engineer. Kearley replaces Brian Davis, who worked for the city for about 20 years. Photo courtesy of Cinnamon McCulley.

had a medical emergency near Columbiana Road. Curry said he received a text from a trauma surgeon who happened to be nearby and helped assist the woman. The surgeon told the mayor seeing the officers’ professionalism made him proud to live in Vestavia, Curry said.

The Police Department was honored in a separate proclamation at the meeting, as May 15 was Peace Officers Memorial Day and May 15-21 was National Police Week. The city has had two officers honored at the national memorial for fallen police officers: Darryl Fortner, who died from COVID-19 on April 6, 2022, and Geoffrey Stone, whose died on Jan. 6, 2008.

Cahaba Heights business owner Katherine McRee also spoke at the meeting and said the annual Heights Hangout event drew its largest crowd ever, more than 2,000 people, representing a 22% increase from 2022. The event raised $11,600 for the beautification project to improve the corner of Cahaba Heights Road and Dolly Ridge Road.

The practice field behind Braasch-Hatchett Court at Vestavia Hills High School. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Voters reject 1Rebel 1Future proposal

By NEAL EMBRY For the first time in the history of Vestavia Hills, voters rejected a request to increase taxes for Vestavia Hills City Schools.

A proposed 9.8-mill increase that would have funded a litany of new programs and offerings for students, as well as improvements and additions to campuses throughout the system, was rejected by about 900 votes May 9. The final vote count saw 4,099 votes cast against the measure, with 3,200 votes cast for, a 56-44 percentage split.

An additional 9.8 mills would have meant an additional $487.50 annually, or $40.63 monthly, in property taxes for a home appraised at $500,000, around the median price of a Vestavia Hills home.

Vestavia Hills City Schools Superintendent Todd Freeman thanked those who “invested energy and heart into the efforts to support the plan,” as well as those who took time to vote

and considered the plan.

“The outcome of the election does not indicate a lack of support for our schools. I am confident that we will continue to benefit from the support our community has given our school system since its inception,” Freeman said. “We will respect the decision of voters and, accordingly, will begin to prioritize our academic, staffing and facility needs within the level of financial support we currently receive.

“Vestavia Hills City Schools remains committed to the mission of providing every student the opportunity to learn without limits.

Our focus on continually improving learning experiences for our students is unwavering. We will embrace the future with the same optimism that propelled our school system through the challenges it faced when it was founded 53 years ago,” he said.

Roughly 24% of registered voters cast a ballot in the special election. This was the first tax referendum since 1990.

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A8 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

Theft, fraud decrease while drug offenses, vandalism see slight increase

By NEAL EMBRY While there were no major jumps in any crime category from 2021 to 2022, there was one area of significant decrease amid an overall steady crime rate in Vestavia Hills.

The number of fraud cases decreased from 230 in 2021 to 122 in 2022. Theft decreased from 202 cases to 193, with thefts from vehicles decreasing from 49 cases to 32 and theft of vehicles decreasing from 33 to 23 cases, according to statistics provided by the Vestavia Hills Police Department.

“In 2021, a record number of fraudulent unemployment claims were made across the country during the COVID pandemic,” said Capt. Shane Ware. “The Vestavia Hills Police Department anticipated this statistic to reduce in 2022 and it did.”

Ware said reducing the number of thefts from vehicles is a result of “proactive policing,” which has also caused two categories to increase: drug and weapons-related offenses.

Drug offenses increased from 846 in 2021 to 861 in 2022, while weapons-related offenses had a slight increase from 115 cases to 122.

For the first time in several years, there was a murder in the city last year when a gunman opened fire inside the parish hall at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church, killing three people.

“The Saint Stephen’s shooting is one of the most tragic cases in the history of the Vestavia Hills Police Department,” Ware said. “What we have learned from this event is that no community is immune to violence and that our officers must be prepared to do what is necessary when a violent act occurs.”

There were decreases in assaults, from 155 cases in 2021 to 114 cases in 2022. There was one case of arson last year, up from zero in 2021, with burglary staying nearly the same, from 31 cases in 2021 to 32 in 2022. Robbery stayed the same at three cases, while vandalism increased from 33 cases in 2021 to 42 cases last year.

The department has benefited from Flock camera license plate readers, which helped solve the November 2022 shooting incident at Shades Mountain Baptist Church, along with a road rage incident on I-65, the police department said.

The department is currently fully staffed at 108 officers and will complete the project of assigning each patrol officer a car to take home during this calendar year, which was a help during the shooting at Saint Stephen’s. The addition of two new officers in Liberty Park has helped increase the departments’ presence and visibility in the area, the department said.

Ware said the department works to maintain a “high level of officer presence in our neighborhoods, business districts and on our roadways.”

“We strive to maintain quick response times and accurate reporting for both routine and 911 emergency calls for service,” Ware said. “We offer our officers the most current situational, mental health and de-escalation training available. We are continuously evaluating current law enforcement training, statistics, trends and laws in order to effect positive changes that will better serve our community.”

FIRE DEPARTMENT

In the Vestavia Hills Fire Department, there was a slight increase in the number of calls, moving from 5,280 in 2021 to 5,662 in 2022, according to data provided by the Vestavia Hills Fire Department.

Most of those calls, about 60%, were medical calls, according to statistics, about the same as 2021. The 2,155 calls listed as “other” include lift assists, assisting other agencies, investigating odors, weather-related calls and more, Fire Chief Marvin Green said.

The number of fire-related calls increased

from 81 calls in 2021 to 99 in 2022. Those calls can include structure fires, car fires and more, Green said.

The largest number of calls continues to be to senior living facilities, Green said. The population in those facilities makes up about 2.4% of the city’s population but accounts for 23% of the department’s call volume, he said.

This past year, a position was added to the department’s fire administration to assist in managing and tracking equipment, Green said.

The position, held by Lt. Stephen Michael, also oversees vehicle maintenance, Green said.

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“These battery-powered combination tools are easier to maintain, quicker to deploy and perform multiple tasks,” Green said.

The department was also awarded a “Regional Training Center” designation, which allows for more training opportunities for the department, Green said, as well as the region.

“Having more classes locally not only saves money for the department and the city, it also allows the department to instruct our own personnel,” he said.

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June 2023 • A9

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A10 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

Ammons to become new CEO of Birmingham Business Alliance

By NEAL EMBRY Current Jefferson County Commissioner Steve Ammons has been named CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA), the region’s primary economic development agency.

Ammons, who lives in Vestavia Hills, will be responsible for leading collaboration between BBA and its community partners across the seven-county region to “ensure the alignment and achievement of strategic objectives,” the BBA said in a news release. Ammons will begin his new role on June 1.

“When we began the process of identifying a new CEO, the goal was to identify a successful candidate who understands the unique fabric of Birmingham community and who would also bring immediate credibility and confidence to the role,” said Greg Curran, chairman of the firm at Maynard Nexsen and the BBA’s current board chairman. “Steve Ammons has shown great leadership to the BBA over the years, and we are all energized by his thoughtful vision for the organization’s future.”

Ammons’s last day as a county commissioner for District 5 will be May 31. The county’s election commission will have seven days from his resignation date to set a date for a special election, which must take place between 40 and 100 days from that meeting, said Helen Hays, director of public information for the county.

The District 5 seat encompasses much of the county’s eastern side, including Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills and portions of Homewood and Hoover.

Between November and December 2022, BBA leadership approached Ammons about his interest in the role, Ammons said, and while he didn’t think much of it at first, as he thought and prayed about it, he realized he had the skill set and relationships for it.

“I’m looking forward to doing economic development full time,” Ammons said.

On the commission, Ammons serves as the chairman of the economic development

Steve Ammons, a Vestavia Hills resident who has spent the past five years on the Jefferson County Commission, is leaving his current role to become CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance.

Photo courtesy of the Birmingham Business Alliance.

committee as well as the information technology committee.

“Through his service, he has yielded numerous accomplishments in regional cooperation, competitive industry advancement, stakeholder engagement and job creation. Most notably, he managed the recruitment of The J.M. Smucker Company (“Smucker’s”) to the community, which resulted in a $1.2 billion capital investment, the largest in Jefferson County history,” the BBA said in the release. “He played a critical role in driving cohesion for the region through the Jefferson County Mayor’s Association as well as the establishment of the Jefferson County City Council Coalition (JC3).”

Ammons also served as the county’s primary liaison to the Alabama Department of Commerce, Economic Development Partnership of

Alabama, the Jefferson County Economic and Industrial Development Authority and all economic development organizations, including the BBA. “He has shown commitment to the BBA through his work on key projects as a member of the organization’s executive committee and board of directors for the past four years,” the BBA said in the release.

“I am excited to expand my service to the seven-county greater Birmingham region with the BBA,” said Ammons. “Birmingham has more opportunities in front of us than ever before. I look forward to working closely with the team, our investors and our partners in the community to advance economic growth and regional cooperation together.”

As he steps down from the commission,

Ammons said he will miss the people and the service, but he will continue to serve the region and community from his new, unelected position.

In the five years he spent representing District 5, Ammons said he is most proud of bringing Jefferson County into the top two counties statewide when it comes to capital investment and job development, which wasn’t the case when he first started. He said he’s also proud of helping create more regional cooperation among municipalities, rather than cities working in silos.

As a veteran of the U.S. Navy, Ammons has “dedicated a significant portion of his career to the advancement of public safety,” the BBA said.

Ammons initiated the process of consolidating multiple 911 public safety answering points and championed legislation to streamline effective emergency management systems, the BBA said in the release.

Prior to being elected as a county commissioner, Ammons served two terms on the Vestavia Hills City Council. While on the council, he was mayor pro tempore, the liaison to Vestavia Hills Public Safety and a former member of the parks and recreation board.

He is also a long-time small business owner, having owned and operated an employment background screening services company based in Birmingham. “Steve Ammons has demonstrated experience in understanding what it takes to support businesses of all sizes,” said Joe Hampton, president of Spire Alabama and incoming 2024 BBA board chairman. “He is a proven relationship-builder whose commitment to collaboration will set the organization up for long-term success.”

As of press time, the only known candidate for the county commission seat was Republican Brian Christine of Mountain Brook, who ran unsuccessfully for state Senate District 15 last spring in the GOP primary against incumbent Dan Roberts.

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VestaviaVoice.com

June 2023 • A11

Business

Mayor’s Minute

By Ashley Curry I hope everyone is having an enjoyable summer.

We’ve hosted several events recently in Vestavia Hills. The Vestavia Hills Beautification Board hosted the 44th annual Vestavia Belles Presentation at Vestavia Country Club. Each year the newly-selected Belles are introduced. These young ladies are sophomores at the high school. The junior class that will be serving their second year are recognized and finally, the Senior Belles are presented and recognized for their service. Between their duties as hostesses for city events and volunteers at the Library in the Forest, these young ladies provide outstanding volunteer service to our city.

The First Responders Picnic, sponsored by the Vestavia Hills Sunrise Rotary Club, was held on the lawn at City Hall. This annual event recognizes our city’s first responders and their families. I always point out that the families of our first responders deserve recognition because they live with constant concern about the safety of their loved ones. I salute these families and the men and women of our police and fire departments.

I attended the VHHS Awards Day on April 19 and participated in the athletic awards that were presented by Coach Buddy Anderson. As you may recall, three VHHS football coaches were killed in an automobile accident in August 1971.

In September 1971, the city passed Resolution 332, which honors coaches Thomas Harold Ward, Robert Cooper Ray and Phillip M. Puccio.

These awards are given to deserving male and female athletes as selected by the VHHS Athletic Department. It is fitting that Coach Buddy Anderson presents these awards, as he represents the character and leadership attributes that these three coaches instilled in our student athletes.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients and thank you, Coach Anderson.

At our high school graduation on May 23, I challenged the graduates to be “significant” as they pursue success in their respective careers. I used Dr. Albert Sweitzer as an example. He left a very distinguished career as a theologian, professional musician and medical doctor in Strasbourg, Austria, to become a medical missionary in Africa.

At a commencement address for a boy’s school, Dr. Sweitzer stated, “I do not know what your destiny will be, but I do know the only ones among you who will be truly happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve others.”

Father’s Day is always celebrated on the third Sunday in June. This year it will be Sunday, June 18. Father’s Day began in 1910, two years after the first official celebration of Mother’s Day. Last month we celebrated Mother’s Day, so let’s not forget to recognize our fathers this month.

Finally, we must remember to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day on July 4. To start the celebration, Vestavia Hills will have our “I Love America” event on the evening of June 22 at Wald Park. Come join us as we celebrate the founding of our country. There will be free swimming at the Vestavia Hills Aquatic Complex, sponsor booths, children’s activities sponsored by Vestavia Hills Methodist Church, live music featuring Chevy 6 and a fireworks show.

Enjoy your summer.

Business Happenings COMING SOON Bandwagon Sports is opening a second location in Cahaba Heights, joining the first location in Homewood.

Bandwagon offers sporting goods and community-based apparel. The store will be in Heights Village. bandwagonsports.com

ANNIVERSARIES Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. ssechurch.org

RELOCATIONS AND RENOVATIONS Rolls Bakery has relocated to 621 Montgomery Highway (next to Donatos Pizza) They offer homemade cinnamon

rolls, breakfast and coffee. Saturdays they offer a full-service brunch menu.

205-490-1111, rollsbakery.com

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A12 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

Emmy Squared Pizza to open at Summit

By SARAH GILLILAND A new food offering will soon be available at The Summit.

Emmy Squared Pizza, an “elevated, casual food concept” from the Pizza Loves Emily family of restaurants, is opening its first location in Alabama this spring.

According to its website, Emmy Squared Pizza is an “award-winning neighborhood pizza and burger restaurant.” Its Birmingham location will offer classic menu items, including Le Matt Burger, Detroit-style pizzas, salads, appetizers and alcoholic beverages.

Founded in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 2016, the restaurant quickly gained a cult following and critical acclaim. The restaurant was founded by Emily Hyland and executive chef Matthew Hyland, with partners Howard Greenstone and Ken Levitan.

Over the last six years, the brand has expanded to 21 locations across the U.S., earning accolades such as winning Nashville’s Battle of the Burger and being named “The Best New Burgers in NYC” by New Yorkbased website Gothamist.

“We are thrilled to open Emmy Squared’s first location in Alabama this spring,” said Marketing Manager Keysha Cosme. “We’ve spent time in Birmingham and always enjoyed the warm friendliness and community in this vibrant city. Birmingham is home to a delicious and thriving food scene, and we are excited to introduce Emmy Squared and our delicious offerings. In the past few months, we have also seen an increased demand for Emmy Squared in various cities throughout the U.S., Birmingham being one of them.”

Cosme said Emmy Squared is a “neighborhood restaurant serving delicious, elevated food in a casual, welcoming environment.”

Each of the Emmy Squared locations’ designs is inspired by the local community in which it resides, while offering a consistent dining experience, she said.

“We strive to provide guests with amazing

A variety of Detroit-style pizzas on the menu at Emmy Squared Pizza, an “elevated, casual food concept” from the Pizza Loves Emily family of restaurants. Emmy Squared Pizza is opening its first location in Alabama at The Summit this spring. Photo courtesy of Emmy Squared Pizza.

food, using high-quality artisanal and locally sourced ingredients paired with warm and personal service,” she said.

Cosme said those ingredients, the artisanal and unique toppings and the signature Detroit-style pizza marked by its square shape, crispy bottom, fluffy dough, cheesy “frico” crust and signature sauce stripes set Emmy Squared apart.

Cosme said the company is committed to

contributing to the community through job opportunities, supporting local charities and offering a fun and friendly environment to enjoy great food and drinks with friends and family.

In addition to the restaurant space, Emmy Squared Pizza will offer event space and “party packs” that include a choice of appetizers, salads, pizza and/or sandwiches. These packs can serve 8-10 people or 18-20 people

and the menu offerings will vary by location.

The restaurant offers catering, reserved seating for large parties and a kids’ makeyour-own pizza party. Event space and offerings will also vary by location.

Emmy Squared Pizza will be located in the section of The Summit near Trader Joe’s and Barnes & Noble at 214 Summit Boulevard.

For more information, visit emmysquared pizza.com.

VestaviaVoice.com

June 2023 • A13

Bandwagon located on 18th Street in downtown Homewood. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Bandwagon Sports announces Cahaba Heights location

By NEAL EMBRY Bandwagon Sports, which offers sporting goods and community-based apparel, has announced they will open their second location in Cahaba Heights, bringing a family-friendly store to Vestavia Hills.

David Knight, who owns and founded the store along with his wife, Leah, said the decision was based on the customers coming into the existing location on 18th Street South in Homewood. While based in Homewood, the company offers gear, apparel and other merchandise with Homewood, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills logos and more. There is a “strong contingent” of Vestavia shoppers, so opening a second store in Cahaba Heights made sense, David Knight said.

“We really felt like moving into Vestavia would be a really good opportunity for us,” he said. “Cahaba Heights has grown

tremendously.”

Being in Cahaba Heights opens Bandwagon to a part of Vestavia that isn’t as close to the Homewood store as others, Knight said. It also provides close proximity to Mountain Brook.

Bandwagon supporters are part of “communities that love their communities,” he said.

The Cahaba Heights store will look “quite different” from the Homewood store, Knight said. It will be much bigger, with most of the apparel in the front and the sporting goods in the back. He also said the store will better serve Bandwagon’s e-commerce needs, with more space in the back of house to process online orders.

The store will be in Heights Village, in between Manhattan South and The Smocking Bird. Knight said he hopes to open the store sometime in June.

For more information, visit bandwagon sports.com.

This rendering shows a future project on U.S. 31, which will include Waldo’s Chicken and Beer, along with Big Bad Breakfast. Rendering courtesy of Ward Neely.

Restaurants, green space set for lower 31 development

By NEAL EMBRY Ward Neely admits he isn’t big on “corporate, flashy stuff.”

So when he set out with John Michael Bodnar to develop a new retail destination on the south end of U.S. 31 at the former Motor Lodge site, a “standard, suburban shopping center” was not on his radar.

The new site already has two restaurants announced, Big Bad Breakfast and Waldo’s Chicken and Beer, with more to come. The goal is to create a space for parents to relax and for kids to play, Neely said. Bodnar said he expects two to four more businesses to join, depending on what they are. There will also be a green space in the back, making the area feel similar to the Martin’s BBQ development in Cahaba Heights, Neely said.

Bodnar said the site is a “high traffic” area and the restaurants are a good fit for Vestavia.

He is hoping the other tenants will include a small medical office, a dessert/coffee option or something similar.

The development will be built “for the eye, not the pocketbook,” Neely said. Instead of a single, uniform finish across the front of the buildings, he said there will be a multi-building facade.

Neely and Bodnar are working with a hydrologist to investigate the accuracy of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s maps.

Those maps are used to build base elevations out of the 100-year flood zone, which allows property owners to purchase unrestricted insurance, instead of the more expensive flood insurance. That work should be finished sometime in June, with the two known restaurants set to come sometime next year, Neely said.

From Big Bad Breakfast and Waldo’s, Bodnar said he expects between 80 and 100 jobs, though an exact figure is not yet known.

A14 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

The Fig celebrates 10 years of business

By NEAL EMBRY JP Holland knew from an early age he wanted to start his own restaurant.

So when the opportunity came to start The Fig in Cahaba Heights, he jumped on it.

This year, the restaurant is turning 10 years old.

When he first started, he had no money and bought tables and chairs at yard sales, serving meals on paper plates, Holland said.

“We just cooked our butts off,” he said.

Over time, the restaurant has expanded from seven tables to 22, Holland said. They have expanded further into the salon that the restaurant sits behind. Holland described the food as Southern casual and said it has grown in popularity over the years.

“People loved that we were this weird spot at the back of a salon,” he said.

Holland built a big garden on the property and the restaurant uses it to grow as much of their own ingredients as they can, he said.

Some items just taste better grown fresh, he said. As a chef, his desire is to provide the best ingredients for his guests.

The restaurant gets heirloom tomatoes from their garden, along with peppers. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, they were raising pigs, Holland said. All of that is part of Holland’s effort to “bring things back to the way they were before the modern world.” Holland studies the “old-school ways” of how food was produced and foraged, he said. He forages for specific types of mushrooms while incorporating “new-school ways” of producing food, he said.

“My paradigm has changed on food and what’s important to me,” Holland said.

And being in the city of Vestavia Hills has

been a boon for the food business as well, he said. There are numerous artisanal, local restaurants in the city.

“There are people doing well right here in Vestavia,” Holland said. “People are very willing to forego going downtown to get something here. … Vestavia has a way cooler restaurant scene than they give themselves credit for.”

Holland said he is looking forward to seeing how one-offs of small batch beer sales will go.

“I’m a little bit of a wild card,” Holland said. “Our menus reflect that and what I’m passionate about.”

Seasonal changes trigger menu changes at The Fig, Holland said, adjusting offerings to reflect what’s fresh and the weather outside.

For those who work at The Fig, Holland said there is an expectation not only of experience but of a desire to continue to learn along with him. He has learned to make vinegar, how to forage, old-school butchery and more.

“It’s a little bit of the old school done correctly,” Holland said.

While the cuisine is Southern, it pulls from French, Italian and other international flavors, he said.

“The South has always been a melting pot,” Holland said. “That’s what ignites us right now.”

As he’s gotten older, Holland said he’s fallen back into what he’s good at and has learned how to improve and how to know what people want.

In the future, The Fig will also share some space with Miss Astrid’s Tavern, a forthcoming restaurant and event venue in Cahaba Heights that will be behind the restaurant and will utilize their kitchen.

“We’re excited to help Cahaba Heights

Tee Holland delivers an order to a party during Sunday brunch, April 30, at The Fig in Cahaba Heights. The restaurant is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Photos by Erin Nelson.

The Fig pig pork, a tomahawk pork chop butterflied and topped with apple Gastriquesauteéd rutabaga, front; the crab cake situation, pan-seared claw meat crab cakes on top of fried green tomatoes, with two over-easy eggs and hollandaise, center; and the gulf fish with broiled red snapper, jalapeno cream corn and pea shoots are some of the chef’s favorite dishes.

grow,” Holland said. “I think we’ve earned it. It’s something that Cahaba Heights really needs.”

Miss Astrid’s will be more casual than The Fig, but without cutting quality, Holland said.

The past 10 years have included many conversations, as Holland tries to talk with

every customer that comes and sits down, and he encourages his staff to do the same.

The friendly atmosphere might be one of the reasons the restaurant has been a mainstay in Cahaba Heights for the past 10 years.

“We’re just trying to let you hang out in our living room,” Holland said.

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VestaviaVoice.com

June 2023 • A15

Community Have a community announcement? Email Neal Embry at nembry@starnesmedia.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.

Saint Stephen’s prepares for June 16 anniversary

By NEAL EMBRY As the anniversary of the June 16, 2022, shooting at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church approaches, church leaders are preparing to remember the occasion.

The Rev. John Burruss, rector at Saint Stephen’s, said the Most Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, will speak at the 6:30 p.m. service on Friday, June 16. At the service, the church will commemorate the lives claimed by the shooting: Bart Rainey, Jane Pounds and Sharon Yeager.

The ribbons that hung across the Parish Hall, the site of the shooting, will be turned into a “beautiful front door altar,” Burruss said. Those ribbons poured in from well-wishers and parishioners from around the country in the days following the shooting.

“It’s tender, but not somber,” Burruss said of the church’s emotions. “Christians believe that God offers life through death. June 16 for us is a proclamation of our faith. It’s an opportunity to proclaim what we believe.”

The church also recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in May, performed a play written by Red Mountain Theatre and participated in Rise Against Hunger.

To honor the victims of the shooting, Burruss said the church published a memoir titled, “The Light Shines in the Darkness: Christian Hope after a Mass Shooting.” The book features a compilation of essays written by 42 individuals in response to the shooting.

“We wanted to reflect the hope, love and compassion that Saint Stephen’s chose to embody in response to the violence inflicted upon our parish,” Burress said. “Forty-two parishioners courageously reflect on the tragedy and its effect

Signs with Bible verses, flowers and words of encouragement grace the sign at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills on June 24, 2022, in remembrance of the three victims of the shooting that took place June 16, 2022.

Photo by Erin Nelson.

on their lives and Christian faith.”

The book was edited by local author and church member Melinda Rainey Thompson, the daughter of Bart Rainey. Photography was provided by professional photographer Van Chaplin, who is also a parishioner, as well as other congregants.

“When John asked me to lead a group of

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nonprofessional writers from our church to create a collection of reflections on this event, I was initially hesitant. However, it has been a healing process,” Thompson said. “The way that Saint Stephen’s responded to the shooting and the tidal wave of grief in its wake is an inspirational story.”

Proceeds from the book will go toward the labyrinth the church is building to remember the

victims and offer parishioners and the public a place to pray and reflect, Burruss said.

One year after tragedy struck, the church is continuing to move forward by God’s grace, Burruss said.

“God is continuing to take what is painful and broken and turn it into something beautiful,” he said.

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A16 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

‘How do you want to feel?’

Vestavia Hills artist creates artwork using mementos

By NEAL EMBRY Natalie Haynes still remembers scribbling under the table as a child while her mother painted above.

All of the women in her family have the gift of art, she said.

When her parents got sick years ago, Haynes, who lives in Vestavia Hills, began cleaning out their attic and was able to turn her father’s old Wall Street Journals into a table made out of resin that showcased the papers that meant a lot to him, she said.

While Haynes has traveled a lot, she has found a primary resiHaynes dence in Vestavia, she said, in order to take care of her parents, though another friend joined in as well.

“A dog adopted me,” Haynes said.

She shares the dog with her neighbor, who watches her when she is out of town.

Haynes has, over the past two years, made a career out of unique art pieces made out of a wide variety of meaningful materials.

When a friend became sick with breast cancer, Haynes set about collecting all of the cards the friend received and making it into something special.

“I cried the whole time,” she said. “The most

Above: A multimedia piece using cards are worked into a collage on canvas. Right: A multimedia piece using rose petals and hydrangeas. Photos courtesy of Natalie Haynes.

important question [for clients] is, ‘How do you want to feel?’”

Her friend with breast cancer said she wanted to feel all of it. So Haynes set about to capture the wide range of emotions from the time, and it often led to her own tears. She recalled her boyfriend coming home and seeing her crying, thinking about her friend’s child.

“You’re five years old and your mom is sick,” Haynes said.

In addition to including the cards, the artwork also includes music the family found meaningful, Haynes said. When the family saw the finished piece, they cried, but it was a “joyful happy,” as

her friend eventually beat breast cancer, she said.

“It means that I made a difference,” she said.

The work on these handmade pieces Haynes creates is not cookie-cutter, she said. One project included making a piece of art out of her grandparent’s love letters, adorning the piece with a magnolia tree and the name of their hometown, Monroeville, on it, she said.

“It’s like reading text messages; they were so sweet to each other,” she said.

When she begins work on a project, Haynes talks with the client and gets together a game plan, and brainstorms options of what might work and what won’t work, she said. She’ll

come to each project with “an open heart and mind,” which can be “scary,” she said.

Working on these projects comes with a high level of trust between Haynes and the client, she said.

“It’s always an absolute honor,” she said.

Working on these projects has taught Haynes that art is powerful.

“It’s just so touching to be able to create something that matters,” she said.

Haynes has a Facebook page, Natalie Haynes Art, and is also available by email at haynesnf@ gmail.com or at 415-509-9555.

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VestaviaVoice.com

June 2023 • A17

The art of capturing the moment Local artist helps preserve memories with live event painting

By NEAL EMBRY Wedding days go by fast.

The happiest moments of someone’s life become cherished memories, but it can be hard to remember all of the details. But local artist Sherri Arias hopes to help preserve some of those memories.

Arias, a former art teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park, does live event paintings at weddings and other special occasions.

Two to three hours before the first dance takes place, Arias, who admitted to being a “hopeless romantic,” sets up and begins drawing the scene, scouting out the best point of view, angles and more.

“I want to show all of the life that was going on,” Arias said.

That includes kids running around, dancing, flowers and more, she said.

“When you look at the painting, I want all of that to come back,” Arias said.

The Vestavia resident will take pictures of people on her phone, using them as reference to paint what the client asks for, she said.

The scene she paints will combine not only the people in the photo, but other parts of the joyous scene, Arias said.

Arias has been drawing and painting since she was a child, and her love for art took her to the University of Southern Mississippi to study it, and later to the University of Alabama at Birmingham to obtain a master’s degree in art education.

“You really should go after the things you’re

Above and top right: Sherri Arias, a watercolor-based artist and resident of Vestavia Hills, works on a commissioned wedding painting at her studio in Homewood. Bottom right: Invitations with watercolor paintings by Sherri Arias. Photos by Erin Nelson.

interested in and really love,” Arias said.

Arias has a studio in Homewood that she shares with her daughter, Brittany Sturdivant, in West Homewood at 900 Oak Grove Road.

The pair moved from another West Homewood location. Arias spends her days painting while Sturdivant has a photo studio for family pictures and more.

The conversations that Arias finds herself in are often funny and at times “precious,” she said. One groomsman at a wedding told her how he felt he was falling in love with Sturdivant, and Arias had to break the news to him that her daughter was already married.

When one guest asked if she was famous and Arias said she was not, the guest replied, “Well, you should be,” she said.

Arias said understanding perspectives and

looking at the surrounding scene helps create the memorable pictures.

“People think it’s magic,” Arias said.

Arias works in watercolor and does house portraits, people portraits and designs on paper used in weddings. Being part of the best parts of people’s lives is a blessing, she said.

“I’m a spiritual person and I feel closer to God when I’m creating,” Arias said. “I just can’t imagine life without creating. I just have to be doing something.”

Teaching young people how to create art is not just about teaching them how to use a paintbrush or how to draw, Arias said.

“A lot about art is not about doing something with your hands; it’s about learning how to see,” Arias said.

Getting to students before they reach third

or fourth grade and allowing them to have confidence in themselves may save them from the attitude often seen in adults of, “I can’t do it,” Arias said.

Helen Holley, the first principal at VHELP, called Arias to offer a part-time job that turned into a full-time job teaching art to students, Arias said. She stayed for about 12 or 13 years, finishing a 25-year teaching career.

“The kids come in the room just loving you,” Arias said. “Everything was just fun.”

Arias said she plans on doing the live portraits and commissions for about six or seven more years before she transitions to painting “what I want to paint.”

“I guess I’ll keep doing it as long as I can keep carrying that easel,” Arias said.

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A18 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

Left: Local boxer John Williams, right, competes in an elite championship round against Maleik Lawson of Georgia during the 2023 Southeast Regional Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions at the Lee Community Center in Homewood on April 22. Right: Local boxer Lance Holloway, right, competes against Marco Jones of Georgia. Photos by Erin Nelson.

Bobbing and weaving Boxing tournament run by Vestavia resident brings in talented fighters

By LOYD MCINTOSH More than 300 people packed the gymnasium of the Lee Community Center for a weekend of amateur boxing in late April.

The 2023 Southeast Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions brought some of the brightest boxing talent from around the Southeast under one roof on April 22-23. On the line was an opportunity to advance to the 2023 National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Philadelphia and a possible invitation to the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in December.

The tournament was hosted by Dave Godber, a Vestavia Hills resident and Southeast Golden Gloves franchise delegate and owner of Round 1 Boxing & Fitness in Hoover. It featured a cadre of elite fighters competing out of his gym as well as top amateur boxers from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina.

“Alabama has a chance to put five boxers in the National Golden Gloves if we beat the other states,” Godber said. “If you make it to the National Golden Gloves, then you’re something.”

On Saturday, April 22, four out of five fighters drew a bye, leaving 125-pounder Ke’Nario Davidson as the sole Alabamian and Round 1 boxer competing in the first day of action.

Davidson struggled somewhat with his opponent, Joven Tiller, who held Davidson throughout all three rounds. However, Davidson prevailed, landing punches when he had the opportunity to advance to the championships on Sunday.

In the championship bout, Davidson faced Tennessean T.J. Arnold in the first fight of the day. For close to a minute after the opening bell, Davidson and Arnold sized each other up, with Davidson patiently waiting to find an opening.

But he was perhaps too patient. Arnold landed a few punches to his body and head. The Alabamian stood his ground during the flurry but allowed his opponent to rack up points in the process.

Toward the end of the first round, Davidson picked up his energy level, throwing a flurry of punches at Arnold, eventually losing his balance into the ropes. After regaining his balance, Davidson backed Arnold into the corner as the boxers traded punches until the bell ended round one.

Davidson opened round two with three left

Local boxer Ke’Nario Davidson, left, competes in an elite championship round against T.J. Arnold of Tennessee during the 2023 Southeast Regional Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions.

jabs and a left hook landing on Arnold’s ear. As the first minute wore on, the energy level settled back down as the fighters sized each other up until Arnold found a groove, landing more punches on Davidson and backing him into the ropes and, again, knocking him off balance.

Davidson eventually found his second wind and traded body shots with Arnold as the second round rang to a close.

The third round began with Davidson as the aggressor. However, Arnold responded, continuing to throw punches as Davidson waited for an opening for a knockout shot that never came. As the bell rang to end the third and final round, Arnold’s victory was clear.

The next two fights featured boxers from out of state. In the second fight, Christian Andrade of Georgia defeated Sema’J Young of North Carolina in the 132-pound Elite championship.

In the third fight, Nathan Threatt of South Carolina defeated Georgian Devin Carter in the 139-pound Elite title bout.

Bout number four featured Alabamian and Round 1 boxer John Williams fighting in the 147-pound Elite championship against Georgian Maliek Lawson. Williams, who also coaches at Round 1 with Godber, received a bye in the semi-finals, a development he wasn’t

that thrilled about, but he was confident in Godber’s plan.

“I’d rather fight twice and get a rhythm going, but I’ll accept it,” Williams said. “I’m just focused on implementing the skill set and just doing the correct moves when they’re needed, controlling myself and following through.”

Williams came out strong after the opening bell in bout four, dominating the first round with a flurry of body shots, backing Lawson into the ropes. However, at this moment, and throughout the three rounds, Williams seemed to back off when he had a chance to put the fight away for good.

In round two, once again, Williams appeared to be the aggressor, backing Lawson into the ropes but seemingly letting off the gas when it looked like he could have sent his opponent to the canvas.

In the third round, Williams’s patience would come back to bite him as Lawson established a rhythm and gained his second wind. Midway through the round, Lawson forced a standing ten count on Williams. Trying to re-establish control, Williams ran out of gas and was forced into another standing 10-count. Moments later, the referee stepped in to stop the fight with

around one minute left in the bout.

The dominoes continued to fall as the final two Elite Alabamians lost in the finals. Lance Holloway was defeated by Marco Jones of Georgia in the 165-pound Elite Championships. In the final Elite bout of the weekend, Steve Motley lost in a controversial decision to Matthew Nore, representing Georgia, for the 176-pound Elite title bout.

The event also featured novice boxers getting some of their first action in the ring, including Mountain Brook High School graduate Jose Pilco, who defeated Jace Gardener in his debut bout. Also making essentially his second debut was Tyler Turner, a 2018 Hoover High School graduate and current UAB student studying music technology.

Coming into his bout on Sunday, Turner had fought only once, a loss, in 2021 before tearing his ACL. In only his second fight — and the first in two years — Turner soundly defeated Jerry Maynard in a 156-pound novice division fight that had the entire gym, including many of his friends from high school, on their feet.

“The whole plan was to drown him and not stop throwing punches no matter what,” Turner said. “I’ve been working so long for this, so to come back like that, just feels amazing.”

VestaviaVoice.com

June 2023 • A19

United Way celebrates 100 years of helping communities

By NEAL EMBRY and GRACE THORNTON Vestavia Hills City Manager Jeff Downes may wear many hats in the city of Vestavia, but one of the most enjoyable is the “chief cheerleader” for United Way of Central Alabama.

“I’ve always been a strong supporter of the United Way,” Downes said.

The organization shows a heart for those who need uplifting and cares for the “least of these,” Downes said. Several years ago, Downes began leading Vestavia Hills employees to raise money each year for United Way, and this year, he chairs the organization’s cabinet over community divisions, which helps raise funds from local governments, educational institutions and organizations, nonprofits and similar agencies, Downes said.

The help that United Way provides is also personal for Downes, whose stepson Chad has special needs and benefits from agencies that receive financial support from United Way, such as The Exceptional Foundation. When Downes first met Chad, he could not speak and had severe learning disabilities. Downes and his wife were told they’d need to learn sign language in order to communicate with him, he said.

Over time, Chad learned to talk and now regularly says, “I love you, Jeff,” Downes said.

Downes has volunteered with the Big Brother Big Sister program and has led volunteers from Vestavia there as well.

“They [United Way] can’t function without resources,” Downes said. “If I can help them achieve their goals financially, many others can see it.”

United Way is celebrating 100 years this month, and has made major impacts throughout the region, including in Vestavia Hills.

“We are firm believers that when we come together as a whole, the possibilities are endless,” said Drew Langloh, UWCA president and CEO. “Our 100-year impact on the Central

United Way of Central Alabama, which includes some volunteers from Vestavia Hills seen here, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month.

Photo courtesy of Sara Lynn Hill.

Alabama community proves this, and we look forward to continuing to pave the way for real, tangible change for the next 100 years.”

Those future plans start with a celebration of where they’ve been and where they’re headed.

On June 24, UWCA supporters, partners and neighbors are invited to CityWalk in Birmingham from 3 to 8 p.m. to enjoy live music, food, performers, games, a partner agency fair and more.

In the coming months, UWCA will also unveil six community park projects, one in each county served by the organization.

United Way has been special to Kimberly Jackson for around 15 years now. She’s seen it change people’s lives firsthand.

“It really resonates for me in my service on several nonprofit boards that are United Way agencies; I get to see how important United Way’s support is to those agencies and how impactful it is,” she said.

Jackson is the president of the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham, and she said for the past seven years, she’s seen how funds from United Way have made a difference in the lives of Birmingham-area children and teens.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of more

than 200 programs, services and initiatives in six central Alabama counties that are meeting community needs. UWCA pools resources from donors to help fund the work of these agencies.

“As long as we can continue to undergird and support United Way, those nonprofit agencies will have the support they need,” said Jackson, who lives in the Liberty Park area.

Stephen Armstrong, executive vice president of O’Neal Industries, said he became more involved with United Way when he joined the Visiting Allocations team, a group of volunteers who evaluate the businesses and agencies benefiting from United Way’s funds. That work includes a financial review, talking with leaders and seeing the difference the money makes, he said.

Armstrong also helps United Way run their campaign and meets with area businesses and organizations about each year’s fundraising campaign. As someone in the metal industry, he meets with similar businesses, he said.

“I feel so good about how the United Way goes about helping people in our communities,” Armstrong said. “I think giving back to the community is important for all of us. I feel blessed to be able to do it and participate.”

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Jackson said bringing different voices to the table is one of the best parts of UWCA. That’s how it all started 100 years ago, Langloh said — around a table. In 1923, a group of local business people got together to deal with the social problems in the rapidly growing city of Birmingham.

“When you read the minutes from back then, you begin to understand that the organization was seen as a device or a mechanism,” Langloh said. “Oftentimes, they would come together if there was a big issue brewing in the community that needed attention.”

Now with more than 200 agencies, UWCA is hoping to raise its endowment to $100 million to ensure that kind of assistance keeps going.

“The whole reason for United Way is to serve the community,” said Langloh, who has worked with UWCA for 24 years, 15 of those as CEO. “To me, it all starts with this fundamental belief that this organization is owned by the community, not owned by anyone in particular. Because of that, we’ve been successful in that each generation that comes along has picked it up and stewarded it through their time and then handed it off.”

For more information about the centennial celebration, visit uwca.org/100years.

A20 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

Birmingham Recovery Center offers telehealth with virtual drug testing

By JON ANDERSON The Birmingham Recovery Center, an outpatient alcohol and drug treatment center in Hoover’s International Park, this year started offering telehealth services to help people who live farther away get treatment.

Officials there say they believe their center is the only one in Alabama that offers drug testing virtually as part of the treatment process.

The Birmingham Recovery Center utilizes a smartphone app called clearMINDnow, which uses saliva testing kits to determine if a person is using illicit substances during the treatment process.

Telehealth clients download the clearMINDnow app on their smartphone and are sent drug testing kits that are about the size of a pack of cigarettes, said Ian Henyon, executive director for the Birmingham Recovery Center.

Clients are tested at random times five times per month, Henyon said. They are sent messages on their phone and given six hours to complete the virtual testing process.

For each test, the client must do a live video of themselves opening a sealed testing kit and putting a large cotton swab in their mouth to gather saliva samples and immediately put the swab into the testing kit, Henyon said. A person is reviewing the video live to make sure the test is conducted properly, he said. Results are sent electronically to both the client and staff at the Birmingham Recovery Center within a few hours, he said.

If a person fails the test, they are asked to come in for a urine screen that is sent to a lab for analysis, Henyon said.

As of late April, only one client who completed a virtual saliva test failed the test, and that was because the client was taking a prescription drug that the Birmingham Recovery Center did not have in its records, Henyon said.

Henyon, who has been working in drug

An example of the digital saliva drug testing device used by clearMINDnow. Photos courtesy of Direct Communications.

treatment for 16 years, said most people do not use illicit substances while in treatment, but there is a small percentage who do.

“Being able to use remote testing, where we can monitor our clients for use and make sure he or she is staying on the recovery track, is vital,” Henyon said. “We have to hold clients accountable, and by coupling the virtual testing process with telehealth, we are able to do just that.”

The telehealth option is available only for people who live more than 30 miles from the treatment center or have a medical condition that impedes travel, Henyon said.

For now, the Birmingham Recovery Center is capping the number of telehealth clients at 10, and as of late April six people are using the service, he said. Clients are asked to commit about three months to the telehealth program.

In addition to the drug testing, the telehealth program utilizes Zoom for three group therapy

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sessions per week, plus a one-on-one meeting each week between the client and a therapist.

Henyon said he believes in-person therapy and treatment is better than teletherapy, but teletherapy is certainly better than no treatment at all.

And people who live far away from treatment centers are going without treatment too often, he said. It’s not realistic to ask people to drive two hours three times a week for treatment, he said.

Colin Harris, managing director of the Birmingham Recovery Center, said the whole idea with teletherapy is to make treatment more accessible. “By offering telehealth options, we can help more and more people get on the road to recovery — and be successful,” Harris said.

The cost for telehealth is the same as in-person treatment: $3,600 a month, Henyon said.

Health insurance plans often cover in-person

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treatment but sometimes do not cover telehealth, he said.

People who are interested in the telehealth program will undergo a 15-to-20-minute phone assessment and medical screening to determine if the program is a good fit.

Since opening its 7,500-square-foot facility at the end of June 2021, the Birmingham Recovery Center has treated probably close to 1,000 people, Henyon said.

“The demand is much higher than we anticipated,” he said. “We quickly have run out of space at this building.”

To find out more about the Birmingham Recovery Center or its telehealth options, call 205-813-7400 or visit birminghamrecovery center.com.

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VestaviaVoice.com

June 2023 • A21

Jim Musgrove of Vestavia Hills was recently awarded the Carnegie Medal, shown here, for his heroic actions to subdue the assailant during the June 16, 2022, shooting at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church.

Photo courtesy of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission.

Local hero Jim Musgrove recognized with Carnegie Medal A local hero who helped subdue the assailant during the June 16, 2022, shooting at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church is set to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor for heroism.

Jim Musgrove will be awarded the Carnegie Medal by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, which awards the medal to “individuals from throughout the United States and Canada who risk themselves to an extraordinary degree saving or attempting to save the lives of others,” according to a press release from the organization.

The Carnegie Medal is considered North America’s highest civilian honor for heroism.

“When shots rang out at a June 16 church potluck in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, James W. Musgrove, Jr., did not hesitate to subdue the shooter, a 70-year-old man armed with a semi-automatic handgun,” the release stated.

“The man fired three shots, killing three of the more than 20 senior citizens attending the

potluck. Sitting closer to an exit, Musgrove, a 79-year-old Birmingham, Alabama, retired investigator, lifted a banquet chair and held it in front of him like a shield and ran toward the assailant. Musgrove released the chair and grabbed the assailant’s hand holding the gun and forced him to drop it. Holding the back of the assailant’s neck, Musgrove retrieved the gun and struck the assailant until he was subdued. He restrained the assailant until police arrived. At the time of the investigation, the assailant was awaiting trial for capital murder.”

As a Carnegie Medal honoree, Musgrove will receive a financial grant. Throughout the 119 years since the fund was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, more than $44 million has been given in onetime grants, scholarship aid, death benefits and continuing assistance.

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A22 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice There have been great moments over the last couple years, with Jackson notching a walkoff hit in the first game of his junior season, nearly hitting for the cycle against Hoover, hitting a walk-off home run to defeat Cullman and hitting a key homer against Sparkman, just to name a few.

It hasn’t always been easy, but Harris would not have it any other way. He will have a few more years of the experience, as his younger son, Jacob, will soon be making his way up the ranks.

“I wouldn’t trade the ability to be able to coach him for the world,” he said. “It’s been hard at times. … It’s going to be really weird not having him there next year.”

COACHES

CONTINUED from page A1 “It was trial and error,” Simmons said. “How I handled Madison and Miah was totally different. I made a lot of mistakes with Madison and was way too hard on her. I never wanted there to be any doubt in anybody’s mind that they got anything because it was handed to them.”

Simmons said he handled things with Miah much better, getting to coach her in basketball, volleyball and softball throughout her playing days. Simmons coached his daughters at Hayden until the family moved to Vestavia Hills two years ago. Miah recently graduated from Vestavia Hills High and will play college softball at the University of Mobile.

“Being able to spend time with your child is great and being able to watch her development,” Simmons said.

Simmons fondly remembers many moments over the years, but one that sticks out to him is seeing Miah help lead their Hayden team to the state championship when she was in eighth grade. Miah got pulled up to the varsity team in the latter half of the season and struggled at times early on. But once it clicked, she dominated throughout the postseason and helped the Wildcats win it all.

“Being able to watch that little spark, that was really special for me,” Simmons said.

Simmons is grateful to have great relationships with both daughters after coaching them throughout the years, but he’s also ready to sit on the sidelines and enjoy Miah’s next chapter.

Give him a Mountain Dew and some snacks, and he’s all set.

“I love taking my cooler and my chair and sitting back and watching,” he said.

‘IT MEANS MORE’

Robert Evans hates going up against teams in which the star player is a coach’s son.

“I hate playing coach’s kids, because it means more to them,” said Evans, the current head football coach at Vestavia Hills High School and a former star player for the Rebels.

How does he know that? Because he was one back in his playing days. Evans’s father,

DIDN’T KNOW ANY DIFFERENT

Vestavia Hills head coach Robert Evans talks to his team after a football game versus Spain Park at Jaguar Stadium on Sept. 16, 2022, in Birmingham. The Rebels beat the Jaguars, 36-7. Photo by Laura Chramer.

Bruce, was a longtime coach at Vestavia and his position coach in the late 1990s.

“You’re playing for your family’s livelihood.

Coaches’ kids are going to have a different perspective, because they live with it 365 days out of the year,” Evans said.

There were plenty of highs and lows in his career, being coached by his dad. He fondly remembers his days as a kid, hanging around high school practices and having his dad throw batting practice sessions in the afternoons. The culmination of his senior year, when the Rebels won the state football title in 1998, was a special moment for the family as well.

There were some rough moments, as well.

Evans recalls being pulled out of a playoff game his junior year for what he described as a “dumb football play.” While he was on the bench, the opponent scored and went on to win the game in overtime.

On a lighter note, Evans is glad he no longer has to ride to school in his dad’s 1982 Chevrolet Caprice Classic.

These days, Evans is coaching his own team, while his parents can only watch from the bleachers.

“It’s probably nerve-wracking for them, watching us,” Evans said. “With coaches,

parents probably still live and die with it.

They’re still your kids when you’re coaching and that’s unique. They don’t ever get out of that phase of worrying about their child’s wellbeing.”

DELICATE BALANCE

Jamie Harris was the head coach at Vestavia Hills High School before his son Jackson became a member of the varsity team. But this year has been a special one, as the Rebels advanced to the Class 7A state championship series for the first time since 2000. Jackson and the rest of the senior class have been key cogs in that run.

“It’s been a really, really special year,” Harris said.

Not only has Harris had the opportunity to coach Jackson over his varsity career, but he’s been an assistant coach for various teams throughout the years before high school.

Harris called it a delicate balance when it comes to coaching his son.

“It can be hard on both sides, it depends on the day and the situation. I have to watch and make sure I’m not harder on him than I am everybody else, but I also expect so much out of him,” he said.

Casey Dunn’s dad was a high school baseball legend. Sammy Dunn authored one of the most successful runs in history, leading Vestavia Hills High School to nine state championships over a 10-year stretch from 1991-2000. Casey was a player during the middle of that run, but playing for his dad was simply the norm.

“I didn’t know anything different,” Casey said. “I appreciated it so much more when I left playing for him, because I realized how good he was at what he did.”

Casey has been a baseball coach since his playing days concluded. He was head coach at Spain Park High before a successful 17-year run at Samford University. He is currently in his second season leading the UAB program.

“So many of my best supporters support me because of what my dad did for them,” he said. “That’s such a testament. There’s such an appreciation for the impact that he had.”

The moments that stick out most in Dunn’s mind from his years playing for his dad were in his freshman and senior campaigns. As a freshman, Dunn was thrown into a big moment in the state championship game as a pinch hitter and came through to drive in a key run. As a senior, winning the state title and the embrace that followed is a memory he clings to tightly as well.

“That was our last time together [as player and coach]. That would be the best memory,” he said.

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VestaviaVoice.com

June 2023 • A23 Far left: Martin McCurry, 11, of Mountain Brook, and Joseph Kaufhold, 11, of Hoover, sing solos during a Birmingham Boys Choir rehearsal at Saint Mark United Methodist Church.

Left: Children in the junior choir, third and fourth graders, sing during a Birmingham Boys Choir rehearsal at Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Vestavia Hills. Photos

by Erin Nelson.

BOYS CHOIR

CONTINUED from page A1 Berg and his wife, Susan, have been helping lead the choir for 45 years. The choir is run by a board of directors, and the choir includes 140 boys from 40 different schools in the Birmingham area.

Boys in third through fifth grade are junior choristers, while those in fifth through eighth grade can join the senior choristers. Eighth grade boys graduate from the choir but can still participate as graduate choristers from ninth through 12th grade, Berg said. It’s not uncommon for boys to join in third grade and stay until they graduate from high school, with eight doing so this year, he said.

In addition to their famed — and free — seasonal concerts, the senior and graduate boys participate in ticketed, collaborative concerts throughout the year, Berg said.

They are working this fall with the musical group Three on a String and have previously worked with storytellers Sean of the South and Dolores Hydock, he said.

Leaders oversee the boys during a “huge, pivotal” time of change, Berg said. It is a responsibility they take very seriously. Their time in the choir is instrumental, not just in teaching them music, but in teaching life lessons.

The choir’s executive director, Jeff Caulk, said it is “just fantastic” to be involved in the boys’ lives. Caulk said it is a “confluence of values and education for growing boys into men.”

“It’s more than music,” Caulk said. “It’s training for life.”

A former chorister himself, Caulk said he is a better man because of his time with the boys choir.

Seeing boys join the choir from all walks of life is inspiring, Caulk said.

“It’s the way community should be,” he said. “All the boys love finding friends and we love getting to watch it.”

The boys also might be more athletically or academically-inclined, but it’s all useful, Berg said. Singing involves having the correct physical form, along with understanding languages, pitch, location and more, he said.

“You’ve got to be smart to do this,” Berg said. “They are mutually sustaining.”

The boys rehearse in satellite locations during the week, with lessons on the south, east and western end of Birmingham, along with an inner-city class on Wednesday. Boys go to the closest class to them, Berg said.

Those practices last between 13 and 14 weeks before all the students come together for about three weeks.

“When the curtain goes up … it’s an impressive sight as well as sound,” he said.

The choir is well known, not only for their

concerts here in Birmingham, but across the country and world, Berg said. They have traveled to Canada, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Japan, Germany, Florida, Portland, Seattle and more.

“They’re pretty well known,” Berg said.

Bringing all the boys together after weeks spent apart and teaching them challenging music could not be done without a “fantastic” music staff, Berg said.

“I get all the glory and it’s really not fair,” he said.

Music can include portions of Handel’s Messiah, Christmas music and always a certain amount of “sacred literature,” Berg said. Leaders are careful with what they put in front of the boys and also strive to teach Christian virtues through the music that is chosen.

Even as they learn how to hit the right notes, the boys are taught what the words themselves mean, Berg said.

“Don’t sing that without thinking about what you’re singing,” Berg said he’ll tell the boys. “Music allows for that, especially choral music.”

He said his hope is that the music lifts people up and encourages them.

While they’re talented musically, the boys are also “endlessly entertaining,” Berg said.

In the 45 years since he began, the number of boys has jumped from 13 to more than 100. The group also found a way to keep boys

past puberty, Berg said.

One of the highlights of the choir is the camp, where older boys are counselors to younger boys, forging strong bonds that last through the years, he said.

In talking with people about the choir, Berg said others are always surprised at what the boys can do.

“It’s not that our expectations are too high [for children]; it’s that our expectations are too low,” he said.

The goal is not simply for boys to “have a good time,” but to be challenged and grow.

And the challenge extends to fathers once every other year, Berg said. In odd-numbered years, dads and father figures are allowed to sing with their boys at the Christmas concert.

While many come to him admitting they aren’t choir material, Berg said they also are surprised at what they can do.

It’s often the one opportunity outside of church where fathers are able to learn together and create something together with their sons, Berg said.

“To watch that heritage … it’s a beautiful thing,” he said.

The choir auditions boys coming into third grade through eighth grade year-round and is preparing for their July enrollment. Their summer camp is set for July 25-29, Berg said.

For more information, visit birmingham boyschoir.org.

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By NEAL EMBRY After a life spent pastoring five churches and helping lead an association of churches, perhaps it is no surprise that everyone loved Earl Tew, his daughter, Delane, said.

Still, while his three kids were certainly aware — and at times active — in their father’s ministry, he was more than a pastor to them, she said.

“To us, he was dad,” Delane said.

Tew, who lived in Vestavia Hills, died April 26 at 93 years old. In his long life of ministry, he pastored Goodman Baptist Church, Pinckard Baptist Church, Lakeside Baptist Church in Birmingham, Calvary Baptist Church in Dothan and First Baptist Church of Hoover. He also served as executive director of the Birmingham Baptist Association for 12 years. After retiring from full-time ministry, Tew went back to Lakeside as minister to senior adults in 2007, then retired again in 2010.

Tew did not simply preach about a Christian life, but he lived it out, his daughter said.

“He lived out his Christian beliefs in everything he did and wanted to help us any way he could.”

Tew’s son David said his father was always clear about what he thought and was also an “attentive and loving father,” like so many men of his generation.

“We never lacked for attention,” David said.

David said Tew’s children “certainly grew up familiar with church.” Delane said church “really was home” for them

as they witnessed their father preaching and helping others.

For a few hours when he was a toddler, church literally became home for David. The family had gone home and the church had been locked up, but in a story straight out of the Bible, David was still in the building.

“I was just delighted to be left alone at church,” David said. “I built towers out of hymnals.”

Tew was passionate about growing the church and sharing the gospel. He led mission trips to Brazil, Romania, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Canada and Panama and also served on the board of directors of the International Missions Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). At the local level, he led the Birmingham Baptist Association in a ministry partnership with sister churches in Birmingham, England.

During his ministry, Tew would be notified anytime a new water meter was turned on in the area, said his son Mark.

Tew would drive over and greet the new resident and invite them to church.

“In the late ‘50s, early ‘60s, he would have long conversations with the milkman about who was new in the community,” Delane said.

In addition to being a pastor to several congregations, Tew was a “pastor to the pastors,” his children said. He also left a legacy for his children to follow. Delane went to Japan as a missionary and previously worked for the Women’s Missionary Union, an auxiliary of the SBC. Mark served as president of Judson College and

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When his girls traveled as part of Judson’s choir, Mark said they would be asked if they were Earl Tew’s granddaughters. When he was at Harvard University for two weeks, he drove down during a break to First Baptist Church of America in Providence, Rhode Island.

Even there, the pastor of the church asked, “Are you Earl Tew’s son?”

Tew’s children said they’ll remember how much their father cared for his children.

Earl Tew, a Vestavia Hills resident, pastored multiple churches “He certainly leaves a big hole during a long career in ministry, including First Baptist Church behind,” David said. “We know that his of Hoover and Lakeside Baptist Church in Birmingham. Tew died April 26 at the age of 93. Photo courtesy of David Tew. impact continues.”

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B4 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

Schoolhouse Have a schoolhouse announcement? Email Neal Embry at nembry@starnesmedia.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.

Student’s educational mission goes global

By SARAH GILLILAND Sixteen-year-old Reena Ramani, a Vestavia Hills High School student, is making an impact locally and globally through her own nonprofit, Project Menstrual Equity.

Ramani said her decision to start a nonprofit program began with her cultural background and upbringing.

“Growing up, menstruation, in my culture and other cultures around the world, has been a topic that has been off-limits. It was inappropriate to discuss, even around other women. Men in the family shouldn’t know about that topic, either,” Ramani said.

“Even being an American, living in the U.S., it kind of astounded me.

It made me realize that when women in other places around the world have issues during menstruation or problems getting products they need, they don’t have anywhere to go or anyone to talk to because it is such a stigmatized subject,” she said.

Ramani said the privileges afforded her as an American and a Vestavia Hills resident made her realize that she could use her position to help others who were not as privileged.

“After talking to my grandmom and mom about it, realizing it is still an ongoing issue, I decided I want to fix it,” she said.

Ramani started Project Menstrual Equity, or Project ME for short, as an international nonprofit initiative, with a mission to provide supplies to girls

and women who experience period poverty, especially in rural communities in the US and abroad.

Period poverty is a lack of education and resources to properly care for menstrual cycles. It often causes girls to miss school repeatedly, which puts them behind their male peers in countries where education is often difficult for females to obtain in the first place.

“We provide a sustainable, lowcost, hygienic solution to women who lack the proper resources for menstrual health,” Ramani said. “When they don’t have these solutions, they often use items that are not hygienic and can cause problems for them in the future.”

Ramani said her only issue with taking her nonprofit global is her time. When she graduates from high school, she wants to pursue a degree in global health. She has learned, through working with her partners at Project ME, that one of the ways she can institute change is through policies and administration.

Dr. Wally Carlo, a mentor for Project ME and the chair of neonatology at UAB, is taking Ramani to Zambia this summer.

“We are going to hand-deliver the products, and, hopefully while I’m there, I’ll be able to do some research and get a better grasp on global health to see if this is something I really want to do,” she said.

Ramani said she cares about supporting women through all facets of

Project ME. Her materials for the menstruation products are sourced through a company called Soch Green, which is based in India and helmed by women.

“Their mission aligns with my values of upholding [the importance of] women’s health and women’s empowerment. They really helped me determine what kind of product I want to manufacture for women,” she said.

The products are made with multiple hygienic layers that are easy to clean and long-lasting.

Locally, Ramani has spoken at area GirlSpring and Key Club events about period poverty, and she hopes that, as awareness is spread about Project ME, they will be able to elevate the level of menstrual education in her local community.

Ramani said fundraising is currently the biggest need for Project ME. “Our materials are outsourced, and a lot of that money [we raise] goes to shipping costs,” she said.

Though the initiative has become increasingly successful with each passing year, Ramani said she knows the work is not over until all women have equal access to education and products that will meet their needs, especially when it comes to menstrual health.

For more information on Project ME and ways to support the initiative, visit projectmeinternational.com.

Reena Ramani, a junior at Vestavia Hills High School, is the founder and president of Project ME, which provides reusable pads for women in underprivileged countries. Photo courtesy of Reena Ramani.

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VestaviaVoice.com

June 2023 • B5

Prewitt steps away after 15 combined years at VHHS

By NEAL EMBRY The charge given to the Leadership Vestavia Hills class of 2003 was to create a program for youth in the school system. That effort to create what became Youth Leadership Vestavia Hills was led, in part, by Kym Prewitt.

Prewitt had previously taught at Vestavia Hills High School for eight years before stepping away when she had children.

“I was all in,” Prewitt said. “I loved it. I’ve always loved it. It’s home.”

In her 20 years away from teaching, Prewitt volunteered on PTO, served on the Vestavia Hills Board of Education and Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation and did volunteer work for education around the state. She also began The Children’s Literacy Guild of Alabama, which works to get books in the hands of children.

So the idea of creating a younger version of Leadership Vestavia Hills was a natural fit for Prewitt. The goal was to give students a place to plug in, to help a large school feel small again and improve student connections, she said.

The program has grown considerably in the past 20 years, and while Prewitt didn’t come back to the school to teach until seven years ago, she’s been coordinating with teachers and other volunteers, helping the program grow from its inception. Now, following the 202223 school year, Prewitt has stepped away into retirement.

Over time, part of the program came to include the Youth Leadership Vestavia Hills class at VHHS, which was initially taught by Angie Richardson, Emily Erwood and Lauren Dressback. However, it was a struggle to find high school curriculum that worked for the class, Prewitt said.

So Prewitt re-upped her certification, passed the Praxis again and came back, initially thinking it would just be for one year to help develop the curriculum for the class. But then she was asked to add a second level to the curriculum.

She ended up staying through the end of this

Kym Prewitt, who oversees Youth Leadership Vestavia Hills, stands by a wall of RISE posters in her classroom. Photo by Erin Nelson.

past school year.

Youth Leadership Vestavia Hills includes Help the Hills coalition, which urges students to avoid drugs and alcohol; the RISE (Rebel Impact through Service and Engagement) philanthropic efforts; a New Student Committee, which helps new students acclimate to the school; the Sisterhood Project; and more, Prewitt said.

“Most of them are student ideas,” she said.

“It creates lots of leadership opportunities for students.”

The tagline for the class is “be the difference.” That motto goes hand in hand with a

letter Prewitt wrote seven years ago outlining what she wanted students to learn or take away from the class, which includes becoming better communicators, learning how to take initiative to meet a need, increasing their capacity for empathy and leaving the class with a better confidence in who they are and what they value.

“That’s the hope for my students,” she said.

Students learn those skills through serving others and putting those character traits to use, she said.

“Leadership is not about position,” Prewitt said. “It’s about relationships. It’s about how you treat other people.”

Prewitt said as students come into the class, perhaps looking to find their place, they end up making change on campus.

“In trying to help individual students find their way, they become change agents in this place,” she said.

And when a critical mass of change agents is reached, it changes the culture of the entire school, she said, making VHHS a place that prioritizes excellence, treating others with respect and finding common ground.

If the culture has changed at the high school, Prewitt doesn’t want to take the credit for it, she said.

“It’s really the kids who have created it,” she said. “They step up to the challenge.”

RISE brings hundreds of students together and has, over the past five years, raised $1 million for the adolescent and young adult oncology program of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB. Still, while the money is significant, it is just one way in which the class helps others, Prewitt said.

“I never want the money to overshadow the good things that are happening in that program,” she said.

Older students mentor younger ones and also share life lessons with them, Prewitt said.

Juniors and seniors lead a freshman retreat, which serves as an introduction to the class.

As she steps away, Prewitt said she will miss the students the most, and all of the people at the high school.

“We have an excellent faculty,” she said. “Our students are special. These kids are wiser than you would expect. They have bigger hearts than you would expect. Our kids are going places.

They will be the difference in the world.”

With a new grandchild, Prewitt is looking forward to a “different season” of life.

She hopes the class grows exponentially under the instruction of Morgan Jones and another yet-to-be-named teacher.

“I think it will, because it works,” Prewitt said. “The growth shows that it’s something that works.”

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B6 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

Whittington joins board of education

By NEAL EMBRY Local business owner Kyle Whittington will join the Vestavia Hills Board of Education later this month, replacing outgoing board president Jennifer Weaver.

Whittington is the current owner of Meld Financial, an independent wealth management firm. He served last year as the president of the Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation, which he said gave him insight into the school system.

The Vestavia Hills City Council chose Whittington at its April 24 meeting.

“We heard loud and clear from our current board that having someone on the board with financial planning expertise would really help in this oversight,” said the council’s education liaison, Kimberly Cook.

As part of Leadership Vestavia Hills, Whittington said he also learned about kindergarten classes across the system, which helped him gain an understanding of how his daughter would soon be introduced to Vestavia schools.

When he and his wife married in 2011 and were looking for a place to live, Whittington said he really got a good feel for local communities but found Vestavia was the best fit.

As he steps onto the board, Whittington said he wants to see Vestavia schools continue to advance and is excited for his own children to participate in the school system. His goals include making sure arts, sports and more continue to grow.

“If we maintain excellence, I’ll be happy,” he said.

Vestavia schools are renowned and respected across the state, but that doesn’t mean staying put, Whittington said, as there is always an opportunity to advance education.

While the 1Rebel 1Future proposal did not pass voters, Whittington served on the project’s strategic analysis arm and said it was good to see the community participate in the proposal’s planning as well.

Before the vote was taken, Whittington said he felt Vestavia had managed their money well, but

The Vestavia Hills City Council recently appointed Kyle Whittington to the Vestavia Hills Board of Education.

Photo by Erin Nelson.

that the changes needed to be made.

“No one wants to spend more money, and no one wants to spend more money on building maintenance,” he said. “You don’t want to spend money to fix things … but you have to.”

And while voters disagreed with the plan, Whittington’s financial background will be

needed as the board makes changes and prioritizes aspects of the plan.

He said at his current job, he has to make tough decisions on a daily basis and has tough conversations with clients who come for financial advice.

Knowing that most families choose to live in

Vestavia for the schools, Whittington said he is excited about being involved with one of the most important pieces of the community.

“It blows me away how successful they’ve been,” he said.

– Solomon Crenshaw, Jr. contributed to this report.

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VestaviaVoice.com

June 2023 • B7

The Vestavia Hills High School Robotics team recently performed well at nationals. Photo courtesy of Pam Hickman.

VHHS Robotics Team performs well at nationals The Vestavia Hills High School Robotics Team made waves at the recent VEX Robotics Worlds Competition held in Dallas. VEX is the largest STEM competition in the world.

The team is comprised of a diverse group of young people who showcased their skills in engineering, computer science and project management, impressing judges and spectators alike. The team’s journey to the competition began in May 2022 when they started working on their robot design, coding and testing. The hard work paid off as they secured a spot in the competition, competing against teams worldwide. The VHHS Robotics Team demonstrated teamwork and strategic planning, ranking 46th out of 81 teams in their division.

The team’s robot was able to perform complex maneuvers, pick up objects and move quickly through the competition course, earning high scores from judges. The team’s success has put their school on the map and highlighted the importance of robotics education in preparing young people for future careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

The success of the VHHS Robotics Team

would not have been possible without the dedication and support of their parents and team sponsors. The parents have been a constant source of encouragement for the team, volunteering their time and resources to ensure that the team had everything they needed to succeed. The team sponsor, Mrs. Hickman, who also serves as a mentor, has been instrumental in guiding the team through the competition process. She has provided technical expertise, strategic advice and emotional support, working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that the team was prepared for the competition. The robotics team is deeply grateful for the sacrifices that their parents and team sponsor have made. The team hopes that their success will inspire others to support STEM education in their communities, recognizing the transformative power that it can have on young people’s lives.

Congratulations to the team on their remarkable achievement and to their parents and sponsor for their selfless contributions to the team’s success!

– Submitted by Pam Hickman.

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B8 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

RISE makes the difference, surpasses $1 million in giving

Sarvagna Velidandla, right, recently received the prestigious National Aspirations in Computing Award. Photo courtesy of Pam Hickman.

VHHS senior receives the National Aspirations in Computing Award Sarvagna Velidandla, a senior from Vestavia Hills High School, has recently been awarded the prestigious National Aspirations in Computing Award for her achievements and aspirations in the field of computing.

The National Aspirations in Computing Award is presented by the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) to young women who demonstrate a strong interest and exceptional potential in computing and technology, leadership skills, academic excellence and a commitment to making a positive impact in their communities.

Velidandla has been passionate about computing since she was young and has been actively involved in various computer-related activities throughout her high school years.

She is involved in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and the VHHS Robotics

Team, where she has led various coding and engineering projects.

In addition to her passion for computing, Velidandla is also an accomplished student.

She has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school and has taken several advanced courses in computer science, mathematics and science. Velidandla plans to pursue a career in computer science and hopes to use her skills to make a positive impact in the world.

Receiving the National Aspirations in Computing Award has been a great honor for Velidandla and she hopes that it will inspire more young women to pursue careers in computing and technology. She believes that diversity is essential in the field of computing and that more women and underrepresented minorities are needed to bring new perspectives and ideas to the table.

— Submitted by Pam Hickman.

In the spring of 2018, a group of students in the Youth Leadership class at Vestavia Hills High School did a project on ways to improve their community.

From that project, RISE was born. RISE stands for Rebels Impact through Service and Engagement, and for the last five years, that is exactly what students at VHHS have done.

RISE is a service-learnMembers of the Vestavia Hills choir perform at the kickoff ing project that offers the event for the fifth annual Rebels Impact through Service opportunity for engagement and Engagement campaign at the school’s gymnasium Jan. to every single student. 12. Money raised by the student body benefits the O’Neal Each year, more than 1,000 Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB. This year’s theme students form teams that was A Million Reasons and RISE reached its goal of $1 develop their own plans for million to support cancer research. Photo by Erin Nelson. raising money through service projects such as a soccer clinic for special Cancer Center. The AYA program is the bridge needs youth, lemonade stands with neighbor- between Children’s of Alabama and UAB for hood children, spirit nights at local restaurants cancer patients in the age range of 15 to 39. and a Dog Parade. They have even been Christ- According to Dr. Julie Wolfson, the oncolmas elves and the Easter bunny. The creativity ogist who runs the program, “AYAs are at a and service-mindset of these students is truly unique time in their life and development and amazing. need support in different ways than children Each year, another 300 or more students or older adults do. The cancer treatment that serve on committees that plan and execute AYAs receive puts their future fertility at risk. community events such as the Annual 5K Our research is actively working to increase Rebel Run, the Superhero Fun Run, Kids the number of AYAs enrolling in clinical trials, Day, a Sadie Hawkins Dance and RISE Day. following through with fertility preservation Other events have included a night with the and receiving counseling services that impact Alabama Symphony, music festivals, Alice in their quality of life.” The AYA Program is fully Wonderland Tea Parties, A Santa Celebration, funded by RISE alone. a community-wide yard sale and concerts with “We are proud to announce that the 2023 Walker Burroughs.

RISE season raised $230,023, bringing the They do this to raise awareness and funds 5-year total to $1,044,966,” said Youth Leadfor a cause that is very important to them — ership teacher Kym Prewitt. helping their peers fight cancer and improve “Funds raised. Community served. Students their quality of life. They do this by support- engaged. Patients helped. Lessons learned. Difing the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology ference made. That is RISE,” Prewitt said.

(AYA) program at the O’Neal Comprehensive — Submitted by Kym Prewitt.

VestaviaVoice.com

June 2023 • B9

Events Performers, dad and daughter tea coming to library this month

American flags are displayed at a sponsor tent during Vestavia Hills’ I Love America Night at Wald Park in June 2022.

Photo

by Erin Nelson.

By NEAL EMBRY

I Love America Night returns to Wald Park

By CHRIS K. DAVIDSON Fun, festivities and patriotism will be on full display during the city of Vestavia Hills’ “I Love America Night” on Thursday, June 22.

Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce President Michelle Hawkins said the 41st annual event will take place at Wald Park from 6-9 p.m. and will feature free swimming at the Vestavia Hills Aquatic Center (which closes at 8 p.m.), a kids area with games and inflatables and a business expo with booths from more than 50 businesses.

A variety of live music will be played throughout the event, including headliner Chevy 6, leading up to a fireworks display at the end of the evening.

Hawkins said the estimated attendance

for the 2022 event was 5,000, a number that included people from neighboring communities such as Hoover, Homewood, Birmingham and Mountain Brook, in addition to Vestavia Hills residents.

Shuttles to and from the event will be available from Vestavia’s Library in the Park, City Hall, Walmart and the new Civic Center.

The rainout date for the event will be June 29.

“Last year was my very first time attending because I had just started my job the week before,” Hawkins said. “The whole event was quite amazing from the attendance and the whole community coming together. You really feel the celebration. It’s really fun to visit with our neighboring communities, and there’s just a wonderful energy from it all.”

A litany of performers plus an opportunity for fathers and daughters to share tea together is on tap this month at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest.

First up on June 1 is Professor WhizzPop, who will have performances at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest has several events community room. The event planned for June including a “Dad and Daughter Tea” on includes “giggles galore, June 17. Staff photo. madcap magic and plenty of books” as the professor encourages readers to version of the Netflix show “Nailed It” on June read. The event is for ages 3 and up.

6 at 5:30 p.m. in the amphitheater. Teens will Trained poodles will also make an appear- try their best to replicate desserts. The event is ance on June 8 at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. in limited to the first 20 people who sign up, and the community room. The poodles will share guests must register by calling 205-978-3683. their “fun and amazing tricks.”

There will also be an opportunity to play Collage artist Michael Albert will bring sup- “Hogwarts Legacy” on June 13 at 5:30 p.m. in plies to help adults and kids make their own the community room, as well as a Dungeons collages from cereal boxes. The event is sched- and Dragons one-shot summer camp at 2 p.m. uled for June 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on June 10 in the historical room. in the children’s program room.

For adults, the library is showing “Under On June 15, Tommy Johns will use puppets, the Tuscan Sun” with free pizza and snacks on magic, comedy and more to show everyone June 21 in the community room. Registration why it is “so much fun to read.” There is a is required and can be done by calling 20510:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. show, with the former 978-4674 or emailing Holly Parker at holly. held in the community room and the latter in parker@vestavialibrary.org. the gym at Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Adults can also join a book club with Park. refreshments June 1 at 6 p.m. in the community On June 17 at 11 a.m. in the community room. The book being discussed is “The Paris room, there is a “Dad and Daughter Tea” event. Bookseller” by Kerri Maher.

Registration is required and can be done by Summer reading is also continuing this calling 205-978-0159. The event is open to all month, and guests can still sign up. For more ages. information on summer reading and more Teens can participate in the library’s own library events, visit vestavialibrary.org.

B10 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

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June 2023 • B11

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B12 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

Sports Rebels boys tennis wins state, girls finish runner-up

By KYLE PARMLEY The Vestavia Hills High School boys tennis team remained at the top of the mountain this spring, winning the Class 7A state tournament for the second straight year.

The state tournament was held April 27-28 at the Mobile Tennis Center, with the Rebels able to effectively navigate a lengthy weather delay and two long days of play to claim the blue map.

Vestavia’s girls put forth a great effort as well, finishing as the state runner-up and claiming a trophy for the second straight year (they won state in 2022).

Between the six singles and three doubles flights, Vestavia’s boys were still alive in eight of the nine brackets after the first day of play.

“After the first day of the tournament, we sat down and looked at all nine courts and felt like we put ourselves in position,” Vestavia Hills coach Oliver Aaron said. “I knew we had to continue to play well. The state tournament cannot be won on the first day, but it can be lost.”

The Rebels did continue to play well and secured the state title. They accumulated 51 points, with Bob Jones finishing second at 26 points. Auburn was third with 18 points.

Vestavia’s girls were second to a strong Auburn team. Auburn racked up 59 points, with Vestavia Hills scoring 31 and Montgomery Academy finishing with 26 points.

The boys won the five of the six singles courts and the No. 2 doubles flight. Luke Bedwell won the No. 2 singles title, beating Hoover’s Gavin Patton 6-4, 6-3 in the final. John Michael Yanosky won at No. 3 singles, defeating John Alford of Montgomery Academy. Kade Nelson beat Hoover’s Jackson Plugge 6-1, 6-0 at No. 4 singles. Brayden Helms took home the title in

The Vestavia Hills boys tennis team claimed the Class 7A state title in Mobile April 28. Photo courtesy of Oliver Aaron.

No. 5 singles by beating Auburn’s Kevin Yan 6-4, 6-1. Andrew Pipkin won No. 6 singles over Bob Jones’ Karthik Kaki, 6-0, 6-0.

Jake Anthony was defeated in the second round of the No. 1 singles bracket, but he got a state title at No. 2 doubles. Anthony and Bedwell won the title over a Florence duo, 6-3, 6-2.

Nelson and Manowsky made it to the finals in No. 1 doubles, while Pipkin and Ben Cusmariu narrowly lost in the No. 3 doubles final.

Aaron said one of the most impressive things about the team being able to repeat as state champs was replacing a few key players

from last year’s team, while seniors Nelson and Anthony stepped up and provided great leadership.

On the girls side, the No. 2 doubles pair of Kensley Outzen and Lynley Threadcraft defeated an Auburn duo 4-6, 6-3, 10-3.

Caroline Helms (No. 2 singles), Nancy Chen (No. 5 singles) and Helms and Wynn Strubel (No. 3 doubles) each advanced to the final.

Outzen narrowly lost in the semifinals at No. 1 singles, Threadcraft fell in a close match in the No. 3 singles semis, Della Tarn made it to the semifinals of No. 4 singles and Strubel also made it to the No. 6 singles semifinals.

Tarn and Chen played No. 1 doubles as well.

Vestavia Hills’ boys and girls won the section tournament the week prior to advance to the state tournament.

Aaron also commended local professionals at Vestavia Country Club and Old Overton Club for working with and helping to develop the strong boys and girls players in the Vestavia Hills community.

“Kids that are interested in the sport should get involved in the middle school and high school teams,” he said. “There are a lot of great kids and we’re growing the sport across the state.”

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June 2023 • B13

Vestavia Hills’ Alex Leath leads Vestavia to a 1, 2, 3 finish during a race during the AHSAA Class 7A Section 3 track and field sectionals at HewittTrussville Stadium on April 29.

Photo by Richard Force.

FOUNDATION PROBLEMS? WE HAVE THE SOLUTION.

Rebels finish runner-up at state outdoor track

By KYLE PARMLEY The Vestavia Hills High School boys outdoor track and field team claimed a trophy at the Class 7A state meet, held May 4-6 in Gulf Shores.

The Rebels finished second only to Hoover, racking up 89.5 points and finishing over 35 points clear of third place. Hoover dominated the meet on the boys and girls sides, winning both in landslide fashion.

Hoover’s boys scored 146.5 points to lead the way. On the girls side, Hoover scored 125 to beat Chelsea and Hewitt-Trussville. Vestavia’s girls finished sixth with 45 points in the meet.

Alex Leath put forth a strong effort for the boys team, winning a pair of individual events.

He won the 800-meter run in 1 minute, 55.49 seconds. He also won the 1,600, posting a time of 4:07 in that race.

The boys 4x800-meter relay team also reached the top step of the podium, winning the race in 7:44 to give the team 10 more points.

Chase Webb reached the podium with his second-place finish in the 100. Max Armstrong gave the Rebels a 1-2 finish in the 800, as he finished second with a time of 1:56.22. Armstrong also got on the award stand in the 400, finishing third.

Michael Kolen was second in javelin throw, reaching 190 feet. Several other Rebels also

scored points for the team in their events. Webb finished fifth in the 200 and Jack Lockhart was fifth in the 300-meter hurdles. Henry Strand put forth a pair of fourth-place finishes in the 800 and 1,600. Mitchell Schaaf was also fifth in the 1,600. The 4x100 relay team finished fourth.

In the field, Tanner McInnis was sixth in high jump.

Kennedy Moreland was the standout for the Vestavia girls team, as she won the pole vault competition. She cleared 11 feet, 3 inches to secure 10 points for the team. The Rebels also scored points with two other competitors in the event, with Krislyn Thomas finishing fourth and Claire Owens finishing fifth, as both cleared 10 feet.

The 4x800 relay posted a runner-up finish to reach the podium, with Gabby Walls finishing third in high jump as well.

Riley Zeanah scored points in the 800, finishing fourth, and the 1,600, finishing sixth.

Kaitlyn Wende was seventh in the 3,200.

Robert Gwaltney, Wilson Holt, Will Jordan, Walker Gardner, Gabe Adams, Tyler Dressback, Emory Carver, Alex Cassimus, Henry Drew, Chase Kaiser, Ben Wade, Reese Beckner, Lyla Lochamy, Abby Allen, Claire Spooner, Kendall Feild, Layne Turner, Barclay Brown, Maddie Crawford, Sarah Kate Misner and Addison Armstrong were among the athletes also competing at state for Vestavia Hills.

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B14 • June 2023

Vestavia Voice

Opinion Sean of the South By Sean Dietrich

My Father’s Grave

they’re BACK...

Colorado Springs — I’m years of love — which is more standing on Pikes Peak, 14,000 than some kids get. Maybe, for feet above sea level. I’m looking all the make-believe games in at the world from a mountaintop. the living room, for forehead In 1994, we scattered Daddy’s kisses.

Maybe I’m thanking him for ashes here. He came packed in who I am today. I wouldn’t be a cardboard box. I was a child.

The day we turned him loose, who I am if not for his early I prayed for something grand to departure. happen. Maybe a gust of wind, And all of a sudden, I miss him. I wish he could swoop a big cloud, or even snow. I’d heard it can snow on Pikes Peak down from heaven momenduring the summer. tarily and talk to me. I wish I Dietrich That’s what I wanted. I could be a boy, and we could wanted nature to deliver someplay make-believe. thing. But there were no gusts. No clouds. No But he can’t. That’s not the way it works.

People are here, then they aren’t. It’s that simple. snow. Only hot sun.

Anyway, my father’s death happened sud- I’m used to this by now.

I stand on a rock near the edge. “I miss you,” denly. I was 12. And this view takes me to that age again. The scenery up here is breathtaking. I tell him.

My voice disappears. But at least I’ve said it.

I can see clear to Kansas, and the sun is shining And my time here is done. I’m getting tired. I’m so hard it burns me.

The altitude is getting to me. There are tiny ready to crawl down the mountain and get away sparks in my vision. The EMT at the visitor’s from this altitude. center told me this means I am in oxygen debt.

I turn to walk away. A cloud begins to form.

Twenty-four years. It’s been so long since he’s I stop to watch. been gone that I often forget his face. I have to It spins into shape out of pure nothingness. A open a photo album to remember. large, swelling fog.

I have a favorite photograph. A faded PolaNearby, tourists start hollering things like, roid. He’s wearing his denim, his boots, and his “Hey! Come look at this cloud!” Folks with work jacket. He’s all iron worker. cameras aim them at the phenomenon. Everyone gathers.

I loved him.

He used to play make-believe with me when I A pillar of white grows in front of us. In was little. Daddy would wear a cowboy hat and only seconds, mist swallows the whole world. play Old West Saloon. I was Wyatt Earp; he was Nobody can see anything but the cloud.

Then.

Billy the Kid. We’d have gunfights at high noon. Our living Snow. room became the showdown at O.K. Corral. I It starts falling hard. Then, gusts of wind. I would take him down with a cap gun. I was the watch until the show is over and the world turns best shot in the West. He would grab his gut, sunny again. then fall on the floor.

Experts say sudden weather changes are Then, I would jump on his chest. He would common this time of year on top of the mounkiss me on the forehead. He’d say, “That’s my tain. And I’m sure they are. Maybe that’s all it little cowboy.” was — warm and cold fronts colliding. But then, maybe it was something else. Maybe it was a How could a man disappear like dust?

I remember where we emptied his ashes. I wink. Or a smile. Or a wave. am standing on the exact spot. I’ve been waiting Or a kiss on the forehead. years to stand here.

Maybe.

I expect to cry, or feel like someone is jumping on my chest, but I don’t. Instead, I smile. I Sean Dietrich is a columnist and novelist remove my hat and hold it to my chest. known for his commentary on life in the AmerAnd I thank my father. I’m not sure what I’m ican South. He has authored nine books and is thanking him for, but I am thanking him. the creator of the “Sean of the South” blog and I don’t know. Maybe I’m thanking him for 12 podcast.

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VestaviaVoice.com

June 2023 • B15

Life Actually By Kari Kampakis

12 ways to ‘mother yourself’ as you raise kids A woman who once planned a speaking event for me said she wanted to “mother me” during my visit with a restful retreat in her guesthouse.

I almost dropped the phone and hopped on a plane because the thought of being mothered sounded heavenly. Like most moms, I focus on my kids, and it felt wonderful to have the tables turned.

Because the truth is, the older I get — and the more responsibilities I bear — the more mothering and self-care I need. This is true for you too. Life requires more of you now than five years ago, and if all you do is give, you’ll get depleted. Your wheels will fall off. You’ll feel tired, numb, and testy.

For this reason, I believe in learning to mother yourself. Making sure you don’t fall through the cracks or get in the habit of self-neglect. How? By tending to and protecting your health. Doing things that build strength and stamina. Cultivating a life you enjoy. Making sure you feel equipped to handle the challenges of parenting and life.

Here are some ways to “mother” yourself and stay well for your family. ► Keep your wellness appointments. It’s tempting to cancel these, especially when you feel fine, but prevention and early detection can add years to your life. ► See a doctor when needed. I once had a cold that lasted a month. I tried to push through it, yet it only got worse. When my husband finally made me see a doctor, I learned I had walking pneumonia. I was so mad at myself for letting a small problem become a big one ► Exercise. I discovered exercise in college

as a stress reliever, and I still need it for mental health. It benefits my brain even more than my body. Of all the activities I’ve tried, I believe everyone can benefit from walking and Pilates.

Try them with a friend for thirty minutes, then gradually add more time. ► Stop beating yourself up. The scripts you play in your head matter. What you tell yourself matters too. When you mentally abuse yourself, you parent with insecurity, fear, and despair. Every mistake feels like a final defeat.

But as Lysa TerKeurst says, “Bad moments don’t make bad moms.” God’s grace is bigger than any defeat, and through Him you can parent with confidence and hope. ► Treat bad days as good data. When you have bad days, bad feelings, or bad experiences, ask yourself, What can I learn from this? What might God be trying to teach me? My bad days teach me about humility, compassion, and deeper dependence on Him. ► Don’t dwell on regrets. You can’t change yesterday, but you can change today. You can be like Saint Paul, who had a change of heart on the road to Damascus once God opened his eyes to the evil he was doing. Paul went from persecuting Christians to spreading the gospel worldwide. He carried out his new mission like a completely forgiven man. God wants us to live that way too — as completely forgiven women on a mission for Him. ► Create your team. It’s easy to find advice on raising small children. Any mom can share stories on potty training or helping toddlers sleep. But your kids grow up, you can’t share their issues publicly. You must confide in

fewer people and choose advisers you can trust.

It’s okay to have a small circle of consultants.

Choose friends and professionals you admire and trust who give good advice. ► Share your struggles. Problems are isolating. They make you feel alone, ashamed, and tempted to withdraw. The enemy wants this. He wants you to suffer alone so you’ll believe his lies. Don’t fall for his tricks; instead of turning inward, turn outward. Bring your struggles to light. Admit them to people who can speak truth and pray. ► Spend time with friends. The beauty of friends is they only want your company. They renew you through laughter and deep conversation. On a good day, friends are a blessing, and on a bad day, they’re a lifeline. Carving out time with friends who encourage you will give you refreshment and a second wind. ► Get enough sleep and don’t overcommit, setting boundaries and limits when necessary.

Again, life requires more of you today than it did five years ago. Five years from now, the demands will be greater. By mothering yourself, you set the stage for a positive future. You improve your odds of being around to enjoy your family for decades to come.

Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Mountain Brook mom of four girls, author, speaker, and blogger. Kari’s newest book, More Than a Mom, and other bestselling books are available everywhere books are sold. Join Kari on Facebook and Instagram, visit her blog at karikampakis. com, or find her on the Girl Mom Podcast

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