Helena City News by Dave Smith

Hele H elena Ciitttyy New elen Newwss Spring 2015

Laura Joseph

Serving the City of Helena and surrounding area

HELENA FOUNDER’S DAY FESTIVAL SATURDAY APRIL 18 Come out to Helena’s 150th Birthday Party from 10am-3pm. Details page 3

NORTH SHELBY RELAY FOR LIFE SPRING FOOTBALL GAME AT AT HELENA SPORTS COMPLEX HUSKY STADIUM MAY 15 Give Cancer the Boot! Friday, April 24 from 6pm til midnight. Details page 7

Watch the 2015 edition of the Helena Huskies as they take on Jackson Olin

www.MyHelenaCityNews.com / www.CityofHelena.org

FROM THE MAYOR this month at Hillsboro Trail to benefit the prevention of childhood cancer, and in doing so brought over 500 runners to Helena from all over the Metro Birmingham area. We are always Greetings! proud to support important I hope you are as excited causes such as Autism awareness. about spring as I am as we move Councilwoman Leigh Hulsey forward toward some great recommended painting some events and positive things hapfire hydrants blue for this cause, pening in Helena! Here are just and Jennifer Johnson has helped a few updates and highlights of us light up City Hall’s parking things to come: lot in blue to raise awareness Many important and fun for this worthy cause. Thanks activities will be happening this to Helena’s Fire Department spring. The annual City Easter for painting several hydrants in Egg Hunt was a blast as we visible areas. (Which, by the way, were able to have it at the Old look great!) Town Amphitheatre this year. Let me give a big thank you We are happy to see that the to our Beautification Board and Helena Business Association volunteers for planting flowhas brought back First Fridays ers and putting up the hanging in Old Town as well. Two big baskets in Old Town. They work celebrations are set to kick off hard to make our entire city shine every spring. Speaking of spring, youth baseball, softball and soccer are in full swing at the City Parks and Recreation Department. Park Director Jason Powers and Park Facilities Director Bill Miller are hard at work on making this a great and fun season for our kids. Congratulations again to all our school teams and organizations as they continue to excel and help make our city the best place to live in Alabama. The completion of the Helena High baseball and softball facilities will be a welcome addition to the Husky sports complex. As we finally near the fulfillment of Eagle Scout Jacob Rozycki is seen here shaking hands with Mayor Mark Hall. Jacob this project, I hope to see each was recognized at a Helena City Council meeting for all the hard work he put into of you at a game very soon! soon, one being the first annual Founders Day Celebration. This event is being organized by the Helena Historical Preservation Committee and is set for April 18th. This should be a fun afternoon celebrating the past and looking forward to the future. The volunteers of the annual Buck Creek Festival are in full swing with their planning, and we look forward to another great weekend of fun and entertainment surrounding this event. We are also happy to be hosting the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life this year at the Sports Complex on April 24th. We hope to make this an annual event as well. The Open Hands & Overflowing Hearts organization hosted a 5K run

renovations and improvements at Two By Two Rescue, Helena’s dog shelter.

2 Spring 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

In other important news we continue to look at improvements which have been mandated for our city’s waste water treatment facilities. Unfunded EPA & ADEM mandates are continuing to drive up costs and expenses for this utility. Realizing that rate increases are always hard on our residents, we intend to make every effort to keep them as minimal as possible over the next few years, not only to ensure our financial stability, but also to keep any future changes as affordable as possible for our homeowners and businesses. As we bid farewell to Frankie’s Market and Cafe, we also offer a heartfelt “thank you” to this business that has been a favorite for so many over the years. In contrast, we recently welcomed several new businesses, including The Coal Yard Restaurant and the new It’s About Time Urgent Care to Helena, and I’m confident many more new businesses will be coming soon to Helena. Please stay tuned as things develop later this year! As always, we appreciate and ask for your continued support for our local Helena businesses. Your valued support makes a very important and positive impact on our city. In closing, thank you for choosing Helena as your home! God bless you and your family. Together, we can make Helena an even better place to live, work and play. Kindest regards,

Mark

Mayor Mark R. Hall

Help Helena celebrate her 150th birthday this year on April 18! The Helena Historic Preservation Committee, whose mission it is to preserve, protect, and bring awareness to our city’s rich history, has taken the lead for conceiving Helena Founder’s Day and the 150th Naming of Helena Celebration, which will take place April 18 from 10:00a.m. – 3:00p.m. at the Helena Amphitheater. The event will include music, artisan craft vendors and folk artists, food vendors, a children’s area and the opportunity to be photographed in the “Old Photo Booth.” An essay contest for students will be held with a prize offered for the best composition on the theme ‘I Am Helena’. Charity Miller, committee member, who is spearheading the planning of this event said, “We will also feature a reenactment performance that opens in the Civil War era

and leads up to Peter Boyle proposing to Helen Lee. The finale of the play will feature the unveiling of the wedding dress of the real Helen Lee.” The historical connection: During Reconstruction, railroads were extended through this area (first named Cove in 1845, then in 1856, known as Hillsboro) as part of the post-war development of central Alabama’s mineral resources. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad sent engineer Peter Boyle to survey a route south from Birmingham to Montgomery, Alabama. The station established near the town of Hillsboro was named Helena after Boyle’s sweetheart, Helen Lee, the “beautiful and enchanting” daughter of Needham Lee Jr., forever memorializing his wartime romance. After the area around the station developed

and encompassed the town of Hillsboro, the community incorporated to become the City of Helena. Funds raised by Founder’s Day Sponsorships will be appropriately shared with the

Helena Historic Museum. Museum founder, Ken Penhale will be speaking at the event. A link to updates leading to this event may be found at: https://www.facebook.com/ HelenaHistory

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For the second year in a row, Dr. Priscila Denny and Oak Mountain Orthodontics have been selected by Birmingham Magazine and Alabama Baby & Child as Parents’ Choice for Best Orthodontist. Congratulations, Dr. Denny! Here is the article as it appeared in Birmingham Magazine.

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LOCAL DENTIST HELPS BOOST PATIENTS’ CONFIDENCE THROUGH ORTHODONTICS

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hoever said, “Find a job you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life,” must have known Dr. Priscila Denny, orthodontist and owner of Oak Mountain Orthodontics. If anyone ever loved a job, Denny loves hers, and “work” is the last word she uses to describe it. For her, it’s mostly about relationships and helping others. “When we can help people feel confident about their smile, that’s really big,” she said. Denny cites the example of a 13-yearold patient who barely spoke when she

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MARCH 15

first came to the clinic. Whenever the girl did speak, she put her hand over her mouth to hide it. “After six to eight months of treatment, she had stopped covering her mouth, and her whole face would light up when she smiled,” said Denny. “By the end of treatment, she had undergone a huge change. Something like that is very rewarding. While Denny’s patients range in age from children to adults, she feels that teens probably benefit the most from orthodontics. “That’s usually when they become more

aware of how their teeth look,” she said, “and improving their smile helps them not to be so intimidated by the changes teens are going through.” And Denny should know. Not only did she wear braces herself as a youngster, but all her life she’s seen how orthodontics can affect people and their smiles for the better. A Brazilian by birth, Denny comes from a family of dentists, including several orthodontists. In fact, her mother and aunt are orthodontists, serving as the best role models Denny could have ever wished for. “If I had stayed in Brazil, it would have been easier,” she said. “My family is known for dentistry there, and everything would have been laid out for me to practice after I finished school.” Instead, Denny met her future husband during a visit to Birmingham in 1994, and within a year she had married, moved to Alabama and enrolled at UAB. It took a decade for her to complete the education required for her specialty and establish Oak Mountain Orthodontics, but she did it. And she’s understandably proud of all she’s accomplished. “It was long, hard path, a 10-year journey, but it was worth it,” said the busy mother of two daughters. “And I always knew it was possible.” Oak Mountain Orthodontics, with offices in Pelham and Helena, offers full orthodontic care in a fun, comfortable environment. Dr. Denny was recently named Birmingham Parents’ Choice for Best Orthodontist for the second year in a row.

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I’m Lola DeCroes and I’m in the eighth grade at Helena Middle School. I’ve lived in Helena my whole life and I love living here. I like to spend a lot of time with my family and friends—they are the most important parts of my life. At school, I am active with our middle school choir and show choir—it is so much fun traveling around the state performing for many different audiences! I’ve had my braces for almost a year and I’m excited about how my smile looks.

O R T H O D O N T I C S Sara Wolfe, DDS, MSD

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Helena Sports Complex to host Relay For Life Friday, April 24 The American Cancer Society will host the North Shelby Relay for Life Friday, April 24 at the Helena Sports Complex from 6p.m. - midnight. Money raised helps the American Cancer Society save lives by funding groundbreaking cancer research, supporting education and prevention efforts,

and providing free information and services for people with cancer who need them. Cancer touches so many of us in the community. By bringing us together, not only does the Relay For Life event help raise money to find a cure, but it also offers a way for us to heal as a community. The theme this year is Give

Opening Ceremony: 6:00 pm Helena Sports Complex The Opening Ceremony will bring everyone together for a highenergy kickoff to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, to inspire hope by sharing recent accomplishments and progress and to remind everyone that while we are winning this battle, fighting cancer is a year-round priority.

Cancer The Boot, and fundraising teams will be offering western themed games, face painting, baked goods, kid zone, dunking booth, and so much more all for a great cause! The band Live Wire will be performing from 7 pm – 8pm, and Zumba with Martina! Helena Intermediate School is among many schools sending a team to participate in honor of former teacher and good friend Laurie Snider,

who was lost to cancer several years ago. Helena Intermediate parents, students and faculty have already helped raise over $600 to fight cancer this year, and would like to thank you for helping “Give Cancer the Boot!”

Survivors Lap Next comes the Survivors Lap, with all cancer survivors at the event taking the first lap around the track.

Caregivers Lap During the Caregivers Lap, anyone who ever cared for someone with cancer walks a lap so they can be honored for their support. Caregivers walk this lap with the people they helped if they are also present.

Luminaria Ceremony: 9:00 pm The Luminaria Ceremony is a time to remember people we have lost to cancer, to support people who currently have cancer, and to honor people who have fought cancer in the past. The power of this ceremony lies in providing an opportunity for people to work through grief and find hope.

Closing Ceremony: 11:45 pm

Two left: Austin Abernathy models the T-shirts available for purchase at HIS through April 17 to benefit their Relay for Life team. For more info, visit the HIS oﬃce or email Michelle Abernathy at mabernathy@shelbyed.k12.al.us. Above: Miss Shelby County Amanda Ford, posing with Mayor Mark Hall, is helping the city to promote the April Relay for Life event in Helena.

The Closing Ceremony is a time to remember the lives of those lost and to celebrate that each of us has committed, through our participation in a Relay event, to fight back against this disease over the next year. Contact Katherine Talty for more information at katherine.talty@cancer.org

HHS Coach Laatsch given James Perryman Coaches Recognition Award Helena High School Boys’ Basketball Coach Chris Laatsch led the team to be the first in history to qualify for the AHSAA SubRegional 5A Tournament as a first-year program. Coaches from around Birmingham attended an awards banquet at the Grayson Valley Country Club presented by the Birmingham Basketball Oﬃcials Association (BBOA). Coach Laatsch was presented the James

Perryman Coaches Recognition Award. BBOA President Bobby Stewart talked about how important it is for coaches and the oﬃcials association to have a great partnership. “What we try and do every year with the James Perryman Coaches Award is recognize a coach who has partnered with us over the years,” President Stewart said. “We don’t have many coaches that embrace younger oﬃcials and give them opportunities like Coach Laatsch and some of our other coaches

here tonight have done. We’re never going to grow and we’re never going to get better if we don’t have this partnership.” “I appreciate the opportunity to be here and am humbled by this award,” said Coach Laatsch. “Partnership is a really nice word that means a lot to me, because without a partnership, we can’t do what we do. We believe basketball is a vehicle to train young men and for them to be great husbands and great fathers one day.” Congratulations, Coach Laatsch!

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HHS students showcase their talents at first annual Helena Unleashed Under the leadership of Helena High School Theater Director Jefferson Casey and HHS Literary Magazine Sponsor Jennifer Culver, an evening of wonderful student performances entitled “Helena Unleashed” was presented March 6. Singers performing were

Maddie Crain, Preston Burks, Julienne Smith, Hannah Crowe, Andie April, Sydney Devoe, Stephanie Dickson, Houston Byrd, Allison Lawley, Jake Hall, Sasha Etheredge, Karley VanDorsten and finally, John McCain, who sang a beautiful arrangement of the classic

Fly Me To the Moon. Performing Fall Out Boy’s Sugar We're Going Down were Austin Moon, Steven Dickson, and Jarrett McMeans. Performing in the dramatic monologue category were Andrew Black and Houston Byrd, Allison Lawley, Jordan

Carroll and Andie April. Reading their original work were Rachel Wurstner, Alana Hammond, and Lyn Betke. Curtis Wood performed an original dance to Excision by Bass Cannon that brought the audience to its feet in a standing ovation just before intermission.

Girl Scouts Troop 309 accepting donations for Helena High School library Girl Scout Troop 309 is raising money for the Helena High School Library. As you may have seen around town, the ladies have set up collection boxes resembling books at local businesses to kick off their fund raising efforts. The girls are a Cadet Troop consisting of 8th and 9th graders who are working on their Silver Award for Girl Scouts. This Award requires the girls to assess needs in their community, and set goals to fill those needs, to be completed in a minimum of 50 hours of service time per girl. The girls met with Helena High School's librarian, Heather Kirk, to see if there was a need

in the new high school library. Heather, who had previously worked at the Pelham High School library, informed the girls that when she was at Pelham they had over 13,000 books and that at the beginning of the school year this year Helena High School had only 4,000 books. The girls jumped at the chance to grow their community’s school library. If you would like to help the girls with their fund raising efforts, please contact Kim Angle at 205-937-5256.

Back row, l-r: Katie Hood, Savannah Hinch, Zoie Angle. Front row: Alaynna Surcouf, Helena High School Librarian Heather Kirk and Taylor Causey.

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Jaimee Barrett is a Helena SNAP Fitness member, runner extraordinaire, and now, captain of the SNAP FITNESS-sponsored Color Run Team.The team will participate in a 5K Color Run in downtown Birmingham May 30.Anyone interested in joining the team can contact the gym at 664-2600. As a SNAP member who attends several of the classes offered each week, Jaimee has met and gotten to know a fun group of people there. She has been running for many years, and some of the most fun she has ever had was taking part in a Color Run, an experience she wanted to share with her friends at SNAP. For those unaware,The Color Run, also known as the Happiest 5k on the Planet, is a unique race where powder paint is thrown on participants at every mile marker. Runners are encouraged to wear as much white as possible, so that at the end, they have beautifully multicolored clothing to keep and help remember how much fun they had on their run. The Color Run partners with a charity for each event, and the May 30 Color Run charity is Children’s of Alabama, which helped Jaimee decide to participate once again. When she told her friends in the SNAP Total Body and Butts & Guts classes about The Color Run, they immediately made plans to form a team. “Since The Color Run is known as ‘The Happiest 5K on the Planet,’ we came up with SnapHappy for the team name,” Jaimee explained. From the two classes, about twelve SNAP members will participate, with significant others like Jaimee’s husband Mike

and some of their friends from Mississippi coming as well.“You’ll see people with their kids and strollers participating,” Jaime said, explaining that practically anyone who wants to can participate in The Color Run. And guess what? You don’t even have to run. “It’s more of a walk-runskip-however-you-want-to-do-it than a traditional run,” Jaimee laughed. “Our team will start together at the beginning, go at our own paces, and regroup at the end to see how everyone looks!” Cindy Dobbins, who teaches Butts & Guts and a variety of other classes every Tuesday at SNAP, has participated in runs before, like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and last year’s Mud Run, but has never done a Color Run. Merri Gwen, the trainer who teaches the Total Body class Thursday nights and Saturday mornings, said,“I have never done a Color Run before either, so I’m really excited!” Stacey Carden, who has been coming to classes at SNAP for five years, said The Color Run will

be a good first “race” for her to participate in, since they are not timed like a marathon would be.The emphasis in a Color Run is not on racing, but exercising and having fun. “I wouldn’t have known about The Color Run if it weren’t for SNAP,” Stacey said. They are all very grateful for the classes offered at Helena’s SNAP FITNESS location, which is one of the few locations to offer a studio for group classes. Members can take classes for $5 a month, and non-members can take classes for $5 per class.“I’m so glad we are doing this together.” “I’m excited about it, too!” said Cassie Screws, who, like Stacey, has never participated in a run before. “It will be fun to do the run with this group, because we’re already used to working out together at SNAP.”

Selling cookies for a cause As co-leaders of Helena's Girl Scout Troop 9, Ann Simpson and Cindy Moore have their hands full with an enthusiastic group of nine 10-to-11-year-old 5th grade girls. Each year, the troop joins others across the country in selling Girl Scout Cookies from booths in front of Helena Walgreens and Walmart in February and March. As Troop 9's designated “Cookie Mom,” Angie Butler keeps track of all things cookie for the group. “She keeps track of inventory and sales and goes to all the Cookie Mom meetings,” explained her daughter Regan. It's a good thing she is keeping track, because the girls of Troop 9 sold approximately 1,700 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in just two months—an impressive feat! Usually, funds raised through cookie sales go towards scouting

trips or days at camp for the girls. While the girls will still go on a few trips like these, they used some of the money to make Birthday Baskets for children at Jessie's Place. “Someone suggested we make birthday presents for a charity, and we thought that would be a great idea,” said scout Emily Moore. Scout Sarah Brown chimed in: “We wanted to help the Jessie's Place kids because they might not have a birthday otherwise.” The kits included balloons, streamers, bubbles, toys, cake mix, icing, and a small present. This isn't the first time the girls have helped others: Troop 9 has a history of giving back. In the past several years, they have donated $100 in cookie money to Helena's Two By Two Rescue, made craft and origami kits for kids at Children's Hospital, held a toiletry drive for

L-r: Emily Moore, Regan Butler, Haley Bonham, Sarah Brown, Erin Moeller, Sarah LaGrone, Maura Simpson and Addie Lott. Not pictured: Shaylee Smith.

Promise Homes and made 90 placemats for Meals on Wheels for Valentines' Day. And on March 20-21, as part of their activities during a weekend trip to Camp TriCo, the girls put together “Beadie Buddy” kits to donate to a local children's charity. “We really like helping people other than us,” scout Regan Butler said. That's easy to see! “It's a lot of hard work to raise enough money to put together

kits like these,” co-leader Cindy said. “We don't make a lot of money on each box of cookies, so that tells you how hard our girls worked.” The troop meets the second and fourth Thursday of each month at the Church at Cahaba Bend. Most girls will go to KPC for summer day camp in June, and the troop participates each year in a Service Unit with other groups in Helena and the surrounding area.

We build with blocks, too... School for “Being a first time mom, sending my child off to daycare was extremely frightening, but the staff at Dayspring helped calm my nerves. They take such good care of him & don’t mind if I call in to check on him. And every day he comes home just as happy as when he left. I love the fact that they send home daily progress reports about his day. Right now he is in the toddler room and he has learned majority of his colors and animals. I am so happy that he goes to school every day and I know that he is going to be loved by his teachers, and that he will be well taken care of.!”

--Kelsey B.

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Family Fun Night at HMS

Family Fun Night at HMS meant students and parents gathered in the cafeteria for some shared good times playing bingoâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; with the numbers called by

Mrs. Paiml and Mrs. Cleere. Winners could choose from baskets of colorful small prizes and eat pizza while they played. Some great items

were available at the silent auction, such as a Certificate for $75 Off Youth Sports League Registration from Helena Parks & Recreation.

Proceeds will benefit Helena Middle School. Thanks to those who donated and the PTO moms and volunteers who helped make this event a success!

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Safety fence installed at Lil’ Joe Field Those with children playing baseball or softball at Li'l Joe fields in Joe Tucker Park this spring may have noticed a new addition: fencing that runs along the parking lot and road through the park. "We have had a safety fence like this one planned for a long time," said Helena Parks and Recreation Facilities Director Bill Miller. "It's something we wanted to do as soon as funds became available." The purpose of the fence, which is about three feet high, is to separate fans and players from cars going through the park. "It's a safety feature that was needed, and we had a few parents and other fans ask about it in the past," he said. It was installed over the course of a week, including delays due to inclement weather, during the first week of March.

"Mayor Hall and the city council have been great at finding funds for our project," Bill explained. "Because of their hard work, we were able to get the fence up before the first games of he season." A related project which Bill hopes will start later this spring is the installation of a much larger fence around the HMS football field. "It will be huge—going all the way around that hill the field sits on," he said. "We want it for the safety of the kids, but also as a deterrent for vandalism." In the past few months, several different cars have driven onto the field, making "donuts" and

tearing up the grass, which makes it harder for students to play. "This is a project we have been working on together with the schools, using the 1% sales tax instituted by the city," Bill explained. "We're making these city improvements as fast as we can."

HHS Girls’ Track take 3rd in relay Helena Husky Youth Cheerleaders Emily Hopton-Jones, Marianna Stamba, Samantha Hassen, and Quiana Moore of the Helena High School Girls’ Track team finished in 3rd place in the 4x200 meter relay at the Indoor State Track meet on February 6, 2015. Congratulations to our hard-working athletes!

The Helena Husky youth cheerleaders participated in the UCA Youth Competition in November. In the last edition of the newletter, we left out the 6th grade cheerleading team, who took second place in Senior Division II at the competition. Apologies and congratulations to these girls and their coaches, Coach Crystal Jones and Assistant Coach Ansley Weathers!

Front row: Gabby Kennedy, SaVanna Cook, Brittney Henderson, Cylie Jones, Emily Gruhn. Middle row: Brooke Baker, Abby Monk, Hope Fuller, Alexa Thomas, Addie Weathers, Victoria Whisenant. Back row: Kourtnei Britton, Aria Palladino, Lexi Partin, McKenzie Akins, Piper Parten, Emma Franklin. TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2015

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Tammy Temerson found Love in more ways than one Tammy Temerson is a Helena resident who works as a legal secretary in Homewood. This mother and grandmother always thought that she had missed her chance at love. That was until she met David Love, who works for the Mercedes plant in Vance. “Let me just say it’s never too late for happily ever after,” Tammy said happily. “I’m 49 and David is 52. David could never have children, and I have five. Our family is just coming together!” Her children are Jacqueline, Samantha, Andrea and twins Jake & Savannah, and they could not be happier for their mother. “We’ve both been married before, but rather than opt for another courthouse wedding, we wanted a small ceremony where my children and grandchildren could be there,” Tammy explained. “My father had never walked me down 18 Spring 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

the aisle and although my mother died a few years ago, I felt it would honor her to get married on her birthday.” Tamara Renae Temerson and David Walter Love were married Saturday March 14, 2015 at the Old Country Church at Tannehill State Park in McCalla. The Reverend Bill Phares of Helena oﬃciated the ceremony. A rustic reception followed in the Tannehill Event Center. The bride is the daughter of John Temerson

and the late Jacqueline Reynolds Temerson. The groom is the son of Caroline Love and the late Olen T. Love. The bride was given in marriage by her father and attended by daughters; Jacqueline KenKnight, Samantha Temerson, Andrea Graham and Savannah Scroggins; the bride’s granddaughters Victoria and Brooklyn Brown were the flower girls and one grandson, Easton Graham, was carried by

his mother. Ring bearers were the groom’s nephews, Chase and Cole Love. The groom was attended by the bride’s son John TemersonScroggins, his brothers Dennis and Barry Love and childhood friend Larry Sims. Following a honeymoon trip to Saint Lucia, the couple will reside in Helena, where they call the Dearing Downs subdivision home. Congratulations to the Loves for finding their bliss!

Helena native Bragan Ingle hikes the Appalachian Trail On March 15, 2014, Helena native Bragan Ingle, a 2009 graduate of Pelham High School, set out on the journey of a lifetime to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail is one of the longest continuously marked footpaths in the world, measuring roughly 2,180 miles in length. The Trail goes through fourteen states along the crests and valleys of the Appalachian mountain range from the southern terminus at Springer Mountain, Georgia, to the Trail's northern terminus at Katahdin,

Maine. The total elevation gain of hiking the entire A.T. is equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest 16 times. Bragan originally set out on his journey alone, but met wonderful hiker friends along the way who came from all walks of life. “On the trail, you become like a family, and form special bonds with people who don't care what your job title is, what college you attended or

how much money you make,” Bragan said. “Everyone is out there with the common goal and that being to summit Mt. Katahdin, Maine.” Bragan endured many hard times along with the good. At one point, he was bitten by a brown recluse and had to get off the trail to find the nearest doctor, which was not easy because he was in a desolate area. With help from strangers, whom hikers refer to as trail angels, he was able to get to a doctor and get treated without any further problems. He also went through an unexpected snow storm in Virginia where he endured temperatures below freezing, and by morning, snow had completely covered his tent. Climbing Clingman's Dome in Tennessee was an amazing feat in itself. It is the highest elevation of the trail, at 6,643 feet in the Great Smokey Mountains. After that leg of the hike, Bragan needed to spend a couple of days with fellow hikers in Gatlinburg to recoup. His mother and family back home charted his progresss by marking a trail map they had hanging in their kitchen and looked forward to every phone call or text to hear his whereabouts. The longest he went without communication was a week near the end of the trail in the 100 miles of wilderness in Maine before reaching Katahdin. Bragan traveled with 30 Ibs or less in his backpack with one change of clothes and only the necessities. He would carry

enough food for several days and resupply in towns along the way. He began his trek camping in a tent staying in one of the shelters along the trail, but about halfway through, he purchased an eno brand hammock and tarp at an outfitter and discovered he liked that best. He ran into three bears along the journey but never felt threatened. The experience has forever changed Bragan. “I am truly thankful for the time I spent

in the woods experiencing nature,” he said. “Some of the scenery and the sounds at night, including the call of one bird called a Loon, are quite amazing. The stars at night, when you are in the middle of nowhere with no city lights around, are incredibly beautiful.” One of his favorite quotes, by John Muir, very succinctly describes his journey: “In every walk with nature, one finds far more than he seeks.”

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The legendary Harlem Wizards and our own Helena High School Band-Itz battled it out in a heated rematch of basketball and wits in February to raise funds for the HHS Band Boosters. Thanks to everyone who attended!

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HES LIVING MUSEUM Helena Elementary School recently hosted their annual Living Museum event, where students are encouraged to dress up as their favorite people from history. Parents, siblings and grandparents lined the sidewalk at HES waiting their turn to visit the presentation. Visitors were invited to stand on the footprints in front of each costumed figure and listen to learn about the person that each child represented. Kudos to all the students for their participation and enlightening us about our American heroes and heroines!

Opposite page: Top row: Abraham Lincoln, Alan Jackson, Daniel Boone, Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis and Clark) and General Patton. Middle row: Elizabeth Stanton, Elvis, Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the wheelchair with John F. Kennedy behind him, and Francis Marion. Bottom row: George Washington, and below him, George Washington Carver, Harper Lee, Larry Page and the Wright brothers. This page: Top row: Louis Armstrong, Mae Jemison, Martha Washington and Meryl Streep. Second Row: Walt Disney, Pocahontas and Paul Revere. Third row: Selena Gomez, Tina Turner, Taylor Swift and Dolly Parton.

Meet Tiara Pennington—Helena resident and Miss Shelby County’s Outstanding Teen 2015 Congratulations to Tiara Pennington who recently competed in the Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen Pageant. The pageant was held in March in Sylacauga where 42 contestants from across the state competed for the title, scholarships and the opportunity to represent the state at the Miss America Outstanding Teen Pageant in Orlando in August. This is the sister program to the Miss America Pageant. Contestants competed in Interview, Evening Gown/ On Stage Question and Talent categories. Tiara, who represented Shelby County as Miss Shelby County’s Outstanding Teen 2015, was awarded First Alternate, Talent winner, Evening Gown Winner and Top 5 in Community Service at the state level. She was awarded scholarships totaling $ 30,000 dollars from The University of Alabama, Auburn University and the University of Montevallo. Since she was very young, Tiara has watched the Miss Alabama contest with her mother Dedra and grandmother Carolyn Eastland. Carolyn was Field Director for the Miss Alabama programs in Alabama. Dedra is a former titleholder and competed in the Miss Alabama Pageant in 1986, where she placed in the Top 5 and won the talent competition. “She always told me how she graduated debt free from college by participating,” Tiara said. With women like this in her bloodline, there was no way Tiara could escape the pageant bug. “I always loved watching with my mom and grandma, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it until I had been in one,” she said. “After starting, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.” She was given the opportunity to be a Miss Alabama Rising Star 24 Spring 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

for five years. This allows girls ages 7 to 12 to be mentored by Miss Contestants and participate on stage at the Miss Alabama Pageant each year. “There is a lot of hard work that goes into competing—it really is not about beauty,” Tiara said. “There are long hours of rehearsal at the state competition.” “I had so much fun and made new friendships at competition,” she continued. “Really, any girl that makes it to the state level can do the job, because they are all really that good. Best Wishes to Kaitlynn Campbell who won the pageant this year.” “I feel so blessed to represent such a great county and community, and I want to thank everyone for their support,” Tiara concluded. “Especially the Vignette Club, my pageant sister Amanda Ford, Miss Shelby County 2015 and Mayor Mark Hall, to name a few.” Tiara was most humbled to be in the Top 5 in the Community Service category. Each contestant must choose a platform through which they can do community service and raise awareness of an issue about which they feel strongly. Tiara’s platform is Psoriasis Take Action Alabama. Tiara holds meetings and special events to raise awareness for her platform. “People think this is a simple rash that can be treated with over the counter medication, but it can be more serious to treat and cost thousands of dollars to each month,” Tiara explained. “I could talk forever about psoriasis if they would let me,” she joked; but the affliction is near and dear to her. Both her mother and uncle are stricken with psoriatic diseases, and Tiara has a 45% chance of developing one. In fact, 100,000 people in Alabama alone suffer from

psoriasis, and part of what PTA does is raise awareness about the disease. “We hold meetings and attend special events, doctor lectures and health fairs,” Tiara said. To better educate students, she visits elementary schools with her Pso-Fun Educational School Tours where she reads to students and answers their questions about psoriasis. “I just finished a classroom tour at Erwin Elementary in Columbiana,” she said. “Hopefully, more schools or businesses in our area will invite me to speak or perform.” Tiara works directly with The National Psoriasis Foundation in Oregon, where she was chosen as one of 36 Community Ambassadors in the country. She is excited to go to The National Psoriasis Convention in San Francisco in July. Her main goal for this year is to host a psoriasis walk in our area. “I hope to encourage people with psoriasis, or people who want to support a great cause, to join Psoriasis

Take Action Alabama at www. psoriasistakeactionalabama.com,” she said. “Find us on Facebook to find out about any upcoming events!” If you would like to book Miss Shelby County’s Outstanding Teen for an event you may contact her director Mrs. Pam Oliver: poliver@shelbyed.k12.al.us

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Helena Fire Explorers place in four events at competition in Georgia

The Helena Fire Explorers had an outstanding showing in a competition in Georgia where teams received first place honors for the Bucket Brigade, Pittsburgh Drill and obstacle course competitions. Explorer Ryan Acton also placed third in Quick Dress, the only individual event in the competition. Fire Explorers competitions put teams in mock scenarios you

would come across as a fireman on the job, such as quickly dressing for a fire emergency, carrying a person through a compromised building or administering first aid at the scene of an accident. There are many possible events at the competitions—but each team of 2-4 explorers only participates in the two events they are randomly assigned at competition.

In the weeks leading up to competition, Explorers practice different possible events they might be faced with in a competition. “We practice arriving on the scene of a car wreck, what to do in different first-aid situations, review everyday firefighting and upkeep practices and learn new tools in our monthly meetings,” explained Helena Fire Lieutenant Heath Bartlett, who also serves as the Helena Fire Explorers Advisor. The Fire Explorers is an organization designed to allow teenagers entering high school (up through age 20) to learn what kind of work they would do once they become a firefighter. “However, the aim is to make young men and women good community helpers and good citizens who work to benefit

society,” said Lt. Bartlett. “We have always been very proud of our explorers by the way they represent not only the Helena Fire Department, but also the City of Helena as a whole,” said Helena Fire Chief John Wilder. “Our primary goal as advisors is to not only create the next generation of firefighters, but to show guidance and mentorship to produce hardworking trustworthy citizens that love to support their community.” The Helena Fire Explorers also have plans for a presence at First Fridays and Helena Market Days this summer, where they will run educational booths that focus on fire and kitchen safety. So come on out this summer to our community events to meet these outstanding young men and women. For more information on the Helena Fire Explorers, contact Lt. Bartlett at 205-663-5809 ext. 7.

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Tentative Stage Schedule

Presented by 102.5 The Bull Magic 96.5 Helena Reporter ABC 33/40 Patron Vulcan Materials—Helena Quarry Regions Bank Sunbelt Rentals Alabama Tourism Board

FRIDAY, MAY 8TH 6:00PM 8:00PM

Gypsy Drifter

DOCTOR ZARR’S AMAZING FUNK MONSTER

SATURDAY, MAY 9TH 10:00AM 11:00AM 12:30PM 1:45PM 4:00pm 5:30PM 7:00PM 8:15PM

The Heavy Hearts Megan Kane

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Check the festival website for the latest info!

Ampitheater

www.BuckCreekFestival.com The Buck Creek Festival is a free, familyfriendly community event held on the second

1st Ave

weekend of May at Helena’s Amphitheater Park. On the banks of Buck Creek, just below

2nd Ave

the dam, the heavily wooded site together with the incredible stage provides a wonderful venue

more than $204,000 back into the community for a variety of projects that benefit the citizens

KING P A Re l e n aar y H ent Elem o o l Sch

Hel

ena

Roa

of Helena.

2nd St

Over the past 13 years, the festival has returned

PARKING Baptist Church

d ( 261 )

activities, great food, and fabulous music.

3rd Ave

3rd St

for everyone of all ages to enjoy crafts, children’s

The Rubber Duck Race begins promptly at 3 p.m. Get there early to secure a good spot for watching it!

Pa rk Ru les

NO PET S NO COO LER S NO BICY CLE S/G OLF CAR TS

Activity HIllsboro Subdivison Pepsi/Buffalo Rock Children’s of Alabama Allied Waste Services House Representative Matt Fridy Pinnex Group Rio’s Bar and Grill DEA Home Property Scozzaro Law, LLC R 52 True Value Hardware ofC Helena Alpha Orthopedic Center Inc. Helena Landscape Supply In Memory of Larry Childers Cahaba Dental Arts Top It Off/Chevron/Wash It Off Home Plate Cooking Contributing Weather Events LLC Thoroughbred Strategic Services Loading Dock South Brighthouse Network

Friday, May 8th: HEADLINER Doctor Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster Doctor Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster is a Memphis-based band that has been donning Afros and wild throwback costumes to please crowds for the past two decades. How did the band manage to come up with such a crazy name? Steve explained they were spitballing ideas on the way back from a gig in Arkansas when it came together. “I wanted ‘funk’ in there somewhere, Doug liked ‘amazing,’ and ‘monster’ just came to us,” he said. It was Dr. Tarr’s at first, taken from the old 1950s film Dr. Tarr’s Torture Dungeon, but on the way to have promotional materials printed, their booking agent told them to “change the T to a Z, because it sounds cooler.” Thus, Doctor Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster was born! With band leader Steve on bass, Rocky on lead guitar, Dancing Doug as the charismatic lead singer, TC on the keyboard, Clint on the drums and sound guy Wes running the show, you haven’t seen so many talented guys with hair this big since the 80s! Rocking out on tunes like “Brick House,”

“Kung Fu Fighting,” “Play That Funky Music” and “Disco Inferno,” Doctor Zarr’s definitely lives up to its funk-a-delic name. “We mostly play 80s hair band tunes because we love to play, dance and sing to them, and we want our audiences to have just as good of a time as we do—no, we want them to enjoy it more,” Steve said. They perform quite often at private parties, weddings, and proms, booking more than 100 shows a year. “But our favorite shows are outdoor festivals,” Steve said. “Stick us on a stage outside in front of a crowd and we’ll get the energy going! We can’t wait to play at Buck Creek!” “We’ve been very blessed— Doctor Zarr’s has been a full-time job for us for the past twenty years,” Steve continues. “And we hope it will continue to be for another twenty more!” So come on out Friday night to the Buck Creek Festival and see just what has kept audiences raving! You’re always in for a good time with Doctor Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster.

Saturday, May 9th: HEADLINER Fly By Radio The Buck Creek Festival Committee is excited to announce that Birmingham’s own Fly By Radio will be the headlining act on Saturday night. For over 10 years, the Birmingham – based Fly By Radio has been delighting audiences with upbeat and fun dance music you can sing along to. “Way back when, we were an 80s cover band because that was really popular,” said bassist Wes, who goes by the stage name Rigid Steele. “But our audiences changed, and now we are an overall variety band—if it’s fun to play and dance to, we’ll play it.” He, along with singer Wes Peters, affectionately referred to as #2, female singer Ashley, who goes by AK, drummer Brent Shivers and lead guitarist Jon Kilgore make up the powerhouse known as Fly By Radio. Although VooDoo in downtown Birmingham– formerly the Iron Horse–is the band’s “home bar,” they do a fair amount of traveling for performances.

“Fraternity/sorority parties and bars across the southeast are our main gigs, and we usually do around 5-10 festivals a year,” Wes said. “So we’re really excited to be playing the Buck Creek Festival.” This rockin’ cover band plays a mix of music from the 80s, 90s and today, and they love glam rock, too—just any music that gets people up and dancing. Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC, Pat Benatar, Tom Petty, The Killers, Alicia Keys and even Blink 182 get show time with this band. Everything from “RESPECT,” to “Anyway You Want It,” “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy,” “Santeria,” “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” and even “Uptown Funk” have made it into their extensive repertoire. “If the crowd dances and sings along, we’re doing something right,” Wes explained. So come on out Saturday night for an explosive concert with Fly By Radio that’s sure to leave you hoarse and wanting more!

All of HES celebrated NEA Read Across America and the birthday of Dr. Seuss, born 111 years ago, on March 2. The spirit of Dr. Seuss is still alive and well as evidenced by the enthusiasm at the party

Cat in the Hat Day & Dr. Suess’ Birthday Celebration at HIS!

where The Cat in the Hat himself entertained. For three years, HHS Junior Hamilton Johnson has portrayed the Cat in this iconic kid-friendly role. Some students sported the Cat’s iconic striped Hat in paper headdress

form, a few wore the actual felt version and other students bobbed through the halls in Thing paper headbands with blue paper-strip hair. Among the crowd were a few Grinches, also, and even an original t-shirt

creation of The Lorax. Everyone enjoyed cupcakes and drinks, and especially, a chorus line performance by HES teachers dressed in red and blue tutus to the silly favorite “a tooty ta, a tooty ta, a tooty ta, ta.”

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Parks and Recreation Season Opening The Spring season opening for baseball and softball was held at on Saturday, March 7 at the Helena Sports Complex. Thanks to all the players,

parents and fans in our community who came out to have a great time! We would also like to give special thanks to the 2015

Helena Parks and Recreation Sponsors: Dick’s Sporting Goods, Pepsi, Alabaster Pediatric Dentistry, Cris Nelson - Helena City Council, It’s About

Time Urgent Care, Cahaba Dental Arts, Zaxby’s, V&W Supply, Alabama Rentals, The McPherson Companies and Grace Klein Construction.

Spring Parks and Rec happenings—Jason Powers, Director The 2015 Helena Easter Egg Hunt occurred on Mar. 28th at the Helena Amphitheater. Thanks to all the kids aged 1-9yrs. old who participated as well as to all the volunteers and sponsors for the event. Congratulations to Dori Paczak and Ariana Goebel for locating the 'Golden Egg' and winning a gift basket courtesy of Oak Mountain Orthodontics. Soccer: Helena Youth soccer games began on Saturday, April 11th at the Helena Sports Complex athletic field.

Most games are on Saturdays at the Sports Complex; come on out and watch one of our many local teams play. Teams range from Under 7 - Under 14. Baseball/Girls Softball: The Helena Youth Baseball/ Softball leagues are on-going. Games take place weeknights as well as on Saturdays throughout April and early May. Softball games take place at Penhale Park, while baseball games take place at the Helena Sports Complex. There is exciting action taking place between Helena, Chelsea, Pelham and Alabaster teams.

Upcoming Sports/Activities: Girls Cheer: Registration Period: Apr. 27 - mid May. Cost: $155 Uniform provided: Camp Shirt/Shorts/Shoes (There may be additional uniform needs for cheerleaders.) Grades: 1st - 6th Practices will begin in late July. Youth Football: Registration Period: April 27 - early June. Leagues: 1st - 6th grade Cost: $220

Uniform provided: Helmet/Pads/Uniform Shirt/Shorts Practices will begin in late July. All players must live in Helena or be zoned for Helena schools. Tennis: The Helena Adult and Youth Summer Tennis League is coming back. Be on the lookout for registration information coming out later in April. For information concerning Parks and Recreation activities, visit www.helenaparkandrec.org, call 620-2877 or email helenarec@cityofhelena.org.

Easter Egg Hunt

Thanks to every volunteer who helped the many children who braved the cold to come to the city’s annual Easter Egg hunt to have a wonderful time! Since 2007, Dr. Priscila Denny and Oak Mountain Orthodontics has supplied the city with beautiful Easter Baskets to use as prizes. Dr. Denny does so much to support Helena children and students each year. The city would like to thank her for her generous support.

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Ariana Jambusarwalla— small town Helena girl living in the Big Apple Ariana Jambusarwalla grew up in Helena, going to Helena Elementary, Riverchase Middle and finally Pelham High Schools. She attended LSU, graduating with a degree in Mass Communications and with a plan to attend law school. However, Ariana always thought advertising and marketing was a very interesting field, and found herself led towards a career out of law. While living in Baton Rouge after college, she worked as the editorial assistant for a local magazine until a friend invited Ariana to move to New York with her. “I was bored with Louisiana and I decided that New York sounded more fun than law school, so I went for it,” she explained. Once there, Ariana knew she had to find a job. “I applied for 34 Spring 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

so many jobs online but I just wasn’t finding anything. I had a temp job, so I decided to take a break—but the last position I applied for was with Victoria’s Secret, and I got it!” She now has a job at Victoria’s Secret New York headquarters, working as a Project Manager for Catalogue and Web. Her job includes editing product copy, traﬃcking catalogues between departments and vendors, and interfacing with merchandising, among other duties. “My team has to give approval for type and layouts before a catalogue can print,” Ariana explained. “Victoria’s Secret is a great company to work for, it’s a fun job in a cool industry and I love my coworkers,” she said. This hometown girl loves the big city life now, too: “I love to go out. There are so many great

restaurants and bars,” she said. “I love music festivals, the beach and picnicking in the park. And I’ve gotten to do some really cool things, like going to the US Open Tennis Championships and shows at New York Fashion Week. There’s always something going on here!”

“I love to travel and public transportation here is great,” Ariana continued, citing her trips to Boston, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia. “But I miss home,” she said. “I loved growing up in Helena. I always make it home several times a year!”

River & Cape Montessori Nursery School

The ﬁrst Montessori school in Shelby County to accept infants under 18 months. Monday through Friday • Exclusively for children 6 weeks through the 3rd year. Conveniently located in Helena’s Dearing Downs subdivision off Highway 95. Call us today at (205) 542-1424 to schedule an appointment and tour! “The development of the child during the ﬁrst three years after birth is unequaled in intensity and importance by any period that precedes or follows in the whole life of the child.” –Dr. Maria Montessori

OUR PROGRAM AND ITS INSTRUCTOR: • Adhere to the methods designed by Dr. Maria Montessori • Take advantage of both indoor and outdoor learning experiences • Plan menus using the “Dirty Dozen” guidelines and support our local farmers • Love and nurture every child that enters our classroom Every child wants to learn; it’s choosing the right environment that makes the difference. For more information, contact Kelly Thomson at (205) 542-1424 or Email RiverAndCapeMontessori@gmail.com.

TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2015

HHS Varsity Baseball Schedule Home Games Played at Helena High School Field day

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February 25, 2015 6:33 a.m. 3 pounds, 3 ounces 15 3/4 inches long Loving parents Octavia Heflin-Smith and Roland “Bert” Smith III are enjoying spending time with their precious little blessing.

Residential Beautification Award—1475 Secretariat Drive The home of Peter and Nancy Spaziani at 1475 Secretariat Drive is one of several pleasing yards lining this part of the street. The Spaziani landscaping, however, is outstanding for both its front and back yards where the landscaping close to the house flows gently up and across the front facade in an immaculately trimmed selection of shrubbery that has become an architectural enhancement over the years. Peter does all his mowing and landscape maintenance and as the Chinese hollies, boxwoods, Foster and Pencil hollies matured, he allowed them to grow together. “Then I started sculpting them,” he said. “I’ve been told that the swath in the front looks like a caterpillar now,” Peter added. “I approach my shrubbery in the way of a

hairdresser—first I trim off the obvious excess, then I get more detailed and precise with the scissors (or clippers).” The Spazianis moved to Helena from Watertown, New York with a job transfer in 1989. At that time, houses were still being built all around them on Secretariat Drive. The Spaziani family is originally from Morolo, Italy— Peter’s grandmother came to America through Ellis Island. In 2007, Peter and Nancy enjoyed touring Rome and Venice. This particular area of Dearing Downs had an abundance of native dogwoods, many of which were saved in the backyard, and now are blooming abundantly. Plantings lining the

backyard property line include oakleaf hydrangea, juniper, leatherleaf mahonia, “Daisy” gardenia jasminoides, camellia and rosemary. There is also a small clematis-covered arbor, and soon, the many calla lilies that began as bulbs they planted will begin to appear. Initially, Peter declared that he would not do any additional landscaping to the backyard, but when Hurricane Opal came through the state in September 1995, a large oak was felled, so now the area is more open and less shady, with beds created for the daffodils now blooming and knock-out roses greening up for the spring/summer seasons. A corner bed hosts a mophead

hydrangea and summer brings forth a plethora of rudbeckia hirta, commonly known as black-eyed Susan. Coral bells— an evergreen azalea hybrid—lead the eye back up to front of the house, by a birdbath and a curved bed of boxwood shrubs surrounding three red crape myrtle trees. After raising their children here, Peter retired from his position in international sales, and Nancy just recently retired from Belk. This allows them more time to enjoy their hobbies of reading mysteries and crocheting, respectively, as well as their three grandchildren, ages ten, six, and five who live in Vestavia.

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The Spazianies have created an inviting sitting area that says ‘Welcome’ beneath native dogwoods with plantings of hosta, ivy and additional annuals added throughout the season. TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2015

91-year-old Mary Wilson recalls working for the FBI during World War II and traveling across the country as one of the first female nurses with a doctorate

Helena's 91-year-old Mary Wilson has led quite the full life. Born near Albertville and Boaz to a family with 11 siblings, she worked on the family farm while growing up, but knew farming wasn't for her. "When I graduated high school, I was determined to get off Sand Mountain, which is where my great grandfather set up our homestead," Mary said. So during World War II, when an ad in the Boaz Leader said they were looking for people to work in Washington DC to support the war effort, she applied immediately. With four brothers and one sister in the service, Mary was also interested in doing any work that could help bring them home. "When I went for my interview, the man asked me if long hours would be a problem," she recalled. "I almost laughed at him! While we ended up working 10-hour days and 6-day weeks, it was easier than farm work. Most of us were farm girls, and nobody complained." Although the job was in Washington, the dormitory where most of the girls lived was actually an hour away in Suitland, Maryland. "Since we ate all our meals in the FBI cafeteria, 38 Spring 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

I had to be on the bus to go to work by 6a.m. if I wanted to eat breakfast," Mary related. "I just went back to Suitland to sleep." During the war, even shoes were rationed, and Mary found that corduroy shoes with cardboard soles do not last long on rainy Washington streets. "I sent my sugar rations home to my family, and they sent back shoe rations so I could get around!" She described wearing underwear with snaps, because all elastic was being used for the war effort. And although she wore dresses all the time, pantyhose were out—nylon had also been set aside for the war. Although air raids meant the war was always on her mind and she was far from home, Mary was excited to be in Washington, D.C. and never felt homesick. “As one of twelve, I had never had a room to myself before!” For the first two weeks on the job, she sorted fingerprints into alphabetical order by name. "It was the most boring thing I'd ever done in my life," she laughed. As soon as they told her she could up for classifications classes, she did. There, she

learned how to read and classify fingerprints by specific markers found in fingerprint patterns. "I've always had a knack for detail and could pick out differences in fingerprints really easily," Mary said. She was so good at finding these markers that she was asked to move up to criminal fingerprinting, where she stayed for the rest of her two years at the FBI. "From the very beginning of criminal fingerprinting, they told us never to look at the names—they were probably aliases anyway—but that may be why I am not good at remembering names now." While in Washington, Mary saw not only President Roosevelt, but Generals Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Jonathan M. Wainwright as well. However, she recalled being the most excited when shaking FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s hand on a trip to the FBI Academy in Virginia. When the war was over in Europe, the government turned back on the lights in Washing-

ton after four years in fear of air raids. "I was standing around with thousands of others when the lights came on. Everyone was quiet, all you heard was a soft, 'Ohhh,'" she said. "All the churches played the same solemn program that night." After victory in Japan, however, the excitement was palpable, and Mary found herself with some of her friends amid the happy pandemonium in front of the White House. "The street was wall-to-wall with people screaming, dancing, jumping, singing," she recalled. "Soldiers were grabbing every girl and kissing them. They wanted out of their uniforms as quickly as possible, changing on the street, swapping clothes with anyone who would exchange with them—even the girls who were giving them dresses!" "It was a release—no more boys would be getting killed and we wouldn't send anybody overseas anymore. It made you want to get out and shout!" she continued. "It was something I could never forget. I've never seen anything like it anytime or anywhere else." While the contract under which Mary and all the girls worked was good for "the dura-

Mary Wilson, cont. tion of the war plus six months," her supervisors told her she was good enough at her job that she could continue to work if she wanted to. "But I'd seen enough fingerprints, and I'd always wanted to be a nurse," Mary said. Unfortunately, the family needed her on the farm first, so she went back to help harvest cotton and corn for six months. Growing up, her father had an unflattering opinion of nurses, and she said, "He did everything he could to stop me from going to nursing school." But her heart was set, and she soon left for the Holy Name of Jesus Hospital, which is now the Riverside Medical Center, in Gadsden. "I had never been to a Catholic Church, and suddenly there were these nuns everywhere!" she laughed. She studied pediatric nursing, because, "I like children, they seem to like me—I can still calm down a child when others cannot. And unlike treating older adults or working in an emergency room, children can get very sick, but they almost always get better." After three years working there, she headed back up to Washington for post-graduate work in Children's Hospital, associated with Columbia University. "Psychologists and psychiatrists were our teachers at Children's," she explained. "It was a great experience for me— While there, I really began to see the affects of good nursing." Her time and experiences in Washington and at Holy Name translated into credit hours at the University of Alabama, where she became part of the first group of women to achieve formal degrees in nursing. She used her education to get a job at Jefferson Hillman, now part of the University Hospital Complex of UAB, but she really wanted back out of Alabama— so she took a job in Indiana.

"They were years behind in nursing for children. We had to encourage mothers to get involved," she described. "Once, I had a cardiologist write a prescription for a mother to hold her baby before the baby passed away. Let them bond with them, then they can let them go." When Indiana became too cold for her, Mary left for the foothills of Kentucky, where the United Mine Workers were opening up new hospitals and needed help getting started. At age 30, she decided she wanted to teach at the four-year college level, and was able to secure a full-ride scholarship back at UA to complete their master's program. "I always prepared to live my life at the level I wanted to live it—when I have a goal, I don't know of anything that can stop me." Mary's entire life is full indication that that statement is true. In the late fifties, while teaching at the University of Southern Mississippi, she received Christmas cards from Henry Wilson, a boy she had dated during her undergrad days, and began talking to him once again. In 1958, they were married, and promptly told they could not have children. Fifty plus years later, with three children, three grandchildren, and a greatgrandchild on the way, Mary is glad they were wrong. She spent 40 years living in Pensacola with Henry until he passed away, working at Pensacola Junior College, until her son Henry asked her to move to Helena to be closer to family. "I just told him, 'I can't have stairs, and I want some dirt,' and we found that here. I love this neighborhood. Everybody knows everybody, and they take care of me like their own grandmother," she said happily. "Now, I'm happy to work on my garden here in Helena."

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H e l e n a’ S C o M M u n i t Y o F Fa i t H a.M.e. New Bethel A.M.E. Church Highway 261 • 201-5531 Rev. Wilma Merriweather Sunday School 10:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM

BaptiSt CrossBridge Community Church Starkey Street (off 261) • 621-2695 Pastors Harris Cook & Bruce Squires crossbridgehelena.com Sunday Worship 10:00 AM Wednesday Prayer Service 6:30 PM

First Baptist Church Helena

815 Highway 52 E • 663-7879 Sr Pastor Greg Walker • fbhelena.org Sunday Bible Study 9:30 AM Sunday Worship 10:30 AM & 6:00 PM

Gospel Light Baptist Church

5781 Roy Drive • 685-0772 Pastor Steve Kilpatrick • glbcbham.com Sunday Bible Study 10:00 AM Sunday Worship 11:00 AM

Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church

Highway 261 • 663-5257 Rev. Edwin D. Dinkins • mpbchelena.com Sunday School 10:00 AM Morning Worship 11:00 AM

epiSCopal Lamb of God Charismatic Episcopal

New Elam Baptist Church Cunningham Drive • 663-2230 Rev. Lester Sunday School 10:00 AM Morning Worship 11:00 AM

New Vision Christian Church

2383 Highway 95 • 664-4333 Pastor Van C. Houser, Sr. • nvcc4god.org 5140 County Road 17 • 378-8022 Sunday Corporate Prayer 9:00 AM Rev. Glenn E. Davis • lambofgodcec.org Sunday Worship 10:15 AM Children’s Church 10:00 AM Sunday Worship 10:00 AM

Riverside Baptist Church

1919 Highway 52 W • 426-1910 Pastor JJ Stanbridge • rbchelena.org Sunday Worship 9:00 AM Sunday Bible Study 10:30 AM

Shiloh Baptist Church

6700 County Road 13 • 424-4539 Rev. Pete Hubhins, Jr. Pastor Sunday School 10:00 AM Sunday Worship 11:00 AM

Voice of Faith Int’l Ministries

2035 County Road 58 • 663-0111 Rev. Mary Bendall • helenaumc.org Sunday Worship 9:00, 11:00 AM

The Church at Cahaba Bend

CHriStian—DiSCipleS oF CHriSt Grace Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 869 Highway 52 • 426-1233 Rev. Tommy Morgan gracechristianchurch.org Sunday School 9:00 AM Sunday Worship 10:00 AM

Church of Christ at Helena 2499 Highway 58 • 620-4575 Evgs Curtis Flatt & Bryan Moody church-of-christ.org Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM

preSBYterian Christ Community Church

3721 Highway 52 W • 621-8060 Rev. Lori Carden • cahababend.org Sunday School 9:15 AM Contemporary Worship 10:30 AM

Meets at Helena Intermediate • 621-6248 Pastor Phil Chambers • cccbham.org Sunday Worship 10:00 AM

naZarene Trinity Church of the Nazarene

3396 Helena Road • 663-2174 Pastor Mike Ensminger helenacpchurch.com Sunday School 9:00 AM Morning Worship 10:00 AM

Helena Cumberland Presbyterian

Laurel Woods Dr. & Hwy 58 • 664-4659 Rev. David Shirer • nazarene.ch/trinity/ Sunday School 9:00 AM Morning Worship 10:00 AM

CHurCH oF CHriSt

1560 Cunningham Drive • 663-7396 Rev. Franklin L. Kirksey Sunday Worship 7:00 & 10:00 AM Thursday Bible Teaching 10:00 AM

MetHoDiSt Helena United Methodist Church

non-DenoMinational Cornerstone Church 2694 Highway 58 • 663-9332 Rev. Tim Trimble cornerstonechurchhelena.org Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM

Our community of faith offers many services and programs year-round. Please visit the church’s website for additional information about upcoming events and programs.

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Helena Police Explorers place in three events at state competition The Helena Police Explorers also had an outstanding showing at the State of Alabama Law Enforcement Explorer Competition February 21, where they placed in three separate events: first place in both the Arrest and Search and Traffic Accident Investigation trials, as well as third place in the Crime Scene Search trial. “We’re the most winning team in the state,” Helena Patrol Officer and Explorer Advisor Joshua Lindsey asserted. Explorer Advisor Officer Nelson also said one of last year’s Helena Police Explorer teams placed in the top ten for the Domestic Violence Crisis trial at the national competition. According to Officer Lindsey, the annual state competition was started as a “practice run” for the national competition, which is held every other year. This year, the state competition was held at the University of Montevallo, where other explorer teams from Florida, Georgia and Louisiana competed against those from Alabama. The competition put teams in mock scenarios you would come across as an officer on the job, such as a traffic accident investigation, crime scene investigation and arrest and search. There are 12 possible events at the national level and eight at the state level—but each team of 2-4 explorers only participates in the two events they are randomly assigned once they get to competition. Explorer Kai Reese, whose team placed in Crime Scene Search, described how important properly assessing a crime scene can be. “You can figure out how someone died, when it happened—we have to get everything we can from the scene,” he said. Explorer Spencer Hollon, whose team placed in Arrest and Search, said they had to

show they could properly clear a building and serve an arrest warrant. “It helps that many of us have actually seen an officer clear a building on a ride-along,” he said, a program that some law enforcement agencies do not do. “On a ride-along, the Explorer is with us for the entire shift, no matter what happens: be it a traffic violation, an arrest, or anything else. Safely inside the car of course,” explained Officer Lindsey. Explorers must be a certain age, have been in the program a specified number of years and pass a test before they can be considered. “This allows them to see first-hand what police work is really like.” Officer Lindsey said not only did he and Officer Nelson go through a Police Explorer program, but so did Sergeant Harrellson, Captain Penhale, Detective Rollan and Officer Casey as well as several dispatchers. They have seen young men and women go through the program and come back to Helena, enjoy a career at another department or even go

into the military. Other than readying for competition and going on ridealongs, the Police Explorers get to do activities like learning to use hostage negotiation equipment and attending Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives postblast presentations. “We train explorers for excellence in every aspect of law enforcement,” Oﬃcer Lindsey said. “There are a myriad of jobs you can go into, not just streetlevel policing, and we want more kids to know that.” “The Explorers prepare young adults not only for careers in law enforcement but for life,” Oﬃcer Lindsey continued. “We teach team building and problem solving skills as well as put an emphasis on citizenship and community service.” For example, each Helena Police Explorer brings a canned good to every meeting, and all donations are given to local churches and shelters. The Explorers participate each year in local Toys for Tots and

Fill the Wagon toy drives. They volunteered with CVS during the old drug take-back program and put together Indenti-Kid fingerprint kits for parents. Thank you to the Helena Police Explorers for all they do in the community, and congratulations on the state competition wins! Captain and Golf Tournament Captain Penhale also announces the dates for the 2015 7th annual Helena Police Explorers golf tournament. “Last year was a great success for team turnout, with sixteen teams participating,” he said. The tournament will be held at Bent Brook golf club on June 4th, with a shotgun start. Preregistration is available, and encouraged for all players and teams. Anyone who is not playing should consider sponsoring a hole or the tournament, as the cost is the same and all proceeds go to the Explorer program. For more information on the Explorers or the golf tournament contact Captain Penhale at jpenhale@helenapd.com.

TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2015

PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL… We’re the Home of the Free Because of the Brave!

SGT Jon M. Aaron

SSG Jay Gortney

4/14 K CO (DET B), UNIT 43671, FPO AP 96426-3671; Al Anbar, Iraq; Karen Dickinson’s son

ARNG; 20th Special Forces; Iraq; April’s husband

SGT Steven M Bennett

USA; Ranger; Scofield BKS, HI; John Gray’s son, Lauren & Ryan Gray’s brother

USA; Paratrooper/Rigger; Fort Benning, GA; Clara & Ken Lorino’s son

APO3 David R. Black

SGT Peter J. “Pete” Reese

ARNG; 152nd MP Co.; Lauren’s husband; Kai, Sam, Dalton, Brook & Kaiti’s father

SGT Brooks Gray

PFC Casey B. Reitz

USMC, MCSF Battalion, Naval Submarine Base, King’s Bay, GA; Tom and Suzi’s son, brother of Tommy, Joey, and Emily.

A1C Brad Hubbard

USN; USS Stennis; Bremerton Wa.; Ruth and Perry Black’s son

Personnel SPC Second Class William T. Rice

SPC Brad Bokenkamp

USAF Fort Gordon - Augusta, GA Rod & Susan Hubbard’s son

SFC Eric Bond

USA; Camp Liberty, Iraq; Ruth Meadows grandson, Kimberly’s husband, Bonnie Hubbard’s brother

USA; HHB 210 Field Artillery Brigade, 21D: Camp Casey, South Korea; Ed & Amy Bokenkamp’s son

USA, USS Ronald Reagan, San Diego, CA. Son of Ginger Hamilton

SPC Michael Hubbard

USA; 82nd ABD, 1-504 PIR; Baghdad, Iraq; Paul Zimmerman’s cousin

SPC Eric Hunley

SPC Dwight A Rosse Jr.

USA; 1-32 Cav 1st Bct, Fort Campbell, KY; Dwight & Michelle Rosse’s son, Britney & Carlton’s brother

SPC Patrick D. Sharp

ARNG; 1/167 Inf. Bn Co. B, Operation Enduring Freedom; Afghanistan; Mike & Barbara Hunley’s son; late Chris Hunley’s brother

USA; 82nd ABD; Al Asad, Iraq; Shawn Sharp’s son

CPL Michael Jeffries

PVT Vincent Brown

USMC; Chesapeake, VA; Leonetta Prevo’s son

ARNG; 1/167 Inf. Bn Co. B, Operation Enduring Freedom; Afghanistan; Amy’s husband, Colin & Gavin’s father

USA; 3rd Inf. Div., 1-30 Inf.; Ft. Stewart, GA; Jesi Mason Squires’s father, Bruce & Tammy son, Aubrey & Austin’s brother

SGT Dallas C Caviness

Lt. Commander David Kang

ARNG; 152nd Military Police Task Force 382nd, Iraq; Andrea & AnnaBelle’s father

SRA Mitch Braswell

USAF; 16th EMS, 16th Special Op. Wing; Afghanistan; Mike & Judi Braswell’s son

USA; 172 Inf. Brigade; Germany; Rebecca’s husband, Norah’s father, Rhonda’s son & Devin’s brother

USN; Japan; Stanley & Sue Kang’s son, Sunny Kang’s brother

1st Lt. William B. Cofer

USA; Fort Rucker, AL.; Tom Lefebvre’s son

CPO Austin C. Daniel

USA; Sniper Unit of 1-64 Inf; Fort Stewart, GA; Beth Eades’ son, Caitlyn’s husband

USA; Fort Campbell, KY; Dorothy & Jim Cofer’s son, Deborah’s brother

USA; Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI; Carol Darrenkamp’s son, Jon & Stephen’s brother

LT James Brooks Dickey

USN; Carmel Pacific Ridge, 5925 Linda Vista Rd Apt #1323, San Diego, CA 92110; Charlie & Janie Brooks & Janet & Dennis Dickey’s son

AEAN Benjamin Lee Doaks LCPL Jared M. Fitzgerald

Petty Officer 3rd Class Justin D. Gilbert USCG, Machinery Technician; Key West, FL; Leslie’s husband, Annette & Dan Duffy’s son-in-law

PFC Zachary S Traylor

USMC; 3-23 Inf; Baton Rouge, LA; Mark & Karole Traylor’s son

SGT John Christian Vansant

Petty Officer 3rd Class Erik B. McKenzie

USMC; VMMT 204 Flightline, MCAS; New River, NC; Keith & Sherill Vansant’s son

2nd Lt. Jacob Allen Meins

USAF, Special Operations Command; Kathy Meins Martin’s son

USAR; Afghanistan; Kathie’s husband, Maggie’s dad, Bette Ward’s son, Michelle (Lin) Saville’s brother

MSG Jacqueline M. Moore

Adam Walton

USA, 387th; Wichita, KS; Leroy E. Lucas’ wife, Cameshia, Shaun, Chibukia & Chris’ mom

SSGT Christopher S. Murphy

USN; NAS Jacksonville, FL; Joe & Tammy Williams’ son, Rev. Clifton & Mattie Taylor’s grandson USMC; 9th Communication Battalion; Camp Pendleton; CA 92055 Rosemarie Butler’s son and Jeff’s stepson, Justin and Tyler’s brother

USAF; 552nd TRS; Tinker AFB, OK; Mark & Karole Traylor’s son

USN; USS Curtis Wilber, Yokosuka, Japan; Bond & Lisa McKenzie’s son, Brooke’s brother, Megan’s husband

2nd Lt Eric C Darrenkamp

CPL Rodney Stephens 2LT John M Traylor, Jr

CW3 Corey Lefebvre SGT Jacob S. Lenoir

USN; Norfolk, VA; Mike & Claudia Daniel’s son, Justin, Tatum & Autumn’s brother

SPC Ashley Bruce Squires

USMC; MWHS 3, San Diego, CA; Jack & Karen Murphy’s son, Alyssa’s husband

LT Commander Kimberly A. Oelschlager

USN; US Navy Hospital (Balboa)-Physician’s Asst., San Diego, CA; Ted & the late Sara Oelschlager’s daughter

Chief Petty Officer Termaine J. Pruitt

USN; NAS Pensacola, FL; Termaine Jr, Trevorn, Chelicia & Tristin’s father, Janice & Austin Pruitt’s son

Major Maxwell B. Ward

USN; USS Nimitz; Randy & Peggy Walton’s son, Annalee’s brother

PFC Zachary Walton

USA; 3-1 Cav. Regt. Delta Troop; Ft Benning, GA; Becky Click’s son, Alex Walton & Sydney Mollica’s brother, Amber’s husband

FC3 William J. Welch

USN; USS Lake Erie, Pearl Harbor, HI; Devinne Brooks’ husband

E3 Spencer R. Wood

USN Corpman; Balboa Hospital; San Diego, CA Rish & Christa Wood’s son, Whitney Brown’s stepbrother

E-mail Helena active duty military personnel’s name, address and where they’re stationed to helenacitynews@aol.com. If your loved one has returned, PLEASE let us know so that we can keep our prayer list current. Thank you!

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All Seasons Lawn Maintenance Call 205-451-7997 Today! Cut, Trim, Blow, Pine Straw, Mulch, Shrub Maintenance, and Leaf Blowing If you grow it, we‘ll mow it! We are MAID for your lawn! (Get it?) Ask about our refer a friend program.

First Friday is BACK!

Here are snapshots from April 3, the first event of the season. The next one will be May 1. Come out and join the fun in Old Town each month!

Summer 2015 Coming summer 2015 Camp Indian Springs will offer the premiere summer day camp experience for kids ages 5-13!

Open House April 22 & May 13 Join us for CIS Open House at Indian Springs School to meet our staff and tour our facilities! We would love to answer any questions you may have and help you register your campers for their best summer yet!

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TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2015

Dr. Jill K. Meyer

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Saturday appointments available! Please visit our website: www.drjillkmeyer.com

The Sleeping Beauty Aurora's Wedding Be enchanted... Choreography by Stevan Grebel after Marius Petipa Music by Tchaikovsky Performed by The Alabama Youth Ballet Company, the students of Grebel Dance and Community Cast

Andy Shires, owner (retired military), with his crew. They take pride in their work, which will be apparent to you. They offer low pricing, so you’ll use them again and again. NO CONTRACT REQUIRED—Give them a try!

“Try us once and you’ll try us again!” 44 Spring 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

Saturday, May 16, 2015 3:00PM at Pelham High School All Tickets $10 On Sale Now www.grebeldance.com (205) 987-7234

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MONDAYS Exercise Classes, Helena Senior Center, 10:00 AM Police Explorers, Explorer Training Facility, 4:00-7:00 PM Fire Explorers, Station 2, 5:00 PM TUESDAYS Kiwanis, Helena Senior Center, 7:00 AM; 3rd Tues. 5:30 PM Story Time, Jane B. Holmes Public Library, 11:00 AM THURSDAYS Exercise Classes, Helena Senior Center, 10:00 AM Story Time, Jane B. Holmes Public Library, 11:00 AM FRIDAYS HBA’S Helena First Fridays, Old Town, 5:30-8:30 PM THRU SUMMER Visit their Facebook page or www.hbahelena.com for more info.

April

Office: Mon-Fri 8am–6pm • Sat 8am–5pm Sun 1-5pm • Gate: Open 6:30am–8pm daily

From Hwy 11, turn towards Ballantrae Golf Club and look immediately on your left.

REGULAR WEEKLY EVENTS

15th - Helena High School Late Start Day, 9:10 am-3:22 pm 16th - Helena Planning & Zoning, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00 pm 17th - Friends of the Jane B. Holmes Library Meeting, Library, 6:00 pm 18th - Founders Day, Helena Amphitheater, 10:00 am-3:00 pm - Respite Care-special needs 0-21, must reserve aaronsstaffrespite.org 20th - Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00 pm 22nd - Earth Day 23rd - I Love the Jane B. Holmes Library, Refreshments 4:00 pm 24th - Relay for Life, Helena Sports Complex, 6:00 pm-midnight 28th-Helena Lions Club Meeting, San Antonio Grill, 7:00 pm 30th - Helena Intermediate Art Show 4:30 pm; Helena Harmony 7:00 pm

May

2nd - Miss HHS, Helena High Auditorium, 6:30 pm 4th - Helena Elementary Art Show May 4-8 - Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00 pm 5th - Helena Business Association Meeting, 8:00 am, for meeting site visit www.hbahelena.com or their Facebook page 6th - Emergency Siren Test, 10:00 am 8th - 14th Annual Buck Creek Festival, Live Music 6:00-10:00 PM 9th - 14th Annual Buck Creek Festival, 10:00 AM-10:00 PM, Duck Race 3:00 PM For schedule and times see pages 28-29; Visit buckcreekfestival.com for the latest 10th - MOTHER’S DAY 12th - Helena Lions Club Meeting, San Antonio Grill, 7:00 pm 15th - Helena vs Jackson Olin Spring Football Game, Husky Stadium, 7:00 pm 16th - Respite Care-special needs 0-21, must reserve aaronsstaffrespite.org 18th - Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00 pm 19th - Helena High Graduation, Alabama Theatre, 6:00 pm Time subject to change 21st - School Year Ends, Dismissals: Students 1:00 pm; Faculty 3:00 pm - Helena Planning and Zoning, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00 pm - Friends of the Jane B. Holmes Library Meeting, Library, 6:00 pm 25th - MEMORIAL DAY: Municipal Oﬃces Closed; Trash will be collected as usual 26th - Helena Lions Club Meeting, San Antonio Grill, 7:00 pm 26th - Helena Planning & Zoning, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00 pm 30th - Shelby Co. Schools Spring Break March 30-April 3

June

1st - Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00 pm 2nd - Helena Business Association Meeting, 8:00 am, for meeting site visit www.hbahelena.com or their Facebook page 5th - Movies in the Park presented by HBA, OT Amphitheater, 8:00 pm Visit www.hbahelena.com/hba-sponsored-events for schedule 6th - Helena Market Days, OT Amphitheater, 8:00 am-12:00 pm, Demo 9:00 am For more information and chefs, visit www.helenamarketdays.com

TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2015

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President Obama invites Tammy Williams to 50th Anniversary march in Selma In 1968, now-Helena resident Tammy Williams was the first black student to attend Thompson Elementary School. "At this point, the ban on segregation in schools had been lifted, but desegregation was not yet mandatory," she explained. "My parents were brave for enrolling me there for get the best education I could get." School-aged Tammy didn't feel brave for attending class, as many have told her she was—all she knew is that she wanted to go to school. "My teacher, Mrs. Gleeson, was brave enough to hold my hand and take me to class, escort me to the bathroom and have me sit by her during recess when there were parents peeking over the school's fence or through the windows to see me," she explained. "I wasn't scared because I didn't know they were looking at me. I didn't know I was the center of attention." While at Thompson, Tammy's other constant companion was one of her white classmates named Kelly. " Kelly was the only one who would play with me, but she warmed up to me pretty quickly," Tammy said. "We would play beauty shop and do each other's hair—I would come home with the craziest hairstyles." Unfortunately, when more black students began enrolling the next

year, they didn't like that Tammy was friends with the white students, and many of them shunned her. "Every day, I came back to school only because of Kelly and Mrs. Gleeson." Tammy isn't the only person in her family to become an unwitting pioneer for African Americans in Shelby County—her aunt Mayo Taylor was voted in as the first black city councilman for Alabaster in 1976. She and Tammy were among a group of others—including the first black police oﬃcer, fireman and mayor in Shelby County, among others—to receive certificates of recognition from the county for their roles in local history. Tammy and Mrs. Gleeson were also invited to speak at the first Martin Luther King, Jr., street dedication in the county in January 2011. Fast-forward to one night in February of this year when Tammy could not fall asleep, so she decided to write up her story online and send it in to President Obama, who was collecting stories for Black History Month. She didn't think anything of it at the time, believing it was just another way to have her story preserved. But then, about a week before the 50th Anniversary of the Selma March, she received a call

from the White House. "My husband plays pranks on me a lot—I thought the phone call was set up by him, so I hung up," she recalled, laughing at the memory. "They called again and I ignored it, but when I realized White House correspondent Fiona Reeves left me a message, I called back as quickly as I could!" As it turned out, Tammy and Kelly were invited to be a part of the Selma anniversary proceedings as special guests of President Obama. At the celebration, she met MLK's children, Al Sharpton and Danny Glover along with other celebrities and people of importance. After signing in and finding Kelly, she found herself with a different colored armband from her friend. "I wanted to sit with Kelly, so I acted like I knew what I was doing and joined her for lunch," Tammy said. "When a member of security saw me, he explained my green armband meant I would get to go over the

bridge with the president!" In doing so, she was able to meet and talk with several of Freedom Fighters who took part in the original march. One lady was 101 years old and in a wheelchair, and a man with barbed wire scars from clashes with police joked with her, saying, "You're too young to have marched with us 50 years ago; we didn't have any three-yearolds marching with us!" But by the end of the march, they were calling her by her new nickname: "Baby Freedom Fighter." "It was an honor and a privilege to walk with the same people who marched 50 years ago and gave me the right to vote," Tammy said. "I felt very proud to be there; it was a life-changing experience for me." "It made me think back to when I was in elementary school," Tammy concluded. "I didn't think 40 years later I would be listening to our first black president speak in Selma, but there I was. I have never felt so proud."

Kiwanis 11th Annual Pancake Day! Another successful Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast was served to 746 diners on Saturday morning, February 28. Ticket sales brought in $6,500 and will be used for refurbishment of the Kiwanis Boundless Playground at Joe Tucker Park; a $1500 scholarship for a Key Club senior; and technology at Helena Elementary School. “The HES PTO played a huge part in making this a success this year,” noted Kiwanis member Camille Maier. “They had a contest

to see which classroom could sell the most tickets and that classroom got a party.” HES and Boy Scout Troop 2 retain their ticket sales for use with their own projects. “Special thanks to our entire community for making this event a success! Helena cares about HES, and everyone certainly stepped up and worked hard on the event,” said Kiwanis president Dan Dearing. “We also appreciate HES Principal Mary Cooper and the kitchen staff who helped out at Pancake Day.”

Helena resident Paula Kok selflessly started longest kidney donation chain in the country Two years ago, life for the family of Pauka Kok in Helena was thrown upside-down when her husband Michael found himself in need of a bone marrow transplant. Paula wasn't a match, no other family members were a match and no friends matched either. After months of waiting with no matching donors available, they looked into other options. Michael was able to join an experimental drug trial out of Vanderbilt and no longer needs that transplant. However, the feeling of helplessness that pervaded their minds for those months of waiting stuck with Paula. "We were at the mercy of a stranger," she said. "All I could do was pray that somebody out there would be able to save my husband." The next year, the father of a family friend passed away after years of living with kidney disease. Paula had a conversation with the friend at the funeral about his decision to donate a kidney

to his father when he first fell ill. "He told me it was the best thing he ever did, and those last years with his father were the best five years of his life," Paula said. "That really resonated with me." Over the next few months, she could feel the decision to donate a kidney continually building in her mind. She looked into donating through the Mayo Clinic, where they already had a system in place to donate to a stranger, but decided it was too far away. So she called up the UAB Incompatible Kidney Transplant Program and told them she would like to donate a kidney."The nurse didn't believe me, that I wanted to donate a kidney to a stranger, so she said she would call me back if they were able to do that," Paula recalls. "I was so naive, I thought they didn't need my kidney because so many people were donating." That couldn't be further from the truth: right now, more than 100,000 Americans

are in need of a kidney transplant. Since many donations come from the deceased, the wait for a kidney can stretch as long as eight to 10 years. Facts like these helped solidify Paula's decision to donate. At her first donor's meeting in October 2013, all the others told her they were donating to a parent, other family member or even a friend. "They asked me, 'are you crazy? Are you being paid for this?'" she laughed. "I really didn't think it was that out of the ordinary." 47 tubes of blood and many tests later, Paula finally made the donation on December 5. "I would do it again if iI had another kidney to donate," Paula said. "I'm no different, health-wise—most of the time I don't even think about it." Dr. Jayme Locke is the director of the Incompatible Kidney Transplant Program at UAB Medical Center, and the doctor who performed Paula's surgery. "A couple months later, she was listed as one of Birmingham's Top 40 under 40, and I need to give her props," Paula said. Through her donation, Paula started a "living donor" kidney chain at UAB. In order to receive a kidney from a stranger in one of these chains, each recipient must have someone in their life willing to donate a kidney to another stranger in their honor to keep the chain going. These chains can expand the pool of donors and recipients and shorten wait times dramatically. Because they aren't relying on an organ donor to pass away, they also can provide

recipients with more compatible matches and younger organs. Now, 34 patients have received kidney transplants through the UAB chain Paula started, making this the longest on-going singleinstitution chain in the country. The only trepidation she had in the entire process was whether or not to meet the woman who received her kidney. "I thought, 'It's not my business who gets it, I'm trusting in God,'" she said. "I just obey God and leave the consequences up to him." But she prayed about it, and when she finally received an email from the woman, she was completely floored. "While I had been praying for the person who my kidney would go to, she had also been praying for me without knowing me. She is also a good Christian woman." But her surprise didn't end there: "It turns out that not only does she live about 15 miles from where I grew up in Florida, but we were also in Navy boot camp at the same time way back in 1986. It was just a delightful confirmation of how God makes a big world seem small.” Interested in donating a kidney or learning more about the chain? Visit www.uab.edu/kidneychain

TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2015

H. EMMANUEL SCOZZARO, JR. ATTORNEY "Legal Counsel That Believes in Counseling" • Adoption • Divorce • Child Custody & Support • Criminal & DUI • Personal Injury • Wills & Estates

205-624-3367 | 1-844-333-6762 scozzarolaw@gmail.com www.scozzarolaw.com 3965 Helena Rd., Helena, AL 35080

No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

Need help putting your home back together? Call us. We’re Helena’s Home Repair Specialists!

THURBER’S CONSTRUCTION & HOME REPAIR John Thurber III cell 965-1919

ThurbersConstruction@charter.net

• ROOM ADDITIONS • DECKS • HOME REPAIRS • DOORS • WINDOWS 2330 Chandawood Dr, Pelham, AL 35124

STEEL CITY NFL FLAG FOOTBALL It’s time to register for the 2015 Fall season! Registration dates: Sunday May 3, 10, 17 at the Helena Sports Complex from 1:30 until 4:00 p.m.

Fees: $130 per child, with discounts for additional children. Player evaluations and team drafts will take place Saturday, May 23

Regular season starts in August and concludes with the League ChampionshipTournament on Saturday, October 10. Open Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm Emergency Svc. Avail.

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Katie Belue honored by Sigma Alpha Lambda Sigma Alpha Lamda is proud to announce that Katherine Jean Belue, daughter of Joey and Anne Belue, has recently become recognized as a member of its sorority at the University of Alabama. Sigma Alpha Lambda is a National Leadership and honors organization dedicated to promoting and rewarding 50 Spring 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

academic achievement and providing members with opportunities for community service, personal development, and lifelong professional fulfillment. Congratulations, Katherine!

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HIS purchases small 3D printer The M.A. Rikard Charitable Trust, run by a very generous Helena family, contributes $2,500 to Helena Intermediate School each spring. Of the donation, $1,250 is given to the library, and the other $1,250 is divided among the Gifted Resource Classrooms at the school. So around $416 of that money goes to the classroom of Amanda Miller. “As I was thinking about what to buy with this donation, I talked to my brother Donovon, who is always tinkering with new technology,” Amanda described. Turns out, he had just purchased a printrbot 3D printer for $350, and the siblings had a discussion about exposing Helena kids to this new and exciting technology. Amanda’s students are learning about discovery this year, which includes ‘discovering’ robotics by learning how to program LEGO Mindstorms. “You can make parts for your robots with the printrbot,” Donovon told her. “Showing them what all the printer can do will make it worth the purchase!” So, Amanda bought the printrbot and found herself with a box of laser-cut birch wood, motors, wires and metal. She had to assemble the printer, figure out the software, design a model, print it and troubleshoot several times over before getting everything calibrated. “One of the most important aspects of the Gifted Resource Classroom is learning problem solving, perseverance, collaboration and risk-taking,” Amanda said. “Through trial and error, students learn the tenacity to endure rather than give up. I have been able to model these traits for them as I left my comfort zone to learn how to

construct and use this printer.” Printrbot does not come with software, instead referring customers to Cura, which can be downloaded for free from the Internet. The software to design what you want printed is also free online, and it is called tinkerCAD. There, Amanda’s students can sign up for an account, make their own designs and save them. Their designs can then be downloaded from tinkerCAD at school and printed using Cura software on the printrbot. So far, only one student, Drew Cochran, has designed something at home—a small house. The day after, they printed it at school. “The kids have just been amazed by it,” Amanda said. Printrbot uses an instrument called a Hot End Thermistor Cable (seen on the right) to heat up colored filament to 210 degrees Celsius and print layers of the plastic that are only 10 microns high. Printrbot then moves up and prints another layer on top of that, then another, printing up and up until the model is done. The 3D printer has become part of the HIS GRC department’s five-year plan to teach through technology. Since 2013, the program has purchased 14 refurbished desktops, four HP Pro laptops, 14 iPads and seven LEGO Mindstorm kits. “We are still in need of more laptops and iPads, but we are very proud of our progress so far,” Amanda said. “In addition to the Rikard Trust, The Shelby County School Foundation mini grants and donations from Senator Cam Ward and Representative April Weaver have allowed us to prepare our children to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.”

Top: the printrbot in action in Amanda Miller’s classroom. Second down: a close-up view of the Hot End Thermistor Cable as the printrbot prints out a wheel. Third down: GRC student Drew Cochran with the printed house he designed. Bottom: Amanda Miller’s GRC class poses with Representative Matt Fridy when he paid the classroom a visit earlier this year. TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2015

Mulligan’s Last Resort— Helena’s premier acoustic band Life and friendship in Helena have led to another rockin’ local band—Mulligan’s Last Resort. In early 2014, Helena city employees Clay and Bongo would often get together after a long day at work to “jam out” with their guitars and unwind. One afternoon, after weeks of playing together, while singing and strumming their grandpa’s guitars, they got a brilliant idea—they should share their talents by starting a band. But Clay thought they were missing something—they needed a girl! Bongo knew just the one: Sabrina Vargas, a friend and classically trained singer with whom he’d sung around many a campfire and at open mic nights around Helena. The trio’s first gig was April 24 last year. “People enjoyed us and wanted to see more of us, so six months in, we decided to bring on Zachariah as our bassist,” Bongo said. Clay plays lead guitar for the band, with Zach’s bass and Bongo’s guitar harmonization complementing him perfectly. Bongo’s warm baritone and enthusiastic personality are rounded out with Zach and Clay’s rich baritones. The beautiful, mellow timbre in the lower end of Sabrina’s range really shines when paired with the guys, bringing a

harmonization to their sound that really catapults the band to the next level. “I can’t believe it’s been a year since I got the call to join, and what a year it has been,” Sabrina said. Since then, Mulligan’s Last Resort has gained a lot of experience together, and even built a small but loyal following. “I have made some beautiful friendships and learned so many things about myself,” she continued. “It’s such a special thing for me to be able to do something that I love with some pretty special people.” The acoustic foursome performs songs from the ‘60s through the ‘90s to crowds at Papa Saia’s, Tyler Navarre’s, Pub 261, Courtyard Alabaster, Fish Hook’s and even The Coal Yard in Old Town. “We play classic and alt. rock, country, funk, blues—just stuff to have a good time,” said Clay. “Everybody has different influences they bring into it,” Sabrina agreed. Eddie Money, Johnny Cash, The Cranberries, Dolly Parton, Eric Clapton, the Eagles, Alice in Chains

Helena United Methodist Church 2035 Hwy 58, Helena, AL 35080 205.663.0111 NEW WORSHIP SCHEDULE Begins April 12 9:00 a.m. Traditional Sanctuary 11:00 a.m. Contemporary Fellowship Hall Sunday School-10:10 a.m. Coffee Time9:55 a.m. - 10:55 a.m. www.helenaumc.org Nursery available during worship for ages birth to 3k

52 Spring 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

and Creedence Clearwater Revival are just a handful of the powerhouses that Mulligan’s Last Resort tackles covering in their set list. “We play what we like,” Sabrina said. Bongo agreed, “That’s what it’s all about: having fun and making sure our audiences have fun, too.” More information about the band, videos and their performance schedule can be found on the Mulligan’s Last Resort Facebook page. To book Mulligan’s Last Resort at your bar, restaurant or for private parties and other events, contact Bongo: 205-767-0699.

Southern Vintage Market HOME AND GARDEN DECOR

Come experience our unique mix of old and new furnishings for your home and garden. GLASSWARE • FURNITURE ARCHITECTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL PIECES OUTDOOR DECOR 8111 Hwy 119 Alabaster 1/2 Mile South of Publix Open Wed - Sat 10am - 5pm

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HMS Choir’s Dessert Cabaret is successful once again “Motown” was the theme for the 2015 Dessert Cabaret and Silent Auction, held by HMS choir March 15. Tables were decorated with vinyl records and a silver "Motown" tree was strung with vinyl records. Songs performed included ABC/I Want You Back, I Heard

It Through the Grapevine, Ain't Too Proud to Beg (sung by the male students), Heatwave (sung by the female students), What Becomes of the Broken Hearted and Reach Out I'll Be There. Several students auditioned to be featured as soloists/ entertainers of the night while

over 400 attendees enjoyed Publix desserts. Missy Narkates, choir mom, heads the group called POTCA (Patrons of the Choral Arts). They meet monthly to assist in all of the planning for the HMS Choir program. “Many volunteers worked together

to make the 2015 Dessert Cabaret a successful night,” Narkates said, “and all are much appreciated.” Frank Andrews, choir director, says proceeds will be used to purchase a new soundboard and cart in addition to expanding the HMS Choir music library.

TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Spring 2015

LIBRARY DIRECTOR DANIEL DEARING JANE B. HOLMES PUBLIC LIBRARY 230 Tucker Road, Helena • 664-8308 HOURS: Monday 10:00 AM-7:00 PM; Tuesday 10:00 AM-6:00 PM; Wednesday 10:00 AM-6:00 PM; Thursday 10:00 AM-7:00 PM; Friday 10:00 AM-5:00 PM; Saturday 10:00 AM-2:00 PM; Closed on Sunday. Good day to everyone! The Jane B. Holmes Public Library wants YOU to visit soon. With summer in the not-too-distant future, now is the time to get a new library card or update your present one. The library has some exciting new items and great programs for the spring. On April 23rd, the library will have I LOVE THE JANE B. HOLMES PUBLIC LIBRARY DAY! We will have FREE book bags (while they last), FREE refreshments, at 4:00 PM, and small book sale. The library gratefully accepts donations, including gently used books, movies, music, and audio books. Monetary donations are also accepted. Check out our calendar at www. cityofhelena.org (click on library) for the latest library events and news. The library would like to thank the City of Helena leadership and employees for their assistance in providing the best library service possible. Every city department (too many to name) assists the library in our efforts. From providing clean, fresh water, landscaping assistance, help with publicity, and on and on, we are fortunate to have great City support. As you may remember, it is almost time for the Jane B. Holmes Public Library Summer Reading Program! The children’s theme is Every Hero has a Story, and the Young Adult theme is Unmask! The library will provide a FUN program with free book bags, reading logs, PRIZES, and, of course, PROGRAMS! Check us out soon! The Jane B. Holmes Public Library – Your hometown Library! Sincerely, Daniel Dearing, Library Director

Wed., July 1 Wed., July 8

Wed., July 15 Wed., July 22

2:00 PM - Helena Police Department The brave Heroes in the Police Department serve and protect us too. Discover what they do! 2:00 PM – Alabama 4-H Center Check out this fun program that offers an educational experience connecting you to the natural world. Learn about animals and the environment from a trusted expert who knows what is in your backyard! 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM – McWane Science Center Educational Program with FUN and science! 2:00 PM – Summer Reading Close-Out Enjoy a fun surprise as we say good-bye to another summer of programs, prizes, and most of all, reading!

Check out our calendar at www.cityofhelena.org for more events and additional information! Stop by soon to check out a book or two, a movie and/or some tunes—we have the classics to the latest releases and everything in between!

TITLES JUST IN… The Assassin - Clive Cussler; Last One Home - Debbie Macomber; Cold Betrayal - Judith A. Jance; World Gone By - Dennis Lehane; NYPD Red 3 - James Patterson; The Love Letters - Beverly Lewis; The Dead Play On - Heather Graham; Wisdom from Women in the Bible - John Maxwell

GREAT FLICKS…

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Unbroken; The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies; Hunger GamesMockingjay Part 1; Night at the Museum - Secret of the Tomb; Sound of Music 50th Anniversary 3-disc Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Set; Foxcatcher; Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day; Birdman; The Theory of Everything

Story Time EVERY Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 AM

CLASSIC TUNES TO THE LATEST HITS…

Come by for this fun, free program every Tuesday and Thursday! Mrs. Jennie will be here to tell you some great stories and have a good time!

SUMMER READING EVENTS

Wed., June 10 Wed., June 17

Wed., June 24

Summer Reading Kick-Off Day 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM shows from the Dr. Magical Balloons Fun Time Balloon Show! 2:00 PM – Helena Fire Department Find out what these brave Heroes do for you and for our city as they protect us all day, every day. Also, learn some Fire Safety! 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM – Magician Russell Davis

Strangers to Ourselves (Modest Mouse); Piece by Piece (Kelly Clarkson); Spring Break...checkin out (Luke Bryan); First Kiss (Kid Rock); Now That’s What I Call Movies, Now That’s What I Call Music 53, Smoke + Mirrors (Imagine Dragons); Carrie Underwood Greatest Hits: Decade #1 (Carrie Underwood); Monuments to an Elegy (The Smashing Pumpkins) We also reserve books, music and audio materials at the Jane B. Holmes Public Library. Ask at the circulation desk or call the library at 205-664-8308 for details.

Living with DiGeorge Syndrome Emma Grace Hurt and her parents, Kristin and Corbett Hurt, departed on March 27 to Disney World with the Make-AWish foundation. “I’m excited that Emma Grace is getting a Make-A-Wish granted because she has been through so much in her young life,” Kristin shared prior to their departure. “I want more people to be aware of and better understand the DiGeorge Syndrome or VCFS or Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome. Also called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, it is estimated to be present in 1 in 2,000 births.” Caused by a defect in chromosome 22, the syndrome results in the poor development of several body systems. It manifests differently from person

to person, depending on what part of the 22nd chromosome is missing. “Emma Grace was diagnosed with DiGeorge Syndrome in February 2011, but she is not terminal,” Kristin said. The diagnosis of VCFS is determined by genetic testing (FISH). Inheritance of VSFS is autosomal dominant, so a parent who has the deletion has a 50% chance of passing it on to each offspring. Some anomalies are readily apparent and may be recognized at birth, while others are more subtle and may go unnoticed until much later. Some are even developmental, such as learning disabilities. The positive side is that with appropriate care and intervention, most children with VCFS become productive

and successful individuals who are capable, self-suﬃcient and have careers and families of their own. The Hurt family has lived in Helena for the past nine years. Corbett, who also has the (hereditary) 22q diagnosis, works for Fairway Lawns. Kristin works in customer service at Publix. “Through Emma Grace’s special needs and surgeries, my co-workers at Publix have been there for me,” Kristin noted. “Some days I just needed a shoulder to cry on. Customers, too, now always ask about Emma Grace. We love our community.” Emma Grace loves all things from the movie Frozen. Elsa, Anna and Olaf posters cover the pink walls of her bedroom. For her 8th birthday party, she and a group of friends enjoyed an

outing at Uptown Salon having their hair, nails and makeup done. She will celebrate her 9th birthday June 27. Emma Grace is a dedicated collector of My Little Pony and enjoys her friends at school. She received a signed card from classmates after heart surgery this past October and an Elsa Candy Cup from the HIS staff. That was her 13th surgery. Emma Grace also loves to draw and enjoyed summer art classes in past years with “Ms. Alice” Lobell. She has taken dance classes at Dance, Etc. since she was three years old. During their Make-A-Wish Foundation trip, the Hurt’s stayed at Give Kids the World. Emma Grace visited the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, a magical beauty salon, for a princess makeover.

Moregan Sharp signs letter of intent to Mississippi College for football

Football is the sport Helena resident Moregan Sharp has loved to play since he was six years old, and it led to a fantastic

career in middle and high school. To cap it all off, he signed a letter of intent to play for Mississippi College starting this coming fall. “I thank God for the opportunity to play football at Mississippi College and also

get a great education there,” Moregan said. The school’s beautiful campus was a big factor in his decision, but getting a great education there is top priority. “I want to get my degree in physical education, and MS college has a great atmosphere,” Moregan said. His career plans have him working up from high school PE teacher to football coach and eventually head coach. He’s got the background

for it, too—playing just about every offensive position but the line: quarterback, corner back, offensive back, wide receiver, the list goes on. He had 1800 yards rushing, 2400 all-purpose yards and 21 touchdowns through his high school football career. In addition to thanking his coaches, Moregan thanked his aunt, uncle and grandparents, and gave special thanks to the #1 lady in his life—his mom, Parys. Congratulations, Moregan!

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