Pelham City News by Dave Smith

Pelham City News Serving Pelham and Surrounding Communities

Spring 2015

FROZEN TIDE HOSTS

ACHA Division III National Championship! through March 14 at the Pelham Ice Arena

POLICE CHIEF TOMMY THOMAS RETIRES AFTER 37 YEARS WITH THE CITY FROZEN TIDE MOVING UP FROM DIVISION III TO DIVISION I HOCKEY NEXT SEASON PHS GIRLS INDOOR TRACK TEAM WINS FIRST STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SINCE 1997 FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH WELCOMES NEW PASTOR, DAVEN WATKINS

WWW.PELHAMCITYNEWS.COM

FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK

Hello, everyone. Seldom does a month goes by without the City of Pelham being recognized in some noteworthy way. Our fair city has – twice again – been featured and shown to be a pretty good place to live. MOVOTO, a national real-estate blog has the named the City of Pelham as the 3rd Safest City in Alabama. Helena tied with Vestavia Hills as the #1 Safest City, with Alabaster coming in 5th and Hoover 10th. MOVOTO used as its qualifying criteria the FBI’s 2013 Uniform Crime Report which

includes crime information for all Alabama cities with a population of 10,000 or more. The City of Pelham recorded 457 total crimes in 2013 giving Pelham residents a 1 in 49 chance of being a victim of crime. Kudos to the Pelham Police Department and to the citizens who report the crimes they see. Then comes NERDWALLET (really folks, I’m not clever enough to make this up), a Financial Planning/Investment Blog who has ranked the City of Pelham the 5th Best City for Young Families in Alabama. The criteria that ranked 96 cities in our state was based upon four factors: Affordable Housing;

Prosperity and growth of the Local Economy; Public Schools; and Family Friendliness in the community. In our area, Calera was ranked 9th, with Alabaster and Hoover coming in at 11 & 17, respectively. For those of us who have chosen to make Pelham our home, we can name more than two reasons why we did so. It is nonetheless encouraging when the virtues of our city are cast in a positive light and shared with others who know little about us. Thanks to all of you who directly or indirectly make Pelham such a wonder place to live. Another “cool” thing about Pelham is that we have ice. The SEC Hockey Tournament held at the Civic Complex in February was well attended and a lot of fun. The Arkansas Ice Hogs beat out the South Carolina Gamecocks to take the SEC Championship Trophy. The Alabama Frozen Tide

ended up taking 3rd place, but still placed good enough to get them into the ACHA Division III National Championships to be held at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arenas March 10-14. Come on out and support the Frozen Tide and College Hockey, teams from as far away as Pennsylvania, Colorado, Michigan and Utah. The Pelham Police, Fire and Public Works Departments are all to be commended for their hard work at the 5th Annual Polar Plunge. The PPD once again represented the interests of the Special Olympics well by raising over 10K for Special Olympians. This is the first year we had over 100 plungers. If you missed us this time, we’ll see you in January of 2016. It’s lots of cold fun for a great cause.

Left: Grimmy, the mascot from Warehouse 31, and Mayor Gary Waters, dressed up as a lumberjack and carrying a fake ax that said, “Support Special Olympics” and “Size Matters,” pose for a picture with Rogue Siren, who dressed up as a mermaid. These three won the Polar Plunge 2015 costume contest. Above: City Council President Rick Hayes and Mayor Waters help a young lady with Downs Syndrome “take the plunge.”

2 PelhamOnline.com / Spring 2015

FROM COUNCIL PRESIDENT HAYES As we continue to deal with the threat of winter storms, it has been nice to get a little taste of spring between the storms and near misses. I am certainly looking forward to spring and everything that will come with it this year. The level of activity in Pelham is starting to reach levels that our city has probably never experienced even in the years when we had tremendous growth. Much of this activity has involved preparations that are not usually that noticeable, but many projects will pick up steam over the next several months. It will be great to see the initiatives that have been underway for some time start to take shape. There are four new neighborhoods that are in various stages of development and two current neighborhoods that are adding houses at a rapid pace. We are also preparing for the second year of our initiative to repave city streets and catch up on the related infrastructure maintenance. We plan to spend close to $800K on the repaving projects starting late this spring and running through the summer.

Many of you probably have not heard that the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) recently approved our request to add a fourth lane to Highway 52. This new lane will be for westbound traﬃc between I-65 and Highway 31. Construction for this project is not expected to start until 2017, but another project to improve the intersection of Highway 52 and I-65, especially the northbound onramp to I-65, is currently expected to be completed this summer. We are also working closely with ALDOT, Shelby County, surrounding municipalities, and the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPC) on additional projects and greatly appreciate the invaluable teamwork from everyone involved. This type of regional cooperation is critical for this area to move forward and address our significant traﬃc issues. The RPC awarded Pelham a grant to cover 80% of the costs to evaluate the opportunities for a trail/greenway system that could start with the sidewalk

project along Bearden Road from Pelham High School and eventually go all of the way to Oak Mountain State Park (OMSP). Final surveys for the Bearden Road sidewalk have already begun and flags are now marking various segments related to the upcoming construction. The related trails could eventually connect the City Park with its planned upgrades and expansion to the OMSP conference center and lodge that is currently being evaluated. This could provide a great setting for large scale multiple-venue events and festivals that would be great for this region. The RPC also recently awarded Pelham a second grant to evaluate some potential new connector roads that would help minimize traﬃc issues and make getting around this area much easier. We are very encouraged about this project and the long-term value of some of the related alternatives that will be evaluated.

Ron Scott - Place 2 ronscott@pelhamonline.com

Beth McMillan - Place 3 bethmcmillan@pelhamonline.com

Maurice Mercer - Place 4 mauricemercer@pelhamonline.com

The recently announced plans to build a new middle school adjacent to the City Park (and sale of Riverchase Middle School) is a huge step for Pelham City Schools and will play a very important role in our strategic plan to create a destination point for families and revive our Highway 31 commercial corridor. The new elementary school that will soon be under construction near the intersection of Highway 52 and Highway 11 will be another great addition for Pelham City Schools. It should also provide significant traﬃc improvements and economic development benefits over the next few years. The Highway 261/Helena Road Flood Mitigation Project has finally been formally approved and some key properties have been acquired Continued on page 7

Karyl Rice - Place 5 karylrice@pelhamonline.com

PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 3

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FROM PELHAM SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT RICK RHOADES

Beginning next school year, Pelham City Schools will start our academy program. This exciting and innovative concept has much to offer our students and community. The academies have the potential to provide students with advanced training through in depth curriculum, to offer students the chance to gain college credits when completing the required course of study and to promote partnerships with local businesses and institutions to provide practical, hands on experience for students. Let’s take a little closer look at the curriculum of our academy program: College and Career Academies Beginning in August 2015, Pelham High School will provide students the opportunity to explore and gain foundational skills related to their career interests through the beginning phases of structured college and career academies. Various college and career-preparation programs will be offered – applicable for students whether they’re planning to attend medical school or a four year college, train at a community college or learn job skills that can be used immediately after high school. The approximately $10 million renovation project for Pelham High School will provide 6 PelhamOnline.com / Spring 2015

students with the opportunity to prepare for the future using state of the art technology. In addition to benefitting the students, the College and Career Academies will benefit the region, addressing current and future workforce needs of Central Alabama and the state. Although many of the academies will begin in introduction phases next year, upon completion of the full renovation project, the sky will be the limit! The following academies are slated to open in various operating capacities in August 2015: • Broadcasting and Film Academy - Helps students prepare for careers in areas such as film production and digital media, graphic design, commercial art, video game design, animation, photography, and more. • Engineering (Project Lead the Way) - Offers students the fundamentals for further study in a specialized engineering field such as aerospace, agriculture, audio, chemical and civil or computer engineering. This program implements the national recognized Project Lead The Way (PLTW) curriculum, a proven path to postsecondary training and career success. • Finance & Entrepreneurship – Equips students with the foundation to pursue careers in finance industry, including banking, investing, corporate finance, accounting,

international business and others. This college preparatory program provides students the opportunity for hands-on learning in a finance lab. • Fine Arts – Prepares students with strong personal interests in the arts to successfully pursue entry into an institute of higher learning and/or career in the performing and fine arts by challenging their unique skills and talents. Students will be provided with opportunities in careers as a novelist, poet, photographer, artist, painter, musician, actor/actress, dancer, or producer to name a few. • Culinary Arts and Hospitality– Assists in providing students foundational knowledge related to career interest in restaurant, hotel and hospitality management; event planning; and corporate concierge, as well as introduction and advanced skills required in culinary training. Students will have access to computer technology, guest speakers, field trips, and hands-on experiences beyond the classroom. • Informational Technology – Helps prepare students for careers in computer-based information systems such as computer programming, network administration, software design, technical support, web development, and others. Classrooms and labs will be equipped with computer technology and software. Students will be provided with the opportunity to receive Microsoft IT Certification. • Health/Medical Sciences - Provides a foundation for a

variety of careers in the medical field such as physician, athletic trainer, nutritionist, paramedic, home health aide, pharmacy tech, and registered nurse and others. • Biomedical – A broad field encompassing many different medical and health care disciplines. These include biochemistry, biomedical engineering, dentistry, forensics, microbiology, immunology, pharmacology, physiology, radiological sciences and more. The Biomedical Sciences program will use the nationally recognized Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum which gives students the academic foundation to enter any of these fields. “The rigorous and relevant four-course PLTW Biomedical Science sequence allows students to investigate the roles of biomedical professionals as they study the concepts of human medicine, physiology, genetics, microbiology, and public health. Students engage in activities like investigating the death of a fictional person to learn content in the context of real-world cases. They examine the structures and interactions of human body systems and explore the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, all while working collaboratively to understand and design solutions to the most pressing health challenges of today and the future” (Project Lead the Way). • Sports Medicine – Through a partnership with Andrews Sports Medicine and St.

Continued from Rick Hayes’ council letter on page 3 so that the actual construction work can begin soon. I remember vividly when this project started as a wild idea in 2006 so it is extremely gratifying to see it finally moving forward. We are also very excited about our renewed economic development efforts. Our new Commercial Development Authority (CDA) will help with our critical effort to attract and recruit businesses, as well as help our current businesses. Many of you have probably noticed the vast improvement that Summer Classic has made to the old Moore-Handley property. In case you don’t notice the related ad, I wanted to point out that Summer Classics is planning a job fair for March 14th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at its new showroom that is nearing completion just north of City Hall. Just south of the new Summer Classics showroom and headquarters, Harbor Freight Tools is working on renovations for its new store. Also, we recently attended the grand opening of SERVPRO’s new oﬃce at the corner of Highway

11 and Huntley Parkway. We always look forward to seeing children outdoors and playing sports at area ball fields in the spring. Pelham children play sports all over this area and not just at fields in Pelham and are fortunate to have so many options and facilities available. However, we definitely need more recreation facilities for both our children and adults and are working in partnership with Pelham City Schools to significantly enhance our recreational facilities. By the way, Opening Day at Pelham City Park for youth baseball and softball will be March 21. I have to mention how proud we are of the Pelham High School winter sports teams including the indoor track, basketball and wrestling teams. In case you didn’t hear, the PHS girls’ indoor track team won the state championship for the first time in almost two decades and they won in dramatic fashion. The boys’ basketball team probably had the most successful season in the history of PHS basketball, and the wrestling team had several great

performances and some truly inspiring stories. Spring sports are also off to a great start highlighted by the PHS baseball team’s undefeated start and #1 ranking by at least one national organization. As I have said many times before, our children’s competitive successes in sports, the arts and academics are to be celebrated, but their dedication and commitment deserve even more of our praise and respect. It has been quite a first year for Pelham City Schools. There is clearly a long way to go and much work that has to be completed to reach the ultimate goal. Starting a new system, working through the many related issues and dealing with all of the change are never easy, but it is great to know that the process has started and to see the opportunities that lie in front of us. The school facility issues usually get most of the attention, but the teachers, staff and programs are the most critical components of an extremely successful system. Therefore, I hope you read Pelham Board of Education President Rick

Rhoades’ article on the prior page about the academy programs that will be rolled out starting in August. Last year’s PHS Graduation Ceremony was emotional for me because it was not only when my oldest son graduated from PHS 30 years after I did, but it was the end of an era related to the opening of Helena High School and many students starting to attend a new school even though they will always be part of our community that extends well beyond our city limits. This year’s ceremony will also be emotional for my wife and me as we watch our daughter graduate and move out into the world as part of the first graduating class for the Pelham City Schools. I know that this extremely talented group of young people who have excelled in academics, the arts and sports will continue to make us proud. Please be safe and get out this spring to HAVE FUN!

programs to offer learning experiences in areas such as: • Human Services (cosmetology, therapeutic massage, etc.), • Building Services (welding, construction, electrical building technology), • Transportation, and • Public Safety and Law. In addition to the PHS College and Career Academies, Riverchase Middle School will begin offering theme-based College and Career Exploration elective courses to expose students to high school academy options and provide a pipeline to college and career readiness.

I hope that it has been interesting and informative to gain some insight into our academy program. Certainly, the potential is there to provide our students with a tremendous educational experience! Please know that your board, teachers and administrators are committed to Pelham’s young people and to providing them with the very best education possible.

Rick

Rick Hayes - President, Place 1 rickhayes@pelhamonline.com

Continued from Rick Rhoades’ school board letter on prior page Vincent’s Hospital, students will be provided with an introduction, intermediate, and advanced sports medicine courses to employ principles of growth and development in assessing the status of athletes. Course content will include the study of anatomy, dietary requirements, emergency plans, and technical skills. Hands-on skills are acquired that relate to health issues concerning athletes as students work in healthcare teams and as they learn appropriate communications for addressing specific populations. • Law – Provides students with an interest in fields related

to law with the opportunity to participate in coursework and mock trials. Students will learn to apply critical thinking skills in the devaluation of ethical and philosophical issues on global and personal levels through courses in law in society, constitutional law, and practical/ street law. Students will gain real-world experiences through field trips and participation in Project Citizen and various mock trial competitions throughout the courses. In addition to onsite College and Career Academies, we will partner with businesses, industry, and other school system

Best Wishes,

Rick

Rick Rhoades

PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 7

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Pelham Police Chief Tommy Thomas retires after 37 years of service After 37 years serving the Pelham community as a police officer, Police Chief Tommy Thomas retired March 1. “I started my career here, and I’m ending it here, too,” he said. After high school, Chief Thomas served in the Navy before being hired by the Pelham Police Department. “I’ve always been community service-minded, so I looked at becoming a volunteer fireman in Pelham after graduation,” he said. A policeman suggested that he become a reserve police officer instead, and he discovered he really had a passion for the work. He was hired as an official member of the force in 1977. “It was a big event when they hired me—I made policeman number 10!” Chief Thomas laughed. He then started on patrol, where his responsibilities within the department grew. He attended UAB for his undergraduate degree and Jacksonville University for his Master degree while working full time at the Police Department. He began studying forensic science on his own, and “discovered how much I like the science side of police work,” he explained. With his newfound knowledge, Chief Thomas and Alan Wade started the first Crime Scene Investigation unit in Shelby County, although it was called an Evidence Technician Unit at

the time. As part of their work, he and Alan studied old cold case homicide files to find forensic evidence that could have been overlooked the first time. This is how they came to solve the case of Linda McAnnaly. As they were on the case of another murder of Gale Heatherly, something stood out. “When I walked into the house, I had this eerie feeling that I’d seen it before, and I had— when studying Linda’s crime scene,” Chief Thomas explained. “The scenes were almost identical.” The information they gleaned from the new crime scene led to the conviction of Corbit Glenn Stallings for both murders, an accomplishment for which Chief Thomas is very proud. As the only CSI unit in Shelby County, the Pelham oﬃcers were called in for help on homicide cases around the area. Soon after, Police Chief Watson pulled together a budget of less than $2000–all the department could spare at the time-–to start a tactical unit. “I called Bobby Hayes, who was a police sergeant in Birmingham at the time, to help me train the new unit,” Chief Thomas said. “That’s something near and dear to me— we have a very highly trained team, and it all started back then.” “I am so thankful for Mayor Hayes,” he continued. “As a

Birmingham police Sergeant and as the mayor of Pelham, he helped us get the tools that we needed when we needed them.” Chief Thomas attended the FBI National Academy in 1986,and later attended SLEDS, the FBI Southeastern Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar. In 2012 he again returned to the FBI to attend LEEDA, their Law Enforcement Executive Development Association training. Because of his relationship with the FBI, he also served on an Organized Crime/ Narcotics Task Force for 3 years. “I have a strong connection with the FBI, and I’ve kept up a close relationship with contacts there over the course of my career,” he said. Although he has had a fantastic career, some stories in law enforcement just aren’t “happy,” something Chief Thomas knows all too well. “The Ferguson and Post Air Gas shootings, the four Duke homicides in Chandalar and the recent triple homicide in Chandalar were all terrible Below, Chief Thomas poses with his wife Connie, daughter scenes,” he said. “And I will Allison and son Bradley at his retirement party. Right, he poses with several members of the police force.

deal with losing Oﬃcer Philip Davis for the rest of my life.” But he has had his share of happy moments, too. “Once, I ran into someone I sent to jail. I thought, ‘this might not be good.’ But the man stuck his hand out as he walked up to me, shook my hand, and thanked me for saving his life from narcotics addiction,” the chief related. “I’ve always enjoyed working in Pelham because the people like us, and we like them,” he said. “It has been an honor and a privilege to be here and make sure the people of Pelham live and work in a safe environment.” “Coming here as oﬃcer number ten and seeing how this department has evolved and grown has been fantastic, and knowing I had a part of it is very rewarding,” Chief Thomas concluded. “It says something that I stayed in Pelham for all 38 years of my career. I work with a bunch of really cool, talented people, and I will miss them.” Chief Thomas’ retirement reception was held in the Pelham Municipal Court Building on February 27, 2015.

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Pastor Watkins joins Pelham First Baptist First Baptist Church in Pelham is pleased to welcome new Senior Pastor Dr. Daven Watkins. After presenting his sermon on February 1, based on John 11:17-44, the congregation aﬃrmed him, voting an overwhelming yes to the question put before them, “as a church do we extend the call to Dr. Daven Watkins?” Pastor Watkins comes from Pleasant Grove, AL where he served for eight years. He brings with him his wife, Jane Ellen, and daughter Molly Grace, 12, and ten-year old son, Nathan. His arrival ends a fourteenmonth search to replace retiring Pastor Mike Shaw. “Dr. Shaw’s thirty-five years of service here in Pelham is an impressive track record,” Pastor Watkins noted, as he moved into his new oﬃce and began his duties on March 1. “There is no way I can replace him, but I will stand on his

shoulders and build on what he has established. We have a good friendship.” “I was raised within the children’s and student ministry in my home church in Shelbyville, Kentucky and became a Christian at the age of seven,” he shared. “In high school, I began to ask myself ‘where do I go and what do I do?’ I was taught to pray, so then I asked, ‘what would you have me do?’” During a FCA gathering, “I felt again the Lord was telling me to give my life to full time Christian service. It kind of scared me, but I surrendered to that. I said, ‘I’m yours, God.’” “The next Sunday my pastor put me in the pulpit!” “This began my relationship of love for communicating God’s love,” Pastor Watkins related, quoting Jeremiah, “His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.” Watkins attended Georgetown

College in his home state of Kentucky, then after marrying Jane Ellen in 1996, the two moved to Birmingham where he spent the next 3 ½ years at Beeson Divinity School. “That is where God galvanized my love for preaching and love for God’s people,” he stated. Pastor Watkins served as Youth Pastor at Valley View, then in 2000 became Pastor at Owenton FBC in Kentucky. “Our children were born there and their grandparents were nearby. It was a great season.” Pastor Watkins received his Doctorate of Ministry degree from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in 2008. Two of his Preaching Professors he cites as instrumental in helping shape him as both a preacher and a person are Robert Smith, Jr. and Haddon Robinson. “Our hearts have always resonated with Alabama, and in 2008 I came to be pastor in Pleasant Grove.” Pastor Watkins relates the catastrophic times following the Tornado of 2011 on April 27. “It went right through Pleasant

Grove, which prior to that, had indeed been a green and peaceful place with many trees.” “Over 1000 homes were destroyed or damaged—1 out of 4— and our church as well. But we never missed a service. On May 1st, we strung up lights and though we had no audio system, every seat was packed. The community needed us.” “This was a pivotal experience for a lot of people,” Pastor Watkins recalls. “It was overwhelming but rewarding to be of service during this time.” “As we were leaving Pleasant Grove, one church member told me, “I think you were brought here to get us through the storm.”

JOB FAI

“Anyone is welcome to come to any of our services at any time. Our doors will always be open,” says Dr. Daven Watkins, new Senior Pastor at FBC Pelham.

Saturday, March 14th from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the new Summer Classics showroom, 3140 Pelham Parkway, just north of City Hall. PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 11

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14 PelhamOnline.com / Spring 2015

Frozen Tide placed third in the 2015 SECHC Tournament The Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena was honored to host the 2015 South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference (SECHC) Tournament the weekend of February 6-8. Ten rough games fought hard between tough teams from across the conference lead to crowning Arkansas as 2015 SECHC Conference Champions. The Alabama Frozen Tide was proud to compete on their home ice against Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and Vanderbilt during the tourney. Ole Miss and South Carolina set the tone Friday afternoon, with South Carolina winning their first game 3-2. Florida and

Arkansas faced off in a match that left the Razorbacks standing tall with a 4-1 win. Georgia and Vanderbelt took to the ice later Friday night for a 7-0 shoutout that went to Vandy. Finally, entering as the top seed in the West Division, the Frozen Tide bested rival Tennessee (fourth in the East Division) 9-2 late Friday night. Games resumed Saturday morning when Tennessee beat Georgia 8-3. Ole Miss beat Florida 7-2 in the consolation 5th place game. That afternoon, Arkansas’ Ice Hogs beat Vandy 7-1 for their shot at the finals. Later, South Carolina took down Bama 4-3 during the heated last semifinal nighttime game. Sunday, the Frozen Tide

beat out Vandy 5-4 to earn their 3rd place in tourney rankings. And finally, the Razorbacks and the Gamecocks fought hard for the championship Sunday afternoon, with Arkansas taking home that trophy with a whopping 12-2 win! In addition to the college games, attendees also had the opportunity to watch up and coming hockey players in a U18 Future Collegiate showcase game early Sunday afternoon.

Alabama Frozen Tide moving up from Division III to Division I hockey, will host ACHA Division III National Tournament at Civic Complex and Ice Arena The Alabama Frozen Tide is happy to announce the change from American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division III to Division I hockey starting next season. “We are winning games by 15, 16, 17 points—it isn’t a challenge anymore,” said Frozen Tide Senior Captain Clay Link. “Time commitments will go up, but the general feeling is excitement. The players are all on board.” This move up in the divisions means the Frozen Tide will play NCAA hockey Division I teams next season. “We’re excited for them to want to move up to a bigger league,” said Coach Quenneville. “There’s a smaller amount of teams in Division I, but some top-tier players.” “It’s a good move for them, it’s a good move for the program,” said Mayor Waters. “This will take the Tide to another competition level—they will be up against teams that have been playing hockey a lot longer than

the University of Alabama.” Frozen Tide Coach Mike Quenneville is extremely excited about the idea of growing Alabama’s hockey club. “We had 52 kids try out for a 30-man roster this season, which was great,” he said. “But we received hundreds of interest forms after the National Championship when kids found out Alabama has a hockey team. Now we get to choose the best players from all across the nation to come play for us.” “We will be attracting more and more players from different levels of hockey than we have in the past,” Captain Link said. “It’s exciting to see the growth of the program in my four years here, and it makes me wonder where this team can be four years from now.” Piggybacking off that announcement was another, just as huge: the Frozen Tide will host this year’s ACHA Division III National Tournament March 10-14 at the Pelham Civic

Complex and Ice Arena. “The Ice Arena is a beautiful facility, and we’ve been really pleased with the crowds, so we’re very excited about this,” Captain Link said. Since Alabama came out of the 2015 South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference (SECHC) Tournament with a #2 final ranking, they won an automatic bid into the National Tournament. Sixteen teams from across the United States will come to Pelham to compete for the national title. “This is great for the local community— bringing the best hockey teams from across the country here to Pelham is exciting for us,” said Coach Quenneville. “This is our home, too.” He hopes bringing such a huge event to Pelham will drum up even more local interest in the sport. “Watching hockey on TV isn’t the same as seeing

a game in person—in person, you get hooked!” the coach explained, serious but laughing. “Getting more kids involved with hockey is always our goal.” Captain Link keeps his eyes on the short-term goals for the Frozen Tide. “It’s about time for us to win a national championship, and where better than on our home ice at the Pelham Ice Arena?” Tickets for the championship will be sold at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena.

PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 15

2015 Polar Plunge

The Pelham Police Department held its fifth-annual Polar Plunge for Special Olympics on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Oak Mountain State Park, and raised nearly $22,000. Officer Mike Williams is proud to say this is the largest fundraising event in the country for Special Olympics. The annual costume contest had a few elaborate entries this year: Rogue Siren won best costume for her beautiful mermaid costume. A friend wheeled her around in a wheelbarrow until the took the plunge and swam around— showing just how real her tail actually is! In second place for the costume contest was Grimmy, the giant Grim Reaper mascot of Warehouse 31. Third place was Mayor Waters, dressed as a lumberjack complete with (fake) ax.

Peek’s Auto Tops & Interiors offers high-quality car restoration work Frank Peek has been in the car business with his family since he was very young. Chances are, if you bought a car in Birmingham in the 70s, you got it from the Arnold Peek Motor Company, you bought the car from Frank’s dad, and his uncle Arnold worked on it. Growing up, Frank worked there when he wasn’t in school. After earning a degree in theology in Texas, paid for by a choir scholarship, Frank headed up to Detroit, where he was factory trained in car interior work. “Being trained in Detroit in the 80s was a fantastic experience,” he said. “Then I came back to work in my uncle’s shop.” When his father and uncle retired from the business, Frank decided it was time to start his own shop. So, in 2002, Peek Auto Tops and Interiors opened up in Calera to great success. After about 12 years there, he started looking for a location closer in to Birmingham. “I had people telling me, ‘I heard about your shop, but I can’t ever make it out to Cal-

era,’ and I wanted to change that,” Frank said. Then he found it: a great space on Keystone Court right here in Pelham, behind Cahaba Tire. “I got the Pelham business license on the 23rd of December,” Frank laughed. “I just wanted to move in as quickly as possible. I’m looking forward to rebuilding old relationships in this area. I really feel like Pelham is where I need to be.” With the great work and fantastic customer service he provides, the city is lucky to have Peek’s Auto Tops in town. The focus at Peek’s is on building a great relationship with the customers to help them figure out exactly what they want and gaining their trust through doing good work. “My dad, when he sold cars, always told me to ‘figure out what kind of car a customer will buy, so you can tailor their experience,’ and I try to follow that example,” Frank explained. Frank brings the community spirit his father and uncle had into his own business by hiring friends and family members as often as possible. “Ginger grew up on a farm and is such a hard worker,” he said of one of his employees. “And David, who worked as a fastener before this, is just so enthusiastic about going into the trade. We say the blessing together every day at lunch; it has just been a blessing working with them.” The end of January, a man brought in a 1931 Plymouth for an interior job—he wants Frank and the crew to give it a “museumquality” look, with the finest leathers that he offers at the shop. “I get these kind of orders on old cars several times a year,” Frank said. “I even refurbished one that was actually going to a museum once!” With all the custom

work he does, it’s no surprise he Monday-Friday 8a.m.-5p.m. and estimates 60-70% of his work is Saturday by appointment. “I offer done on high-end convertibles the best tops, with 6-year warlike Porsche, BMW and Ferrari. ranties, and a lifetime warrantee “I repair and install electric sun on rear window bonding fixes,” roofs in these cars as well as cusFrank concluded. “I really think tom-make and install high-quality I offer services that are hard to leather interiors,” he said. find elsewhere.” Give him a call Frank also specializes in a new at Peek’s Auto Tops & Interiphenomenon he has seen the ors (205) 668-0099 today! past few years. In convertibles manufactured around 2002, companies began using a different bonding process to attach back windows on convertible tops— that is not very sturdy. “Around 2007, the windows on these tops began separating from the material they’re bonded to,” Frank explained. “I do about 10 of these back window replacements each month. I don’t know of anyone else doing this repair process, but it can Left top: Frank holds a license plate frame from the give you another 3-4 Arnold Peek Motor Company, owned by his uncle. years out of your Left bottom: Frank measures a leather interior piece. Top: Complete top and frame job on a 1961 Corvette. convertible top.” Two middle: Before and after photographs of a Chevy If you need your truck seat restoration job. convertible’s back Below: Frank’s shop cat Hepzibah, named after the window fixed, if you Empress on the TV show Bewitched, takes a nap. want beautiful custom leather interiors, new carpet, headliner, chrome add-ons or even tire work on any car, head on over to Peek’s Auto Tops and Interiors: open

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Camp Indian Springs environment for Summer 2015 will serve as the opening children to thrive season of Camp Indian Springs in Indian and grow throughout Springs Village. Camp Indian Springs is the summer while a summer day camp for kids ages 5-13 at Indian Springs School located on HWY 119. immersed in a variety of activities tailored to your Campers will spend their summer engaged Summer 2015 will serve as the opening season of Camp Indian Springs in Indian Springs Village. Camp Indian Springs is child’s age and interests. in on-campus activities including tennis, Campers are assigned to located on HWY 119. Campers will spend their summer hiking, beach volleyball, gymnasium sports, a summer day camp for kids ages 5-13 at Indian Springs School groups by their age and outdoor sports, gardening and arts and engaged in on-campus activities including tennis, hiking, beach volleyball, gymnasium sports, outdoor sports, then divided into girls crafts along with field trips such as bowling, gardening and arts and crafts along with field as bowling, movies, skating and more! groupstrips and such boys groups. movies, skating and more! Each group is assigned Coach Joe Carter will serve as the Coach Joe Carter will serve as the Executive Director along with Danny Spencer as the Assistant Director. Coach Carter at least one college Executive Director along with Danny has over 30 Assistant years experience in summer camp programming counselor who serves and is currently a teacher at Spain Park High School. Spencer as the Director. Coach as the lead Carter has over 30 years experience in Coach Carter has directed SpainasPark Day Camp forcounselor years andSprings has developed the program intoIndian a reputable, Summer 2015 will serve the opening season of14 Camp Indian in Indian Springs Village. Camp Springs is for that group. High will serve as a transition for many parents as Spain Park summer camp programming and is currently first-choicea summer for parents in the Birmingham area. This summer day camp for kids ages 5-13 at Indian Springs School located on HWY 119. Campers will spend their summer school counselors assist a teacher at Spain Park High School. Coach members are educators or have served engaged in on-campus activities including tennis, hiking, beach volleyball, gymnasium sports, outdoor sports, Day Camp becomes Camp Indian Springs. our college counselors in every group. Our Carter has directed Spain Park Day Camp alongside Coach Carter for many years in the gardening and artsthe andprogram crafts along with field trips such as bowling, more! counselors go through extensivemovies, trainingskating and and for 14 years and has developed summer camp environment. review to make sure they areDanny the right fit foras the Assistant into a reputable, first-choice in the Executive Our counselors camper Coach Joe Carterfor willparents serve as Director along with Spencer Director.guide Coacheach Carter our camp will be theand bestisleaders for a teacherthroughout the Birmingham area.30 Thyears is summer will in summer theHigh day based on a schedule they has over experience camp and programming currently at Spain Park School. recommendations serve as a transition for many have created tailors to group interests Coach Carter has parents directedasSpain Parkour Daycampers. Camp forWe 14require years and has developed the program into athat reputable, Our camp structure createsCamp an environment children thrive and grow throughout the summer while immersed in fromfor their teachersto and former employers Spain Park Day Camp becomes and needs. Each day‘s schedule first-choice for parents in the Birmingham area. This summer will serve as a transition for many parents as Spain Parkis jam packed as well as an interview process with our staff Indian Springs. with fun activities for every camper. Regular a variety ofDay activities tailored to your Camp becomes Camp Indianchild’s Springs.age and interests. Campers are assigned to groups by their age and then members. Our staff members are selected CAMP STRUCTURE camp hours arewho fromserves 9a.m. - as 3p.m. early divided into girls groups and boys groups. Each group is assigned at least one college counselor thewith lead by Director, Joe Carter. Many of our staff Our camp structure creates an drop-off beginning at 7a.m. and aftercare counselor for that group. High school counselors assist our college counselors in every group. counselors go season from 3p.m. -Our 6p.m. The 2015 camp through extensive training and review to make sure they are the right fit for our camp andJune will1be for 31. begins andthe willbest run leaders through July Our camp structure creates an environment for children to thrive and grow throughout the summer while immersed in our campers. We require recommendations from their teachers and former employersPHILOSOPHY: as well as an interview process a variety of activities tailored to your child’s age and interests. Campers are assigned to groups their Springs age anddesires then to bring Campby Indian with our staff members. Our staff members are selected by Director, Joe Carter. Many of our staff members are each of our campers premiere divided into girls groups and boys groups. Each group is assigned at least one college counselor who serves the as the lead camp educators counselor or have served Carter forassist many in counselors the summer camp environment. experience can onlygoget in Pelham. for that alongside group. High Coach school counselors ouryears college in every group. Ouryou counselors We believe our best facilities, team, and through extensive and review to make are on thearight fit for our camp and will be the leaders Our counselors guide eachtraining camper throughout thesure daythey based schedule they have created that tailors toforgroup are unmatched and we strive our campers. We require recommendations from their teachers and former employersprogramming as well as an interview process interests and needs. Each day‘s schedule is jam packed with fun activities for every camper. camp hours are to exceed Regular expectations. with our staff members. Our staff members are selected by Director, Joe Carter. Many of our staff members are is our goalcamp to keepseason each camper active from 9AMeducators - 3PM with early drop-off beginning at 7AM and aftercare from 3PM - 6PM.ItThe 2015 begins or have served alongside Coach Carter for many years in the summer camp environment. and engaged throughout the day with June 1 and will run through July 31. Our counselors guide each camper throughout the day based on a schedule they have indoor createdand thatoutdoor tailors to group play as well as off campus activities designed to entertain, interests and needs. Each day‘s schedule is jam packed with fun activities for every camper. Regular camp hours are promote from 9AM - 3PM with early drop-off beginning at 7AM and aftercare from 3PM - 6PM. develop, The 2015and camp seasongrowth begins in each camper. We want to take your summer June 1 and will run through July 31. camp experience to the next level! Camp Indian Springs desires to bring each of our campers the premiere camp experience in For more information, please email Birmingham, AL. We believe facilities, team, programming aresummer unmatched and we strive to Coming summer 2015 Campour Indian Springs willand offer the premiere campindiansprings119@gmail.com. day camp experience for kids ages 5-13! exceed expectations.

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Summer 2015

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Camp Indian Springs desires to bring each of our campers the premiere camp experience in Birmingham, AL. We believe active our facilities, team, andthroughout programmingthe are day unmatched and weand strive to It is our goal to Open keep each camper and with indoor House April 22engaged & May 13 exceed expectations. outdoor play as well as off campus activities designed to entertain, develop, and promote

Join us for CIS Open House at Indian Springs School to meet our staff and tour our facilities! would love answer any questions youthemay have It is our goalWe to keep each camper active engaged throughout day to with indoor growth in each camper. We want to to take yourand summer camp experience the nextand level! and outdoor help you campers fordesigned their best summerdevelop, yet! and promote playregister as well asyour off campus activities to entertain,

For more information, campindiansprings119@gmail.com growth in eachplease camper.email We want to take your summer camp experience to the next level! www.campindiansprings119.com For more information, please email campindiansprings119@gmail.com

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Nurses are special in Pelham schools As Lead Nurse of Pelham City Schools, Julie Stevenson coordinates, oversees and maintains the program that places a school nurse in each of the four schools. “We follow the regulations that are given to us by the State Department of Education and the Board of Nursing,” Julie said. “A health program in a school is not a new concept, but it is an evolving entity. We find needs that require adding into the program, but our main role is to see that students are healthy so they can best learn while in school.” “If students come to school after being up all night because of their asthma, for example, and fall asleep in class, we will seek to help with that situation.” “Our student population is much more diverse today and we have to access and treat each student as an individual. Our nurses are very good at that.” “We aren’t just there to hand out band-aids. Many people

have the misconception that being a school nurse is an easy job, but nurses have to be ready for any situation, as a critical situation can arise at any minute. We are in essence running a clinic, but we are behind-thescenes, so to speak.” “We spend time talking with parents and the children’s doctors. We are able to dispense medication as needed with the proper forms and parental consent and physician authorization.” “I find working in this position that our schools are very good at collaborating with all the entities such as the nutrition department, which will be involved if children have food allergies, for example.” “Latex allergies are becoming more prevalent, we are seeing, so we address that. If a child has diabetes, we are here to help them as needed.” Ongoing, one main focus is disease prevention, Julie noted. Stevenson has worked in

Lead Nurse Stevenson shows a document to VES Nurse Brolon.

Pediatric Nursing for 23 years. She worked for the Public Health Department for five years, but says she had a calling to return to the school system. “I love the kids—even when they are sick, they can be so funny! So I wake up every day and want to come to work!”

“Our school board members, superintendent and central oﬃce staff have been fantastic and supportive with this new system. They have an open door policy. And with our smaller system, I can go straight to the source to resolve any issues and I am very appreciative of that.”

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PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 21

Pelham’s two Johnny Ray’s locations still serving up homemade pies and the best BBQ in town—every day!

Johnny Ray’s has always been the place to go for juicy, delicious barbeque and fantastic “fixin’s.” On top of that, both Pelham Johnny Ray’s locations—on Huntley Parkway in the Publix shopping complex and on Hwy 31 in the Oak Mountain Gold’s Gym strip mall—serve up decadent pies, using the original recipe, made fresh every day. You can purchase pie by the slice or take home a whole pie any day of the week, now that both locations are open on Sundays. The pies are available in four flavors: banana, chocolate, coconut and lemon. Daryll Hall, owner of the Oak Mountain Johnny Ray’s, said the

22 PelhamOnline.com / Spring 2015

addition of Sunday hours was a no-brainer. “The previous owners closed the restaurant on Sunday,” Daryll said. “But everybody loves to eat out with their family after church on Sunday!” The addition of a drivethrough on the left side of the building for the Oak Mountain location has really pleased customers. You can call in your order ahead of time or just pull in. It’s great for picking up dinner on the way home. Everybody knows about Johnny Ray’s BBQ—tender and delicious, whether it’s pork or chicken, served up on a bun with great big crinkle-cut fries or huge onion rings, on-the-bone

in a giant pile of finger-licking goodness, in the middle of a salad or atop a loaded baked potato. What you might not know is Johnny Ray’s also has crunchy, flavorful fried pickles, huge, juicy hamburgers, tender beef brisket, several delectable downhome sides and great selection of imported and draft beers. One of the quarter chicken plates or pork plates, served up with three sides and a toasted bun, is enough to fill anyone up. Baked beans, green beans, coleslaw, potato salad, fried okra, macaroni and cheese, a baked potato or a salad round out the deliciously southern options for sides— along with the fries and onion rings. Each weeknight starting at 5p.m., Johnny Ray’s offers a different nightly special. Monday is a chicken and rib plate. Tuesday features a larger rib plate. Wednesday is a 1/2 chicken plate. On Thursdays, kids 10 and under eat free with

the purchase of an adult meal. Friday’s special is a little different: all-you-can-eat catfish for dine-in customers only. With so many delicious options to choose from, either location of Johnny Ray’s of Pelham is always a solid choice for a great meal. Open 11a.m.-9p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11a.m.3p.m. Sunday to serve you! Head on over or call 205-6822195 for the Oak Mountain location, or 205-664-0501 for the Huntley Parkway location, to place an order today!

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PHS wrestlers perform well in state wrestling championship

Greater Birmingham USBC 9th Annual Youth Championship

The PHS Panthers wrestling team competed in the Class 6A division of the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) State Wrestling Championships February 12-14 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. Five Panthers placed in their individual weight classes, bringing the team up to 11th place overall in the tourney. “Congrats to our wrestling team for placing 11th in the 6A State Tournament,” said PHS Athletic Director Kim Kiel.

Fifteen-year-old Morgan Mullinax competed in the Greater Birmingham USBC Bowling 9th Annual Youth Championship tournament held in 2014 at Vestavia Bowl. Over 160 youth, ranging in ages from 7 to 21 years old, bowled in the tournament. Morgan bowled in the singles, doubles and team events. In her nine games, she averaged 21 pins per game over her sanctioned league average. In singles competition,

EJ Elliott and Hasaan Hawthorne brought home serious accolades for themselves and the Panthers by winning 3rd place in each of their weight classes. EJ’s win was for the 145lb weight class, while Hasaan’s was in the 160lb class. Ian Schlosser took 6th place in the 170-pound weight class. Gio Adan took 5th place in the 182-pound weight class. Finally, Karl Nagel took 6th place in the 195-pound weight class. “Great job guys! We are Pelham!” said Coach Kiel.

Morgan won 1st place scratch and 1st place handicapped (with scores of 502 and 763). In the overall category for All Events, Morgan won 1st place scratch and 1st place handicapped (with scores of 1370 and 2153). Morgan’s bowling coaches are Ryan Nance and Angela Nance. Earlier in the year, also at Vestavia Bowl, Morgan won another championship: the U15 Bracket in the 2014 Regional Tournament Coastal South.

Hasaan Hawthorne takes third place in state wrestling championship Pelham High School junior Hasaan Hawthorne was born without shins, a condition called tibial hemimelia, but that does little to stop him from pursuing everything he’s interested in with enthusiasm and dedication. From this was born a love of sports, staring with baseball, track and his latest and greatest passion: wrestling. “It feels good being on the wrestling team. I can compete with all the able-bodied people even though I have a disability and I can succeed,” the 16-year old said in an interview with Pelham City News last year. “Wrestling is a sport for anybody, whether you have legs or not,” he continued. “It’s

you and the other person. It’s basically whether or not you train hard enough—if you do, you should win.” And Hasaan proved just how hard he has trained in the sport in his three short years on the PHS wrestling team with his solid performance at the state wrestling championships. Hasaan won his first match in an 11-5 decision over Arab’s Hunter Ragsdale in the quarterfinals and took a 20-7 major decision over Muscle Shoals’ Braden Barnes. The junior lost a 9-4 decision to Clay-Chalkville’s Austin Weldon in the semifinals but came back after winning a 4-1 decision over Athens’ Thomas

Carter in the consolation bracket semifinals. The tournament came to an exciting end for Hasaan when he defeated Oxford’s Jacob Shake by a 3-1 decision in the Class 6A, 160-pound third-place match. Hasaan finished the wrestling season with a record of 33-4. “He is a great student, athlete and has become a great leader

and solid asset to our team!” said PHS wrestling Coach Eric Pollard. We couldn’t agree more.

PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 25

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Two Panthers sign letters of intent with Marion Military Institute Alex Weeks For Alex Weeks, baseball is more than a sport or a hobby, it’s a family affair—and he will now play in college. In January, the PHS senior signed a letter of intent to pitch for Marion Military Institute this fall. Alex began playing baseball at a very young age with his cousin Shane Weeks, who is now a pitcher for Sanford. It was Shane’s dad, Alex’s uncle David, who first signed him up for teeball. “My granddad used to sit in the stands and hold up a 1 or 2, and no matter what the coach called, I’d throw what he told me to,” Alex laughed. “I am such a momma’s boy,” he said, speaking of his mother, Tammy Waggett. About his father, Mike Weeks, he said, “You are truly my best friend and role model. I truly look up to you and I’m grateful for

everything you’ve done for me.” Alex wasn’t sure about attending a community college until he visited Marion. “I fell in love with the campus, which is spread out like a small university,” he said. “And I absolutely love the coach, Matt Downs, who just got out of the pros! He said we’d win 35 games this year, which will help me get into any 2-4 year college.” Alex’s passion doesn’t end at baseball—he wants to study occupational therapy for people with Downs Syndrome. “If there’s any way I can help people with Downs, which I want to do, it’s through occupational therapy,” he

explained. And Coach Anderson is excited for him. “He is a hard working young man, that’s how he has gotten so far,” the coach said. “He’s a great young man and a great ball player. I’m proud

of him.” While he is excited to start college and a new era in life, Alex holds Pelham near to his heart. “I wouldn’t trade this team for anything in the world. This is the best team,” he said.

they’re the best team ever: I don’t know what I’d do without you!” Hunter thanked Coach Jimmy Williams, his pitching coach since he was seven years old, and Coach White at PHS for learning so much about pitching from them. He also thanked Coach Joe White, who was his travel ball coach from age 10-13, Coach Cummings in 8th grade for teaching him to be a good sportsman, and Coaches Brown and Massey in high school for reminding him baseball is fun. Hunter, who has played baseball since he was four years old, said he owes a lot to his family. “Everybody in my family has always supported me and come to all of my games,”

he explained. “Including my brother, who comes when he doesn’t have to.” “I appreciate my Meme and Poppy for getting me whatever I needed and being at every game,” Hunter said to the assembled crowd of family and friends. “And I couldn’t have

done this without my Nana and Pop Pop. He may not be here, but he’s still watching.” “Without God, you can’t do anything,” Alex also said. So he will take his faith and baseball skills to Marion, where he will study physical therapy. His last word? “Go Tigers!”

Hunter Orr Joining Alex at Marion Military Institute (MMI) this fall is Hunter Orr, who will also be pitching for the Tigers. During Hunter’s signing event at the beginning of February, PHS Baseball Coach Anderson called MMI head baseball coach Matt Downs. “We were happy to find one of the best recruits in the country just 60 miles away,” Coach Downs said. “We look forward to having him with us for the next two years.” “It’s wonderful when one of our kids can further his education, but if he can further his education and play sports, that’s even better,” said Coach Anderson. “We’re looking for good things out of Hunter, who is just a super kid and a great ball player.” The appreciation is mutual. “Coach Anderson is the best,” Hunter said to the assembled teammates and friends. “And I love these guys,

PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 27

River & Cape Montessori Nursery School

For more information, please see our Facebook page.

The ﬁrst Montessori school in Shelby County to accept infants under 18 months. ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS NOW—LIMITED SPACES—CALL FOR AVAILABILITY! Monday through Friday • Exclusively for children 6 weeks through the 3rd year Call Kelly Thomson 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, Creator of the Montessori Method

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; choosing the right environment makes the difference. For more information, contact Kelly Thomson at (205) 542-1424 or Email her at: RiverAndCapeMontessori@gmail.com. Conveniently located in Helena’s Dearing Downs subdivision off Highway 95. Open Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm Emergency Svc. Avail.

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The Russ Arthur Senior Softball Association (RASSA) is looking for you! Anyone 55 years or older who loves playing softball and is interested in getting some exercise and sharing some camaraderie, please join us on the softball field for our 2015 season (which runs from March through October). RASSA sponsors Tuesday and Thursday morning leagues at West Homewood Park. There are four teams each

morning and games are played at 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM. The annual cost per league is $35.00 + $10.00 for the uniform shirt, which you keep. If you are interested, please contact Ed Girard, RASSA Commissioner, at the following email address: edward.girard@ farmersinsurance.com Think you are too old? Our oldest player is 87+, and quite a few over 70+. You will be amazed at the talent on the field at all age levels!

Local Mom Starts New Women Only Fitness Camp Angie Smith and her husband, Robert moved to Pelham last year with their three kids, Anna Grace (11), Maggie (8), and Emilee (4). Prior to starting her boot camp business, Angie was a stay-at-home mother to three girls. As someone who has always struggled with her weight, she knows what it is like to try and lose weight and fail over and over again. Angie discovered Adventure Boot Camp while living in Tuscaloosa and found it to be a phenomenal way to lose weight and gain muscle in a non-intimidating environment. When her family relocated and moved to Pelham she was sad to see that there were no Adventure Boot Camps in the Shelby County area and knew that she wanted to bring this program to the area. She immediately began the process of gaining the skills needed to become a certified owner and operator of her own Adventure Boot Camp. “Adventure Boot camp enabled

me to lose that stubborn baby weight, maintain my health and do it in a fun and welcoming environment with other Women”, Angie Said. “When we moved here I missed it and I knew I wanted to bring this with me to the Shelby County area so that I could share this wonderful program with other women that are interested in getting fit and having fun without the intimidation of a gym.” This exciting “out of the gym” experience started in December and is meeting at Studio Vive (just down from Joe’s Italian). The camp is designed to take place outside, but during the colder months this can be challenging, so Studio Vive owner Sandra Thompson has partnered with Shelby County Adventure Boot Camp owner, Angie Smith to have a place for workouts inside. Adventure Boot Camp is not a new concept in the fitness industry. It was started over 12 years ago by John

Spencer Ellis in Orange County, CA. The company has since grown and there are over 400 Adventure Boot Camp locations worldwide. Angie also happily reports that Adventure Bootcamp is structured in such a way to help first timers get started but also challenged her as her strength and fitness improved. All workouts are modified based on your fitness level and women of all ages enjoy the benefits of Adventure Bootcamp. In addition to the physical advantages, Angie reports that Adventure Boot Camp is a fun, welcoming environment for all that enabled her to share

her health journey and interact with other women as well help manage the stresses of daily life. Angie is very passionate about her workouts and helping others of all ages, sizes and fitness levels achieve their fitness goals. Angie’s primary goal is to inspire other women to be healthy and find joy in physical activity. “You will lose inches, gain confidence, and have fun doing it!” says Angie. For more information about Shelby County Adventure Boot Camp, including how to sign up. Please visit the website at www.shelbycountybootcamp. com or call Angie at 205-4544400.

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Pelham’s Leash Law the street Department in conjunction with the Police Department enforces the city’s animal control ordinance. Dogs should be kept inside, on a leash or conﬁned in a fence. Dogs reported as being dangerous, stray or a public nuisance are subject to being picked up by street Department animal control personnel. Dogs picked up are immediately taken to oak view veterinary clinic. Dog owners will be responsible for paying all charges for care and boarding of their dog. the street Department also picks up deceased animals from city streets and provides assistance for wounded animals. Animal control personnel can be reached by calling the street Department at (205) 620-6416 from 7:00 A.M.- 3:30 P.M. Emergency animal control calls after normal working hours should be made to the Police Department at (205) 620-6550.

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Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 AM-6:00 PM PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 29

New Kitchen Cabinets or Cabinet Refacing? Call Counter Dimensions! Due to budget constraints, many people who are considering updating their kitchen are looking into refacing their existing cabinets rather than purchasing a whole new kitchen full of cabinets. Every kitchen remodel project either adds to or detracts from the value of your home, and you need to be certain to keep this in mind when selecting an approach. Here are some of the issues to consider: Are your existing cabinets structurally sound? Many earlier cabinets were constructed of particle board and other components that permitted moisture to be absorbed into the fiber or otherwise deteriorate. If that’s the case, it would make no sense to waste money painting or refacing them. Perhaps, most importantly, is your satisfaction with your existing kitchen in terms of its

design and usefulness in your everyday life. You know, times have changed and the kitchen is now, for many families, the center of family activity. Does the present layout and configuration of your kitchen make the most of the available space? Do you have enough cabinet space to house all of your appliances, foodstuffs, plates, bowls, glasses, good china, utensils, etc., or could more space make it easier to prepare and serve meals? Also, think about the traﬃc flow in your present kitchen. Would a re-design or even expansion of your kitchen space better fit the needs of your family? After you have considered the above, you will need to consider the look and feel that you wish to accomplish in your kitchen upgrade. Beyond cabinet refacing,

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the countertops, sink, and backsplash in the kitchen also need to be addressed. Tracy Hall at Counter Dimensions is a cabinet refacing expert and she is ready to help you! Just give Tracy a call at 205-664-3587. There are several different ways to reface your existing cabinets, if that is your desire. From painting doors and

cabinets to resurfacing the cabinets and door replacement, the cost of refacing can vary greatly. Likewise, so can the durability and value of the project vary. Why not stop by and visit Counter Dimensions, Inc. to discuss this? We are located at 2726 Chandalar Place Drive in Pelham, just behind Louie’s Fine Foods.

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Award-winning South City Theatre has moved to Pelham! The award-winning South City Theater (SCT) is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary in a novel way: by moving to a new, larger location in Pelham! This is not the first move the theatre has made in its tenure: humble beginnings in an old medical plaza gave way to ten years at Cloverdale, their Alabaster location, and finally three years in an unincorporated Columbiana location. “We knew if we could build an audience out there, we would have a real shot anywhere,” said SCT Artistic Director Sue Ellen

Gerrells. “We so appreciate our audiences who have hung in there with us through our various homes.” “The visibility on highway 31 is exactly what we wanted,” she explained. “Having a bigger space is just a bonus. Our Pelham theatre is one of the nicest facilities we’ve ever had.” Located in Alpine Square, the strip mall behind Waﬄe House on 31, the space is 2,200 square feet, about 1/3 bigger than their prior location. The performance room is 1,200 square feet, which has allowed for a slightly larger stage and the expansion of seating in the theatre to sit 60. A foyer, storage area and changing rooms round out the current facilities. Plans for an

ADA-compliant bathroom are underway. “There are so many people to thank for helping us make this dream come true,” Sue Ellen said, specifically citing SCT founders Francie and Allen Gardner and Pelham Mayor Gary Waters. “None of this would’ve happened without the mayor, he was extremely supportive,” and put them in contact with Terry Ponder of Ponder Properties Commercial Real Estate, who helped them work out a 5-year lease. “Pelham will be a great community for us,” Sue Ellen said confidently. The move puts their base of operations in the more populated Pelham, closer to their summer camp location at Riverside Baptist Church and

biannual performance space at the Homewood Library Theater. Talks are already underway to partner with Jamie Stephenson at PHS in the future Performing Arts Academy. In the meantime, anyone with children interested in attending their spring, summer or fall children’s camps can sign up online at southcitytheatre.com. “The best way to learn theatre is to do it,” Sue Ellen expressed, explaining that participants will design and build sets and props for their performance along with practicing their acting and singing. “The more involved people can be in a project, the more ownership they feel for the production.” In the spring workshop, led by Berry Middle School Theatre Teacher Dianne Daniels, students will perform

the original sci-fi work ZAP PRONTO, JR by SCT’s Dan Strickland. Amy Hockinson, another middle school teacher, will lead the summer camp. Along with moving operations to Pelham, the SCT gang has been prepping for the “The Real Queen of Hearts Ain’t Even Pretty” performances, which will be held April 17, 18, 23-25 at 8:00pm and April 19 at 2:00pm. Additionally, SCT has been working with the Wetumpka Depot Players to bring “‘Night, Mother” to the Southeastern Theatre Conference Regionals March 6, with aspirations to go to Nationals in Grand Rapids. Anyone wishing to become involved with the theatre, sign up for camp or reserve your seat for a show, visit southcitytheatre. com or call (205) 621-2128.

PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 31

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Could CPAP be right for you? The medical acronym CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, and refers to a type of nighttime therapy for people suffering from sleep apnea. This aﬄiction occurs while sleeping, when the airway becomes obstructed. It causes snoring, waking up at night, and can contribute to a heart attack or stroke. Neighborhood CPAP owner Joey Mead explained that CPAP machines use a mask to push a splint of air between a user’s tongue and soft palate to keep blood oxygenated all night long. 42 million Americans have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, and even more may not be aware they have the aﬄiction—so it is very fortunate that Pelham has Neighborhood CPAP right here on Highway 31. With one of the the largest selection of CPAP equipment in stock in the state, Neighborhood CPAP has even the most stubborn sleep apnea patients covered. “We have over 55 different masks in multiple sizes in stock at all timesjust walk in the store and you can see the selection,” Joey said. “We

keep older style masks, “clunky” full face masks and other obscure styles in stock, too—people do use them!” He said the goal at Neighborhood CPAP is to find the right CPAP equipment to work with everybody. “We will work with you for the right fit, a comfortable fit. If the mask isn’t comfortable, you won’t get the good sleep you need, so we have an area in the back for trying on masks,” Joey said. A worker is seen in the testing area below. “We like to have Neighborhood CPAP right here, so people can run in, even on Saturdays, to pick up whatever they need,” he continued. “We understand that a good night’s sleep is a necessity, so we even have someone on-call at night in case of an emergency.” In addition to their large selection of masks, Neighborhood CPAP also has the state’s largest selection of specialized CPAP machines, even models that are older, rare or expensive. They offer delivery for larger machines to customers within the city of Pelham. Aside from CPAP machines

and masks, they also offer additional equipment, like specially shaped pillows, mask liners, machine cords and other parts, and oral appliances that keep teeth separated at night. They stock travel machines, CPAP batteries, solar panels, nebulizers, TENS units and other equipment. “The biggest difference

between us and mail-order CPAP companies,” Joey concluded, “is that we are here, we explain things in detail, we teach customers how to troubleshoot, and want to be a part of your future health.” They accept Blue Advantage, Viva and TriCare. BlueCross BlueShield is a preferred provider. If you’re in need of CPAP, call Neighborhood CPAP today!

It’s Mower Tune-Up Month at 3M! 3M Karts and Mowers is Pelham’s number one retailer of Xmark and Shindaiwa products and your one-stop-shop for lawn and garden equipment. Now that Spring is on the way, it’s time to get your lawn mower out of storage and bring it on down to 3M for March Mower Tune-Up Month. Don’t have a mower yet? No problem! With 0% financing available for 42 months on Xmark Zero-Turn Mowers, and payment plans starting out at $81 a month, purchasing a high-quality mower won’t break your budget. And with free pickup and delivery on riding lawn mowers to any address in Pelham, bringing home a mower

has never been this easy. 3M Karts and Mowers is offering 20% off all Shindaiwa outdoor power equipment through March 15th only. “We’re all stocked up and ready for spring,” said Michel Harris. “Come on in for any new equipment, repair, or questions about your mowers. We’re happy to help.” Other than being Pelham’s premier lawn equipment retailer and mechanic, 3M Karts and Mowers is also the main seller of Carly’s Clubhouse Raﬄe Tickets. “It’s $10 per raﬄe ticket, and all proceeds will go towards the production budget for Carly’s Clubhouse. One ticket will be chosen to receive a $10,000 lawn

mower,” Michael explained. The prize is a Lazer “S” Series 24 Horsepower 52” Caterpillar lawnmower. The raﬄe will go on for the next several months, visit the Carly’s Clubhouse or 3M Karts and Mowers Facebook pages for more information.

So all can play

PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 33

PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL Always Remember That We are the Home of the FREE Because of the Brave! Staff SGT Jeremy Barton

PO3 Bradley Jacob Hardin

SGT Tyler Payne

US Army; 1st Armored Division; Iraq; Son of Fred & Mary Barton, brother of Christopher

US Navy; USS Ronald Reagan, San Diego, CA; Son of Rachel & Michael Jordan

US Marine Corps; 2004 PHS graduate; Son of Dana Payne Martin & David Payne, husband of Madison

CPT A.J. Blount US Army; Montgomery, AL; Husband of Christina, son of Barry & Terrie Blount, son-in-law of Jesse & Lori Hernandez

SRA Eric Lee Bowen US Air Force; Charleston, SC; Son of Ed & Sonyia Bowen

1st SGT Flynn D. Broady, Jr. US Army; Iraq; Son of Ret. SGT Flynn & Marjorie Broady

2nd LT John H. Calhan II US Army National Guard; Ft. Benning, GA; Husband of Katie Burks Calhan

CPL Jonathan D. Jarvis US Marine Corps; Combat Instructor, Parris Island, SC; Son of David & Linda Jarvis

David Douglass US Marine Corps; Montgomery, Ala.; Pelham firefighter; Son of Tom & Ann Douglass

SRA Christopher C. Smith US Air Force; Okinawa, Japan; Son of Cliff & Jeanie Smith

US Navy; Deployed in Iraq; Husband of Stacy, father of Joshua & Janci

US Army; Iraq; Son of Dr. Jesus & Blanca Juarez, husband of Kimberly, dad of Ethan & Gavin

NCO Corporal John Justin Kirchler

1st LT Randal C. Knight

US Army; Fort Jackson, SC; Son of Lance & Marcia Garrison

SGT Robert Lee Hallman II Hawaii; 2009 PHS graduate; Son of Don Hallman & Lee Ann Hallman

US Army; Fort Hood, TX; Daughter of Stephen & Toni Thomas

Tre’ Christian Stovall

MP Sal Juarez

PFC Geoffrey Eggleton

Captain Samuel Garrison

PFC Tiara Stovall

CM1 (SDW) Jack D. Johnson

US Army; 385th MP Battalion; Fort Stewart, GA; Son of Geoff Eggleton & Anita Wheatley US Army, Ft. Bliss, TX; 2007 PHS graduate; Son of Tracey & John Evanko, Jr.

LCDR Robert Sawyer US Navy; Military Professor, Naval War College Newport, RI; Son of Ken & Liz Sawyer

MC1 Andrew “AJ” Johnson

US Marine Corps; Iraq; Son of Kim Kirchler

SPC Christopher G. Evanko

Army Rangers; Afghanistan; Son of Scott Rich, brother of Brittany, grandson of Ken & Linda

US Navy; Defense Media Activity, Ft. Meade, MD; 2002 PHS grad, Son of Trudy Johnson

PFC Nicholas A Coleman US Marine Corps; Twenty-Nine Palms, CA; Son of Danny & Donna Coleman

Cameron Rich

John Hensley US Army; Afghanistan; Nephew of Jim Phillips

US Army; Fort Riley, KS; Son of Stephen & Toni Thomas

PFC Kimberly Sweat US Army; Fort Lewis, WA.; Daughter of Mike Sweat, granddaughter of Shirley Grimes

SRA Justin Taylor

US Army; Afghanistan; Husband of Rebecca Binford Knight

Integrated Avionic Journeyman Combat Rescue Unit, USAF 455th AEW; Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan; PHS graduate; Son of Kris Mapes.

SPC Justin Aaron Womack

SGT Jeffrey Malone US Army National Guard; 167th Infantry; Afghanistan; 2007 PHS grad; Husband of Monica, father of Hunter

US Army, Fort Bragg, NC; Afghanistan; Son of Betsy & Anthony & Phillip Womack

2nd LT James R. Mann IV US Army National Guard; Fort Lee, VA; Husband of Beth, proud father of Ashlee, Anna & Jay

Ssgt. Alexander D. Hand

SPC Christopher Martin

US Air Force; Keesler AFB, Biloxi, MS; Son of Doyle & Sally Hand

US Army; Medic; Ft. Riley, KS; Son of Tom & Julie Martin

If your loved one is from Pelham and serves on active duty, please e-mail us their name, rank, address and where they are stationed to: pelhamcitynews@aol.com. When they come back home, please update us via e-mail or call (205) 746-1188, so we can remove them from our active duty prayer list. Visit us online any time at: www.PelhamCityNews.com.

Siluria Baptist Church in Alabaster will host a unique Easter event on March 25 at 6:30 p.m. Igor Barbanel of Jews for Jesus will re-create the traditional Passover service and explain how it foreshadowed Jesus’ death and resurrection in a presentation called Christ in the Passover. There is no admission charge. A love offering will be taken. 10696 Alabama 119, Alabaster, AL 35007 Call 205.663.7904 for more information. 34 PelhamOnline.com / Spring 2015

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Rob Tellman is Pelham’s first dedicated Public Defender The court system of Pelham hired attorney Rob Tellman as its first dedicated public defender at a city council meeting midFebruary. A 25-year resident of Pelham, Rob has practiced law in the city for two decades. “I was a presence in the court every Tuesday already, and have been for twenty years–it just makes sense,” the lawyer explained. “I always said if Pelham ever made the position of public defender, as soon as it was open, I would try to fill it.” As the public defender, Mr. Tellman will be the daily courtappointed lawyer for indigent defendants who do not have the means to pay for their own representation. “He will meet with defendants beforehand to actually prepare for their cases, to more adequately and eﬃciently represent them,” described City Council President Rick Hayes.

The prior process in Pelham did not give the daily public defender proper time to prepare for cases, which is one reason to take this step. “Often, defendants were just waiting in jail for someone to represent them, and I can do that,” Mr. Tellman said. “I was a reserve National Guardsman until recently, so I needed something to do in my downtime. This is a great way for me to serve Pelham.” “Mr. Tellman came highly recommended by our court employees, who approached him with the idea,” continued President Hayes. “This will make court a lot more eﬃcient and faster.” As described by President Hayes, while the dedicated position of Public Defender is new to the city, no city funds will be used to pay Mr. Tellman. “The state Fair Trial Tax Fund

receives money from each ticket in the court system, and this fund pays the day-today public defenders,” clarified City Clerk Marsha Yates. “That same money, from the state fund, will pay Mr. Tellman.” The lawyer, who started the public defender position March 1, will continue to work on his own cases as long as there is no time conflict or conflict of interest. Mr. Tellman has done criminal defense work

(focusing in DUIs) for his entire career, making him a great choice for this position. For more information, give him a call at 205-370-1998.

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Every Grave Has a Story: The Single Grave of Alfred Benton Payne Contributed by Scott A. Martin | BEVEL67@aol.com The single grave of Alfred Benton Payne is the last testament of the Old Motes Family Cemetery, now destroyed. The cemetery (which consisted of approximately 50 graves) was located on McCain Parkway in Pelham, off Shelby County Hwy 52, facing I-65. The cemetery was destroyed at time of construction of the businesses on McCain Parkway. It has been paved over, with the exception of the A.B. Payne gravesite. The property on which the cemetery was located was also known as the Old Walters Place. In an article entitled “Families Crisscross County in Long History” (The Shelby County Reporter, 20 August 1981), Cecil Motes recalls, “The Motes Family were early settlers of the Pelham area. My granddaddy and his mother and daddy were buried in a pasture at Pelham, there at the old Walters place by Pardue’s old dairy.” The article further states that the new interstate runs only a few feet from the graves of William Joseph Motes and Simeon and Nancy Johnson Motes. Some family members recall being told that there were once tombstones at the graves but today only low places in the earth and rocks mark them. One marker,

for a Payne who married into the family is all that remains. According to information passed on to Motes, his great grandfather Simeon Motes once owned the whole Walters place. He recalls being told, ‘One Sunday he (Simeon Motes) walked around and came back and told them that he wanted to be buried on the hill out there.’ Simeon Motes died in 1880 and his wife Nancy in 1883. Their son William Joseph Motes died in 1884 at the age of 36, when his son Edgar Lee Motes was only 18 months old. His widow Anna Douglas Motes later married John Harless.” The headstone of Alfred Benton Payne reads “In Loving Remembrance of A.B. Payne – Died 19 December 1895.” And how did Alfred Benton Payne die? He was murdered. Newspaper articles recount the following: “A.B. Payne Killed – Mention was made in the State Herald yesterday that a shooting occurred at Longview in which the postmaster at that place was shot. Passengers who came up on the train yesterday morning state that Postmaster Payne had a quarrel the day before with Jasper Nabors, which was renewed the following day, when Nabors procured a gun and shot

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Payne in the stomach, killing him instantly. Payne was about 45 years old and leaves a wife and family. He has lived at Longview for a number of years and received his appointment as postmaster under the Republican administration. Nabors formerly lived in Birmingham and was at one time a motorman on one of the electric cars. Nabors left immediately after the shooting and the latest information is that he has not been captured. He is said to be a relative of the man’s wife that he killed and that another woman was at the bottom of the trouble.” (Birmingham State Herald, 21 December 1895). “Jasper Nabors, who it will be remembered killed his uncle A.B. Payne, postmaster at Longview in this county, on the

19th of December 1895 – just two years ago – at Longview and made his escape, was captured a few days ago in Tuscaloosa County, by Deputy Sheriff Kyle of that county. Nabors, it is stated, was at the time making his way to Montevallo. He claims the killing was done in self-defense.” (Birmingham State Herald, 28 December 1897). Sounds a little like a bad soap opera, doesn’t it?

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P E L H A M ’ S C O M M U N I T Y O F FA I T H ASSEMBLIES OF GOD

Oak Mountain Independent Church 1475 Highway 35, 663-1927 Pastor George Golden Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM

RiverPoint Church

375 Bearden Road, 621-0112 Pastor Bobby Lewis • riverpointchurch.org Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 AM

BAPTIST

Crosscreek Baptist Church 600 Crosscreek Trail, 663-4886 crosscreekbaptist.org Sunday Worship 10:00 AM

CrossWay Christian Fellowship

MORMON

Sun View Baptist Church

Meets at Valley Intermediate, 685-9447 Dr. Mark A. Boyd • sunviewbaptist.com Sunday Morning Service 11:00 AM

2054 Oak Mtn State Park Rd, 663-6566 Bob Hutto, Evangelist • oakmtnchurch.org Sunday Morning Worship 10:00 AM

Pelham Church of Christ

3405 Pelham Parkway, 663-7735 Dick Sztanyo • pelhamchurchofchrist.com Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM

CHURCH OF GOD

Pelham Church of God

2100 Highway 52 East, 664-0120 Pastor Mitch Underwood Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 AM

First Baptist Church-Pelham

Pelham Church of God of Prophecy

Indian Springs First Baptist Church

EPISCOPAL

Living Hope Baptist Church

3545 Cahaba Valley Road, 988-4371 Father Martin J. Bagay, Interim Rectori saintfrancisindiansprings.org Sunday Holy Eucharist 8:30, 10:45 AM

3375 Cahaba Valley Road, 988-3662 Pastor Charlie Dale • isfbc.org Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 AM

419 Philippians Boulevard, 664-0491 Pastor Clay Parrish • livingwithhopechurch.org Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM

Oak Mountain Baptist Church

1805 Highway 35, 663-3045 Interim Pastor Brother James Blair • ombcpelham.org Sunday Worship 10:30 AM

Oakland Baptist Church

244 Cahaba Valley Pkwy, 988-0031 Pastor Jonny White Prayer, Preaching & Praise 10:30 AM

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

3039 Wilson Street, 205-685-0004 Pastors Scott McKinney and Justin Hill therenovationchurch.net Sunday Morning Worship 10:07AM

2720 Cahaba Valley Rd, 733-9038 • lds.org

Meets at Shelby Co. YMCA, 966-3327 Pastor Fred Muse • crosswaycf.org Sunday Worship 10:00 AM 2867 Pelham Parkway, 663-7492 Dr. Daven Watkins • fbcpelham.org Sunday Worship 8:00, 9:15, 10:45 AM

3540 Pelham Parkway, 383-7545 Pastor Steven Van Gieson • rockofbirmingham.org Sunday Morning Worship 10:00 AM

CHURCH OF CHRIST

Church of Christ at Oak Mountain

Church of the Highlands-Riverchase

9013 Highway 261, 980-5577 Pastor Chris Hodges • churchofthehighlands.com Sunday Morning Worship 8:00, 9:30, 11:15 AM

The Connection

135 Corporate Way, 620-0720 Pastor Greg Davis - theconnection.cc Sunday Morning Worship at 10:30 AM Hope World Outreach Ministry 192 Chandalar Place Drive, 655-1332

Pastor Earl V. Gardner

3362 Pelham Parkway, 620-9598 Pastor Krameon Martin Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM

Saint Francis of Assisi

METHODIST (UNITED)

Lakeview Pelham’s First United Methodist 5154 Highway 11, 663-3309 Pastor Michael Miller • lakeviewonline.net www.theflockthatrocks.com Sunday Morning Contemporary Worship 10:30am

The Rock Church

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 AM Kingdom Christian Center 2760 Pelham Parkway, 637-3473 Pastor Jerry McClain • kingdomchristiancenter.net Sunday Worship Service 10:30 AM

The Renovation Church

Truth International Church 3157 Pelham Parkway,

Bishop Robert Ivy Sr. Sunday Worship Service 10:30 AM

PENTACOSTAL New Testament Christian Church 2976-D Pelham Parkway, 401-1629 Pastor E.J. Rodriguez newtestamentchristianchurches.org Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM

PRESBYTERIAN

Life Christian Fellowship

Korean Presbyterian Church

Meets at Shepherd’s Promise, 620-1725 Pastor Bob Kuehner • lifechristian.us Sunday Celebration 10:00 AM

7814 Helena Road, 982-1990 Pastor Rev. Steven Son Sunday English Worship 11:00 AM

Life Church

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.

1449 Court Place, 663-1937 Pastor Rick Bishop • wherelifeisgood.com Sunday Morning Worship 10:00 AM

Oak Mountain Community Church 889 Oak Mtn State Park Rd, 663-7176 Pastor Gene Brown • oakmountaincc.com Sunday Worship/Kid’s Church 10:30 AM

Attend the Church of Your Choice This Sunday!

Ballantrae 2015 Summer Junior Clinics WEEK 1 - Monday, June 8 – Friday, June 12 9:00AM – 10:30AM Ages 7 to 9 WEEK 2 - Monday, June 15 – Friday, June 19 9:00AM – 10:30AM Ages 10 to 12 WEEK 3 - Monday, June 22 – Friday, June 26 9:00AM – 10:30aM Ages 13 to 15

To register, contact The Ballantrae Golf Shop at 205-620-4653 or email Head Professional Hal Brown at hbrown@pelhamonline.com One Week Before Each Clinic PGA Instruction on Short Game, Full Swing and Much More! Fun Games and Contests!!! Cost $65 per clinic

Frank Price awarded Teacher of the Year at RMS, city school system At Riverchase Middle School, Frank Price is a man who wears many hats. He teaches not only 7th grade Geography and Civics, but 8th grade Ancient History, and he tutors students during his free period. He is RMS’s assistant football coach, one of two indoor track coaches, and a volunteer with the outdoor track team. He is the Technology Coordinator for RMS, the Pelham City Schools Technology Committee Chair, the Technology and Curriculum Committee RMS representative and he also serves on the PCS Leadership Committee. Thus, it was a surprise to no one but himself when he was voted not only the RMS Teacher of the Year Award but the Pelham City Schools Teacher of the Year Award, as well. “I didn’t think I had a chance, to be honest,” he said humbly. “The other teachers in the school, and this system, are so talented.”

Frank knew he wanted to teach from the sixth grade, when he helped as a student teacher to younger kids at his school. His mother was a teacher, so he grew up helping set up her classrooms and listening to her talk about her students. “We had to do a career project in high school, and I chose a teacher for my project,” he explained. “After that, my mom actually talked me out of education, so I studied a lot of other things in college before coming back.” At first, he wanted to teach in a high school setting. “I thought only those older students could have mature conversations and discussions about government and economics,” he explained. However, after graduating from Alabama with degrees in Secondary Education and Social Studies, he jumped into teaching 7th and 8th graders and never looked back. Some of Frank’s favorite

moments in the classroom are when his students do exactly what he thought only high school kids could do: form their own opinions about their studies. “The kids will get into really deep discussions with each other,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see.” And the other teachers in RMS know just how much an impact Frank had on their levels of understanding. “At every level of education in my life, I’ve had a teacher who has impacted me,” Frank concluded. “There’s just

something great about passing on knowledge to others, and I’m glad I can do that in Pelham.” Congratulations, Frank!

Meghan Handley named the VES Teacher of the Year Valley Elementary School is proud to announce Meghan Handley as their 2014 Teacher of the Year. “I was surprised to win. I know I work hard, but when I saw the email, I thought, ‘Are you sure this isn’t a mistake?’” she laughed. On top of teaching, Meghan is also the Children’s Director at Flint Hill Baptist Church. “I get to reach out to children and spend time with them, sharing the love of Christ,” she said. “It was where God was leading me.” At church, her husband Spencer assists her, while at school, she collaborates with the other wonderful teachers and administrators at VES. “There are amazing teachers throughout the building. For these teachers to choose me, I was shocked,” she continued. “Everyone here is so talented and hardworking, that makes it such

an honor.” In kindergarten at McAdory, Meghan had the wonderful Mrs. Delashaw. “She played guitar, made all the kids feel special—I just thought she hung the moon,” Meghan said. “School was fun because of her, she made us want to learn. I knew then I wanted to be that for others.” Ten years later, as a sophomore, Meghan began giving baton lessons to elementary kids through the Strut N Showoffs. She loved it so much that she continued to give these lessons for a decade, only stopping two years ago. And in college at Alabama, she twirled as a Crimsonette while earning her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. When Meghan came to VES five years ago, she knew this was the place for her. “I have loved every minute of it in Pelham!”

she exclaimed. “The students come in as precious little babies, and grow so much in one year. Every day is an exciting adventure.” The first grade teacher describes working with kids as very humbling, especially when she works to help bring up their literacy. “When you see the victory in their eyes when they suddenly get it, that’s just the best feeling,” she said. Meghan described how

VES teachers collaborate on strategies for helping students. “I wouldn’t be the teacher I am today without my peers,” she said. “So it’s their award, really.” Congratulations, Meghan!

PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 39

MONDAY-THURSDAY 9:00AM-8:00PM, FRIDAY 9:00AM-5:00PM, SATURDAY 10:00AM-5:00PM & CLOSED SUNDAY

620-6418 www.pelhamlibrary.com

SPECIAL ADULT EVENTS your dinner table? Organic Gardening: Money Smart Family Series Monday April 13th 6-7 PM Organic is all the rage now. Having Whole Foods just down the road makes accessibility to organic foods easier than ever. However, organic foods can be much costlier than other foods. If you want to learn more about growing your own organic foods to save money the Pelham Public Library has the program for you. As part of our Money Smart Family Series to help Pelham families acquire financial sustainability, a program on organic gardening will be offered. You may know that by eating organic vegetables, you can avoid the harmful pesticides that are used on other vegetables. You also may know that finding a good source for organic vegetables can be a hard task and the prices can be prohibitive. Why not avoid the store costs, gain a green thumb, and know exactly what is ending up on

Organic gardening means you won’t be using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, but that doesn’t mean your plants are left to fend for themselves. There are a variety of tools you can use to bolster plant health and ward off pests. It also isn’t just about the vegetables you eat; it’s about trying to foster a healthy natural ecosystem. Organic gardening may seem a daunting task, but do not fear, gardeners of all skill levels are invited to attend a program presented at the Pelham Public Library by Regional Extension Agent Nelson Wynn. Mr. Wynn will cover general organic vegetable gardening, organic fertilization and pest managing. Mr. Wynn has vast experience and training and will be able to answer all you questions about organic gardening. This program is a part of an ongoing mission of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Pelham Public Library to help

people and communities improve their quality of life and economic well-being. Home Gardening is one of many ways that one can save money. While at the program, attendees may pick up free seeds and check out library material provided through a grant from Smart investing@your library®. This grant is a partnership between the FINRA Investor Education Foundation and the American Library Association. There is no cost to attend but please call the Pelham Public Library at 620-6418 to reserve a seat.

Shred-It USA Hosts Shred Event at the Pelham Public Library Saturday, May 2nd 8am – 12pm Gain peace of mind by knowing that your important documents will not end up in the wrong hands. Protect yourself from identity theft. This free event will provide city residents with a safe and secure resource to shred their confidential personal and business documents. During the event, anyone can bring their documents in and have them shredded by an on-site, certified Shred-it USA (formerly Cintas Document Management) employee. From drop-off to destruction, all documents will be constantly monitored and protected. No reservation required. There is a six box limit per individual. No CD’s/DVDs. Call the library at 620-6418 for more information.

Purl Jam Knitters Saturday April 11th and May 9th 1-3 pm Join us for knitting at the Pelham Public Library! For beginners, we will help you get started on you first project. Please bring size 8, 9, or 10 knitting needles and a skein of light to medium colored yarn. Experienced knitters, crocheters, and other fiber artists are encouraged to join us for some good conversation with people who appreciate your craft! Our group meets once a month with the exception of December. Registration is required. Please contact the library with any questions at 620-6418.

FREE COMPUTER CLASSES In an effort to assist those that cannot take advantage of the weekday classes at the library, Pelham Public Library offers night computer classes. Classes are free and will remain small to ensure that students receive the most from their participation. Patrons are encouraged to register soon. Those interested may register in person or over the phone at 620-6418.

ONGOING CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS/EVENTS Together Time (all ages): Wednesdays at 9:15AM and 10:30AM PJ Storytime (all ages): Thursdays at 6:30PM

Sharyn Genschmer awarded Teacher of the Year at VIS Sharyn Genschmer, now in her 19th year of teaching, has had a lot of practice and patience for the 3rd-5th graders she has taught her entire career. “Kids this age are independent but still excited to learn,” she said. “Some go from not being able to write sentences to writing full essays by the end of the year, which is exciting to watch!” In this, her 10th year teaching 4th grade at Valley Intermediate, she was chosen for the VIS Teacher of the Year award 2014. “I’m the most excited because my peers choose the winner of this award,” Sharyn said. “It’s a big honor that my fellow teachers recognized me for my work. I wish 40 PelhamOnline.com / Spring 2015

we could give the award to more than one person, because all of our teachers work so hard.” Originally from Florida, she graduated from the University of Florida with Bachelor and Masters degrees in Education. After teaching 5th grade there for several years, she taught 3rd grade in Georgia, before moving back to Florida to teach 3rd and 4th grade. She finally moved to Pelham a decade ago so her husband could attend graduate school at UAB. “I always wanted to be a teacher,” Sharyn remembers. “I had the same teacher, Mrs. Marchman, for first and second grades. Ever since then I wanted to be a teacher myself.” She also learned a lot from

Mr. Lovelady, her high school English teacher. “As a teacher, that’s not something you take off when you leave school,” Sharyn shared. “You pick it up in August and don’t put it down until May.” But that doesn’t mean she stops in the summer: on top of attending professional development classes each year, she also teaches summer classes. In 2014, she taught ESL classes for students in the 4th and 5th grade at VIS. “The ESL classes are a great push for kids lagging in reading or math,” she asserted. “Pelham schools are very

diverse, which is a strength but also a challenge. If I can help any student, it’s worth it.”

Hayley Brisendine signs letter of intent to Martin Methodist College PHS senior Hayley Brisendine signed a volleyball scholarship February 3rd with Martin Methodist College (MMC), following a long and fruitful high school career. As the team’s libero, Hayley was often a big playmaker for the Panthers. She looks forward to figuring out where she can make the biggest impact on the team at Martin. “I like how fast-paced volleyball is—it’s just a lot of fun to play,” she said. Because she began playing volleyball in 5th grade at Valley Intermediate, Hayley has 8 years of experience under her belt that really show in her performance. “The past three years, Hayley has absolutely owned her varsity position as libero, which is a defensive specialist position in volleyball,” said PHS Volleyball Coach Perry Robinson. “I am so excited she’s continuing to play,” added

PHS Athletic Director Kim Kiel. MMC’s Coach Alison Williams had the opportunity to see the Panthers, including Hayley, at the state tournament this past season. “They showed an interest in me, and I found out the coach is a Pelham alum, so I liked that,” said Hayley, who is considering a concentration in physical therapy. “After visiting campus twice, I could just really see myself playing there.” “She’s everything we want in a

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player,” Coach Williams said. Coach Williams and her sister Lindsey both grew up in Pelham and played volleyball for PHS, helping the team make it to state finals in 2007. “She had a great run here herself, and really knows what it takes to be a

Pelham Panther,” Kim Kiel said. “It’s awesome to see her now as a coach, mentoring another one of our students.” “I look forward to working with Coach Williams and I’m really excited to meet all my teammates!” Hayley concluded.

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

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

WELLNESS CENTER

PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 41

Residential Beautification Award Wild Timber Parkway Janey and Norman Patty appreciate their quiet oasis in the Wild Timber neighborhood where they and their cat, Willow, watch intermittent visits from deer, wild turkeys and the occasional vulture. Even at the end of a long winter, this yard is still a pristine landscape. The two graceful

curving beds in the front yard planted with loropetalum provide architectural interest, leading the eye to the front entry. Along the driveway, Crape myrtles usher you in and one appreciates their richly colored cold-weather bark. When summer arrives they will bring splendid color. The back yard is planted with white azaleas and Siberian iris

and a red Japanese maple, a housewarming gift from friends when they first moved to Wild Timber. A riverbed lined with stones helps with the water runoff through the backyard. The Pattys are anticipating spring’s arrival to their peaceful oasis, maintained year round by Bryan Reed of Reed’s Lawn Care

Service & Landscape in Pelham. Norman is a people person who works in IT for AT&T. He notes, “AT&T is an important part of our culture. Even though we are a for-profit company, we provide society with a product that they really depend on, just like electricity. I like to help people understand the language of technology.” The Pattys attend Helena

Methodist Church, where Norman teaches the Wesleyan Fellowship class. “This is an emotional and spiritual balance to my IT work. I find it very satisfying.” He is also on the Pelham Library Board. Since 2002, Janey has been Valley Intermediate’s counselor and prior to that, she was at Valley Elementary. “We’re now in year two integrating the Leader In Me program schoolwide. It’s based on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey,” Janey said. “Every child at VIS is part of this leadership program. They each have a role—for example, reading the morning announcements over the intercom or announcing for Valley Today news.” “The children focus on learning how to be proactive, be responsible for themselves, how to listen to others, work together and plan for the future. This

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would be a beneficial program for any school and students of all ages.” The Pattys have two grown daughters. Liz (husband Clint McInnis and two children live in Auburn, where Clint works and Liz is doing her graduate teaching) and Emily (husband Caleb Corwin) have completed their PhDs in psychology at John Hopkins and now work as a behavioral clinician and family therapist, respectively, at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Congratulations to the Pattys for winning the Beautification Committee’s Yard of the Month!

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www.ispeakwell.com Deadline for registration is March 30th! 2531 Meadowview Lane, Suite C Pelham, Alabama 35124 (near VES) (205) 721-8876

Alex Reese in the Birmingham Metro High School Slam Dunk Contest Every week during the Alabama High School Athletic Association state basketball playoffs, AL.com posted videos of the best boys’ basketball players across the greater Bimringham area showing off their trick shots and dunks. As these young men were candidates for the Birmingham

Metro High School Slam Dunk Contest, each post featured footage of the dunkers' best moves in their home gyms. PHS sophomore Alex Reese was a contender and the winner of the first round of the contest, beating out Spain Park sophomore Jamal Johnson by more than 300 votes.

Alex has developed himself from a player who averaged around 10 minutes a game as a freshman to one of the state's best players. The sophomore currently averages 20 points and nine rebounds a game, according to Basketball Coach Joel Floyd. "The sky's the limit for Alex in his growth as a player and

a young man," the coach said. “He is one of our best players this year.” Corey Davis of Midfield beat Nate Bridges of Jackson-Olin in the second round of voting in the dunk contest, pitting Corey against Reese in the final round. As this goes to press, we’re waiting on the final round....

All Photos by David Jacks

Zach Allison first PHS player to ever enter 1000 Points Club

After three years playing varsity basketball at PHS and keeping a rough tally of his points, senior Zach Allison wondered if he might reach the fabled "1000-Point Club" during his high school career. His father, Jeff Allison, added up his points at the beginning of the season and figured if his son could keep up his 17-point game average, he could do it this year.

He was right. “Dad didn’t tell me the exact number of points I'd already scored because he didn’t want to give away the surprise,” Zach said in an interview in January. At the beginning of the third quarter of the game against Vestavia, Zach shot a three-pointer that put him over 1000 points. “Dad didn’t want to put extra pressure on me, and we were just trying win, so I didn’t think about it at all until after the game.” Zach is the first player to reach this goal in Pelham High School basketball history, said Coach Joel Floyd. "It didn't surprise me at all. Zach has been

a big part of our success over the last few years," he said. As a student leader for two years, Zach has been a big playmaker and quite often the main scorer for the team. "Last year he really surprised me with his ability to score the basketball as well as he did. He really was our go-to guy the entire year.” In fact, Zach played so well that he was named the Birmingham News Shelby County Player of the Year in 2014. Coach Floyd explained shooting isn't the only skill

Zach has built up the past several years. "He constantly pushes himself to be a better player, and became one of our student leaders this season," he said. Zach consistently sets up plays for his teammates as well, helping the team to learn to work better together, which has benefitted them in so many ways. Because of all Zach's hard work and accomplishments for the team, Coach Floyd is glad to share this milestone with the Pelham community.

Girls’ PHS Track team overcome obstacles, become State Champions Alex Ladewig spent half the season in a boot and came down with a stomach bug the week of the championships. Melanie Taylor competed with shin splints. Lesya Lackey competed with a cold, tissues in hand. All the girls on the PHS Track Team pulled together through sickness and injury for an amazing win.

“We knew we could do it—It was incredible to see as a coach!” - Coach Argo The PHS Girls’ Indoor Track team took first place in the 2015 AHSAA Class 6A girls indoor track and field championship after two days of outstanding performances February 6-7! Victory is especially sweet for returning Lady Panthers, as they were runners-up in class 6A championships last year. This win marks the first girls’ track title for PHS since 1997. Champions Alex Ladewig and Mary Grace Strozier are just two members of a fantastic track team who dominated their events in not only the tournament but the entire 20142015 season. “Looking back on the amazing success Pelham had at the Indoor State Championships, it is diﬃcult to pinpoint the most valuable performances or most valuable athletes of the meet,” PHS Girls Track Coach Jennifer Argo said. “We have a really talented group of girls who put in the

work, and we knew we could do it,” she continued. “The big question was, ‘can everyone do it today?’ and our answer was yes! Sometimes, everything goes just right, and the stars just aligned for us!” KaiOnna Miller said she and a few of the other girls were worried about the match at first; they had concerns the cold weather would affect the team’s muscles. “But got through it, and that was a fantastic way to end my senior year,” she said. Emma Hammet is proud of everyone’s personal records. Alex Ladewig had another perspective on the win. “Homewood had a better match than they should have, but we also had a better match than we should have,” she said. “Everybody put the effort in for us to win. We worked hard.” Mary Grace Strozier paced herself very well during her races, bringing home three individual title wins. She started off solidly, as usual, winning the 800-meter

and 3,200-meter races on Friday and came back Saturday to win the the 1,600-meter run as well. She also took 6th place in the 400-meter sprint. She had a total of 33 points, making her the highest individual point scorer in all of Class 6A! Alex Ladewig took home the Girls pole vault championship title by clearing 9 feet, even though she was weak from days of sickness. “She spent half the indoor season in a boot,” Coach Argo added, giving an even greater picture of the physical limitations Alex had to overcome. “She had just enough time to rehab and ‘vault’ to first seed in the pole vault, only to come down with a stomach bug the week before the championships!” But Alex pushed through three vaults, collapsing following the winning one. (She is healthy again now.) “I don’t know where it came from,” Alex said. “The energy, the adrenaline or anything, but somehow I managed to do it, and I actually

Above left: Mary Grace Strozier competes in a 800-meter run, where she took first place. Above middle: Erin Guthrie achieving a new personal best in the high jump. Right: Melanie Taylor and Erin Hines had some stiff competition in the hurdles. 44 PelhamOnline.com / Spring 2015

cleared nine feet.” Melanie Taylor competed in the triple jump with limited practice (because of shin splints) only because Alex would not have been able to score if she didn’t. “Melanie came into competition ranked 9th with a personal best of 31’4” and got a personal record on her first jump. And her second. And her third. She made finals and got a personal record again. Her last jump was a 35’4”, individual silver medal, 2nd place jump,” Coach Argo described. “At that point, the stadium was nearly empty, but our cheers were deafening.” Melanie also scored in the hurdles and competed in both the 4×2 and 4×4 relays. Erin Hines took bronze in the high jump, 4th in the 400-meter race, 4th in the long jump and 5th in the hurdles, an event she does not enjoy, according to Coach Kiel. Like the sickly Alex, Lesya Lackey, who had been healthy all season prior to the state tournament, fell ill with a cold in the days leading up to state.

State Champions Sneezing, coughing and a sore throat couldn’t stop her! Leslya pushed Homewood back one point in the two mile race, four points in the mile race and helped the team win 2nd in the 4×800 relay. Erin Guthrie finished second in the Class 6A Girls high jump, while Amelia Guthrie took third. The team took second place in the 4x800-meter relay, placing them only six points above Homewood. So the 4x400meter relay, placing the girls up against Homewood a final time, for the title, was a nail-biter. While Homewood won the race, Pelham’s third-place finish gave them 105 points—enough to beat Homewood’s 103. Coach Argo gave a stirring account of the race: “Going in, Pelham had 99 points and Homewood 93. Homewood was seeded first and their relay was essentially guaranteed to win, which would give them 10 points. Our three fastest 400-meter girls were already out of events, so we were relying on teammates to step up and secure the 4th place relay finish necessary to guarantee the State Championship. “Each running the races of their careers, Jordan Allison, Melanie Taylor, KaiOnna Miller, and Erykah Hall came through with an amazing 3rd place finish. Based on previous run times, these girls should have only been able to run a 4:21, which would have given us 5th place, but each girl bettered their previous times to finished with an incredible 4:12, securing the 6A State Indoor Championship for Pelham.”

The girls were mentioned in a city council meeting in February, given appreciation from Mayor Waters, Council President Hayes and member Ron Scott. “That is just outstanding,” Ron said. “Congratulations to these young women, coaches and those associated with this program for bringing this honor back to Pelham.” “This was truly incredible to see as a coach, and I hope I get the chance to see a whirlwind state championship meet like that again,” Coach Argo concluded. “We hope being Pelham City Schools will enable us to get more work done by funding more coaches or supplements for our program.” Coach Argo said. She, Coach Springfield and the girls work as hard as they can, but the coaches wish they could give each athlete individualized time with a coach to specialize their workouts. “We do what we can with what we have, and we have a lot of ideas to make this program stronger,” Top, l-r: Coach Jennifer Argo, Melanie Taylor, KaiOnna Miller, Erykah Hall, Jordan Coach Argo said. Allison and Coach Marty Springfield pose after the 4x4 400-meter race. “There’s no telling Above: The entire PHS Girls’ Track Team poses following the announcement of their what more we could State Championship win at the Birmingham CrossPlex. accomplish with a Above left: The entire PHS Girls’ Track Team poses with the State Championship little more help!” trophy at a Pelham Board of Education meeting. PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 45

Calendar of Events

Pelham Seniors IN ACTION

WEEKLY EVENTS WEEKDAYS Various Activities, Pelham Senior Center, 10:00AM-3:00PM WEDNESDAYS Storytime, Pelham Library, 9:15AM & 10:30AM THURSDAYS PHS Early Release Program Students leave at 1:55PM PJ Storytime, Pelham Library, 6:30PM

March

10 - ACHA Div. III National Hockey Tournament Mar. 10-14, PCC&IA see article for times 12 - Planning Commission Meeting, City Hall, 7:00pm, Work Session 6:00pm 14 - Summer Classics Job Fair, SC Showroom on Pelham Pkwy, 11:00am-4:00pm 16 - City Council Meeting, Council Chambers, 7:00pm, Work Session 6:00pm 21 - Opening Day at Pelham City Park, 9:00-10:00am - Respite Care (special needs 0-21), free, must reserve AaronsStaffRespite.org 30 -Pelham City Schools Spring Break March 30-April 3

Pelham Senior Center • 620-6064 Open Monday-Friday 10:00AM-3:00PM

The Pelham Senior Center is open to Shelby County residents, 55 and over, for fellowship, music, bingo, trips, fun, exercise, games and much more. Visit www.pelhamlibrary.com to view the senior center’s full event calendar. For more information, contact Director Regina Jimenez by E-mail at pelhamseniorcenter1@yahoo.com or call 620-6064. MONDAYS

Needlecraft 10:30-12:00; Mah Jongg 12:00-3:00; Crafts 12:30-3:00; Exercise 12:30-1:15

TUESDAYS

Art 10:30-12:30 $5/month; Advanced Line Dancing 1:00-2:00; Beginning Line Dancing 2:00-3:00; Rummikub 1:00-3:00 Apr. 7 Mayor’s Appreciation Day 10:00

April

2 - American Legion Post 555, Pelham Senior Center, 7:00pm 3 - Easter Egg Hunt, City Park, 9:00-10:00am 4 - Easter 6 - Spring Junior Golf Clinic Apr. 6, 13, 20, 27, Ballantrae Golf Club, 4:00-5:00pm - City Council Meeting, Council Chambers, 7:00pm, Work Session 6:00pm 9 - Planning Commission Meeting, City Hall, 7:00pm, Work Session 6:00pm 13 - Pelham Board of Education, City Hall, 4:00pm 15 - Valley Elementary 5K Registration, 7:00-11:00am, Questions 624-3704 16 - Valley Elementary 5K Registration, 7:00-11:00am or 2:00-6:00pm 17 - The Real Queen of Hearts Ain’t Pretty Apr. 17, 18, 23-25, South City Theatre, 8:00pm 18 - Respite Care (special needs 0-21), free, must reserve AaronsStaffRespite.org 19 - The Real Queen of Hearts Ain’t Pretty, South City Theatre, 2:00pm SouthCityTheatre.com 20 - City Council Meeting, Council Chambers, 7:00pm, Work Session 6:00pm 21 - Pelham Business Council Meeting, PCC&IA, 11:00am-1:00pm 27 - Pelham Board of Education Meeting, City Hall, 6:30pm 30 - Town Hall Meeting, 7:00-8:30pm

May

2 - Shred It USA and Pelham Library Shred Event, Pelham Library, 8:00am-12:00pm 4 - City Council Meeting, Council Chambers, 7:00pm, Work Session 6:00pm 7 - American Legion Post 555, Pelham Senior Center, 7:00pm 8 - Buck Creek Festival (Free) May 8-9, Old Town Helena BuckCreekFestival.com 10 - Mother’s Day 11 - Pelham Board of Education, City Hall, 4:00pm 14 - Planning Commission Meeting, City Hall, 7:00pm, Work Session 6:00pm 16 - XTERRA SE Championship/Oak Mtn Sprint, Oak Mtn State Park XterraPlanet.com - Respite Care (special needs 0-21), free, must reserve AaronsStaffRespite.org 17 - XTERRA Oak Mtn Trail Runs, Oak Mtn State Park, 8:00am XterraPlanet.com 18 - City Council Meeting, Council Chambers, 7:00pm, Work Session 6:00pm 21 - Pelham City Schools’ 2014-15 school year ends, Students dismiss at 1:00pm 22 - Pelham City Schools’ Teacher Workday 25 - Memorial Day: Municipal Oﬃces Closed, Trash Taxi will run as usual PCC&IA ~ Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena 46 PelhamOnline.com / Spring 2015

WEDNESDAYS Reveille Men’s Coffee Club 10:00; Bridge 10:00-1:00; Wii Bowling 11:00; Exercise 12:30-1:15; Rummikub 1:00-3:00 THURSDAYS Pelham New Pioneers 10:30-1:00 Mar. 12 TBA Mar. 19 Ruth Brock “Identity Theft Mar. 26 Bingo Apr. 2 TBA Apr. 9 TBA Apr. 16 TBA Apr. 23 TBA Apr. 30 TBA May 7 TBA Bingo 1:30-2:30–Mar. 12, 19; Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23; May 7 FRIDAYS

Tai Chi 10:30-11:30; Healthy Choices 1:00-2:00; Exercise 12:30-1:15; Games 1:00-3:00 Mar. 20 Dance with the Sunshine Band 7:00-9:00PM $5/person Apr. 17 Dance with Wolfgang 7:00-9:00PM $5/person May 15 Dance with TBA 7:00-9:00PM $5/person

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Sabrina Tutchtone is PHS Teacher of the Year Sabrina Tutchtone has taught at Pelham High School for three short years and already made her mark on the rest of the staff, administration and students of Pelham. In October, her peers voted her PHS Teacher of the Year 2014. “I’m glad I’ve got them fooled,” the history teacher laughed. “Considering the faculty at PHS, the ‘competition’ for this, I feel unbelievable. These guys are top-notch. By and far, across the board, they’re passionate and great teachers.” Being honored by her peers means that much more to her, and pushes her to continue making a difference at PHS. “Praise makes us want to get even better,” the coach said. But the plaque and $50 prize she got for her classroom for winning are nice, too. She will use some of the funds to buy a revised self-help book for AP tests. Another perk was the reception held by the Pelham Board of Education for all four of Pelham

City Schools’ Teachers of the Year. “Really, we all owe so much to this board,” Coach Tutchtone insisted afterward. “They have made sure that teachers are a part of the changes, a part of the team, and that helps us feel ownership for our schools.” She attributes receiving all the materials she needed in the classroom and the having the work she needed done on the fields to the flexibility that comes from having a smaller district. “Starting our own school system saved us.” Materials and maintenance from PCS helped so much because of her own hard work. “Coach Tutuchtone does an amazing job in the classroom and on the softball field,” said Kim Kiel, Athletic Director for Pelham City Schools. “She is truly dedicated to our student athletes and will work tirelessly to help them succeed on and off the field.” In addition to this award, the former Panthers softball assistant

coach took over as head coach following Amy Sullivan’s retirement at the end of the 2014 season. “Coach Tutchtone is really in tune with all the programs and wants to see Pelham succeed,” Kim said of that decision. “Her attitude has been priceless and great for morale.” Coach Tutchtone attended Troy for her undergraduate in Pre Law before getting her Masters in Education from Auburn. “Being a teacher is definitely a calling for me,” she said. “I went to school to teach—being a coach is icing on the cake. History is my passion, and softball is dessert.” Teaching 10th grade US History, AP US History 10 and AP US History 11 keeps Coach Tutchtone busy most mornings, before she “switches gears” into softball mode. “I’m blessed more by my

students and players than I could ever bless them,” Coach Tutchtone insisted. “I know my kids and love them and they love me. They know I care about them.” “If I can make the girls great softball players and great students as well, that’s even better,” she said. “As a teacher and a coach, I get a more well-rounded view of my students, and can teach them lessons in the classroom and on the field.” Congratulations, Sabrina!

PelhamCityNews.com / Spring 2015 / TO ADVERTISE, CALL 746-1188 47

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