Hele H elena Ciitttyy New elen Newwss Serving the City of Helena and surrounding area
Holidays 2014
CHRISTMAS EVE FIRETRUCK SANTA ROUTES
HELENA’S TEACHERS OF THE YEAR SELECTED
HELENA SAFETY OFFICERS OF THE YEAR HONORED
Annual city tradition continues in Helena; routes listed inside
Dr. Meredith George, Dale Massey, Allison Festavan, and Shelli Abernathy
Fireman, policeman named city’s best by Greater Shelby Chamber
FROM THE MAYOR
Greetings to all! I hope all is good for you this holiday season and wish you the all best as we head toward Christmas! Please continue to support all our local businesses here this season. Your support makes a positive impact on the city and we truly appreciate it! I am happy to report that the City Council has approved a balanced budget of just over 6.9 million dollars for 20142015, so that we can continue to provide the best services possible this year. (As I always say, we work hard to stretch a nickel into a dime, and that’s not easy!) I appreciate all the councilors’ efforts and hard work each year that goes into working out the best spending plan possible with our projected revenues. Of particular note in this budget is the ability to give the employees a 3% COLA raise and also reinstate step raises for each position that had been frozen for several years. I am very pleased that we are in a position to do this for our employees. I am also pleased that we will be purchasing additional body-worn camera systems for our police patrol officers. The cameras enhance the ability to preserve video evidence during events and incidents for officers. The video evidence could be critical in determining what actions were taken 2 Holidays 2014 / www.CityOfHelena.org
during an event and used for evidence presentation during any possible court proceedings. Our police department will continue to work hard to insure confidence and trust with everyone who lives in or visits our community, and this new tool will certainly help in that endeavor. ALDOT contractors have completed the Highway 261/52/17/91 intersection improvements, and engineers are in the process of making sure the signals are operating at peak
performance to help clear traffic at this busy intersection. The project for the traffic control device (red light) at the intersection of County Road 52W and Hillsboro will continue to move forward as well. The project is now in the equipment manufacturing and acquisition stage, so we hope to see progress there soon. In closing, I would like to say congratulations to all our Helena City Youth and High School athletic teams on very successful fall seasons. Several teams advanced to youth league playoff games and the AHSAA
State playoffs as well. And our youth cheerleaders enjoyed great success in local competitions. It was truly exciting to go to games and see the excitement and enthusiasm at these events. So congratulations and thank you to all our participants! Your efforts make Helena great and just proves what we always say, Helena is where you want to be! I want to wish you all a blessed, safe and happy holiday season, and thank you for choosing Helena as your home!
Mark
Mark R. Hall, Mayor
L-r: Helena High School Principal Jay Peoples poses with the first Helena High School Homecoming Queen, Allie Fain, Mayor Mark Hall, and US Congressman elect Gary Palmer, from the 6th Congressional District, during halftime at HHS’s Homecoming game in October.
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Beautification Board plants bulbs The Helena Beautification Committee, in their bright green Helena Beautiful shirts, are our early holiday elves who are beautifying our city in advance of Santa’s arrival! They have been spotted about town this fall re-landscaping the Caboose, after its facelift this year. They planted 1000 mixedvariety daffodil bulbs near the adjacent arbor and new Helena welcome sign. Another 1000 bulbs have
arrived. “Some of these will be planted at City Hall,” said chairman Chris Van Cleve. “We are still making a decision about the best placement for the others. I would love to see a ‘Daffodil Hill’ on the Joe Tucker Park hillside leading up to the cemetery, but that would take special planting and permissions not yet in place.” Most immediately noticeable are the stately new box planters placed at the front of City Hall. The front four bring fall color with pansies and ornamental kale, centered with a Pencil Holly. The two planters flanking the front door feature Helena Beautification Committee and volunteers a Hinoki who helped plant the first 1000 mixed daffodil bulbs False Cynear the Caboose were: Peggy Holly, Christina Levio, press in the Laura Beth Joseph, Leslie Bartlett, Chris Van Cleve, center. Patrick Wright and Ana Baker.
The two roundpedestal concrete planters that were donated several years ago by James ‘Bubba’ Sides had sadly been allowed to be mainly used for cigarettebutt disposal. They were relocated to their new home in front of Southeastern Butcher Supplies. The Beautification Committee volunteers also took on the task of decorating the Christmas tree in the City Hall lobby. Helpers that day in addition to (recently-elected board members) chairman Chris Van Cleve, vice-chairman Patrick Wright, and secretary/treasurer Ana
Baker were Tina Van Cleve, Leslie Bartlett and her son, Connor, and Shawn Miller. The Chadwick Homeowners Neighborhood Association recently donated $250 to the Beautification Committee via Lynn Leonard, president. Leonard has also issued a challenge to all the other Helena neighborhood associations to match this contribution!
HIS students send Christmas presents to kids less fortunate Students at HIS rallied to collect over 200 Shoebox Gifts for Operation Christmas Child—Samaritan’s Purse during National Collection Week, which occurs annually the third week in November. The boxes were filled with the student’s choice of small toys, school supplies, hygiene items, and accessories such as hats, socks, and t-shirts. Each box also included a personalized letter of introduction and a hand-drawn picture or photo of the student who put it together, although that step is optional. The letter shares the giver’s address as well, should the giver and recipient wish to correspond further. For $7 each, the boxes will
be distributed around the world and each box can also be tracked online to receive notification of its destination. The challenge for which class could bring the most boxes was a tie between Ms. Sarah Hopper’s and Ms. Amanda McDonald’s classes, each with 25 boxes. This program was coordinated by teachers Michelle
Saindon and Leslie Crowe, who are both pictured here along with their students, all
the shoeboxes they made, and members of the HIS Student Council.
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Helena Puzzle Exchange It’s growing in number—and they want you to take part The fact that some people spend hours working jigsaws can be a puzzle to many. But doing jigsaw puzzles—they first appeared in London in the mid-1700s and were a rage in the U.S. from the Depression through the 70’s—is making a big comeback in our culture and four longtime Helena enthusiasts want others to join in the fun. Jack Gray, Ron “Major Dundee” Holley, Janie Brooks and Tommy Nelson have organized the Helena Puzzle Exchange, located in the city’s Old Town Welcome Center, the L&N Caboose. Manned by Major Dundee and open most days from 7am to noon to greet city visitors, the Caboose now also houses more than 50 jigsaws available to others to swap out, take home and solve. Puzzle subjects vary and include trains, Civil War scenes, candy and lottery ticket collages and a view of Times Square. “We realized we all had closets full of puzzles that other’s might want to work and, if we made
them available for people to borrow, everyone who takes part will have different ones to swap,” said Jack. “We’re hoping people will donate their old puzzles because there’s no charge and it’s totally informal. And if you’re new to jigsaws, you’re welcome to come in and borrow one to start.” None of the L-r: Jack Grey, Ron Holley, Janie and Charlie Brooks. Helena Puzzle you can hop around, work one Exchange founders are new to side, move to another and that jigsaws, which can range from matches my personality.” hundreds to thousands of pieces Major Dundee said working each, but all enjoy them for jigsaws “is a pressure release from different reasons. everyday life.” “I’ve done puzzles all my life “I like the old time scenes and they’re a big challenge,” said that include the antebellum Jack. “I’m kind of ADD and
and Victorian periods,” Major Dundee said. “I especially enjoy paintings by Thomas Kinkaid. And I can focus on one piece, unlike Jack.” Janie Brooks, who started jigsaws at a very young age and by age 10, was doing 1,000 piece puzzles, said she loves working puzzles while watching TV because “it makes me feel productive.” Sign company Sundown Tint made the new “City of Helena Wel“My dad had started come Center” sign now on display in front of the Welcome Center buying me harder and harder Caboose. Here, Ron “major Dundee” Holley puts the sign into ones because I was doing place. The sign was purchased by the Helena Beautification Board. them so fast,” Janie said. “I’m a math major from way back and puzzles require a logical thought process that trains your brain and builds the skills of sorting and organizing.” Regardless of why, the Helena Puzzle Exchange founders hope anyone interested will call or come by the Caboose to give the jigsaws a try. To find out more, call 410-4496.
A new day, a new—sign?
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Jingle Bell Run 2014 honors Anna Grace McDonald
Helena resident Anna Grace McDonald has been selected to be the honoree this year in the Jingle Bell Run in Birmingham at Railroad Park on December
13. She was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis three years ago. Her team, Anna’s Angels, is sponsored by Regions Bank. Jingle Bell Run is sponsored by Nick’s Kids, a non profit organization run by Nick and Terry Saban that is dedicated to supporting children, family, teacher and student causes. Seen above, Nick and Terry themselves recently met with Kayla Smeraglia, Development and Services Director of the Arthritis Foundation; along with Parker, Christian Smith and Anna Grace. The Sabans presented their Nick’s Kids donation for the Arthritis Foundation to the three. This year, Anna’s Angels have engaged the community of
Helena again for support and this community always gives back! The group represented the Arthritis Foundation with a coffee & hot chocolate sale generously donated by Red Diamond at the Helena Christmas Parade. “Our Helena schools are participating and we have the support of our Helena Belles again this year!” said Anna Grace’s mother, Denise McDonald. “We are hoping to have as many as we can join our team this year as their is strength in numbers!” Join the Anna’s Angels team at www.jbrbham.kintera. org/annasangels. For more information, visit the site and click “MEET OUR HONOREE,” where you can read Anna Grace’s story.
Connor Gibbs, Bryson Rhodes and Parker Wilson are three younger Helena kids suffering from Juveline Rheumatoid Arthritis. For the Jingle Bell Run, they make up team KWAC, or Kids With Arthritis Can. “We would LOVE to have a lot of support from the Helena community for the Jingle Bell Run,” said Shae Gibbs, Connor’s mother. “I sure know Helena is capable of this!” You can join the KWAC team at www.jbrbham. kintera.org/KWAC
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2014 Huskies make playoffs in inaugural season homecoming Queen named Congratulations to Coach Watt Parker and his Helena Huskies football team on an outstanding first season! The team’s record was 5-5, but that was good enough to earn the Huskies a berth in the State playoffs! A highlight of this year came when the Helena Huskies defeated the Jemison Panthers in the inaugural homecoming game. A final score of 42-14 made crowning the first Helena Homecoming Queen, Allie Fain, even more special. Congratulations to Allie and the entire 2014 Homecoming Court!
Homecoming Queen Allie Fain
HHS 2014 Homecoming Court Freshmen
Hayley Johnson Caitlin Rutland Jacquelyn Webb
Sophomores
Bailey Everett Sarah Ellen Maddox Ashlynn Mays
Juniors
Jessica Barr Sarah Beth Dolinger Carly Stegall
Seniors
Brooke Barker Ashlyn Coats Allie Fain Ashley Traylor Anna Catherine Wilson
Homecoming Queen Allie Fain
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Don’t Let the Holidays Stop You From Getting into Shape! Friends Devon Harris and Trey Anger have devised a workout regime that keeps them extra-fit in both body and mind. By supporting one another, their work ethic and willpower are maintained and this adds up to visible progress. Devon has been a SNAP Fitness member since the Helena location opened. As a technical support rep for Jack Henry & Assoc., this location is convenient for him. Devon, a PHS graduate said, “I got lazy in college and gained 10-15 pounds, so I started working out. A friend who is a drill sergeant in the Marines helped me formulate my work out back then and we still stay in contact.” Trey, who had noticed the changes in Devon’s fitness
since high school, joined SNAP in May. Since then he has lost 40-50 pounds.Trey, who is in the LPN program at Lawson State, changed his diet and added cardio to achieve this. “It was a lifechanging moment when I realized how much progress I had made,” he said. “Devon told me that ‘all it takes is that one compliment to make you want to continue maintaining your fitness’ and he had it right,” said Trey. “And, if you want to make a change, you treat this like a regular job.” Each month, the men switch out their workout routine, which they devise mainly from the book 101 Muscle Building Workouts & Nutrition Plans. Their diet is selected from 200-musclefriendly foods. “First,” emphasizes Devon,
“you must consume quality fuel.” The two incorporate all the workout machines plus free weights and treadmill. Each session, they warm up with the whole body pull-up Devon demonstrates in the accompanying bottom photo. To determine the reps for each workout, they employ a highs and lows program, with each set consisting of 7090 reps plus rest in between. Some months they go “heavier on cardio” and Trey adds extra cardio after his workouts to “work on stubborn body fat.” Both Trey and Devon appreciate that “membership at SNAP is a great value; the gym is open 24-hours, and the facilities are always clean and in good working order.”
HHS Homecoming Festivities The first ever Helena High School Homecoming Day was packed with events— a pep rally, competitive class games, and the afternoon hilarity of the first ever Mr. HHS contest.
Emceed by Furman Taylor and Austin Moon, the participants wearing a variety of interpretative dress of the female persuasion included Logan Humphries, Mario
Coronel, Jonah Smith, Julian Sanchez, Tyler Corbin, Brady Young, Nick Williamson, Gage Ferguson, Ryan Burtis, Logan Barnett, Chase Gospodareck, Jacob Billings, William Collier,
Jason Miller, Cam Bowers, Bryan Roy, Joe Alcala, and Devante’ Edwards. The winner, Nigel Dollentas, is pictured here afterward, being congratulated by friends.
Mr. Helena High School Nigel Dollentas Fall Parks and Recreation Wrap Up—Jason Powers Tennis: Our 6 week USTA Tennis league allowed over 20 kids ages 7-10 years old learn the game and play in a competitive environment. All of the tennis was played at the Helena tennis courts on Monday nights in the Fall. Be on the lookout for more tennis coming in the Spring, both for kids and adults! Football: Helena was represented by five teams in the Jefferson Shelby Youth Football League this season. Our teams represented 2nd - 6th grade. 134 young men and one young lady participated in the football league. The 90 lb - 3rd Grade team, coached by Jamie Cummins, played for the JSYFL Championship on Saturday, November 22nd at Old Berry High School. The Cheer squad performed at the championship game as well. The 105 lb - 4th grade team, coached by Stanley Funches, advanced to the semifinals, but fell to Vestavia in an exciting end to a very
successful season. Thanks to all of our players, volunteer coaches and fans for the outstanding support of our new Helena Athletic Field, which opened in September. Fall Baseball/Softball: 9 baseball and 6 girls softball teams played Fall Ball throughout Shelby County versus teams from Chelsea, Alabaster, Pelham, McAdory and Jemison. Coach Jay Owens and his 7/8 Farm team finished runner up in their Fall league tournament. Thanks to all the coaches for their volunteer efforts in coaching our young kids in the baseball/ softball community.
Upcoming Sports/Activities: Basketball: Youth Basketball’s regular season began December 1. Helena has 19 teams represented in 4 different age groups. The entire basketball schedule, for all age groups, is posted on the Parks & Recreation website: www.helenaparkandrec.org
Please refer to the site for all games, dates & locations. Basketball team pictures will be held on Sunday, Dec. 14th at the Community Center. Spring Baseball/Softball: Registration will begin in late December and will run through mid to late January. You can visit www.helenaparkandrec.org for registration information and costs. The baseball and softball seasons will run from mid to late February through early May. A hat, pants and a jersey will be provided.
Baseball Leagues: Tee Ball - 3/4 year olds Coach Pitch - Rookie 5/6 yos Machine Pitch - 7/8 year olds Kid Pitch - 9/10 year olds Majors - 11/12 year olds 13/14 year olds 15-18 year olds Girls Softball Leagues: 6U & 8U - Coach Pitch 10U & 12U - Kid Pitch For more information about anything mentioned here or concerning our activities or events, call 620-2877 or email: helenarec@cityofhelena.org
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The Depot wins first-ever Paint the Town Husky contest In preparation for the first Helena High School Homecoming game, Helena businesses were encouraged to show their Husky Spirit in support of the football
16
team by participating in Paint The Towny Husky! More than fifteen businesses in Old Town and around the city participated by making, painting or hanging
Husky and football-related decorations around their businesses. Kristi Scozzaro partnered with the Helena Athletic Association and AHP Radio, both organiza-
tions who showed their love for Helena by sponsoring Paint The Town Husky. All the businesses who participated in the contest received complementary time on the airwaves—that is, Kristi or others came up with underwriting blurbs for the businesses that were broadcast on APH Radio during the Homecoming game. Pictured here are the winners: The Depot owners Tiffany and Matt Bishop, with Kristi Scozzaro and Helena Athletic Association representative Connie Rose Green. For winning, the Bishops received a gift card to the movies, a plaque and a plant. Congratulations to Tiffany, Matt and The Depot employeesfor creating the Most Spirited entry—we can’t wait to see what you dream up next year!
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Fatima’s Family Afhair proudly offering Tigi Hair Reborn products— salon is one of only three in state to offer this exclusive pharmaceutical line Fatima’s Family Afhair, celebrating 15 years in Helena, is proud to offer the exclusive pharmaceutical line Tigi Reborn. The Tigi family of products introduce the art of hyperdistillation technology to hair products. All three Tigi Reborn Journeys and 15 retail products are rooted in the newest scientific technologies for hair care, and all are available at Fatima’s. “Our staff attended a cosmetology conference in Atlanta, where they sat under Brandon Pope for a class on cutting,” Fatima said. Brandon Pope is
experienced in the cutting-edge world of hair, even working for Fashion Week in both New York and Miami this year. The stylists also had a special visit, right here in Helena, from world renowned cosmetologist Peter O’Toole. The London native came all the way to Fatima’s Family Afhair to train the staff in new hair coloring techniques. “Both of these were great experiences for the staff, and we’re very excited to do the new techniques we’ve been learning on the residents of Helena,” Fatima gushed.
18 Holidays 2014 / www.CityOfHelena.org
The salon is also offering complementary Tigi Reborn and conditioning treatments, which usually run about $20, to new customers. Returning
customers can receive the treatments at half off. “Head” on over to Fatima’s and let her stylists take care of you today!
Greater Shelby Chamber honors Helena Safety Officers The Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Safety Awards Luncheon was held at Pelham Civic Complex recently. Police officers and firefighters across the county were honored in the luncheon. The Helena Fire Department named Brett Gillespie its 2014 Firefighter of the Year. Captain Chad Agee said Brett began working as a volunteer with the Helena Fire Department in 2010, training to become a Fire Medic, which is his current position. The young firefighter grew up in Oregon, attending college in Iowa before moving to Helena to be closer to his sister. “Brett has just now acclimated to our
climate,” Captain Agee laughed. “He is a great guy to work with,” the captain continued. “We’ve been really blessed to have Brett with us.” “Thank you for what you do every day to make Shelby County a safer place to live and better place to work,” GSCCC CEO Kirk Mancer said to the gathered local heroes and their families. “The police and fire protection we appreciate throughout Shelby County is a direct reflection of the quality of life we all enjoy and one of the major reasons people and businesses move into our area.” On his off days, Brett adds even more to the Helena community, as he has become a
During the luncheon, the Helena Police Department honored Christopher Morgan as its Police Officer of the Year. “He’s a very special officer,” Helena Police Captain James Penhale said. “He’s shown many many times how dedicated he is to the city of Helena (and) to the safety of its citizens.” Christopher has worked with the department since 2004. The captain described how his dedication to his job helps him in his investigations that have led to numerous felony arrests. The captain also appreciates and wishes to applaud the officer’s willingness to help out the
department, or anyone, in any way possible. “Officer Morgan goes above and beyond. He has put himself at risk when others would walk away,” Captain Penhale expressed. One side effect of this willingness is that other officers often refer to Christopher as the “fix-it person” for the department. He was one of the intrepid and brave souls who directed traffic in snow and ice during the “snowpocalypse” in Central Alabama this past February. His resilience during that emergency shows how well-suited he is as a member of the police department’s emergency response team.
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Firefighter of the Year—Brett Gillespie Presented by Captain Chad Agee
regular trainer/coach to students in Helena High School’s fledgling athletic training program. Helping the local youth prepare for the future is a huge part of
the best safety plan for a city. Congratulations to Brett Gillespie for being named the 2014 Helena Fire Department’s Firefighter of the Year!
Police Officer of the Year—Christopher Morgan Presented by Captain James Penhale
Congratulations to Christopher Morgan for being named
the 2014 Helena Police Department’s Officer of the Year!
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We have circle time, songs, storytime, arts & crafts, and imaginative play—and all content is taught in Spanish. Classes will be held Monday/Wednesday/Friday beginning Jan. 5, from 9:00am-12:00pm (For ages 4-5) 2531 Meadowview Lane, Suite C Pelham, Alabama 35124 (near VES) (205) 721-8876
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Have a very Merry Christmas & the Happiest of New Years!
A Nurturing Christian Environment
Main Office 330 Canyon Park Drive Chase Youth Center 3050 Lee St. Pelham, Alabama 35124 Phone: 205.620.1616
Hours 6 am – 6 pm Mon – Fri
Chase Learning Center & Daycare is a child daycare and learning facility that offers a nurturing Christian environment for your precious children. We strongly believe that encouragement and compassion foster a productive and healthy learning atmosphere, and we are proud to offer that for your children. Call us at 620-1616 to speak with one of our staff members, or stop by anytime to tour our facility and meet some of our teachers. We provide after school pickup in Alabaster, Helena and Pelham and offer reasonable rates for after school care, summer care and holiday programs for children kindergarten through 12 years of age. We also provide infant care, preschool and private kindergarten. Call us today!
Thanks to everybody who helped make our First Friday events so successful in 2014! We will not have an event for January or February, but watch for our 2015 slate starting Friday, March 6, 2015
Dale Massey— first HHS Teacher of the Year “I was a student at Oak Mountain when it opened, so it’s neat to be a teacher opening HHS,” said Dale Massey, the 10th and 11th grade Advanced Placement U.S. History teacher at Helena High School. He was voted as the school’s first-ever Teacher of the Year. “It’s exciting to get to start a new school, and it’s an honor to be the first ‘Teacher of the Year’ at HHS,” Dale said. Principal Jay Peoples had nothing but good things to say about the teacher. “We certainly believe that Mr. Massey is an excellent choice to represent Helena High School,” Mr. Peoples said. “He has great rapport with his students and a strong commitment to teaching and student learning, in and out of the classroom.” Dale reiterated, “I’m really honored, I know there are a lot of great teachers at HHS.” Dale studied Communications
for his undergrad degree at Auburn, which he followed up with a real estate license and then Regions Loan Assistance training programs. When he realized he had no job satisfaction, he signed up to work as a summer counselor at Camp Sumatanga in Oneonta. “There, I realized I really enjoy teaching, getting to spend time with kids and affecting students’ lives,” Dale shared. “I’d always kinda known I’d be teaching and coaching, but I was too afraid to just go out and do it the first time,” he continued. So he went back to school, graduating from the 5th Year teaching certificate program at UAB in 2012. He started out teaching AP Economics at PHS last year, but jumped at the chance to come to Helena—he, his wife Stephanie and their two-year-old daughter Sara live in the city and love it here. “It’s an awesome little town. We love the community; it’s
exactly what we wanted for our family,” Dale said. “Everything came together at the right time, and I feel like I’m exactly where I need to be.” On top of his APUSH classes, he also teaches an ACT Preparatory class in social sciences for reading and interpreting charts. After school, he assists Watt Parker as the right end and special teams football coach. Now that
football season is over, he can focus on another sport he also serves as assistant coach for: wrestling. Interest in the sport has spiked in athletes at HHS whose crosscountry and football seasons are over. With wrestling, history classes and a daughter in the terrible twos, we wish HHS T.O.Y. Dale Massey a restful winter break away from school.
Masters in Special Education at UAB. “Now, Allison is our Kindergarten Special Education teacher, and she rightfully earned this honor from her peers,” said HES Principal Mary Cooper. “But this award is a reflection on all the Special Ed teachers and aides,” Allison insisted. “We couldn’t do it without everyone.”
She humbly explained how they work collaboratively to help children who struggle with academic or behavioral issues. “We all work so hard, I couldn’t do my job without my whole team.” Congratulations to Allison and the entire Special Education team at HES!
Allison Festavan—HES Teacher of the Year The Helena Intermediate School faculty has chosen Allison Festavan as their 2014 Teacher of the Year. “This school is filled with amazing teachers, so to be even nominated was an honor,” gushed the young teacher. “I knew others noticed me in passing, but that they pay attention to what I do—it’s extremely humbling to receive this award from such a top-notch faculty.” Being a great teacher runs in the family—Allison’s mother, JoAnne Hoff, taught in schools around Shelby County for more than 25 years. “I always loved children, but I also always said I wouldn’t follow in my mom’s career footsteps,” Allison laughed. “I’m a nurturer, so I thought about being a nurse for a while.” But once she started delving more deeply into her Early 22 Holidays 2014 / www.CityOfHelena.org
Childhood Development courses in school at the University of Alabama, she came to realize something very important. “Teaching is my calling,” Allison explained. During her years at UA, Allison completed hours of observation time watching kids in the Rise Program in Tuscaloosa, which showed her how far teachers with proper Special Education training can reach into a student’s life. She wanted to have an impact on students’ lives. “To see how well young children with special needs can develop when they consistently interact with their typical peers—it’s key in their development,” Allison explained. She began working at HES 11 years ago, as an aide for the inclusive preschool Eclipse program while she finished her
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 FOR VERY LIMITED SPACE! 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.
Helena native Garrett Roth won game design award
DMD
MICHAEL J.
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FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY
Garret Roth, a Game Studies and Design student at the University of Montevallo, has been recognized by Game Career Guide—a nationally recognized website for game design—for creating an innovative game in their most recent Game Design Challenge callled “Poetry in Motion.” The
goal was to design video games based on famous poems. Garret formulated his game, “Space Captain, My Captain!” based on Walt Whitman’s poem O Captain! My Captain!, which laments the death of Abraham Lincoln. This third-person action game, employing the excessiveness of Bollywood films and Japanese anime, is set during a civil war in outer space and pits Abraham Lincoln, captain of the battleship Union, against the evil Space Wilkes Booth and the battleship Confederacy, as the Union desperately tries to complete its final mission.
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Helena youth soccer represents city well in 2014 Helena Soccer Club fielded 11 teams, consisting of 110 players, during the Fall soccer season. The age groups range from U7 - U14. Helena competes in the Central Alabama Soccer League with other communities in Central Alabama. Three Helena based teams participated in the annual summer Alabama Sports Festival. Helena put together a U16 team for the competition, coached by Brian Gaskins, who finished as runners up in their division. Congratulations also to the U7 soccer team, coached by Kim Stinnett, for winning the U7 Fall soccer championship in the area. Shawyn Barton’s team has had two undefeated seasons over the past four and has a record of 35-4-1 since the team was put together. Boyce Steele’s U9 team went undefeated this past season and finished number one in their division. Coach Todd LaVercombe’s U14 team also won all but one game this season. Thanks to all the volunteer coaches for their time and efforts in teaching our young athletes the invaluable team and individual skills needed to be successful in sports and in life. The Helena Soccer Board recently named 50 players who have participated and helped build the Helena Soccer Club into the respected entity it is today. Congratulations and recognition were given at a recent meeting of the Helena City Council. Some of these young people and their coaches are pictured on this page, and/or are listed below: Landon Gaskins, Cameron Beery, Wynton Perry, Rutger Reid, Blaine Newman, Tre’ Fugich, Cael Cranor, John Ritondo, Roxie Crosby, Trevor Wasden, BB Barton, Trent LaVercombe, Madison Rhoades, Cameron Acton, Collin Cunningham, Andy Perry, Tyler Harless, Mac Costa, Christian Scholz, Seth Wright, Conley Geralds, Zach Fuller, Jake Daley, Joy Fuller, Jack Miller, Ethan “Toothpick” Cranor, Bradford Owen, Dominic Lane, Antonio Lane, Lena Ghabayen, Sid Singh, Alaina Martin. Also, Shawyn Barton’s current team, and the soccer players on the U16 team that placed 2nd in the state. Helena Soccer has grown from only 50 players playing intracity teams to at times over 265 players competing in leagues against teams from across the state. The program has produced many Number One teams as well as developed the kids into players who are competing in the middle school and high school ranks. Hats off to the dedication of our volunteers, parents, and most of all, the players!
Top: The U16 team with Coach Brian Gaskins. This team, with three others, participated in the Alabama Sports Festival. They won 2nd place in their division. Middle: The U12 Soccer Team poses with Mayor Hall and their Coach Shawyn Barton. Bottom: Here are all the U16 soccer players who took part in the Alabama Sports Festival and were present for recognition at the 11/17 council meeting.
24 Holidays 2014 / www.CityOfHelena.org
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JANE B. HOLMES PUBLIC LIBRARY
VISIT WITH SANTA DEC. 15TH AT 6PM!!! JANE B. HOLMES PUBLIC LIBRARY 230 Tucker Road, Helena • 664-8308 HOURS: Monday 10:00 AM-7:00 PM; Tuesday 10:00 AM-6:00 PM; Wednesday 10:00 AM-6:00 PM; Thursday 10:00 AM-7:00 PM; Friday 10:00 AM-5:00 PM; Saturday 10:00 AM-2:00 PM; Closed on Sunday. Good day to everyone! The Jane B. Holmes Public Library is rolling into the Holidays and new year with lots of new material and fun programs! Remember the library for your Holiday reading and entertainment! The library has a great collection of books, movies, and music with Holiday themes. A good Holiday movie or book is a great way to get into the spirit. Or try some Holiday tunes as you are cooking or decorating. Speaking of the Holiday, do you make New Year’s resolutions? If you do, the library may well fit into your plans! If your resolution includes becoming healthy, wealthy, or wise, the library can help. Check out some books on healthy cooking or exercise. Visit the track at Joe Tucker Park (library neighbor) for some exercise and fresh air. If you are trying to save money (who isn’t?), remember that the library is a FREE service if items are returned on time. Also, the library has great books that can help you economize. Examples include budgeting, career help, and finding free resources that you might have forgotten. Finally, if improving your mind is a goal, reading is a great way to build new skills, improve your memory, and develop your brain! Be sure to make plans to visit the library soon, and remember your library card is FREE if you live or work in Shelby County. An old Friend will be visiting the library soon! He wears red, has a white beard, and lives at the North Pole. Please make plans to visit the library to see SANTA CLAUS on Monday, December 15 at 6:00 PM. Bring your camera! Sincerely, Daniel Dearing, Library Director
UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES Story Time EVERY Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 AM Come by for this fun, free program every Tuesday and Thursday! Mrs. Jennie will be here to tell you some great stories and have a good time!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thurs., Dec 11
ALL DAY - Check out 10 books, get a FUN prize Mon., Dec. 15 6:00PM, Visit with Santa Claus! Bring your camera Thurs., Dec. 18 6:00PM, Friends of the Library Meeting Dec. 24-28 Library closed for Christmas Holidays Jan. 1-4 Library Closed for New Year’s Thurs., Jan. 15 6:00PM – Friends of the Library Meeting Fri., Jan. 16 Martin Luther King Day Display Mon., Jan. 19 Library Closed – Martin Luther King Day Thurs., Jan. 22 Check out 10 books, get a prize! Thurs., Jan. 22 Writer’s Night Program Mon., Feb. 9 Ultimate Couponing! Check out our calendar at www.cityofhelena.org (click on library) for more events and additional information!
Stop by soon to check out a book or two, a movie and/or some tunes—we have the classics to the latest releases and everything in between! TITLES JUST IN…
Gray Mountain – John Grisham; Leaving Time – Jodi Picoult; Shopaholic to the Stars – Sophie Kinsella; Private Inda: City on Fire – James Patterson; Diary of a Wimpy Kid – The Long Haul – Jeff Kinney; Pegasus – Danielle Steele; Prince Lestat – Anne Rice; Trading Secrets – Melody Carlson; Wyoming Strong – Palmer, Diana
GREAT FLICKS…
The Prince; Hercules; Begin Again; Step Up: All In; Secret Life of Walter Mitty – Classic Version; American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight; How to Train Your Dragon 2; Tammy; Jersey Boys
CLASSIC TUNES TO THE LATEST HITS…
Sonic Highways (Foo Fighters); 24 Karat Gold (Stevie Nicks); Montevallo (Sam Hunt); Sings the great Diva Classics (Aretha Franklin); Anomaly (LeCrae); Angels Among Us (Alabama); Cheek to Cheek (Tony Bennett and Lady GaGa) We also reserve books, music and audio materials at the Jane B. Holmes Public Library. Ask at the circulation desk or call the library at 205-664-8308 for details.
This is the special time of year when we pause to thank all of our advertisers for their support and thank you, our readers, for being active participants with us in producing each issue of the Helena City News. Without both of you, we would not exist. From all of our families to you and all of yours,
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa (And a festive Festivus for the rest!)
Artist Joel Bullock and his son Seth love Buck Creek Illustrator and University of Montevallo Fine Arts professor Joel Bullock is a former Helena resident and one of many artists who flock to Buck Creek in Helena for days of art and fun when the weather is nice. Whenever he can, he brings his son, Seth along with him. “Buck Creek been one of our favorite places since Seth was a toddler,” Joel said. “We play there whenever we can! Activities vary: throwing a frisbee, skipping rocks, throwing a football, or riding the
Buck Creek ‘rapids’ in an inner tube in the summer months.” The father/son pair even have a nickname for the area that Seth came up with: “Waterfall Park.” “We also have a tradition I started where we’ll get some boiled peanuts at a local market and snack on them until we’re ready to play on the playground,” Joel said. He added that he always buys his honey from Helena Market Days. While Joel is an illustrator by trade, he also knows his way around a camera, as can be seen in
his pictures here. He likes to take pictures of all there is to do and see along Buck Creek. “I mostly take shots of Seth, though, because he’s a very active boy who would rather I play with him than take pictures,” he said. Then he laughed, continuing, “Unless he finds a friend, then I’m forgotten at that point.” “Buck Creek remains a special place for Seth and I because it offers more than your standard park. From the falls to
the open fields, to the secluded playground. I only wish we could go more often.”
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Karen Miller AllState Agency moved into historic Helena home Helena can be thankful to have an Allstate Agent of the caliber of Karen Miller. She and her team work to bring you the best rates and service on Home, Auto, Renters’ and other insurance, and now, they also have a vested interest in keeping Helena history alive and well. Formerly housed in the strip mall behind Taco Bell and next to TruValue Hardware, Karen decided they needed a bigger, more prominent location. “My father, a State Farm agent for 37 years, owned the building where he conducted his business on Lorna Road,” she said. “I’ve always enjoyed the idea of owning instead of renting our office space.” When the owner of the house located at 5210 Highway 17 began looking for a buyer, she jumped at the chance. “I had been eyeing that building for a long time,” she said. “The more I talked to people about it, the more I realized what a great location it really was.” A Mr. Bell built the home in 1934 as his residence. The Farmer Family of Helena lived there for many years. Many
may know Robert Farmer—his grandmother lived there. “We were able to preserve the existing open front porch and convert it to a conference room with exposed brickwork inside and huge windows overlooking Highway 17,” explained Jessica Hallmark, Agency Manager. Along with keeping the existing rooms of the structure, the Allstate team made a 450 square foot addition of two rooms on the rear of the house. AmeriBuild Construction was hired to gut and refinish the building to get it ready for business. “We had to insulate the brick and replace the interior studs—which were true 2x4s—to bring the building up to code,” Karen explained. “However, we kept the actual tree limbs being used in the roof of the structure, which are pretty neat.” They also cut down a giant tree in the front for greater visibility and replaced the sidewalk—the tree roots had pushed out of the ground over the years. Landscaping and paved parking areas have also been added around the lot.
Starting her agency in Helena November 1, 2007, it’s only fitting that this Helena Allstate team opened its new location November 1, 2014. Karen concluded, “Please visit us in our new location, and see how we can help you with your insurance needs!” Tree limbs in the attic.
Back row: Jon Freeman, Terri Walton Front row: Leslie Pody, Karen Miller, Darren Bright, Jessica Hallmark.
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Helena Kiwanis Club elects new officers LISTED BELOW, L-R: Claudia Deason, Board Member Mary Cooper, Secretary Colean Black, Lt. Governor District 5 Dan Dearing, President Luther Jarmon, President Elect Jarrod Gibson. Past President Gene Maier, Board Member
Students get into Thanksgiving at HES Kindergarten students in Mrs. Kim McCown’s class creatively celebrated an early Thanksgiving as American Indians, each dressed in fringed ‘leather’ vests and feather headbands they decorated.
Helena native on the Crimson Cabaret Dance Team Congratulations to Helena native, Tristin Sharp! Tristin is a freshman at the University of Alabama and a proud member of the Crimson Cabaret Dance Team! Tristin graduated from Pelham High School with Honors in 2014 and was also a Pelham Pantherette all four years of high school.
30 Holidays 2014 / www.CityOfHelena.org
Tristin is double majoring in dance and business and dreams of opening her own dance studio one day. Her strong love of dance started at age four with her very first dance class. She is so happy The HIS Child Nutrition and blessed to continue doing Program had "mystery servers" what she loves in college while come to breakfast! The kids cheering on her favorite team! received clues all week as to who Roll Tide, Tristin! the mystery servers would be.
Helena firemen serve breakfast at HIS Members of the Helena Fire Department were the guests and helped serve breakfast to the kids! They helped serve almost 200 children at HIS in November.
HHS Marching Band has tremendous inaugural season The band competed this fall in two marching competitions. At the Heart of Dixie Festival in Prattville, they received straight superior ratings along with Best In Class Awards for Color Guard, Dance and Majorette. At the Pell City Marching Festival they received straight superior ratings along with Best in Class Awards for Color Guard, Dance, Majorette, Drum Majors and Percussion. They were also awarded the Ronnie White Award for Best Overall
Band with the highest combined average of any band at the competition. The band will be traveling in April to represent Helena High School in the Fiesta Flambeau Parade in San Antonio, Texas. The Fiesta Flambeau parade is a five mile long parade that will involve bands from not only the United States but Mexico as well. The unique thing about this parade is that since it is at night, all parade units, including bands, must be lit for the parade.
Drum Majors Trevor Wasden and Caroline Hull
Fire and Ice Ball and Silent Auction Benefitting the Helena Belle Scholarship Fund Saturday, January 17, 2015 7:00pm - 11:00pm Adults only Semi-Formal Attire, Cash Bar, Live Music Tickets available through www.HelenaBelles.com or any Helena Belle
HELENA’S SCENIC HILLSBORO TRAIL Hillsboro Trail is a beautiful, asphalt-paved, 12-foot-wide walking trail that begins in the Hillsboro Appleford subdivision on Highway 52. Originally part of the Louisville & Nashville (L&N) Rail Line, the land became viable for a trail once the mines shut down and the rails were removed. The trail provides an easy 1.9-mile walk through a scenic forest, while safely taking you under Highway 52 and Hillsboro Parkway. It comes to an end on the parkway where Helena Middle and Helena High Schools meet. Foot traffic, bicycles, and animals are welcome on the
trail—alcohol, camping equipment and vehicles are not. Hillsboro Trail can also be used as a beautiful backdrop for family photos, as seen with the Lansdon family below. Take a walk through one of Helena’s most scenic trails soon—it’s an experience not to be missed!
Shelli Abernathy— HIS Teacher of the Year Self-proclaimed “a little dramatic,” Gifted Resource Specialist Shelli Abernathy was voted Helena Intermediate School’s 2014 Teacher of the Year. As a teacher who achieved her degree in Gifted and Talented Education, she is right where she needs to be—teaching the best and the brightest that HIS has to offer! Principal Kathy Paiml spoke very highly of the teacher, saying, “She epitomizes the highquality teaching standards that parents and administrators seek in a teacher; she is wellrespected by her students, peers and parents.” The principal went on to explain how Shelli has “gone above and beyond to provide real world opportunities for our students.” Recently, she took a group of thirty 4th and 5th grade students to compete in engineering activities at the University of Montevallo Science Festival. To practice for the event, students built bridges, catapults and had an egg drop contest with the Helena Fire Department. “My son just replaced his car stereo, and sent me the old one. The students have taken it apart and swear they can put it back together again,” Shelli laughed. Computers have also been donated for her students to explore the circuitry. Their perseverance can be seen in Shelli’s class motto: “We’re not perfect, but we can pursue excellence.” Throughout the year, her classes are scheduled so that she has each grade for a 12-week rotation. 5th graders have the final slot each year so they can do their final big learning project with her before leaving for HMS. Last year, the students focused on inventions, and
chose to have an actual Shark Tank with local entrepreneurs as judges. This year, her students are learning to code. Her 3rd graders are using the Scratch program to learn the building blocks and vocabulary necessary so that they will be able to code. Her 4th graders participate in the Khan Academy, which uses 13 computer programming modules to teach students advanced processes and practical usage for coding. By the time these students reach 5th grade, their final project wIll be to create their own apps. “I want students to take the responsibility of learning things to better their own world,”
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Shelli said. “My job is to teach them to think and not allow them to give up, something which I strive to model however and wherever I am as a person. If I can get these kids to become passionate problem solvers, and continue to explore and learn beyond the classroom, I’ve done my job.” Shelli wants to help more than just her students. She lost her first co-teacher and good friend Laurie Snider to cancer several years ago, and carries on her legacy by organizing fundraisers around Helena and taking part in local Relay for Life events. In the past, for six years running, she also served the school as the HIS Committee Chair and representative to the county for the Shelby County Journal of Literary Arts. Meanwhile, in Spring 2015, she hopes to partner with the city council to sponsor “problem-based learning” competitions for her 5th grade students. “She is a wonderful resource to her colleagues in the area of differentiation and higher-order thinking skills,” Principal Paiml said of Shelli’s ideas, enthusiasm and drive. “She has led workshops in these areas and makes the time to collaborate with her fellow teachers.” “HIS is very fortunate to have her as part of our team. She is a deserving recipient of the title of HIS Teacher of the Year,” Principal Paiml concluded. Congratulations, Shelli!
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Author Heather Montgomery paid visit to HIS to encourage students Children’s book author Heather Montgomery recently visited HIS, bringing the science-themed books she is known for. Her very animated and inclusive presentation captivated every child in attendence. Much more than a fun read to gather information, her books encourage children to think like a scientist (be curious, ask questions) and to keep a personal journal with detailed descriptive writings, opinions and illustrations. She also teaches the students she meets to think like a writer, to employ observation, ask questions, research, write a draft, and revise, revise, revise to produce the final draft. These are skills they can use in all their classes to produce an informative 34 Holidays 2014 / www.CityOfHelena.org
and well-written article. Her titles include How to Survive an Earthquake, How Is Soil Made?, the Wild About Snakes series, Truth and Rumors: Mummies, and her latest, Wild Discoveries: Wacky New Animals.
Penny G. Weldon retires Retiring Magistrate Edith G. (Penny) Weldon was presented with a Certificate of Commendation by Mayor Hall at the October 20th Helena City Council. “Penny has given us 17 years of exemplary service as city magistrate. She is an outstanding employee willing to help all who need assistance at the front office window,” said Mayor Hall. “She has been a blessing as well as a civic and city volunteer. We really appreciate all she has done.”
HIS listed as a top elementary school
The website Niche evaluated and ranked 8,738 school districts across the US for its Best Public School Districts, using statistics, public data and input from 280,000 students and parents. “A high ranking indicates that the district contains great schools with exceptional teachers, sufficient resources, and a diverse set of high-achieving students who rate their experiences very highly,” the website states. Shelby County Schools was ranked the #15 system in Alabama, with an overall score of B+. Student culture and diversity, along with educational outcomes, are the two categories where the system scored highest, both with a score
of A-. Teachers, academics and administration for the county scored well, both with B+. The website also evaluated 57,553 elementary schools across the US for its Best Public Elementary Schools ranking. Helena Intermediate was listed at #74 in Alabama, with an A- rating. HIS kids have 94% math proficiency and 95% reading proficiency. Academic performance, the environment of the school district, teacher performance, and the students’ culture and diversity are factored into the grade for each school. Congratulations to Shelby County Schools and Helena Intermediate School for this recognition!
Bass Fishing Team casts off at HHS Cade Holcomb, HHS student and son of Genet Holcomb, the Assistant Principal of Helena Intermediate, loves fishing. According to his mom, he’s especially passionate about bass fishing. When he registered for HHS, and realized there were no extracurriculars or clubs that interested him, they decided to take matters into their own hands. “I contacted Principal Peoples and found out that the Fishing Club was not in the works,” Genet said. So she and Cade, along with the help of her husband and other parents of interested students, “got the ball rolling.” HIS fourth grade teacher Diana Statum is good friends with Genet, who knew that the teacher’s son Daniel Statum is an experienced angler. He grew up taking part in fishing tournaments and was a founding member of the University of Alabama Fishing Team while in college. This year, he took Cade to his first tournament and Genet thought he was well suited to coach the team, which he has graciously volunteered to do. “I feel really passionate about fishing,” Coach Statum said. “Just from a learning standpoint, fishing helped me develop the skills to deal with people and unforeseen difficulties. You can prepare yourself for all kinds of odds.” He
has enjoyed watching the benefits of a school fishing team finally trickle down to the high school level and is excited to bring this skill set to the students of HHS. “Learning to handle the highs and lows of a lengthy tournament helps prepare you for life, shows you how to learn from failure,” he asserts. “And scholarships are available to help skilled anglers to go to college!” The HHS Fishing Team, a chartered team of the Alabama Bass Nation, now has 18 official dues-paying members, with several other students displaying interest in joining. “This gives students the opportunity to learn lifelong skills, become better anglers and positively represent Helena High School,” Genet said. “We could have done this on our own, but we wanted to use the team to build more community and team spirit in Helena through the high school.” The HHS Fishing Team President is Nick Ragsdale, Vice President is Chace Gregory, Secretary is Cade Holcomb and Treasurer is Kopeland Rosser. Genet is the teacher sponsor for the team. Simmons Sporting Goods, Joe Rose Homebuilders and Turf Doctor are the first team sponsors, which have helped with the purchase of necessary equipment.
The team has also designed and purchased official team t-shirts for competition and are garnering a lot of word-of-mouth excitement at the high school. To prepare for tournaments, Coach Statum goes through the technicalities of rods and reels with the students and explains how different types of lures work. He shows and helps students practice techniques and skills for various lures and the importance of the perfect cast. He explains the impact that patterns in weather, local fish populations, and the history of a lake can have on the fishing experience there. Adult involvement during competitions is also vital, with many dads and uncles volunteering a lot of time to help their students. “Each two-student team participating in a tourney has to have a boat for competition, and since the school doesn’t have boats, ours is one of the ones they use,” explained Chris Gregory, father of Chace, one of the students on the team. “When I’m a Boat Captain at competition, I drive the boat, but the kids have to do everything else. They do all the fishing, handle the equipment and even operate the trolling motor sometimes,” Chris continued. “When you’re a Boat Captain, you can’t catch fish with the kids
but can still be involved,” Coach Statum clarified. Captains can suggest spots to fish, explaining the benefits of different areas and reasons for using different equipment at different times of year, water and weather conditions. The tournaments this team participates in are part of the Alabama Bass Nation high school trails, where each team has a 5 fish limit, and each fish must be 12 inches long and still alive at the end of the day weigh-in. At their first tourney on November 1, 16 members of the team competed, with an exciting three teams qualifying for state. “Some of these kids had never been bass fishing before that day, so it’s pretty remarkable,” said Coach Statum. Ben Rose and Scott Yunke made a top 10 finish, with the Chace Gregory/Nick Ragsdale and Andrew Pritchett/Cade Holcomb teams also qualifying. The money won by students in tournaments is kept in the team treasury, and along with team dues, will be used for future entry fees, traveling costs, and equipment replacement. “Fishing is never boring. When I participate in a tourney, I only sit down when I drive the boat,” Coach Statum concluded. “If that sounds like your idea of fun, check us out.”
Josh Goodwin— Exemplary Student Josh Goodwin is one of the exemplary young students among those who will graduate from the Helena High School Class of 2015. A well-rounded young man, he was recently accepted into Auburn, where he will major in Aerospace Engineering and Physics. Josh sees himself working for Lockheed in the future, and he also aspires to get his doctorate and teach physics at the college level. This vision, he says, has steered him since fourth grade. Josh grew up living both in Helena and Ft. Riley, Kansas, as his father is in the military. His parents, Mike and Christine Goodwin, agreed to locate the family back to Helena for his high school years, so he could be with friends he made while attending Helena Elementary and Intermediate School. His sister,
Sarah Grace, is in the 8th grade. Josh says his year at HHS has been overall a positive experience. He is enrolled in AP-Gov-
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ernment and AP-Calculus and is on the track team. Running track, Josh says, is a great way to learn to set goals; to expend the effort to improve your own best time. It also sharpens your focus and acts as a stress reliever. He is participating in the HHS Sports Medicine Program which partners with Lemak Sports Medicine. He has been a part of the small group receiving hands-on training by observing doctors and trainers at many area ball games. In the accompanying photo, he is shown with Claire Vaughn and Coach Corey Locks demonstrating taping techniques learned in the program. “In Kansas”, he recalls ironically, “about the most exciting thing to do was flying kites.” In Helena, in addition to his job at Publix, he finds some time to hang with friends; he and girlfriend, Claire Vaughn, especially enjoy hiking and rock climbing at Moss Rock Preserve. “One thing that I am very excited about at Auburn is their state of the art recreation center, a 50-foot climbing wall that is
free and available to all students.” Josh is active on the leadership committee of FCA and also participates in First Priority at The Church at Cahaba Bend, where he joined with long-time friend, Brad Payne, after moving back to Helena. When asked what advice he would give to incoming high school students, Josh replied, “I would tell them to not get caught up into caring or worrying about what others think of you. Don’t jump on every fad. Find your own style. People will respect you for having your own style.” “In my own soul searching, I have found it important to choose a focus that really matters; not something that will be forgotten by next week.” What change would Josh like to see at HHS? “I would like to see students being taught in terms of real life experiences. The current Total Points System is a very harsh grading system.” Josh Goodwin will cap off his senior year in 2015 with a nineday group trip traveling through Italy and Spain.
Major Oliver K. Wallace achieves lifelong dream of skydiving Coach Mark Sanders, Helena Middle School teacher, coach and bus driver, had the privilege and honor of meeting 93-yearold Helena native Major Oliver K. Wallace at the HMS Veteran’s Assembly November 10th. Major Wallace served in the U. S. Air Force from 1939-1945, the U. S. Army from 1947-1949 and again in the Air Force from 1949-1965. During this time, he served in WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Although Major Wallace
served in the Air Force during all three of these wars, he never got to parachute—something he had always wanted to do. So, on his 87th birthday, and again on his 90th birthday, one of the Helena Middle School bus drivers took him sky diving. That bus driver, Mike Wilson, is another Helena resident who, like Major Wallace, served in the Air Force. According to Coach Sanders, Major Wallace had always wanted to see the nation’s oldest (and arguably one of the largest)
Veteran’s Day Parades—which occurs annually in downtown Birmingham. Mike and Coach Sanders were able to go one step further for this deserving veteran. On November 11th, the pair entered Major Wallace into the parade and drove him in his first Veteran’s Day Parade. “Stories like this
one sure make me proud to be a Husky and to work and play in this great community,” said Coach Sanders.
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Adoption Story There are many ways to become a Parent today. In Alabama there are around 250 children in the foster care system waiting for a loving and caring forever family. Many have never felt the warmth and joy that comes from a permanent family. Most have been placed in agency custody due to parental neglect or physical abuse. The good news is the lives of these children can be brightened forever by just one person. Could that be you? In Birmingham and surrounding areas, the Alabama Pre and Post Adoption Connections (APAC) program of Children’s Aid Society has assisted 54 families in adopting a total of 92 children from the foster care system. This “assistance” involves adoption preparation classes, home
studies, help in matching families with waiting children, and supporting the families throughout their adoption journey. APAC partners with the Alabama Department of Human Resources to help find families for three types of children in the foster care system: 1) Children 8 years and older 2) Children in sibling groups of 3 or more and 3) Children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities as defined by the State of Alabama DHR. Mackenzie Smith from Helena, AL decided this was the way she wanted to become a parent. “Since meeting my daughter, I now know the true definition of a hero. A hero is a child who has endured abuse and neglect over a long period
of time then moved from place to place in foster care. Once he/she finally gets a “forever family” they still get up each day with hope that this really will be forever, even though parts of their mind still say it will not be forever. Watching my daughter live out this process has changed my life it is a privilege that she allows me to be a part of her
journey.” To see some of the children that are waiting for families you can visit our partner, Heart Gallery of Alabama, at www. heartgalleryalabama.com. If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more about the adoption process is your area please contact call 1-866-4-AL-KIDS.
them out there, but giving them the experience of presenting themselves to adults in the business world. They will have created two resumes; it may either be for a job or for college or a scholarship program.” “We want them to understand what it takes to get there and be able, also, to focus on new interests by trying multiple electives while in school.”
Students will be offered the opportunity of job shadowing for a day as well, and Bailey asked local businesses to consider hosting a student. Principal Peoples concluded, “If our students feel like we are trying to push them, they are absolutely right. We believe they can be great, not just good, and we want to prepare them for a world where doors will open.”
Helena Business Association The Helena Business Association recently hosted a well-attended program. Mayor Mark Hall first gave an update on recent progress and improvements within the community, and then HHS Principle Jay Peoples spoke of a new program to be implemented at the school. HBA President Bob Van Loan prefaced by saying, “You cannot go anywhere in America without being involved with business in some way. Knowing that, we will be supporting and adopting Helena High School as our signature non-profit for the My Future Program.” Principle Peoples expanded on the topic. “We are growing exponentially and putting everything we do for our seniors related to college and career readiness under one umbrella in this program. We will encourage not just vague talk, but specific discussions as we formulate a plan for each student’s needs and that includes addressing financial
aid if needed.” “We will construct a four-year future plan for senior students. We will engage in business education programs, we already offer a sports medicine program in partnership with the Lemak Group, as well as a sports entertainment/ marketing career path. We want students to learn what it means to work. Senior students in good standing may pursue an out-of-school work opportunity after 1:30 with parental approval. They will learn beyond what can be taught just in the classroom.” HHS Counselor Ms. Kim Bailey explained the upcoming one-on-one conference day that will be offered in conjunction with local business owners and employees. “We are not just throwing
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Stephen Grebel’s The Nutcracker is a family affair for Helena’s Davis family While many are spending their Saturdays watching football this fall, the Davis family has been dancing the days away. The four—Kenn and Winnie and daughters, Kennedy, 10, and Karrington, 6—are practicing for the upcoming production of The Nutcracker, put on by Grebel Dance Center and scheduled for Dec. 20 and 21 at Pelham High School. This is Kenn’s and Winnie’s second year playing the parts of parents in the first act’s party scene. According to Winnie, the two were encouraged to take part by their girls, both students of Hoover’s Gwin Elementary School and Grebel Dance of Pelham. “Last year’s production was Kennedy’s fourth and Karrington’s first and Karrington told me, ‘I want you and Daddy to dance, too’,” said Winnie. “I had danced with my church’s ministry but Kenn has no experience so I thought for sure he’d say no.” But Kenn was quick to agree and the two can be seen in two dance numbers, dressed in period attire while Kennedy plays the parts of party teen boy, lead soldier, candy cane and reindeer,and Karrington splits
her time onstage as a party boy, angel and mouse. Residents of Helena’s Old Cahaba since 2003, Winnie, a counselor at Simmons Middle School in Hoover and Kenn, a Regions project manager, said the family loves to spend free time in Cahaba Lily Park. “I’m from Demopolis and a country girl at heart, so I enjoy the quiet of Helena,” Winnie said. “But at the same time, the city is really growing, which is great. We love it here.” According to Winnie, the four also thoroughly enjoy their time in the spotlight for The Nutcracker. “The girls are always dancing around the house and practicing their leaps so they love getting onstage and performing all they’ve learned in class,” she said. “And as for Kenn and me, I wasn’t hesitant but thought he’d be nervous, but he went on and it went pretty well. In fact, he looked at me and said, ‘is it over?’ and I said, ‘yes, we did it’.” “It’s very exciting, wonderful having the whole family participate and well worth all the practice time,” Winnie said. The Nutcracker performances are Saturday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 21 at 2:30 p.m. at Pelham High School.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.grebeldance.com or at Grebel Dance Center. Tickets can also be purchased at the door and range from $5
to $15. All seats are reserved, and going fast, so patrons are encouraged to call Grebel Dance at 987-7234 to inquire about availability.
www.grebeldance.com (205) 987-7234
Below, Kennedy can be seen as a “party boy” during the Nutcracker 2012 performance.
“The 10th Anniversary Reunion in Pelham... an area tradition since 1970”
December 19-21 at Pelham High School Stevan Grebel’s
Nutcracker
THE
H E L E N A’ S C O M M U N I T Y O F FA I T H A.M.E. New Bethel A.M.E. Church Highway 261 • 201-5531 Rev. Wilma Merriweather Sunday School 10:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM
BAPTIST CrossBridge Community Church Starkey Street (off 261) • 621-2695 Pastors Harris Cook & Bruce Squires crossbridgehelena.com Sunday Worship 10:00 AM Wednesday Prayer Service 6:30 PM
First Baptist Church Helena
815 Highway 52 E • 663-7879 Sr Pastor Greg Walker • fbhelena.org Sunday Bible Study 9:30 AM Sunday Worship 10:30 AM & 6:00 PM
Gospel Light Baptist Church
5781 Roy Drive • 685-0772 Pastor Steve Kilpatrick • glbcbham.com Sunday Bible Study 10:00 AM Sunday Worship 11:00 AM
Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church
Highway 261 • 663-5257 Rev. Edwin D. Dinkins • mpbchelena.com Sunday School 10:00 AM Morning Worship 11:00 AM
New Elam Baptist Church Cunningham Drive • 663-2230 Rev. Lester Sunday School 10:00 AM Morning Worship 11:00 AM
Riverside Baptist Church
1919 Highway 52 W • 426-1910 Pastor JJ Stanbridge • rbchelena.org Sunday Worship 9:00 AM Sunday Bible Study 10:30 AM
Shiloh Baptist Church
6700 County Road 13 • 424-4539 Pastor Randy Keef Sunday School 10:00 AM Sunday Worship 11:00 AM
CHRISTIAN—DISCIPLES OF CHRIST Grace Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 869 Highway 52 • 426-1233 Pastor Tommy Morgan gracechristianchurch.org Sunday School 9:00 AM Sunday Worship 10:00 AM
EPISCOPAL Lamb of God Charismatic Episcopal
2383 Highway 95 • 664-4333 Pastor Van C. Houser, Sr. • nvcc4god.org 5140 County Road 17 • 378-8022 Sunday Corporate Prayer 9:00 AM Rev. Glenn E. Davis • lambofgodcec.org Sunday Worship 10:15 AM Children’s Church 10:00 AM Sunday Worship 10:00 AM
Voice of Faith Int’l Ministries
METHODIST Helena United Methodist Church 2035 County Road 58 • 663-0111 Rev. Mary Bendall • helenaumc.org Sunday Worship 8:30, 11:00, 11:02 AM
Church of Christ at Helena 2499 Highway 58 • 620-4575 Evgs Curtis Flatt & Bryan Moody church-of-christ.org Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM
1560 Cunningham Drive • 663-7396 Rev. Franklin L. Kirksey Sunday Worship 7:00 & 10:00 AM Thursday Bible Teaching 10:00 AM
PRESBYTERIAN Christ Community Church
The Church at Cahaba Bend 3721 Highway 52 W • 621-8060 Rev. Lori Carden • cahababend.org Sunday School 9:15 AM Contemporary Worship 10:30 AM
Meets at Helena Intermediate • 621-6248 Pastor Phil Chambers • cccbham.org Sunday Worship 10:00 AM
NAZARENE Trinity Church of the Nazarene
3396 Helena Road • 663-2174 Pastor Mike Ensminger helenacpchurch.com Sunday School 9:00 AM Morning Worship 10:00 AM
Helena Cumberland Presbyterian
Laurel Woods Dr. & Hwy 58 • 664-4659 Rev. David Shirer • nazarene.ch/trinity/ Sunday School 9:00 AM Morning Worship 10:00 AM
CHURCH OF CHRIST
New Vision Christian Church
NON-DENOMINATIONAL Cornerstone Church 2694 Highway 58 • 663-9332 Rev. Tim Trimble cornerstonechurchhelena.org Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM
Our community of faith offers many services and programs year-round. Please visit the church’s website for additional information about upcoming events and programs.
Attend the Church of Your Choice This Sunday! Expanded Showroom!
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PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL… We’re the Home of the Free Because of the Brave!
SGT Jon M. Aaron
SSG Jay Gortney
4/14 K CO (DET B), UNIT 43671, FPO AP 96426-3671; Al Anbar, Iraq; Karen Dickinson’s son
ARNG; 20th Special Forces; Iraq; April’s husband
SGT Steven M Bennett
USA; Ranger; Scofield BKS, HI; John Gray’s son, Lauren & Ryan Gray’s brother
SGT Brooks Gray
USA; Paratrooper/Rigger; Fort Benning, GA; Clara & Ken Lorino’s son
APO3 David R. Black
AMN Brad Hubbard
USN; USS Stennis; Bremerton Wa.; Ruth and Perry Black’s son
SPC Brad Bokenkamp
USAF Fort Gordon - Augusta, GA Rod & Susan Hubbard’s son
SFC Eric Bond
USA; Camp Liberty, Iraq; Ruth Meadows grandson, Kimberly’s husband, Bonnie Hubbard’s brother
USA; HHB 210 Field Artillery Brigade, 21D: Camp Casey, South Korea; Ed & Amy Bokenkamp’s son
SPC Michael Hubbard
USA; 82nd ABD, 1-504 PIR; Baghdad, Iraq; Paul Zimmerman’s cousin
SRA Mitch Braswell
USAF; 16th EMS, 16th Special Op. Wing; Afghanistan; Mike & Judi Braswell’s son
PVT Vincent Brown
USMC; Chesapeake, VA; Leonetta Prevo’s son
SGT Dallas C Caviness
SPC Eric Hunley
USA; 3rd Inf. Div., 1-30 Inf.; Ft. Stewart, GA; Jesi Mason Squires’s father, Bruce & Tammy son, Aubrey & Austin’s brother
Lt. Commander David Kang
ARNG; 152nd Military Police Task Force 382nd, Iraq; Andrea & AnnaBelle’s father
CW3 Corey Lefebvre
USAF; 552nd TRS; Tinker AFB, OK; Mark & Karole Traylor’s son
SGT Jacob S. Lenoir
USMC; 3-23 Inf; Baton Rouge, LA; Mark & Karole Traylor’s son
Petty Officer 3rd Class Erik B. McKenzie
USMC; VMMT 204 Flightline, MCAS; New River, NC; Keith & Sherill Vansant’s son
2nd Lt. Jacob Allen Meins
USAF, Special Operations Command; Kathy Meins Martin’s son
USAR; Afghanistan; Kathie’s husband, Maggie’s dad, Bette Ward’s son, Michelle (Lin) Saville’s brother
MSG Jacqueline M. Moore
Adam Walton
ARNG; 1/167 Inf. Bn Co. B, Operation Enduring Freedom; Afghanistan; Amy’s husband, Colin & Gavin’s father
1st Lt. William B. Cofer
USA; Fort Rucker, AL.; Tom Lefebvre’s son USA; Sniper Unit of 1-64 Inf; Fort Stewart, GA; Beth Eades’ son, Caitlyn’s husband
CPO Austin C. Daniel
LT James Brooks Dickey
USN; Carmel Pacific Ridge, 5925 Linda Vista Rd Apt #1323, San Diego, CA 92110; Charlie & Janie Brooks & Janet & Dennis Dickey’s son
USN; USS Curtis Wilber, Yokosuka, Japan; Bond & Lisa McKenzie’s son, Brooke’s brother, Megan’s husband
USA, 387th; Wichita, KS; Leroy E. Lucas’ wife, Cameshia, Shaun, Chibukia & Chris’ mom
SSGT Christopher S. Murphy
AEAN Benjamin Lee Doaks
USN; NAS Jacksonville, FL; Joe & Tammy Williams’ son, Rev. Clifton & Mattie Taylor’s grandson
LCPL Jared M. Fitzgerald
USMC; 9th Communication Battalion; Camp Pendleton; CA 92055 Rosemarie Butler’s son and Jeff’s stepson, Justin and Tyler’s brother
Petty Officer 3rd Class Justin D. Gilbert USCG, Machinery Technician; Key West, FL; Leslie’s husband, Annette & Dan Duffy’s son-in-law
SPC Patrick D. Sharp
CPL Michael Jeffries
USA; Fort Campbell, KY; Dorothy & Jim Cofer’s son, Deborah’s brother
USA; Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI; Carol Darrenkamp’s son, Jon & Stephen’s brother
SPC Dwight A Rosse Jr.
USA; 1-32 Cav 1st Bct, Fort Campbell, KY; Dwight & Michelle Rosse’s son, Britney & Carlton’s brother USA; 82nd ABD; Al Asad, Iraq; Shawn Sharp’s son
USN; Japan; Stanley & Sue Kang’s son, Sunny Kang’s brother
2nd Lt Eric C Darrenkamp
Lt. Colonel David Russell Rigg
ALARNG; National Guard Bureau Headquarters; The Pentagon Shirley & Rusty Rigg’s son & Kim Rigg’s brother
ARNG; 1/167 Inf. Bn Co. B, Operation Enduring Freedom; Afghanistan; Mike & Barbara Hunley’s son; late Chris Hunley’s brother
USA; 172 Inf. Brigade; Germany; Rebecca’s husband, Norah’s father, Rhonda’s son & Devin’s brother
USN; Norfolk, VA; Mike & Claudia Daniel’s son, Justin, Tatum & Autumn’s brother
SGT Peter J. “Pete” Reese
ARNG; 152nd MP Co.; Lauren’s husband; Kai, Sam, Dalton, Brook & Kaiti’s father Pfc Casey B. Reitz, U.S. Marine Corps; Norfolk, Virginia; Thomas and Suzan’s son, brother of Tommy, Joey, and Emily.
USMC; MWHS 3, San Diego, CA; Jack & Karen Murphy’s son, Alyssa’s husband
LT Commander Kimberly A. Oelschlager
USN; US Navy Hospital (Balboa)-Physician’s Asst., San Diego, CA; Ted & the late Sara Oelschlager’s daughter
Chief Petty Officer Termaine J. Pruitt
USN; NAS Pensacola, FL; Termaine Jr, Trevorn, Chelicia & Tristin’s father, Janice & Austin Pruitt’s son
SPC Ashley Bruce Squires CPL Rodney Stephens 2LT John M Traylor, Jr PFC Zachary S Traylor
SGT John Christian Vansant Major Maxwell B. Ward
USN; USS Nimitz; Randy & Peggy Walton’s son, Annalee’s brother
PFC Zachary Walton
USA; 3-1 Cav. Regt. Delta Troop; Ft Benning, GA; Becky Click’s son, Alex Walton & Sydney Mollica’s brother, Amber’s husband
FC3 William J. Welch
USN; USS Lake Erie, Pearl Harbor, HI; Devinne Brooks’ husband
E3 Spencer R. Wood
USN Corpman; Balboa Hospital; San Diego, CA Rish & Christa Wood’s son, Whitney Brown’s stepbrother
E-mail Helena active duty military personnel’s name, address and where they’re stationed to helenacitynews@aol.com. If your loved one has returned, PLEASE let us know so that we can keep our prayer list current. Thank you!
Merry Christmas from
H. EMMANUEL SCOZZARO, JR. ATTORNEY
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"Legal Counsel That Believes in Counseling" 205-624-3367 | 1-844-333-6762 scozzarolaw@gmail.com www.scozzarolaw.com 3965 Helena Rd., Helena, AL 35080 No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
42 Holidays 2014 / www.CityOfHelena.org
Helena Youth Cheer Competition winners This year, the Helena Youth Cheerleading Program included 113 young ladies from 1st - 6th grade, who performed in the annual Cheer Competition on November 16th. Cheering squads from 2nd-6th grade placed in the competition. Thanks to all the women involved in coaching and volunteering their time and efforts to teaching the young
Second Grade Cheerleaders 2nd place in Junior Division II
ladies the variety of cheer routines and teamwork needed to perform so well. Parks and Recreation Director Jason Powers gives an extra-special thanks to Crystal Jones for eight years of service as the Cheer Program Advisor.
Back row, l-r: Anna Grace Johnson, Kylie Scoggins, Hanna Williams, Lauren Sivley, Pamela Molina, Anna Kate Joseph, Sophia Howell, Avery Parton, Katie Huffman. Front row, l-r: Caleigh Yunke, Julia Vaughn, Regan Landry, Mallory Yarbrough, Marissa Shirley, Jordan Sprich, Maggie Claire Borst, Rebecca Anderson
Fourth Grade Cheerleaders 1st place in Junior Division III
Third Grade Cheerleaders 1st place in Junior Division III Abbey Bedsole, Addison Hines, Alysha McCall, Anna Gassner, Ashlyn West, Bryleigh Morton, Cammi Pugh, Charlotte Carroll, Emmie Allison, Grace Baldwin, Graysen Smith, Haley Porciau, Harley Morrison, Haylie Deifenderfer, Henley Montalbano, Katie Brooks, Lauren Sawyer, Lauryn Green, Maddie Saville, Madelyn Gray, Madison Massone, Makenzie Horn, Mallory Dickey, Miah Rosener, Morgan Howland, Olivia Orton, Petyon Traywick, Presley Lively, Rylie Worthy, Taylor Watkins.
Front row, l-r: Sadie Henderson, Allie Graydon, Victoria Mauterer, Sydney Risch, Hannah Owens, Molly Mustoe, Raegan McHugh. Back row, l-r: Olivia Martin, Allie Rae Anderson, Emma Sisson, Gracey Whipple, Acacia Brown, Macie Flynn.
Sixth Grade Cheerleaders 2nd place in Senior Division II Fifth Grade Cheerleaders 4th place in Senior Division I L-r: Amayah Green, Jasmine Spratling, Sara Anderson, Justice Bullock, Alex Erwin.
Front row, l-r:Â Gabby Kennedy, SaVanna Cook, Brittney Henderson, Cylie Jones, Emily Gruhn. Middle row, l-r:Â Brooke Baker, Abby Monk, Hope Fuller, Alexa Thomas, Addie Weathers, Victoria Whisenant. Back row, l-r: Kourtnei Britton, Aria Palladino, Lexi Partin, McKenzie Akins, Piper Parten, Emma Franklin.
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44 Holidays 2014 / www.CityOfHelena.org
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS REGULAR WEEKLY EVENTS
MONDAYS Exercise Classes, Helena Senior Center, 10:00 AM Police Explorers, Explorer Training Facility, 4:00-7:00 PM Fire Explorers, Station 2, 5:00 PM TUESDAYS Kiwanis, Helena Senior Center, 7:00 AM; 3rd Tues. 5:30 PM Story Time, Jane B. Holmes Public Library, 11:00 AM THURSDAYS Exercise Classes, Helena Senior Center, 10:00 AM Story Time, Jane B. Holmes Public Library, 11:00 AM
December
15th - Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00 pm - Visit with Santa (bring your camera), Helena Library, 6:00 pm 16th - Helena Elementary Kindergarten Holiday Parties 17th - Helena Elementary First Grade Holiday Parties 18th - Helena Elementary Second Grade Holiday Parties - Helena Planning & Zoning, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00 pm - Friends of the Jane B. Holmes Library Meeting, Library, 6:00 pm 19th - Shelby Co. Schools dismiss early, HIS 12:45 pm, Other Schools 1:00 pm 20th - Respite Care-special needs 0-21, must reserve aaronsstaffrespite.org 21st - Helena Historic Preservation Committee, Helena Museum, 2:30 pm 22nd - Shelby County Schools Christmas Holiday Dec. 22-Jan. 2 24th - CHRISTMAS EVE: Municipal Offices Closed Watch for Santa on the Fire Truck beginning at 2:00 pm 25th - MERRY CHRISTMAS: Municipal Offices Closed No garbage collection on Christmas, will run one day behind thru Sat. 31st - NEW YEAR’S EVE
January 2015 1st - NEW YEAR’S DAY: Municipal Offices Closed; Library Closed Jan. 1-4 No garbage collection on New Year’s Day, will run one day behind thru Sat. 2nd - Shelby Co. Schools Teacher Workday–No Students 5th - Shelby Co. School Students Back to School - Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00 pm 6th - Helena Business Association Meeting, 8:00 am, for meeting site visit helenabusinessassociation.com or their Facebook page 7th - Emergency Siren Test, 10:00 am 15th - Friends of the Jane B. Holmes Library Meeting, Library, 6:00 pm 17th - Helena Belles’ Fire & Ice Ball, 7:00-11:00 pm Visit helenabelles.com for more information or to purchase tickets - Respite Care-special needs 0-21, must reserve aaronsstaffrespite.org 18th - Helena Historic Preservation Committee, Helena Museum, 2:30 pm 19th - M.L. KING BIRTHDAY: Municipal Offices, Library & Co. Schools Closed Visit cityofhelena.org for council meeting info 22nd - Helena Planning & Zoning, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00 pm
February 2nd - Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00 pm 3rd - Helena Business Association Meeting, 8:00 am, for meeting site visit helenabusinessassociation.com or their Facebook page 4th - Emergency Siren Test, 10:00 am 14th - HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY 16th - Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00 pm
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Helena historical fiction author Crystal Watford Crystal Watford is one of Helena’s most accomplished authors. The HMS English Language Arts teacher is not only in charge of the school’s literary magazine, but she has also written and published three books of her own. She self-published her first book, The Past is Now, through the website CreateSpace in 2008. “I didn’t want to wade through dealing with publishers for months and months, I just wanted to get it out there,” she explained. “And it’s still more work to finish the design of the book than the writing!” CreateSpace works well, as it helps with formatting and gives the option to have her books available online through Amazon in softcover and Kindle editions. After The Past is Now, she published Overcome, and her newest novel, Birmingham Murders, 1888, came out just this year. Although Crystal started out writing in the summers, she now participates in National Novel
Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) every other November for the bulk of her writing. Several years ago, while teaching the Advanced English class at HMS, she wrote over 50,000 words during NaNoWriMo, and students in her class each aimed to write 8,000 through the NaNoWriMo Young Author Program, which she said they really enjoyed. “One of my students did a book report on The Past is Now a couple years ago, which was pretty cool,” Crystal said. “And Daniel Dearing told me he’s had a patron specifically ask for the Helena Public library to purchase Birmingham Murders, 1888, so they could read it.” Crystal now gives herself summers off for historical research. Why the need for research? Because Crystal’s chosen genre is historical fiction. “I love history, and I love the questions raised when learning about old tales,” she explained. “I want to be historically accurate and write a good representation
of what happened before adding my part, the fiction part, to each story.” For example, in Birmingham Murders, 1888, she extrapolates a story from the news articles, court notes and other recorded information from the deaths of Emma, May and Irene Hawes and surrounding incidents. Little evidence and many conflicting stories nevertheless led to the conviction of Emma’s husband, Richard Hawes. “This story—it doesn’t fully make sense, something doesn’t quite add up, but it was enough information at the time to incite a deadly riot and condemn a man to hang!” Past intrigue like the Hawes murders, especially around the greater Birmingham area, really
interest Crystal and give her a solid foundation to begin her novels. It’s hard for her not to get involved when the stories are so close to home. “The Hawes were all buried in unmarked graves in Potter’s Field at Oak Hill Cemetery, and I’ve looked into fundraisers to purchase headstones for them.” It seems the more involved Crystal becomes in local history, the more in-depth and interesting her novels become. We look forward to reading them all! To purchase her books, visit Amazon.com and perform a search for Crystal Watford.
Many recognized in recent city council meetings
Above left: Mayor Hall poses with a group of Dyslexia representatives after making the proclamation on November 11 that November is Dyslexia Awareness Month in Helena. Above: Mayor Hall presents Jason Powers with the 2014 Best of the Best Community Center Award from Shelby Living Magazine. Left: City Councilwoman Cris Nelson, far right, poses with the Helena Teen Council.
46 Holidays 2014 / www.CityOfHelena.org
Dr. Meredith George—HMS Teacher of the Year The past year has been a busy one for HMS Physical Education teacher Meredith George. Last November, the Alabama State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (ASAHPERD) named her Middle School Teacher of the Year and put her in the running for the national title. This year, she won the peernominated and voted-on HMS Teacher of the Year award. “I’m just so humbled that the other teachers here have chosen me for this,” she said. “I’m so grateful.” HMS Principal Scott Knight has had the pleasure of working with Meredith for several years, and said he can’t think of anyone who deserves this honor more. “She is a great coach and teacher, but an even greater person. She goes the extra mile for her students and is an outstanding role model for our girls.” From Boaz originally, she has
worked at HMS since it opened in 2008, and now teaches alongside her co-PE teachers Brandon Byars and HMS Athletic Director Bobby Cummings. Last December, after six years of work (she has been at HMS the entire time), she finished her dissertation and achieved her Ph.D. in Physical Education from the University of Alabama. “This gives me the opportunity to use a lot of new research in the field that I might not have normally,” she explained. “I’ve learned a lot about student behavior and motivation as well as student, teacher and parent expectations for PE classes.” When we caught up with her last year, after her ASAPHERD recognition, she mentioned a desire to teach in a college setting once she obtained her Ph.D. That desire has changed, she said. “The kids—they’re my family. I’d miss them way too much if I taught at a university.”
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the kids,” Meredith said. “Everything I do is for them. They make my job easy.” Principal Knight concluded, “She is beloved by our faculty and staff as well, and is always willing to assist me in any way. I don’t know what we would do without her.”
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She also recently learned that students will go out of their way to come up with something new and silly to call teachers they like. “Since I finished my doctorate, some kids have been calling me Dr. Coach George,” Meredith laughed. As the cross country and track and field coach at the school, it’s a very fitting nickname for her. Especially since she just led both cross country teams to victory for 2014! The boys’ team took first place in their league, and the girls’ team placed for the first time, coming in second in their league. (Congratulations to these scholar-athletes!) “I love my job and especially
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Helena Flag Football has tremendous first season In this, the first year of Helena Flag Football, more than 125 students from around the city signed up to play with other kids from Pelham, Alabaster and Greystone. Their league, Steel City NFL Flag Football, falls under the umbrella of the National Football League’s Flag Football program. The impressive amount of athletes who turned out for our new community sport had a spectacular impact, with 16 of the league’s nearly 25 teams entirely comprised of children from Helena. Helena resident Cliff Manus, president of referee company Cahaba Football Officials Association (CFOA), organized the league. He has come to know many coaches and parents in the area who were tired of driving as far as Vestavia for flag football. “When I called the parks folks in Alabaster, they’d already been talking of starting up a league, so we thought, we should work together,” Cliff said. Cliff utilized friends and contacts from CFOA, along with many vital parent and coach volunteers like Philip Graydon, who made teams’ practice schedules and helped coach a couple of the 6-7 and 8-9 teams, to pull the
league together in a short amount of time. The Steel City League runs under modified NFL Flag Football rules. Teams were comprised of 7-8 kids, and games were played 6-on-6. The league has girls’ and boys’ teams in separate leagues for grades K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-7 and 8-9. The registration fee for the league was $130.00, which included an NFL-style jersey and flags for each child. The 8 games of the regular season were played on Saturdays from September to November at the new youth sports field at the Helena Sports Complex along with three fields in Alabaster’s Buck Creek Park. The 19-game, end-ofthe-season tournament was held in Alabaster on November 1, and Helena teams won the championship in three leagues. The 4-5th grade champion team were the Giants, coached by Seth Berry. The 6-7th grade champions were the Saints, coaches by Carl Stringfellow. The K-1st grade team Cowboys, coached by Ernie
Spiller, become the runners-up in their league. “I think it was pretty successful this year, everyone seemed to be pleased with how the season went,” Cliff said. “Next year, we’ll get started earlier with both registration and the season itself.” Be on the lookout in this magazine for more info on how to get involved next season as Spring comes closer! Or give Cliff Manus a call at 205-432-9380.
Connor Radcliff, Tyler Wilburn sign letters of intent
Connor Radcliff and Tyler Wilburn are both seniors from Helena who decided to finish their last year of baseball at PHS. These two young men of Helena signed letters of intent to play baseball in college on Thursday morning, November 13. “This is a big day for us here at Pelham High, not just for the players and coaches, but families too,” Coach Sean Anderson began. “These scholarships will allow them to fund their higher education, which is the most important thing.” Connor, a pitcher for the Panthers, has chosen to attend Samford. “I like the coaching staff, their baseball program, and the campus, too, so that made my decision,” he explained, showing his excitement at becoming a Bulldog. Connor already knows he wants to major in business marketing, and Samford’s strong business program is another reason he will wear their red and
blue. “I’ve always played sports, and the field of business interests me, so my concentration will be in Sports Marketing,” he said. With a great high school baseball run and several years of college ball looming ahead, Connor will definitely be able to bring the athlete’s perspective to his career. Tyler Wilburn, another pitcher and outfielder for the Panthers, has chosen to attend Jacksonville State. He participated several years in the Excel Baseball Academy, which is near the school, and was able to meet JSU coaches there. This future Gamecock said, “Jacksonville kinda feels like home.” He’s looking forward to once again playing baseball with a few PHS students who already attend school there. “I’m excited about playing at the next level, getting a better education and just seeing where life takes me,” he said. “I’ll hopefully continue to play baseball at an even higher level
after college.” With a shoulder surgery and fractured fibula in his past, Connor went through some tough rehab treatments, where he became close with his physical trainer. “That opened my eyes to the career of sports medicine,” which he will pursue in college. Hunter Stovall and Sam Finnerty also signed letters of intent that day. “They’re super kids, great players, have a great work ethic,” Sean said at the conclusion of the event. “They didn’t just receive these honors, they earned them.” Helena resident and PHS
Athletic Director Kim Kiel agreed, saying, “Now all we need from the boys is for them to lead this team to bring home another state title for Pelham!”
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James Day preserves history Dr. James Sanders Day, Professor of History at the University of Montevallo and author of the book Diamonds In the Rough, spoke as part of a series of lectures leading up to the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the naming of the city of Helena. Day’s interest in the mining history of the Cahaba Coal Field was generated from his personal family history, as his father grew up in Bibb County, where numerous mine sites are located. Exploring family property with his father as a young man, Day learned that his grandfather owned a store and dairy in Hawkinsville, near the Piper I and II mines. In 1920-21, when miners went on strike, they lost any rights to credit at the company store. They began to come to get their supplies on credit at the Day’s store. Only two families, it is believed, were ever able to repay those debts and as a result, his grandfather was
bankrupted. He then went on to manage the mines’ company store. Day showed his audience the 1890 Survey Map of the Cahaba Coal Field saying, “I think it is as beautiful as a piece of art as it is geographical map.” He also brought an illustrated map (a copy) from 1922 Alabama showing mine locations in St. Clair County, Jefferson (tunnels off the Cahaba River) and Shelby and Bibb Counties. Day presented an accompanying slideshow of mining history, beginning with coal mining pioneer William Phineas Browne, who came from Vermont in 1849. Joseph Squire, an English mining engineer who worked his way across several states before ending up in Montevallo, joined with Browne. For over thirty years, Squire mapped the Cahaba Field, working on this geological survey.
Dr. James Sanders Day (right) with Helena Historic Council members.
“He was the authority on where the coal was, who owned the surface rights, and who owned the mineral rights,” said Day. Other early prominent names in the area were Isaac Taylor Tichenor, who moved to Siluria and worked with Squire; William Farrington Aldrich, who built the grand Rajah Lodge in Aldrich (which was sadly not preserved), Henry Fairchild DeBardeleben (the founder of Bessemer) and “Uncle Charlie” DeBardeleben. In 1890, James W. Sloss was first in this area before continuing to
Jefferson County and starting his well-known namesake furnace. The Cahaba mines that used convict labor were Belle Ellen in Bibb County, the Eureka Mines in Helena and Aldrich Mines. Day referred to this as, “a sad story in Alabama’s history.” By the mid-20th century, coal had been replaced by “cleaner sources,” Day noted. “Due to improvements in technology and the fact there is still coal here, the deeper areas are set to again being mined. I think coal is going to be around for a while.”
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New History Museum acquisitions Several new acquisitions are now on display on the lower level of the Helena Historic Museum pertaining to the extensive mining history of this area. Pictured here: a Civil War era pickax on display courtesy Alabama Mine and Reclamation and a wedge. The pickax is inscribed: Property of the United States Steel Corporation / Gurnee Mine, Shelby County Alabama / Relic of Civil War Mine This mine got its name from the Gurney family, which operated the mine during the Civil War era. It’s located off of Shelby County Highway 10 and is 800 feet deep. The museum has several examples of miner lanterns. Shown top right in the photo is one of the smallest from the Civil War era, but it would have been used until the turn of the century. This lantern, which hung from the miner’s hat, would have been filled with a gel that burned and produced light. The lanterns were called “Miner’s sunshine.” An early model of a carbide
lamp (above left in the photo) was donated by Brian Hinds. In the lower right corner (enlarged for viewing) is a rare token from the Eureka Coal Company also donated by Brian Hinds. It says “Good for 5 cents with Coca Cola Bottle.” In the same museum showcase are several tin lunch buckets. Newly acquired is George Siddons’ lunch bucket used at Garnsey and Straven Mines donated by his daughter, Irene Mullins. Also in this photo are brass tags. After a miner would load a car of coal, he would put this tag bearing his number on the car. When the car reached the mouth of the mine, someone would remove and record the number, determining which miner would be paid for that particular cart. Over the past year, Ken Penhale has assembled a large display of military artifacts including a wall of photographs of many of the men from Helena who served and those who lost their lives) in WWII.
Veterans Day has passed, but there is much to be learned on any visit to the Helena Museum. Open
most Saturdays from 9:00 – 4:00 and Sundays 1:00 – 4:00. Or by appointment: call 205-369-1448.
framed and I display it when I show my car. I have used the information in the “welcome letter” to research and find out about the original owner. After a lot of research, I found her: Mabelle Cisne (pronounced like SIS-knee) of Cisne, Illinois was the original owner. The town was named in 1870 in honor of Levi Cisne, a member of Mabelle’s family. Mabelle was born April 11, 1893 and died at the age of 88 on May 1, 1981. She was already
70 when she bought the Impala, brand-new, in 1962. I am in the process of trying to contact her children or grandchildren believed to be living in the Chicago area. I want them to see their mom’s or grandma’s car—totally restored 52 years later. I bet they will remember it. I have very fond memories of riding in my parents/grandparents old cars and I would pass out if someone contacted me on the whereabouts of one of those old cars.”
Coach Mark Sanders’ classic car Helena resident Mark Sanders inherited his love of classic cars from his dad, a Protestant minister. He shares his car’s story: “At age 15, my dream of being a teenage antique car owner became a reality with a 1963 Impala 2-door hardtop sport coupe. She sported red with a white top and had a 327-cid/300-hp engine under the hood. This 100-percent original, numbers-matching classic was in showroom condition. I’ll always remember dozens of car enthusiasts noticing the original battery cables still in use and the original spare tire in the trunk. It only had 48,000 original miles. Within a year, I was the only 16year old with an entry in the local antique car show. It was my pride and joy! I drove the car daily all through high school and I turned down numerous offers to sell. Unfortunately, I had to part with
the car in order to get a college education. Although it took me more than 20 years, I did get my second dream car. I bought a red and white 1962 Impala SS 4-speed 409 in June from May Muscle Cars in Fairfield, Ohio. It’s a very special car. I drive it daily, enter it in shows, and am having the time of my life. Most importantly, our children (8 and 11), are loving it—learning valuable life and financial lessons, and are already dreaming about becoming antique car owners. We’re are thrilled that we won’t be buying the kids “new” cars. Along with the Impala, I have a Welcome Letter, written on an old type-writer in 1962, from General Motors to the original owner. The letter somehow remained neatly tucked inside the original owners’ manual in the glove box for all these years. I now have the letter
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51
Senior Feature–Coke and Molly Clark Colquitt (aka. Coke) and Molly Clark lived all over the southeast during Coke’s employment with the YMCA. His last job prior to retirement brought him to Birmingham as Director of Resident Life at Samford University. Molly, who spent her earlier years as a wife and mother of two, honed her research skills working at the Samford library and took courses that spoke to her true self, which led her to graduate in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Religion. As Molly says, “I was born during WWII, essentially a child of the depression. Women didn’t have careers—it was before Women’s Lib, Sexual Freedom and Hippies. When my children were quite young, I came under attack from a women’s libber and I said to her, ‘I think a liberated woman is one who does what she wants to be doing.’” “I was doing that. By the time I was 35 or 40, however, I had given up the guise of ‘Southern Lady’. Entertaining elegantly on the good china and presenting myself fashionably were not of interest to me. As in the movie The Help, I, like ‘Skeeter,’ did not want to be playing bridge; I was more interested in talking to real people and learning their truths.” “In 1996-97, I began an internship as Chaplain in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, then became Board Certified
and Ordained. I held that position until 2007.” Molly and Coke moved to Helena in 2005, essentially beginning retirement. They both were (and still are) very active in the local chapter of Kiwanis, as Coke is a past District Governor. “At that point, I began providing pastoral care for friends and acquaintances,” Molly relates. “I was no longer employed by an institution, but did it because I wanted to and was needed by them as they moved toward the end of their lives.” “I have a ‘personal sense’ of when that end is imminent. I have the hope, of course, that it will not be the last time I see them and meanwhile I share songs and words of comfort that come to mind.” “The songs come in the moment. It may be the 23rd Psalm or Amazing Grace or Near To the Heart of God.” “The first time this happened was on a seminary assignment with the Independent Presbyterian Church. The lady was an Alzheimers patient with no cognition, but when I sang to her, I saw her eyes connect with mine, and she started moaning. I knew that she was singing with me.” “Music has always reached the deepest level of my being—it can be any kind of music. My mother taught me to operate the record player when I was
Coke and Molly at the First Presbyterian Church Senior Prom in February 2013.
young and I loved to dance, too. Mother offered me ballet lessons and I told her, ‘but I already know how to dance!’” Today, Molly still cares for three special “adoptees.” One is now in a nursing home, due to Molly’s intervention. She previously lived alone with untreated epilepsy. She has no family, but Molly claims her as a sister, paying her short visits throughout the week. Another lives a hermetic life with multiple health issues and a service dog. Together they walk the dog at the dog park once a week. “This is the service dog’s day off,” Molly explained. “They are trained to be there for their person 24-7, but they have to be “Rebooted” to maintain their interest and obedience.” For another friend in her 80s
who has balance issues and relies on a walker, Molly spends one day helping her with laundry, and they shop for groceries and perhaps have a meal out. “It gives me pleasure to be there for these women,” she asserts. “My title now might be ‘Honorably Retired Teaching Elder.’” As a Parish Associate, Molly still gives the communion service when needed mid-week at the Birmingham First Presbyterian Church. She and Coke plan to transfer their membership to the Helena Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 2015. Soon, Molly and Coke will be celebrating their 47th Wedding Anniversary! Congratulations to this couple who “still enjoy each other a whole lot” and have done so much for so many for so long!
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HELENA FIRE DEPARTMENT CHRISTMAS EVE SANTA ROUTES A Helena tradition for many years, the fire department sends out fire engines with Santa to visit these communities on Christmas Eve. Routes will start at 2:00PM. Due to Santa’s busy schedule, he will not be able to go on every street. He will be on a major roadway in every part of the city. Listen for the siren that lets you know he is near.
Gold Route:
Timber Lakes Saddlewood Sterling Lakes Long Leaf Lakes Glen Gate Asbury Parc Laurel Lakes Silver Lakes Glasgow Green Country Side Lane Oak Park Chestnut Forest Quail Ridge Creekwater Oak Brook Hwy 13 Honeysuckle Prescott Place Mossbend
Red Route:
Stonecreek Cahaba Falls Riverwoods Old Cahaba Hillsboro Tocoa Park & Falliston Jackson Square & St. Charles Coalmont Road Shelena Estates Wyndham Ashley Brook Brandywine & Fieldstone Breckenridge Park Rocky Ridge Scurlock Road Dunham Farm Shamrock Sunnybrook & Royal Pines Fox Valley Apartments
Green Route:
Chadwick Bearden Lane Cunningham Drive Lake Davidson Old Town Second & Third Street First Avenue West First Avenue East Rolling Mill Helena Road to Hwy 17 Roy Drive Parkside Jenkins Circle Shannon Glenn Cedar Bend Roy Court Hickory Point Harbor Town Fox Haven & Kingridge Braelin Village Timber Park Laurel Woods Amberly Woods Cherokee Crest/Navajo Hills Village Parish Tradewinds Circle Dearing Downs Woodvale & Augusta Pointe Surrey Trail Sugar Creek Cottages of Dearing Downs Bridlewood/Bridlewood Parc Plantation South
Happy Holidays from the Helena Fire Department! This is only a guide and is subject to change or cancellation should an emergency arise or inclement weather occur.
HHS Theater shines in first performance— Arsenic and Old Lace The new HHS Theater Department’s first production, presented early November, was the classic Arsenic and Old Lace, “Our audiences thought it was well-cast, they enjoyed the humor, and everyone has been very excited,” said theater teacher and director Jefferson Casey. “We basically started from scratch,” he pointed out. “One of my tasks during the first weeks of school was applying for grant money to buy tools and lumber to build the stage set. The set was completed literally twenty minutes before the first performance!” Casey, who last taught theater, English and baseball at Tarrant High School, is teaching Theater I, II, III, Theater Tech and Broadcast Journalism. “Some of my students came via Mrs. Stevenson’s welldeveloped program at PHS, but many are taking theater or acting in a show for the first time. When it was time for tryouts, 56 students came for the call, so I double cast the show.” “We did two teasers (school performances) so both casts got a taste of being in front of an audience.” “We had to lay the groundwork, also, as most of our kids are inexperienced actors. I needed to find the talents and abilities of each student and to this end, I chose a show that I had previously produced.” Casey continued, “I believe all students need to experience the hard work that goes into a production, so those who did not want to audition for a role worked behind-the-scenes in some capacity. I believe that helps them develop an appreciation for theater whether or not they ever want to be on stage.”
Students had to learn what call time means, when to have makeup applied, how to conduct themselves professionally throughout and the importance of cleaning up the workroom afterwards. Jeff Casey grew up in Homewood and was involved in community and professional theater as early as fourth grade (he played Oliver and Peter In this photo, taken prior to the final performance of Arsenic and Old Lace, are Andrew Black Pan) working (playing the character Einstein); Brayden Watts (playing Teddy Brewster); Jenna Goodson, Stage in Summerfest, Manager; Jefferson Casey, director, (center); Curtis Woods (playing Officer O’Hara); Cana Brown which became Red (playing spinster Abby Brewster) and James Jackson, Assistant Stage Manager. Mountain Theater. Putnam Spelling Bee and Fools using editing software to create Later at Duke newscasts filmed on iPhones. University while working toward by Neil Simon. As a new department, there Other teachers voluntarily show a degree in computer science, are understandably plenty of them in their classrooms.” he did some theater on the side, needs—more costumes, donated “Due to the nature of what it eventually changing to a double props, “barndoors” for lights, takes to produce our newscast,” major in Theater & English. gels for lights, racks to load Casey said, “we currently Casey met his wife, Lydia, lumber and organize tools, gobos produce one newscast every while in choir at Furman and gobo inserts and sanders. three weeks. We are looking University. Both have “Another thing I am working for a better solution to air backgrounds working in the our newscasts online, so that arts. Lydia Casey is currently the to bring about is a working theater library. To truly teach students can begin building a pastor at Second Presbyterian theater so that students become resume and portfolios and so Church in Homewood. more knowledgeable about that students and teachers can A second production theater as a whole, one needs to find the newscasts whenever is planned for the spring. read scripts and theory they want.” “However, being a new school, of theater.” “We need cameras, what that production will be Casey’s students read at least teleprompters, lighting and depends greatly upon the profit one play each nine weeks and more. Right now, our class is from Arsenic and Old Lace,” write a review. His selections are guerrilla journalism,” Casey Casey pointed out. “I want a currently limited to the books laughed. big cast comedy that will be from his own library. Anyone who would like to engaging and fun, but not too The Broadcast Journalism contribute to these Helena expensive to produce.” program also has many needs. High School Arts Programs Currently under “We have no in-school may contact Jefferson Casey at consideration are Bye Bye broadcast system. We have been jcasey@shelbyed.k12.al.us. Birdie, 25th Annual County TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Holidays 2014
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Season’s Greetings!
SHOP HELENA FIRST!
As the holiday season is upon us, please remember to utilize your Helena merchants and business professionals whenever possible. They are the ones you count on to sponsor your teams, classes and sales, so please return the favor by using them and recommending them to your friends at every opportunity. Together, let’s make 2015 the best year ever for Helena, the place we are proud and honored to call home. Happy Holidays!
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