Helena City News by Dave Smith

Hele H elena Ciitttyy New elen Newwss Serving the City of Helena and surrounding area

Holidays 2015

JACK’S RINGS IN THE HOLIDAYS WITH NEW HELENA LOCATION, HUSKIES & BIG AL!

HELENA KIDS GLOWING EXAMPLE OF A GIVING COMMUNITY HES, HIS, HMS, HHS, churches and scouts all held great holiday giving campaigns

HELENA RESTAURANT OPTIONS CHRISTMAS EVE SANTA INCREASE WITH NEW ADDITIONS ROUTES LISTED INSIDE Along with Jack’s, Marco’s Pizza and Lazy Boy BBQ have come to town

Be sure to watch out for Santa on a firetruck on Christmas Eve!

www.MyHelenaCityNews.com / www.CityofHelena.org

FROM THE MAYOR

Greetings to all! This Holiday season I would like to briefly share with you how blessed and thankful I am for having the privilege and honor of serving our great community as your Mayor. I am thankful for every single one of you and all the great things that we share and enjoy together here in Helena. I truly believe that God’s hand is on this City and I am blessed and thankful to be a part of this special community. I am proud and honored to call Helena my home and truly privileged to serve you. The annual Christmas parade was a huge success again this year. A big thank you goes out to the parade committee for all the

hard work and effort they put in to this annual event to make it a success. I would also like to extend my gratitude to all our street crews and public safety officers for working hard to make this event safe and enjoyable for all of us. Congratulations to all our Helena Youth Sports League teams, a couple of them went deep into the playoffs and several cheer squads placed from 1st to 4th in their competitions. Congratulations is also in order for the Helena High Track team and Volleyball team as they had great seasons and good showings at state competition. The Helena High School football team had another great year finishing at 9-3 before ending their season in the second round of the state playoffs. I am so proud of all our youth teams, band and cheerleaders here in Helena. You make our city proud!

In other news the City Council approved my request to rename Co. 52 West and Co. 17 to Helena Parkway, within the city limits. This gives identity to that area and business district where many of the new and larger businesses are located. As you may know Hwy. 261 through Old Town is also known as Helena Road, which helps identify that area where the Old Town Business District is located. It’s great to see Old Town beginning to thrive with an almost 90 percent occupancy rate. It’s also great to see new businesses in both business districts of our city opening their doors this month. Please remember to patronize all the great businesses and shops located here in Helena, especially during this holiday season! When you buy in Helena, you not only help small business owners be successful, you also help provide local jobs and much needed revenue for city services such as; fire,

police, public works, infrastructure improvements, parks & recreation and schools! The improvements at our Waste Water plant are under way. As you know, the project is in response to ADEM and EPA required upgrades to meet new permittting regulations for our sewer system. We are very happy to report that we worked this project down from $20 million to $8 million saving our customers $12 million in the process. We expect that project last several months with possible completion in late 2016. As we continue to look for traffic improvements, a Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham traffic study continues in the Helena Road and HES areas, and we hope to look at those recommendations in 2016. Other areas are a constant concern, and I will continue pursuing funds for improvements. As this year comes to a close I am proud of how far we have come in this city. With the continued hard work of our city employees and the support of our greatest asset, which is you, our citizens, we will continue to progress. May God bless you and your family this Holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Mark

Left: HHS senior Letter of Intent signers pose with Mayor Mark Hall. L-r: Grayson Gladden, who signed with Arkansas State University for golf; Mayor Hall; Reagan Curtis, who signed with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for softball; and Claire Vaughn, who signed with Troy University forTrack and Field. Right: Mayor Hall with Lawson State Voleeyball signee Artasia DeBose and her family.

2 Holidays 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

Kindest regards, Mark

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HMS Builders’ Club teaches service, giving It takes a special kind of student to become involved with a community service-centric club, and for these kids to commit to come to school early every week for this kind of club takes something even more, very dedicated students indeed. It says a lot about the character of students in Helena, then, when you see how the classroom of HMS English teacher and Builders’ Club Sponsor Amy Cook is packed with more than thirty students every Wednesday morning from 7:15 to 7:45. “The Builders’ Club is a community service club that meets on Wednesdays, and we do different things throughout the year,” explained Builders’ Club President Haley Hauck. Each semester, the club, open to students from sixth to eighth grade, has several service and giving opportunities for its members. “We do drives, such as our blanket drive in November, to collect things for people in need,” Haley said. “We also do fundraisers throughout the year, and donate that money to different places that need it, like Children’s Hospital.” The mother of eighth grade member Jordan Payne has been instrumental to their blanket drives. Mrs. Payne is a pharmacist who works with a nursing home right here in the Helena area,

and she has contacts in the Birmingham homeless shelters as well—she actually delivers the blankets to the nursing homes and homeless shelters herself. “We have also done school supplies drives to collect school supplies for children in the country of Honduras,” Haley continued. She actually delivered the supplies when her family went on a mission trip there. Builders’ Clubs nationwide are student-led organizations in middle schools that seek to provide students with service and giving opportunities, help them build character and develop leadership skills for the future. The HMS Builders’ Club feeds into the Key Club at the Helena High School level. Both of these club networks are supported by Kiwanis International. Vice President Will Rogers, who has been with the club for three years, joked that the main reason he joined the club was because of Mrs. Cook, who helped him adjust to middle school life in sixth grade. He thinks she’s cool. “Also, since it is a commu-

nity service club, and I wanted to be involved in one of those,” Will said. “I thought it would be fun.” Deztiney Hunter agreed: “I joined because I felt like helping people, I want to make others feel better, and I want to be a part of something so wonderful.” Faton Thiam, another club member, joined last year when a friend coerced her into trying it out. “I decided to stay in it because my brother was in Builders’ Club when he was at this school, and he always talked about doing stuff with nursing homes, and doing fundraisers and all that stuff, and I thought it sounded kinda cool,” she said. “And then Mrs. Cook is like, awesome.” In the past, the club has also collected shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, which sends giftboxes to those in need in the Middle East and Africa, but made the decision to help on the local level this year. “This is a great community to work with, we are very fortunate

HIS festively celebrates the holiday season On Friday, November 20, the HIS faculty and staff had the opportunity to wear their favorite sports team’s colors and eat up some delicious foods with a Tailgate Party before leaving for the Thanksgiving break. Helena Police Officers also assisted the office staff in decorating the Christmas trees in the office and main hallway.

and caring here in Helena,” she continued. “These are great kids, and they are very giving.” Now that their blanket drive is over, the club is working with the school counselor to anonymously sponsor two students, one boy and one girl, who are in need this holiday season. They are also joining with the National Junior Honor Society in collecting Toys For Tots this Christmas. Mrs. Cook challenged every student in the club to bring in at least one brand new toy this month for the Toys for Tots drive. Kimiko Robison pointed out that along with schools, churches are also taking up donations for Toys for Tots. Her parents will actually work with a larger group downtown closer to Christmas. “When we come back to school from Christmas break, we have to decide what service project we want to do next,” Mrs. Cook said. Something big is always in the works in the Builders’ Club.

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HHS Key Club collected shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child With the holidays upon us, many are turning to their closets and pocketbooks to help out those in need, and students at HHS are no exception. For the second year in a row, the HHS Key Club has participated in Operation Christmas Child. Established in the 1980s, this program matches shoeboxes filled with age-appropriate goodies for Christmas to children in impoverished areas in places like Africa and the Middle East. Items accepted for Christmas shoeboxes include school and art supplies, coloring or activity books, small toys, stuffed animals, sunglasses, blankets and even basic hygiene items like toothbrushes, toothpaste or soap. Perishable items and food are not accepted. Last year, with help from a school-wide competition and teachers, like Coach Lowery, for giving bonus points to those

who brought in filled shoe boxes or supplies, the Key Club was able to collect and build over 200 boxes. This year, the club collected even more. “A big shout out goes to L-r: Key Club President Emily Gustafson, Secretary Meghan Sullivan, Treasurer Emily DeCroes, Lola Deeveryone Croes and Key Club sponsor Angela Watson. Not pictured: Vice President Jordan Ingram. who President, with Jordan Ingram has been superb, not only for me brought serving as vice president and but I know for a fact for my felin supplies for the project,” Meghan Sullivan serving as the low officers, too,” Meghan said. said Key Club Treasurer Emily club’s secretary. Angela Watson is “I’m so glad I got to do this with DeCroes. “We, as a club, look these girls, my friends, and start the teacher sponsor for the club forward to helping you througha legacy of serving and giving this year. out the year!” back at HHS.” “Th e experience in Key Club Emily Gustafson is Key Club

HIS collects 225 shoeboxes, $667 for Operation Christmas Child The Helena Intermediate School Student Council sponsored a school-wide drive to collect shoeboxes filled with Christmas gifts for children all over the world, as part of Operation Christmas Child. The drive to collect gift boxes for Operation Christmas Child was held from November 3 through November 13, when HIS held a fundraising hat day. Students paid $1 to wear a hat in school that day, and the money was donated to Samaritan’s Purse, the organization that runs Operation Christmas Child. The funds will be utilized for postage or the creation of more shoeboxes. “We collected 225 boxes filled with presents and $667 to donate from the students and families of Helena Intermediate

School,” said Michelle Saindon. She and Shelby Formentano are the sponsors for the HIS student council. “We are extremely proud of not only our student council, but all of the students and families of Helena for their giving hearts and willingness to support our 2015 Operation Christmas Child drive,” Michelle continued. “We look forward to doing this project again next year.”

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HMS TALENT SHOW Congratulations to Rhett Jackson, the winner, seen right, along with all twelve student semifinalists for performing in front of the school and showing off their talents!

County-wide No Shave November effort raised more than $44,000

November comes as a refreshing time for some, and not only because of the cool, brisk weather. Law enforcement officials, like those in the military, are required to keep their hair short and their faces shaved yearround. Until last year, this was the norm for Helena and other Shelby County officers. In November 2014, the Pel-

ham Police Department issued a department-wide challenge: donate at least $50 to the Wings of Hope Pediatric Foundation, be allowed to grow out your beard for the month of November. The incentive to “let their hair down,” so to speak, worked well, and the Helena and Alabaster police departments, officers at Oak Mountain and others

joined in quickly, making it a contest between each department to raise the most money. Montevallo and Hoover Police Departments joined this year, and female members of each department got into the swing of things with painted fingernails, another luxury that is usually not allowed. More participants meant more money raised, and a total of $44,546 was given to The Wings of Hope Pediatric Foundation this year. The foundation provides financial and other assistance to families with terminally ill children, such as helping them keep up with bills, clean their homes and make meals, said foundation Vice President and Shelby County Assistant District Attorney Tonya Willingham. “We relieve families of the

day-to-day menial tasks and stresses so that they can focus more on their family and child,” she explained. Tonya was present at an end-of-the-contest celebration in Buffalo Wild Wings November 30, when the total was revealed after a beard-judging contest. “Oh gosh, both Dr. Dan Trotman and I were speechless,” she said. The funds were more than triple last year’s amount. “That means there are so many more families we can help.” She and Dr. Trotman started The Wings of Hope Pediatric Foundation in 2010, after she lost two children to Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1. Both they and the gathered policemen, policewomen, their families and friends all hope the event continues to grow like this every year and raises even more for the very deserving The Wings of Hope Pediatric Foundation.

Cahaba Dental, Wolfe Candy Buyback gave 55lbs of candy for soldiers

This year, after Halloween, Cahaba Dental Arts partnered with Wolfe Orthodontics and Jones and Associates to sponsor a Candy Buyback Program. Instead of eating all the “good candy,” trading some for more good stuff, and throwing the rest away, these business leaders asked Helena kids to bring them their leftover candy the after-

noon of November 3. The doctors paid $1 for every pound of candy brought in, with a total of 55lbs. And for every $1 the dentists gave out, they also donated $1 to the Food Bank of Central Alabama. The concerned dentist and orthodontist wanted to help the children make a little money as well as start to incentivize not eating as much candy. But those who receive the biggest benefit from this program are actually US soldiers deployed overseas. They receive the candy as a part of a care package through a program called Operation Gratitude. “A lot of people think, ‘why are we taking candy from kids and giving it to soldiers to rot their teeth’,” said Cahaba Dental

Arts Office Manager Hamid Mashayekh, laughing. “But what Operation Gratitude does is, instead of one kid having several pounds of candy, they basically take that and separate that into thirty boxes.” Operation Gratitude is a nonprofit organization that helps send more than 150,000 care packages annually to veterans, wounded warriors, soldiers and others. Many dentist offices across the US participate in Candy Buyback programs for Operation Gratitude. Hamid said they want to give back as much as possible to those serving our country. “Candy is a fun part of Halloween and we’re not trying to take the fun out of giving candy away,” he O R T H said. Sara The care

packages will also contain toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss with the candy, as well as CDs, DVDs, deodorant and a few other small essentials soldiers may need replaced. Although this was just the first time Cahaba Dental Arts participated in a Halloween candy buyback, Hamid said he thought it was very successful and he is confident about the program’s future, as they do plan to participate again next year. “I thought we would get anywhere from 30 to 70lbs, but we really had no idea going into it,” he said. “I think we’ll be able to get the word out earlier next year and bring in even more.”

O D O N T I C S Wolfe, DDS, MSD

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Helena Belles raise more than $2260 in Powderpuff Football Game As many know, throughout the year, the Helena Belles participate in many events in the city as well as many worthy causes around the greater Birmingham metropolitan area. These ambassadors for the city serve at many events, including ribbon cuttings, Christmas and Homecoming Parades, Easter Egg Hunts, First Fridays, Market Days, Camp Smile-A-Mile, Jingle Bell Run, Relay for Life, Buck Creek Festival, Save the O’s, etc. Going forward, the Belles will have a Fall philanthropy of choice that we will serve by raising funds for a cause they deem worthy. This year they will participate in the Jingle Bell Run, a 5K that benefits the Arthritis Foundation, so the girls selected the Arthritis Foundation as their fall project. The Belles held their first ever Powderpuff Football Game Tuesday, November 17 at the Helena Sports Complex, with funds benefitting the Arthritis Foundation. Arthritis

is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. Over 300,000 children in the U.S. suffer from Juvenile Arthritis. Left undiagnosed, it is a crippling disease. The Belles not only spent hours practicing football to prepare for the event, but also dedicated many hours to selling $5.00 tickets to friends, neighbors and families in our community to make this event a huge success! 46 of the 51 Belles were able to participate, with the Seniors and Juniors paired off against the Freshmen and Sophomores. “We were blessed to have teams of parents to jump in and help with ticket sales, ordering tees, media, planning, coaching and more,” said Denise McDonald, who recently took over Amy Bolt’s former position as Director of our Helena Belles. “Many thanks to Shetal Modi, Cathey Sarris, Erick Watson.” Although the timing was a bit of a challenge, Bill Miller and Lilly Clayton were gracious

in working with the Belles, helping to ensure that the fields were pristine and everything was organized and ready to go. “Lilly helped us in so many ways!” Denise said. “They really do have an excellent facility and I know they are proud of it.” Lillie Gaston did a super job with photography, seen on this page. Thanks go out to Amy and Travis Montgomery for heading up the coaching staff. They acquired some super coaches from Helena High: Spensor and Blake Benson, Richard and William Cummings, Garrett Hallmark, Caleb Coons and Cameron Crumpler all volunteered their time and talents and did a great job. The referees were Rod Davis, Riley Davis and Tyler Rose, and the announcers were Darren Bright and Brooks Brophy, who also gave their time and special talent for this event. In addition, HHS Choir member and President of Show Choir Preston Burks sang the

National Anthem before the game. A huge thanks goes out to everyone who lent a hand. The football players sponsored an amazing and hilarious halftime show complete with cheers, a pyramid and dance! There was an incredible turnout for the game, and the Seniors and Juniors came away with a final victory of 20-12. The tickets were also a raﬄe, so lucky people won a signed “Nick Saban” football, a Massage Envy Gift Card or Alabama Basketball Tickets. They thank the Arthritis Foundation for donating the raﬄe items, and Mayor Hall for attending the event and helping with the halftime awards. Most important of all, these Belles sold 450 tickets and raised just over $2260! The Belles had so much fun and all for a great cause to benefit the Arthritis Foundation. All of the proceeds raised will go to further research for new medicines to help fight this disease.

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Helena’s new Marco’s Pizza offers delicious, hot, fresh pizza & more! Helena has another delicious spot for dinner! Marco’s Pizza opened up in the old Backyard Burger building next to Trustmark Bank on Hwy 52, and they are serving up “Ah!thentic” Italian Pizza seven days a week. Inside are eight tables and five booths that offer seating for more than 50 people, with three TVs tuned to sports channels to keep you entertained while you wait. The average wait, even during the lunch or dinner rush, is only about fifteen minutes, which is to be expected for their delicious fresh-made pizza. Marco’s makes its dough fresh every single day and tops it with a special signature sauce, a blend of three fresh cheeses and only the freshest veggies and heartiest meats. In addition to traditional pepperoni and all the usual pizza toppings, Marco’s also has a special old world-style pepperoni that crisps upward into little bowls that add a delicious, crunchy flair to their pizzas. The ingredients are so fresh and the seasonings so perfect that even those who normally douse pizza in red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese will forgo these additions. Marco’s will top your crust (Original Classic, Crispy Thin or Gluten Free) with Garlic Butter, Roma Seasoning or Parmesan Cheese for free. You can order jalapeños, banana peppers, ranch, hot sauce, garlic butter,

pizza sauce and several other options as extras with your pizza, or opt for one of their fresh salads instead. Salads offered are Antipasto, Chicken Caesar, Garden, Greek or Chef. In addition to pizza and salad, Marco’s also offers eight oven-baked or “classic cool” subs on rustic wheat or Italian white bread. They can make you an Italiano, Steak & Cheese Bruno, Ham & Cheese Leonardo, Chicken Club Tuscano, Meatball Fabio, Veggie Fresco, Turkey & Ham Maximo or a Turkey Club Bravo. If you’re looking for a little something different in a pizza joint, Marco’s also has CheesyBread, a Meatball Bake, Chicken Wings done buffalo-style, tangy BBQ or naked, and Chicken Dippers with a variety of dipping sauces available. Got a sweet tooth? Check out their Triple Chocolate or Salted Caramel Brownies, or their flaky, delicious cinnamon sugar CinnaSquares, which are served with squeeze vanilla icing. Marco’s has dine-in, carry-out and and even delivery options, with online ordering available at www.marcos.com to help shorten your wait. The Helena Marco’s is open 10:30am-11pm Monday-Thursday, 10:30ammidnight Friday-Saturday, and 3-11pm on Sunday, meaning you can now satisfy your latenight pizza cravings without ever

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Connor Romanowski’s Eagle Project brings flagpole to HHS baseball field Helena is a community full of civic-minded, helpful people who come together year after year to do great work, and Connor Romanowski is no exception to the trend. He is a Helena High School senior and longtime Boy Scout who many in the community may know from his position as an outfielder on the Huskies baseball team. In spite of how hectic senior year can be, leaving students, and especially student-athletes, with little to no free time, Connor nonetheless dedicated a chunk of his time over the past two months to complete his Eagle Project—installing a permanent flagpole at the Helena High School baseball stadium. The flagpole includes a plaque with Connor’s name, Troop 2, and a description of the project. The 45-foot flagpole is surrounded by beautiful paving stones laid out by hand by Connor, his friends, family and fellow members of Troop 2. Connor will join an elite group of young men who have dedicated their time to make projects that benefit the city in very tangible ways. In the past several years, Clay Strozier, Alex Wurstner, Austin Hogue, Jacob Rozycki and others developed Eagle projects that have a positive and lasting impact on the community, and as of Friday December 12, Connor’s flagpole joined this group of landmarks

in which residents can take pride. In a special Flag Retirement Ceremony performed that day by members of Troop 2, several old, worn out flags were retired. Then members of the Matthew Blount American Legion Post 555 performed a flag raising, hoisting the new American flag they donated for the project to the top of the pole. Connor will see the full effect of his contribution each time fans salute the flag and sing the National Anthem before games in the upcoming season, and for many, many more seasons to come. His years of dedication and love for baseball are what compelled him to make this his Eagle Project. “The project means more to me, since I play on the baseball team and it’s so close to something I love to do,” Connor said. “It will have my name on it for a long time, and I’m excited to have it up here.” But this Scout knows he would not have been able to complete his project without help from the very community to which he is giving back. He believes that without help from the mayor and the city, he would not have been able to finish. City workers assisted in building the flagpole structure, as well as in digging the actual hole for the pole. “The city had guys come out to cut the concrete

Top: The flagpole following installation in November. Below: Special equipment was used to transport the flagpole to HHS. Bottom left: Connor packing down concrete. Bottom middle: Friends and family lay brick pavers around the flagpole. Bottom right: Cleaning the area.

for me, pick the concrete up and drill the hole for me and it’s wonderful,” Connor said. “Helena Landscape let me have sand, finite rock and bricks as well.” Connor concluded, “We’re thankful to have the kind of

connections we have in Helena, and thankful to all the people that made contributions to the project.” He will be an official Eagle Scout after a ceremony in a few months. Congratulations, Connor!

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18 Holidays 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

HIS Selfie Fun Run

Jack’s offers breakfast, burgers, milkshakes—Now in Helena! Helena’s breakfast options have now expanded with the state’s newest Jack’s Hamburgers restaurant! Located at 4864 Highway 17, across the street from Regions bank, the fast food restaraunt had its grand opening, complete with Mayor Hall, the Helena Belles and UA’s Big Al on Friday, December 4. A group of lucky individuals at the Grand Opening won giveaways for The Birmingham Zoo’s Zoolight Safari, free Jack’s for a year, and University of Alabama vs. Kentucky basketball tickets. The Helena High School Band also gave a performance before the ribbon cutting, and HHS cheerleaders came out en mass for the event as well. Jack’s donated breakfast the following morning for the Helena police and city workers helping with the annual Helena Christmas parade, and will make a donation to The Birmingham

Pipers, the group who lead the parade. If this is any indication, Jack’s plans to be involved in the Helena community are well underway. As a way to kick off their involvement, Jack’s made a $300 donation to the Helena High School Band. Jack’s Family Restaurants, Inc. was started in 1960 in Homewood by Jack Caddell, and now has more than 130 stores in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia. “We couldn’t be more excited about opening this location,” said Pam Measel, Marketing Director for Jack’s. “We strive to be a part of the community everywhere we go. As a family company, we’re excited to join the Helena family.” For those unaware, Jack’s features a wide range of menu items, including the “Big Jack”, fried chicken, hamburgers, crinkle-cut fries, salads, delicious

milkshakes and the award‐winning, made-from-scratch, buttermilk biscuits on their breakfast menu. The Helena location is staffed by local community members, including many HHS students. The restaurant includes a drive‐ thru, is handicap accessible, and can seat up to 85 inside. Helena’s Jack’s will be open Monday-Thursday 5am-9 pm, Friday-Saturday 5am-10pm, and 6am-9pm Sundays.

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Girl Scout Troop 30685 wants your purses

Troop Leader Tamika Bailey and the group of ten girls that make up Helena Girl Scout Troop 30685 have a curious donation request this holiday season. Do you have a new or gently used purse that, for some reason, you just never use? Donate it to Troop 30685! Do you have a drawer or baggie full of those little miniature toiletry items

they have in hotels? Donate them to Troop 30685! Tamika said their Girl Scout troop, which is now in its third year, makes a point to do several service projects every year. “We as a troop are very involved in helping others,” Tamika said. Earlier this year, for example, the girls collected lotions and lip balms and packaged them up with handwritten notes to give to breast cancer survivors. This time around, they are doing a Purses with Purpose

Don’t forget to treat YOURSELF this holiday season!

project: collecting purses and toiletry items to give to homeless women. The idea behind this project is specifically to help homeless women in the downtown Birmingham area. One aspect of homelessness that many people do not consider is that often weeks will go by with the homeless having no access to a way to clean themselves. And for women, having a period makes living on the street worse. It makes a terrible time in their lives even more difficult, frustrating, embarrassing and unsanitary. Therefore, donations of sanitary napkins or tampons are also greatly appreciated. Close to the end of the month, the girls will take the donated purses and fill each one with a range of toiletry items and necessities. Then, Troop 30685 will make an official trip downtown with the purses to allow the girls to hand out the purses

themselves to women in need. Having the items in purses makes handing out the toiletry items that much more discrete, and the purses themselves give homeless women a feeling of ownership that they might not have felt in a long time. “We would love to get our entire community involved in this project,” Tamika said. Do you have an extra purse or any small toiletry items you would like to donate? A drop-off box, labeled Purses with a Purpose, is located in Tamika’s front yard at 596 Bentmoor Drive, which is the street at the bottom of the hill from Helena High School. For more information on the Purses with a Purpose project, Girl Scout Troop 30685, or where to drop off items, please call Tamika at 205-249-7806 or send her an email: tamikalhicks@hotmail.com. Thanks in advance! The MaxCare Van is a Sign that CLEAN is on the way!

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Chan-Marshon wedding

Chan and Marshon Ford had an absolutely beautiful wedding November 14. The ceremony was located at the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, while

the reception was held at the Bridgestreet Gallery & Loft. Christine and Randolph Scott gave the bride away. The couple then vanished off to Secrets Playa

Mujeres in Cancun, Mexico, for their honeymoon. The Maid of Honor was Jenny Fennell and the Best Man was Andrew Hardin. Bridesmaids were Bennisha Peoples, Jihada Wiliams, La’Porsha Tolbert, Ashley Hardy and Kristina Green. Groomsmen were Rashad Goree, Myles Hardin, James Billings, Jason Hayes and Jaborris Frazier. Jaiza Ford was the Junior Bridesmaid and Dionte Tolbert was the Junior Groomsman. The Flower Girls were Jayla Fennell, Delilah Haltiwanger,

Kymber Williams and Jalynn Haltiwanger. Ring Security was left to Aiden Williams and Adrian Tolbert. The Honorary Bridesmaids were Erica Tolbert, Andrea Smith and Whitney Billings. The Attendants were Brandon Billings, Ryan Billings and Christian Billings. Chan and Marshon both love the Helena community and do plan to remain in the Shelby County Area. A final decision of where the two will reside has not been made.

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Grayson Gladden signs letter of intent to Arkansas State Red Wolves Readers may recall seeing the name Grayson Gladden a couple times over the last few years—she has been making waves as a highly capable high school golfer. On November 11, she celebrated her decision to continue her golfing career in college by signing a National Letter of Intent to Arkansas State University. She will play collegiate golf for the Arkansas State Lady Red Wolves women’s golf team. “It’s like a burden lifted off your shoulders,” Grayson said after signing her letter. “You’ve worked so hard for something and it finally happened and it’s just a relief.” Her parents, Lee and Shara Gladden,

are very supportive of her decision, and gave her a brand new putter as a gift. She hopes it will help her improve her short game. The HHS senior, who began golfing at age 9, averages a score of 76 per round. Grayson’s golf instructor, Scott Hassee, has been working with her to help improve her game since December 2014. “Her scoring average has come down about three or four strokes and her ball striking has improved tremendously,” Scott said at the celebration. “Her putting is the part we’re really going to work at. If we get her putting down to where it needs to be, she’ll be in the low 70s, high 60s competing

in tournaments.” Although she started her high school golfing career at PHS, she believes her time at Helena helped her get where she is today, because of the high level of competition she has faced in numerous tournaments.

“We get to play in the best high school tournaments so that helps a lot,” Grayson said. “The best tournaments are where the higher quality players play in and if you’re at a smaller school you might not get to play in those.” Congratulations, Grayson!

Artasia DeBose signs letter of intent to play volleyball at Lawson State HHS senior Artasia DeBose is excited to announce that she received a scholarship to Lawson State Community College to play volleyball—she signed her letter of intent at HHS in November. “She is Helena’s first volleyball player to sign a letter of intent and play at the next level and we couldn’t be happier for her! This is a well deserved opportunity for Artasia,” said Amanda Lewis, HHS Volleyball Coach. On the team, Artasia held the position of outside hitter. Her skills in this position made her a key player in the success that the team had this season, Coach Lewis said. Although, she added, “Artasia would never admit to that.” “She’s a very humble player and

a great teammate,” the coach said. “It’s been a pleasure to coach such a kind and talented player and see her develop over the past two years.” In fact, last year, her teammates and coaches weren’t the only ones watching Artasia’s skills grow. In September of last year, her performance in a series of matches caught the eye of Birmingham sports writers, and she was in the running for the Birmingham Metro Volleyball Player of the Week. Lawson State Assistant Coach Maegan Lo Porto came to show support during the event celebrating Artasia’s letter of intent. Coach Lo Porto can be seen in the picture to the right, standing

to the left of HHS Volleyball Coach Amanda Lewis. Also attending the event were Artasia’s parents, Toni Williams and Maurice DeBose, who can be seen flanking Artasia in the photograph. Artasia is excited to continue her academic and volleyball careers at Lawson State in 2016, and her parents couldn’t be more proud. And neither could Coach Lewis, especially as Artasia is the program’s first college signee.

“I’m excited to hand her over to Lawson and watch her mature and continue to grow athletically and academically. We will miss Artasia being on the court with us next year, but she has motivated others to rise up and fill her shoes.” Congratulations, Artasia!

Elizabeth Rowland supports Helena’s police officers and explorers On Monday, October 26, Helena attorney Elizabeth A. Rowland presented a check for $250 to Helena's new Police Chief Pete Fulmar. The presentation was made to honor the selection of Officer Josh Lindsey as Helena's Police Officer of the Year. The proceeds from her generous donation will support the efforts of Helena's Police Explorers Program. 24 Holidays 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

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H E L E N A’ S C O M M U N I T Y O F FA I T H A.M.E. New Bethel A.M.E. Church

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

Highway 261 • 201-5531 Rev. Wilma Merriweather Sunday School 10:00 AM Sunday 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

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

Shiloh Baptist Church

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

First Baptist Church Helena

CHRISTIAN—DISCIPLES OF CHRIST Grace Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

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

869 Highway 52 • 426-1233 Rev. Tommy Morgan gracechristianchurch.org Sunday School 9:00 AM Sunday Worship 10:00 AM

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

CHURCH OF CHRIST

Church of Christ at Helena

Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church

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

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

EPISCOPAL Lamb of God Charismatic Episcopal

New Vision Christian Church

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

Voice of Faith Int’l Ministries

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

The Church at Cahaba Bend

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

3721 Highway 52 W • 621-8060 Rev. Keith Elder • 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

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

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

Helena Cumberland Presbyterian

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

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HHS senior Claire Vaughn commits to run track at Troy University Claire Vaughn, a senior at HHS, recently signed a letter of intent to attend Troy University and join their track team. “I am so excited to go to college,” she said, during her signing party in the HHS Field House November 11. “Every time I think about it, I just get this nervous, happy feeling, and I am very much looking forward to it.” “I chose Troy because I really like the family environment and the team is amazing,” Claire explained. “When the coach emailed me, he told me I would have a good spot on their team. He is looking forward to making the team grow, and I want to be a part of that.” Claire started running in seventh grade, after a fitness test in gym. “I apparently did good on it,” she laughed. “My first period teacher, the cross-country coach, wanted me to start running, so I joined the team... two weeks late.” Since then, Claire never stopped running. Her biggest events are the Mile, the 800 and the 3200 for Track, as well as the 5K for Cross-Country. Her brother, Blake, wanted to start running too, as a freshman. So they started on the Cross-Country

team at HHS together last year. “I knew it would be a good place to start traditions, and I wanted to be a part of that, a part of something new,” she said. “I felt like a lot of good things could come from it, and I felt like God was leading me here.” Once she got here, her running took off even more. “Coach Heidi and Coach Sparks have been really amazing—they have helped me reach a lot of my goals, and they made me more confident in my running abilities,” Claire said. “They keep motivating me. If I have a bad race, they just tell me that they’re proud of me either way, and they want me to keep working hard. So they have really helped get me where I am now.” But, it turns out, she has helped the team just as much as the team has helped her. “It’s definitely been a huge help, just having her on the team as someone who had been running, been around the sport for so long and is just a leader on the team itself,” Coach Charles Sparks said. “It’s always nice to have that as a coach.” “She’s just one of those kids who is really coachable,” Coach Heidi chimed in. “When you give her something to do, you know

she’s gonna lead the team out there. She works hard every day, she tries to get better every day, and that is what you ask of your athletes.” “We’re very excited for Claire, she’s worked so hard for this,” her mother Kathie said at her signing. “It’s been a long time coming. We’re super proud of her, and she’s very excited to start a new chapter at Troy in 2016.” Her father Lee chimed in, laughing,“It’s gonna be a lot different around the house. Then again, we’re very happy, very glad she’s having this milestone in her life.” “We’d like to thank all her teammates, the parents who have cheered her on over the years, and the coaches—this has been the best sport, individually and in a team environment, it has just been

a blessing,” Kathie added. “Claire has been so excited to be part of building a new tradition here in Helena. It’s been great.” “I have so many friends and family members who are always there for me, supporting me and helping cheer me on, they have definitely helped me get to where I am right now,” Claire continued. “I’ve grown a lot closer to the team, and I’m going to miss them, too.” Coach Heidi isn’t too worried about missing her, though. “Her brother is still running for us, so that will be nice,” the coach said. “We’ll still get to see her once in a while, if she’ll come back.” Claire laughed, agreeing. “He’s pretty good, too, so I’m excited to see where he goes.” Congratulations, Claire!

Reagan Curtis signs letter of intent to Southern Illinois—Edwardsville HHS senior Reagan Curtis has now joined the ranks of many other talented Helena studentathletes who sign letters of intent to further their sports careers in college. Reagan, who has played school softball since seventh grade and year round softball on the Birmingham Vipers travel ball team for eight years, will continue her training at Southern Illinois University—Edwardsville. SIUE is a NCAA Division I school that is a part of the Ohio Valley Conference. In a celebratory event at HHS November 12, Reagan signed her National Letter of Intent. “I am beyond blessed to have family, friends and coaches that support

me so much,” she said. “I give all the glory to God for allowing me to play the sport I love and cherish and will continue to over my next four years at SIUE. I am really looking forward to playing softball for Coach Montgomery and Coach Jones.” An interesting quirk about this student-athlete: the center fielder throws left-handed but bats from the right side of the plate. Reagan started playing high school softball under Coach Amy Sullivan at Pelham in eighth grade, and it was clear the girl has skills. She helped the team win three area championships in 2012, 2013, and 2014; win two regional championships in 2013

and 2014; finish runner-up in the 2013 AHSAA 6A softball championship game. In a pivotal moment of 2014, Reagan transfers to HHS specifically to play under HHS Softball Coach Heidi Kouveras. Unfor-

tunately, a knee injury left her unable to compete last year, and required surgery just before the start of the season. Now that she is healed, Reagan looks forward to finally playing for the Huskies in the upcoming season. Congrats!

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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 4/14 K CO (DET B), UNIT 43671, FPO AP 96426-3671; Al Anbar, Iraq; Karen Dickinson’s son SGT Steven M. Bennett USA; Paratrooper/Rigger; Fort Benning, GA; Clara & Ken Lorino’s son

LCPL Jared M. Fitzgerald USMC; 9th Communication Battalion; Camp Pendleton; CA; 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

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 SGT Peter J. “Pete” Reese ARNG; 152nd MP Co.; Lauren’s husband; Kai, Sam, Dalton, Brook & Kaiti’s father

APO3 David R. Black USN; USS Stennis; Bremerton WA.; Ruth and Perry Black’s son

SSG Jay Gortney ARNG; 20th Special Forces; Iraq; April’s husband

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

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

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

A1C Brad Hubbard USAF Fort Gordon - Augusta, GA Rod & Susan Hubbard’s son

Captain Joshua Bowen USA; 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division; Fort Carson, CO; Tom and Susan Bowen’s son, Fallon’s husband

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

Captain Fallon Bowen USA; Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division; Fort Carson, CO; Tom and Susan Bowen’s daughter-in-law, Joshua’s wife

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

LT Sarah Bowen USN; USS John Stennis Aircraft Carrier; Bremerton, WA; Tom and Susan Bowen’s daughter

CPL Michael Jeffries ARNG; 1/167 Infantry Battalion Company B, Operation Enduring Freedom; Afghanistan; Amy’s husband, Colin & Gavin’s father

LT Jordan Bowen USA; 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Ft. Hood, TX; Tom and Susan Bowen’s son

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

LT Commander David Kang USN; White House, Washinton, DC; Stanley & Sue Kang’s son, Sunny Kang’s brother

2LT John M Traylor, Jr USAF; 552nd TRS; Tinker AFB, OK; Mark & Karole Traylor’s son

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

CW3 Corey Lefebvre USA; Fort Rucker, AL.; Tom Lefebvre’s son

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

PVT Vincent Brown USMC; Chesapeake, VA; Leonetta Prevo’s son SGT Dallas C Caviness USA; 172 Inf. Brigade; Germany; Rebecca’s husband, Norah’s father, Rhonda’s son & Devin’s brother 1st LT William B. Cofer USA; Fort Campbell, KY; Dorothy & Jim Cofer’s son, Deborah’s brother CPO Austin C. Daniel USN; Norfolk, VA; Mike & Claudia Daniel’s son, Justin, Tatum & Autumn’s brother 2nd LT Eric C Darrenkamp USA; Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI; Carol Darrenkamp’s son, Jon & Stephen’s brother

LCPL Casey B. Reitz USMC, MCSF Battalion, Naval Submarine Base, King’s Bay, GA; Tom and Suzi’s son, brother of Tommy, Joey, and Emily. Personnel SPC Second Class William T. Rice USA, USS Ronald Reagan, San Diego, CA. Son of Ginger Hamilton SPC Dwight A Rosse Jr. USA; 1-32 Cav 1st Bct, Fort Campbell, KY; Dwight & Michelle Rosse’s son, Britney & Carlton’s brother SPC Patrick D. Sharp USA; 82nd ABD; Al Asad, Iraq; Shawn Sharp’s son SPC Ashley Bruce Squires USA; 3rd Inf. Div., 1-30 Inf.; Ft. Stewart, GA; Jesi Mason Squires’s father, Bruce & Tammy son, Aubrey & Austin’s brother

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

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

SRA Tanner McGinnis U.S. Air Force, 90th SFS Tactical Response Force FE Warren AFB, Cheyenne Wyoming Ken & Jo McGinnis’ son

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

Petty Officer 3rd Class Erik B. McKenzie USN; USS Curtis Wilber, Yokosuka, Japan; Bond & Lisa McKenzie’s son, Brooke’s brother, Megan’s husband

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

2nd LT Jacob Allen Meins USAF, Special Operations Command; Kathy Meins Martin’s son

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

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

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

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

AEAN Benjamin Lee Doaks USN; NAS Jacksonville, FL; Joe & Tammy Williams’ son, Rev. Clifton & Mattie Taylor’s grandson

LT Commander Kimberly A. Oelschlager USN; US Navy Hospital (Balboa)-Physician’s Asst., San Diego, CA;

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!

HHS Cross-Country teams win first place, runner-up in championship

Above: The HHS Boys’ Cross-Country Team. Below: The HHS Girls’ Cross-Country Team.

Helena High School has had a second fantastic year of fall and winter sports so far. Both the Girls’ and Boys’ CrossCountry Teams performed well in end-of-season tournaments, following the trend they started at the state championships last year. This year, the Boys’ team won the Cross Country Championships for Division 5A Section 2, and the Girls’ team came in as Runners-Up in the same division. Victory over defending champion Beauregard High School was especially sweet for the boys—they lost to this very team by just one point last year. Coaches Charles Sparks and Heidi Kouveras said the girls also gave a great effort all around in the competition, but two Alexandria High School girls placing first and second helped that team edge the Lady Huskies to second place. “Coach Heidi and I were very proud of both teams,” Coach Sparks said. “They put in so 30 Holidays 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

much work during the summer, running a lot of miles and building their fitness up, and it showed during the season. To have both teams go to the State Championships for the second year in a row, as a second-year program, is so exciting for the program, the school and the city of Helena.” Seeing their level of success, it comes as no surprise that the team started the year off with a strong roster: twenty-three of last years’ championship-competing athletes came back again this year. The coaches knew they had a good shot of qualifying for state this season because most of the top runners from the previous season returned. “I’m hoping that all of them, besides the current seniors of course, will run on next years’ team as well!” Coach Sparks said. But this year, while the seniors were still running for HHS, they really picked up the mantle of responsibility. For the Girls’ team, Claire Vaughn, Maggie

Lucas, and Erin Atkinson were the team captains and senior leaders. “If I needed something done, whether that was leading group stretches, drills, or making sure to include the younger athletes on their runs, these three ladies would get it done without complaining,” Coach Sparks said. “On the Boys’ side, all of my upperclassman had a huge impact on the team, but one that stood out was junior Jacob Lackey,” Coach Sparks continued. “He was one that never complained about a workout or doing drills, but would make sure his teammates got those things done.” He said the senior guys, Steven Williams, Bradon Hulsey, Sam Woods and Curtis Woods, have also always made a huge impact on the team. “The younger athletes look up to them, and they are great role models. They will be missed next season,” Coach Sparks said. The coaches’ MVPs of this year are Blake Vaughn for the Boys’ Team and Maggie Lucas for the Girls’ Team. “Blake was consistently our lead runner all season and progressed really well. He won the 2015 Helena Invitational, was All-Section at the 5A Section 2 Meet and was on the 5A All-State team by placing 13th at the State meet with a personal best time of 17:10,” Coach Sparks said. “Maggie was always one of our top runners this season. She was on the All-Section team for the 5A Section 2 Meet and was on the All-State team by placing 14th with a time of 20:32.” According to the coaches, the biggest challenge for both teams this year was adapting to a new training program. For runners, consistency is a huge part of training and success overall. Adapting to a new training program can take time and it can be a struggle for some athletes

to persevere until the end of the season, where the results of the training show. “To offset that challenge, we started summer training as early as we could and spent a lot of time in the summer using a new training plan,” Coach Sparks said. “Starting early in the summer helped the athletes learn their routines and establish those before the season started, so we could focus on racing during the season.” The coaches plan on implementing more strength training during the upcoming summer to help keep their studentathletes as injury-free as possible in such a high-impact sport. “We did a lot of work on softer surfaces during training, but injuries are always likely to happen,” Coach Sparks explained. “My main goal is to help the athletes get better and compete, but we have to stay healthy to make sure that happens!” To recognize the support the team has received from HHS Principal April Brand, Athletic Director Watt Parker and many others, the coaches wanted to extend thanks. “I just want to thank the city of Helena, Helena High School, and the parents for all of their hard work and support this season,” Coach Sparks acknowledged. “Being in a community like Helena is a blessing. There are places all over the country where coaches, athletic teams, and schools are not supported by the surrounding community, which is hard for anyone.” “The amount of support I was given by Helena allowed the team atmosphere to stay true to what we wanted to do, which was get better and grow as individual athletes and as a team,” he concluded. “I am so thankful to be here and am looking forward to the continued success of all of Helena High Schools’ programs.”

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wraps for the truck. “We looked at the basic quint truck replacement to keep us in good standing with ISO,” the mayor said. “But this truck kind of fell in our laps, and was an incredible opportunity, so we moved fast.” The truck is a 2013

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Rocking S Farm equestrians win big at National Academy Championship One of the truly unique resources available to residents Helena is the beautiful Rocking S Farm. The farm not only houses horses and teaches people how to ride the gentle animals, but also trains English Saddleseat-style equestrians. As a matter of fact, October 30-November 1, seven riders from Rocking S attended and competed in the 16th annual National Academy Championship Finals Horse Show. Their rider and Helena native Alexandra Hughes won the national championship for the Walk and Trot 9-12 Pleasure Divsion! Suzanne Schnetzler is the owner of Rocking S Farm, and she has been helping train as many as 30 girls at a time for several years now. She and Holli Hobbs guide their development as riders with help from Suzanne’s daughter Christi. “You have to have real passion to do this job. You do it because you love the kids and seeing them do something they love,” Suzanne said. And the friendships the girls make on the farm are astounding. “The 6-year-olds will hang out with the 12-year-olds and they’re all just talking about horses,”Christi added. “Barn friends really are something dif-

34 Holidays 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

ferent.” The mother and daughter agreed this is the largest group of equestriennes they have taken to the National Academy Championship—up from last year’s five. “Most of these girls—and all who go to competitions—have that passion, the drive to be the best they can be,” Suzanne said. “Even though they don’t have to, they all help out at the barn. They know how to clean it and tend to the horses and they love helping out without being told.” While the championship is daunting and the number of other riders can be intimidating, Rockin’ S Farm “Rockstars” don’t back down. “We haven’t ever had a girl participate and say she didn’t want to go back,” Suzanne said. “There are horses at the national competition from all over the U.S., and 19 states were represented this year,” Susanne explained. “So there was a lot of good competition. And it was the best year for all the girls in competition we’ve ever had.” Hosted in Murfreesboro, Tennessee at MTSU, the tournament showcased the skills of more than 830 riders, a fact that makes all of their girls’ performances all the more impressive. They must have

Above: Rocking S Farm 2015 Nationals winners with their ribbons, in no particular order: Alexandra Hughes, Elise Kelly, Kaitlyn Shebs and Grace Dikeman. Not pictured: Carolyn White and Laura Dogtle. Below: Alexandra Hughes.

good form while keeping good communication with their horse as they do their gait to the best of the horse’s ability. Three judges score each rider and the scores are averaged. While the farm has had riders place before, Alexandra is their first national champion! In different categories, she and Witchy Woman Too received a first and second place, a top four and placed in the top 10 in the equitation final. They received first place in the pleasure final in the walk and trot 9-12 age group. All the girls who went this year did well, with three other Top Ten finalists and three Top Ten in the qualifiers. Rider Grace Dikeman’s mother is excited about her qualifying-round 9th place spots in both the pleasure and equitation categories. “Grace was thrilled. After participating in her first competition last year, our goal this year was just to place,” Mrs. Dikerman said. Elise Kelly and High Points Attitude placed 10 out of 12; Kaitlyn Shebs and Philip Philip placed eight

out of 12; and Grace on Fleetwood placed nine out of 12. Carolyn White and Fleetwood placed in the top three spots all the way through competition and placed top three again in the two finals in the Adult Walk and Trot Division. Laura Dogtle and Bold Ego placed in the top three and then top 10 in the two Adult Walk Trot Canter finals. Finally, Emma Farnlacher on Cadillac’s Crystal won first out of 15, a top three, a top four, two top 10 and two finals of the Walk Trot Canter. It’s worth noting that these riders have won many other awards at this and other competitions in the past. “The advantage to this horse show is that the riders are competing on a national level instead of locally,” Suzanne said. “It’s one of the toughest competitions they’ll ever be involved in in the academy division.” Next, they attended a winter tournament December 12 in Hartselle, with ones to follow in January and February. In the spring and summer, they change from casual horse tournaments to the more serious and dressy horse shows. And they will watch the World Championships in Lousville in August—a performance competition in which Christi participated in the past. Many of these girls aspire to follow in her horse’s footsteps, and are well on their way! Congratulations, girls!

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

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

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The cost is $15.00 and tickets can be purchased from any Helena Middle School Band Student or at the door. Entertainment will be provided by the Helena Middle School Jazz Band. There will be items up for bidding during the evening both as silent and live auction events. Please join us for an evening of dinner and music! TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Holidays 2015

calendar of EVENTS

REGULAR WEEKLY EVENTS MONDAYS Exercise Classes, Helena Senior Center, 10:00AM Police Explorers, Explorer Training Facility, 4:00-7:00PM Fire Explorers, Station 2, 5:00PM TUESDAYS Kiwanis, Helena Senior Center, 7:00AM; 3rd Tues. 5:30PM Story Time, Jane B. Holmes Public Library, 11:00AM Helena Lions Club meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, Helena Senior Center, 7:00PM, Visit their Facebook page Helena Lions Club for information THURSDAYS Exercise Classes, Helena Senior Center, 10:00AM

january

1st - NEW YEAR’S DAY: Municipal Offices/Library Closed Dec. 31-Jan. 3 in observance of New Year’s Day; No trash will be picked up New Year’s Day, garbage collection will run one day behind through Saturday 4th - Shelby Co. Schools Teacher Workday, No Students - Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00pm 5th - Shelby Co. Schools 2nd Semester Begins - Helena Business Association Meeting, 8:00 am, for meeting site visit hbahelena.com or their Facebook page

Story Time, Jane B. Holmes Public Library, 11:00AM

december

6th - Emergency Siren Test, 10:00am 16th - Respite Care-special needs 0-21, free but must reserve aaronsstaffrespite.org

18th -Martin L. King Jr. Day: Municipal Offices/Library/County Schools Closed in observance of Martin L. King Jr. Day; Trash will 17th - Helena Planning and Zoning, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00pm be picked up as usual; No City Council Meeting January 18 - Friends of the Jane B. Holmes Library Meeting, Library, 6:00pm 21st - Helena Planning and Zoning, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00pm 14th -Visit with Santa, Jane B. Holmes Library, 6:00pm

18th - Shelby Co. School students early dismissal, 1:00pm, HIS 12:45pm 19th - Respite Care-special needs 0-21, free but must reserve aaronsstaffrespite.org 21st - Shelby County Schools closed, Christmas Holidays Dec. 21-Jan. 4 - Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00pm 24th - CHRISTMAS EVE: Municipal Offices/Library Closed Dec. 24-27 in observance of Christmas; Trash will be picked up as usual; Watch for Santa on the Firetruck 25th - CHRISTMAS DAY: Municipal Offices/Library Closed Dec. 24-27 in observance of Christmas; No trash will be picked up Christmas Day, garbage collection will run one day behind through Saturday 28th - Youth Baseball/Softball Registration Dec. 28-Jan. 31, register online at helenaparksandrec.org 31st - NEW YEAR’S EVE: Municipal Offices/Library Closed Dec. 31-Jan. 3 in observance of New Year; Trash will be picked up as usual 36 Holidays 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

- Friends of the Jane B. Holmes Library Meeting, Library, 6:00pm 31st - Last day to register for Youth Baseball/Softball at helenaparksandrec.org

february

1st

- Helena City Council, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00pm

2nd - Helena Business Association Meeting, 8:00 am, for meeting site visit hbahelena.com or their Facebook page 3rd - Emergency Siren Test, 10:00am 15th -Presidents Day: Municipal Offices/Library/County Schools* Closed in observance of President Day; Trash will be picked up as usual *Weather Day if Needed 18th - Helena Planning and Zoning, Helena Municipal Building, 6:00pm - Friends of the Jane B. Holmes Library Meeting, Library, 6:00pm

HES students perform Thanksgiving history The Pilgrims and Wampanoags in Pam Clay’s, Heather Posey’s, and Lisa Winter’s classes at Helena Elementary School took their friends and families on a journey back in time on the Friday before Thanksgiving. Students did several “Reader’s Theater” performances portraying the Mayflower Voyage, the

friendship between the two groups that lead to a three-day feast that we now know as the first Thanksgiving, and a comical modern day Thanksgiving meal at “Grandma’s house.” Each student was actively involved in building a set for the event, learning more about history and the way people

lived in the past along the way. The classes ended their day with a feast that allowed families to share their family’s favorite Thanksgiving dish. “This is an annual event that the children learn a lot from and their families truly enjoy!” said HES Principal Mary Cooper.

A California couple flies to Helena to adopt from Two By Two Rescue

Thanks to Two By Two owner Sonya Z. King, a special adoption ceremony was recently orchestrated for an eight-week old mixed-breed pup originally named Chili Mac. By way of intertwining connections, psychologist and author Helen Sherry learned about Chili Mac and “fell in love.” She and her husband Colin Quenelle recently flew in to Alabama from San Luis Obispo, California, to meet their new pup, who they renamed Tané. Tané is the Maori goddess of the forest and birds and Colin, who is originally from New Zealand, shared that he grew up hearing stories about Maori mythology, thus making the name a meaningful reference for them and their new pet. Helen Sherry is author of the book, Always and Forever, Angels Ladybugs, which is a book written to help children heal, especially those who have lost a mommy or daddy in war. At the Southern-themed welcoming, Helena Belles Abbey

Manasco and Allison Watson greeted the guests alongside Joey and Veronica Kennedy, representatives for the Animal Advocates of Alabama. Also attending the welcoming event was Lazarus (who appeared on national television on The Doctors) and his owner Jane Holston, and Jennifer and TanAbove: Newly adoptive parents Helen Sherry and Colin Quenelle with Tané. Sonya King, of Two By ner Newhouse, who fostered Chili Two Rescue, shows the couple the contents of a Southern care package for them to take back home. Mac up until his Below: Tané sitting in the lap of his foster mom Jennifer Newhouse. drive back to Caliadoption. fornia, as to not A laughing King told her traumatize Tané guests, “I told you to wear your with an airline hoop skirt,” and then presented flight. No doubt them with a basket of southern the time of that goodies – among them Milo’s tea, fig preserves, and Best of the transition will provide enough time Best of Alabama cookbook. to ensure much Tané met his new parents one joyous bonding by one, providing happy licks to along the way. both. The new parents chose to

Historic Birmingham Mineral Railroad signs posted around town A historic initiative known as the Historic Birmingham Mineral Railroad Signs Project has made its way to Helena. Those behind the project have been installing signs at various locations around the greater Birmingham area along historical train routes, and three signs have now been placed in Helena. “For a long time, Birmingham was surrounded by coal fields, and trains were used to transport coal, iron ore, and other minerals around the area,” said Helena Historian Kenneth Penhale. From 1884 to 1988, to be exact, the Birmingham Mineral Railroad ran on track for more than 240 miles around the greater Birmingham area. “Our railroad went from Helena to West Blocton, with Cahaba Coal mostly moving coal from the fields to Helena for distribution,” Kenneth continued. “The trains ran from Helena to the Acton Mines, which is now Riverchase, and looped back around to where the Helena Publix is now.” This railroad played an important part of Helena’s history, he explained. “Without that rail system, they couldn’t have developed the Cahaba Coal Mine—it wouldn’t have been possible to transport the coal,” Kenneth said. “With this project, we want people to have an idea of what

38 Holidays 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

was here in the past and how important it was to the growth of the city.” But changes to local industry and the changing layout of the land over the years has taken its toll on the railroad. “After crossing the rivers in Blocton, all the tracks are gone, leaving just the railroad bed,” Kenneth said, explaining that The Hillsboro Trail is the only former rail bed in the area being utilized for a new purpose. Following permission from Mayor Mark Hall earlier this year, three signs are now in place in Helena—one on the Helena Depot building, one along the Hillsboro Walking Trail, and another one on the trail right by Helena Middle. The national Railway & Locomotive Historical Society (R&LHS) is the organization behind the Historic Birmingham Mineral Railroad Signs Project. According to the official website, the goal of the project is to bring public awareness to the history of the railroad in Alabama, and its effect on the growth and development of industry in and around Birmingham. The national organization receives any and all tax-deductible donations to the project before turning over the necessary funds to the R&LHS local Mid-South Chapter housed in Leeds.

The signs project is the brainchild of the Mid-South Chapter, and James Lowery, a member of the Board of Directors of that chapter, is the volunteer coordinator of the project. Kenneth has been working with James to coordinate the Helena signs. It was Kenneth who walked along the rail beds with James, showing him the old route and pointing out places of importance. “Hopefully, soon, we will take a driving trip to West Blocton to show him where the railroad crosses main roads,” Kenneth said. The pair spoke at a Helena City Council meeting in October to explain the project. The Bir-

mingham Mineral Railroad was a system of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company, and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Historical Society has provided the L&N logo for use in the signs project. Residents will recognize this as the same L&N logo on the side of the Helena Welcome Center and Caboose. More signs are set to be placed along the trail as it moves towards Blocton, with possible placements in Coalmont, Pea Ridge and Blocton itself. Keep an eye out as they are installed!

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Residential Beautification—1410 Timber Circle A short drive down to 1410 Timber Circle in the Timber Park neighborhood off Hwy 58 will give you a delightful Christmas treat, like the icing on a very well-made cupcake! (You will also appreciate the bevy of gold lights at 1407 Timber Circle across the street.) The home of Luis and Laura Hernandez is perfectly manicured, thanks to the landscaping skills of Luis, and during the holidays, the lighted seasonal scene he creates is a special joy to him. “I love Christmas,” he said, “and my wife, Laura, always guides me with her creative touch.” Laura Hernandez owns and operates Cakes Las Comadres in Pelham for the past eight years. The family relocated to Helena just over a year ago. “My girls made the transition into Helena schools, not without

a few tears, but now they feel a part of the community,” Luis said. “Their friends in the Helena Christmas Parade waved to them in recognition.” Daughter Birmania, a sophomore at HHS, especially enjoys the photography classes offered and geometry. Mia attends HMS and plays the trombone in the band. Lining the driveway are pruned topiaries of variegated pittosporum set atop inverted clay pedestals, flickering blue and green as dusk falls. A family of deer wanders amidst three lighted conical trees spaced across the front yard. Twinkling multi-hued lights define the windows, roofline and back fence. An oval window under the dormer is also lit and is complemented with a wreath. This thoughtful addition creates the spirit of welcoming and warmth that the Hernandez

family share and celebrate with their cousins and extended family year round. Pictured at their welcoming and festively decorated home on Timber Circle are Birmania, Laura, Luis and Mia Hernandez.

HHS Huskies win first ever playoff game held in Husky Stadium The Huskies were able to outrun and defend well in a Class 5A first round high school playoff game against Sydney-

40 Holidays 2015 / www.CityOfHelena.org

Lanier High School at Husky Stadium on Friday, November 6. Despite the driving rain, the stadium was full of students,

parents and fans to cheer them on in the first playoff game held in Husky Stadium. The Huskies were able to pull away with a

win of 24-7 over the Poets, and advanced to the second round. They now have a record of 9-3. Congratulations, Huskies!

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230 Tucker Road, Helena 35080 • 664-8308

Story Time EVERY Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 AM

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.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 14

Good day Helena Residents! The Jane B. Holmes Public Library is excited about the Holidays and we hope you visit soon to check out what is new and find out about Story Time and lots of other programs! Every year, the library has the pleasure of featuring books, movies, talking books, and music with Holiday themes. Thanks to years of collecting, and the generous nature of our patrons, the library has amassed a treasure trove of Holiday Material, from Classics to new favorites. From cookbooks and material about decorating, to fun movies and children’s books, there is something for everyone in the library collection. Don’t forget, the library has a tradition for decorating, so stop by to see the tree and decorations the staff enjoys working on to provide for visitors. Special thanks to the City of Helena for their help with the library grounds and for doing such a great job making our City look festive during the Holidays. The library would, of course, be remiss if we did not mention New Year’s Day and the many resolutions that are made every year. Do some research on how to be effective at reaching your goals, whether they are resolutions or simply new approaches to improving your life in the New Year. Remember, the library is a FREE resource, and a great way to save money and stay connected. As always, the library has some great programs and events to check out in the coming weeks as well. None is bigger than our annual visitor from the North Pole, ‘Ol Saint Nick himself: Santa Claus! He will visit on December 14, 2015 at 6:00 PM this year. Make sure to BRING YOUR CAMERA or PHONE to get some pictures. This event is FREE and open to the community. Stop by for some Holiday Cheer! Check our calendar on the City of Helena web site, www.cityofhelena.org Click on library. From there, you can access the calendar, get the latest updates, and look for items on the catalog throughout Shelby County. There are lots of great events in the coming weeks, including check out 10 books and get a prize, Classic Literature Night, and more! The library will be closed on Monday, January 18 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Have a great and safe Holiday, and we hope to see you at the library soon! Sincerely, Daniel Dearing, Library Director

Come by for this fun, free program every Tuesday and Thursday! Mrs. Jennie will be here to read some FUN stories and sing some songs!

Monday, January 18

A VISIT WITH SANTA CLAUS! (6:00 PM) – SAVE THE DATE! Library closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

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

TITLES JUST IN… Foreign Aﬀairs — Stuart Woods; Corrupted — Lisa Scottoline; Bittersweet Dreams — V.C. Andrews; Depraved Heart — Patricia Cornwell; Naughtier Than Nice — Eric Jerome Dickey; Playing with Fire — Tess Gerritsen; The Golem of Paris — Jonathan Kellerman; The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: Stories — Stephen King; The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto — Mitch Albom; Tricky Twenty-two — Janet Evanovich; The Guilty — David Baldacci

GREAT FLICKS AND SHOWS… Pixels — Starring Adam Sandler; The Gift — Starring Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall; Jurassic World — Starring Chris Pratt; Grimm — Season 4; The Flash — Season 1; Paper Towns — Starring Carla Delevingne; The Leftovers — Season 1; San Andreas — Starring Dwayne Johnson; Pitch Perfect 2; Revenge — Fourth and Final Season; Arrow — Season 3; Bones — Season 10; Sleepy Hollow — Season 2; Outlander — Season 1, Part 2; Gotham — Season 1

NEW TUNES… Picking Up the Pieces — Jewel; Pitch Perfect 2 — Soundtrack; Threat to Survival — Shinedown; Paper Gods — Duran Duran; KidzBop 30; 35 mph Town — Toby Keith; Today is Christmas — Leann Rimes; Revival — Selena Gomez

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. Make sure to stop by the library soon.

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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 Santaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. This is only a guide and is subject to change or cancellation should an emergency arise or inclement weather occur.

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

Happy Holidays from the Helena Fire Department!

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

Winter sports kicking into high gear at the Helena Sports Complex Football We had four teams who made the playoffs this season: 3rd grade 90lbs: made it into the playoffs. 4th Grade 105lbs: made it to Championship game,

and came in 2nd place overall in the playoffs. 5th Grade 120lbs: made it to the playoffs. 6th grade 130lb Black team: made it to 2nd round of playoffs. Cheerleading We had five teams compete in the Alabama Youth State Competition at Vestavia High School on November 15th. The results are listed below: 1st grade—

3rd place 5th Grad—5th place 3rd grade—4th place 6th Grade—3rd place 4th Grade—1st Place (UCA Youth State Champs) Basketball We will have 15 teams participating this season in our Basketball League, which consists of teams from Helena, Pelham, Calera, Alabaster and Montevallo. Games are played during the week at the Helena Community Center and schedules can be found on the web site. Baseball/Softball On-line Registration will begin

December 28th and will run through January 31st. Cost will be $160.00 for ages 5-14. Helena Baseball will be joining the Dizzy Dean League this year. Please visit www.helenaparksandrec.org for more information. Soccer We had another great season of Fall Soccer, with three teams going undefeated! The U7 Champion was Coach Garcia’s team. Coach Branda Stovall’s Girls Team and Coach Boyce Steel teams went undefeated in their CASL divisions. Facility Improvements We have removed the grass from the 11/12 baseball field to allow more field space for every age group. The Sports Complex parking lot has been restriped. For more information about our sports and activities, visit www.helenaparksandrec.org. Check out our new website, which was designed to make things easier for you to navigate and register for various activities. You can make pavilion reservations online at www.cityofhelena.org. Go to ‘Departments’, ‘Parks and Rec’ and check out the availability for a pavilion you are interested in and as fill out the reservation request form.

Top: The 4th grade cheerleaders at competition. Middle: The 6th grade doing their Halloween halftime performance to Thriller. Above: Coach Bryce Steel’s undefeated soccer team.

Top: Coach Garcia’s undefeated U7 Boys’ Soccer team that won the championship. Above: Coach Brenda Stoval’s undefeated Girls’ Soccer team.

BILL MILLER Director of Parks and Recreation 205-620-2877

Fire Chief Wilder announces city’s ISO rating has upgraded to Class 2 On December 7, 2015 Helena received its latest Public Protection Classification (PPC) from Insurance Service Office, Inc. (ISO). The city’s last ISO rating came in 2009 when it was reclassified from Class 5 to Class 3. The ISO rating scale is from Class 1 – 10, with Class 1 being the best rating. After the latest review in August of this year, Helena’s rating has been upgraded to a Class 2. The grading is comprised

of 3 sections: 1) Emergency communications account for 10% of the classification. 2) Water supply system - 40% of the classification. 3) Fire department - 50% of the total classification. On a scale of 100 points, communities earning 80.00 to 89.99 receive a Class 2 rating. The City of Helena earned 84.81 points. The ISO’s Public Protection Classification program plays an important role in the underwriting process

at insurance companies across the nation. Most underwriters use PPC information as part of their decision making when determining what businesses to insure, coverage to offer and fees to charge for personal as well as commercial property insurance. This better class rating is indicative of good things happening in Helena.

Anyone with questions or concerns about this, please contact Helena Fire Chief Wilder at jwilder@helenafire.com.

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2015 HHS Homecoming The Helena Huskies defeated the Sumpter Central Jaguars soundly in their second homecoming game. A final score of 49 to 14, edging out even last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s score of 42 to 14 against Jemison, made crowning Lillie Brewer as the second-ever Helena High School Homecoming Queen even more special.

Congratulations to Queen Lillie Brewer and her Helena High School Homecoming Court 2015!

2015 Homecoming Court Seniors:

Carly Steagall, Sarah Beth Dolinger, Jordan Ingram and Keona Moore

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Kiwanis host Holiday Safety program, present 50-year service award Back in November, the Helena Kiwanis Club held an evening devoted to providing Helena citizens with information about Holiday Safety. Luther Jarmon, current president succeeding Dan Dearing, arranged for four speakers at the event—Helena Police Chief Pete Folmar; Sgt. John Pennington of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Dept; Trooper Curtis Summerville; and Deputy Fire Chief Peter Valenti, representing the Helena Fire Department. Residents were advised to keep in mind the idea of locking car and house doors, even in our very safe town. Other tips included not posting about holiday purchases on social media, not texting while driving, always buckling up in the car and being sure all backseat occupants do the same. According to the speakers, texting while driving will increase

your stopping time by 1.7 seconds, which means you continue to drive a distance equal to the length of three cars. This can make a significant difference in a situation involving an otherwise avoidable impact. President Jarmon surprised Helena resident Gene Maier with special recognition for his 50 years of service in Kiwanis. Gene has held every office at the local club level and was Governor of the Mississippi-Louisiana-West Tennessee District of Kiwanis. He is currently advisor to the four Key Clubs sponsored by the Helena Kiwanis Club. Gene and Camille have three daughters, two of which, Miriam Bearden and Maria Sulser, live in the area. Their third daughter, Melissa Russell, lives in Ketchum, Idaho. Their extended family includes three grandsons and two granddaughters. The Maier family has lived in Ala-

bama for the past 16 years to be closer to them. Gene Maier said his proudest achievement in these 50 years of Kiwanis was starting a Foundation in the Louisiana-MississippiWest Tennessee District in 1978 when he was governor there. Community playgrounds and scholarships for deserving high school Key Club students were two of the foundation’s main projects initially, until enough

funds could be raised to undertake larger projects. This foundation currently has over one-half million dollars to be used toward its objectives in the tri-state area. As President Jarmon noted, Kiwanis is all about improving the world, one child at a time and one community at a time. Our Helena Kiwanis Club has been very successful in funding many worthy causes for our own children.

Top: L-r: Camille Maier, Gene Maier, Bob Brown, and Helena Kiwanis President Luther Jarmon. Bob Brown, the Division 5 Lt. Governor of Alabama Kiwanis presented a special recognition plaque to Gene Maier for his 50 years of service. Middle: President Jarmon introduces new Helena Police Chief Pete Folmar. Above, l-r: Deputy Fire Chief Peter Valenti, Sgt. John Pennington, and Trooper Curtis Summerville each as they gave a presentation on Holiday Safety.

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Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There Were None performed perfectly by HHS students The November production of And Then There Were None presented by HHS Theater students reflected a maturity in the actors appearing in their respective roles and the genuine involvement of all of the students participating. “The 2015 beginning has been a strong one so far,” said Jefferson Davis, HHS Theater teacher. “Many actors came and wanted to do something different. New faces in my Theater classes have stepped up and done amazing work behind the scenes and have me feeling confident that the department as a whole is moving in the right direction as it continues to identify and examine new talent.” Prior to the final Sunday matinee performance, the following students shared their personal thoughts. Brayden Watts, playing the role of Dr. Armstrong that afternoon, has appeared previously in Arsenic and Old Lace and The Music Man. “I have found new ways to interact with the actors,” he said, “and learned to be more serious and dramatic. It’s easy for me to be calm prior and during a performance, less easy, especially in this production, to move into the angst of my character.” Watts plans to continue towards a degree in Theater

Photographed here with Costello the Deer are actors Jonah Smith (as Philip Lombard), Michelle Le (as Vera Claythorne), Steven Dickson (William Henry Blore), John McCain (Judge Lawrence Wargrave), Mariah Hamrick (Emily Brent), Cana Brown (Arthur McKenzie), Austin Moon (Rogers), Emily DeCroes (Mrs. Rogers), Andrew Black (Anthony Marston), Ragan Forbes (Fred Narracott), and Brayden Watts (Dr. Armstrong).

Education at UAB, work in the theater in Birmingham and perhaps someday teach. For Ragan Forbes, this was her first acting role playing Fred Narracott. Forbes has worked in Theater Tech (scenery) but “wanted to come out from behind the scenes.” “This experience brought me out of my comfort zone,” she noted, “ and made me want to explore a career in theater at UAB or Samford.” Alexa Keith has found her niche as a theater makeup artist. “I learned how much I enjoyed it after doing the makeup for Arsenic and Old Lace.” Keith has taken online certi-

fied courses and is prepared to create the old, gray-haired lady look from baby powder and water when the theater makeup product runs out. The most challenging aspect of makeup, she says, is how to apply for proper visibility as seen by the audience. She anticipates attending University of Montevallo and would welcome a future opportunity to travel with the theater. Freshman Molly Brumfield was the costume manager and noted the most challenging part for this show was finding the many styles of ties for the men actors. HHS entered and com-

peted in District 6 Trumbauer at Mountain Brook High School in early November. “From that competition,” said Jefferson Casey, “we had 30 students who qualified for state, including our Studio One-Act which also won a Best in Show award.” Currently, HHS is competing at the State Trumbauer Festival at Troy University. In Spring 2016, the HHS theater students are looking to try something new and broaden their horizons by staging their first musical, The Music Man. Jefferson Casey put out the invitation for HMS students to become involved as well when auditions were held Dec 1-3.

These kids are doing their part to keep Helena clean These three very special young girls chose to spend their day off from school on Veteran’s Day picking up litter at Joe Tucker Park. “After I saw they were picking up litter, I invited them to visit me at City Hall to give them a personal thanks and a city pin for their efforts,” said Mayor Hall, who was delighted to see children in the community helping work to keep Helena a beautiful and clean place to live. They had some ideas for the mayor, too—they suggested adding another garbage receptacle near the new bridges in the park, to cut down on the amount of litter found there. “After reviewing their idea, I have approved ordering the additional cans to be installed permanently near the bridges walking track,” Mayor Hall said. Thanks, girls, for all your help around Helena! TO ADVERTISE, CALL the Publisher at 746.1188 / MyHelenaCityNews.com / Holidays 2015

Helena City News P.O. Box 50, Helena, AL 35080 www.MyHelenaCityNews.com www.CityOfHelena.org

SHOP HELENA FIRST!

PRESORT STD. U.S.POSTAGE PAID PERMIT 15 PELHAM, AL

MAYOR

Mark R. Hall

CITY CLERK Amanda Traywick

CITY COUNCIL

Leigh Hulsey Pres. Pro-Tem, Place 1 Mike Jones, Place 2 Cris Nelson, President, Place 3 Leslie Bartlett, Place 4 Hal Woodman, Place 5

POSTAL PATRON

IMPORTANT CITY PHONE NUMBERS City Hall: 205-663-2161 Fire Dept.: 205-663-5809 Police Dept.: 205-663-6499 Utilities: 205-663-1670 Sports Complex: 205-620-2877 Library: 205-664-8308

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Merry Christmas and a Happy & Prosperous New Year from your friends at the Helena City News!

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Jimmy, NOTE LESSER PAGE COUNT! 48 Pages Please print 9,000 magazines, 800 with NO POSTAL PATRON and NO POSTAL INDICIA. SUPER HIGH GLOSS PAPER, PLEASE BE SURE ALL IS IN REGISTER! If you can deliver them to me early, early Thursday (in time to get in the mail Thursday by 2pm), it will be greatly appreciated!!!

48 pages, 70# super gloss text, self cover. Deliver 800 to Access Mailing and the remainder of them to me at home, but deliver to me first, please. As always, all over runs are much appreciated. Thank you!!! Dave cell 205-746-1188