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Welcome H

ello there! The Local has grown since you saw it last.

Not only has the size of our book grown, but we have grown as a team and as individual journalists.

In conceptualizing the spring issue of the magazine, we decided we wanted The Local to be big and bold. The growth of our magazine in many ways reflects the growth happening all around Birmingham.

The Local is an eclectic mix of stories from several genres, all rooted in the narratives of individuals who are passionate about what they do. Our desire was to paint the scenes of everyday life with bold, colorful strokes. We found inspiration that was untapped and unimagined, allowing us the freedom to bring these stories to life through quotes, pictures and conversations, but more importantly, through people.

In a lot of ways, I think this issue of The Local is inspired by the freshness of spring. Every year, I am amazed when such beauty and vitality bursts forth from the dullness of winter, creating a brilliant color explosion. The

magnetic energy this produces within the soul is felt in these stories, as narrative is brought to life with the turning of each page.

Not only has our magazine grown in size, but it has also grown in depth of content. If our last issue was dipping our toes in the water, then this one is fully submerging ourselves in the trials, triumphs and hearts of our subjects.

As a Local team, our goal is to cover communities that create. In a way, though, that is exactly what we do. We brainstorm, bounce ideas off one another, draw our jumbled ideas onto the chalkboard and throw paper balls of ideas into the trash.

We create and share. This class has been a creative playground where our minds are able to run free and try new things and I am so grateful to have been a part of this experience.

It has been truly incredible watching these stories unfold over the last four months. They have been entrusted to us and now we are entrusting you, the reader, to reflect on the creativity that is erupting all around you.

Claire Jaggers Editor-in-Chief

Contents

05

Beginnings

The Local Experience // Pucker Up Prodigal Pottery // Nerves Battington

20

Bodies in Bondage

The true cost of placing a price tag on humans

Story and graphics by Asia Burns

36

Four Flavors

Authentic Latin American eateries in and around Birmingham Story and Photographs by Hallie King

52

Ministry of Grace

Providing a Christian living environment for girls in Alabama

Story and Photographs by Hannah Garrett

12

16

Not just a skate aroung the rink

A small island with a Big Fish

Roller Derby Girls Saving Spectre Story by Hannah Diamond Photographs by Charis Nichols

Story and Photographs by Madison Browder

STAFF Publisher Clay Carey Editor-in-Chief Claire Jaggers Print Managing Editor Charis Nichols

27

30

The road from Rome to Magic City

How the Ronald McDonald House is keeping families close

Classical Birmingham

Story by McLane Evans Photographs by Kate Sullivan, Harrison Tarabella and McLane Evans

The House that Love Built Story by Kate Sullivan Art by Katherine Mixson

40

46

How one church’s vision is becoming a reality

Zookeeping isn’t all black and white

A Rising Star

Online Managing Editor Madison Browder Online Content Director Hannah Diamond Art Director Asia Burns Photo Editor Kate Sullivan Social Media Specialist Hannah Garrett Copy Specialists McLane Evans Hallie King Caleb Jones

Passion and Care Story and Photographs by Hannah Diamond

Story by Claire Jaggers Photographs by Kate Sullivan

56

60

An inside look at the art of tattooing

The story of Al Harris

The EverChanging Canvas Story by Charis Nichols Photographs by Kate Sullivan

Keeping History Alive Story by Caleb Jones Photographs by Kate Sullivan

ON THE COVER Miss Electra is one of three mythical statues that stands tall over Birmingham. The statue was sculpted

by William T. Warren and can be found on the roof of the Alabama Power Building in downtown Birmingham.

Photograph by Harrison Tarabella The Local is a biannual magazine published by students at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. The stories and photographs that appear in The Local are produced by students in Samford University’s print and online journalism practicum program. The views expressed in The Local do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or of Samford University. Samford University is an Equal Opportunity Institution and welcomes application for employment regardless of race, color, age, sex, disability or national or ethnic origin.

cadence & eIi photography

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The Local Experience Don’t miss the Local’s top picks for the upcoming months

MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT

Oak Mountain Spring Fair Oak Mountain Amphitheater| 5/4-14

SEC Baseball Tournament 5/23-28

Dreamgirls presented by Red Mountain Theater Company Cabaret Theater | 5/12-28

Barons Rickwood Classic Rickwood Field | 5/31

Steel City Jazz Festival Linn Park | 6/2-3

Fiddler on the Roof presented

by Red Mountain Theatre Company Dorothy Jemison Day Theater | 6/9-25

Slice Fest 29th Street South | 6/3

Newsies presented by Red Mountain Theatre Company Dorothy Jemison Day Theater | 7/7-30

Sloss Music & Arts Festival Sloss Furnaces | 7/15-16

SEC Media Days Hoover| 7/10-13

Alabama Theatre Summer Film Series presents: Christmas in July |7/21 & 7/23

Secret Stages Downtown Loft District | 8/4-5

Restaurant Week local restaurants |8/11-20

Taste of Birmingham The Club| 8/8

Sidewalk Film Festival Various downtown theaters | 8/22-27

Opening Football Game for UAB UAB vs Alabama A&M| 9/2

44th Annual Greek Festival Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral| 9/21-23

Trucks by the Tracks Railroad Park | 9/17

Young the Giant BJCC | 9/26

The Book of Mormon BJCC | 10/10-15

Boo at the Zoo all month long

Sloss Fright Furnace all month long

Old Baker Farm all month long thelocalbham.com | 5

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Pucker Up!

A look into the Creative Concepts candy factory

I

f you’ve ever been to a fair, chances are you’ve seen a child excitedly pulling at his or her parent, begging to stop by a Creative Concepts booth and purchase a five-foot tube of Pucker Powder candy.

But you might not have realized the candy is a product of our very own city. Creative Concepts was founded

by Scott Green in 2010, and has quickly become an internationally sought favorite. In addition to Pucker Powder, the company is the maker of the candies Pucker Powder Crunchy Candy Bits, Flaver and Balanstix.

Creative Concepts is housed in an unassuming white building in Irondale. However, the unobtrusive

building exterior is a stark contrast to what lies inside.

The doors to Creative Concepts’ heart reveal a lively factory, the inner-workings of which produce the signature candies that the company is known for. Creative Concepts designs, produces and labels its products and machines internally, just like Roald Dahl’s classic tale “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Mechanisms are designed by Vice President of Operations Mike Wyatt, and prototypes are 3-D printed and tested in house before formal models are built, dressed with Creative Concepts’ original artwork and sent to locations internationally for display.

Story and Photographs

by Asia Burns

Creative Concepts creates interactive dispensers and products that are distributed internationally in 46 countries.

GREEK LIFE PURPOSEFUL

FAITHFUL

REAL

Prodigal Pottery A conversation with Executive Director Jamie Ankenbrandt

P

rodigal Pottery is a collection of pottery made at King’s Home in Chelsea, Alabama by women fleeing homelessness and domestic abuse. The business’s mission is to provide a safe and therapeutic work environment for women in need, helping them develop professional skills, interpersonal relationships and spiritual depth.

What does a typical day look like?

For me personally, a typical workday changes with the season. Often I am taking meetings, filling online orders for our pottery, and managing all of the operations of the studio. But the main part of my job is making it a priority to focus daily on the relational ministry with each of my staff members, making sure they are being provided for spiritually and emotionally.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The relationships I have with each member of my staff. These women have overcome seasons of deep despair and heartbreak, and are now working every day to make sure that they have a hope and a future for themselves and their children. Getting to see them show compassion towards others and themselves, hearing them talk about the futures they never thought they could have and reminding them of the fulfilling life they can only find in Christ are the greatest rewards of not just my job, but my life. These women are remarkable.

Where can I buy Prodigal Pottery?

You can buy Prodigal Pottery on our website, www.prodigalpottery.com, our Etsy collection www.prodigalpottery.etsy.com or at Alabama Goods in downtown Homewood.

Story and Photographs

by Claire Jaggers The images depict the pottery making process at Prodigal Pottery.

thelocalbham.com | 9

Nerves Baddington

Band Brings Innovative Sound to Sloss Fest

N

erves Baddington, a Birmingham band, delivers unique, creative music for their listeners. Last year, they gave Sloss Fest attendees a taste of the band’s mix of rap and rock on Sloss’ Seasick Records stage, and this year they will perform on the main stage. The band has big news for this summer: Its first studio album, “Dopamine Decoder Ring,” drops in late June or early July and will be available in vinyl.

The band has been working hard to make music while working full time jobs to support themselves and their passion. You won’t want to miss them or any of the other bands on stage at the Sloss Fest this summer. Bass guitarist John McNaughton sat down with The Local to answer a few questions about their music.

How would you describe your music?

We like to call it experimental hip-hop because we are trying to do something a little different. We also pride ourselves on having a live show that is a little different than what you might expect from a hip-hop show.

Who do you pull inspiration from when it comes to music style and writing?

I hear Ryan [lead vocalist/rapper] talk about Outkast being the artist that made him believe “I can do this.” Recently, as far as hip-hop goes, both of us dig Run the Jewels and Kendrick Lamar and I’m crazy about Vince Staples. We also pull some inspiration (and sometimes samples) from punk rock, specifically Fugazi.

What are you most excited about in regards to playing at Sloss Fest this summer?

We’re excited about the chance to get exposure and a crowd like we’ve not yet seen. We had a blast at last year’s Sloss Fest playing on the Seasick stage.

How does Birmingham play into your music?

Our new album is dripping with Alabama references. Ryan writes all the lyrics and you’ll hear about local businesses, bands, venues and even Alabama people. We both grew up in Alabama and it is definitely a part of who we are as people and musicians.

Story by Caleb Jones Photograph by Jaysen Michael

From left: John McNaughton, bassist, Ryan Howell, vocalist, and Cam Johnson, drummer, are the members of Nerves Baddington.

a l ph a de lta pi we live for each other | since 1851

ROLLER DERBY GIRLS Not just a skate around the rink

B

irmingham is home to revitalizing innovations and trend-setting movements. That’s why it’s no surprise that it’s home to one of America’s fastest growing sports, women’s flat track roller derby. Since its inception in 2005, the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, has recognized more than 451 leagues worldwide. Birmingham’s own Tragic City Rollers were also founded in 2005 and joined the derby association as a fulltime league member in 2010.

12 | Roller Derby Girls

President of the Tragic City Rollers Diana Bostick, known as “Lana del Slay” on the track, fell in love with the sport because of the strength and diligence she saw in the derby women.

“I was in awe of how these women moved, fought and displayed amazing talents and skills. I knew immediately I wanted to be a part of such an ensemble,” she said.

The Tragic City Rollers practice for upcoming bout at Skates 280.

People now realize roller derby is much more than circus theatrics. They recognize derby to be a legitimate athletic sport.

Diana Bostick The team chemistry and the sport’s atmosphere motivate the players to work harder for each other. “Oh my gosh I love it. I feel bad if I miss a practice,” player “Killamari” said.

Another one of Bostick’s roles is to manage the organization’s presence within the community. The Rollers have seen growing attendance at their bouts at Zamora Shrine Temple, said Bostick, and the organization is excited about the support.

“People now realize roller derby is much more than circus theatrics. They recognize derby to be a legitimate athletic sport,” she said.

Even though roller derby women skate hard on the rink, they have a soft heart for issues in the community. The skaters participate in local events and stress the importance of supporting small businesses and charities in the area.

“Tragic City Rollers strives to always be relevant and maintain a presence within the community. We try to find local sponsors as much as possible so that not only do they support us but we in turn do our best to support them,” Bostick said.

Derby veteran “InsaniTIA” values the importance of lending a physical hand to the community.

“We do some monetary things of course, but we try to show up and do some grunt work for them too,” she said.

Their 2017 charity partner is Girls Rock Bham Camp, an organization that teaches girls to play instruments and showcase their talents in the community.

The Rollers practice long into the night in order to prepare for bouts all across the country. “Killamari” said their biggest competitor is the Chattanooga Roller Girls. The bouts are, of course, about taking home the gold, but as “InsaniTIA” describes them, they are also a lot of fun.

“It’s a full experience, lots of high energy and fans love it,” she said.

As the sport has grown in fame, so has the team. The Rollers have a current roster of 28 women. They are the ones who, through watery eyes, “Killamari” says are like family to her. They are the reason she looks forward to going out on the rink and giving it all she’s got.

Follow the Tragic City Rollers on Instagram and Twitter @tragicityrollers.

Find more pictures of the team on our online gallery at thelocalbham.com.

Story by Hannah Diamond Photographs by Charis Nichols The Tragic City Rollers practice defense.

thelocalbham.com | 15

Saving Spectre A small island with a Big Fish

N

inety short miles south of Birmingham, you can find a sleepy little town on an island, consisting only of a few dilapidated buildings and a boarded up chapel lining a short, asphalt drive.

There are fathers fishing with children, mothers making picnic lunches, outdoor enthusiasts canoeing in the lake and an occasional RV or two peppering the shore.

But no one actually lives there.

Despite the fact that the population consists of no more than a handful of wild goats, a rabid community thrives around the town.

That is because at the end of the winding dirt road, past the iron gate and over the narrow, man-made bridge lies not just a tiny uninhabited island, but a small claim that Alabama has on Hollywood history.

The name of the “town” is Spectre, and it is the fictional world dreamed up by Daniel Wallace in his book Big Fish and brought to life visually by Tim Burton in his 2003 film of the same name.

The film’s main character in the story (played by Ewan McGregor) happens upon the utopian society while traveling through the woods. He is immediately enthralled by the beauty of the town, with its lush green lawn, beautiful stores and homes and the quirkiness of its inhabitants. One such quirky characteristic of the town is that nobody wears shoes. As the movie progresses the beauty of the town deteriorates.

That is the image that a visitor to Spectre will find today. The buildings were never torn down, but they lacked proper care, some have collapsed, succumbing to beatings from bad weather and other natural causes. A fire took down a few other buildings.

Those few structures that remain still paint a creepy image of the long forgotten town originally portrayed in the movie. It is a scene that people travel from all around in order to experience.

Fans of the movie are known to leave a little bit of themselves on the island as well. A once modest collection of shoes that served as props hanging from a telephone wire in the movie now swells with every kind of brand and color of shoe one can imagine.

It has become a tradition for visitors to add their own footwear to the wire.

It is also a scene that property owners Bobby and Lynn Bright hope to not only be able to maintain, but also breathe new life into after inheriting the island from Lynn’s mother in 2014.

Bobby Bright spent 10 years as Montgomery’s mayor and one year as a congressman, so it seems natural that he would now be in charge of another, albeit much smaller, town. The maintenance and repairs won’t be cheap though.

“I think it cost Tim Burton about $2 million to build the city and the enchanted forest, so we know it’s going to be expensive to repair it,” he said. thelocalbham.com | 17

The Brights’ interest in keeping Spectre intact goes beyond holding onto a few old, dilapidated buildings. The island also serves as a popular destination for fisherman, campers and photographers.

The rush of people to visit the set since the word got out about its existence has added to the island’s popularity for those outdoor activities.

Several popular festivals and events have found homes on the island, often named after the movie that helped put them on the map.

The Big Fish Paddle, for example, is an event that garnered popularity on Facebook and allows people to kayak and canoe together for the day off the shore in Lake Jackson.

Visitors who wish to see the town can get information by calling (334) 430-7963, emailing JacksonLakeIsland@gmail.com or by visiting their Facebook page. There is a $3 per person entry fee to get onto the island.

Story and Photographs

by Madison Browder

From page 16: Two trees still standing from the enchanted forest. From page 17: The Welcome to Spectre sign. Top (L-R): One of the many wild goats roaming the island. The Chapel from the movie which still stands. Bottom: A sign warns visitors of the potential danger.

18 | Saving Spectre

chi omega est. 1895

Bodies in

BONDAGE

The true cost of placing a price tag on humans

S

even years ago, a young woman disembarked from a bus that brought her 250 miles from Florida to Birmingham.

At the station, passersby moved quickly but obliviously, trying to escape the cold, lateJanuary air. Little attention was paid to the young woman.

Tajuan McCarty stood waiting to receive the young woman.

Neither McCarty nor the young woman could afford the bus ticket. The ministry McCarty worked for covered the expense of both bringing the young woman to Birmingham and of housing her.

McCarty waited, recalling her first interaction with the young woman.

“She called me and she said, ‘I’m going to die if you don’t help me. Either he’s going to kill me, or I’m going to kill myself,’” McCarty said.

“He” was her pimp. The woman, who was in her 20s, was afraid that her pimp would kill her.

The young woman found McCarty in the station and fell into her embrace, finally safe.

“She was sobbing, and I was sobbing,” McCarty said.

That was on January 28, 2011. McCarty

20 | Bodies in Bondage

had made her first rescue. Many more would come.

Sex trafficking is an epidemic plaguing the globe, and its side effects are dramatic.

Between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked in the United States each year. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 33 percent of people trafficked in the U.S. are American citizens.

Ashley Anderson, Development Director of Wellhouse, a Birmingham organization that aids in rescuing victims of sex trafficking, said that the forced commercial sex industry is worth $32 billion.

“It is the second most profitable illegal activity in the world, second only to drug trafficking, though they often go hand-inhand. And 40 percent of the trafficking (in the U.S.) is in the southeast,” Anderson said.

Despite its size, the industry is almost entirely hidden, existing discreetly and insidiously in neat little neighborhoods,as traffickers transport their victims from state to state. Traffickers don’t always fit the television stereotype of the creepy man stalking a young lady from the bushes, waiting to stow her away in a white, unidentifiable van.

“They can be charming,” Anderson said.

“They can be handsome. They can say the exact thing you need to hear.”

Involuntary servitude and the illegal practice of forced commercial sex are more prevalent—and more local—than we may think.

Victim, Not Prostitute The Interstate 20 corridor runs nearly the entire length of the southern United States.

It is 1,513 miles of uninterrupted, often unchecked road, crossing seven of the major 10 southern states, originating in Kent, Texas, in the west and snaking through to Florence, South Carolina, in the east.

The stretch between Atlanta and Birmingham is about 160 miles, used by 10 million people each year.

This stretch of road is the most common avenue used by sex traffickers to transport their victims according to the FBI and local victims’ advocates.

“In the southeast we have the perfect storm,” Anderson said regarding the sex trafficking superhighway. “It is difficult to get around in the morning, but those are perfect conditions for traffickers to transport their victims.”

According to Truckers against Trafficking, around 30 women who are being trafficked can be found working at truck stops across the nation each day.

Many of those women will be arrested and convicted of prostitution.

In the U.S., 80,000 women are arrested each year for prostitution. A person convicted of prostitution in Alabama can face up to a year in prison and $6,000 in fines.

But many argue that those penalties are unjustly detrimental to victims of sex trafficking. Advocates for trafficking victims say that incriminating victims creates a culture that makes it harder for victims to re-acclimate to society.

“This lady has made no choice in this process,” Anderson said. “(Her trafficker) is selling her every single day.”

Some claim that even the word “prostitute” paired with the conviction is incriminating and contributes to the culture.

“I hate the term ‘prostitute.’ I’m not a former prostitute. I’m a person who once was prostituted,” McCarty said.

McCarty contended that actively working to counteract the stigma associated with being a victim of trafficking is one of the most important steps of aiding victims of sex trafficking.

“It’s a label. In society we tend to label people by what they do rather than what they are. It’s a negative connotation that has a lifelong stigma,” McCarty said.

An End as a Priority An international push to remove the stigma associated with being a victim of sex

thelocalbham.com | 21

trafficking is underway, as nations propose legislation to protect those who have been prostituted. Legislation to combat sex trafficking and to directly aid and protect victims of trafficking is proposed and passed each year.

In January, the “Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2017” was presented to Congress. The act proposes that “a person convicted of any covered offense … may move the court which imposed the sentence for the covered offense to vacate the judgment of conviction if the covered offense was committed as a direct result of the person having been a victim of trafficking.”

The law would prevent victims of trafficking from being convicted of crimes committed while they were being trafficked. It is part of an international push to prioritize human trafficking as an issue and eradicate it.

Forty-four U.S. states have laws to address human trafficking within their state borders.

In Texas, all law enforcement officials must receive training on how to recognize and handle trafficking. In Georgia, law OCGA 165-46 “prohibits the trafficking of persons for labor or sexual servitude with a more severe penalty for trafficking minors” and states

that traffickers must register as sex offenders and pay into a state fund that aids victims of trafficking, New Safe Harbor.

Alabama had no legislation for sex trafficking until 2010.

Advocates for the rights of victims of sex trafficking say that too little is being done.

“There needs to be more programs,” Anderson said. “There are not a lot of social services for victims of sex trafficking. We need to provide them a true program.”

Anderson noted that a victim of sex trafficking usually does not have any form of identification, as state-issued IDs and passports are typically confiscated by pimps. As a result, victims often have no access to healthcare and can’t easily acclimate to society after they are rescued.

“A trafficker can make $250,000 a year off one girl,” McCarty said.

In 2007, state Rep. Jack Williams of Vestavia Hills saw Alabama had no way of addressing human trafficking issues.

“I saw a news story about a sex trafficking ring that the FBI had broken up in Marshall County, Alabama. And it was four or five Hispanic women who were enslaved in a mobile home in Marshall County. A few

The portion of Interstate 20 between Birmingham and Atlanta, Georgia is known as the Sex Trafficking Super Highway, as it is the most common road used to transport victims of sex trafficking.

weeks later I read a story on AOL that there was a couple in an upscale New York suburb that had two preteens living in their home cooking and cleaning. They were domestic slaves,” Williams said. “I called our reference services and asked what our laws were on human trafficking and involuntary servitude.

I was told we didn’t have any.”

Williams drafted the first legislation, making Alabama the 44th state to actively try to eradicate human trafficking through legislation.

“We focus on individuals who pimp out others. We focus on people who ensnare others into this lifestyle. If [someone is] charged with a crime of sex trafficking or labor trafficking, [he or she] can be charged up to 10 years in prison. If [someone] is caught trafficking a minor, [he or she] can be charged up to 20 years in prison,” Williams said. “The only crime that carries a heavier penalty than trafficking a child is capital murder.”

Williams continued to propose legislation to combat human trafficking in Alabama.

In 2014, Williams proposed a task force that would train law enforcement to recognize and rescue victims of human trafficking while working to enforce laws against forced labor.

“We meet on a quarterly basis. They helped pass the Safe Harbor legislation of 2016 that prohibits a minor from being charged with prostitution,” Williams said. “Minors who have engaged with prostitution are victims.

They’re not criminals.”

Alabama also passed a law that criminalized the act of buying sex, focusing attention on the person investing in the illegal sex industry rather on a victim that would be an involuntary party to it. That law also offered exit programs and rehabilitation to victims of sex trafficking.

“We established a $500 fine for soliciting a prostitute. That money goes towards victim services,” Williams said.

Those actions are progressive steps that attempt to eradicate sex trafficking. Bringing it to an end is the main priority.

“I wish [Wellhouse] could go out of business.

I wish we were making so much progress that we couldn’t afford to be here anymore,” Anderson said.

Rescue “My life didn’t make sense until now,” McCarty said.

The 44-year-old woman never expected that she would be a person who victims of sex trafficking seek out to rescue them.

p l e h t ’ n o d u o y f i ie d o t g n i o g ‘I’m At o n e point, she didn’t anticipate that she would still be alive this year.

McCarty was 12 years old the first time she was raped. The woman, who grew up in Carrollton, Georgia, was taken by two teen boys in her friend’s backyard.

“I didn’t feel safe,” she said. “I didn’t know how to process it.”

So she ran away.

McCarty eventually returned home, but ran away frequently over the next three years.

When she was 15, she left for good.

During that period, McCarty was approached by a man in his 30s who offered her a place to stay. Upon arriving that the Atlanta apartment, she found several other women, some in their teens and others in their 20s.

He was a pimp.

Initially, McCarty didn’t care.

“It was better than being on the streets,” she said.

The man taught McCarty how to sell cocaine and gave her a quota. One night, she didn’t have enough drugs to sell in order to meet her quota.

That was the first night she had sex for money.

For over a decade, McCarty was trafficked.

McCarty said she has been left for dead and still harbors physical scars from her abuse.

It was not until she was arrested that she was able to leave her pimp. McCarty served time for

24 | Bodies in Bondage

. e m

theft in 1997.

After her release, she severed contact with her pimp and lived with friends until she could regain stability.

McCarty then turned her attention to those who had found themselves in positions similar to hers. She began rescuing and housing victims of sex trafficking alongside a ministry she worked for, until the demand for beds outgrew the resources available to her.

“I knew there would come a day there would come a girl that we couldn’t help. That happened July 2010, and the next day, God gave me the vision of Wellhouse,” McCarty said.

She founded the Wellhouse with $33 in January 2011 on the principle that any victim of sex trafficking should have an opportunity to receive help and resources to recover from the trauma that comes from being trafficked.

The organization works closely with the FBI and has rescued trafficking victims from 26 states.

“The first question we ask is ‘have you ever traded sex for drugs or money.’ And if she answers that question ‘yes,’ then she is a fit,” McCarty said.

McCarty said her former pimp is still trafficking women today, but each day she works is an opportunity to help a young woman turn her life around the same way she was able to.

“Our first rescue lives in Birmingham now … She’s fabulous,” McCarty said. “I think this is the work I was called to do.”

Story and Graphics

by Asia Burns

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The Road from Rome to the Magic City

T

he moment Birmingham residents see the 56-foot tall statue of the Roman god Vulcan perched high on Red Mountain, they recognize him like an old friend.

Vulcan has become a symbol of sorts for the Magic City, representing Birmingham’s roots in the iron and steel industry as he stands tall atop the city skyline.

“I do not know of any other place that has the pagan god as a symbol,” chair and professor of classics at Samford University Stephen R. Todd says. However, everyone knows who The Vulcan is. Lesser known are the other ancient Roman and Greek figures throughout the city that make classical Birmingham.

The famous proverb “All roads lead back to Rome” holds true today. “In Birmingham, people look at those columns, admire these designs, and appreciate the statues because they realize there is something aesthetically beautiful about it and there is a deeper meaning behind its beauty,” Todd said.

Sibyl Temple

Miss Electra

US 31 South/ Shades Crest Road

600 18th Street North

Sibyl Temple is situated on Highway 31 in Vestavia Hills on a bluff near the intersection of Highway 31 and Shades Crest Road. One of Vestavia Hills’ top tourist attractions, it is designed as a replica of the Temple of Sibyl in Tivoli, Italy near Rome. Today it is a popular location for weddings, gatherings, picnics and day trips.

Originally, the temple was the garden gazebo of Birmingham Mayor George Ward’s Vestavia estate until Vestavia Hills Baptist Church purchased the property in 1958. The church had the house demolished in 1971 but “spared the temple and donated it to the Vestavia Hills Garden Club,” according to Ministry Assistant Betsy Lowery from Vestavia Hills Baptist Church.

Miss Electra, Power Goddess, is a statue that has lightning bolts for hair and no clothes. Her sculptor, William T. Warren, named her “Divinity of Light.” She stands 20 stories above ground on the roof of the Alabama Power Building.

Electra is the smallest of the city’s three mythical giants.“With Vulcan, the architect tapped into his original context as the iron god and connected him to the steel and iron work that is in Birmingham,” Todd said.

“Electra is a classical looking sculpture with a classical name, but Alabama Power has used it for their own and connected her to something modern.”

Electra appears in some of the most popular Greek mythological tragedies.

Despite her name, the goddess has no affiliation with electricity. This is a remarkable combination of the old and the new, where relatively new technology has been appropiated into the statue’s very old name.

People look at those columns, admire these designs and appreciate the statues because they realize ... there is a deeper meaning behind its beauty.

Stephen R. Todd

Centurion Statue 801 Richard Arrington, Jr. Boulevard North

Centurion, located in downtown Birmingham, is a law enforcement memorial heavily inspired by the image of Dying Gaul in the Capitoline Museum in Rome.

Centurion was made in 1991 by German artist Branko Medenica.

Centurion stands as a poignant example of classical reception. Emily London, a classics major at Samford University, conducted undergraduate summer research comparing Centurion to the Dying Gaul. “Why would a modern artist use that image?” she asked herself at the beginning of her research.

After interviewing the artist, London discovered that “Medenica chose to use the Dying Gaul as inspiration in his vision for Centurion because he found its presentation of a fallen warrior striking.”

London traveled to Rome on a study abroad trip where she was able to see the Dying Gual in person. “There was a lot of anticipation with seeing it and when I did, I cried,” London said. “It was amazing to see how the artist in Birmingham also evoked sympathy in Centurion.”

Wedgewood Art Gallery Birmingham Museum of Art

The family of Dwight and Lucille Beeson collected Wedgewood fine china for most of their married life. They donated their collection to The Birmingham Museum of Art. Fifteen years ago, the museum purchased another large collection. Today, Birmingham houses the largest Wedgewood collection outside of England.

Samford University student Ian Fleming described The Wedgewood Gallery as, “fascinating. As Samford students, none of us are strangers to the Beeson name.

However, walking through their collection was eye-opening. A family so important to the Samford community has left a meaningul mark on the Birmingham community, as well.”

Take a moment to look around a modern city like Birmingham. Recognize that one does not need to travel to Rome to encounter the classics and be inspired by their timeless significance.

Story by McLane Evans Photographs by McLane Evans, Kate Sullivan and Harrison Tarabella

The

House that Love B

How the Ronald McDonald House is keeping fami

O

n a sunny Wednesday afternoon in March, nine and a half year old James and his good friend play Xbox together.

The weather has finally started to feel like spring in Birmingham, and while the two of them like taking walks outside, both of them would rather be punching the buttons on a controller.

The friends came together in a unique way: James Pollard and his friend both live at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama.

James’s mom, Mary Ellen Pollard sits at a table in the same room with their service dog, Neela.

As they play, more children and parents come over to say hi.

This house is much more than just a place for families with sick

30 | The House that Love Built

children to lay their heads at night. This is a home filled with community and kindness.

The parents and children who live together under this roof understand one another’s battles like nobody else could. But even more important than that, Ronald McDonald House Charities serve a greater purpose: keeping families close during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Huntsville natives James Pollard and his family, mom Mary Ellen and younger brother RJ, have stayed at the house periodically from the time James was born. “He actually took his first steps right over there with his walker,” Mary Ellen recalls, pointing down the hall. “This is such a special place for us.”

e Built

amilies close

thelocalbham.com | 31

James has cerebral palsy, which requires a specialized three-week intensive physical therapy program at least once a year. While the Pollards are in Birmingham, they stay in at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama to reduce the costs of getting treatment. But sometimes it’s not as easy as just signing up for a room.

“There have been times that we have had to hold off on therapy

32 | The House that Love Built

because there isn’t a room for us. And with all of James’s other issues, a two hour drive each way isn’t doable,” Mary Ellen explains.

In March, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama broke ground on a new 28,543-squarefoot addition to the house. This project will add 33 rooms, nearly doubling the capacity of the home.

The $8.2 million project will significantly reduce the extensive

waitlist, allowing more families to get the best treatment for their children, while having peace of mind “We are so excited about the new expansion because hopefully that means we’ll have an easier time getting a room,” Mary Ellen said.

Even now the room the Pollards have is too small. Mary Ellen’s husband wasn’t able to come with

them, so he drives down for the day to visit, but then has to return home.

“Can we go upstairs?” James asked his mom. A long day of therapy has exhausted James.

Thanks to Ronald McDonald House Charities, he and his family went up to their room to relax for the afternoon instead of having to make the exhausting trek back to Huntsville. "Proximity is key

thelocalbham.com | 33

Their sick child unites them in everything they do. So no matter where they come from or what color their skin is, they bond over having a sick child and that’s the only thing they see.

Katherine Estes Billmeier to what we do, explained Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama CEO Katherine Estes Billmeier. "We used to have to deal with getting transportation, and we have had families who may have lost their child if we weren't this close."

The Birmingham location opened in 1979 as the fifth Ronald McDonald House in the world, and has served more than 38,000 families like the Pollards. The purpose of the organization is simple— to give families a safe, secure place to stay while their child is getting quality treatment away from home.

Without a place like this, families would either have to stay in the hospital room for months at a time,

or pay for expensive hotels.

The hospital Children's of Alabama in Birmingham treats children from all over Alabama, 41 additional states and eight foreign countries. The diversity is one of the most special aspects about the house Billmeier explained, “The thing that’s great about this place is that their sick child unites them in everything they do. So no matter where they come from or what color their skin is, they bond over having a sick child and that’s the only thing they see.”

For more information on the house and how to donate, email kathy.robson@rmhca.org or visit www.rmhca.org.

Story by Kate Sullivan Art by Katherine Mixson

34 | The House that Love Built

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thelocalbham.com | 35

Pork chicharrones and fried yucca appetizer from La Libertad.

FOUR FLAVORS

Authentic Latin American eateries in and around Birmingham

O

n Green Springs Highway, colorful flags representing a slew of nationalities and cultures fly over the Mi Pueblo Supermarket.

Terracotta rooftops shelter Spanish-influenced buildings in shopping centers and residential areas around Hoover, Pelham and central Birmingham.

Latin American influences are prominent in the city’s architecture, consumer culture and food scene.

Latino residents establish thriving local businesses that draw immigrants and lifelong residents alike. Markets, bakeries and restaurants welcome

36 | Four Flavors

customers into their native cultures and introduce the community to the heritages that they know and love.

Authentic restaurants allow different nationalities to distinguish themselves. Some appear consistently through areas such as Green Springs Highway, which is dotted with Latin American restaurants and food trucks galore, while others pop up in small shopping centers on their own. No matter where they appear, these unique eateries will please the palate of any diner.

La Libertad

2834 Pelham Parkway, Pelham, AL 35124 Marta Portilla shares her Salvadoran culture through the cuisine and atmosphere of La Libertad, which she owns with her husband, Abel. A quaint hole-in-the-wall on the outside, this storefront shines with authenticity on the inside.

Portilla brought the traditional flavors and dishes from her home country to the small kitchen in Pelham because nothing like it existed in the area.

The menu is almost entirely comprised of Salvadoran specialties. Pupusas, a traditional filled corn tortilla, inundate the first page.

Another special dish is the tamal, unique in El Salvador because it is wrapped with banana leaves instead of corn husks. “You ordered too much,� Portilla emphasized, because custom in El Salvador and at La Libertad is focusing on small plates with big flavor. Multiple variations of pupusas. A single tamal. Order little, but leave full of Salvadoran food and culture.

Pupusa with pickled cabbage and tomato sauce from La Libertad.

Machetes

406 West Valley Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35209

Avocado, chile de arbol and tomatillo sauces from Machetes.

Named for its specialty quesadilla called a machete, Machetes is so authentic that ordering in English is a difficult task. A basic understanding of the Spanish language is essential to navigating the menu and maintaining conversation.

Logos and symbols decorating the tablecloths invite diners to choose their own seat. The walls are brightly painted with exuberant papel picado cutouts adorning the ceiling.

The traditional Machetes menu features machetes, torta sandwiches, gorditas and even breakfast chilaquiles. Each order is served with a bowl of soup, signature mild avocado sauce, tangy tomatillo salsa and spicy chile de arbol salsa. The waitress managing the store called the avocado the fan-favorite, but each has such a unique flavor that it is challenging to choose a superior.

Leave your Mexican food expectations at the door when visiting this tiny treasure. Even those accustomed to Tex-Mex meals will appreciate the authenticity of Machetes.

thelocalbham.com | 37

Sabor Latino

Lomo saltado and aji de gallina from Sabor Latino.

112 Green Springs Highway, Homewood, AL 35209 Sabor Latino serves a variety of Peruvian specialties, capitalizing on traditional South American cuisine.

“This restaurant is not only the pride of the Peruvian community,” reads a personalized letter from owner Manual Barco on the back of the menus, “but it is a place of excellence where people from other countries gather to enjoy the variety of the flavorful menu.”

Barco emphasizes traditional Peruvian dishes prepared in a unique style. The restaurant serves specialty seafood dishes, South American chicken dishes and the traditional Asian-fusion lomo saltado that combines stir-fried steak and vegetables with rice and french fries. An interesting but oddly appealing combination, the lomo saltado is No. 1 on the menu for a reason.

The flavors of Peru make Sabor Latino a special dining experience, and with an accomanying Mexican menu, it is fitting for any hungry patron.

La Sabrosita

3702 Lorna Road, Hoover, AL 35244 191 West Valley Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35209 Tasty treats are easily accessible at La Sabrosita.

The sweet shop offers ice pops, ice creams, fresh fruits, Mexican candies and breads. They also carry snack foods, juices, chili-covered mangoes and unique flavors of imported chips and treats from around the world.

The colorful assortment of sweets and savories presents options for every appetite. Latin flavors such as lime, tamarind and rice are nestled beside more typically American flavors including cheesecake and bubble gum.

The most popular flavor? “Key lime pie,” responded the friendly server without a second thought. Other best-sellers are strawberry, Maria biscuit and coconut.

Don’t miss their savory snacks like tornadoes, nachos and Dorito bowls, either. One step in the door will explain why they titled themselves “tasty.”

Story and Photographs

by Hallie King 38 | Four Flavors

Strawberry paleta from La Sabrosita in Hoover.

Alpha Omicron Pi est. 1897

exceed the expectation samford.alphaomicronpi.org

A RISING STAR

How one church’s vision is becoming a reality

J

“ anuary 28, 2014. I remember it like the back of my hand. My wife and I drove on the Century Plaza property, took pictures, and sat there and we believe God began to speak to us. I think on that day there were some beginnings of this vision. And I was very scared of it.”

That vision guided Pastor Thomas Beavers to grow his church, New Rising

classrooms, I found him waiting for me outside the gym, casually chatting with a few members of the congregation.

He led me into his office, a hideaway from the demands and pressure of leading a congregation. As we sat down to talk, the phone on his desk rang. It would ring three more times during our conversation.

Beavers seemed to be pulled in so many different directions. His eyes were tired and

I think on that day there were some beginnings of this vision.

And I was very scared of it.

Thomas Beavers Star, and to enhance the community of East Birmingham. That day, Beavers tucked his vision away in the notes of his phone and didn’t open it again for nearly a year.

“November 2014—I’m at the Work Faith Birmingham Conference,” he recalled. “There was a guy that I met that was a commercial real estate agent.

I said, ‘Tell you what, can you look for our church a second location?’ He came back to me 30 days later. He said, ‘I have not looked for you a second location. I know this is really crazy, but I really want to know what you think about Century Plaza?’ He had no clue that 10 months before I met him, God had planted this in my heart.”

I planned to meet Beavers at his home church. Working my way through the myriad of activity and hallways of

the day wore heavily on him. And yet he welcomed me in, and proceeded to share the miraculous story of how his church is growing.

Beavers’ expression changed as he shared his church’s mission. His eyes lit up and a grin began to spread to the corners of his mouth as he declared: “We believe that Jesus’ last words are our first priority. Jesus said, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations.’

We say, ‘We exist to know Christ and make him known to the world.’”

New Rising Star Church is 53 years old and it’s the only church Beavers has known.

Beavers grew up in the church, where his grandfather, Tommy Chappell, was pastor for 35 years. Following his grandfather’s retirement, Beavers stepped in as pastor in 2010.

“In some instances, I pastor the people who changed my diapers. I pastor the

thelocalbham.com | 41

people who really raised me and who literally watched me grow up before their eyes,” said Beavers. While the dynamics of the church have changed over time, Beavers is confident that its founding pillars remain intact.

Beavers has moved forward along the path his grandfather paved, to what is now the biggest pursuit of his pastoral career. He is leading New Rising Star Church in the process of purchasing former Century Plaza Mall, located on Crestwood Boulevard, just down the road from their existing church.

What is now a dilapidated building was once a mecca for shoppers of Birmingham in the 1970s and ‘80s. Beavers’ dream is to restore the mall to its full potential to create a hub where his church, along with other community developers, will find a new home.

He plans to relocate his church to the building, which will accommodate future growth.

Beavers also hopes to start a charter school on the property to provide better education for children in the area. The remainder of the 743,000 square feet of space will be rented out to nonprofits and other agents of change looking to invest in the community.

The Rev. Michael Todd, New Rising Star’s assistant pastor, began to imagine the future of Century Plaza. He illustrated his vision to me, looking out the window as if he could see the plan unfolding before him. I followed his finger as he traced the outline of what will become his new church home. He invited me to dream with him, as he repeatedly said, “This is what I see.”

Century Plaza Restored “We will have people coming to the mall, and the first thing they will see in the middle is our church and our charter school. We feel

they are going to be affected in some way by the Gospel, which is ultimately what we want for those grounds,” said Todd. As he described this project, he scooted closer to me, edging towards the end of his seat, as if he might stand up at any point and clap his hands in praise.

Todd has a vision to restore Century Plaza to its previous grandeur. He described the hustle that surrounded the mall and memories of shopping at a time when the building’s energy was magnetic.

“I would’ve never thought, when I used to go there and buy Christmas toys and school clothes, that one day we would be in the process of trying to buy the building.”

Aiming to empower citizens with resources and improve education, Century Plaza will bring new life to the community, which will trickle down into all areas of personal development. Beavers explained that the church believes communities are developed in six ways: education, financial literacy, workforce development, housing, recreation and the church.

“When you invest in all these areas, it’s going to really bring life to the community,” said Beavers. “In the next five years, we want this community to be a community that people want to live in, not just be here because they have to,” said Beavers.

Beavers’ vision for community development is embodied in the church’s declaration statement that is recited each Sunday morning: “What I’m a part of is bigger than the part that we play. We exist to know Christ and make him known to the world. We share Christ, we encounter Christ, we connect with people, we grow in Christ and we serve the world.”

An artist’s rendering of the new church..

In the next five years, we want this community to be a community that people want to live in.

Thomas Beavers A Leader Emerges Todd is confident in Beavers’ ability to lead the church in this undertaking. “We have a young vibrant pastor that gives it all that he has. He is on fire for the Lord all the time, whether he is sick, whether he is feeling well. He doesn’t whine or complain.

He gets it done.”

“I believe that Pastor Beavers is the glue that could even bring racial reconciliation together. I see that our white brothers and sisters, they gravitate to him just like we do.

I see different denominations. I mean, I’ve never seen it like this before, and he is the common denominator,” shared Todd.

The admiration Todd feels for Beavers transcends to the church’s congregation.

Members of the church community want to rally behind Beavers as his dream gains more and more traction.

Beavers is surrounded by the constant support of mentors and advisors. His humility is apparent in the gratitude he expresses to those who have helped him along the way. In talking about his mentors, he spouted off a list of 15 people who had played a specific role in molding him as a person.

He interrupted me later in the interview to mention a few more names he didn’t want to forget. While Beavers feels the confidence of others spurring him forward,

fear still creeps in from time to time.

“I probably have never been more scared than I am right now,” shared Beavers, as he rubbed his temples and bent forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. His fingers interlaced as if in prayer.

Beavers felt a tremendous weight on his shoulders. The pastor is not only leading the church, but also meeting with philanthropists, city government and legislators to set the wheels for Century Plaza in motion.

The dream has become much greater than Todd could’ve imagined.

“What I see now, is we are not per se ‘chasing things’ for Century Plaza to work, it’s chasing us. We aren’t seeking the attention, it is seeking us,” Todd said.

A Community Cause Todd responds to the pressure in diligent prayer for Beavers and the plan for Century Plaza Mall. Todd manages the Century Plaza Prayer Walk, a weekly meeting where leaders of the church pray as they walk around the perimeter

Pastor Thomas Beavers’ hands in prayer. Right page: Pastor Beavers seated in the pews of his church.

of the property every Saturday morning. Individual church members are also scheduled to do prayer walks on the grounds Monday through Friday.

“When we march around Century Plaza, we are thanking God, just like the cheering people of Israel thanked him for the walls coming down from Jericho. We are thanking him for every rock, every shrub, every tree, every building. We are thanking him for the community that is awaiting us right now,” said Todd.

The prayer walks have become an integral part of the church’s ministry. Church leaders plan to incorporate a paved path around the Century Plaza building to continue the prayer walks following the move.

The Call to Wait Recently, Beavers preached at a Birmingham church where a lady gave him a letter sharing a message from God. Skeptical, Beavers opened the folded up paper and read: “I will bless everything you touch, but do not forsake intimacy with me.”

“I have to be very, very careful and cognizant that what we are doing should not change. It’s just operating in a bigger place. Our mission should not change. Our mission is to populate Heaven, save as many people as possible,” shared Beavers.

This dream is so much greater than a building. It is bringing hope to a community in need. “We believe that the building does not dictate the mission, but the mission dictates the building,” said Todd.

The church is waiting for two pieces to fall into place in order to close the deal on Century Plaza Mall. The building has passed property conditions surveys and environmental inspection. It is in need of updating, but no major structural work. Beavers is awaiting the response to his charter school application and working with tenants to finalize move-in plans. He is aiming to close the property purchase by July of this summer.

In the waiting, Beavers has learned that “courage is not the absence of fear, but obedience to God in the presence of fear.” He explained that he is confident that the trials he faces today will ultimately serve as transportation to the fulfillment of this dream.

In light of the obstacles he is facing, Beaver’s response was simple and eloquent: “The sky is not the limit, but the sky is in our way. All the times that we limit ourselves, based on what we see, based on what people tell us we can and cannot do, we allow people to box us in—and in turn, we box God in. But this is such a God vision because it takes Him to do it.”

Story by Claire Jaggers Photographs by Kate Sullivan Rendering by Turner Batson Architecture

44 | A Rising Star Church

Pa

Passion and

Care

Zookeeping isn’t all black and white

I

t was unseasonably warm on the February morning I arrived at the Birmingham Zoo. I couldn’t tell from my parking spot, but at 6:55 a.m., life was already bustling inside the iron gates.

Since 1955, the zoo has housed more than 900 animals from six continents. With more than 575,000 annual visitors, the animals are ready to take on each day with the care of a hard-working and humble staff. Zookeepers have some of the most overlooked yet inspiring passions, and a day spent with them will prove that passion permeates every part of their lives: a passion that drives them to take care of their animals day in and day out.

Amy Toman, lead keeper of the Trails of Africa section of the zoo, met me outside with a big smile and cheerful eyes, her long day just beginning. Toman and the other zoo staff arrive at the zoo before 7 a.m. and stay until after 5 p.m. During the long hours they’re splashed with bath water, move barrels of hay, make tasty toys and wipe off wet animal kisses.

“This career isn’t a typical 9-to-5 position; we’re in early, we stay late, and we celebrate our holidays here with our animals,” Toman told me.

“Odd Ball” We walked through the zoo, the first steps of almost 12,000 Toman takes on a normal day, to the first barn we would visit: one that housed hogs, ostriches and zebras.

Stepping into the barn, the aroma of manure and animal feed hit me hard. But every day the 26-year-old keeper breathes in contentment.

Toman grew up in rural West Virginia. Early in her life, she began volunteering at a local zoo, one that still holds a special place in her heart. Her interest in animals amplified the more she volunteered, and went on to study animal and nutritional sciences at West Virginia University.

All zookeepers are required to have a degree in an animal care related field, and internships are key to getting a foot in the door into the competitive field. In Toman’s last semester, she interned 12 hours away from home at the Birmingham Zoo in the Trails of Africa department.

What she (and her family) thought would be five months has now turned into four years.

“Moving away from home was certainly an adjustment for everyone, but my family has always been highly supportive of my career in animal care,” she said.

No one in her family has any experience in the animal care field, and she claims to be “the odd ball” in the family—her mom a stay-at-home mom and her dad a factory worker.

She said when she was in high school they frequently wondered aloud when she would grow out of wanting to work with animals. “They kept asking me, but instead I’ve just grown into it.”

The Birmingham Zoo has several exotic species including giraffes.

An Eye for Order Keepers were already in motion when we stepped inside the barn. Tessa Woods, a zookeeper working with us that day, was running back and forth between stalls preparing food and feeding animals.

For the animals to be ready for guests by 9:30 a.m., structured routines are the law of the morning.

Toman first strolls over to feed the zoo’s three red river hogs: Star, Spangle and Banner. They gathered at the gate, but she immediately opened doors to adjoining stalls because the hogs like to eat separately. They trotted through the doors awaiting their food.

After a few months of the same routine, Toman understands the animals’ personalities by identifying mannerisms of their daily behavior.

Without knowing those preferences, keepers can’t provide the best environment for the animals to thrive.

And this understanding transcends to all levels of keepers’ work. The Zoo’s Animal Nutrition Center creates specific diets for the animals based on their age, weight and size, consisting of the same produce and meat that are delivered to restaurants throughout Birmingham. There are also strict guidelines as to what an animal can eat because of their anatomy and physiology, requiring zookeepers to know what works for certain animals.

“Many of these species have diverse digestive systems so understanding what they need nutritionally is important. Not to mention, as

individuals, they each have likes and dislikes just like we do for certain foods,” Toman said.

After the hogs were fed, we stepped out of the back of the barn to the yard, where visitors can see giraffes and ostriches meandering about during the day. The yard is the second largest in the zoo and takes close to 30 minutes to clean. Toman, Woods and Robert Griffin, a keeper who has worked with the zoo’s zebras for 49 years, all grabbed rakes and started putting waste in piles to be dumped in a barrel.

As a zookeeper, there are long hours of manual labor involved on the job. From cleaning yards and raking waste to scrubbing stalls and washing animals, the dirty jobs are essential so the animals can survive.

But they don’t see it as grunt work.

“One of my favorites quotes is ‘Our quality of work is their quality of life.’ Animal welfare is always our top priority and it always will be,” Toman said. “We put our heart and soul into what we do every day.”

In fact, Toman’s work and personal lives are constantly fused together, making zookeepers an inherently tight-knit group. Some days after work is done, the Trails of Africa zookeepers will detail their days with the animals and suggest ways to make improvements. Even when Toman is home in West Virginia, she says she eagerly waits for the daily email from the zoo updating her on the animals’ behaviors.

Beyond the Classroom Once the yard had been cleaned and inspected, I walked with Toman and Woods to the giraffe barn.

It seemed as if you could see their heartbeats in their footsteps, getting quicker with every word as they described their educational ventures as part of the Birmingham Zoo staff.

Just because keepers have obtained a college degree doesn’t mean the learning stops there. Birmingham Zoo keepers are encouraged by management to regularly take classes in order to better care for the species they have in the zoo. Toman has benefited from taking a variety of courses, including animal sciences and grant writing.

These skills were helpful in 2015 when Toman received a Passion into Conservation Action grant to aid in the conservation research of desert giraffe in the southern African country of Namibia, where she got to analyze her favorite animal.

“My time there was spent surveying giraffe populations as a small part of an Africa-wide giraffe population assessment. Additionally, we took DNA samples on various individuals through the use of biopsy darting,” she said. As researchers bring in waves of new information, they are better able to provide methods and strategies on how to preserve and conserve species that are quickly becoming extinct.

Toman led me through a series of doors to a “meetand-greet” area where I came eye to knee with one of the giraffes. Standing at 15 feet tall and weighing close to 2,000 pounds, the giraffe was unaware of how massive he was as he bent his neck down, poked his head through the protective barrier and smelled me. Toman laughed.

“Four years ago when I first moved down here for the internship, I met our herd of giraffes. Jalil, our bull, was so charismatic and has this larger than life personality and I just instantly fell in love,” she said. “Giraffes have a natural elegance about them and many people don’t realize the plight they are facing.”

In December, the giraffe’s species status was moved from Least Concern to Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The population has declined 40 percent over the last 30 years. The silent slip of giraffes is disheartening, but propels Toman, Woods and zookeepers around the world to find the best ways to conserve the land giants.

As Toman mopped the giraffe stalls with soap and water, she told me about how the Birmingham Zoo recently got the green light for their Southern White rhinos to begin the reproduction process. She recalled a college class she took when she learned to feel inside a female animal for pregnancy, something she is all too familiar with now. Her workday is truly an extension of the classroom.

thelocalbham.com | 49

Toman sweeps the giraffe stalls.

Our quality of work is their quality of life.

Amy Toman 50 | Passion and Care

There’s Purpose As Toman finished guiding me through the giraffes’ stalls, she pointed out a scale on the floor that weighs the giraffes as they go outside. She explained that zookeepers have to get creative to check on the basic health and stability of the animals.

Cute tricks that visitors see are actually useful for zookeepers to check areas on animals they can’t see at first glance: When hogs stand on their hind legs Woods can check their stomachs, and when giraffes step up on a block Toman can check their hooves.

Constant training on new behaviors will also prepare animals for medical procedures and help improve their motor skills.

With the giraffes’ stalls floors sparkling, we left and visited the zoo’s hippopotamus and rhinos. I was struck by the enormity and gracefulness of the animals as we entered the barn. Both species weighing over 3,000 pounds, crushing the dust into millions of particles underneath their feet, responded to Toman and Woods with affection and kindness.

We stepped up to greet the rhinoceroses and touched the cracked, rough skin on its side. I could see the desperation in Woods’ eyes, but hear the confidence in her voice as she stressed the conservation of these animals. We were looking at a breed that, according to the World Wildlife Fund, had been on the brink of extinction with fewer than 100 left, but preservation efforts have succeeded in growing the population to now almost 20,000 rhinos.

Zookeepers strive to give the best quality of life to their animals every day. From the dirty to the cute to the smelly, zoo animals depend on their human counterparts to not only provide a natural lifestyle, but to be their faithful friend through the fun times and hard days.

Story and Photographs

by Hannah Diamond

Delta Delta Delta Let Us Steadfastly Love One Another EST. 1888

Ministry of Grace

Providing a Christian living environment for girls in Alabama

g

E

very 61 minutes, a child is abused in the state of Alabama. Grace House sets out to change the lives of young girls who were abused, abandoned or neglected. Their mission, according to their website, is “to provide stable, Christian homes for girls from crisis backgrounds with the commitment to developing mature, Godly women.”

“Girls often arrive with almost nothing to their names, and what they do have is usually in trash bags,” said Marketing and Communications Director Katherine

Mazzara. “They’re often withdrawn or angry, and don’t immediately want to connect with the staff or other girls. However, in just a few days the staff starts to see the girls smiling and opening up.”

Grace House’s founder, “Mama” Lois Coleman, devoted her life to improving the lives of girls in foster care. In 1989, at age 66, Mama Lois partnered to raise the funds to purchase and renovate a house in the Fairfield community.

The first home on campus opened in 1992,

Above: Grace House is a Christian home for girls.

and the first eight girls moved in. Over the course of 25 years, one home for eight girls turned into eight properties with room for 28 girls ages 6 to 26. The Grace House has established a campus school, transitional living program and community garden with plans to build an outreach center in the next one to two years. In spite of such extreme growth, the mission of Grace House has remained constant.

The girls who call Grace House home have been removed from the custody of their families and placed at the house by the Alabama Department of Human Resources.

The most common reasons a child is removed from their home are abandonment, neglect and physical or sexual abuse. Reporting of those occurrences often begins in schools.

There are more than 2,500 Alabama girls in foster care each year. Grace House has a statewide license and takes placements of girls from across the state of Alabama. The average length of stay at Grace House is six months to a year, and their longest resident was with them for nearly five years.

A Day in the Life The girls begin their day with breakfast and a morning devotional before school.

The house parents make sure their groups of girls get off to their respective schools, whether that be Grace House Campus School, Restoration Academy or Holy Family Cristo Rey. After school the girls have snacks and then have study time. Each house eats a family dinner and often does

1989 Formation of

Grace House Ministries, Inc

1992 Girls came to live at Grace House 54 | Ministry of Grace

activities together such as Bible studies and arts and crafts. On the weekends, the girls are able to relax and have fun. They enjoy roller-skating or going to the movies.

Two group homes serve Grace House’s Youth Program for girls ages 6 to 18. Each of those homes can house up to 10 girls. Two other homes serve their Transitional Living Program, which is for girls ages 18 to 26.

Each of those homes can house up to four girls. House parents lead the girls in daily devotionals where they discuss scripture and challenging aspects of their daily life. The girls are encouraged to get involved in their local churches.

Educational Program The teachers on staff prepare educational plans based on the girls’ assessment scores when they arrive on campus.

Grace House Campus School was established in 2014 and teachers are constantly updating classrooms and implementing new ideas and strategies. This school prevents the girls from becoming overwhelmed in a public classroom setting and falling behind. Because the girls are often rebellious in nature, this school provides an atmosphere where each student gets individual attention.

The Grace House partners with other Christian schools like Restoration Academy and Holy Christian Cristo Rey Catholic School.

Twelve girls are currently enrolled in the campus school. The girls have access to

1999 Launching of the Campaign for Grace Village

2000 Groundbreaking

of two new group homes.

2002 Completion of

two new group homes

2007 Opening

of Administrative House

2009 Gra

enters part Restoration

of mes

ng ative House

tutors who strive to encourage independent learning outside the classroom through different programs.

Birmingham Birmingham has played a vital role in the success of Grace House. Many Birmingham churches and corporations have supported the house from its inception. Grace House partners with different nonprofits in the community, including Dance Foundation, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, McWane Science Center, Red Mountain Theatre Company and Shades Valley YMCA. The support of those partnerships allows the house to continue creating programs and grow their current programming.

Mazzara says the most rewarding thing about working with the girls is seeing their individual transformation in the days and weeks after they arrive at Grace House.

The biggest blessing for her is knowing that Grace House is really making a difference.

She notes that many nonprofits work on the macro level, addressing systemic issues like housing and poverty. Grace House is truly working on the micro level, addressing specific issues like the abuse of teenage girls.

“We are changing lives one girl at a time by providing her with family care, a quality education and a Christ-centered environment,” Mazzara said. “But we believe that if you can change the life of one girl, you’re ultimately impacting her family, her community and the whole Kingdom.”

The girls realize that Grace House is a

2009 Grace House

enters partnership with Restoration Academy

2011 Education

2013 Grace Village Community Garden is established.

Department was established; Campus School opened

We are changing lives one girl at a time.

Katherine Mazzara safe place. They don’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from or if they’ll have the clothing they need for the next season.

“They begin to trust and become more confident again. Their individual personalities really start to blossom, and it’s so beautiful to see that in a girl that was so shy just a few weeks earlier,” Mazzara said.

“The Lord has reminded me that His plan for us is always perfect. Even when we aren’t sure why certain things are happening to us, and even if it seems like it isn’t what we want to happen, He works all things for good for those that believe. The girls at Grace House may not always understand why they have been abandoned or abused by their families, but we are safe in the knowledge that God has placed them at Grace House for a reason.”

Story and Photographs

by Hannah Garrett

2014 Grace House

enter partnership with Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School.

2014 Administrative house

converted into Transitional Living Program for girls 18-21. thelocalbham.com | 55

The EVER CHANGING Canvas A

Low lights. A crime drama blaring from a television sitting on a wooden table in the waiting area. Soft raindrops pelting the sidewalk outside.

Loud buzzing. Artist and client chatting. A new piece of art was about to be finished up as work went on as normal at Classic 13 Tattoo.

rt can take many forms, from a painting that hangs on a gallery wall in London to a coffee cup crafted in the basement of a house in Michigan.

One form, which in the last 10 years has increasingly captured the attention of young and old people alike, is the master craft of tattooing.

This unique trade requires the human body to act as a canvas and places the final product in the hands of a single person with an ink needle tightly positioned between their fingers.

Located all over the Birmingham area, local tattoo artists create works of art on a daily basis. Just like any other creative, each individual tattoo artist has his or her own unique style and must learn to weave that style into the desires of each client. The art form requires creativity, intense focus and graceful understanding of raw human emotions and desires.

Justin Kontzen and John Mihelic both have experience of over 23 years in the tattoo business. Over those years they have seen the influx of people interested in tattoos and becoming tattoo artist.

They have also seen public attitudes toward tattooing shift. Kontzen is a tattoo artist at Sanctum Tattoos and Comics in Avondale, while Mihelic can be found downtown on 20th Street South at Classic 13 Tattoo.

Finding Passion Both men were introduced to their trade as teenagers, but their passions for the job did not come until later in life. Mihelic received his first tattoo from a friend at age 15 when they, tattooed each other’s hands with a needle and thread, and four years later found himself giving up his schooling in an effort to focus on his work in the tattoo industry.

“I kinda fell into it to be honest with ya. I was on my third semester of a psychology degree and I started hanging out at a local shop. I started helping out and then after I did my first tattoo I withdrew (from college) and never looked back,” said Mihelic.

He likes the job because he can easily combine two of his favorite things: helping people and traveling the country.

Mihelic has lived in more than 10 different states and spent parts of his life walking across the country and working on a fishing boat in Alaska. He said one of his favorite things about his line of work is the freedom it brings him both on a geographical level and a social level. He said he could go to any town in the country and have a job. For him, though, one of the most unique things about his job is that he is not bound to any social class.

“I literally deal with every level of society,” Mihelic said. “One second I can be tattooing on a drug dealer and the next thing I could be tattooing on a senator. I can go from surgeons to sewage workers.

There is no in between with it. So I like the fact that it gives me open access to everyone and that’s nice.”

Mihelic loves people — that is evident when you meet him. The first thing he said when asked why he loves his job was: “I like helping people. I just really like helping people.” He said most people who come into the shop are getting tattoos for one of two reasons: because they really appreciate the art or because they are going through some transition in

life. If it is that second reason, Mihelic gets to help them.

Kontzen was finishing up high school and found himself in his own transition period when he first realized his desire to be a tattoo artist. A man who was tattooing him asked what his plans were after graduation and offered Kontzen an opportunity to be his apprentice. Without any plans for the future, he accepted and from graduation day on Kontzen began tattooing.

He said the job at the beginning was just that, a job. “I learned how to tattoo to make money not to be some grand tattoo artist,” he said, but over time he developed a passion for the craft. He said his first tattoo jobs were in Florida in a “tourist town” where Kontzen said he did pretty simple tattoos, but a lot of them, so he made good money. Eventually he got tired of that kind of work: “You can do that forever, but then it ends up being just like a normal job. At least for me if you want to get better you’re gonna have to figure out a way to make it fulfilling to you, for it not to be boring to you and something you dislike. And the way to do that is to start challenging yourself to get better.”

That passion is what fuels Kontzen to continue developing his skills as an artist of what he calls “the ever-changing canvas.”

One second I can be tattooing on a drug dealer and the next thing I could be tattooing on a senator.

I can go from surgeons to sewage workers.

There is no in between with it.

John Mihelic

An Ever-Changing Canvas Just like a painter or a sculptor, a tattoo artist works with a medium, a medium unlike any other: ink and skin. For the tattoo artist, the canvas is the body. It is a canvas that changes over time. It stretches. It is elastic. It wears away and wrinkles with age. It is exposed to heat, ultraviolet rays, cold and water.

Tattoo artists must be aware of those elements, and take them into consideration when they put ink to skin to create art.

“Skin is ever-changing, it doesn’t hold artwork like paper, it just doesn’t,” Kontzen said. “You have a canvas that can be damaged by sun … it’s a different type of canvas you have to deal with.” He believes knowing how to draw and how shadowing and shading works are very important to his trade, but it is even more important to know how human skin works and reacts to time and elements.

“Our (work) has to be done in a way so that it holds up over time because we deal with a canvas that is ever-changing,” Kontzen said. Not only is their canvas ever-changing, it is also a living, breathing human with ideas, thoughts and definite pain levels.

Before any ink touches the skin, the design, colors, and style of the piece must be approved by the canvas itself. This requires the artist to cater their styles to the wishes of their clients.

Like any other form of art, there are different styles of tattooing. Ten typical styles one would run across are traditional, neo-traditional, realism, watercolor, tribal, new school, Japanese, dotwork, geometric and script.

Kontzen prefers traditional and Japanese over the rest because of the way the artwork holds up over time. He says traditional tattoos are “done in a way where they have an outline to them, and have enough black in them to hold up over time.”

Mihelic also prefers to do traditional work as well as neo-traditional and script. More styles are being developed over time, especially now in an age where more and more people are getting tattooed.

Desire for Ink In the past decade a dramatic shift in the cultural acceptance of tattoos has taken place, increasing the number of people being tattooed. In a 2014 Harris Poll, nearly 50 percent of millennials reported having tattoos and 69 percent of those who have a tattoo have more than one.

Kontzen and Mihelic said that in the beginning, the only people with tattoos were military men, bikers, sailors or people in prison. Now, Mihelic said, he sees every type of person come through his shop to get a tattoo.

Kontzen thinks the shift in attitudes toward tattooing started with the desire for people to get memorial tattoos for deceased loved ones, making this form of art acceptable in certain situations, and then that led to people just wanting the art itself for the sake of art. Once that art started being featured on television, it became mainstream.

An industry that not too long ago had a niche clientele now finds business from people in all walks of life. A tattoo parlor is unlike any other place.

You walk into a building with walls covered with sketches and paintings, music sometimes blaring in the background, a guy at a cash register giving care instructions and then in the back artists who are creating lasting pieces on their canvases.

The canvases walk the streets of this city. They work in the high rises downtown. They go to the local universities. That’s what makes this job so unique. Mihelic put it like this, “That’s one of the things I like about it too, I mean I could drop dead tomorrow and I’m still gonna be there until you guys are dead … It’s a little bit of legacy, nothing big, but a legacy.”

Story by Charis Nichols Photographs by Kate Sullivan 58 | The Ever-Changing Canvas

Our (work) has to be done in a way so that it holds up over time because we deal with a canvas that is ever-changing.

Justin Kontzen Previous pages: (1)Tattoo gun working in action. (2) Kontzen giving a tattoo. (3) A close up view of the prcoess of tattooing. Opposite Page: Ink bottles sitting on the desk.

Right: Mihelic tattooing “Where the Wild Things Are� on a customer.

K

T

Keeping History Alive The Story of Al Harris Welcome to His Field t was a clear, sunny, March day and historic Rickwood Field was in tip-top condition.

The grass was cut, the foul lines were painted and every speck of dirt looked as if it had been placed on the infield individually.

It was a day tailor-made for baseball. It felt like it was opening day for the park, but that happened back in 1910. As I walked onto the field I had to stop and catch my breath and just take in the beauty of this place.

There was no one in sight, except one man sitting on a bench along the left field line near the bullpen.

The man was Alvin Harris, and he has worked at Rickwood Field for eight years.

He grew up in the Rising West Princeton neighborhood across the street from the field.

He still lives in that neighborhood today.

I sat down next to him on the bench and asked what he was doing. “Oh I’m just reminiscing on life,” Harris said, “And the

I

memories of the ballpark and taking in the views. Isn’t this a beautiful day?”

I responded with a peaceful “yes.” This led into a long discussion on the history of Birmingham, the impact of baseball and the way a baseball field can play a major role in one person’s life even when that person has never played a day of professional baseball himself.

This day, this interview and this man felt like they were pulled straight from a movie. Al’s willingness to share his multitude of stories immediately makes people feel welcome to what has become his field. It’s hard not to fall in love with the place when you have someone like Al keeping watch over the field.

“This field has taught me a lot about life, and it kept me out of trouble when I was a kid,” he said. “When I was younger I used to come here all the time to watch players like Reggie Jackson, Vida Blue and many others from back in the days of the Birmingham A’s.

Rickwood Field has the same scoreboard it had almost 100 years ago.

“We were at the field basically every day in the summer months, and we’d go shag fly balls for the players during practice or chase down foul balls during the games,” Harris said. “We’d take the foul balls back in the stands and sell them so we could have some food to eat or save up for the new Chuck Taylor’s that were out at that time.”

As he reminisced, his love for life and this field were easily shown through his gentle spirit and the smile that kept coming over him as he talked about how his granddad, grandma, dad and brothers worked at the field with him as he grew up.

He smoothly shifted our conversation from baseball to life.

“Growing up I faced some prejudice in my life, but I don’t dwell on those times,” he said.

Instead, he told me of a time from his days attending Princeton Elementary School down the street from his house.

“There was a time when a black kid and a white kid got in a fight in our class, and we all gathered around them to watch,” he said. “Our teacher brought us all in and I thought

62 | Keeping History Alive

she was going to whoop those two that got in the fight, but she didn’t. She whooped all of us because we didn’t step in and break it up. I’ll never forget that lesson; she whooped everyone except those two. I learned that I have the ability to intervene in different situations and make an impact. We just can’t let things like that go on without trying to help.”

Al told me that life has come full circle for him. “I have learned so much from growing up here and living by this field, and now I want to do my best to give back. That’s my goal – to do my best every day I’m out on this field,” he said.

Something that I will carry with me way beyond my conversation with Al is that every day is a blessing. That’s one thing he told me, and that is why he tries to put his best effort forward every day.

“I pray over this field every day before I begin my work because you can’t do nothing right if God is not in it,” he confidently told me. “I pray that the good Lord guides my feet and holds my hand as I go through everyday so that we

Left: Harris does his best to represent Rickwood Field well in everything he does.

Right: Harris faithfully paints the lines making them straight as possible every time.

Top: Harris keeps the field in peak condition.

Bottom: The history of Rickwood Field can be seen in every seat.

can do the best job out here we can so that everybody is able to enjoy the field.”

After I wrapped up my conversation with Al I went looking for his co-workers. Before I found them I looked back to see what Al was doing. He was with the Ramsey High School team that was preparing for their game that evening. That’s exactly what he meant by life coming full circle. Once, he had been in those kids’ shoes preparing for a game on the field, and now he is there to make sure they get the same joyous experience that he had when he was growing up.

David Brewer, the Rickwood Field supervisor, told me how respected Al is by the company they work for called Friends of Rickwood. “Al is a high caliber individual, a very likeable guy, an all-around good man and a joy to work with,” Brewer told me. “People come from all over to visit Rickwood Field, 64 | Keeping History Alive

Harris is never satifisfied unless the field is in peak condition.

and they usually comment on two things: the beauty of the field and the kindness and hospitality that Al showed them while they were visiting.”

As I pulled out of the gravel parking lot I kept thinking: man, do I miss baseball, and secondly everybody needs to go visit Rickwood Field at least once.

And while you’re there, visit my friend, Alvin Harris.

You can probably find him sitting on his bench down the leftfield foul line reminiscing on life, and if you’re lucky you might get to have a conversation with him like I did. He’ll give you a new perspective on finding joy in every day we have.

Story by Caleb Jones Photographs by Kate Sullivan

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