Save the Date - Vestavia Hills

Vestavia Hills Community News
May - June 2012
Vestavia Hills
A joint publication of the City of Vestavia Hills,Vestavia Hills City Schools and Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce
Mayor’s Message
We hope you have noticed the signs at
both ends of Highway 31 that designate
Vestavia Hills as a Tree City USA for 20
consecutive years. Congratulations to the
Tree Commission and our residents who
helped make this happen.
This year’s Dogwood Festival Pageant winners are:
Miss Dogwood Jr. Miss Dogwood
12th Grade Princess
11th Grade Princess
10th Grade Princess
9th Grade Princess
8th Grade Princess
7th Grade Princess
6th Grade Princess
5th Grade Princess
4th Grade Princess
3rd Grade Princess
2nd Grade Princess
1st Grade Princess
Kindergarten Princess
Jaclyn Howell
Lucy Bailey
Francesca Malensek
Caroline Smith
Lily Hardwick
Gianna Blaudeau
Caroline Kirkconnell
Mary Frances Garner
Corinne Passman
Elizabeth Bendall
Sarah Kaye Carpenter
Maggie Evans
Bella Williams
Sarah Jane Richardson
Ameia Mancha
We are very proud of them, as they will represent the City well
during events throughout the year.
As you know, the municipal elections and the United States
Presidential election will be held in 2012. In this newsletter, you
will find some information regarding these elections that we
hope will be useful to you.
May you all have a safe and fun-filled summer.
Alberto C. Zaragoza, Jr.
Mayor
Save the Date
for the
31st Annual
I Love America
Summer
Celebration Series
Presented by the Vestavia Hills
Chamber of Commerce
and the Vestavia Hills Parks &
Recreation Department
All Events at Wald Park
Tuesday, July 3
Children’s Activities by
Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church
Pops in the Park Patriotic Music
by Shades Mountain
Baptist Church Orchestra
Family Movie
Friday, August 10
Children’s Activities
Family Movie
For more details,
visit www.vestaviahills.org
or call 823-5011.
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Vestavia Hills Community News
May - June 2012
City Manager Letter
Vestavia Hills Community News is a
joint publication of the City of Vestavia Hills,
Vestavia Hills City Schools and
Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce.
As a newcomer to Alabama and
Vestavia Hills, one thing I’ve been
most impressed by is the level of
volunteerism within our community. My wife and I spent most of
our adult lives with the military; so
volunteering was simply part of the
culture we grew up in, especially
during the last decade with the
global war on terrorism. It was the
families of deployed soldiers who,
usually as volunteers within a Family Readiness Group, built
and sustained quality installation-level programs. Whether
it was with the Red Cross, working in military or veteran hospitals, or spending time with school-age children, it was the
volunteers who made our military communities great. The
same thing is happening right here in our City.
Vestavia Hills is filled with caring, dedicated individuals
who want to make a difference. Just take a look at the Parent
Teacher Organizations at each of the schools. Dr. Blair, our
Board of Education Superintendent, recently toured me
through the school facilities; and, I must say, they are truly
extraordinary. What stood out wasn’t the brick and mortar; but
the level of involvement and resources that volunteers bring
to the table each and every day to make our schools worldclass organizations. But, that’s just one example; closer to City
Hall we have the Parks and Recreation Board and hundreds
of volunteers and contributors working to expand the Sicard
Hollow Road Complex through the Partners in Healthy Living
Campaign. There’s also our Senior Transportation Program,
the Library Board and its companion Friends of the Library,
the Breakfast and Noon Rotary Clubs, the City’s Diversity
Committee, garden clubs, the Vestavia Hills Historical Society,
many scout troops, and an amazing number of volunteer
activities embedded within our religious institutions. A little
further from home, according to Google, there are 30 or
more various shelters, rescue programs and meal centers in
the Birmingham area. Those are in addition to the countless
needs and structured opportunities for volunteers to work
with people, facilities, animals, recreation, hospitals and
much more.
Remember, you can make a difference... volunteer somewhere
today, or as Muhammad Ali more aptly said, “Service to others
is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.”
To submit articles or to advertise in this
publication, please contact:
Karen Odle,
Executive Director, Vestavia Hills,
Chamber of Commerce
chamber@vestaviahills.org
(205) 823-5011
Cindy Adams,
Director of Curriculum and Instruction,
Vestavia Hills City Schools
adamscs@vestavia.k12.al.us
(205) 402-5110
Starr Burbic,
Assistant to the Mayor,
City of Vestavia Hills
mayor.sec@ci.vestaviahills.al.us
(205) 978-3675
Submission Deadlines
July/August 2012 issue deadline: May 25
ELECTION NEWS
It’s 2012 and this is the year for the City of Vestavia Hills Municipal Elections! They will be held on Tuesday, August 28, from
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Open positions for elections will include: Mayor
(will also serve as Council President), Council Place Number 1,
Place Number 2, Place Number 3 and Place Number 4. If you
are interested in qualifying as a candidate, please contact Rebecca Leavings, City Clerk, (205) 978-0184 for more information
regarding qualifying, fund-raising, etc.
There have been changes in certain polling locations during
the last four years. Prior to the Municipal Elections, the City will
mail information cards to registered voters that will detail their
polling places.
Please be aware of election dates. Be sure your voter registration is up-to-date with any changes that may have occurred in
the past few years, including change of address, etc. If you need
to confirm your voter registration or make any changes, you
may contact the Jefferson County Board of Registrars at (205)
325-5550.
On November 5, the new City Administration will assume office under the Council/Manager form of government.
Take care and see you next time.
Sincerely,
Randy Robertson
City Manager
Please exercise your right to vote!
Rebecca Leavings, City Clerk
3
Vestavia Hills Community News
May - June 2012
Leadership Vestavia
Hills Presents Wing Ding
Inaugural Hot Wing
Challenge & Festival
NEW BUSINESSES
Please offer a big Vestavia Hills welcome
to the following new businesses:
Brindley Group, LLC
Professional Counseling and Consulting
300 Vestavia Parkway, Suite 2300
For the Birds Couture
502 Montgomery Highway, Suite 202
Mark your calendars! Leadership Vestavia Hills is
proud to present Wing Ding Inaugural Hot Wing Challenge & Festival, to take place at Vestavia City Center
on Saturday, June 16. Wing Ding will give Vestavia
Hills’ local chefs an opportunity to impress and test
their wing preparation skills. Wing Ding is a chance to
come together and celebrate all things that make our
community great, while benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation.
There will be live entertainment, wing making competition, activities for the children and of course, tons
of food and libations. Competing team fees are just
$500 and Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Contact Jay Dennis at (205) 447-4720 for further
information.
Admission: $2 per adult and free for children 12
and under.
Headwater Asset Management, LLC
1950 Stonegate Drive
Rumbley Capital Management, LLC
1950 Stonegate Drive, Suite 325
Serra Automotive, Inc.
1476 Montgomery Highway
Sherrill and Associates, Inc.
1025 Montgomery Highway
Wish Group
1400 Urban Center Drive, Suite 420
4
Vestavia Hills Community News
May - June 2012
Letter from the Superintendent
VHHS Finds Fishing Fever
A fever for fishing is spawning school
angling clubs around Alabama, and
Vestavia Hills High School is following,
on the tail of a nationwide movement
to have the sport sanctioned at the high
school level. The number of Alabama high
schools sponsoring bass fishing clubs has
been growing steadily for three years, but
not enough high schools yet participate
for the clubs to become Alabama High
School Athletic Association-sanctioned
teams. Ron Ingram of the AHSAA has
mentioned that interest is increasing each year, however.
Keith Trotman, VHHS social studies teacher, sponsors the Bass
Fishing Club. Currently, eight students belong to the club, one
senior and seven sophomores. This is the second year for the club
at VHHS. The club met for an informational meeting in the fall,
and the entire high school was invited. The bass fishing competitions for high school clubs begin in February and end in May.
Recently, I accompanied the club to an early Saturday event at
a nearby lake. The club members and their boats arrived at the
We
lake marina about 4:30 a.m., attended a safety meeting at 5:30
a.m., launched the boats at 6 a.m., and weighed in (with their
fish) at 2:30 p.m. The fish that are caught are weighed and then
are released, alive, back into the lake. All the Over the Mountain
high schools participate, so our usual rivals also attended.
Operating at the club level, the group pays for their individual
equipment and jerseys. Community partners have stepped up to
help the club. EBSCO Industries has provided lures for the team.
Mark’s Outdoors provided a donation toward the uniform jerseys and gives the participants a discount on lures. Community
member and conservationist Dan Moultrie has also helped the
high school club connect to the Alabama Student Angler Bass
Fishing Association (ASABFA), a grassroots umbrella organization in Alabama leading the way for the development of Student
Angler Chapter Clubs. ASABFA was recently recognized by the
Alabama legislature as the official student angler organization
in the state. Coach Trotman notes that collecting enough boats
for the two-man teams is sometimes a challenge. I volunteered
my own boat for the event I attended. Safety training for the club
members is always a priority for each event.
Keith sees the club as another great opportunity for more of our
high school students to make the Rebel Family proud. Athletic
Director Buddy Anderson remarked that many kids enjoy fishing,
and the club meets a need to compete in a new way.
Will Rogers once said, “If all politicians fished instead of spoke
publicly, we would be at peace with the world.” I chuckled at that
thought during the recent early morning bass fishing event with
Vestavia Hills High School anglers. A quiet morning, a lazy mist
on the water, a few waves lapping on the shore, and a determined
bunch of teenage fishermen made me glad to join in the fun at
Lake Martin — it was peaceful indeed.
BIRDS
as often
• Wash
as you like
C
M
• One low
monthly fee
Y
CM
• No long term
contract
MY
CY
CMY
K
Unlimited
WASH CLUB
Jamie Blair
Superintendent,
Vestavia Hills City Schools
Come see us for details!
6
Vestavia Hills Community News
f
May - June 2012
PARKS AND
RECREATION CORNER
School is almost out for the summer and there are lots of things going on with Parks and Recreation. We recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Wald Park Playground. We are getting ready for “I Love America Day” on July
3 and August 10. There are also many evening classes from dancing to arts and crafts to exercising for all ages.
We have recently made many changes to our web page. To show what events are ongoing, you can now view calendars for all of the facilities that are managed through Parks and Recreation. There are also links to our youth sports
and a listing of many programs that are offered.
Swim badges go on sale May 1 at 8 a.m. for $50 each. Everyone who goes to the pool must have a badge or be with a
member and pay $5. It is a great way to spend time with family and friends and is right here in Vestavia Hills. Group
and private swim lessons are also available for all levels of swimmers. Once again, Thursday nights are planned for
family swims with different themes.
A new shade structure for the intermediate pool was purchased with a grant from the Alabama Dermatological
Society and will be installed soon.
The Parks and Recreation Foundation continues the capital campaign for “Partners in Healthy Living.” Please visit
the website to see how you may be a part of the next phase of parks in Vestavia Hills: www.vhprf.org.
One program that doesn’t get much recognition is our Legacy Tree Program. It was designed for people to have
a tree planted at one of the parks in remembrance or in honor of someone. It will be a lasting memory for years to
come. For more information, please call our office or check our website.
The Parks and Recreation Board meets on the third Tuesday of each month and welcomes feedback and input. If
you have something you would like to share, please contact us at 978-0166.
Brian Davis, Director
Vestavia Hills Parks & Recreation
Automobile Tag Renewal
Jefferson County residents may renew automobile tags by U.S.
mail or online at jeffconline@jccal.org. If you choose to renew
by mail, you must furnish a legible copy of your driver license
and that of any co-owner for privately owned automobiles.
For online service, a valid VISA®, MasterCard®, American
Express®, or Discover® credit card is accepted. You will need
to provide your bank routing and account numbers, mailing
address, and driver license or non-driver identification number. There is a $5.95 convenience fee that will appear on your
monthly statement, not on the motor vehicle registration receipt. If you need additional information, you may contact the
Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham at (205) 325-5171
or Bessemer at (205) 481-4110.
7
Vestavia Hills Community News
May - June 2012
Summer Extended Day Program: Registration Ends May 18
Vestavia Hills City Schools Extended Day Program is planning
a wonderful summer! Registration began in late March and
continues until Friday, May 18.
Our summer program is a bargain. Your weekly cost breaks
down to about $2.54 per hour — that’s cheaper than a gallon of
gas! The price includes on-site activities and two snacks each
day. Our professional staff is ready to offer a summer packed
with activities that will engage and inspire your child. We are
planning for exciting themes and enrichment activities all
summer long. We will swim one or two days each week at Wald
Park. In addition, off-site field trips will be planned, and parents do pay separately for the trips their child attends.
You may register your child by completing a form and paying a $45 registration fee for each child. Note: Your child is
not registered until you have paid the registration fee. Call
EDP at 823-7593 for registration information or visit the Extended Day Program website at www.vestavia.k12.al.us.
For the first time in 2012, we are offering a three-day rate!
Sign up your child for three days each week at $90 per week.
Our families have requested a part-week fee, and we are responding. You can choose the days your child will attend
each week. (Staff must know in advance which days to expect your child.)
Unlike many other programs, we allow you to pick the
weeks your child will attend this summer. Once you register,
however, you are locked in to pay for the weeks you signed
up for. Our regular weekly fee is $140. Register now for the
weeks your child will attend, as we may not be able to accommodate drop-in students in the midst of the summer program. Additional weeks will cost $160 per week per child.
Registration for regular afterschool extended day for Fall
2012-2013 is ongoing. Please register your child for afterschool now!
8
Vestavia Hills Community News
May - June 2012
Letter from the Executive Director
As I write this letter, the trees and
flowers are blooming and spring has
arrived. We are so blessed to live in
a community full of such beauty and
citizens that care passionately about
their city. You do make a difference in
the life of Vestavia Hills!
The Vestavia Hills Chamber of
Commerce is continuously updating
our website. Please check it frequently for “Hot Deals” that are
offered by our area businesses. These are deals that you can
take advantage of by just checking the red Hot Deals button on
our homepage. This is another way to support area businesses.
There are also job postings, current events as well as several
other areas of interest so please be sure to check out www.
vestaviahills.org and explore your community. The website
has a community calendar with events for the chamber,
community and schools so you will have a one stop site to see
what is happening in Vestavia Hills.
By the time this newsletter is distributed, we will be looking
at the end of the school year and making plans for our summer
activities. Our I Love America Summer Celebration Series will
continue with ‘movies in the park’ on July 3 and August 10 at
Wald Park. Look for opportunities to vote on which movies
will be shown. Check our website for details. On July 3, we
will have our Pops in the Park to celebrate Independence Day,
honor our military and our veterans so please make plans
to bring a blanket or chair to Wald Park and join the Shades
Mountain Baptist Church Orchestra as they play patriotic
music and we celebrate the freedoms that we cherish in our
country. The movie will begin after dusk. On August 10, we
are working on a special musical program before our movie
begins. This is a great event to catch up with friends and
neighbors and make new friends so note your calendar and
look for details on the 31st Annual I Love America Summer
Celebration Series.
The Chamber is working on the 2012 Vestavia Hills Living
magazine. This magazine should be mailed around the end
of June so if you do not receive your copy, please call the
Chamber office at (205) 823-5011 and let us know. We strive
with each issue to provide information about different areas
of our city. Please support the advertisers in this magazine.
We would not be able to mail this to every resident without
their support.
With the difficult economic times that we are dealing
with, please make every effort to continue to support all of
our Vestavia Hills businesses. As you know, we compete
with the larger shopping malls in the area and continually
strive to help residents understand why we need to keep our
dollars at home. It comes back to each resident in the form of
enhanced city services, funding for our schools, police and
fire protection and creates a vibrant business district, which
makes our community a great place to live, work and play.
Karen Odle, Executive Director,
Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce
9
Vestavia Hills Community News
May - June 2012
Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest: The Happening Place
Just for Adults 205-978-3684
Monthly book clubs, a gardening forum, and Medicare Options are just a few of the many programs for adults of all ages at
the Library. Find out how social media may be used to promote your business as we host two Social Media 101 for Businesses
programs on May 29 and June 5 at 6:30 p.m. On June 1 at 6:30 p.m., the Hunter Lawley Band will fill the forest with music as
our outdoor concert series continues. Join us on June 10 for a Jane Austen Tea with special guest Dr. Steven Epley lecturing on
all things Austen. Lastly, take a reminiscent look at historic Birmingham on June 26 at 6:30 p.m. by attending the program Lost
and Saved with historic preservationist Linda Nelson.
Register for Computer Classes in the Electronic Classroom 205-978-0164
Visit the Electronic Classroom conveniently located in the Adult Department across from Café Iz. Hours are Monday through
Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sign up for Mac 101 (beginning Mac Computer training) and Internet 101 (how to surf the web,
check e-mail, etc.). Also, register to learn how to check out and download library materials to your Nook, Kindle, or iPad. The
Electronic Classroom houses 10 iMac computers with 23-inch screens and training materials, which are available for your use.
Teen Scene @ the Library 205-978-3683
Teens, the library is the place to be for working on final projects and studying for exams. We have all the resources you’ll
need: study rooms, Macs, books, databases, copiers, printers — you name it, we have it. Then, when testing is over and school
is out, join us for a summer-long party just for teens. This year’s theme for teens is “Own the Night,” so all of our programs will
be – can you guess? – After Dark @ the Library. Check us out on our website, Facebook page, or drop by the Teen Department
to see what nocturnal activities we have planned!
Summer Fun in the Children’s Department 205-978-0158
Shoot for the stars and “Dream Big” in the Children’s Department as we invite you to sign up for Summer Reading 2012. Magic,
experiments, shows, prizes and dreamy surprises await you. Dreaming and reading will take everyone from little tots to cool
tweens on imaginary adventures all over the universe. This year, we will host children’s programs at the Library in the Forest,
New Merkle House and other venues in our City. Visit our website for program locations, dates and times. We can’t wait to
explore with you.
10
Vestavia Hills Community News
May - June 2012
West Student Wins
National Poetry Contest
Blakely Berryhill, a second grader at Vestavia Hills
Elementary West, won the grand prize in the national
River of Words poetry contest this spring with her poem,
“The Guards.” The poem was submitted to the contest
by West’s PTO. Berryhill was flown to Washington D.C.
in April, courtesy of the River of Words organization.
She received her award and read her poem aloud at
the Library of Congress.
River of Words, co-founded by former U.S. Poet
Laureate Robert Hass, is a program of the new Center
for Environmental Literacy (CEL) at Saint Mary’s
College of California in Moraga, Calif. The Center is
part of the Kalmanovitz School of Education.
The Discipline Divas
The Guards
L-R Shante Tabb, Angela Newkirk, Zandra Montgomery, Vicki
Bruce, & Jonna Bryan
The sun guards the daytime treasure,
While the moon stands watch
over the heaven’s darkness.
The stars help the moon
until the puffy white
clouds come back.
Five Vestavia Extended Day Program supervisors presented
their “Ain’t Misbehavin: Putting the Fun into the Fundamentals
of Discipline” workshop at a recent state workshop for
afterschool program professionals.
by Blakely Berryhill
Book Signing
Please join us on Thursday, May 24 at 5 p.m. in the Tree
House at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest when Andrea
Bryant, writing as A. D. Lawrence: Poetry Writer, will be
signing her latest book When the Lioness Roars.....Again and
Again. This is a follow-up to her two previous books When
the Lioness Roars and When the Lioness Roars...Again, which
encourage self-expression as healing and growth processes to
empowerment.
11
Acton Road
#1 in VestaVia!
Gwen Brannum
(205) 908-0200
Becky Hicks
(205) 533-4445
Brad Clement
(205) 410-3735
Glenda Jones
(205) 410-3000
Cherie Moody
(205) 910-4303
Lynn Coffey
(205) 999-0354
Lisa Jones
(205) 542-1426
Hayden Wald
(205) 919-5535
Katherine Manush
(205) 533-2614
Mike Wald
(205) 541-0940
Thanks To our amazing clienTs, we sold more homes
in VesTaVia Than any oTher office in 2011*!
*All reports are published January 2012, based on data available by the end of Dec. 2011. All reports presented
are based on data supplied by the Birmingham Association of Realtors or its MLS. — Trendgraphix, Inc.
over the mountain – Vestavia
2409 acton road, suite 137 v (205) 978-9000
Acton Road Chamber ad.indd 6
2/8/12 11:59 AM
Vestavia Hills Community News
VHPD Launches
Community Crime
Fighting Effort
For the first time, Vestavia Hills residents have
the ability to provide anonymous crime-fighting
tips with anonymous text messaging and webtips. VHPD and CrimeReports have joined together to provide this service, which allows residents to send anonymous tips by sending a text
message from a mobile phone or online.
“The popularity of text messaging has created a significant opportunity for the public to
help law enforcement agencies fight crime,”
says VHPD Police Chief Dan Rary. “The ability
for any citizen with a mobile phone to assist in
crime solving is of great importance to all communities, and we are excited to play a role in the
transmission of these crime-fighting tips.”
VHPD encourages everyone to report information about any illegal activity, such as unsolved cases, vandalism, theft, the sale and distribution of drugs or information about crimes
that are being planned in the community or
schools. As always, dial 911 for immediate
emergencies.
Text-a-Tip Instructions
Text users may send their tip to: “CRIMES”
(274637) with the keyword “VHPD.” When a tip
is sent, it is encrypted and routed through secure servers, protecting the personal details of
the tip provider. It also allows police to exchange
text messages with the tip provider without ever
knowing the person’s identity. This service is
NOT for emergencies or crimes in progress.
For emergencies, call 911.
Web-Tips and Mobile Tips Instructions
Residents may submit anonymous tips using
their PC or mobile phone by going to VHPD’s
website at www.vestaviahills.net, visiting VHPD’s Facebook page or www.tipsubmit.com.
The site allows you to select the location of the
crime, provide details about it, and upload pictures. The site directs iPhone and Android users
to the mobile app TipSubmit Mobile.
The public may now also access free crime
mapping data through the Department’s website,
CrimeReports.com or through the CrimeReports
iPhone app, available for free download in the
Apple iTunes store. The new service even allows
local residents to sign up for free customizable email updates, so they may monitor crime in their
neighborhoods.
“A strong and informed community is the answer in terms of combating crime,” Police Cheif
Dan Rary added. “We hope that giving the community this information will help them understand crime trends and assist the Department in
lowering crime.”
May - June 2012
Be Prepared for Severe Weather
The structures and landscapes in the community will take years to recover from the storms
of last April 27. But residents’ awareness of the need for protection from nature’s power was
heightened instantly.
As we approach the one-year anniversary of that costly day, take the opportunity to review preparedness efforts for all types of emergencies, both natural and manmade. A good
resource to identify ways to protect yourself and your family is www.ready.gov, which contains preparedness information from an “all-hazards” approach.
The best way to be ready for severe weather is to be “weather aware” and to have access
to a weather radio when inside your home or work. For people constantly on the go, there
are several new smart phone apps, including ones from our local television stations, which
can alert you to important weather updates.
The safest place to be during a tornado warning is a safe room, an engineered room in a
home or building that is built to withstand high winds. Currently, Vestavia Hills has a list
of shelters that are designed to house displaced residents following a disaster. These shelters may or may not be safer than your own home during a tornado and are generally not
opened during warning events.
FEMA recommends the following actions during a tornado warning:
If in:
Do this:
A structure (e.g. residence,
small safe building, school,
nursing home, hospital,
factory, shopping center,
high-rise building)
Go to a pre-designated shelter area, such as a basement, storm cellar, or the lowest building level. If
there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. Put as many walls as possible between
you and the outside. Get under a sturdy table and
use your arms to protect your head and neck.
In a high-rise building, go to a small interior room
or hallway on the lowest floor possible.
If available, put on a bicycle or motorcycle helmet to protect yourself from head injuries. Put on
sturdy shoes. Do not open windows.
A trailer or mobile home
The outdoors with no shelter
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Get out immediately and go to the lowest floor of a
sturdy, nearby building or a storm shelter. Mobile
homes, even if tied down, offer little protection
from tornadoes.
Immediately get into a vehicle, buckle your seat
belt and try to drive to the closest sturdy shelter.
If your vehicle is hit by flying debris while you are
driving, pull over and park. Stay in the car with
the seat belt on. Put your head down below the
windows; cover your head with your hands and a
blanket, coat or other cushion, if possible.
If you can safely get noticeably lower than the
level of the roadway, leave your car and lie in that
area, covering your head with your hands. Do not
get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a
low, flat location.
Never try to outrun a tornado in a car or truck
in urban or congested areas. Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter. Watch out for
flying debris, as that from tornadoes causes most
fatalities and injuries.
Vestavia Hills Community News
May - June 2012
VESTAVIA HILLS CITY SCHOOLS FOUNDATION AWARDS SCHOOL GRANTS
The Board of Directors of the Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation is pleased to announce the 2011-2012 Foundation Grant
recipients. The Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation is a non-profit 501c (3) whose mission is to provide perpetual financial
support to each of the Vestavia Hills schools and to protect and foster the standard of academic excellence in the Vestavia Hills
school system.
Each year, teachers submit grant requests to the Foundation. The funding for these grant requests come from the investment
earnings of the Foundation’s professionally managed endowment, completely independent from State funding and not subject
to proration. The money held by the Foundation is invested, and the interest income generated off the endowment allows the
grants to be possible. Each gift from an individual or corporation or even another foundation increases the principal and, therefore, the future earnings.
This year the grant cycle focused on many requests for professional development and technology. With proration reducing the
funds for the school system, these are items that do not get funded by the state or federal dollars. These are opportunities that
our students and teachers benefit from on a daily basis, opportunities that keep our school system at the top year after year.
This year the Foundation will be awarding: $74,652 to the eight Vestavia Hills schools and to the Board of Education.
Vestavia Hills Elementary West
$2,500
Funding for online school wide publication
Vestavia Hills Elementary East $2,500 Funding for iPads
Vestavia Hills Elementary Central $2,500 Funding for Professional Development
Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park $2,500 Funding for Professional Development
Vestavia Hills Cahaba Heights $1,500 Funding for Professional Development
Pizitz Middle School $3,600 Funding for iPads
Liberty Park Middle School $2,000 Funding for iPads
Vestavia Hills High School $7,000 iPads for paperless classrooms and Science Professional Development
Board of Education $50,552*
Funding for Professional Development: Common Core Academies, Intel Teach. Funding for school media centers
Total 2011-2012 Grants - $74,652.00
*Includes $2,000 grant from Books A Million, $10,000 grant from Daniel Foundation, $10,000 grant from Wells Fargo
Since awarding its first grants in 1999, the Foundation has granted $551,835 to the city’s eight schools and the Board of Education.
Thank you for your support of the Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation. With the support of the community, the Foundation’s
Endowment has grown to $2 million.
Please contact Ashley Thompson, Executive Director, at the Foundation office at 978.8808 or visit our website at www.vestaviafoundation.org for more information or to make a pledge.
Family Math Night for English Language Learners
On February 9, 21 families of elementary English language learners attended the first math night for Vestavia Hills.
Maggie Edmonds, EL teacher at Liberty Park Elementary; Dawn DeGweck, EL teacher at Central Elementary and
East Elementary; Susan Galloway, EL teacher at Cahaba Heights; Donna Dahl, EL teacher at West Elementary; and
Joyce Shuskey, EL teacher at Vestavia Hills High School and Pizitz Middle School, taught students how to play the
games and they monitored play designed to encourage family interaction and strengthen math skills. Children and
families learned how simple games could be used to teach place value, multiplication, and addition facts. Each
family left with the materials and directions to play the games that were modeled during math night.
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Vestavia Hills Community News
May - June 2012
Vestavia Hills Introduces Clean Fuels to Police Fleet!
With funding assistance from the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program, the City of Vestavia Hills recently converted 14 of its police fleet Ford Crown Victorias to run on propane, setting the stage for saving the City fuel budget from $20,000
to $30,000 in 2012 alone. The vehicles are actually bi-fuel with two separate fueling systems, enabling them to run on propane
Autogas or gasoline. Propane Autogas, the term for propane when used in fueling an on-road vehicle, is currently priced at about $2
per gallon versus regular gasoline at $3.65! Through fuel savings and the reduced maintenance costs inherent with propane use as
a motor fuel, the conversions will potentially yield thousands of dollars worth of savings for the City over the life of the vehicles.
Propane Autogas fuels approximately 17 million vehicles worldwide and currently over 270,000 in the United States. Propane
Autogas has a proven record of being cost effective, safe, reliable and more environmentally friendly when compared to gasoline, emitting 24 percent fewer harmful greenhouse gases and other pollutants.
Mayor Zaragoza, at the press event on December 8, 2011, announcing the conversions, indicated that the advantages of
converting the police fleet vehicles to propane Autogas are numerous for the City and its residents. “We see the long-term advantages of embracing this technology to reduce fuel and maintenance costs, while also improving the air quality in the city
limits,” he said. “We are also lessening our dependence on foreign oil, since 97 percent of our country’s propane Autogas supply
is produced in North America. Running fleets on propane Autogas creates jobs for Americans while strengthening the national
economy and ensuring a more secure energy future.”
To learn more about the use of propane Autogas in vehicles, the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition is hosting a free Propane Road
Show on June 21 at the Vestavia Hills Senior Citizens Lodge. Local, state and national speakers will discuss the use of propane
Autogas and there will be numerous propane fueled vehicles on hand. Please register for your free seat (seating is limited) at
www.alabamacleanfuels.org/propaneroadshow2012/. Questions? Contact Mark Bentley, Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition at 4022755 or by e-mail at mark@alabamacleanfuels.org.
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Vestavia Hills
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
BIRMINGHAM, AL
PERMIT #585
City of Vestavia Hills
513 MontgomeryHighway
Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35216
Community Calendar: May - June 2012
May 3
Design Review Board, 6 p.m.
May 8 May 30
City Council meeting, 5 p.m.
Chamber Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.
Vestavia Country Club
June 6
Board of Education meeting, 8 a.m.
May 10
Planning & Zoning Commission, 6 p.m.
June 7
Design Review Board, 6 p.m.
May 14
Senior Citizens Luncheon
Dogwood Room, 11:30 a.m.
June 11
City Council meeting, 5 p.m.
City Council meeting, 5 p.m.
June 12 Chamber Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.
Vestavia Country Club
May 15
Parks & Recreation Board, 7 a.m.
June 14
Planning & Zoning Commission, 6 p.m.
May 17
Board of Zoning Adjustment, 6 p.m.
June 19
Parks & Recreation Board, 7 a.m.
May 22
VHHS graduation
June 21
Board of Zoning Adjustment, 6 p.m.
May 23
Board of Education meeting, 8 a.m.
June 25
City Council meeting, 5 p.m.
May 24
Last day of school for students
June 28
Friends of the Library, 10 a.m.
May 24
Friends of the Library, 10 a.m.
May 28
Memorial Day
Municipal Center, School offices closed
July 3 I Love America Celebration Series, 6:30 p.m.
Wald Park