Alabaster Newsletter Feb 2011

2 Check out the city’s new web site at www.cityofalabaster.com February, 2011

Official Publication of the City of Alabaster201 First Street N.Alabaster, AL 35007

Published Monthly

Editorial BoardThe Public Relations

Committee of the AlabasterCity Council

Committee ChairCouncilwomanSophie Martin

CouncilmanRick Walters

CouncilmanBob Hicks

EditorTed Vodde

ContributorsJohn BrackinDavid StoreyM.E. SpencerEric StarlingDanny DoyleDawn South

We welcome your comments &suggestions. Call 620-5505

Fax 664-6841 or e-mail at

[email protected] 2011

City of Alabaster

TEACHERS OF THE YEAR HONORED Shelby County recently

honored its most outstand-ing teachers of the year atan awards reception held atOak Mountain HighSchool. The reception washeld Nov. 29 in recognitionof Shelby County's 39Teacher of the Year recipi-ents and was sponsored bythe Greater Shelby CountyEducation Foundation.

The Alabaster honoreesincluded Sally Perkins,Creek View Elementary;Sandra Swindall, MeadowView Elementary; NikkiCreel, ThompsonIntermediate School; LoriKerley, Thompson SixthGrade Center; KarlaHendricks Byrd, ThompsonMiddle School; LauraKendrick, Thompson HighSchool; and ValerieBridges, Shelby CountyAlternative School.

From the 39 honorees,three overall winners wereselected, including Kerley,who is an Earth Scienceteacher at Thompson SixthGrade Center. Kerley was

named this year's MiddleSchool Teacher of the Year.The other two overall win-ners were Rebecca Burnettof Pelham High School andCarla Dudley of OakMountain Intermediate.

Kerley has been teach-ing now for 11 years,though she didn't actuallystart until she was 38.

"I can honestly say thatwhen I became a teacher, Ifound happiness in myjob," Kerley wrote in hernomination essay.

As a sixth-grade instruc-tor, Kerley feels she has theopportunity to make a pos-itive impact on her stu-dents as they pass throughan important time in theirlives.

"I believe that educatorshave the responsibility tostand before their studentsnot only as teachers butalso as caregivers, advisorsand mentors," Kerleywrote. "To be an outstand-ing educator, you mustprovide an environmentthat models understanding,

encouragement, andrespect for others. Thisenvironment must alsoallow students to grow andmature emotionally, intel-lectually, physically, andsocially."

Perkins is a first-gradeteacher at Creek View,where she's been teachingfor the past eight years.Prior to becoming ateacher, Perkins worked asa Social Worker and also astay-at-home mom.

"As a stay-at-homemom, I volunteered at myson's school as a roommom and PTO board mem-ber, I was quite active andenjoyed being supportivein these capacities. Whenmy daughter went to pre-school at our church, therewas an opening for a 5Kteacher. Thus began myteaching career," wrotePerkins.

Swindall teaches thirdgrade at Meadow ViewElementary, where she'sbeen teaching now for tenyears. To help create an

inviting learning environ-ment, Swindall started agarden project that allowsher students to plant andharvest lettuce, which isthen served in the schoolcafeteria.

"During the autumn andwinter, students must keepthe garden area clean andwe plan for our springplanting season," Swindallwrote. "I believe that stu-dents should know wheretheir food comes from andthe joy of working in a gar-den. Education must go

(CON’T ON PAGE 22)

IMPORTANT SCHOOL TAX VOTE FEB. 8THShelby County resi-

dents are being asked to"Renew Now for OurChildren's Future" by vot-ing on Feb. 8 to renew 30mills of existing ad-val-orem property tax for anadditional 30 years.

The current taxes are setto expire in 2017. Therenewal will help the dis-trict plan long-term capitalimprovement projects andmaintain the high qualityinstructional programs thatare funded through localtax dollars.

"The vote to renew thetaxes would not result in atax increase," said Randy

Fuller, the superintendentof Shelby County Schools."Residents would continueto pay the same rate theyare currently paying. Forsomeone with a home val-ued at $100,000, theywould continue to pay $300per year."

Fuller explained therevenue generated from theexisting taxes is used tofund additional teacherunits for art, music, physi-cal education, as well asadditional core subjectteachers, instructional sup-port personnel, and guid-ance counselors. The fundsare also used to repay

bonds that have been usedto finance capital improve-ment projects.

"The bonds secured overthe past 30 years willmature in six years," Fullersaid. "A portion of our cur-rent 30 mills of propertytax are used to repay thesebonds. Because there areonly six years left in theseexisting property taxes, theschool district is unable tosecure additional bonds forcapital improvements untilthe taxes are renewed."

According to ThompsonMiddle School PrincipalMelissa Youngblood, the


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Check out the city’s new web site at www.cityofalabaster.com February, 2011 3

Dr. Charles T. CarterInterim Pastor

The City of Alabaster isupgrading its official Citywebsite, and the new siteshould offer residents anincreased number of ways forinteracting with the City gov-ernment.

"The goal is interactivity,"said City AdministratorGeorge Henry. "I want toincrease customer service andmake it easier for folks tointeract with the City, generally speaking."

The new site will beorganized according to sixmajor categories: online serv-ices, residents, visitors, busi-ness, government, anddepartments. Under each cat-egory, residents will be ableto find a plethora of usefulinformation and tools.

"Under online services, forexample, if you want to get agarage sale permit, you can

get it online. We're going tobe taking credit cardsthrough web forms," saidHenry.

Some of the other newfeatures will be animproved calendar, whichwill include times andevents for the City Council,the library, municipal courtand the Parks andRecreation department.

"Each of these is man-aged by their respectivedepartments but you cancome to one place and seeeverything," said Henry."You can also click on it andsend it to your calendar, ifyou're using something thatwill allow it, like Outlook,Outlook Express, or Gmail."

The new site will alsohave an area featuring City-related documents calledthe document center.

for things they'd like to seeon the new site. They canuse the Report a Concernform or email [email protected].

"I want this to be a placewhere folks can come andeasily find whatever theyneed to find," said Henry."And if somebody has anidea for something they'dlike to see, I want them topass that along."

In addition to itsincreased functionality, thenew website should alsohave an updated and moremodern design. Accordingto Henry, the new siteshould be up and runningby the beginning ofFebruary. To check it out,visitwww.cityofalabaster.com.

"We'll have a one-stopshop for various docu-ments," said Henry, "dif-ferent applications andforms."

Residents will also beable to view the AlabasterNewsletter in an easy-to-navigate box.

"The Newsletter will beeasy to flip through or ifyou scroll to the bottom ofthe page you can just clickthrough it," said Henry.

Residents can also easi-ly connect to the City'sTwitter and Facebookaccounts via the website.The Twitter feed is a goodway for people to keep upwith events in real time,like road closings orchanges in trash pickupdue to inclement weather.

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January brought several new retail businesses to the AlabasterPromenade; Batteries Plus, National Tire Wholesale, and DollarTree. As you shop, please stop by these new establishments andthank them for choosing Alabaster! As we slowly begin to recov-er from these difficult times, it is very encouraging to see businessleaders once again investing in our local economy. We need tocontinue to support our local business family as much as possibleand realize that we must all be strong in order to secure a healthyeconomy. With your continued support, I am confident that wewill continue to attract new businesses and jobs to Alabaster.

I want to thanks the Simmsville community and Kids FirstAwareness for inviting me to take place in the unity celebrationon January 15th. During this event, the children of Kids Firstdedicated the road leading to their center in memory and honorof Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was inspiring seeing everythingthat these young citizens planned as well as the art work pro-duced by the children at all of our schools. Part of the celebrationconsisted of an art contest from children that attend all of ourlocal schools. There were more than 150 entries and some excel-lent pieces of art. Even though there are still bad memories frommany that lived during the troubles of the 1950’s and 60’s, ourchildren concentrated on the positive results that have followedand expressed the concepts of hope and most of all unity. We doindeed have a bright future ahead if we continue to work togeth-er for positive goals!

I want to also applaud the youth in our Thompson HighSchool Band, The Marching Southern Sounds, for being invitedand participating in Governor Bentley’s inaugural parade. As Ihave said many times before, our band is tops! If you do notbelieve me, please attend one of their concerts during the springor a football game next fall and see for yourself. I think that youwill agree one-hundred percent.

We are reviewing some grant opportunities that may be avail-able in our area to address some of the larger roads in the area.Some of the funding is tied to a program that addresses saferoutes to school and includes sidewalks. We are reviewing thesefunding opportunities and determining the areas that will qualifyor are best suited for the grant criteria. The school committee thatI formed several months ago which consists of Councilmen Hicksand Brakefield and Council woman Martin met with our princi-ple and the Shelby County state delegation. The principles hadan opportunity to interface with Senator Ward, andRepresentative Hill and Weaver at the meeting. We began workon a grant writing committee that will seek community grantsthat will benefit our schools. Each school will have a representa-tive on the committee and I will supply two experienced employ-ees to write and submit the grant. I hope that we are able tosecure some much needed funding for our schools.

David FringsMayor

[email protected] [email protected] this issue of the newsletter, we are saluting educa-

tion in our city. Our cover story features the Teachers ofthe Year and I know all the schools are proud of them andall the teachers in our area who work hard to give our chil-dren a good education. They deserve our thanks and onFebruary 8 they deserve our vote. That is the day that wevote whether to continue the property tax already in placeto help support our schools. I urge you to vote for thismeasure as our schools need all the support they can get.

We also highlight some of the work students atThompson Middle School did to help raise funds for com-munity organizations as well as the Thompson HighSchool Soccer Team which is helping with a charity called“Backpack Buddies” providing needed school supplies tostudents who might otherwise have to go without.

Welcome to the new state theatre group located in thecity that coordinates theater happenings throughout thestate. We’re happy to have you and the South CityTheatre group which is performing one of my favoritecomedies “You Can’t Take It With You” February 8-14.Enjoy a dinner out in the city and then the theatre; that’s agreat evening.

The city is unveiling a new website this month with anew look and new features, especially the ability to paycertain fees online which will be a big help to many folks.Be sure to check that out at www.cityofalabaster.com.

Cold weather is always a dangerous time for housefires, and our fire department shares some ways to makesure your heating system and your home and family aresafe, plus they share some progress the department ismaking on its New Year’s resolutions.

When it’s cold outside you can’t help but think ofSpring, and one way to get ready for Spring is to attendthe Beautification Board’s annual Arbor Day TreeGiveaway on Saturday, February 26th. They hand out linetickets at around 10 am in preparation for the doors open-ing at 11am for the trees. They’ll have seedlings and some5 gallon trees and folks on hand to help you with advice.

That’s two things you can do to help provide for agood future for the community, plant a tree and vote tocontinue the school property tax on February 8th to helpour schools continue to provide a quality education for ouryoung people.

Stay warm and remember Spring is right around thecorner.

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The new City of Alabaster website is scheduled to launch at the beginning of this month. This innovative website isan excellent tool that will provide more efficiency and convenience to Alabaster residents. It will also provide importantand helpful information to people interested in visiting or moving to our city.

One top priority I am continuing to work on is the demolishing of abandoned and hazardous structures along Hwy11. There are still two Abatement Board positions that must be filled before we can move forward. As these positionsare being filled, I will continue the process and will work hard to accomplish this goal.

The Alabaster Water Board of Directors has a board member position also needing to be filled. If you are interestedin serving our City in this important capacity, please call 663-6155.

Thank you to those who are joining the Alabaster Youth Advisory Council! This council will introduce you to theimportant processes and functions of government while providing you an opportunity to work on important communi-ty issues and projects. If you are age 13-18 years and are interested in joining, please e-mail me at [email protected] or call 358-8742. I look forward to hearing from you!

Bob HicksWard 2

Sophie MartinWard 1

[email protected]

[email protected]

Very shortly, we will be going to the polls to vote on a tax renewal for the Shelby County SchoolSystem. This is not a new tax, but the continuation of the existing tax. I urge you to vote yes to this

continuation. While no one likes to pay taxes, this is one we cannot afford to fail. Whether you have children in the sys-tem or not, our local schools impact us all. Your home value is based in large part on location and school district. Thebetter the school district, the more your investment in your home is worth. So it truly affects us all.

I also wanted to note the passing of some special people in our community. Mrs. Edna Earle Gould, the wife of ourlongtime former City Administrator and former Councilman Jimmy Gould, passed away in December. She was a veryspecial lady and longtime resident of Alabaster. Also, Denny Owen, the owner of Minuteman Press here in Alabasterpassed away in December as well. He was a leader in our local business community and is survived by his lovely wifeSherry. Our thoughts and prayers go out to both families. GOD Bless.

2011, man it got here fast. Let us pray for an economic upturn this year. One item which needs yourattention is the vote on February 8th regarding the continuation of the ad valorum millage currently

in your tax structure. If we don't vote yes to continue this tax, it will be a horrendous blow to our already cash-strappedschools. This is not a new tax, this is a renewal of what we are already paying. It is imperative that we vote yes on thissince new buildings for us and our neighbors hang in the balance of this vote. If you say you don't have any children inschool and it does not affect you, keep in mind YOU were educated somewhere, and the children of our city deservethe same benefits you received. Please vote yes on Feb 8th.

As of the writing of this letter, we are on our way to Atlanta for acute in-patient rehabilitation for our son Kyle, whowas severely injured in a car wreck on Thanksgiving day. Please pray for God's grace to continue flowing upon him ashe progresses with his recovery. We are overwhelmed by the love and support everyone has shown Kyle, and believethat God's mercy boosted by your prayer will help him along the road. Have a great, great 2011, and let's look forwardto doing something positive for Alabaster. Grace and peace, Bob

Adam MoseleyWard 3

[email protected]



On February 8th the taxpayers will have the opportunity to vote on a tax renewal for the Shelby CountySchool System. It is important to note that this is not an increase but the renewal of a tax that is set to expire

in 2017. Randy Fuller, the superintendent of our school system met with the Mayor and Council last month to explain the importanceof renewing the tax and what would happen if it is not renewed before then. With proration of state funding and the decline of rev-enues that it would hurt our school system.

February 26th the Alabaster Beautification Board will be holding its annual Arbor Day tree giveaway. The event begins at 10:00so get there early and help keep Alabaster Beautiful and help us maintain our Tree City USA status.

Currently we have two openings on very important boards that serve our city and its residents. The first is an opening on theAlabaster Housing Abatement Board. They review building structures throughout the city that may need to be removed and makerecommendations to the Mayor & Council. I need someone from Ward 4 to serve as my appointment. If you are interested please e-mail me or mail your request to 109 Shalimar Trace - Alabaster, AL 35007. We also have an opening for an appointment to theAlabaster Water Board. For this position you may contact any Council Member or Mayor Frings. These are both important positionsas are all Board appointments that help us form and interpret city policy. Happy Valentines Day - Keep in Touch!

I hope that everyone is off to a great start to the New Year. I just want to touch on a couple of items thismonth. First, I would like to remind everyone how important it is to get out and vote on February 8th to RENEW the 30 mil schooltax. This is desperately needed to ensure that the Shelby County Board of Education can continue to address the growing needs ofour Alabaster schools with Capital Projects. As a reminder, this is a renewal not an increase. If you have any questions about therenewal, please visit www.shelbyed.k12.al.us/renewal. Secondly, I would like to call your attention to the great things that the ASEFhas been doing lately. Some items include resurfacing the THS Gymnasium and cash contributions to the THS Band, THS Baseball aswell as the school to purchase new weights for the new weightroom. I know that they are working hard to address other needs andmuch of their funding comes from working Alabaster Parks Concessions. I am sure that they would gladly accept any help theycould get. Lastly, It gave me great pleasure to provide a check to Meadow View Elementary Principal, Dr. Jody Brewer, last month.

The City has worked hard to ensure we offset some of the funds that are being lost at the State level for our Classroom teachers.During a meeting with all the Principals as well as the Shelby County delegation in Montgomery, we were able to provide each prin-cipal with their check from the City. My only wish is that we could do more. As always, if we continue to focus on our schools,activities for children and adults through our P&R Department and Public Safety, Alabaster will remain one of the absolutely bestplaces to raise a family.

On Tuesday, Feb. 8th, Shelby County Board of Education is holding a special election to vote on continuation ofa 30 mil tax for the county schools. This is not a new tax. It's a renewal of several smaller taxes that were

passed over many years that are all expiring in the next 6 years. If the County doesn't get them renewed now, they cannot floatbonds and make improvements to the schools now because they cannot guarantee that they will have money to pay the bonds backwithout a continuation of this school tax. Obviously, nobody likes taxes. Although the school system is not perfect, it's very good(ranked very high in the state), and I think Alabaster has gotten its share of benefits from the taxes we pay. We all want goodschools. Even if you don't have school age kids, good schools increase property values. When you think of good schools, you thinkof Vestavia, Mountain Brook, or Hoover. You notice ALL have very good property values as well. In addition, they ALL havemuch higher taxes for schools than we do. Compared to the 30 mils we pay the county, residents pay over 100 mils in Mt. Brook,over 40 in Vestavia, about 40 in Hoover. Mt. Brook residents approve every school tax increase by about a 90% margin because theyknow it's worth it. If we want good schools, we have to pay for it. The Mayor and Council have open communication with theschool leadership. We have expressed what we think are Alabaster needs for the next few years. None of that happens without the30 mils. Please do your homework and I think you'll conclude as I have that this is one tax worth voting for.

Rick WaltersWard 4

Scott BrakefieldWard 6

Tommy RyalsWard 7

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]



MIKE BROTHERS Assistant Collections

Operator Mike Brothers hasbeen working with the Cityof Alabaster'sEnvironmental ServicesDepartment for the past 11years. Brothers, who grewup in Alabaster and gradu-ated from Thompson HighSchool, says he enjoys thework because it's nevermonotonous.

"I like meeting new peo-ple. Being out in the field allday long, it's always a differ-ent set of circumstances anddifferent people, so I enjoythat," said Brothers. "It's agood job."

Specifically, the jobinvolves maintaining andrepairing the city's sewerlines, which move the city'swaste to the waste stationoff Highway 31. ForBrothers, that means work-ing out in the field all day.

"We have miles and milesof sewer line that we main-tain and repair," saidBrothers. "We have 49 pumpstations, and we usuallycheck them all at least oncea day. If there's a problem,we take care of it."

According to Brothers,the most challenging part ofthe job is getting thingsfixed in a timely manner,like broken sewer lines.

"It's always sort of unex-pected when it happens, sothat's the challenge of it, toget in there and get thingsfixed as soon as possible,"he said.

Of course, for Brothersthe job has been good forhim in another very impor-tant way as well. Workingin the EnvironmentalServices Department, hemet his wife, Kim, whom hemarried in 2009.

"We met here, and we'vebeen married a year and ahalf," said Brothers.

In his free time, Brothersis a huge Auburn fan, andhe also enjoys carpentry. Infact, he has a small businesscalled Heartland HomeRestoration that he does onthe side.

"I love to build.Carpentry, I love it. If I hada true passion, that's proba-bly it," said Brothers. "I'vebeen doing that since about

'06. We do about any-thing. We did akitchen remodel herein Alabaster, deckbuilding, drywallwork, just about any-thing. And this jobgives me the flexibilityto do something likethat, except for themonths that you're oncall."

Brothers is a mem-ber of Siluria BaptistChurch. He has adaughter, Katie, 10,and a stepdaughter,Arianne, 14. He livesin Alabaster.

Mike Brothers is an AssistantCollections Operator with the

City of Alabaster EnvironmentalServices Department


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According to Mary, it'sgone great so far.

"Everyone has loved it. Ihave never had a complaint,"said Mary. "I love for peopleto get together and have agood time, and I love to deco-rate for the parties."

In addition to the spaceitself, Special Occasions canprovide linens and silver orstreamers, balloons, and anynumber of fun ideas.

"For Halloween, we hadorange and black balloons andwebs everywhere," said Mary."We also had a huge cemeteryout back. We had about fouror five Halloween parties, andeveryone loved it. We reallygo all out on our parties to

make them unique." Some of the other "spe-

cial occasions" they've host-ed have been birthday par-ties, baby showers, bridalteas, Christmas parties andlots of fun children's par-ties featuring characterslike Dora and SpongeBob.The venue is also an afford-able option for weddingreceptions.

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Customers have theoption of renting just thefront area or the entirefacility. Special Occasions isalso able to provide foodand drinks or customerscan bring their own.

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On Feb. 11-14, Mary willbe selling Valentine's Dayballoons and baskets, sofeel free to stop by, pur-chase a gift for a loved oneand see if Special Occasionsis right for your next event.

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"You can have asmall or large party,"said owner Mary Lee."It's very flexible. Wecan change it anywayyou want."

The front area of thebuilding features a largedance room and a smallerbonus room. In the rear ofthe building is a large andattractive dining roomwith tables and chairs.There's also a deck outback, along with a greatarea for picnics, scavengerhunts or Easter egg hunts.

Mary and her husbandWalter opened SpecialOccasions last Marchwhen they realized therewas no other business likeit in the area.

"We own the building,and we'd always leasedit," said Mary. "I had triedto find a place where Icould have my grand-daughter Lacie a party,and I couldn't find a place

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THS SOCCER TEAM HELPS WITH “BACKPACK BUDDIES” fights childhood hunger. Ateacher noticed childrenwere returning to school onMonday hungry. Shebegan secretly placing fooditems in their backpacks onFriday so that they wouldhave something more to eatover the weekend. VFSbegan its own BackpackBuddies Program for TheShelby County SchoolSystem serving elementaryand middle schools.

Vineyard FamilyServices is a local Faith-Based Organization non-profit started out ofInverness Vineyard Churchworking to decrease thecrushing impact that fatherabsence has on our com-munity by providing holis-tic, effective, and caringprograms to parents andchildren of the Greater

Birmingham Metro Area. For more information

about this event orVineyard Family Servicescontact Ward Williams orStephanie Grissom. Ward's

phone number is 533-7852or 621-7359, email [email protected]'s number is 317-9897.

The Thompson HighSchool Boys and GirlsSoccer Team Partners withVineyard Family ServicesBackpack Buddies Programto provide food, gifts, andnew backpacks to childrenat Meadow ViewElementary.

Players from theThompson High schoolBoys and Girls soccer pro-gram provided fifty bags offood, gifts, and new back-packs to students atMeadow View Elementary.The Girls' Soccer CoachNathan Button and Boys'Coach Haylee Gant wereapproached by playerslooking for a worthwhilecommunity project wherethey could make a differ-ence.

Backpack Buddies is anational program that

(From left:) April Tolbert, Guidance Couselor- MeadowView Elementary, Jennifer O'Neil- Meadow ViewElementary School Teacher, Ward Williams, ExecutiveDirector Vineyard Family Services and Barbara Ramsey,Thompson High School Soccer Team Booster Club member.

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Warm spells inwinter: Sometimesin the middle ofwinter, we sud-denly get a fewwarm days. Forthe most part, thisis not a big prob-lem, but you mayneed to check on acouple of things.

If you covered your roses withrose cones, you may need to ventilatethe cone to prevent heat from build-ing up inside.

The same should be done withcoldframes. If it is a warm, sunnyday, the temperatures may be risingin the cold frame more than youexpect. Remember to close vents asthe temperature drops again at night.

GARDEN TIP

The City of AlabasterParks and RecreationDepartment and theAlabaster BeautificationBoard will be hosting theannual Arbor Day celebra-tion on Saturday, Feb. 26 atVeterans Park.

The event will featurethe ever-popular tree give-away, with over 170 5-gal-lon trees and 300 seedlingtrees being given away freeto residents.

According toBeautification Board

President Larry Stewart,last year's tree giveawaywas very successful, andthe board hopes that thisyear's event will be as well.

"Last year was the bestyear we've ever had,"Stewart said. "Everythingwent great last year. Wedidn't have any trees left."

According to Stewart,the event will begin at 10a.m. People should arriveearly to get a number, andthen the trees will be dis-tributed accordingly after

that. "We'll have a bunch of

trees again this year," saidStewart. "Hopefully we'llhave another good turnout.We'll have some bare-roottrees, then a lot of mapletrees that we've ordered."

Stewart said the GirlScouts of America will alsobe on hand to help out.

"This year, the GirlScouts will be helping usout. They'll be talkingabout the trees. They'll tellyou how to grow the trees,"

Stewart said. "The BoyScouts will also be therehelping to load cars for thesenior citizens."

The BeautificationBoard's Arbor Day eventwill be held inside themaintenance building tothe right of the front park-ing lot, so residents shouldfeel free to come out rain orshine and enjoy Arbor Day!

Every Wednesday10:15 Story Time w/Miss Jane3:30 pm Mr. Mac’s Tunes & Tales 1st Thursday 1:00 pm Friends of Library Bookmenders

Every Friday 10:30 amMiss Jane's Toddler Tales (2s, 3s)

FEBRUARY ACTIVITIES

Lego League Monday, February 7 at 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.Kids 10 years old and younger can enjoy a session of free-play with plastic blocks of all sizes. Children six andyounger must be with an adult. Meets in the mobile unit.BOOK BASH: Traditions & Tales of Kenya Thursday,February 3 at 5:00 p.m. Kids in 4th grade and up can cometo this special program that will give them a passport tofun, food, and culture. They can participate in an Africanreader's theater, get a taste of Kenya, and more! 4:30 p.m.Sign up required. Meets in the mobile unit.Valentine CraftTuesday, February8 at 6:00 p.m. Justin time forValentine's Day - acrafts session kidswill love.Youngsters 5 yearsold and older cansign up. Meets inthe mobile unit.American GirlsClub Friday,February 11 at 4:00 p.m. This month we'll enter Addy'sworld by taking part in an American Girls Reader'sTheatre. To mark February as Black History Month, we'llread the play "Friendship and Freedom: A Play aboutAddy." No memorizing will be necessary. There are sixfemale characters in the play, which is about 9 year oldAddy who has escaped from slavery with her mother andhas a new life in freedom. The action takes place inPhiladelphia in 1864. If kids don't want to be in the play,they can be in the audience - and so can their dolls! Girls 7years old and older can sign up for the fun! Meets in themobile unit.Touch-a-Truck Tuesday, February 15 at 4:00 p.m.Kids of all ages are invited! The featured vehicle will be atow truck from Pro Tow. Find out about this unique vehi-cle and the people who use it. Children 6 years old andyounger must be with an adult. Meets in the library's rearparking lot.

FEBRUARY KIDS PROGRAMS

Cake & Culture - Wednesday, February 9, 2011. 10:30 amJoin us as Dolores Hydock presents “Through the BackDoor: The Music that Bridged the Bayou”. Meeting takesplace in the mobile unit.Library Book Group - Thursday, February17, 2011. 7 pm - Join us in our discussionof “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter andSweet” by Jamie Ford. When artifacts fromJapanese families sent to internment campsduring World War II are uncovered duringrenovations at a Seattle hotel, Henry Leeembarks on a quest that leads to memoriesof growing up Chinese in a city rife withanti-Japanese sentiment. Meeting takesplace in the mobile unit.Free AARP Tax Help for Seniors February through earlyApril. Available by appointment on Tuesdays andThursdays in the mobile unit. Call or come by the AlbertL. Scott Library to sign up. 664-6822.

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Alabaster Book Blasters Book Club Tuesday, February 22at 6:00 p.m. Boys and girls six years old to ten years oldare invited to join our new book club that's just for them!It's called the Alabaster Book Blasters Book Club and weare reading and blasting through the award winningbooks of Ezra Jack Keats. Sessions include a reading of aKeats book, discussion, snack and more! During thismonth's session we'll have cold weather fun with ASnowy Day! Sign up to read together, talk together, learntogether and make snowman sandwiches, too! Meets inthe mobile unit. Children six years old must be with anadult.

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Youngblood said this wasan annual project that con-tinues to grown and eachyear the food is given to adifferent local church fordispersal.

In the spring, other proj-ects will include a car washwhere the money raised willgo to the Shelby CountyHumane Society. TheJuvenile DiabetesAssociation will benefitfrom money raised by stu-dents as they purchase apaper shoe as a donation.Money from Candy Gramswill be given to a charitywater program, which inturn builds wells in Africa."Students were so excitedabout this particular projectthat they wanted to do itagain", reported Ms.Youngblood, who believesin letting the students"spearhead the conversa-tions and decide which serv-ice learning projects they

will do". Some children are

working everyday ongrowing their hair (yes, Isaid hair) to be donated toLocks of Love in May.Another group donatestheir time after eatinglunch to recycle paperthroughout the school.

Living in Alabaster, weall have the opportunity tobe involved in curbsiderecycling, yet how manyadults take the time to fol-low these children's lead?Physical education teachersinvolve the communityduring their annual HealthUnit and now have a realpersonal trainer involvedin teaching the studentsabout life long health,which they seem to reallyenjoy.

Ms. Youngbloodbelieves that students are

TMS STUDENTS LEARN TO HELP THE COMMUNITY Teaching is a profes-

sional service and as such itis only logical that duringteaching and learning, stu-dents learn to be goodservers also.

At Thompson MiddleSchool, students have manydifferent opportunities to beinvolved in service to ourlocal communities and thepeople who live in our area.Middle school aged stu-dents experience manyrapid changes in their livesand often seem focused ontheir friends and themselvesto the exclusion of others.

However, they alsobegin to expand their ideasof and sense of place in theworld as Ms. Youngblood,principal of ThompsonMiddle School stated,"Students have one job hereat TMS: to be the best stu-dent they can be". Thatdoesn't just include academ-ic achievement either!

Students, with the sup-port and guidance of teach-ers such as Ms. Clark, Ms.Scott, Ms. Tucker, Ms. Hall,Coach Schmidtke, Ms.Emerson, Ms. Evins, Ms.Powell, Ms. Tauber, Ms.Parsons, and others, atThompson Middle Schoolare involved in six to sevenmajor service learningevents throughout the year.

Socks for Soldiers wasone of the first opportuni-ties the students had toshow their concern for oth-ers through bringing pack-ages of socks for our troopswho were overseas and inneed. The students con-tributed over 200 pairs,which were subsequentlyshipped.

Also in the fall, stu-dents collected over 620cans of food that weregiven to a local Alabasterchurch to be distributed toneedy people. Ms.

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Drafts (Coaches only) atAlabaster Senior Center - locatedbeside the old YMCA Address:1097 - 7th Street S.W., Alabaster,AL 35007) NOTE: Draft datescannot be changed. Coaches,please mark your calendars!Feb. 15th 6:00 PM U10 Boys

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BASEBALL/SOFTBALLSpring 2011 ALABASTER BASEBALL & SOFTBALLOBSERVATIONS at Veterans Park Jan. 29th (Sat.)

9:00 AM Metro (13 & 14) Field 19:00 AM Major (11 & 12) Field 4

10:30 AM Minor (9 & 10) Field 410:30 AM Coach Pitch (6) Field 112:00 PM T-Ball (5) Field 112:00 PM Farm (7 & 8) Field 5

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Field 5Children will need to bring cleats and glove. Do not

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DRAFTS (Coaches only)Jan. 31st (Mon.) at new Alabaster Senior Center6:00 PM T-Ball (5 year olds) 7:30 PM Coach PitchFeb. 1st (Tues.) at new Alabaster Senior Center6:00 PM Major 7:30 PM 8U SBFeb. 2nd (Wed.) at new Alabaster Senior Center6:00 PM 6U SB 7:30 PM MinorFeb. 3rd (Thur.) at new Alabaster Senior Center6:00 PM 10U SB 7:30 PM Farm (machinepitch)Feb. 4th (Fri.) at Alabaster Parks & Recreation Office(Depot)6:00 PM 12U SB 7:30 PM MetroApril 2nd (Sat.)Opening Day at Veterans ParkApril 2nd (Sat.)Picture Day at Veterans Park

YOUTH SOCCERSpring 2011 Alabaster YOUTH SOCCER Dates FREE CAMP Sponsored by THS Soccer. For All Ages!Feb. 7th & 8th 6:00 - 7:30 PM at Municipal ParkEvaluations (at Municipal Park located between THS & TMS)NOTE: Please try to have your child present for theirevaluation as this is important. Feb. 10th 6:00 PM U10 Girls - at Municipal 3 Acre

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THS SOCCER SEASON STARTS FEBRUARY 15TH The Thompson High

School Soccer program kicksthings off this month with ajamboree on Saturday, Feb. 5at Larry Simmons Stadium.The Girls and Boys Varsityteams then begin regular-season play on Feb. 15 atClay Chalkville.

Following the seasonopener, the teams will travelto south Alabama to partici-pate in the SouthernShootout, a high school tour-nament conducted by St.Paul's School and FairhopeHigh School. The tourna-ment will take place Feb. 18-19 and feature some of thebest teams from around thestate.

"That tournament is forthe Boys and Girls Varsityonly. The Girls and Boys JVdon't go," said SoccerBooster Club PresidentBarbara Ramsey. "We'llleave on Friday morning

and return on Sunday."The Varsity teams both

play their first home gameon Feb. 22 againstTuscaloosa County. TheBoys Junior Varsity is sched-uled to play that day as well.

"You'll usually have twoor three games on the samenight," said Ramsey. "We tryto put them all together soschools can bring one buswith all their teams at onetime. Then we'll do the samething when we're goingthere, so you're not carryinga bus four different nightsfor four different teams."

Last year, Thompson soc-cer teams garnered severalindividual accolades, includ-ing one for Girls HeadCoach Nathan Button.

"Coach Button wasnamed metro coach of theyear last year," said Ramsey,"and then we had severalplayers that were named allmetro and honorable men-

tion." Ramsey, whose son

Jacob plays for the BoysVarsity, said she looks for-ward to both teams havingsuccessful seasons againthis year.

"I think this year will bea good year, even thoughwe lost several seniors,"said Ramsey. "It looks likethey're going to do pretty

good, both girls and boys." Ticket prices to home

soccer games are $5 for gen-eral admission. Studenttickets are $3. To learnmore, visit the ThompsonHigh School website atwww.shelbyed.k12.al.us/schools/ths/index.htm.

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NEW LEGISLATORS TAKE OFFICE On Sunday, Nov. 7, the

members of the ShelbyCounty LegislativeDelegation were sworn in ata ceremony at the AmericanVillage in Montevallo.Among the elected officialswere the three Alabaster leg-islators, Sen. Cam Ward,Rep. April Weaver and Rep.Mike Hill.

Ward was elected to rep-resent Alabama SenateDistrict 14, after serving fortwo terms in the AlabamaHouse of Representatives.

"I thought this was a bet-ter forum to allow me topromote the issues that I feelare important to me," saidWard. "You have a littlemore influence in public pol-icy when you're in theSenate, and I felt like thiswas a natural step for meafter serving eight years inthe House."

Ward is the executivedirector of Alabaster's

Industrial DevelopmentBoard. He is also a graduateof Troy University and theCumberland School of Lawin Birmingham. Some of theissues he's passionate aboutinclude fiscal issues, publiceducation, and ethics reform.

"I've been a staunchadvocate for years for ethicsreform. It's always been abig passion of mine, so I'mhoping to use my new posi-tion to continue to promotemore ethics reform in stategovernment. Also I want tocontinue to be an advocatefor public education," saidWard.

Weaver was elected tothe House District 49 seat,which was previously heldby Ward. This was her firsttime to run for public office,a decision she said wasinspired by the current political climate at both thestate and national levels.

The new legislators are (from Left) Rep. Kurt Wallace- R-part of Montevallo and Chilton County, Rep. Mike Hill-R- part of Alabaster, Calera, Montevallo and Columbiana,Sen. Slade Blackwell- R- eastern Shelby County andMountain Brook, Sen. Cam Ward- R- western ShelbyCounty, Bibb County, Chilton County, Jefferson County,Sen. Jabo Waggoner- R- northern Shelby County,Jefferson County, Rep. Greg Canfield- R- Vestavia,Homewood, northeastern Shelby County, Rep. April Weaver- R- part of Alabaster, Helena, Pelhamand Bibb County, Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin- R- part ofPelham, Helena, south Jefferson County(CON’T ON PAGE 27 )

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TEACHERS OF THE YEAR HONORED

beyond sitting at a deskwith pencil and paper inhand."

Creel teaches fourthgrade at ThompsonIntermediate where she'sbeen teaching for the pastfive years. She's the leadteacher in math and isactive in a number of otherareas as well.

"I have been the leadteacher for our field tripteam planning and organiz-ing field trips for the pastthree years. I have alsobeen part of the technologyteam which helps with thesmaller issues that comeabout in our school," wroteCreel. "I feel privileged tobe a part of such a wonder-ful team of teachers andhonored that they feel theycan come to me with ques-

tions or problems that theybelieve I can help them fix."

Byrd is a seventh-gradeEnglish teacher atThompson Middle School,where she's been teachingfor four years. In her nomi-nation essay, Byrd talkedabout the commitmentrequired to be a goodteacher.

"The reality of teaching isthat if you are going to do itright and be successful foryourself and your students,you are going to arrive earlyand stay late, take paper-work and brain work homewith you every day and onthe weekends, attend train-ing throughout the summer,worry about students, andwish you had more hours inyour day to get it all done,"said Byrd.

Kendrick teaches Special

Education at ThompsonHigh School, where she'salso Head of the SpecialEducation Department.

"The decision to becomea special education teacherwas made during my firstyear of college," Kendrickwrote. "I had a mathteacher in high school thatinstilled a love for math inall of her students. I startedcollege thinking that Iwanted to be a mathteacher. After talking withmy advisors and looking atthe college of education ingeneral, I decided insteadto go into special educa-tion. I have never regrettedthat decision."

Bridges is in her firstyear at the AlternativeSchool, where she teachesmath.

"I can recall in grade

(CON’T FROM PAGE 2) school how math alwaysinterested me. I rememberthe enthusiasm I witnessedfrom my teachers," Bridgeswrote. "When in highschool I knew that I wanteda career that had the abilityto influence the way theworld thinks. I love havingthe ability to teach youngminds and making stu-dents think outside the box.Math links us to so manyother subjects and jobs."

Seven other ShelbyCounty teachers were rec-ognized for earning theirNational Board certifica-tion. Among them wereAlabaster instructors ScottByrne of Creek ViewElementary, Chaille Rainesof Meadow ViewElementary, and AngieClark of Thompson MiddleSchool.

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Dr. Unnoppet specializes in thetreatment of all inflammatory andnon-inflammatory arthritis. Thisencompasses autoimmune diseasessuch as rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus,Gout, osteoporsis, psoriatic arthri-tis, osteoarthritis, and muscu-loskeletal disorders like tendonitisand secondary fibromyalgia. DrUnnoppet was born and raised inBirmingham and earned his doctorof osteopathic medicine from NovaSoutheastern University. He isInternal Medicine certified andrecently completed his fellowshipin rheumatology from Sun Coasthospital in Florida. He is excited tooffer care for you and your lovedones. For an appointment please call:(205) 620-8676


FIRE DEPARTMENT HEATER SAFETY & RESOLUTIONSHEATING SAFETY

There is something aboutthe winter months andcurling up with a goodbook by the fireplace. Butdid you know that heatingequipment is a leadingcause of home fire deaths?With a few simple safetytips and precautions youcan prevent most heatingfires from happening. Be warm and safe this winter! • Keep anything that canburn at least three-feetaway from heating equip-ment, like the furnace, fire-place, wood stove, orportable space heater. • Have a three-foot "kid-free zone" around openfires and space heaters. • Never use your oven toheat your home. • Have a qualified profes-sional install stationary

space heating equipment,water heaters or centralheating equipment accord-ing to the local codes andmanufacturer's instructions. • Have heating equipmentand chimneys cleaned andinspected every year by aqualified professional. • Remember to turnportable heaters off whenleaving the room or goingto bed. • Always use the right kindof fuel, specified by themanufacturer, for fuel burn-ing space heaters.

Heating EquipmentSmarts: Install wood burn-ing stoves following manu-facturer's instructions orhave a professional do theinstallation. All fuel-burningequipment should be vent-ed to the outside to avoidcarbon monoxide (CO) poi-soning. Install and maintain

CO alarms to avoidthe risk of CO poison-ing. If you smell gas inyour gas heater, do donot light the appli-ance. Leave the homeimmediately and callyour local fire depart-ment or gas company. • Make sure the fire-place has a sturdyscreen to stop sparks from flyinginto the room. Ashesshould be cool before put-ting them in a metal con-tainer. Keep the container asafe distance away fromyour home.Our New Year Resolution

As we begin to adjustto the new year, we certain-ly reflect on our past year’saccomplishments andshortfalls. It’s the time ofthe year where we canimprove on our shortfalls

through New Year’s resolu-tions. As 2010 came to aclose and we reflected backas a fire department, theyear demonstrated onceagain that our deadliestkiller, heart disease, onceagain took too many of ourown. Heart attacks alonekilled over half of the 85brothers and sisters whodied during the past year.All of these deaths


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TMS STUDENTS HELPING

to "learn valuable life les-sons while at the MiddleSchool".

"Modeling expectations,ownership, and responsibili-ty" are lessons she wants thestudents to learn and do sothey "get the feeling of selfworth that is so amazing".She wants her teachers andstudents to experience asense of accomplishment.

"Students begin to devel-op their portfolios nowthrough developing a 10year plan whether itinvolves college or not.Service should be a commonpractice throughout theirlives". Ms. Youngbloodbelieves that since she"makes school about thekids and her teachers" thatshe "spends very little timeon management". She alsocredits the many parents,volunteers, and the public

servants such as "themayor and others who arealways there to help andgive immediate actionwhen needed".

Education should belife-long and involve allmembers of a community.Isn't it wonderful to see ourchildren involved in somany great endeavors?

Shouldn't we supportthem as they contribute toour community perhapsthrough getting our carswashed at the ThompsonMiddle School Car Wash?Better yet, can't we asadults volunteer ratherthan being asked to do aservice as our youth areshowing us how to do?

Take a minute today tolook for a chance to serveothers. A place to begin isat Thompson MiddleSchool, where on theirwebsite one can see learn-ing through active commu-

(CON’T FROM PAGE 16)

GOING GREENIt seems as though we

have had a colder than normalwinter this year and for manypeople, planting a tree is thelast thing on their mind.However, this is in fact one ofthe better times to plant treesand woody shrubs as they aredormant so there is less shockto the plant when it is trans-planted. Also, it will requireless water during these coolermonths than the hottermonths. But please rememberthat they still need wateringduring winter months unlesswe are receiving regular rain.

Choose your tree wiselyby researching the require-ments and characteristics ofthe tree species that you areconsidering. Many trees getvery large so while choosing alocation, look up. Take noteof power lines, other trees,and overhanging structures onyour house or garage. If youhave a smaller confined spacethere are trees such as dog-

wood and redbuds that stayrelatively small. These smallertrees also produce beautifulblooms in the early and latespring. With all species, prop-erly prepare the hole that youdig for the tree. Dig the holewider than the root-ball youare inserting and use a goodsoil additive to achieve properdrainage. You may want todig the hole about two orthree inches more shallowthan the root-ball to allow theball to rise above the sur-rounding ground. Applythree to four inches of a goodmulch to prevent erosion andhold in moisture during thosehot summers.

Planting trees not onlyimprove the appearance ofyour property, they also pro-vide shade which results in ageneral cooling of the area andyour home in the summer.Trees also provide food andshelter for urban wildlifewhich provide hours of enjoy-ment for the entire family.

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NEW LEGISLATORS TAKE OFFICE

"There are many thingsthat inspired me to run butI think the biggest thingwas the political climate,"Weaver said, "which is thereason I think you saw somany people who hadnever been involved in pol-itics before putting theirnames on the ballot."

As part of the newRepublican majority,Weaver said she's lookingforward to making a differ-ence.

"I am concerned aboutthe path that our state ison, and it is time to getMontgomery back on trackand restore the public'strust in state government,"she said.

Weaver is the director ofbusiness development atShelby Baptist MedicalCenter in Alabaster. She isalso a graduate of theUniversity of Alabama anda member of the AlabamaState Republican ExecutiveCommittee. She attendschurch at WestwoodBaptist Church inAlabaster.

Hill was elected to rep-resent House District 41.Hill was first elected to theseat in 1986 and has servedcontinuously ever since. Hesaid he was originallyinspired to get into politicswhen he was young.

"I served in theLegislature as a page when

I was 12 years old, and Isaid one day I'd like to goback and be a part of thatbody. It was interestingand exciting to watch histo-ry being made," said Hill. "Igot to a point in my lifethat I could do it, so Idecided to run. I got elect-ed and I've been able tostay ever since."

Hill, a Republican fromColumbiana, works forRegions Bank and is agraduate of AuburnUniversity. He's also a dea-con at the First BaptistChurch of Columbiana anda life member of theColumbiana Kiwanis Club.He said he believes thenumber of new legislatorsthis year is a positive signof change.

"I think we're moving inthe right direction," Hillsaid. "I think we've got 39people down here that arenew out of 140, so that tellsthe story right there. That'sa huge turnover."

Dr. John Stewart, thepresident of the Universityof Montevallo, providedthe keynote address at theceremony. For more infor-mation about the AlabamaLegislature, visit the officialwebsite at www.legisla-ture.state.al.us.

(CON’T FROM PAGE 21 )

ALABASTER-PELHAM ROTARY CLUB

Meets weekly on Thursdays at noon in Suite100, Physicians Building, ShelbyBaptist Medical Center, 1000 1stStreet North, Alabaster. If youwould like to learn more aboutRotary, please join us for lunch tosee our involvement in the com-munity and see what RotaryInternational is doing worldwide. For any ques-tions or information contact us at 982-2664 orstop by on any Thursday.

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STATE THEATER GROUP NOW BASED IN ALABASTER Since Alabaster resident

Sue Ellen Gerrells becamethe executive director of theAlabama Conference ofTheatre (ACT) three yearsago, the statewide organiza-tion has called Alabasterhome.

The group is a nonprofitorganization that serves asone of the state's premierresources for theatre.

"The organization's beenaround for 35 years," saidGerrells. "We have divisionsthat are set up to act as aresource for the differenttypes of theatre in Alabama.We have a secondary divi-sion, which is high school.We have theatre for youth, acommunity division, a pro-fessional division and thenthe college and universitydivision."

Gerrells said that one ofthe primary roles of theorganization is to host avariety of theatre festivals

throughout the year. "We are hosting festivals

for three of those divisions atthe moment, and the profes-sional division is working ona major project for the springto take a professional pro-duction from Alabama toItaly," she said.

According to Gerrells, thegroup's membershipincludes 75 to 80 organiza-tions along with nearly 2,000student members fromAlabama high schools. Thesecondary festival that's heldeach year is one of thelargest in the southeast.

"The theatre festival thatwe run for the high schoolsis a three-day event," saidGerrells. "It covers scholar-ship auditions for colleges inAlabama on the first night.Then the next two days areindividual events thatinvolve all kinds of things,from acting to stage manage-ment, and the students com-

pete in those areas."The secondary festival

also includes a one-act playfestival, from which the win-ners will advance to theSoutheastern TheatreConference in Atlanta inMarch. Alabaster's ownSouth City Theatre won theCommunity Theatre Festivalin October with its produc-tion of "Driving Miss Daisy"and will also advance to theSoutheastern TheatreConference.

"We'll be sending twoshows to that from the highschool division. Last year,Huntsville High School took'Joseph and the AmazingTechnicolor Dreamcoat' andSpain Park took an originalplay that their teacher hadwritten," said Gerrells.

As a nonprofit organiza-tion, the group relies ongrants and donations forfunding. For example, it justreceived a major grant from

the Alabama State Councilon the Arts.

"We were given a $6,000grant to help with theTrumbauer Festival, whichis the Secondary Festival,and we were given a $1,300grant to help with theCommunity Festival," saidGerrells.

In addition to her role asexecutive director of ACT,Gerrells is also activelyinvolved at South CityTheatre in Alabaster. Shedirected "The OctetteBridge Club" last year andis scheduled to direct "TheRainmaker" this spring.

For more informationon ACT, visit www.alaba-maconferenceoftheatre.com

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South City Theatre presents “You Can’t Take ItWith You” by Moss Hartand George S. KaufmanFebruary 4-13; directed byLibby Medicus.

A comedic play set inthe carefree and eccentricSycamore family homesomewhere in New York.Essie Sycamore Carmichael(dreamer ballerina andcandy maker, married to EdCarmichael, xylophoneplayer) has other things onher mind and has misplaceda letter intended forGrandpa Vanderhof (keeperof snakes, who has neverpaid taxes) from the UnitedStates Government. We findthe Sycamores also prepar-ing to meet Tony Kirby,Alice Sycamore’s true lovefor the first time. Alice ishoping she can prepare her-self and her family for a‘normal’ dinner party, butwith the Sycamore family

nothing is normal.Tickets are $15.

Student, senior and groupsof 10 or more are $12.

South City Theatre islocated at 109 CloverdaleDrive off Hwy 31 just pastthe Snow Down ShoppingCenter and across from theSaginaw Post Office. Call 621-2128. www.southcitytheatre.com

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Winter Seniors DanceFriday, February 4 from 7-9pm at the Senior Center.Cost is $4/person.Entertainment by WayneAlexander and light refresh-ments will be served. Stopby the center to purchase aticket.AARP Driving SafetyCourse This is an 8 hourclassroom refresher that canhelp you learn the effects ofaging on your driving andhow you can adjust yourdriving. Class will be heldon February 1 and 2 from 9-1pm. Cost is $12/AARPmember and $14/non AARPmember. Make checkspayable to AARP. Space islimited.Men's Coffee SocialMonday, February 7 at 9am.Come enjoy pastries and bis-cuits with a great group ofmen. Hobby Lobby and lunch atTaziki's Join us onWednesday, February 16 fora fun trip to the craft storeand lunch in the community.Cost is $1.00 to reserve yourspot.Anniston Museum ofNatural History Tuesday,February 22. We will take atour of the museum andthen enjoy lunch. Bring $6for the tour and $10-$12 forlunch. Space is limited. Costis $1.00 to reserve your spot. Drawing II: Drawing proj-ects are designed to encour-age student confidence andapply basic skills learned.All skill levels welcome.Emphasis will be on draw-ing what you see. Studentswill draw from objects aswell as from handouts andother resources. Basic tech-niques, some tricks, lots ofinformation and help, willassist students to advancetheir skills. A variety of

SENIOR ACTIVITIESmedia and projects will beexplored. Classes will beoffered Mondays from 12-2pm. Cost is $20/month.You will need to purchaseyour supplies.One Day Acrylic PaintingWorkshop February 15from 9am-12pm. Beginnersand experienced painterswelcome. Workshop willfocus on fundamentals ofcomposition, color basicsand mixing. Cost is $15/per-son and supplies are includ-ed. Ongoing acrylic classeswill begin in March onTuesdays from 10-12pm. Painting on a T-shirtFebruary 8, 9, and 10 from9:30am-11:30am. You willneed to plan on attending allthree days. We will be paint-ing a Valentine theme. Costis $5.00 (includes yourpaints and brushes.) Youprovide the shirt or sweat-shirt. You won't want tomiss all the new activities atthe senior center:Blood Pressure ChecksTuesday, February 8 at 10amWii Bowling - Wednesdaysat 9:30amBeginner/Inter Line danc-ing - Thursdays 9:30am ($2donation)Beginner Line Dancing -Thursday 10:30am ($2 dona-tion)Tempo exercise - Fridays10am ($2 donation)Zumba Gold (exercise)-Wednesdays 1pm ($2 dona-tion)Bridge- Thursday 12-3pmRook- Wednesdays 9:00amMexican Train Dominoes-Tuesdays 10amCreative Craft with Betty -2nd Monday of each monthDrawing II- Mondays 12-2pm (fee based)Watercolor Class Thursdaysat 1pm-3pm (fee based)

Please contact the Senior


Center if you are interestedin being a volunteer driveror substitute driver for ourMeals on Wheels program.This is a great program andonly requires 1.5 hours ofcommitment/ week.

If you would like moreinformation concerning sen-ior programs, please contactAlabaster Senior Center at663-1307 or [email protected]

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Minutes of the Alabaster City Council MeetingAlabaster, Alabama December 2, 2010A regular meeting of the Alabaster City Council was held in theMunicipal Annex on Thursday, December 2, 2010, at 7:00 P.M., andthere were present at said meeting Councilpersons: Present: SophieMartin, Adam Moseley, Rick Walters, Scott Brakefield, Tommy Ryals andJim McClain. Absent: Bob Hicks.MEETING OPENING Council Member Moseley made a motion to approvethe minutes of the November 18, 2010 meeting as read. CouncilMember Walters seconded the motion. Voting - Ayes: Sophie Martin,Adam Moseley, Rick Walters, Scott Brakefield, Tommy Ryals and JimMcClain. Nays: None. Motion carried. Council Member Moseley made amotion to approve the agenda for tonight's meeting. Council MemberRyals seconded the motion. Voting - Ayes: All Ayes. Nays: None. Motioncarried. RESOLUTION NO. 120210 1. RESOLUTION DECLARING ITEMSFROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS SURPLUS AND ALLOWING DONATION OFSAID ITEMS. Council Member Brakefield introduced Resolution No.120210 regarding declaring one fire apparatus and equipment as sur-plus and allowing for disposal by donation to the Shelby County TradeSchool. Council Member Brakefield made a motion to approveResolution No. 120210. Council Member Martin seconded said motion.Mr. Gary Griffith was present from the Trade School and thanked theMayor and Council for their kind donation and said this would help thestudents tremendously. Voting - Ayes: Sophie Martin, Adam Moseley,Rick Walters, Scott Brakefield, Tommy Ryals and Jim McClain. Nays:None. Motion carried. 2. COUNCIL WORK SESSION. Council PresidentMcClain announced that a council work session will be held on Thursday,January 6, 2011 at 5:00 P.M. in the conference room at the MunicipalAnnex Building located at 127 1st Street S.W. After brief council andaudience comments, Council Member Moseley made a motion to adjournwith Council Member Walters seconding. All were in favor and saidmeeting was adjourned at 7:15 P.M.Minutes of the Alabaster City Council MeetingAlabaster, Alabama December 16, 2010A regular meeting of the Alabaster City Council was held in theMunicipal Annex on Thursday, December 16, 2010, at 7:00 P.M., andthere were present at said meeting Councilpersons: Present: SophieMartin, Bob Hicks, Adam Moseley, Rick Walters, Tommy Ryals and JimMcClain. Absent: Scott Brakefield. MEETING OPENING Council MemberMoseley made a motion to approve the minutes of the December 2,2010 meeting as read. Council Member Walters seconded the motion.Voting - Ayes: Sophie Martin, Adam Moseley, Rick Walters, Tommy Ryalsand Jim McClain. Nays: None. Bob Hicks abstained due to his absence.Motion carried. Council Member Moseley made a motion to approvethe agenda for tonight's meeting. Council Member Ryals seconded themotion. Voting - Ayes: All Ayes. Nays: None. Motion carried.ORDINANCE NO. 10-Z03 1. A PUBLIC HEARING ON A REZONING REQUESTOF 46.98 +/- ACRES FROM A (AGRICULTURE DISTRICT) AND B-3 (COMMUNI-TY BUSINESS DISCTRICT) TO I (INSTITUTION DISTRICT) FOR THE YOUNGMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF BIRMINGHAM. Council MemberMoseley introduced Ordinance No. 10-Z03 requesting that 46.98 +/-acres be rezoned from A (Agricultural District) and B-3 (CommunityBusiness District) to I (Institutional District) for the Young Men's ChristianAssociation of Birmingham. Said property is located just off Highway119 at Plaza Circle. Council President McClain opened the public hear-ing up to the floor for those wishing to speak either for or against saidordinance. Mark Gonzalez of Gonzalez - Strength & Associates, Inc.and Mr. Lanny Vines with the YMCA spoke in favor of said rezoning forthe YMCA. No one spoke against said rezoning request. CouncilMember Moseley made a motion to approve Ordinance No. 10-Z03and Council Member Martin seconded. Voting - Ayes: Sophie Martin,Bob Hicks, Adam Moseley, Rick Walters, Tommy Ryals and Jim McClain.Nays: None. Motion carried. RESOLUTION NO. 121610 2. RESOLUTIONAUTHORIZING MAYOR TO HANDLE FINANCING OF POLICE FLEET PLAN ASADOPTED IN THE 2011 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET. Council Member Hicks intro-duced Resolution No. 121610 authorizing the execution and delivery bythe City of an installment financing contract and related documents tofinance certain equipment, 10 police cars, as part of a transaction thatwill constitute a $300,000 loan and determining other matters relatedthereto. Council Member Hicks made a motion to approve Resolution No.121610. Council Member Walters seconded said motion. Voting - Ayes:Sophie Martin, Bob Hicks, Adam Moseley, Rick Walters, Tommy Ryalsand Jim McClain. Nays: None. Motion carried. RESOLUTION NO. 121610-A 3. RESOLUTION ALLOWING MAYOR TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENT WITHALDOT REGARDING THE SECTION 5310 GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS (PAS-SENGER BUS FOR ELDERLY AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES). CouncilMember Moseley introduced Resolution No. 121610-A allowing MayorFrings to enter into an agreement with the Alabama Department ofTransportation regarding a Section 5310 Grant Application for a 25passenger bus for the elderly and persons with disabilities. Council

Member Moseley made a motion to approve Resolution No. 121610-A.Council Member Martin seconded said motion. Voting - Ayes: SophieMartin, Bob Hicks, Adam Moseley, Rick Walters, Tommy Ryals and JimMcClain. Nays: None. Motion carried. 4. COUNCIL WORK SESSION. Council President McClain announced that a council work session will beheld on Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 5:00 P.M. at the Municipal AnnexBuilding located at 127 1st Street S.W. After brief council and audi-ence comments, Council Member Walters made a motion to adjourn withCouncil Member Moseley seconding. All were in favor and said meetingwas adjourned at 7:20 P.M.

occurred while these fire-fighters were on duty.Countless other firefightersdied from heart disease ontheir days off. You’re prob-ably thinking “what agloomy story to start theNew Year.” However, thishas become the motivationor our department’s #1New Year’s resolution.

We actually started ourNew Year’s resolution inearly December.

The Alabaster YMCAoffered our fire departmentmembers individual mem-berships at no cost. Thanksto their contribution to thecommunity, our depart-ment began to take a pro-active approach to helpreduce the risk of heart dis-ease and deaths by heartattacks. Each morningbeginning at 7:45 eachengine company rotatesthrough the YMCA to work

FIRE DEPARTMENT RESOLUTIONSon cardiovascular fitness.The remaining engine com-panies rotate to insure thesame level of coveragethroughout the city. Eachgroup works out forapproximately 1 hour tostart their day. Aside fromthe obvious reduction ofrisk of heart disease, car-diovascular fitness helps usto serve you better. One ofour goals is to reduce ourair consumption while inour SCBA (air packs). Thisis important because itallows us to work in haz-ardous environments forlonger periods of timewhich is extremely impor-tant if you’re trappedinside a house on fire wait-ing on us to rescue you.Thanks again to theAlabaster Branch of theYMCA for contributing toour wellness.


SCHOOL TAX VOTE FEB. 8TH

vote is important to thecontinuing success of localschools and students.

"We're asking for a taxrenewal that will renew theexisting taxes," Youngbloodsaid. "You're always tryingto secure new bonds so youcan build new schools, newclassrooms, new renova-tions and just get the needs

BUSINESS LICENSES DUEAll Licenses are now late as of January 31, 2011 and willbe assessed a 15% penalty. Please contact the City ofAlabaster Revenue Department at (205) 664-6844. Thankyou.

of the students and thestaff met."

According toYoungblood, voters willneed to vote yes five timeson the ballot on Feb. 8 tohelp renew the taxes for thefuture. For more informa-tion, visit www.shel-byed.k12.al.us/renewal.



Calendar of EventsMar. 3 City Council Meeting 7 pm Annex

Mar. 9 Municipal Court 9am Annex*Finance Committee 5:30 pm City Svcs. Bldg.

Mar. 14 Water Board 7 pm AnnexBeautification Board 6 pm Senior Ctr.

Mar. 15 Driving School 7 pm Annex

Mar. 17 City Council Meeting 7 pm AnnexPublic Works Committee 5 pm AnnexEconomic Development Committee 5:30 pm

Mar. 22 Housing & Abatement Board 5:15 pm AnnexLibrary Board Meeting 6 pm at Albert L. Scott LibraryPlanning & Zoning 7 pm Annex

Mar. 23 Municipal Court 9 am Annex*Sewer Committee 6 pm City Hall

Mar.25 Trial Date 9am Annex

Mar.28 Board of Adjustments 6 pm Annex

Municipal Annex located behind City Hall at127 1st Street SW just across the RR track.The City Services Building is located acrossfrom Thompson Intermediate School on 119.

David M. Frings, [email protected]

663-7059Sophie Martin, Ward 1

[email protected]

Bob Hicks, Ward [email protected]

663-1801Adam Moseley, Ward 3

[email protected]

Rick Walters, Ward [email protected]

281-7394Jim McClain, Ward 5

[email protected]

Scott Brakefield, Ward [email protected]

685-0302.Tommy Ryals, Ward 7

[email protected]

Marsha Massey, City [email protected]

664-6800

CITY OF ALABASTER201 FIRST STREET NORTHALABASTER, AL 35007

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE PAIDALABASTER, ALPERMIT NO. 48

RESIDENT OR BOXHOLDER OR POSTAL PATRON

Feb. 3 City Council Meeting 7 pm Annex

Feb. 9 Municipal Court 9 am AnnexFinance Committee 5:30 pm City Svcs. Bldg.

Feb. 14 Beautification Board 6 pm Former Senior Ctr.(Gardner House)Water Board 7 pm Annex

Feb. 15 Driving School 7 pm AnnexFeb. 17 City Council Meeting 7 pm Annex

Public Works Committee 5 pm AnnexEconomic Development Committee 5:30 pm

Feb. 22 Planning & Zoning 7 pm AnnexHousing & Abatement Board 5:15 pm Annex

Feb. 23 Municipal Court 9 am Annex*Sewer Committee 6 pm City Hall

Feb. 25 Municipal Court Trial Date 9 am Annex

Feb. 28 Board of Adjustments 6 pm Annex

Questions about a meeting? Call 664-6800A full 2011 Calendar is available for reference at www.cityofalabaster.com

Non-emergency Police matters 663-7401Animal Control 664-6761Personnel Dept 664-6838

Code Enforcement 664-5907

Revenue/Business License Dept 664-6844Garbage/recycling bins 664-6800

Alabaster Parks & Recreation 664-6840Alabaster Water Board 663-6155

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Documents

Alabaster Newsletter Feb 2011