AU offensive coordinator couldbecome head coach of Commodores

iPad vs. GalaxyHow do top tablets stack up?TECHKNOW | 1C

Snow moves Giants-Vikings to tonight in Detroit SPORTS | Section D

Monday, December 13, 2010 ♦ Our 123rd yearwww.al.com E M 1 2 3 30¢ home delivery ♦ 75¢ newsstand

Tigers’ Malzahn eyes Vandy offer

Gus Malzahn

AUBURN FOOTBALL | SPORTS | Section D

BIRMINGHAMCITY COUNCIL

Booting rules may be outBy JOSEPH D. BRYANTNews staff writer

New rules that could puta lock on what some say isaggressive and obnoxiouscar booting on Southsideand downtown are headedto a Birmingham City Coun-

cil committee this week.The counci l ’s public

safety committee will con-sider changing the rules fol-lowing a long string of com-plaints from people whosevehicles have been booted.Chairman Johnathan Austinsaid his committee Wednes-

day will discuss a proposedordinance that he saidwould help end confusionand abuse regarding thepractice of placing wheellocks on vehicles.

“I’ve had so many com-plaints from business own-ers and also from individu-als who have complainedabout bogus booters, sowe’ve got to do somethingto address this,” he said.“The current ordinance hastoo many loopholes in it.

We’re going to end up res-cinding that ordinance andenacting a new one.”

The new rules would re-quire larger warning signs atall entrances of private lotsthat clearly state bootingcould be used. In addition,Austin proposes requiringproperty owners to employattendants on their lots dur-ing the hours when bootingis used. Often, owners

See BOOTING Page 2A

Hospicepatientsreceiveholidaycheer

Vestavia Hills’ Library in the Forest opens

By JEFF HANSENNews staff writer

Jeff Underwood neverthought he would sharehis personal story of can-cer treatment.

Though well known aspresident of the LakeshoreFoundation since 1991 —overseeing the largest pro-gram of fitness, recreationand sports for people withphysical disabilities in theUnited States — and fortwo stints as president ofthe Homewood City Coun-cil, he is also a self-de-scribed “private person.”

But Underwood hasfound that a person sur-vives cancer only as part ofa community. He neededevery part of that commu-nity as he went through ra-diation and chemotherapytreatment for cancer in hisleft tonsil, and then en-dured a slow, painful re-covery.

“I have to admit, it sur-prises me that I am so will-ing to talk about it,” hesaid as he sipped waterfrom a small paper cup tosoothe a dry mouth, theresult of 39 courses of radi-ation that damaged his sal-ivary glands. “I am not oneto quickly share my feel-ings.”

Cancer changed that.In the summer of 2009,

Underwood felt a marble-sized lump on the left sideo f h i s t h r o a t . B i o p s yshowed cancer.

He quickly learned hisroad would be rough.

“Head and neck canceris among the most difficultcancers to treat,” Under-wood said. When he toldhis former boss, Dr. Al Lo-Buglio, director emeritusof the University of Ala-bama at Birmingham’sComprehensive CancerCenter, “I remember thelook on his face.”

The iron maskU n d e r w o o d h a d n o

pain, but doctors said theyneeded to get started rightaway.

He asked what wouldhappen if he did nothing.The answer was it willprobably drop to your lungin three months, and in sixmonths you die.

See UNDERWOOD Page 7A

Christmas spiritcomes in little treesBy HANNAHWOLFSONNews staff writer

When they were young and fit,Jerry and Avis Hogland went crazydecorating for Christmas.

The 35-foot tree in the yard oftheir Pinson home was deckedwith about 5,000 lights, and therewere more lights —15,000 in all.

But this year, after 45 years ofmarriage and with Avis in the finalstages of colon and lung cancer,there was no sign of Christmas un-til their hospice social workerdropped by a tabletop tree dottedwith lights and red and green or-naments. The foot-tall artificialtree sits on the small glass table byAvis’ chair, and she hasn’t let Jerryunplug it since it arrived last week.

The tree was the brainstorm ofJennifer Slaughter, who runs a vol-unteer group that delivers flowersto hospice patients. Eleven yearsago, Slaughter decided to dabblein Christmas trees, producing 49

See TREES Page 7A

NEWS STAFF/JOE SONGER

Patrons browse the shelves formovies, magazines and books Sunday at the Vestavia Hills Library inthe Forest. A large crowdwas on hand for the library’s grand opening. It featured a communitycelebration that included a performance by the Vestavia High School Jazz Band.

AAffeessttiivvee aaiirr aanndd mmuussiicc bbyy tthhee VVeessttaavviiaa HHiillllssHHiigghh SScchhooooll JJaazzzz BBaanndd mmaarrkkeedd SSuunnddaayy’’ssggrraanndd ooppeenniinngg ooff tthhee VVeessttaavviiaa HHiillllss LLii--bbrraarryy iinn tthhee FFoorreesstt.. AA llaarrggee ccrroowwdd ttuurrnneeddoouutt ttoo cceelleebbrraattee tthhee ooppeenniinngg ooff tthhee $$1122..77

mmiilllliioonn lliibbrraarryy,, wwhhiicchh iiss tthhee ssttaattee’’ss ffiirrsstt LLEEEEDD--cceerrttiiffiieedd lliibbrraarryy tthhaatt mmeeeettss ggrreeeenn bbuuiillddiinngg ssttaann--

ddaarrddss.. AA rrooooffttoopp ggaarrddeenn tthhaatt hheellppss iimmpprroovvee tthheebbuuiillddiinngg iinnssuullaattiioonn,, ddrraaiinnss iinn tthhee ppaarrkkiinngg lloott ttooccoolllleecctt wwaatteerr uusseedd ttoo iirrrriiggaattee tthhee ggrroouunnddss aannddllooww--eenneerrggyy lliigghhttiinngg aarree aammoonngg tthhee nneeww ffeeaattuurreess..TThhee ffaacciilliittyy ooffff UU..SS.. 3311 aanndd RRoouunndd HHiillll RRooaadd iiss1122,,000000 ssqquuaarree ffeeeett llaarrggeerr tthhaann tthhee oolldd lliibbrraarryy oonnUU..SS.. 3311..

Vestavia Hills’Library in theForest made itsdebut Sundayduring a grandopening for the$12.7 millionfacility.

Jeff UnderwoodDiscovered a marble-sizedlump in his throat in 2009 Panel to look at decreasing

locks placed on car wheelsVictoryovertonsilcancer

CouncilmanJohnathan Austin“The current ordinance hastoo many loopholes in it.We’re going to end uprescinding that ordinanceand enacting a new one.”

A story of healingand community

SEE THE VIDEO ONLINEyyWWaattcchh tthhee ggrraanndd ooppeenniinngg ooff tthhee VVeessttaavviiaa HHiillllss LLiibbrraarryy iinn tthhee FFoorreesstt aatt aall..ccoomm//bbiirrmmiinngghhaamm,,

tthhee oonnlliinnee hhoommee ooff TThhee BBiirrmmiinngghhaammNNeewwss:: vviiddeeooss..aall..ccoomm//bbiirrmmiinngghhaamm--nneewwss

INSIDE6 U.S. troops killed in attackA man rammed a minivan packed withexplosives into a military installation neara Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan whereAmerican soldiers are attempting to restoreAfghan government control in the war-torncountry. The Taliban claimedresponsibility for the attack. 4A

Boutwell winter shelter busyAs frigid winds and temperatures rippedthrough Birmingham Sunday night, cotslined the stage of Boutwell Auditoriumdowntown for people who needed shelterfrom the cold. The facility will remain openthrough Tuesday as temperatures continueto fall below freezing. 1B

INDEX WEATHERDetails / 4B

Classified 7DComics 2CDeaths 3BEditorials 8ALocal News 1B

Movies 4CScene & Heard 2ASports 1DTechKnow 1C Television 4C

High Low 32 16

Put sparkle in ‘basic black’ fashion

COMING TUESDAYFor home delivery, call 205-325-4444

Printed on recycled paper

**