Mayor’s Minute
The term “milestone” has its origin in ancient Rome. As far back as 200 B.C., the Romans would place stone obelisks roughly a mile apart on their roadways that served as a way to measure how far you had traveled.
Our state has traveled a long way as we celebrate a milestone with its 200th birthday. As part of the bicentennial, Vestavia Hills will recognize our state’s history, as well as the history of our city. This year is our 69th birthday, another milestone.
The Vestavia Hills Historical Society, the Beautification Board and the Senior Citizen Association have helped with different bicentennial events. The Historical Society will host the “Historical Sites” bus tour May 2. This event will include guided tours and visits of historical sites throughout the city. Hopefully you have already registered and will be able to attend this event.
During the summer months, our Library in the Forest will feature Alabama history in its summer reading program and other events. You can also stop by City Hall and see a bicentennial exhibit that was created by Jack Wakefield, our college student intern, with the help of student representatives from the City Youth Connection, of which Pauline Parker is the teacher sponsor. I would like to recognize Kennedy Crane, Claire Christie and Sara Bruno from Vestavia Hills High School for their assistance with the bicentennial exhibit.
On April 4, the city hosted its second annual Freedom from Addiction Coalition Awareness Breakfast. This event was held at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church and featured Dr. Tom Dooley as the speaker. Dr. Dooley shared an impactful presentation on the opioid epidemic that is sweeping the nation and our state. His family experienced this firsthand with the loss of his son in 2017. His scientific background has led to discoveries of anti-anxiety medications that are non-addictive. This could be a real breakthrough in the treatment of mental health and addiction to pain medications.
This presentation on “The Opioid Crisis” (approximately 30 minutes in length) is available for viewing through the city’s website and through the library’s website.
Our city is exploring other options to help our citizens who are dealing with substance abuse or addiction. One such option is a “volunteer request for help” program where an individual could seek help through the Vestavia Hills Police Department or Fire Department. This individual could walk into the police station or any one of the fire stations, turn in their drugs (legal or illegal) and be placed with a recovery assistance program without fear of being charged for narcotics possession. You will be hearing more about this program in the coming weeks. Vestavia Hills cares about our citizens, and we will do all we can to address this issue and save lives.
April 7-13 was proclaimed as “National Volunteer Recognition Week.” There are many volunteers who contribute so much to our city. This month, I would like to recognize the Vestavia Belles. At the Dogwood Luncheon on April 25, we observed another milestone in our city as we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Vestavia Belles. I was honored to recognize the current Belles as well as the newly-selected Belles. Their presence as hostesses for the city is much appreciated.