Happy New Year to everyone! It is hard to believe that another year has passed.
But what a year it has been as we continue to see the Infrastructure and Community Spaces Plan come to fruition. What started off as mounds of dirt being moved at Wald Park is now taking shape with ball fields, swimming pools and a roadway beside West Elementary school. We are excited about the new “Miracle League” field for our special-needs citizens. What used to be just ball fields at Cahaba Heights Elementary school is now becoming the Cahaba Heights Park, complete with new ball fields, playgrounds, dog parks, enlarged parking area, and a “new” New Merkel House.
As I stated last month, weather permitting, we will have the ball fields ready by spring and the swimming pools ready for the summer. Our Community Building will begin to take shape once we completed these other projects. It is exciting to watch all this renovation take place.
During this past year, we implemented two programs that are “firsts” for the Birmingham metropolitan area. Our Phoenix Program was started in July. This program affords addicted individuals the opportunity to contact our police department or any of our fire stations to seek help for their addiction without fear of being charged for possession of drugs. To date, we have had 11 people contact us seeking assistance. This far exceeds what we anticipated. It is evident that a need was there and that we are providing a service to individuals who did not know where to go for help, or who otherwise, were afraid to seek help.
The other program initiated in November is an anti-human trafficking program coordinated with the Children’s Policy Council of Jefferson County, the Junior League of Birmingham and the U.S. Institute against Human Trafficking. With the passage of the Vestavia Hills proclamation Nov. 25, the city has committed to provide training regarding general awareness and notification procedures for city employees, businesses and concerned citizens. All the while, our Police Department will continue to address the criminal aspects of trafficking. In doing this, Vestavia Hills is the first city in Alabama to be designated a “TraffickingFree Zone.” Vestavia Hills is acknowledging that sex trafficking is a national (and international) problem and that our city will actively pursue these perpetrators and help the victims of this modern-day slave trade.
If you are making a New Year’s resolution for this year, may I suggest a resolution to volunteer some of your time or talent to the volunteer groups that contribute so much to the quality of life that we enjoy in Vestavia Hills. There are opportunities for all age groups. Our seniors programs, our library, our schools, our parks and recreation, our civic clubs and our churches all have opportunities for volunteers, just to name a few. I wish everyone a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!
