Bring a NEW unwrapped gift or a cash donation and enjoy an evening of fun,

fellowship and dancing with light
hors d’oeuvres.

When:            Friday – December 6, 2013
Where:            Platinum of Birmingham,
821-2nd Ave N
Time:            6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Your gift (s) AND DONATIONS will help to bring joy to a child on “Christmas Morn.”

Hors d’ouevres, Music and More!
Cash Bar

by Jessica Jones
Tameka Pryor is co-owner of Sweet Satiable Desserts, a bakery that specializes in custom cakes, cookies and cupcakes.
Pryor, a former banker, and her mother, Rhonda Nickerson, formerly a nurse for 30 years, began baking together 10 years ago and opened Sweet Satiable Desserts one year ago at the suggestion of friends and family.
“I started baking with my mom about 10 years ago,” Pryor said. “We started a made from scratch desserts company and we specialize in personalized sweets, usually for family and friends and just recently we decided to expand our business.”
Now Pryor and Nickerson create personalized confections for businesses, restaurants and various events such as weddings and birthdays. They also fill individual personal orders.
In order to serve food to the public they had to find a commercial kitchen, a task that proved difficult.
“One of our biggest obstacles was having a commercial space and once we got that space it just opened up a lot of doors for us,” Pryor said.
In a world of pre-made food, Pryor’s company prides itself on producing hand-made, made from scratch desserts.
“The unique thing about [our desserts] is they’re made from scratch,” Pryor said. “It’s kind of hard to find cakes that are made from scratch now.”
The recipes that they use to make their desserts are tried and true family recipes.
“We use recipes that are passed down from my grandmother,” Pryor said. In addition to her grandmother’s Southern recipes, Pryor and her mother also create some of their own recipes, as well as special orders. “Some people have special requests and we try to fulfill those,” she said.”
View their menu and place an order on their website at www.sweetsatiablecupcakes.com, or by calling Tameka Pryor at (205)249-3022 or Rhonda Nickerson at (205) 410-6252.

By Jessica Jones
Kiki Dixon’s career as a nail technician began accidently when she discovered her talent for creating nail designs.
“I lucked up on my calling to do nails by accident,” she said. One day she decided to purchase a nail art kit and a mannequin hand at the beauty supply store. She’d always had a love for nail art, but never knew she had a talent for creating designs.
“I stayed up until late in the morning [practicing],” Dixon said. “I’d break the nails off and do them again.”
After seeing her work, family members began asking her to paint their nails. Soon others noticed the designs and began referring their friends to Dixon.
“I had phone calls coming in and at that time I wasn’t working work. I was like, let me get some extra money on the side,” she said. “I set up at the house and word started getting around and it got bigger, and bigger, and bigger.”
She eventually moved into a barber shop in Eastlake and from there moved into a shop in Clay. Currently she doesn’t have a salon home, but is in the process of looking for a shop to work in, or perhaps having a shop of her own.
“I want a full service salon for nails and hair as well, so I’ve been talking with a couple of people to have a business partner to go into it with and hopefully we can try to make something happen by the middle of next year.”
African-American nail technicians are few and Black owned nail salons are a rarity, but this is something that Kiki hopes changes in the coming years.
“A lot of people are taken aback [when I say I do nails], but there are a lot of Black people out there that do nails. She said the field is dominated by Vietnamese and most shops rush through their clients, but she offers a different experience.
“We’re trying to make money, too,” she said. “But it becomes more like a friendship with your client. We care. We take our time, and I’m trying to make sure everyone who sits in my chair is satisfied, their nails become a conversation piece, and they can’t wait to come back in two weeks.”

 by Charlene Holmes
As children, we are told that the policeman is your friend and when in distress, seek a man in blue. There are times when people do bad things and have to be incarcerated or are fined for a driving violation. All of a sudden, the good guys in blue turn into bad guys.
Sgt. Evans Reed, Jr., Community Services Division Supervisor for the Bessemer Police Department said, “We want to bridge the gap by strengthening the relationship between the Bessemer Police Department and the citizens of Bessemer.”
He explained, “While our job is to serve and protect the public, we do more than just write tickets and put people in jail. We also help with flat tires and assist in domestic violence cases.”
Sgt. Reed said he has been a policeman for almost 20 years. Fifteen of those years have been served with the Bessemer Police Department.
As Community Services Supervisor, Sgt. Reed does just what his job title implies. He is responsible for all school D.A.R.E. officers, four civilians, oversees Neighborhood Watch, Kids and Cops Day and National Night Out.  He elaborated, “National Night Out is held on the first Tuesday in August right before school starts.”
Recently, the Bessemer Police Department sponsored a halloween activity  for the city of Bessemer. “We estimate between 1500-2000 people attended.  We wanted our children to enjoy Halloween in a safe, controlled environment. They came out in spite of the rain and stood in line waiting to enter the Haunted House. Many volunteers helped to make this event happen by volunteering between 3-6 hours in the haunted house, grilling hot dogs and hamburgers and in other ways.”
“As a whole, it made the city look good. It’s never about me, but it’s about doing positive things for the kids.”
Sgt. Reed credits “(social) media – Facebook, flyers, and good connections for the Halloween turnout.” He said overall, they plan to do the same thing next year.
He continued, “The Bessemer Police Department is heavily involved with charitable organizations such as the March of Dimes, United Way and Special Olympics.”
“We support the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program which assists families with toy purchases during the Christmas Season,” according to Sgt. Reed.
He said some Bessemer Police Department employees have adopted children for whom to fill Christmas Wish Lists.”
He said he likes his job because he loves serving the public.
“I decided what I wanted to become when I was a Freshman in High School.  After serving six years in the Army, I knew it was time to fulfil my dream and become a police officer.”
Sgt. Reed advised students to “start early in elementary school by studying hard and learning all that they can learn about everything.”
He continued, “High School students need to have a game plan and career goals. Go to college or find a trade,” he suggested.
“We’ll always need tradesmen. Don’t just depend on School Counselors. The Internet has become a valuable asset to us. Research Scholarship opportunities and find ways to earn tuition online. It certainly won’t be easy, but it won’t be impossible to attain your goals if you stay focused and stay positive.”
Sgt. Reed admitted, “I am looking forward to passing this torch on to someone else when I retire in a few years.”
He said for fun, he spends time with his wife of 12 years and 10-year-old daughter. “We love to travel. We’ve been on cruises and to Disney World numerous times. Every year around May, we go to Destin, Florida. My wife likes the malls. My daughter enjoys the beach and I love the relaxation.”
“I also love to watch college football and I am a big ‘Bama fan. Roll Tide!!

Congratulations to Mrs. Valerie Love- Simmons upon receiving the RAVE Silver Award. The Recognition of Accountability, Verification and Excellence  (RAVE) Award is given by the Alabama School Counselor Association  to school counselors that demonstrate effective communication and a commitment to implement an outcome-based, data-driven program.  The ceremony was held November 21, 2013.

 (NAPSI) – Here are two bits of good news for recent and soon-to-be college graduates with student loans:
1. You probably have a six-month grace period after graduation before you have to start making payments.
2. While adding a new payment of any kind into your life can be daunting, the vast majority of Americans with student loans do successfully pay them off, due, in part, to the value of their college education.
These student loan repayment tips can help you be among them:
• Contact your servicer. Some students have more than one loan, so it’s best to contact each servicer to discuss your payment options. The servicer can also help identify alternatives if you’re experiencing difficulty.
• Pay every month, and pay extra when you can. Make payments every month. Options to postpone payments typically mean you’ll pay more over the life of the loan, so tackle your payments now. Whenever you can, pay extra to reduce your interest costs and pay off faster. Put money from a raise or bonus toward your student loans.
• Create a budget. Know how much is due every month and create a budget that’s in sync with the amount due. Get the big picture when creating your budget. Put together a snapshot of all your financial obligations, including your credit cards, car loan, student loans and rent.
• Pay yourself. Build an emergency savings fund of $500 to $1,000 to be prepared for car expenses, an emergency trip or life’s other unexpected expenses.
• Sign up for auto-pay. Automatic payments not only make sure you never miss a payment, but servicers such as Sallie Mae, the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in education, may reduce your interest rate if you pay by automatic debit. It’s peace of mind with a bonus.
• Learn more. Go to www.SallieMae.com.