Weekend In Helena | News

Top 25 Dishes of Alabama
The Alabama Department of Tourism has issued their 25 featured dishes for the 2012 Year of Alabama Food and guess who is one it?
#16: Crab cakes at Fox Valley Restaurant (Helena): Fox Valley is the recipient of multiple Wine Spectator accolades. Located in a modest-looking strip mall on a county highway about 20 miles from Birmingham, Fox Valley's celebrated crab cakes are well worth the trek.
Although chef Anthony Mangold won't reveal the secret recipe, he confirms that fresh blue lump crab is the main ingredient. "If it's not blue crab, we won't use it," he says. "If it's not fresh, we won't use it." Crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, the Maryland-style crab cakes are served with brown garlic butter. The recipe came from Mangold's partner, Sue Lemieux, who is from the Chesapeake Bay area, and the chefs began serving it at Fox Valley 20 years ago. At first, they questioned whether local customers would even be interested in the dish. "We were conflicted about whether it was something we wanted to try,” Mangold says. "Well, it turned out to be a big hit."
Demand for the dish is high, with a large percentage of customers ordering crab cakes either as an appetizer or an entree. Mangold says the Steak and Cake, a chargrilled petite filet mignon and crab cake, is by far the most popular item on the menu.Way to go Fox Valley! Here's the link to the Alabama website featuring them: http://www.yearofalabamafood.com/famous-dishes/crab-cakes

Crime and Punishment
Here's a couple of criminal events that I didnt have in the last two post.

Vice Brothers Chase
Two brothers, Blake and William Vice, from McCalla, were in a high speed chase with the police in Pelham and then Helena. They were suspected of home burglaries in Pelham and surround area (maybe even Helena). The police of both cities stopped the pursuit because it became dangerous for everyone on the road. But... " A few hours after calling off the pursuit, Helena detectives located the suspects’ vehicle in a remote area off of Shelby County 91 in the Cahaba River Wildlife Management Area. After the suspects allegedly attempted to flee and strike one of the detectives with the vehicle, both occupants were taken into custody and are being held in the Shelby County Jail". This all happened in the on Feb. 1st. If you want to read more details then here is the Bham News Link and theShelby County Reporter Link.

Arrested in Alabaster
A 56 year old Helena man was arrested by the Alabaster police and is being accused of  stabbing another man at a residence off Allen Drive. Neither man lived at the residence. This is fron Neal Wagner's article: "The 5:10 p.m. stabbing was the first of two calls emergency personnel responded to at the Allen Drive residence on Jan. 30. A few hours after more than 10 police cars, fire trucks and ambulances responded to the stabbing call, several police cruisers and three fire engines responded to a fire call at the same house". Full Article

Expecting Eureka Expedition
The weather may cancel this but... Ken might be heading to Eureka on Saturday after he gives some scouts a tour of the Helena Museum. If he does, I will post on twitter (my feed is to the right) and on facebook if you want to see the site and maybe get a bag-full of the Helena heritage daffodil bulbs. If you come you will have to park across the street and bringing some clothes that can get muddy.

Weekend in Helena
Ok, so here is what I have written down for the Weekend in Helena.

Friday Feb 3rd
6pm-9pm HIS Family Fun Night
Helena Intermediate School will have their Family Fun Night and activities include Food,  Bingo and a Silent Auction

7pm Team Trivia at LaReunion Coffee House in Old Town 4085 Helena Road, Helena, AL 35080
Phone 205.358.3000

Click to enlargeSaturday Feb 4th
8am-til  Warehouse Racetrack: Gates open at 8am and racing starts at Noon. 202 Rolling Mill Street, Helena, AL 35080. Phone: 205.601.5578

6:30pm-8:30pm HMS Band Dinner and Auction Night at the Helena Middle School Cafeteria. The silent auction begins at 6:30pm and Dinner served at 7pm. You also get to hear some beautiful amd amazing music from the band. Tickets are $15 and it goes to help the band in HMS to be the best possible!

6:30pm-7:30pm Bingo Night at La Reunion Coffee House in Old Town

7:30-10pm Local Concert: Abby Clark, followed by Meghan Farrell and Copper Mountain will perform immediately following Bingo at La Reunion Coffee House.

Sunday Feb 5th
THE SUPER BOWL

And if you don't care then Bead Biz in Old Town Helena is having a Glass Caterpillar Chain Maille  Class from 1-5pm

Weave design by Kat Wisniewski
Instructor: Rebecca White

Combine glass rings with chainmaille using new techniques from artisan Kat Wisniewski. This restructured form of European 4-in-1 exudes sophistication. Glass rings fill the center, while complementing glass seed beads decorate the Half Persian edging. Choose from a variety of color combinations. The bracelet shown at right uses seafoam glass rings and teal beads. The class kit includes extra jump rings and about 10 extra glass beads for you to play around with.

Pre-requisite:
Intermediate to advanced level chainmaille classes, with knowledge of Half Persian 3-in-1 and European 4-in-1 helpful.

Whew!...I know there is more out there...If you have a yardsale in Helena or you are selling doughnuts in front of a Helena store. Please email me so I can let everyone know about it.