Homewood Star November 2022

Growth through adversity

By ERIC TAUNTON

After he watched “The Karate Kid” when he was in elementary school, Chris Connelly was hooked.

He started training in martial arts his junior year at Briarwood Christian School after he took a year off from sports due to an injury, starting with boxing and then venturing into muay thai and other martial arts disciplines.

“I wanted to know how to fight so I could take care of myself, and I was always a fan of ‘Karate Kid.’ That was it,” Connelly said. “I was watching Saturday kung fu flicks and all that stuff.”

As a senior, he pursued teaching martial arts as his senior project, wanting to open a martial arts school called the Birmingham Academy of Martial Arts (B.A.M.A.), he said.

What started as a senior passion project turned into a successful mixed martial arts gym: Spartan Fitness in Homewood, which is approaching its 20th anniversary in 2023 and plans to open a second location in Moody.

“It was a growth process,” Connelly said. “We went from a utility closet to a racquetball court to an office warehouse with a leaky roof, no air conditioning or heating, to a nice store front place that was half the size of our current location, and then we bought our current location and doubled our size.”

When Connelly started training in 1992, there were no martial arts gyms that taught people how to “actually fight,” with very few teaching boxing, muay thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts.

“There were plenty of taekwondo spots and karate spots,” Connelly said. “Oyama was the closest thing there was to actual fighting. You had Round One, a boxing gym, with Dave

Gopper as the coach, but it was just boxing.”

He met an instructor from New York who taught multiple martial arts disciplines, includ ing boxing and muay thai, Connelly said.

They trained wherever they could, includ ing parks and abandoned schools, he said.

“There weren’t a lot of people doing this,” McNair said. “The friends that I made doing this were probably the best part. I’m still

friends with those people today, and they’re some of the closest people in my life.”

He did everything he could to take his edu cation a step further, going to seminars once a month to learn something new and buying VHS tapes, he said.

longtime Homewood businesses close this year

By ERIC TAUNTON

Two Homewood businesses that have been in the city for more than 50 years are closing their doors this year.

Huffstutler’s Hardware will be closing its doors after 85 years of business, and Nabeel’s Cafe and Market closed its doors after 50 years.

“It’s sad,” said Gracie Salmen, an employee at Huffstutler’s Hardware.

“All of the people we’ve met over the years, they tell us all the stories of when they came in here with their parents when they were kids and how now they’re coming

Homewood High’s Parker Sansing

Parker Sansing

Homewood High School Patriot Band plans first

Chris Connolley, owner of Spartan Fitness, teaches a class at the gym in February, 2021. Photo courtesy of Spartan Fitness.

OUR TREE CREWS ARE WORKING TO KEEP THE DEPENDABILITY YOU EXPECT.

At Alabama Power, we work hard to provide the dependable service our customers expect and deserve. We give 100% to achieve 99.98% dependability. That means regularly inspecting and trimming trees as a way of preventing potential outages.

About 45% of outages experienced by Alabama Power customers are due to trees and plant life.

Overgrown branches can brush against power lines and cause outages. They also make power lines more accessible to wildlife.

We use technology and data analytics to help identify areas in need of tree trimming to protect the electrical system.

Keeping you aware of upcoming work is a priority to us. Scan the QR code to see the neighborhoods tree crews will be working in.

If you have any questions, please call Alabama Power at 205-257-2155 and request to speak with a member of our utility tree care team.

To learn more about how we safely maintain our system or for recommendations on planting the right trees in the right place, visit AlabamaPower.com/trees.

Embry

All good things must come to

or so they say.

This month’s cover story exam ines the closing of two longtime Homewood businesses, Huffstutlers

About Us Please Support Our Community Partners

and Nabeel’s Cafe and Market.

These businesses have meant a lot to Homewood over the years and it is sad to see them close up shop.

This month’s issue also brings an in-depth look at the new fiscal year’s budget for the city of Homewood, which includes a 5% cost-of-living adjustment that was highly sought after by the city’s firefighters.

We also have stories about Little Professor expanding, new offerings at Jinsei Sushi and more business news. We enjoy covering business news throughout the community, so if you know of new businesses or

interesting stories, reach out to us and let us know!

My colleague Eric Taunton has this month’s other cover story on Chris Connelly, owner of Spartan Fitness in Homewood, which has experienced great success and is expanding to Moody.

The Homewood High School band is again in this month’s paper, being honored for its invitation to the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Ireland next year. The band most recently went to the parade in the mid-90s, and par ents who marched in those parades now have children who will march next year. Congratulations to the band!

We also pause this month to give thanks for our blessings. However you celebrate Thanksgiving, here’s hoping it brings you and your family joy and rest.

As always, thanks for reading!

Alabama Designer Craftsmen (A7)

Alabama Goods (A20)

Alabama Power (A3)

Alabama School of Fine Arts Foundation (A15)

Ascension St. Vincent’s Health Systems (A17)

Bedzzz Express (A24, B1)

Bromberg’s (B8)

Cabinetry Refinishing (A1)

Community Grief Support Service (A8)

Coty Schneider Edward Jones Financial Advisors (A9)

Cremation Center of Birmingham (B13)

ENT Associates of Alabama (B12)

Etc. (A2)

Firefly Electrical (A14)

Gardner Landscaping (A6)

Guin Service (A1)

Homewood Carpet & Flooring (B8)

Homewood Chamber of Commerce (B5)

Homewood Family and Cosmetic Dentistry (B13)

Homewood Parks and Rec (B16)

IOP Services LLC (A25)

Issis & Sons (B7)

Kete Cannon, ARC Realty (A7)

Keystone Consulting & Design LLC (A10)

Little Hardware, Inc (A9)

Moss Rock Festival/Magic City Art Connection (B11, B15)

OLLI - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (A19)

One Man & A Toolbox (A10)

Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics (B8)

Piggly Wiggly (B7)

Publix (A23)

RealtySouth Homewood (A13)

Renew Dermatology (A5)

Sewing Machine Mart (A18)

Shades Creek Dental (B2)

Sikes Children’s Shoes (B12)

Sims Garden (A16)

Correction

Due to a reporter’s error, there was a mistake in the October edition of The Homewood Star, in the story, “Mayfair, Hollywood

residents share love of neighbor hood.” Deanne Vail’s first name was misspelled as “Denise.” The Star apologizes for the error.

nembry@starnesmedia.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253

SoHo Social and Social Taco (B9)

Southern Home Structural Repair Specialists (A20)

The Cook Store (A16)

The Welch Group (A21)

TrustMark Bank (B3)

United Way of Central Alabama c/o The Modern Brand Co. (A15)

Vapor Ministries/Thrift Store (A11)

Vulcan Termite & Pest Control (A15)

Walton Financial (A18)

Watts Realty (A14)

The Homewood marching band and alumni perform during pregame in honor of the band’s 50th anniversary at Waldrop Stadium on Sept. 23. Photo by Erin Nelson.

HOLIDAY

the gift of

raises for

By NEAL EMBRY

Following months of discussion with firefighters and public conver sations about the need for raises for first responders, the Homewood City Council made that a reality with a $1.2 million, 5% cost-of-living adjustment for all city employees in the new fiscal 2023 budget.

The proposal came from Mayor Patrick McClusky. That change comes as the city awaits word from the Jefferson County Person nel Board on if and how they will change pay grades for employees within that system, including Home wood employees.

The raises come after Homewood firefighters expressed concern that they had fallen behind neighboring municipalities in regards to cost-ofliving adjustments given over the years. The city also shifted firefight ers to a Kelly Day cycle, giving them an extra day off each month, and all employees will receive a bonus, based on years of experience, as the city ended fiscal 2022 with a surplus.

The council also passed about $300,000 in merit increases and absorbed a 6.4% increase in the cost of insurance for city employees.

Other priorities in this year’s budget, which totals $63 million, include stormwater improvement,

with $1.3 million budgeted from federal funds. The city is awaiting the results of a survey that will help determine priorities and steps for improving stormwater management throughout Homewood. A report should come before the council sometime toward the end of 2022 or in early 2023, McClusky said.

Some projects are already under way. The council recently accepted a $754,000 bid to improve stormwater drainage on College Avenue.

Also included in this year’s budget was the approval for the city to sign a contract for ambulance services, as opposed to using Regional Para medic Services or having the city

handle transporting patients them selves. Mayor Patrick McClusky has had conversations with Lifeguard Ambulance Service, which said they can provide two transport units ded icated to the city and handle the cost of employees and insurance, saving the city the risk of being liable for any incidents. The city would pay

the company through an annual contract. The project does not have to be bid.

The Fire Department will receive a new truck in a few years, part of this year’s budget, though it won’t be paid for until it arrives, McClusky said.

Other projects residents will hopefully see either this year or in the future include changes to U.S. 31 to improve traffic on Lakeshore Drive, the Interstate 65 diamond interchange also on Lakeshore and the extension of that road where it meets Highway 150 in Bessemer, McClusky said.

Sidewalks continue to be a prior ity, with plans for sidewalks to be added to Delcris Drive and Mecca Avenue. The council voted to split Delcris into phases, while a roughly $262,000 bid for Mecca Avenue sidewalks was accepted in late September.

Like residents and businesses, the city of Homewood has been hit by the impact of inflation, with labor shortages and rising fuel costs, McClusky said. The cost of supplies has also gone up and supply chain issues continue to be a problem, he said.

To view the entire fiscal 2023 budget, visit cityofhomewood.com/ finances.

Homewood voters to choose between Republicans, Libertarians

By NEAL EMBRY

This November, among many state and county races, Homewood voters have a congressional seat up for grabs as well as a state Senate district.

Incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Roberts, who represents District 15, faces Libertarian challenger Michael Crump, while U.S. Con gressman Gary Palmer, a Republican represent ing Alabama’s 6th District, faces Libertarian Andria Chieffo.

The Homewood Star did not hear back from Crump or Chieffo before its print deadline.

For up-to-date information on the November elections, visit thehomewoodstar.com.

GARY PALMER (I)

► Race: U.S. House 6

► Party: Republican

► Age: 68

► Residence: Hoover

► Political Experience: Elected to U.S. Congress in 2014 representing Alabama’s 6th

District

► Professional Experience: President of the Alabama Policy Institute for 24 years; worked in engineering, as well as with Focus on the Family

► Civic Experience: Rotary Club of Bir mingham; member of Briarwood Presbyterian Church;

► Education: B.S. in Operations Manage ment, University of Alabama, 1977

► Main Issues: Fiscal conservatism; reduc ing regulation; lowering energy costs; replacing the Affordable Care Act; protecting the life of the unborn

► Website/social media: palmer.house. gov; Twitter @USRepGaryPalmer; Facebook: CongressmanGaryPalmer

ANDRIA CHIEFFO*

► Race: U.S. House 6

► Party: Libertarian

► Age: N/A

► Residence: N/A

► Political Experience: N/A

► Professional Experience: N/A

► Civic Experience: N/A

► Education: N/A

► Main Issues: N/A

► Website/social media: N/A

DAN ROBERTS (I)

► Race: AL Senate 15

► Party: Republican

► Age: 64

► Residence: Mountain Brook

► Political Experience: Elected in 2018 to the state Senate representing District 15

► Professional Experience: Real estate development, private equity and international trade

► Civic Experience: Elder, Briarwood Pres byterian Church; board member of Briarwood Christian School; Chairman of Briarwood Ballet

► Education: Master’s in real estate devel opment and urban affairs, Georgia State Uni versity, 1985; B.S. in Building Science, Auburn University, 1980

► Main Issues: Tax reform; strengthen ing Alabama’s workforce; parental choice in education (sometimes called school choice); allowing businesses to compete, especially in the Southeast

► Website/social media: danrobertsforse nate.com; Facebook: DanRoberts4StateSenate

MICHAEL CRUMP*

► Race: AL Senate 15

► Party: Libertarian

► Age: N/A

► Residence: N/A

► Political Experience: Treasurer, Greater Birmingham Libertarians

► Professional Experience: N/A

► Civic Experience: N/A

► Education: N/A

► Main Issues: N/A

► Website/social media: N/A

* Candidate did not respond to questions by print deadline.

Palmer Chieffo

Roberts

Crump

City Council passes changes to tree ordinance

By NEAL EMBRY

The Homewood City Council in late September passed two amendments to the city’s tree ordinance.

One amendment removed a tree planting mandate for residents doing exterior renovations valued at less than $5,000, and another removed the tree planting mandate for interior renova tions that cover less than 50% of the property’s space.

The council referred another recom mended change to the tree ordinance back to its Planning and Development Committee for further discussion. One recommendation was to allow home owners to pay $750 and plant just 25% of the trees they are required to plant. Councilman Andy Gwaltney said that idea did not protect the city's tree canopy and suggested the cost be raised to $1,500 and the percentage of trees

to be planted be raised to 50% of the required amount.

The Homewood council also:

► Rejected a $558,000 bid to build sidewalks on Delcris Drive and voted to split the project into phases, budgeting the first phase at $275,000

► Agreed to pay $262,000 to CB&A Construction to build sidewalks on Mecca Avenue

► Rejected a $1 million bid to replace a stormwater culvert on Hun tington Road because it was well over budget

► Rejected an initial bid for storm water improvements on College Avenue and accepted a revised bid from South eastern SealCoating for $754,000

► Rejected an annexation request from a property owner at 314 Happy Lane due to concerns about mainte nance and the ability for fire and gar bage trucks to make it down the road.

Councilmen Nick Sims and Carlos Aleman cast the lone votes in favor of the annexation.

► Approved an amendment to the city’s post-construction stormwater management ordinance, which man dates that a professional engineer reg istered in the state of Alabama provide a letter ensuring that both stormwater and non-stormwater discharges will not have an “adverse effect or impact on adjacent properties, receiving waters or stormwater drainage systems.” That letter will be required for all commer cial, manufacturing, institutional and multi-family developments, or for single family dwellings that increase impervious areas on the property, that require a building, demolition or land disturbance permit.

To read about more actions taken at the Sept. 26 meeting, visit thehomewoodstar.com.

Mayor’s Minute

By Patrick McClusky

I cannot believe that it’s November, and that we are counting down the last days of 2022. The fall season seems to go by so much faster, with football, holi days, and less light in the day.

A few things to update you on:

The city manager study is going well, and I expect to hear information coming before the council by the beginning of the year. This is an exciting opportunity for Homewood, and I look forward to hearing what the study com mittee will bring us in the coming months.

The Homewood Police Department will be hosting their “Beards for Bucks” this month. This is an annual fundraiser where they raise money for The Exceptional Foundation, as well as cancer patients who will lose their hair due to the affects of treat ment. There are some glorious beards that will be driving around town, so please make sure to thank your officers for the work that they do to raise awareness. You can also make a donation for the cause by writing a check to the Homewood Police Foundation.

We all have the opportunity to help others in this season of giving. Homewood has some of the very best non-profits in the state, and they are always looking for additional support. Whether it’s taking the time to volunteer or simply donating money. Please take the time to research all of our non-profit partners, so that we can help make the greatest impact for our community.

Lastly, please remember to shop locally this month. The small businesses here in Homewood are the lifeblood of our city, and we need to support them as much as we can, especially during the holidays. Visit 18th Street and downtown, the Strip in Edge wood or West Homewood to pick up those holiday gifts for your loved ones.

I wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

Mayor McClusky

The Buffalo Rock plant can be seen through the trees at the end of Fairlane Drive in West Homewood. Staff photo.

2117 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook/English Village

Business Happenings

NOW OPEN

Celebrate Birmingham, a curated shop bringing cele brations to life through customized balloon décor, ar rangements and curated party rentals, recently opened at 1743 Reese St. Celebrate Birmingham will now offer an in-store experience where customers can build and create on their own, shop unique gift items and specialty party supplies and explore seasonal offer ings including balloon garlands, helium balloons, party supplies, backdrops, yard numbers, curated tables, chair rentals and much more. Additionally, Celebrate Birmingham will offer a customer-friendly balloon bar where you can shop your preferred colors and build out your celebration step-by-step.

celebratebirmingham.com

RELOCATIONS AND RENOVATIONS

NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Online ordering for take-out now available at Taco Mama. You can place your order online at ordertacomamaonline.com. For catering, go to tacomamaonline.com to place an order.

Jinsei Sushi, 1830 29th Ave. S., is now offering a brunch and lunch menu with Japanese twists on tradi tional brunch offerings such as pancakes, chicken and waffles, and more. The restaurant also serves breakfast and brunch sushi rolls. Brunch is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

205-802-1440, jinseisushi.com

PERSONNEL MOVES

Childcare Resources, 244 W Valley Ave., Suite 200, re cently named Catrice Pruitt the director of programs. Pruitt began her career at Childcare Resources as a Child Development Consultant in 2012. Pruitt has nearly thirteen years of experience working in early care and education as a previous teacher, child care program director, and in the nonprofit sector. 205-945-0018, ccr-bhm.org

The city of Homewood is currently discussing possible tax incentives with The Piggly Wiggly at 3000 U.S. 31.

The longtime store is seeking to tear down its current building and build a larger, redesigned store further back on the current lot. The deal is contingent upon CVS agreeing to move to the current Piggly Wiggly location.

205-879-0884, thepigbham.com/homewood

Regions, with offices at 1 Independence Plaza, 100 Green Springs Highway and 800 Lakeshore Drive, was fined $50 million by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and ordered to refund at least $141 million to customers the bureau said Regions harmed with illegal surprise overdraft fees. From August 2018 through July 2021, Regions charged customers surprise over draft fees on certain ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases, even after telling consumers they had suffi cient funds at the time of the transactions. The bureau found that Regions leadership knew about and could have discontinued its surprise overdraft fee practices years earlier but chose to wait while the bank pursued changes that would generate new fee revenue to make up for ending the illegal fees. Regions issued a state ment, saying that “although Regions Bank disagrees with the CFPB’s characterizations, the bank cooperated with the investigation and is pleased to move forward. Agreeing to the settlement reflects Regions’ desire to focus its attention on continuing to support customers through a wide range of account enhancements that have already lowered fees for many customers.” 205-766-8070, regions.com

Bingyan Wang, D.O., Internal Medicine, has joined Grandview Primary and Specialty Care in Homewood at 3525 Independence Drive. Dr. Wang received her Doc torate of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her inter nal medicine residency at Northside Gwinnett Medical Center. Dr. Wang has a special interest in individualizing lifestyle modifications to help patients achieve their goal of health. She takes a holistic approach to treating chronic diseases and focuses on disease prevention. She treats patients age 18 and older. 205-655-7600, grandviewmedicalgroup.com

Storyteller Overland, an industry leader in the burgeoning class B RV and adventure vehicle manu facturing space, is excited to welcome Tyler Duke as their new Chief Technology Officer. Tyler has 15 years of experience as an executive working in enterprise soft ware development, business intelligence, and consumer facing technologies. storytelleroverland.com

CLOSINGS

Huffstutler’s Hardware, 2732 Central Ave., Suite 100, has closed.

Nabeel’s, 1706 Oxmoor Road, has closed.

The Little London, 162 Oxmoor Road, has closed.

Business new to share? If you have news to share with the community about a brick-and-mortar business in Homewood, let us know at thehomewoodstar.com/about-us

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE

Brett Basik was working as an investment banker on Wall Street and Jacob Lee was working for a well known consulting firm. In 2021, the friends decided to go into business together.

“We had always dreamed of being entrepre neurs and had that itch and were talking about it for about a year,” Basik said. “We pulled the trigger and did it this past summer [in 2021].”

The duo opened their first Scenthound loca tion off U.S. 280 in Greystone’s Lee Branch shopping center in February 2022. The busi ness is a wellness-focused concept to keep dogs clean and healthy.

Basik graduated from Briarwood Christian School and Lee is from Nashville. They said they are excited to open their businesses near where they grew up.

They attended Auburn, where their wives were in the same sorority, but the two never crossed paths until they were in business school at the University of Virginia.

Lee said while they were in the process of looking at different businesses and franchises, he remembered a colleague had told him about a business she had opened in South Carolina (Scenthound), and they were interested in the concept.

They are preparing to open their second location in Mountain Brook on Nov. 1 and are already signing up members. Their goal is to open 10 stores over the next four years, includ ing four in Birmingham and six in Nashville.

Scenthound focuses on dogs’ overall health, and their routine care covers skin, coat, ears,

nails and teeth. After the appointment, owners receive a copy of their dog's report for each item, rated on a scale from one to five.

Scenthound also offers a membership model, making it a consistent monthly event for pet parents and their dogs. The basic pack age includes a bath, nail trim, ear cleaning and teeth brushing.

Other add-on services include haircuts, dog facials, deshedding treatments and more. 24/7 tele-vet access is also available at an addi tional cost.

“With our focus on routine maintenance and basic hygiene for dogs, there is nothing quite like Scenthound in the Mountain Brook

community and we felt we could serve a unique need,” Lee said. “Being right off U.S. 280, our location is super convenient to all over-the-mountain neighborhoods.”

Bobby Turner, manager of the Lee Branch location, will launch the Mountain Brook store, which will open with around eight employees.

“We're providing that easy button for people where they can be great dog parents and don't have to think much about it,” Basik said.

Scenthound will be located at 354 Holly wood Blvd. and will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Lee said he and Basik have already signed

Scenthound

the lease for their third store, which will be located in Hoover by the Sprouts grocery store, and they plan to open in late 2022 or early 2023.

Tiffany McKinney bathes

Australian shepherd, during

grooming appointment at Scenthound Lee Branch in Hoover.

is opening

new

Mountain Brook

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Borland Benefield celebrates 100 years

By JON ANDERSON

When William Howard Borland Sr. hung his name on a door in what is now the City Federal building in downtown Birmingham in 1922, he had no way of knowing he was starting an accounting practice that would last 100 years.

But that’s exactly what happened.

The Borland Benefield firm, now head quartered in the Synovus building on a plot of unincorporated land off Shades Creek Parkway between Mountain Brook and Homewood, is celebrating its centennial.

Sixty-five percent of businesses fail during the first 10 years, and only 25% of businesses last 15 years or more, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economist Chris Mayer said there are only about 1,000 compa nies in the United States that have survived 100 years, and that’s out of more than 32.5 million companies around today.

John Wilson, the current president and man aging director for Borland Benefield, said the firm’s emphasis on taking care of clients and putting quality first are what helped make it successful.

“That’s how Howard Borland did it. That’s how Joe Benefield did it,” Wilson said. “We’re following their lead.”

In the early days, the firm’s clientele included personal taxes and commercial accounts in the industrial and manufacturing sector, reflecting the business landscape in Birmingham at the time.

Borland became an early leader in the Ala bama Society of CPAs, helping grow the repu tation of the company and expand the business. He served as president of the group in 1948, according to a history of the company on its website.

In 1951, Borland formed a partnership with his son, and the firm operated as William Howard Borland & Son for the next 20 years.

The 1970s brought a lot of change. In 1971, Joseph Benefield became a partner, and the firm became Borland, Borland & Benefield. How ever, a little over a year later, the elder Bor land died, leaving his son and Benefield. The younger Borland soon withdrew from the firm to pursue Christian ministry.

Benefield in 1972 crafted a partnership with

David Crawford but kept the name as Borland, Benefield & Crawford. As part of the change, the firm moved to Office Park in Mountain Brook and a few years later bought an office building on Highland Avenue in Birmingham.

Alice Helms, who joined the firm as secretary and administrative assistant in 1950 and stayed with it for 58 years until her retirement in 2008, said she loved working there. She also was one of seven investors in the building on Highland Avenue.

“Mr. Borland was just one of the sweetest men you could ever hope to know,” she said.

“And Mr. Benefield was the ultimate gentleman. He never raised his voice, at least not at me.”

Working for Borland was a joy, but he also demanded high-quality work, Helms said.

“Mr. Borland didn’t like mistakes. You learned that you had to do it right the first time so you wouldn’t have to do it over,” she said. “You didn’t do a sloppy job and get by with it. Some body checked what you did. It was well run.”

The office was always very professional but not stiff, Helms said. “We had fun.”

In 1977, Sheldon Webster joined the firm as a partner and helped modernize it, creating an audit department and a tax department. Web ster, an adventurer who liked to travel, also helped the firm establish an affiliation with BKR International, a worldwide association of independent accounting firms. That gave Bor land, Benefield, Crawford & Webster an inter national reach and helped it expand its services into securities trades and other arenas. Webster eventually became chairman of BKR Interna tional in 2003.

William Jeffares and Allen Collins came on board as shareholders in the 1970s and ’80s, and in 1984, the firm opened a satellite office in Florence. In 1985, Jeffares unexpectedly died, and Benefield retired after more than 35 years as a shareholder.

In the 1990s, the firm merged with Michael Johnson, and Jeffery Chandler became a share holder. To accommodate the growth, the firm moved to Southbridge Parkway and shortened its name to Borland Benefield.

There were several major changes in 2003: Benefield died, Webster became the world wide chairman of BKR, Chandler was named president and managing director for Borland

JOHN WILSON

Benefield and Wilson became a shareholder.

The next decade brought the retirements of Crawford and Webster and several promo tions. Dena Davis became a shareholder and took charge of the Florence office, and the firm brought Dede Hutcheson on as chief operating officer. In 2009, the firm moved to an office on Highland Avenue, where it would stay for 10 years until moving to its current location at the Synovus building in 2019.

However, before that move, in 2017 Borland Benefield went through a major merger with Lovoy, Summerville & Shelton, which effec tively doubled the size of the firm and added three new shareholders — Michelle Granberry, Jeff O’Neal and Lloyd Shelton. The firm gained an office in Auburn with that merger, and its overall staff grew from about 30 people to 50, Wilson said.

Wilson, who became managing director about more than a year ago, said the firm’s clientele has changed over the decades as Birmingham’s economy has evolved to include more health care and service companies.

Borland Benefield also started a group to serve nonprofits about 20 years ago and has a strong hold with more than 50 clients in that arena, Wilson said.

One of the biggest changes the firm has undergone is in technology, he said. Borland Benefield was one of the first firms in the area to use mobile computers in the 1990s, he said. The first mobile computers were carried around in giant trunks, which is much different than the laptops carried around in backpacks today, he said.

Also, Borland Benefield a couple of years ago started an accounting services group that greatly automates bookkeeping for clients, with direct

downloads from clients’ banks and credit card companies, he said.

Borland Benefield today has thousands of clients, with about 75% in Alabama and more than 50% in the Birmingham area, Wilson said. There also are some international clients, and the continued affiliation with BKR helps serve those, he said.

The pandemic slowed down some of the solidification of the last merger, but “we’re really at a point now where we’re poised to grow again,” Wilson said.

There are huge possibilities for another merger, he said. There are a lot of CPAs who will be retiring in the next 10 to 15 years, and some may not have succession plans and may want to combine or sell their firms, he said.

Borland Benefield has talked to a number of people the past few years, but “the right thing has to present itself,” Wilson said. “If the cul ture doesn’t work, then it can be really hard to accomplish.”

Borland Benefield also certainly likes to see organic growth and has a full-time recruiting team, Wilson said.

“The barrier to entry to get into accounting for young people is pretty high,” he said. “We’re spending a lot of time looking for bright, young people, but we’re doing a good job of it.”

Part of the culture at Borland Benefield is having a work/life balance, he said. “A lot of people pay lip service to that, but we pride our selves in not being a sweatshop,” he said.

Sometimes you hear horror stories of accoun tants working late nights and drinking coffee all weekend, but “we try not to do that,” he said.

Instead, Borland Benefield gives a lot of its people flex time and alternating remote work days, he said.

While Borland and Benefield themselves have been gone for a long time, the firm keeps their names because of the good name recog nition and the history of quality work, Wilson said.

“We’re proud of it,” he said. “There are not many firms that can say they have that sort of longevity.”

And he thinks the Borlands and Benefield would be proud of what the firm has become, he said. “I think they’d be pleased with the size we are now and the things we’re doing.”

Partners in the Birmingham office of the Borland Benefield accounting firm are, from left, Lloyd Shelton, Jeffrey Chandler, John Wilson, Charles Polmatier, Clifton Daniel and Jeff O’Neal. Photo courtesy of Seth James Photography.

“There are not many firms that can say they have that sort of longevity.

SHELLY WHITLOCK SMITH

Jinsei Sushi offering new brunch, lunch menu

By NEAL EMBRY

After 16 years in Homewood, Jinsei Sushi is trying something new.

In addition to their dinner menu, featuring their namesake sushi offerings, owner Abe Houma said the restaurant is now offering a brunch menu, something unheard of in the sushi world.

The brunch menu features a Japanese twist on some popular items, like a Japanese souf fle pancake and Houma’s spin on chicken and waffles, made with Mochi flour, a Panko chicken breast and Japanese slaw. In keeping with their name, there are also offerings like a breakfast hand sushi roll, which includes bacon, scrambled egg and sushi rice.

The response has been good so far, Houma said.

This is not the first time Houma has helped the restaurant evolve. In 2016, he added 20 new menu items at once, and they were all very well received, he said.

In 2018, Houma began to think about doing

something during the daytime to complement their nighttime service. He also wanted to redesign and renovate the restaurant’s space.

The renovation brought about a cover for the roof and heating and air conditioning for outdoor seating, he said. The space was expanded, allowing people to spread out more easily, he said.

“It gives us more flexibility,” Houma said.

Houma said he did not know what the restaurant would be like post-COVID-19, leading him to choose more of a brunch offer ing before jumping fully into serving lunch.

In addition to the brunch menu, the restau rant has a lunch menu that features sushi, he said.

“We just want people to come give it a try,” Houma said.

The restaurant’s hours are 5-9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m to 2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m to 2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, visit jinsei sushi.com.

Art Editions and Gallery finds a new home

By ERIC TAUNTON

Longtime printing service Art Editions and Gallery in Homewood has found a new home in the old Monarch Cleaners location, after its previous home in Homewood Antiques was sold last year.

Abigail Wiersma, owner of Art Editions and Gallery, began looking for other loca tions in Birmingham such as Southside and Downtown Birmingham until she ran into the daughter of the former owner of the Home wood Antiques building, she said.

“One day, the owner of the building’s daughter came into my studio and said, ‘Oh, why don’t you go look at the location where my dad used to have his cleaners,’” Wiersma said. “I did and the location just felt right.”

She said she loves the current space because it’s quiet and she’s closer to a lot of her regular customers.

Wiersma said her business is a 13-year

overnight success.

“I’ve always been creative,” Wiersma said. “I’ve always liked color, composition and lines. My first job out of college was as a tex tile designer, so I’ve always been passionate about things of beauty.”

Since she began learning to print, she wanted her prints to be as good as they could be and to “continue the vision” of the photog rapher or artist through her prints, Wiersma said.

Wiersma scans photography and art pieces then goes through a unique process to ensure the colors and design of the pieces look iden tical to the original, she said.

“All of the devices that you work with are only an interpretation of that color,” Wiersma said. “I scan the art and the work starts when I try to color match and look like the original.”

Art Editions and Gallery is located at 901 Broadway St., Suite 101. For more informa tion, visit arteditions.gallery.

A Japanese take

Nelson.

Art Editions and Gallery in Homewood. Photo by Eric Taunton.

By ERIC TAUNTON

The popular Homewood bookstore Little Professor opened a second location in Pepper Place in Birmingham in August.

Little Professor has done pop-ups in its Pepper Place location every Saturday morn ing from 8 a.m. to noon but are still preparing to open the space for regular hours, which the owners, Jonathan and Meredith Robinson, are expecting to happen sometime in November.

“We've worked really hard to make our ‘popup’ feel like a full store experience. When you visit, you'll notice we have many things (albeit on a smaller scale) you're used to in Home wood: we have a kids section, coffee bar, best-seller table, gifts and cards, and of course sections for fiction and non-fiction books,” they said.

The Robinsons bought Little Professor from its previous owners before the pandemic, look ing to revitalize the store for a new age, they said.

“I have three young children, and the biggest thing that we saw was that it just needed new life as far as reengaging young families, which is what so much of Homewood is comprised of,” Meredith said.

Independent bookstores offer a “familiarity” and “warmth” that isn’t found in large retail bookstores such as Books-A-Million or Barnes and Noble, Meredith said.

“I think there is some sort of aesthetic that provides a warmth that feels very different than something that is done by a big-box retailer,” Meredith said. “I think the difference between the two is that it’s not a transactional purchase. That’s what we really pride ourselves on.”

Little Professor’s new location in Pepper Place is now open. Photo courtesy of Little Professor Instagram.

Pandemic reading effort becomes permanent part of Rosedale

By ERIC TAUNTON

When schools closed because of the pan demic, Alli Phelps was desperate to get as many books into the hands of her students as possible.

The Shades Cahaba Elementary School English teacher raced to school one day during quarantine and cleared her classroom of all books to give to her students and their families, she said.

“Our schools shut down and all of a sudden, the libraries were closed as well,” Phelps said. “Up until that point, I had been meeting my stu dents and their families weekly after school at the Homewood Public Library. We were just rocking and rolling like we do during the year, with lots of books and going back and forth from our school and the library. When everything stopped, everything really stopped for them.”

After she ran out of books to give, her next door neighbor, Lori Song, came up with an idea to get more books for her students, she said.

Song told her she saw old plastic media stands being thrown away that belonged to Weld, a Bir mingham news publication, before they went out of business.

“She said, ‘Why don’t we take one of those and get our kids to paint it and maybe we could buy some books, put them in there and put them in Rosedale,” Phelps said.

They decided to create makeshift Little Free Libraries and established them in two commu nities in Rosedale, Spring Park and near the Lee Community Center, which is where the majority of her students live, Phelps said.

She reached out to parents in the community to see if they wanted to help, Phelps said.

Parents such as Alexa McElroy helped Phelps maintain the little libraries, she said.

Two years later, Phelps and other members of the community unveiled a new little library at the Lee Community Center on Sept. 8, with another coming to Spring Park later this year.

The students she teaches tend to have very few books in the home, Phelps said, leaving them to rely heavily on the school and local libraries.

The little libraries didn’t go as well as she hoped, she said.

Phelps said they were very hard to maintain, and both had plexiglass fall off the media stands, leakage, insects and other complications.

“I kept trying to take care of them and it was like rolling a stone uphill,” Phelps said.

But after a while, Phelps said she started get ting pictures from her students’ parents of them holding one of the books in front of the little libraries.

After her students came back to school, they would ask Phelps when more books would be put in the little libraries, she said.

“They had started to get used to it,” Phelps said. “During COVID, they got used to having the books right there, so I would have kids walk over to the Little Free Library and, if there weren’t new books in there, they would be like ‘Ms. Phelps, I need something to read.’ Anytime a kid tells me they want to read a book, I want a book in their hand and I want to talk to them about it.”

Phelps and Song got in touch with local car penter Gary Sasnett to build the libraries and local children’s book illustrator Michelle Hazel wood Hyde to paint them, she said.

“These kids and these families make me want to work super hard for them and create a place of equity, accessibility and to foster a love of reading,” Phelps said.

Spring Park is home to one of Homewood’s “little free libraries.”

Photo by Eric Taunton.

City wins

website

The city of Homewood recently announced the acceptance of the 2022 WebAwards Outstanding Website Award for the design of the city’s website, cityofhomewood.com.

Since 1997, the Web Marketing Associa tion’s annual WebAward Competition has been setting the standard of excellence for Website development. Independent expert judges from around the world review sites in 86 industries. Only the best are recognized with a WebAward. The WebAward Competition is the premier award recognition program for website devel opers and the online marketing community.

The city of Homewood’s website was designed by Brian Wallace of Jetty Trip Media.

“I am very thankful to have the opportunity to help our community,” Wallace said. “My desire and inspiration is to provide a high qual ity resource for the citizens of Homewood. I am always looking at ways to improve and stay one step ahead of rapidly evolving demands, and I will continue to do this every day.”

– Submitted by Catherine Bode.

Shaia’s honored for 100 years of business

S.G. Shaia, a Lebanese immigrant, began peddling notions and household goods in 1905 in Jefferson, Shelby and Walker counties. In 1922, he moved his family from the southside of Birmingham to lots he purchased on a dirt road in the “boondocks.” There, he built a store, a home and established a garden of figs and grapevines.

Four years later, in 1926, the dirt road became part of the incorporated city of Homewood. Four generations later, S.G.’s great grandson, Ken, runs Shaia’s, an upscale international menswear store on the same site as the founder’s garden and home and in the heart of what is now one of Alabama’s busiest retail districts.

During an in-store presentation this fall, the Alabama Retail Association recognized Shaia’s as an Alabama Centennial Retailer. The business at 2818 18th St. S. received a bronze plaque and a certificate marking its 100th year.

“Each generation has added to the store,” in content and appearance, said J.L. Shaia, Ken’s father and the third generation of the Shaia family to operate the business.

“It was a general mercantile store at first,” J.L. said. “Our first business license says cig arettes and bottle drinks.” S.G.’s wife, Badia, ran the store while S.G. continued to peddle until 1930. In 1933, A.J. Shaia, the second gen eration, took over from his mother and father. By then, the store’s name and focus shifted to Shaia’s Dry Goods. Under A.J.’s leadership, the business evolved into a junior department store.

As Homewood grew, the Shaia home was remodeled for business use in 1938, and, in 1941, a store was built for Lane Rexall Drug Co. where the Shaias’ figs and grapevines once grew.

J.L. and his brother, Leo, began working full time in the family business in the mid-to-late

1950s. By 1955, Rexall had left and Shaia’s moved from its original location to the former garden-turned-drug-store space, staying within the Shaia property.

The brothers “wanted (the business) to move away from the department store type of mer chandise. So in 1964, we closed the store for two weeks, totally remodeled the interior and opened back up as a men’s store,” said J.L.

The brothers stocked their business with the top brands in the world. Leo retired in 2015 at age 75. J.L. remained active in day-to-day operations until 2020. On July 17 during New York menswear market week, a trade publi cation for men’s retail honored J.L. with its Lifetime Achievement award.

Ken Shaia, J.L.’s son, joined the family business in 1986, adding even more European designers and, with his father and uncle, bring ing recognition to the store by the early 2000s as one of the “Most Exciting Menswear Stores in America.”

In a 1996 store renovation, Ken suggested paying homage to the family garden with a

sculpted metal grapevine that winds around the door handle. In 2011, the original Shaia’s home that had been converted into business use was incorporated into Shaia’s as a designer concept shop. That adaptive reuse, which includes the rafters of S.G.’s home, won a merit award from the American Institute of Architects Birming ham in 2013.

“The greatest lesson I’ve learned from my dad is to create value for the people you work with, that doing this will pay dividends,” said Ken. He also learned “our customers’ needs are ever changing” and to listen to those needs and evolve.

Alabama Retail Association President Rick Brown said, “For a business to survive the dra matic changes of the past century is a remark able achievement. It is fitting to celebrate the enduring first-century contributions Shaia’s has made to Homewood and the surrounding com munities." Shaia’s has been an Alabama Retail Association member since 1992.

– Submitted by the Alabama Retail Association.

J.L. Shaia, left, and Ken Shaia, right, own Shaia's in downtown Homewood. The business was recently recognized for 100 years of service to the community.

Photo courtesy of the Alabama Retail Association.

Schoolhouse

Environmental impact at center of parking lot plan at HHS

By NEAL EMBRY

As conversations around controlling storm water runoff continue to take place through out Homewood, one plan to expand parking at Homewood High School has some residents concerned.

Melonie McBrayer, an AP environmental science teacher for many years, said there is concern about the power line easement acquired by Homewood City Schools that will be turned into additional parking near Lake shore Parkway. The school system is also con sidering annexing property at its tiered parking area, though that project has not been approved.

“None of us really knew anything about it,” McBrayer said. “It was a little bit of a surprise.”

There is concern that stripping the land to build parking will create more stormwater runoff in an area where the stream bank is col lapsing as is, McBrayer said. The existing tree forest is a bird habitat and trees help absorb water, McBrayer said.

Merrick Wilson, director of communications for HCS, said the system has had the Army Corps of Engineers and Spectrum Environmen tal “evaluate the proposed sites and potential impacts to proximal streams and wetlands.”

Because of that, the Army Corps of Engi neers granted the permit for the parking expan sion, Wilson said. The school system is also required by city ordinance to ensure that storm water runoff is not made worse by the project, she said.

“As part of city permitting requirements, the final design must ensure that the post-construc tion stormwater runoff rate is less than or equal to the pre-development condition,” Wilson said. “We are implementing underground stormwater

detention to mitigate the increase in runoff resulting from conversion of pervious surfaces to impervious parking areas.”

City permitting also requires the school system to allow water quality measures to be implemented, Wilson said.

Resident and landscape architect Bram Odrezin said the time of construction could impact salamander breeding and questioned what was being done for erosion control.

Odrezin said he isn’t saying the school system is doing anything wrong but noted that Homewood has seen increased flooding over the years. The city is currently awaiting the

results of a stormwater study to help them make future plans for improvement projects.

“Storms will be heavier,” Odrezin said.

That’s a problem for a city that has collapsed pipes, Odrezin said, and adding more impervi ous surfaces makes that worse.

“We’re starting to put ourselves in a bad position,” Odrezin said.

The city needs heavier infrastructure, he said, and failing to address that in the past is costing the city now.

The stream near the proposed parking area is a site where salamanders breed, Odrezin said, and if that channel is cut or damaged, it could

damage salamander populations.

There are also concerns with the tiered park ing plan, which McBrayer said would cut into the hill and take out existing pine trees. That takes away a chance to slow down rain, she said.

The city and school system should not pave over every strip of land and should use low-im pact design, McBrayer said.

The project was expected to go to bid in late October, after the print deadline for the Novem ber issue of The Homewood Star. The tiered parking project has not yet been approved, Wilson said.

The Homewood High School parking lot on July 15. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Destination: Ireland

By NEAL EMBRY

The streets of Limerick, Ireland, are old and narrow, providing a much different feel and experience than their counterparts in Pasadena, California, or New York City.

But 25 years ago, those historic streets, like the ones in California and New York more recently, felt the footsteps of the Homewood High School marching band. The Patriot Band marched in both the 1993 and 1997 St. Patrick’s Day Parades, both in Dublin and smaller cities like Limerick.

It has been a generation since the Patriot Band took their talents overseas. The band has marched in renowned U.S. parades, including the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena and the Macy’s Thanksgiv ing Day Parade in New York City. But in 2024, the band will travel across the Atlantic Ocean to march in the original St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Members of the last Homewood trip to Ireland now have children in the high school band who will get to experience what it’s like to travel overseas and represent their school and community.

“It was an amazing experience,” said Wendy Story, principal of Shades Cahaba Elementary. Story’s daughter, Merrill, will be a sopho more next school year, the same age Story was in 1993 when she went to Ireland as a member of the color guard.

“We hold a memory that that group of students will always cherish and hold on to,” Story said.

The trip was Story’s first journey overseas. The Irish people were “jovial” and she said she never felt like anyone was unhappy or distrust ing of them.

The band heard the news of the 2024 trip at the celebration of the band’s 50th anniversary in late September.

“That was incredible,” Story said of the announcement.

Story said Merrill has not stopped talking about the connection she and her mother now share.

Leigh Lewis was also part of the 1993 color guard that traveled to Ireland. Her son Glenn will be a junior next school year when the band travels.

While the family vacations, this will be the first time Glenn has been overseas, Lewis said.

“I think it’s fun and cool because it’s something we’ve done,” Lewis said.

Lewis recalled being in their Limerick hotel and seeing videos and images of their hometown of

Patriot Band plans first overseas trip in 25 years

glass, Lewis said, as they had never seen sequins before.

It wasn’t until Glenn reached Homewood High School that Lewis said she felt the connection between her children and her own childhood, as he attended different elementary and middle schools.

“This is a building I spent four years in,” Lewis said. “Once he got to the high school and we went to pick up his [band] uniform, it was so amazing.”

While it may not be easy to relish their achievement in the moment, Lewis said she hopes the students realize how special it is to be a part of the band and have this opportunity.

She also said she plans on being there with her son and the rest of the band.

“I’m not going to miss out on a big band trip,” Lewis said.

Birmingham being hit with a major snow storm.

“It was just crazy to see,” Lewis said.

In 1993, the band took part in a medieval banquet that Lewis recalled featured traditional Irish instruments, including bagpipes, which featured prominently in the parade.

The kids in Dublin were “enam ored” with the Star-Spangled Girls outfits, adorned with sequins. The children thought they were wearing

Band Director Chris Cooper said a parent recommended the band travel back to Ireland, which led to months of research on his part. The band was able to get one of the last spots in the parade, he said. Cooper and Home wood High School Principal Joel Henneke will travel this upcoming March to see a band from Oklahoma march in the parade to get a feel for what it will be like.

The band will march in two parades on the same day, he said, in Dublin and a smaller city. The kids are “blown away,” he said.

And while Cooper has no plans to step away anytime soon, this does cross off a bucket-list item, he said.

“It’s just something that I wanted to do before I call it quits,” Cooper said.

The Homewood drum majors react after learning that the Patriot marching band will perform in the 2024 St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin, Ireland, following the halftime performance in a game between the Indians and Patriots at Waldrop Stadium on Sept. 23. Photo by Erin Nelson.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at The University of Alabama offers a wide variety

non-credit courses and learning opportunities designed

10 Homewood High School seniors receive national honors

Ten Homewood High School Seniors have received national honors: Carsyn Arrow, JW Bird, Brandon Collins, Lily Giffin, Sam Hous man, Nathan Jones, Kiran McCool, Samantha Pearson, Richard Reed and Magi Williams.

Seven seniors were named semifinalists in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program: JW Bird, Brandon Collins, Lily Giffin, Nathan Jones, Kiran McCool, Saman tha Pearson and Richard Reed.

These students are among 16,000 semifi nalists nationwide who have an opportunity to continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million.

Students entered this year’s competition by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/ NMSQT). The nationwide pool of semifinal ists represents less than one percent of high school seniors in the U.S.

Carsyn Arrow, Sam Housman and Magi

Williams were selected for the College Board National African American Recognition Pro gram which creates pathways to college for students by awarding them academic honors and connecting them with universities across the country. The College Board National African American Recognition Program was created to honor excellent African American students based on their academic achieve ments and outstanding performance on the PSAT.

Students who may be eligible have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have excelled on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10, or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP Exams.

Homewood City Schools is proud of these students who have demonstrated an excep tional degree of excellence throughout their high school careers. Congratulations and best of luck to each of them.

– Submitted by Merrick Wilson.

John Carroll Catholic students named National Merit semifinalists

John Carroll Catholic students named National Merit semifinalists

In September, officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corpo ration announced the names of more than 16,000 semi finalists in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Among the semifinalists are John Carroll Catholic High School students Sawyer Herring, Lily Watts (St. Francis Xavier graduate) and Ade line Jehu.

Being a semifi nalist means that these academically talented students are in the top 1% of all high school seniors in the nation and gives them the opportunity to continue in the com petition for 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth almost $28 million. The students will complete additional requirements which will place them in the running for one of three scholarships granted by the NMSC.

1. 2,500 students will be selected to receive $2,500 merit scholarships.

2. 950 students will receive corporate-spon sored merit scholarships.

3. 3,800 students will receive college-spon sored merit scholarships.

The final awards will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and ending in July.

"We are incredibly proud and excited for these three outstanding students. Not only do they excel academically but they are leaders of their class, they share their gifts and tal ents in and outside of school and they know the value of service. They represent the best of the Catholic school experience,” Principal Anthony Montalto said.

– Submitted by Alyssa Weisberg.

Lily Giffin, Nathan Jones, Brandon Collins, Thomas Reed, Kiran McCool, JW Bird and Bailey Pearson were recently named National Merit semifinalists. Photo courtesy of Merrick Wilson.

He drove to cities and states across the Southeast, including Florida and Georgia, going “wherever there was martial arts,” Connelly said.

He later became good friends with coaches Adam and Rory Singer at SBG Athens, a mixed martial arts gym in Athens, Georgia, and home to MMA world champions Forest Griffin and Brian Bowles, he said.

“Adam, Rory and I became very close bud dies,” Connelly said. “We kind of helped each other develop and train. Initially, we were just a bunch of dudes beating each other up.”

Connelly was doing mixed martial arts in Birmingham before it became mainstream, he said.

“‘The Ultimate Fighter’ came on television and the UFC and MMA became more of a household thing,” Connelly said. “The UFC has spent millions and millions of dollars to make mixed martial arts athletes household names. People know what jiu-jitsu is now. It’s increased in popularity, we were just the ones to do it in Birmingham.”

“There was nobody mixing it all together,” Connelly added. “There was nobody com bining wrestling with jiu-jitsu, there wasn’t any Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Birmingham at all. It didn’t exist so I had to learn it, bring it back and get a bunch of guys that wanted to train with me and eventually it just grew and grew.”

Connelly opened the first Spartan Fitness location on Green Springs Highway in 2014. They moved to their current location on Jan. 1, 2020, which was “the worst possible time to think about expanding, growing and buying a piece of real estate,” Connelly said.

When they moved to their current location, Connelly said, he brought all 800 members with him.

By the time lockdown was over, Spartan

said. “There’s a business in there that’s occu pying it right now. We’re waiting to take over and there are some things that need to happen with the air conditioner, roof and things like that before we can get moved in. Once we get moved in, we’ll do our prelaunch and presale for that location. We’ve got a lot planned for that location when we do finally get it up.”

Martial arts is “growth through adversity,” a principle that Connelly’s taken with him in business and in life, he said.

Connelly said some people could look at Spartan Fitness’s success as luck, but it came

current recession we’re in now. We’ve been through it, we’ve come out on the other end of it and we’ve only grown as a result of it.”

One of his objectives for opening Spartan Fitness, Connelly said, was to create a space for martial artists to pursue their passion, live the lifestyle of a martial artist and not make the same mistakes and “fall into the same pitfalls as I did.”

Connelly fought in his first amateur MMA fight in 1998 and his first professional fight in 2000, with 12 wins and 5 losses, he said.

He coached his own team as well as fight

Spartan Fitness features 24 coaches who are also athletes, Connelly said.

Amateur and professional fighters such as Anna Crutchfield, Ethan Melisano, David Clark and Arthur Mpofu are able to “totally submerge themselves inside of this game” while also being able to be an MMA and make a living.

“The objective, beyond just putting food on the table for myself, was to create a place where people like me could have a job and make ends meet and actually make a nice little living and then when the fight game is

Chris Connolley, owner of Spartan Fitness, teaches a class at the gym in March, 2021. Photo courtesy of Spartan Fitness.

in with their kids and grandkids. Huff sutler is just a part of Homewood’s history,” said Gary Martin, another employee at Huffstutler’s Hardware.

Owner Jean Huffstutler said she made the hard decision of closing the store because “it’s just time for me to retire.”

Huffstutler’s Hardware has been in Homewood since 1935 and has been at its current location since 1937, after moving from its location on 18th Street South.

The hardware store was founded by Tom Huffstutler Sr. before it was passed down to his son, Tom Huffs tutler Jr., who ran the store with the help of his wife, Jean.

Jean became owner of the store in 2008 after her husband died, Martin said.

Salmen and Martin have been with the hardware store for 20-plus years, they said.

They both said working for the Huffstutlers and the community has been fun and eventful.

“All in all, they were all good to all of us,” Salmen said. “I was pretty lucky to be here because I moved from Arizona to here and I’ve been here ever since. Then of course, I met Gary and he’s got such a personality.”

Salmen said the Huffstutlers were caring and flexible to their employees.

One day when Salmen had a family emergency, she said, they told her, “Don’t worry about it, just go.”

“The good memories are the cus tomers,” Salmen said. “They are so sad to see us go because this is like a staple to them. They tell us they don’t like going to the big box stores because they don’t get that personal service that we give them.”

“We’ve had a lot of adventures,”

Martin said.

Nabeel’s Cafe and Market was founded by Nabeel Shunnarah in the early 1970s and was later bought by current owner Ramsey Duck in 2017.

Duck said Nabeel’s closing was brought on by a combination of fac tors such as COVID-19, cost of ser vices, supply chain issues, changes in customer behavior and physi cal exhaustion of the workers and himself.

“Not too long ago, we were run ning seven days a week,” Duck said.

“Sunday was a shorter day, it was like a brunch shift, but I was here seven days a week, pretty much open to close. I had a handful of people doing tremendous work to keep it going, but it was running everyone into the ground.”

Duck and his staff began using electronic means to get over “staff ing hurdles” such as putting QR codes on each table so the customers could scan, order and purchase their food without going to the counter.

Some people didn’t like the QR codes, preferring to order their food through traditional means.

The staff did its best to provide this method, but was still challenging, Duck said.

“We tried to carry on with as much traditional service as we could but it’s a big space, it’s spread out and you can’t see,” Duck said. “We were always trying to figure out a way to get through the staffing crunch and through all of the different pieces of COVID, whether it was taking off early for a while or limited seating. We were trying to adapt all those things while at the same time main taining a level for the quality of food and the experience. At a certain point, you run out of gas.”

“Even early in COVID, with PPP and employee retention incentives and all of that stuff, we were able to keep going for a while there, but then some of those programs ran out and the labor market dried up but the pan demic went on,” Duck said.

Before the pandemic, he and the staff were “laying the foundation” for the future by upgrading the restau rant’s equipment and renovating the store by pulling grease stains from the floors and installing the bar, he said.

Soon after he bought Nabeel’s, he was getting positive feedback from old and new customers, Duck said.

“People said, ‘Hey, we stopped coming 10 years ago. We heard it was new and that someone new was making a go of it and this is great. The food is spot-on, the service is atten tive and the place has been cleaned up,’” Duck said. “I feel like we had some good traction, but there were just too many things going on all at the same time.”

Duck bought Nabeel’s with the intention of “keeping this Home wood, Birmingham, staple up and going, introducing it to a new set of customers, maintaining its old cus tomers and just keep it going and growing over the years.”

Before Duck bought Nabeel’s in 2017, he worked at Panera Bread and then Shindig’s Catering but decided he wanted something for himself, he said.

The best memories Duck has of running Nabeel’s are the “solid core of people” he got to work with and the old and new customers he got to serve, Duck said.

“Restaurants are tough places to work,” Duck said. “They’re hot, physically demanding and there are always issues with just addressing the public. The core staff that has carried on and stood by every crazy idea I had means the world.”

He said he’s thankful the regulars Nabeel’s had before he became owner were willing to trust him and that his employees stuck with him, even after he told them the restaurant was closing.

“Ever since I moved to Alabama, I’ve lived in Homewood,” Duck said. “I hadn’t been a big customer of the place or anything but I knew its brand, reputation and what it meant to the neighborhood. I saw it as a great opportunity.”

“I think that a place like this has meant so much to literally generations of people,” Duck said. “To have had the opportunity to be a part of that, to continue to see multiple generations of people come in, relive special memories and enjoy special occa sions has been great.”

Nabeel’s Cafe and Market had its last dinner on Friday, Sept. 30.

Left: A photograph of Tom Huffstutler, left, his wife Jean, and their son Todd, from a May 7, 2004, article in the Birmingham Business Journal, features the opening of the current location of Huffstutler’s Hardware. Photo by Erin Nelson. Right: Nabeel’s in Homewood. Photo by Eric Taunton.

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Move to defense paying off for Sansing, Patriots

By KYLE PARMLEY

do

during his senior season,

accomplish that goal of scoring a touch

for Homewood. But it was a little dif ferent than how he envisioned it.

Chilton County’s promising drive advanced the Tigers inside the red zone, but an errant pass landed in the arms of Sansing, who bolted 87 yards in the other direction for a Home wood touchdown. The score gave the Patriots a 14-3 lead, and the Patriots pulled away for a 31-10 win Oct. 6.

If that touchdown sounds more like Sansing playing the role of defender, that’s because he now plays on the opposite side of the ball for the Patriots. An injury at the start of his sophomore season led to Sansing shifting from receiver to cornerback ahead of his junior year.

“Back in the day, I’d always think it would be offense,” Sansing said of how he envi sioned his first varsity touchdown.

Homewood defensive coordinator Freddy Lawrence is as understated as a football coach comes, but even he calls Sansing one of the best corners he has had the pleasure to coach. That’s quite an ascension for someone who has played the position for just over a calen dar year.

“What you see is what you get,” Lawrence said of Sansing, who is listed at 5-foot-10,

160 pounds. “He can run. It’s so typical here at Homewood to have a guy like that. He’s a great kid.”

Lawrence said Sansing had four touch down-saving plays in the Patriots’ tight 31-24 win over Benjamin Russell. If just one of those plays turns into a score, the outcome is different.

“With him, it’s more body position,” Law rence said of what makes him tough on oppos ing receivers. “I can show you clips of him being beat, but he doesn’t quit. If the ball’s not perfect, he’s got a chance to make a play.”

Sansing said the biggest adjustment in his transition to defense was learning how to flip his hips and learning how to react to cues from the receiver he is covering.

“At receiver, you know when you’re going and how you’re doing it. But at DB, you’ve got to react. Footwork and being able to move my hips and be able to read which way they’re going to go [is the key],” Sansing said.

He has gone up against receivers with a significant size advantage and ones that have recruiting interest from Power 5 schools. He doesn’t back down from that challenge.

“I have nothing to lose against this guy. I have everything to gain from playing my best against this guy. He might have stars, he might have height and talent, but I’m going out there to prove myself and show I can go with these people,” he said.

Sansing is aiming to play college football, and currently has drawn interest from Bir mingham-Southern College. If college pro grams listen to Lawrence, more schools will come knocking at the door.

“There’s a lot of places he can play if given an opportunity,” Lawrence said.

Homewood defensive back Parker Sansing (22) covers Chilton County wide receiver Jacob Worthy (4) on a play during a game at Chilton County High School in Clanton on Oct. 6. The Patriots defeated Chilton County 31-10. Photo by Erin Nelson.

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Homewood has a deep group of receivers that can make plays, a unit bolstered by the emergence of Hunter Drake (3). Head coach Ben Berguson spoke highly of Drake before the season, and Drake had a solid effort in the Pinson Valley game.

Drake caught three passes for 55 yards.

Homewood quarterback Woods Ray (13) has been a key part of the Patriots’ offense for several years now, but he continues to play at a high level during his senior campaign. In Homewood’s 31-24 win over Benjamin Russell on Sept. 16, Ray scored the eventual game-winning touchdown on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter. He threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 95 yards.

Homewood kicker Whit Armistead began his varsity career with a gamewinning kick against Vestavia Hills in 2021, but has continued to prove reliable for the Patriots this season. Despite the Patriots losing 21-13 to Pinson Valley on Sept. 23, Armistead knocked in a pair of field goals, from 23 and 34 yards out.

UNDER THE LIGHTS

The regular season has officially ended, with several teams looking to extend their seasons deep into November in the state playoffs. Here are some highlights from the middle portion of the high school football season.

Photos by Todd Lester, Erin Nelson and James Nicholas.

Despite John Carroll’s struggles in the middle portion of the season, quarterback Carson McFadden (7) has continued to show off his impressive skill set. He was electric in the Cavaliers’ tight 20-14 loss to Carver on Sept. 16, but McFadden scored on an 11-yard run and threw a 15-yard touchdown to Seth Seidenfaden. He completed 16-of-22 passes in the game for 130 yards.

Homewood Chamber of Commerce

HOMEWOOD HIGH VS. JACKSON-OLIN

HIGHLIGHTS

Homewood High School’s volleyball team won the Class 6A, Area 9 tournament Oct. 13 to begin the Patriots’ postseason run. As of press time, the Patriots were still in the midst of the state playoffs. Photos by Erin Nelson.

Varsity Sports Calendar

FOOTBALL

Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25: Playoffs. TBD.

CROSS-COUNTRY

Nov. 5: State meet. Oakville Indian Mounds Park.

BASKETBALL

HOMEWOOD

Nov. 3: vs. Chelsea. Girls at 5:30 p.m., boys at 7 p.m.

Nov. 7: Girls vs. Pinson Valley. 6 p.m.

Nov. 8: Girls vs. Cornerstone. 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 8: Boys vs. Thompson. 7 p.m.

Nov. 10: @ Bessemer City. Girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 15: vs. Briarwood. Girls at 5:30 p.m., boys at 7 p.m.

Nov. 17: @ Northridge. Girls at 5:30 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.

Girls at 6 p.m., boys at

Nov. 21-23: Boys @ Jag Classic. Spain Park High School.

Nov. 21: Girls vs. Central-Clay Coun ty. 4 p.m.

Nov. 22: Girls vs. Moody. 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 29: vs. Pelham. Girls at 5:30 p.m., boys at 7 p.m.

JOHN CARROLL

Nov. 8: Girls vs. Leeds. 7 p.m.

Nov. 10: @ Holy Family. Girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7 p.m.

Nov. 15: Girls vs. Woodlawn. 6 p.m.

Nov. 16: Boys vs. Parker. 7 p.m.

Nov. 18: Girls @ McAdory. 6 p.m.

Nov. 19: Boys @ East Limestone. 5 p.m.

Nov. 21: Boys @ Priceville. 7 p.m.

Nov. 22: Boys vs. Brewer. Priceville High School. 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 29: Girls vs. Jackson-Olin. 6 p.m.

Deborah Sema,

Junior League Market Noel coming to Finley Center

By JON ANDERSON

The Junior League of Birmingham is gear ing up for its 2022 Market Noel shopping event at the Finley Center in Hoover on Nov. 16-19.

It’s a chance for people to shop from about 100 merchants that are expected to be selling clothing, jewelry, home décor, holiday items and other goods, said Jayna Goedecke, the Market Noel chairwoman this year.

General admission tickets are $15, with pro ceeds being used to assist the Junior League’s 21 community projects to improve people’s lives in the areas of safety, crisis recovery, health and wellness, economic security, finan cial stability, education and culture.

The Junior League’s partners include groups such as Cornerstone Schools of Alabama, Girls Inc., The Literacy Council, Youth Lead ership Forum, The Foundry’s Hope Inspired Ministries, Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, Meals on Wheels, Crisis Center, Grace Klein Community, Mother’s Milk Bank of Alabama, NorthStar Youth Ministries and the YWCA.

This year’s Market Noel will begin with a “Preview Noel” event from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16, that gives people first dibs on merchandise available for sale. Guests that night also will be treated to music, food and drinks. Tickets for the Preview Noel are $55. The first 100 people to purchase tickets will receive a swag bag.

General admission shopping is from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

On Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Texas Roadhouse is providing a free lunch for first responders. Then that night, from 5 to 8 p.m., an event called JLB Hearts Bham will allow

shoppers to see performances by various choirs, dance groups, cheerleaders and other groups.

On Saturday morning from 9 to 11 a.m., there’s a special event called Brunch with the Big Guy, with Tre Luna providing biscuits, waffles and fruits, and kids will have a chance to do a craft and get a picture taken with Santa. There also will be mimosas for moms. Tickets are $12 for children and $28 for adults.

Also, on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. will

be a chance to have milk, cookies and a photo with Santa. A $36 ticket is good for two chil dren and two adults. Extra children will cost $6 each.

The Junior League also is offering people a chance to win a diamond jewelry item from Diamonds Direct valued at $5,000. A $48 ticket bought online gives you two chances to win. The winner will be drawn at the Preview Noel event, and the price goes up at the event.

For the men, there’s a cigar drop. For each

2022 Market Noel

• WHERE: Finley Center at Hoover Metropolitan Complex

• WHEN: Nov. 17-19; Preview Noel Nov. 16

• COST: $15 general admission

• DETAILS: Shopping event orga nized by Junior League of Birming ham

• WEB: jlbonline.com/market-no el-2022-tickets

$12 ticket bought online, you can get a cigar and one chance to win a men’s prize pack age valued at more than $300. The winner of the Cigar Drop also will be drawn at Preview Noel, and the price increases at the event.

The final special item for sale is a cocktail kit from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, with a holi day-inspired specialty drink curated especially for Market Noel. The cost for the kit is $48.

Goedecke said the Market Noel is an easy way to do a little holiday shopping for a good cause. “We help a lot of people out,” she said.

Also, because there was no food at the 2021 event, this year, Olexa’s, a restaurant and bakery from Mountain Brook Village, will be selling breakfast, lunch and snacks at Market Noel, Goedecke said. Parking at the Finley Center will be free.

Last year’s Market Noel raised $235,000, and the goal this year is $250,000, Goedecke said.

To buy tickets or for more information, go to jlbonline.com/market-noel-2022-tickets.

The 2021 Market Noel at the Finley Center, raised $235,000 for the Junior League of Birmingham's community improvement projects. Photo courtesy of Junior League of Birmingham.

Photos with Santa Claus returns to Sims Garden

By ERIC TAUNTON

The new-found Sims Garden tradition, Photos with Santa, will be return ing to the garden this year.

Sims Garden is taking reservations for children and their families to spend 15 minutes with Santa Claus. Children will not only be able to take photos with Santa but also chat, ask ques tions and receive toys from him, said Amy Milam, manager at Sims Garden.

Refreshments such as hot chocolate and Christ mas cookies will also be provided, she said.

Photos with Santa began in 2020 after the garden’s Pumpkin and Mum sale received positive feedback that October.

Prior to the Pumpkin and Mum Sale, there were discussions amongst the Sims Garden team about fundraising efforts to improve and renovate the property, Milam said.

“We started thinking about the next thing and the next thing was Christmas,” Milam said. “It seemed like it was a natural thing to follow on, to do a Christmas event and have Santa photos that were COVID safe, we called it ‘Santa safe.’ They were all out side, just like the Pumpkin and Mum Sale was, and we knew that a lot of Santa photos weren’t going to be happening, like your

typical mall or Bass Pro Shop Santa events.”

The garden will host Photos with Santa every Saturday and Sunday leading up to Christmas, with about 180 time slots for families, Milam said.

Photos will be taken between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18, she said.

Sims Garden also has backup days in case of rain on Dec. 19, 20 and 21, Milam said.

For more information, visit cityof homewood.com/sims-garden.

By ERIC TAUNTON

A Birmingham tradition, the Mac and Cheese Fest hosted by Community Grief Sup port, will return for its fifth year at Back Forty Beer Company on Sunday, Nov. 13, from 1 to 4 p.m.

The festival is “part competition and part celebration of the South’s ultimate comfort food” as well as a fundraiser for Community Grief Support, according to a press release by CGS.

CGS expects over 3,000 participants this year, according to a press release. The festival will feature different mac and cheese dishes from local restaurants, food trucks, corporate teams, caterers and home chefs. Mac and Cheese Fest will also feature live music and a kid's zone with activities such as face painting, arts and crafts and balloon animals.

All proceeds from this year’s Mac and Cheese Fest will be donated to CGS, a Home wood-based nonprofit organization that helps people suffering from the loss of a loved one.

“Early bird” tickets are $15, same-day tickets are $20, tickets for children 12 and under are $5 and children under 5 get free admission.

“The Mac and Cheese Festival has been a community tradition for the past five years,” said Erin Slaughter, CGS events & marketing manager and junior board coordinator. “We decided on an annual Mac and Cheese Festi val to represent the comfort that mac + cheese brings, just as CGS brings comfort to those who are grieving.”

CGS provides free individual, couples and family grief therapy; hosts more than 20 loss-specific grief support groups annually; and provides grief education to residents throughout the Greater Birmingham area.

Community Grief Support will be hosting four free community workshops on Saturdays in Birmingham to assist people who are grieving this holiday season.

Hope for the Holidays returns to help ease the burden of grief

By ERIC TAUNTON

Some people will be spending their first holiday season without their spouse, sibling or friend.

To help ease people’s first Christmas with out their loved ones, Community Grief Support will be hosting four free community workshops on Saturdays in Birmingham to assist people who are grieving this holiday season.

The workshops will feature a panel of loss survivors who will share how they deal with grief during the Christmas season.

Steve Sweatt, bereavement care expert, counselor and clinical director at Community Grief Support, will also be providing tips to participants on how to heal.

“It’s honestly one of my favorite events that we’ve always put on,” said Erin Slaughter, director of events and community engagement at Community Grief Support.

Slaughter has benefited from the community

workshops herself after she lost her brother last year, she said.

She said the workshops helped her prepare for the holiday season and the potential triggers that could come with it.

“Hope for the Holidays kind of prepared me for what to expect,” Slaughter said. “It also gives you skills, not just to prepare but gives you tips on how to make changes if necessary. You may need to change what your normal plan is during the holiday season to fit your grief process.”

There will be two workshops taking place on Nov. 5 from 9 to 11 a.m. One will be at Dawson Family of Faith and the other will be a virtual workshop.

The other workshops will be at Asbury United Methodist Church on Nov. 12 from 9 to 11 a.m. and at Riverchase United Meth odist Church on Nov. 19 9-11:30 a.m. For more information, visit communitygrief support.org.

Shoppers look at Christmas decor and merchandise during the Holiday Open House on 18th Street South. Staff photo.

22nd annual Holiday Open House set for Nov. 3

By NEAL EMBRY

Early this month, the city of Homewood will once again celebrate the beginning of the holiday season with the Holiday Open House.

The annual event, now in its 22nd year, is set for Nov. 3 from 5 to 8 p.m. along 18th Street South.

Stores will hold extended hours, have special sales and have their Christmas items available to purchase. Some refreshments will be available as well, Homewood Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Meredith Drennen said.

Guests can enjoy Penzey’s Spices, photos with Santa and the Homewood for the Holi days trolley, in addition to seeing what all the stores along 18th Street have to offer, Drennen said.

It’s a great time for residents to start on their Christmas lists and to check out holiday offerings from the businesses.

“So often, businesses want to show appre ciation for customers,” Drennen said. “This kicks it off early, before the craziness [of the

Holiday Open House

• WHERE: 18th Street South,

• WHEN: Nov. 3, 5-8 p.m.

• DETAILS: Enjoy Christmas deco rations

from 18th Street

neighboring businesses, along with a trolley, photos with Santa, spices and more.

holiday season].”

The trolley and Santa making an appear ance are recent additions to the popular event, and people will now set up booths on 18th Street for their business, even if they aren’t located on 18th Street, expanding options for guests, Drennen said.

“It’s a great way to get excited for the hol idays,” Drennen said.

Photo by

The Gwaltney family poses for a photo with Santa during the annual Sims Garden Photos with Santa fundraiser Dec.

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Sean of the South By Sean Dietrich Things I’m Grateful For

My cousin’s daughter is making a list of things she’s grateful for. It’s a Thanks giving-themed assignment for school. She asked for my help. And when a kid asks you for help, it makes you feel eleven feet tall.

“It would be an honor,” I said. “Thanks for asking me.”

“You’re welcome.”

“What made you choose me?”

“Well, I was thinking maybe you could write my list while I ride bikes with my friends.”

“Wait a second. Aren’t you gonna do any work?”

“Of course,” she explained. “I’ll be your editor. Now get busy.”

Editors.

Well, I don’t mind naming items for which I am grateful. I will start by writing that I am grateful for cold weather.

Admittedly, I don’t love the weather itself, but I enjoy what the cold represents. It means November is here, it means the holidays are close, it means I have to put on my winter coat to use the toilet in my trailer home.

Gratefulness item number two: cinnamon brooms in the supermarket. Man, I love these things. I could sniff them for hours in the grocery store.

I am grateful for sweet potato pies, and Butterball turkeys that are deep fried by men who wear overalls. And for squash

casserole, green bean cas serole, cheese potato casse role, hash brown casserole, collards, and cornbread dressing.

Reruns of the Andy Grif fith Show. My late father’s Case pocket knife. And good music.

This is the time of year when radio stations play the old stuff. Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Old Blue Eyes, and Alvin and the Chipmunks.

I am grateful for the way dogs wake you up in the morning. And for Hallmark Chan nel movies. Especially the cheesy movies that are about as clever as a scoop of ham salad.

The plots all go something like this:

Beautiful young business woman from big city visits her hometown after twenty years and falls in love with a handsome flannel-shirt-wearing widower and former country-music singer who owns a golden retriever named Max and is trying to save his town from bankruptcy by opening a Christmas bakery with his lovable but predi abetic grandpa, George. Boy gets girl. They kiss. The end. I could watch these movies until April.

I also love cast iron cookware, old coffee

cans of bacon grease, the taste of pepper gravy, Cone cuh sausage, gaudy socks, and the aroma of truck exhaust on a cold morning.

I am grateful for the way my wife looks when she’s sleeping. Her face relaxes, and she snores gently with her mouth open.

In moments like that, I like to see how many cock tail peanuts I can carefully place into her open mouth without waking her. My alltime record is nineteen. When she awoke, she spit out the peanuts, and tried to gut me with a set of car keys.

I am thankful for the way the sun comes out and warms the world when we need it most. The sun is poking through the clouds while I write this. And it’s enough to make you stop and stare.

My cousin’s daughter is still riding bikes with friends, laughing. She breezes into the driveway, then slams her brakes. She is out of breath, rosy cheeked, and alive with childhood. An entire lifetime is ahead of her, and she doesn’t even know it.

I was her age once. I was happy, like her. And I believed in things. Big things. But then life happened. Our family fell on hard times, I lost myself. The details don’t matter

because my story is your story.

Life is hard. Sooner or later, everyone learns this. It’s no revelation. Life is unfair, unforgiving, indifferent, and out to kill you — at least that’s what some people believe.

But I don’t believe that.

Not that it matters what I think, but if you ask me, life is artwork, hanging on a museum wall. Not a single stroke of paint is out of place. It’s magnificent. And I hope one day to see this painting from the Other Side. Maybe then, I’ll see how good things, bad things, and the sad things join to make a breathtaking portrait.

And how everything matters. Both the great, and the minuscule. From cinnamon brooms, to the hours spent in a hospital waiting room. Neighborhood cats, cheesy movies, and the way my mother hugs me and refuses to let go before I do.

“Are you done with my list?” my cousin’s daughter says.

“Yeah, I’m done.”

“Hey!” she says, inspecting my work. “You misspelled ‘cinnamon.’ I thought you were supposed to be a freakin’ writer, man.”

Editors.

Sean Dietrich is a columnist and nov elist known for his commentary on life in the American South. He has authored nine books and is the creator of the “Sean of the South” blog and podcast.

Dietrich

Lauren Denton

“Jaws” is a big topic at our house these days. Kate likes to play that tension-filled ba-dum, ba-dum on her clarinet, they both want to know if the book is like the movie, and every few months or so, one of them asks when in the world I’m going to let them watch the movie. And every time, my answer is the same: I’ll let you watch the movie when you’re ready to stop feeling comfortable swim ming in the Gulf or the river when we go to the beach. I saw “Jaws” as a fairly young kid, and to this day, I still half expect something to clamp down on my leg anytime I’m more than ankle deep in the gulf. When Kate and Sela are happily floating on rafts a few dozen feet off shore, I’m scanning the surface of the water for fins. And every time we pull them in the tube behind the boat, I have to keep myself from thinking of the scene in the movie where the shark bites the inflatable yellow raft being pulled behind the boat, dumping all the kids into the water… with the shark.

“Jaws” isn’t the only thing I’m keeping them away from for now. I know my kids pretty well, and I know the specific types of things that rattle them and get stuck in their heads. When I’ve gone ahead and let them watch something that was too much for them, we’ve paid the price: having to doublecheck that bedroom closet doors are closed at night after seeing something scary pop out of a closet in a movie, one of them sleeping with a lamp on for about six months after seeing a really scary image

online, the other one refusing to let anyone in the house even say the name of a particular creepy movie.

As a parent, of course I want to stand between my kids and anything that could possibly hurt them or cause them dis comfort, but there’s a line between keeping them from being hurt and letting them learn lessons on their own, and it’s a hard line to find. Sure, I can make my kids hold off on seeing “Jaws” while they’re young to keep them from losing their enjoy ment of the water (again, I know what types of things get stuck in my girls’ minds, and Bruce the shark biting Quint in half would do it). I can encourage them to read widely but postpone books that aren’t appropriate for their age and/or maturity. I can check reviews on Common Sense Media before they turn on a new TV show I’m not familiar with. But I don’t have my head in the sand. I know my careful review-reading and media-monitoring won’t keep out all the hurt, whether it comes in the form of a movie, TV show, book, internet meme or unkind word. And sometimes I have to let them see or hear the “bad” thing in order to let them make their own way in the world and learn to make good choices. Mom making all the choices for them is the epitome of pre paring the road for the child, and all that will do is turn out a kid who doesn’t know right from wrong, because she’s never had to choose.

Every generation probably thinks their own is the hardest in which to raise kids. My parents

probably thought it, as did their parents before them. And here I am thinking the world we’re raising our kids in is by far the hardest, scari est, most dangerous time yet. And I don’t think I’m wrong. But we’re learning as we go, aren’t we? I’m combatting the dangers of this world and its culture by fighting back to the extent that I can, and one of the ways I do that is by not being afraid to have uncomfortable con versations with my girls. Whether it’s some thing they’ve read about in the news, an adult situation that pops up on the TV screen before my finger has a chance to hit the fast forward button, or a text for my daughter that comes through my phone and has a word or insinua tion I’m not super comfortable with, we discuss it. Sometimes I’m embarrassed, often they’re embarrassed, but the point is, we talk about it. I make sure they know they can talk to me about anything, ask me anything, and they won’t get in trouble for asking. That’s how they learn to make choices, after all.

And our hope is that later, once they’ve moved on and are no longer living in our house, the ways we both protected them and let them go will enable them to make good choices for their lives and the people they love. And hope fully they’ll still be able to swim in the gulf without scanning the water for shark fins.

When I’m not writing about my family and our various shenanigans, I write novels and go to the grocery store. My newest novel, “A Place To Land,” was released Oct. 4. You can reach me by email at Lauren@LaurenKDenton.com, visit my website LaurenKDenton.com, or find me on Instagram @LaurenKDentonBooks or Facebook ~LaurenKDentonAuthor.

Denton

Calendar

Homewood Public Library

ADULTS

Nov. 1-30: Dia de los Muertos by Bare Hands, Inc. Ellenburg Art Gallery. Come by the library to see a variety of mixed media from the Dia de los Muertos street festival made out of wood, paper mache, acrylic and canvas.

Nov. 2: Read It and Eat Book Club — “Under the Whispering Door” by TJ Klune. 6:30-8 p.m. Urban Cookhouse. Join us as we discuss TJ Klune’s hilarious, haunting, and kind book, “Under the Whispering Door.” This uplifting story is about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home. Food not provided by the library, but participants are encouraged to purchase beverages/food to enjoy during the meeting.

Nov. 3 and 17: Adult Dungeons and Dragons, Ad vanced Players. 6-8 p.m. Room 102. Advanced players session requiring fifth-level character. Play with other D&D fans. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Nov. 3: Dolores Hydock presents “Soldiers in Greasepaint: USO Camp Show Entertainers of World War II.” 6:30 p.m. Large Auditorium. In honor of Veterans Day, join us as Dolores Hydock presents this wonderful program about the USO Camp Show entertainers of WWIl. It was bigger than Bob Hope! From Utah Beach to the Philippines, USO Camp Shows during WWII were part of a diverse, hilarious, moving and inspiring story of volunteerism and service. Storyteller Dolores Hydock shares stories, pictures and video excerpts of some of the unknown 7,000 USO Camp Show per formers who brought music, laughs and a touch of the familiar to U.S. servicemen far from home during World War II. Free event, but register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Nov. 8: Oxmoor Page Turners Book Club — “Assem bly.” 6:30-8 p.m. Boardroom. Join us as we explore debut author Natasha Brown’s “Assembly”. This thoughtful, incendiary story follows one day in the life of its narrator, a Black British woman preparing to attend a lavish party but thinking about the choices she's made — the

bourgeois lifestyle into which she's opted—and whether it’s something she can continue to stomach for even another moment.

Nov. 9: Niki Sepsas presents “Lest We Forget: A His tory of the Veterans Day Celebration in the US.” 2-3 p.m. Round auditorium. This tribute to all American military veterans is the story of how Nov. 11 came to be the day we honor all who wore the uniforms of the United States Armed Forces.

Nov. 12: Adult Coffee and Crafts — Planners. 2-4 p.m. Large auditorium. Adults, learn a new hobby or spruce up your crafting skills! We meet on the second Saturday of each month to enjoy local coffee & teas, as well as a new craft project each month! This month our project will be making planners for the new year. Bring your ideas and your creative spirit, and we will provide everything else! This class is free, but there is limited seating. Please register online.

Nov. 18: Thanksgiving Brown Bag and Film — “What’s Cooking?” Noon-2 p.m. Large auditorium. Bring your own lunch and join us for a heartwarming Thanksgiving film. On Thanksgiving day, four ethnically diverse families — Vietnamese, Latino, Jewish and African American — gather for the traditional meal. Each family has its own distinct way of cooking the traditional holiday meal and each has its own set of problems.

Nov. 29: Dixie’s Pet Loss Support Group. 6-7 p.m. Room 116. This support group may be just the place where you can meet others who understand what you're going through after the loss of your beloved pet. Sponsored by the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. Participation is free. For reservations, contact Randy Hicks, GBHS Volunteer Coordinator, at 205-542 7111.

CHILDREN

Wednesdays: Storypalooza. 9:30-10 a.m. Round auditorium. Join us for a good old time with Miss Aaliyah’s energizing storytime to get everyone ready for the day. For preschool-age children.

Wednesdays: Barks and Books. 3:30-4 p.m. Round audito rium. Spend an afternoon with our friends from the Greater Birming ham Humane Society by reading or just hanging out with some friendly pups. For K-5th grade students.

Nov. 12: Breakfast Club. 9:30-11 a.m. Round auditorium. Come by for some yummy cereal and entertaining activities to wake

you up on a Saturday morning. All ages welcome.

Nov. 16: Creation Station. 3:30-4 p.m. Round auditorium. Join us as we learn about cool and fascinating experiments, challenges and crafts inspired by STEAM. Register online. K-3rd grade students.

Nov. 17: Bake & Make. 6-6:30 p.m. Zoom. If you enjoy baking and making scrumptious creations, join us for this fun Zoom program! Families will pick up their baking kits at the children’s desk in prepa ration for the event (baking kits may include items containing gluten, dairy, nut and egg products). Sign up to reserve a sweet spot and have your aprons ready! Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org. All ages.

Nov. 28: Knight School Chess Tournament. 5:30-7 p.m. Round Auditorium. Join us for a monthly chess tournament where you will learn strategy and have fun in equal measure! K-12th grade.

TEENS

Nov. 1: Teen Homeschoolers — Dumbledore’s Army. 1-2 p.m. Room 109. If you love everything Harry Potter, then be part of Dumbledore’s Army! Flex your magical skills as you create charms, brew potions or perform transfigurations using science. Costumes encouraged! Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org/events.

Nov. 1 and 15: Magic: The Gathering for teens. 4:30-6:30 p.m. Room 109. Interested in learning about Magic: The Gathering? Each game represents a battle between wizards known as “planeswalkers”, who employ spells, artifacts and creatures depicted on individual Magic cards to defeat their opponents. We will have decks, but you are welcome to bring your own. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org/events. 6th-12th grade.

Nov. 3 and 17: Teen Theatre Thursdays. 4-5 p.m. Round Auditorium. This bi-monthly program will focus on teaching the performing arts to aspiring teen thespians with assistance from the Red Mountain Theatre. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org/ events. 6th-12th grade.

Nov. 10: Teen Coffee and Canvas. 4-6 p.m. Large auditori um. Bring out your inner artist! Join us for an afternoon of painting and sipping coffee and create your next masterpiece. Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org/events. 6th-12th grade.

Homewood Parks & Recreation

Classes & Activities

Central Barre

Tuesdays

Central Barre is a

ellyngagnon@gmail.com

Dance Trance

Homewood

is a

All Line Dancing

Royce Head

Personal Training

the

Workouts are

each person is

information: (205) 945-1665

North Star

Arts

North Star Martial Arts primary focus is to

life

impact on our students, and

families. Classes range from beginners

adults. For detailed class listings and times please visit the park’s website or www.northstarma.com. 205-966-4244 • info@northstarma.com

Confi.Dance

Confi.Dance is a dance class in a small group setting to teach you the secrets of looking good on the dance floor and having more fun than you thought possible. Class Meets: Wednesday 3:00pm – 4:00pm at Homewood Community Center For more information: Jackie Tally jgtally@aol.com

Fast Track Line Dance

Aerobics

We learn the current and classic intermediate-advanced line dances.  This class is not for beginners. Fitness Studio 2 @ Homewood Community Center. Saturday 11:00am-1:00pm Jackie Tally jgtally@aol.com (or) Helen Woods aquafool@aol.com

FIT4MOM

FIT4MOM Birmingham provides fitness classes and a network of local moms to support every stage of motherhood. From pregnancy, through postpartum and beyond, we serve our community by offering our fitness and wellness programs to help keep moms strong in body, mind and spirit. View our website for Membership Plans, Passes and Schedule. https://birmingham.fit4mom.com/

Senior Center

Intro to Line Dancing

This class is for those who have never done line dancing. We will start from scratch!!! See you there!

Be sure to contact the Senior Center (205-332-6500) to sign up, so that Jackie will how many to expect.

Wednesdays, 9:30 – 10:15am

Instructor: Jackie Tally

DanceFit

DanceFit’s is easy-to-mimic dance moves with enough repetitions so that participants have time to “catch on.” Includes linear traveling moves, occasional turns, and arm movements so it does have a light cardio element.

Thursdays, 1:30pm

Instructor: Galina Waites

Tai Chi

45minutes will be dedicated to the simpler-yet-effective Tai Chi for Arthritis & Fall Prevention while the last 15 minutes will offer a more challenging level of Tai Chi. This class is easy on the joints, helps to calm/focus the mind, and is great for developing better balance.

Mondays, 1:30pm

Instructor: Galina Waites

Athletics & Miscellaneous

Homewood

Tuesday,

For

Parade