Village Living October 2023

MOUNTAIN BROOK’S COMMUNITY NEWS SOURCE VILLAGELIVINGONLINE.COM | STARNESMEDIA.COM

A SHARED JOURNEY OF HOPE

Former Mountain Brook residents author book on their cancer experience

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE

Former Mountain Brook residents

Kathryn Tortorici and Nancy Bynon became friends after meeting in 2006, and their lives shared a lot of parallels.

They partnered together to work on a cookbook for the Junior League of Birmingham in 2008. They both had sons who played basketball together and their children graduated from Mountain Brook High School between 2006-2011.

And they both were diagnosed with breast cancer within a few weeks of each other in 2019.

“I will never forget the day when Nancy told me she tested positive for breast cancer, only for me to tell her the same thing a few weeks later,” Tortorici said.

Bynon has lived in Houston for the past 12 years but still has a home in the Birmingham area. Tortorici taught school and attended church in Homewood and after spending several years in Atlanta, she now resides on the border of Vestavia Hills/

Perfect partners

Parant twins aiming for state title in final year together

By KYLE PARMLEY

One question sends Paige and Hannah Parant into a frenzied discussion.

“How many balls has Hannah set to Paige over a lifetime?”

Cahaba Heights. Although their paths would separate them from living in the same state, the two remained close friends.

“It was difficult,” Tortorici said. “When you hear the word ‘cancer,’ you’re in shock, but having a friend be there with you, you can grasp it. It wasn’t as scary knowing Nancy was learning things and I was learning things and we were helping each other.”

See HOPE | page A26

diagnoses within

High Notes

For context, Paige and Hannah are twins and senior volleyball players at Mountain Brook High School. Paige is an outside hitter, and Hannah is a setter, meaning the two are perfect partners for practices and game action.

The answers thrown out by the duo vary in an extreme manner; 75,000 feels too low, but 1 million seems high.

The consensus is somewhere between 500,000 and 1 million sets from Hannah to Paige over the years. Their head coach, Mattie Gardner, provides the best answer to the question.

“A lot is the answer,” she said.

Another question that the two get asked often is, “What’s it like being a twin?” That one also generates some lively discussion. Of course, they squabble like any other siblings or twins.

Home & Garden

SERVING MOUNTAIN BROOK, THE 280 CORRIDOR, HOMEWOOD, HOOVER, TRUSSVILLE AND VESTAVIA HILLS

Nancy Bynon, left, and Kathryn Totorici, right, had been friends for years before they received breast cancer

weeks of each other.

Photo courtesy of Debra Michelle Photography.

Mountain Brook’s Paige Parant (21) plays the ball during a match at the 2022 state tournament.

Photo by Erin Nelson.

About Us

Publisher’s Note By Dan Starnes

Thanks to everyone who participated in our reader survey over the past couple of months. Congratulations to Maddie Abbott for winning our first drawing from the reader survey. If you have taken the survey but didn’t win, there’s still hope. Your name will be included in the next drawing.

If you haven’t participated in the survey, we’d love to hear from you. Complete it by the last day of the month to be entered in the drawing for a $50 gift card.

When going through the responses, I was reminded of a visit to see a mentor early in my publishing journey. I’d owned a newspaper for only a few months and I knew little about what I was doing.

I did know that I could improve.

I asked someone I knew if I could meet with him and gather feedback. He was gracious enough to have me come by his office for a meeting. This person was the president of a large ad agency in town, so he knew a lot about media.

When I arrived for the meeting, he brought in the creative director. I slid a copy of my newspaper across the table for each of them.

They both looked at each other with an expression that said, “How

do we politely give feedback when there is so much wrong here?”

I asked what they thought and my friend said, “Well Dan, we don’t want to hurt your feelings.”

“If I only wanted positive feedback, I’d be at my Mom’s house right now,” I told him.

And so it is with this survey. Our papers have improved immeasurably since that day, but I know that we can still improve. And your feedback is invaluable to that process.

So don’t hold back in telling us what you think we should include in this paper. We want to hear from you. My Mom already said it’s great.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Mountain Brook cheerleaders lead their team onto the field before the game between the Mountain Brook Spartans and the Minor Tenacious Tigers at Tony Lunceford Field in Birmingham on Sept. 8.

Correction

In the September issue of Village Living, was an error on page A11 in Business Happenings.

Amparo in English Village closed almost two years ago and two other

Publisher:

Community Editors:

Sports Editor: Design Editor: Photo Editor: Page Designer:

Production Assistant:

Contributing Writers:

Please Support Our Community Partners

Abenoja

Orthodontics (A22)

Alabama Power (A19)

Always Best Care: ABC Senior Services (A25)

Amy Smith Gardner, State Farm (A20)

ARC Realty Mt Laurel (A21)

Bedzzz

Express (B1, B16)

Bromberg’s (A3, B9)

Bryant Bank (A25)

Budget Blinds (B3)

Canterbury Gardens (A26)

Capstone Village (B5)

Children’s of Alabama (A16)

Christmas Village (A14)

Elle (B8)

ENT Associates of Alabama (A6)

Etc. (A5)

First US Bank (A15)

Floss Family Dentistry Crestline (A18)

Forefront Management, LLC (A17)

Gardner Astroturf (B4)

Gardner

Landscaping (B1)

Guin Service (A1)

businesses occupy the space at 2003 Cahaba Rd Suite 101: Children’s Edit, owned by Megan Gorrie and Claire Posey and Home with Hechart, owned by Alex Hechart. We regret the error.

Junior League of Birmingham (A8)

Linscomb & Williams (B2)

Luckie’s

Pinestraw (A1)

Moss Rock

Festival (B13, B14)

Mountain Brook

Chamber of Commerce (A12)

Mountain Brook Eye Care (A26)

Mr. Handyman of Birmingham (A14)

One Man & A Toolbox (B4)

Parrot Structural Services LLC (B12)

Piggly Wiggly (A23)

Ray & Poynor (A11)

Ritch’s Pharmacy (A6)

Southern Home

Structural Repair Specialists (B8)

Southern States Bank (A20)

SouthPoint Bank (A13)

SouthState Bank (A23)

Stretch Zone

Mountain Brook (A8)

The Altamont School (A16)

The Cook Store (A14)

The Exercise Coach (A7)

Dan Starnes

Leah Ingram Eagle

Jon Anderson

Kyle Parmley

Melanie Viering

Erin Nelson

Ted Perry

Simeon Delante

Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Rebekah Crozier

Sean Dietrich

Sarah Gilliland

Kari Kampakis

Grace Thornton

For advertising contact: dan@starnesmedia.com

Contact Information: Village Living P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@starnesmedia.com

Graphic Designer:

Client Success Specialist:

Business Development Exec:

Business Development Rep:

Operations Specialist:

Emily VanderMey

Warren Caldwell

Don Harris

Madison Gaines

Sarah Villar

Gunn

Dermatology (A2)

Harbin Discount Pharmacy (A18)

Hoke Animal Clinic (A10)

HomeRN (A27)

Image Hive (B9)

Indian Springs School (A9)

Issis & Sons (B15)

TherapySouth Corporate (A28)

TrustMark Bank (B7)

United Way of Central Alabama (A22)

Vapor Ministries/ Thrift Store (B11)

Vulcan Termite & Pest Control (B14)

Window World of Central Alabama (B11)

Please submit all articles, information and photos to: leagle@starnesmedia.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253

Published by: Village Living LLC

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Find Us

Pick up the latest issue of Village Living at the following locations:

► Brookhill Condominiums

► Church Street Coffee & Books

► Mountain Brook City Hall

► Continental Bakery

► O’Neal Public Library

► Gilchrist

► Levite Jewish Community Center

► Mountain Brook Creamery

► Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce

► Otey’s Tavern

► RealtySouth

► RealtySouth - Crestline

► Taco Mama - Crestline

► Treadwell Barbershop

► Whole Foods Market

Want to join this list or get Village Living mailed to your home? Contact Dan Starnes at dan@starnesmedia.com.

Photo by David Leong

City

Ross Self appointed as municipal court prosecutor

By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR.

Mountain Brook has a new prosecutor in its municipal court, but he is a familiar face.

Ross Self was chosen from seven applicants for the position and was sworn in by municipal court Judge KC Hairston during the Mountain Brook City Council meeting on Aug. 29. Self had previously been the public defender in the Mountain Brook court.

Hairston said Self has tried more cases before him than any other attorney. “He’s won some and lost some,” the judge said. “But without exception, Ross has always been overprepared.”

Self explained the difference in his past and current roles in the court.

“My new job will be to represent the city in prosecuting cases against defendants, people who have been accused of municipal ordinance violations and misdemeanor violations within the city limits,” he said. “Up until now, I've been defending indigent defendants. As the public defender, you defend those who cannot afford to retain counsel of their own.”

Self grew up and still lives near Warrior. Beyond practicing law, he has been the public defender in Warrior’s municipal court for about 10 years. It was his work in Warrior that got him on the radar of the Mountain Brook court.

“The outgoing prosecutor in Mountain Brook, Jeffrey D. Bramer, used to be the judge in Warrior,” Self said. “When the public defender position came open seven or eight years ago in Mountain Brook, he recommended me for that job.”

Bramer stepped down from the Mountain Brook court and has moved to South Carolina to retire.

“I'm fortunate enough to be taking over for him,” Self said. “Those are pretty big shoes

to fill. He's been a mentor of mine. He's been a good friend of mine. I respect him a lot, not only as an attorney but as a human being. I'm fortunate to represent the people of the city of Mountain Brook, and I'm fortunate and honored and humbled to be able to have the opportunity to fill his shoes.”

Self will be paid $175 per hour. “It’s well covered by the revenue from the court,” council member Billy Pritchard said.

During the pre-council meeting, Gerald Garner and traffic engineer Richard Caudle gave a report from a committee that was assembled to look at potential traffic issues for public safety vehicles. The committee’s initial focus was Winthrop Avenue near Mountain Brook Junior High. The committee recommended making Winthrop Avenue a one-way street during school pickup times. Additionally, that body wants to examine posting No Parking signs on one side of

Winthrop and one side of Norman Drive. The council called for a public hearing on Sept. 25 to discuss the matter. Notices will go out to residents in the area and to the school. Visit villagelivingonline.com for coverage of that meeting.

Also in the council meeting, the panel approved a second change order for the Jemison Park project. The changes involve adding curbs and gutters and massaging the grade.

Ross Self, left, shakes hands with municipal court Judge KC Hairston after being sworn in as Mountain Brook’s new prosecutor.

Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

City to prohibit construction on Sundays, most holidays

By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR.

Mountain Brook residents soon will not have their Sunday brunch disturbed by hammering and other construction sounds, as the city moves toward establishing day and time limits for construction in the city.

The Mountain Brook City Council agreed at its Sept. 11 meeting to draft a resolution that limits construction to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and prohibits construction on Sunday.

“If the Good Lord took Sunday off in celebration of the weekend, I completely agree with eliminating Sunday,” Councilmember Gerald Garner said.

Additionally, construction will not be permitted on certain holidays, including New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

During the Sept. 11 meeting, council members also talked about providing financial support for the sidewalk project from English Village to Vulcan Park.

Bryson Stephens of the Red Mountain Cut Foundation previously spoke to the council about the project to improve connectivity and walkability in the “Diaper Row” area.

Council members discussed allotting as much as $112,000 in cash and in-kind service. The council previously supported the effort with a resolution.

“This puts skin in the game,” Garner said.

Mark Simpson of Schoel Engineering presented to the council a drainage study of Beech Street and Sims Avenue and reported an estimate of $310,000 to replace a clogged stormwater pipe.

Councilmember Billy Pritchard questioned if a replacement of the pipe is the proper action. “Does it make sense, before we launch this missile, to have somebody go over there and determine if we can clean out that pipe?” he asked.

The city will first try to clear the blockage before possibly proceeding with pipe replacement.

O’Neal Library Director Lindsy Gardner said the library is set to resume full service on Sept. 20, with a chamber ribbon-cutting the following day.

“We've still got basically floor cleaning that's going on, and so we haven't quite got all the people back to their cubicles yet, but we're getting really close,” she said. “We're excited and hope everybody will come see us.”

During the meeting, the council also:

► Discussed amending the city’s garbage

service contract with Cahaba Solid Waste Disposal Authority, then tabled the issue to its next meeting. The proposed amendment would lay the groundwork for a cost-saving fuel rebate.

► Authorized a drainage improvement study by Schoel Engineering for the Montevallo Road and Overhill Road area.

► Authorized an increase to the EMS standby hourly rate for the fire department to $110 per hour. The previous rate, which had not been increased since 2017, was $75 per hour.

► Authorized a cost-sharing agreement with the Mountain Brook Board of Education for junior high field improvements.

2 FREE SESSIONS

► Approved a liquor license for Everest Sushi LLC, operating as Maro, an Asian-inspired food establishment.

► Recognized a Constitution Week proclamation, which Mayor Stewart Welch III presented to three chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

► Appointed Norman Jetmundsen to the Library Board.

► Reappointed Brian Barrett to the Villages Design Review Committee.

► Authorized the sale of a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe and the trade for a Stryker Powered Stretcher.

Councilmember Gerald Garner speaks during the Sept. 11 meeting of the Mountain Brook City Council. Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Mayor’s Minute

By Stewart Welch III

Who in the world is mowing lawns in the middle of the night in our city?

As crazy as this sounds, the answer is, “We are!”

Parks and Recreation Director Shanda Williams is helping transform Mountain Brook into a ‘quiet’ community. She and Public Works Director Ronnie Vaughn have converted to electric blowers for our villages and parks. So, the loud sound that you don’t hear is them blowing leaves.

We have a third-party vendor doing some of our blowing (with gas blowers) in the villages, and we are working with them to ‘go green’ as well. They may occasionally have to use a gas blower for heavy, wet leaves during winter months.

What’s the deal with the middle-of-the-night mowing? Williams recently ordered a sophisticated robotic lawn mower for the city. It uses GPS guidance to map out the area to be mowed. It has its own charging “house” and mows (quietly!) in the middle of the night and then returns to the house for recharging. The first one will be put into operation in October at Crestline Field.

“These mowers will not only save on gas, emissions and noise, but they will reduce the man hours needed to maintain the field, and those employees will be able to focus on other much needed tasks,” Williams said. “We expect the fields to always look clean cut and be much healthier because of the reduced compaction from our larger mowers. As we learn more about these mowers, we hope to deploy them on some of our other fields.”

All of this activity is part of a bigger picture we are working on to transition into an eco-friendlier community, and it plays well into our Bee City, Tree City and monarch butterfly initiatives. We are in the early stages of forming a city Sustainability Committee to help shepherd and coordinate these various activities.

Stewart Welch III

NOW OPEN

The Exercise Coach is now open at 3918 Montclair Road, Suite 207, in Mountain Brook. They aim to help people live healthier and stronger lives with two 20-minute exercise programs a week. The Exercise Coach is also offering two free sessions to new members. 205-974-4674, exercisecoach.com

RELOCATIONS

AND RENOVATIONS

Barton-Clay Fine Jewelers will soon be relocating from 2701 Cahaba Road to 330 Rele Street in Lane Parke. 205-871-7060

NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Ex Voto Vintage, 2416 Canterbury Road, was recently named Alabama Retailer of the Year. The award is given to a retailer that has demonstrated a blend of sound business practices along with commitment to their communities, customers and employees. Ex Voto is a lifestyle brand that celebrates timeless craftsmanship in jewelry and ladies apparel by building meaningful relationships through conversational pieces. Ex Voto also has locations in Montgomery and Rosemary Beach. Store hours are Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 205-538-7301, exvotovintage.com

PERSONNEL MOVES

Jeff Goodgame has joined the RealtySouth office at 105 Euclid Ave. in Mountain Brook. 205-441-2145, realtysouth.com

Gunn Dermatology, with locations at 391 Rele St. and 32 Church St., is welcoming a new aesthetician to their team: Amy Murrell. Murrell is certified and trained on laser hair removal, hydrafacials, micro-needling and more. gunndermatology.com

ANNIVERSARIES

Highlands School, an independent school serving infants through eighth grade at 4901 Old Leeds Road, turns 65 this year. The school was founded in 1958 by educator, civic leader and philanthropist Evalina Brown Spencer and continues to carry out her legacy today. The Highlands School culture embraces the principle that children learn and grow best in a supportive, closeknit community where each student is inspired and motivated by a meaningful early education experience. 205-956-9731, highlandsschool.org

Antiquities, a shop at 2421 Canterbury Road in Mountain Brook Village, is celebrating its 13th anniversary. The location offers French, Italian and English antiques and contemporary accessories and is open MondaySaturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

205-870-1030, shopantiquities.com

Porch recently celebrated its third anniversary. The restaurant at 2 Dexter Ave. offers lunch, brunch and dinner and is open Tuesday-Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m.,

Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

205-739-2083, porchmb.com

Owned by Ari and Jordan Millner, Prints Charming Soho is celebrating its third anniversary. The retail shop at 1903 Cahaba Road features a variety of prints including architecture, intaglios, seals, monograms, botanicals, nature and more.

205-968-1239, printscharmingsoho.com

The Mountain Brook flagship store of Tom Beckbe is celebrating its two-year anniversary. The location at 2423 Canterbury Road features men’s and women’s clothing and accessories. Store hours are Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

205-286-8203, tombeckbe.com

The Fitness Center, 3900 Montclair Road #210, is celebrating their 30th anniversary on Oct. 4. The Fitness Center has been in business since 1994 and has a loyal clientele that benefits from their results-oriented program. 205-870-1121, thefitnesscenter.org

Business News to Share?

Do you have news to share with the community about a business in Mountain Brook or the greater Birmingham area?

Let us know at starnesmedia.com/ business-happenings

Stretch Zone opens in Mountain Brook

By GRACE THORNTON

When Paul Powell was 45, he took a long drive from his home in Dothan to south Florida, and by the time he got there, his back was aching.

Seven years before that, he’d bulged a disk in his back and later had surgery. But the procedure hadn’t solved his issues.

So on that road trip to Florida, he ended up visiting a Stretch Zone location.

“It was amazing the relief I felt after being stretched,” Powell said.

Stretch Zone uses a process called practitioner-assisted stretching, with a patented strapping system that helps clients stay stabilized and relaxed on the table while the practitioners do all the work.

“The techniques, the process, the way they’re able to isolate muscles — I was just amazed,” Powell said.

He went back to Dothan thinking help like that was only available in really big cities. Then five years later, the day after he sold his business and retired, he got a surprise.

“I had planned to take a year off before doing anything new, but the day I retired, I went to Publix, and they were opening a Stretch Zone next to it,” he said. “I saw the sign and smiled, and I thought, ‘Well, I guess I’m not taking a year off after all.’”

That was a Friday — Dec. 3, 2021. On Monday, Powell had a membership at his local Stretch Zone, and on Tuesday he was talking to the franchising group.

And this summer, he opened his fifth Stretch Zone studio location at 229 Country Club Park in Mountain Brook.

“It’s easy to get behind because it’s great to help people,” Powell said. “Stretch Zone is for anybody who wants to have more energy or feel a little younger, or who wants relief from chronic pain or discomfort, lower back pain, shoulder pain or hip pain.”

He said their mission is to help people “stay

active and live life on their terms.”

Their patients range from young athletes who want to lower their risk for injury to older patients whose bodies might be tightening up.

For the athletes, “if you make a quick movement or you’re on the bottom of the pile, you

have more of a chance of getting hurt if you’re not flexible,” Powell said. “The more flexibility, the less risk.”

For older patients, treatment at Stretch Zone is about giving the joints room to breathe by elongating the muscle.

“As we get older, our muscles get tighter and cause chronic discomfort in our joints,” Powell said. “We help people get rid of that discomfort.”

Flexibility is the key to a more active and pain-free life, he said, and the first visit to Stretch Zone is complimentary.

“We want to understand your goals, so we ask you to tell us about your body and what your dream state would be,” Powell said. “From there, we go through a number of stretches around the areas important to you.”

He said he and his colleagues believe the process sells itself, and the social proof is there, too — his other locations have had hundreds of five-star reviews, despite only being open a short time.

“If you want to continue to come back after that first visit, we can find a membership that fits you,” he said. “Give it a try, because it works.”

For more information, call 205-803-6729, visit stretchzone.com or follow them on Instagram @sz.mountainbrook or on Stretch Zone Mountain Brook’s Facebook page.

Danielle Merrill, a practitioner at Stretch Zone in Mountain Brook, stretches Gage Smith, the general manager, at the new location in Crestline Village. Photo courtesy of Stretch Zone.

We want to understand your goals, so we ask you to tell us about your body and what your dream state would be. From there, we go through a number of stretches around the areas important to you.

PAUL POWELL

Atlanta restaurateur brings steak bar to Mountain Brook

BY SARAH GILLILAND

A new restaurant concept is coming to the Lane Parke area of Mountain Brook this fall.

Little Betty Steak Bar will be the sixth concept for Revival Restaurant Group, led by CEO Jamey Shirah, including The Southern Kitchen & Bar and Uptown Cantina in downtown Birmingham, The Ivy and The Family Dog in Atlanta and The Valentine in Nashville.

“Little Betty was a family dog, a blue heeler, that everyone in Athens, Georgia, [where I grew up] knew,” Shirah said. “Little Betty embodies what we want this restaurant to be: servicefocused, always aiming to please, a good friend, someone you can trust and rely on. Those are the things that we want to be in this restaurant.”

Shirah said he chose Mountain Brook for this new concept’s location because it reminded him of home.

“We love Birmingham. Mountain Brook is a beautiful, homey, comfortable environment for us,” he said. “My brother and I both live in Atlanta, but we grew up on a farm. The people that we’ve met and relationships we’ve built over the last seven or eight years [made it] feel like a natural progression for us.”

Shirah said that he is a big believer in letting things happen naturally. While looking for a head chef, he learned about Chef Kyle Biddy through mutual connections in Atlanta and was impressed with his resume. From the moment Biddy and Shirah met, the chemistry was evident, in addition to Biddy’s talent in the kitchen.

“If Kyle wasn’t such a great chef, we’d try to put him in the front of the house because he is just so personable and likable,” Shirah said. “He’s one of those people that, when you’re around him, he just puts you in a better mood. This [restaurant] is a chef-led concept, and we are so excited to have him in the back of the house. He is just so talented.”

As for the menu, Shirah shared his love for

Italian fare and said that Chef Biddy’s other passion and experience, besides steak, also happened to be Italian cuisine.

“You’re going to have your classic steak cuts, chicken, lamb and we’ll have a vegetarian option, but your appetizers are where things are going to get super interesting,” he said. “It will be one of those places where you can have very

different experiences with the same menu.”

The restaurant’s space in Lane Parke will be small, and they anticipate accepting reservations for dinner on OpenTable, an online restaurant reservation platform, when they open for business. However, Little Betty also plans to offer a walk-in list in the future. The restaurant will have a private dining space that groups can

reserve for different gathering needs.

“This will not be a mass-scale business. Our intention is to open up four or five more [restaurants], all with their own brand. It is going to be a premium experience,” Shirah said.

Little Betty Steak Bar is expected to open in late October or early November. For more information, visit littlebettysteakbar.com.

Jamey Shirah, owner, and Kyle Biddy, executive chef, stand outside the new Little Betty Steak Bar in Mountain Brook’s Lane Parke on Sept. 13. Photo by Erin Nelson.

‘Aging with grace, moving with confidence’

By GRACE THORNTON

For 18 years, Sarah Brumfield worked in physical therapy, helping people recover from surgeries or falls.

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the number of falls she was seeing increased dramatically.

“All the older adults were fearful of going out, so they became more sedentary, which led to decreased strength and balance,” Brumfield said. “And because of that, there were more falls.”

So the next step in her career made perfect sense — she shifted to preventative training and started Graceful Aging, which offers functional fitness training to help older adults with strength, balance, flexibility, endurance and fall prevention.

“I’m in-home — I come to you,” said Brumfield, who lives in Mountain Brook. “We provide training to optimize quality of life. Flexibility is huge — as we get old, everything gets tighter.”

Graceful Aging offers an all-inclusive workout designed specifically for each client. In addition to her background in physical therapy, Brumfield is certified in personal training, with a specialty in senior fitness training.

“It’s based on what you need,” she said. “We take into account your past medical history, current functional level and whatever personal goals you have, then we design an individualized plan to meet your goals.”

Since starting Graceful Aging in 2021, she’s also added two more trainers so she can expand her reach.

“Ninety percent of our clients we see in their

homes, but a few we meet at their offices,” she said. “We can meet you anywhere — in the park, at a gym, whatever location you want.”

Brumfield said there’s no particular age required to be a client — she’s trained clients as young as 26 and as old as 98.

“You’re never too old to start, but the sooner you start, the better,” she said. “A lot of people look at it as, ‘I don’t need it yet,’ and they wait for that fall or injury or something scary to happen.”

Brumfield encourages seniors to be proactive with their flexibility and strength.

“If you have that preventative mindset, you can prepare so you don’t have an injury or fall,” she said.

Brumfield said it’s very rewarding to see clients get stronger and meet their goals.

“It’s the little things that matter to my older clients,” she said, noting that they tell her stories of limitations they have and she helps set goals to overcome them.

For example, one client told Brumfield she used to hate going to public restrooms because she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to get up on her own.

“She’s conquered that fear now by increasing her flexibility,” Brumfield said. “I love hearing stories of how my clients used to have functional limits but now they have no more limitations. They’re stronger and more confident and more steady on their feet.”

Brumfield said it’s “all about aging with grace and moving with confidence.”

For more information, call 601-597-2442, visit gracefulagingbirmingham.com or follow them on Instagram @gracefulagingbham or Facebook @gracefulagingbirmingham.

Sarah Brumfield started Graceful Aging to help people, particularly seniors, improve their functional fitness. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Mountain Brook resident wins statewide conservation award

By GRACE THORNTON

Jody Thrasher likes to burn things down. But he says that’s a good thing.

“Prescribed fire is what I am really interested in and enjoy doing,” he said. “I want this place to be pristine long after I’m gone.”

That place — a 1,128-acre piece of land he owns along Hatchet Creek in Coosa County is now a conservation easement, thanks to work he’s done recently with the Freshwater Land Trust.

“I still own the land, but in many ways, I’ve kind of preserved it in perpetuity,” said Thrasher, a Mountain Brook resident. “No development of any kind will occur on that stretch, forever.”

The land is routinely maintained with fires. And it has earned him the title of Alabama Wildlife Federation’s Land Conservationist of the Year at the 2023 AWF Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards banquet in August.

Thrasher said the “very rare” habitat that is the historical ecosystem of Mountain Brook — the Montane longleaf pine woodland — needs fire to continue to thrive and support its diverse ecosystem.

“Historically, fire burned over all these mountains in Birmingham on a three-to-fiveyear interval,” Thrasher said, explaining that the blazes burn up other species that overgrow and shade out wildflowers, grass and new longleaf saplings. “When the fires are gone, what happens to the woods is you get oak trees and poplar trees that migrate up to the top of the mountains.”

The fires are only the start of his work

— he’s also protected river canebrakes and worked with natural resource professionals to protect rare fish and aquatic species on his property.

His land, which runs along a 3.3-mile

stretch of Hatchet Creek, is home to dozens of species of fish and animals, including one of the largest remaining spider lily — or Cahaba lily — shoals in the world.

“It’s in probably one of the most remote and

wild areas east of the Mississippi,” Thrasher said. “There are trees that are 300 or 400 years old. If you can preserve places like that and restore the portion of the property that has been kind of touched by man — I don’t think there’s anything more important I do than that.”’

He said conservation is his “family business.” His grandfather was employed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for years, and his father became president of AWF in 1991, when Thrasher was around 12 years old.

He remembers spending lots of time in his young years collecting acorns and going out to plant trees with his dad.

“We probably planted hundreds of thousands of trees,” he said.

Thrasher said his Christian faith teaches him that people were created to be stewards of what they’ve been given.

“What you realize over time is that you can buy things like land with money and your name is on a paper at the courthouse, but that’s not exactly true that we own it — we really just rent,” he said. “Long after we’re gone, what could the future generations say about us? What did we do that would be important to them?”

In his “day job,” Thrasher works as a controller for Bag Supply Company, but in his spare time, he’s out on the creek fly fishing and teaching his kids how to care for the land. He said everyone can help, and it’s OK to start small.

“We live in a world of wounds, and you see a lot of wrongs,” he said. “I’m trying to make those wrongs right. I’ll be doing that for the rest of my life.”

Jody Thrasher was named the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s Land Conservationist of the Year at the 2023 AWF Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards banquet in August.

Photo courtesy of Jody Thrasher.

Mountain Brook

By GRACE THORNTON

“I feel like myself again.”

Dr. Gretchen McCreless said she hears that comment over and over from patients at her practice.

And she’s grateful to be able to help —McCreless said she feels like perimenopause and menopause are often overlooked, even though half of the population experiences them at some point, often with significant symptoms in the process.

“I feel like we hear a lot about adolescence and puberty because it’s such a huge change in our children’s lives,” said McCreless, a Mountain Brook resident. “Menopause is just like puberty, but it’s on the opposite end of a woman’s life span. You go through this crazy change in your hormones and your body, and it literally affects every part of your body.”

But by the time women reach perimenopause, they’re focused on other things — like taking care of children, spouses or aging parents — and not thinking about taking care of themselves, she said.

“So I think a lot of the attention gets turned away from women and some of the things we experience later in life,” she said. “But every single woman is going to go through menopause. I just think there’s a lot we can do better in that area, so I’m trying to do that.”

McCreless, a gynecologist with Ascension St. Vincent's Women’s Health in Birmingham, said her interest in menopause care started when her mom was experiencing some menopausal issues and couldn’t get the help she needed.

“I looked in her local area to see if she had anyone that I thought would be a good fit, and that’s when I realized they have a whole menopause center at the academic center where she lives,” McCreless said.

Not only that, McCreless saw that all of their providers were certified menopause practitioners. That nudged her to look into the certification, since it was a niche that she felt wasn’t filled in Birmingham.

“I cannot even tell you how many patients

find me because of that and come to seek me specifically,” she said, noting that about half of the patients she sees are in their 40s and wondering what they can do to make the transition smoother. “And then I see many people who are beyond menopause in their 50s and are saying, ‘I still don’t feel good; I don’t feel like myself. What can I do?’”

McCreless said a variety of treatment options are available for both stages of life, and if someone is starting to experience some symptoms, it’s never too early to have that conversation.

“I have seen a really big increase in the number of women in their 40s coming to see me as they start to realize their body is changing a little bit,” she said, noting that those symptoms can include anxiety, weight gain, poor sleep or irritability.

For some women, going back on birth control may be a good option, McCreless said. “I have a lot of 40-something-year-olds who are taking birth control pills again because that helps stabilize your hormones in that transition period and it makes it a little bit easier to transition.”

But some of her patients are “absolutely adamant” about not taking birth control, and another

menopause care

Dr. Gretchen McCreless, a gynecologist and certified menopause practitioner, speaks with a patient about her symptoms during an office visit at St. Vincent’s Women’s Health in Birmingham.

option is hormone replacement therapy.

“We can do a cyclic patterning of estrogen and progesterone just to kind of help level and stabilize their hormones,” McCreless said, noting that this helps through the transitional years when a woman is still having bleeding but moods start to change and night sweats and sleep difficulties may start.

She said hormone replacement therapy has had “kind of a negative reputation” in the past, but that stems from research conducted more than 20 years ago. She noted that as the years have gone on, results have shown that any negative outcomes were limited to women over 60.

“In fact, women who were just going through the transition in the early years of menopause did not have the same complication and risk of the hormones, and they actually had a lot more benefit from taking hormone replacement,” McCreless said.

She noted that in 2022, the North American Menopause Society released a statement saying that in the first 10 years of menopause, hormone replacement therapy should be considered because it improves bone and heart health and

general well-being.

“It’s kind of an attitude change in the gynecology world; I’ve had to change my own way of thinking,” she said. “I think for so long the attitude has been, ‘Hormones are bad, I don’t want hormones, I can get through this, I’m just going to grit my teeth and get through it.’ And you don’t have to do that.”

As women get beyond menopause, she prescribes testosterone for low energy and low libido.

And McCreless said she’s careful about what she gives her patients.

“There are certain progesterones that, when they’re given in combination with estrogen, can increase your breast cancer risk, so I try to just be very mindful of which progesterone we prescribe and have patients taking,” she said.

McCreless said she can prescribe bio-identical hormones, which have the same chemical makeup as what the body produces.

For women who can’t take hormones because of underlying health conditions, there are “a lot of other options” ranging from over-the-counter supplements to medications that help with hot flashes.

McCreless said all the way around, her goal is to make women’s lives better — women who, like her mother, have issues and need help getting some relief.

“One of the more rewarding things I experience is just hearing people say it literally changed their life,” she said.

And she’s glad she gets to do it in her new hometown. McCreless moved to Birmingham from Ohio to do her residency at UAB Hospital, then decided to make Mountain Brook home after getting married in 2016.

“We just loved Crestline,” she said of herself and her husband. “He’s a runner and spent a lot of time running the sidewalks and the streets of Mountain Brook. We just spent so much time there, it was a community that we loved, so that’s where we decided to stay.”

For more information about McCreless’s practice, call 205-939-7800.

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Mountain Brook attorney’s football documentary nominated for regional Emmy

By GRACE THORNTON

Norman Jetmundsen said you can’t be at Sewanee: The University of the South for long before you hear about the school’s 1899 football team.

“It was something I’d heard about for many, many years,” said Jetmundsen, a Mountain Brook resident and a 1976 Sewanee graduate.

He said it’s a story worth passing on, and not just from one Sewanee class to the next. The football team did something extraordinary that year, something that will never be matched — they played and won five road games in six days, on a 2,500-mile train journey between the University of Texas, Texas A&M, Tulane, LSU and Ole Miss.

That feat was part of a 12-game undefeated season, at a time when most teams only played three or four games a year.

“One of my classmates, David Crews, had done a documentary on Gov. William Winter of

Mississippi, and I said, ‘David, you ought to do a film on this team,’” said Jetmundsen, an attorney “He said, ‘Great — you help me.’”

That started the pair on a five-year project to create “Unrivaled: Sewanee 1899,” which was recently nominated for a Southeast EMMY Award.

“We had a lot of fun doing it,” Jetmundsen said. “We thought we knew the story and realized quickly we didn’t.”

He said when they started the project, they thought there might not be much historical record available, but they planned to explore the lore around the team.

“We found out the truth was better than the lore,” Jetmundsen said.

In those days, team members played both offense and defense, and if they came off the field, they couldn’t go back in. They also played with very little protective gear, Jetmundsen said.

“It was a very different and very violent game,” he said. “There were around 18 or 19

deaths a year. Football came very close to being banned.”

That makes the accomplishments of the Sewanee Iron Men even more extraordinary, Jetmundsen said.

And he and Crews realized after they finished the film that if they hadn’t done the project now, the story “would’ve been lost forever,” he said.

“We found a number of descendants in their 50s to 90s, who knew a lot of the stories that had been passed down about their grandfathers on the team. They still had their family stories intact,” Jetmundsen said. “We interviewed one woman in her mid-90s who was the daughter-in-law of the captain of the team.”

But many of the children of those who were interviewed didn’t know the stories, he said.

“We were glad we did it before the people who really knew and loved the story were gone,” he said.

The documentary includes commentary from Bobby Bowden, the former Florida State

University football coach, and former University of Tennessee head coach Johnny Majors, both of whom have passed away since filming.

The film also includes interviews with University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban and a musical score written by Bobby Horton of Birmingham, a frequent collaborator on Ken Burns’ films for PBS.

Homewood artist Ernie Eldredge also created 14 original paintings for the film.

“Bobby’s music and Ernie’s paintings made the film more unique and more special,” Jetmundsen said.

The paintings and other memorabilia will be published in a coffee table book available next year.

Jetmundsen said it’s been “quite a journey, but we’ve loved it now that we’ve reached the goal line, so to speak.”

The film is available to stream at pbs.org. For more information about “Unrivaled: Sewanee 1899,” visit sewanee1899.org.

Above: Former Florida State University head football coach Bobby Bowden stands beside Norman Jetmundsen. Photo courtesy of Shakerag Hollow Productions. Right: A portrait of the Sewanee 1899 football team featured in Norman Jetmundson’s film “Unrivaled: Sewanee 1899,” which was recently nominated for a 2023 Southeast EMMY Award. Photo courtesy of University Archives and Special Collections, The University of the South.

High notes

By REBEKAH CROZIER

After 10 days spent together in the same house, the five members of The Brook and The Bluff emerged with their third album “Bluebeard,” which was released Sept. 15.

The band is named after the neighborhoods of Mountain Brook and Bluff Park where its members grew up. The Brook and The Bluff officially began recording and releasing music in 2018, but frontman Joseph Settine and guitarist Alec Bolton started playing together as freshmen at Auburn University.

After college, they moved back to Birmingham and kept playing music, adding bassist Fred Lankford and drummer John Canada along the way. Canada’s brother, Kevin, was the last to join the band as its keyboardist.

The band released “First Place,” their first official studio album, in 2019, followed by “Yard Sale” in 2021. Settine said the newest album, “Bluebeard,” is an extension of the first two albums, and listeners will be able to trace their patterns of thought from older songs to newer ones.

“Bluebeard” is the first of the band’s albums to be recorded somewhere other than a studio. The band recorded their album in the Canada brothers’ family mountain house in Sky Valley, Georgia, where they had previously held songwriting retreats together.

“It’s always represented this place of escape for me,” Settine said. “I

The Brook and The Bluff members reflect on latest album, upcoming tour

kind of music: happy music with sad words. It’s like our brand.”

The band members said they love each song on the album for different reasons. They expressed both excitement and nerves over their U.S. tour, which launched just three days after their album release and will be their biggest yet. The tour will include venues in 24 states, plus Washington, D.C., three Canadian provinces and a festival in Mexico.

think that, for me, the goal was to try to create that feeling that we have when we’re together in the house in a record form. And I think that’s what we did.”

Every morning during writing and recording, the band woke up to the mountain view that is pictured on the album’s cover. Because of the peace they felt at the house, Lankford said

they never felt burnout or exhaustion, even after recording and living together for 10 days straight.

“There was an extra element of creativity in the house,” Kevin Canada said.

The band shaped their album around the Kurt Vonnegut novel of the same name.

“The book itself is kind of about

Above: The album cover art for The Brook and The Bluff’s “Bluebeard.”

Left: The Brook and The Bluff is named after the two hometowns of its members: Mountain Brook and Bluff Park. Photos courtesy of The Brook and The Bluff.

art and the nature of art, which is why I think we felt, as a band, really compelled to it,” Lankford said. “We definitely encourage anyone who wants to listen to this album and really dig into it, to read that book.”

Settine said he and Lankford began talking about the book while brainstorming for the new album, and eventually the entire band had read “Bluebeard” and agreed to shape their album around its themes and tone.

“There’s like a weird, nostalgic melancholy [to the book] that’s also a little joyful,” Settine said. “This melancholic joy was kind of the inspiration for the songs, which is the best

“I feel like this tour and the songs and the show itself is probably the biggest departure from the way that we’ve been touring in the past,” John Canada said. “We’re blending our songs that we’ve played before and the classic style of those with a little bit more production.”

Reminiscing over the past five years, each band member said that seeing people respond to their music reminds them of the reason why they create music.

“I feel like a tour is when you finally actually see tangible moments of growth,” Alec Bolton said. “All this crazy amount of time and effort we put in, and now we can see that we played that venue last year and now we’re playing this venue, and that many more people came, and they’re really stoked to be there.”

The Brook and The Bluff will be returning to their hometown of Birmingham to perform at Avondale Brewing Company on Thursday, Nov. 2. Tickets can be purchased online at brookandbluff.com.

We are thrilled Anna has joined our Aesthetics and Laser Team. She is now accepting patients. To schedule, call 205.572.4906

Crestline Elementary raising funds for new playground project

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE

At the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, Crestline Elementary launched a large fundraising campaign to raise money for a new playground that will be inclusive to all children.

Harris McCloud, a parent at CES, said the check-writing campaign began on Aug. 4 and will continue until all $810,000 needed for the project is raised.

“Our current playground is over 12 years old and has seen better days,” she said.

“It was time for us to raise money not only to replace the playground and make one that is all inclusive for all children, not only at Crestline, but for children in the community.”

McCloud said the playground is used heavily during the school day, but after school kids come for birthday parties, to hang out after sporting events or parents go there on the weekends as they’re walking to breakfast or lunch spots.

“It’s just a community meeting place, so we really wanted to make a playground that served all those children, and I think we’ve accomplished that in our design,” she said.

Last fall, a meeting was held with Goodwyn Mills Cawood design firm, which was already working on several projects at the school. McCloud said she felt it was a seamless transition to use them.

“We worked with faculty and staff, community members and parents, to really come up with a plan that felt like it met the needs of typical children and children with special needs,” she said.

The new playground will be bigger than what

is in the current space. It will feature multiple sets of swings, a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round, a rope climbing structure and a saucer swing, and the main structure has a slide and a sensory aspect to it that children of all abilities can use. Of the 767 students enrolled at Crestline, 98 have disabilities, so this will

provide more opportunities for them to enjoy the area.

“The coolest part, I think, when looking at the playground is the green cord rubber on the floor and in the middle it has what looks like a blue river,” McCloud said. “There’s something for everyone and we worked really

hard on that.”

All of the current playground equipment will be removed and replaced and new landscaping, trees and sod will be added.

The opportunity to donate is open to everyone, including businesses, McCloud said. At certain contribution levels, donors can receive yard signs or personalized bricks or plaques that will be placed on the playground.

“We’re really trying to encourage the Mountain Brook community to get behind this because it's not just a school playground, it is used by so many in our community,” she said. Get an updated number of money raised before press.

The goal is to have the money raised by March 1, 2024, so the equipment can be installed and ready for the next school year.

A rendering of the new Crestline Elementary Playground by Goodwyn Mills Cawood.

Photo courtesy of Laurel Lovell.

“

We worked with faculty and staff, community members and parents, to really come up with a plan that felt like it met the needs of typical children and children with special needs.

HARRIS McCLOUD

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

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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.

PTO offers support and works with school district

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE

The Mountain Brook Schools parent teacher organizations are an essential partner of the school district and for each local school individually.

“The district appreciates the support and work of the PTO and feels its impact on a personal level,” said William Galloway, communications and PR specialist for Mountain Brook Schools.

Last year, the six Mountain Brook Schools PTOs gave back over $1.6 million in total to the schools.

“By partnering with administration, the work of the PTO helps bolster the school community and learning environment through teacher support, classroom enhancements and innovative initiatives,” 2023-24 PTO Council President Ashley Jones said. “Our goal remains the same: to assist and provide for all those in our schools this year, and to assist with the needs and well-being of all of our Mountain Brook students, faculty, staff and parents.”

Each PTO works to promote the welfare of children in the school community, support the school’s educational efforts and purpose and bring the home and school environments closer together, Jones said.

“Our PTO (along with our other valued partners) provides us with the boost we need to foster an unmatched learning experience for our students,” said MBS Superintendent Dicky Barlow.

2023-24 PTO Council:

► Superintendent: Dr. Dicky Barlow

► Communications: William Galloway

► Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation: Rachel Weingartner

► President: Ashley Jones

► Legislative Vice President: Joanna Hufham

► Secretary: Meg Lilly

► Treasurer: Meg Krawzyck

► Expressions District Representative: Elizabeth Humphreys

► All In Mountain Brook Executive Director: Becky Holt

► All In Mountain Brook President: Bevelle Worthen Village Living caught up with all of the PTO presidents in Mountain Brook to find out about them and what they have planned for this school year.

BROOKWOOD FOREST ELEMENTARY

► President: Ashelynn Falkenburg Smith

► Email: bwfdirectory@gmail.com

► Children: McKay (4th grade)

► How long have you served on PTO and what positions have you held? I’m serving my 4th year on the Ranger PTO Board. I have held positions of auction co-chair, auction chair and president-elect.

► What are your plans or fundraisers for this school year? In July, we launched our Ranger Club (for Brookwood Forest parents) and Friends of the Forest campaign (for businesses in the community). We will have Forest Frenzy (an in-school auction) in February and “A Night In the Forest,” which is our silent and

live auction (for parents), in March.

► What events will you be hosting? We like to stay busy throughout the school year with fun events including Ranger Run, Veteran’s Day, winter programs, Grand Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, Forest Fling (the school carnival), our Ranger Up Monthly program (events and speakers that enhance the Brookwood Forest motto: Stand Up, Speak Up and Show Up) and much more.

“Mr. Pitner and Mrs. Crossno find creative ways to use every inch of the school to enhance student experiences, including outdoor learning and eating spaces, gym upgrades, a media center (podcasting and broadcasting equipment), new lockers, hands-on learning for the flower and vegetable garden space and much more, with the wonderful support of all our Ranger parents. We describe BWF as a family … many trees, one Forest.”

CHEROKEE BEND ELEMENTARY

► President: Patricia Craft

► Email: chiefptopresident@gmail.com

Children: Hollaway (5th grade) and Vivy (3rd grade)

► How long have you served on PTO and what positions have you held? I started my involvement by chairing the Benefit for the Bend in 2020, which was canceled on March 13 when Covid started. After that, I was chair of the Grand Chief program and then vice president of public relations, then incoming president and now president.

► What plans or fundraisers do you have for this year? We finished raising funds and building a playground last year. This year, we plan to put in a new gym floor and always support the school in as many ways as possible. We are having the Benefit for the Bend in February for the first time since 2020. A full circle moment!

CRESTLINE ELEMENTARY

► President: Dawson Cooper

► Email: crestlinecougarspto@gmail.com

► Children: Wiley (12th grade), Parr (7th grade) and Wells (4th grade)

► How long have you served on PTO and what positions have you held? I have been involved with Crestline Cougar PTO as a member and volunteer since my oldest son

Proud to support the neighborhood

Ashelynn Falkenburg Smith Patricia Craft

Dawson Cooper

started at Crestline. I have been the chair of the fall festival, vice president of volunteers and then president-elect on our executive board. I also served as corresponding secretary for Mountain Brook High School’s PTO Board last year. It has been a joy to serve at all three schools in volunteer roles and to get to know the school communities and school system better.

► What plans or fundraisers do you have for this year? Our main goal is to complement the school curriculum by providing opportunities for parents, teachers and students to learn, volunteer, socialize, communicate and grow. One particular experience that we are seeking to enhance for our members is our playground. With the help of feedback from parents, students and Crestline faculty, the design firm Goodwyn Mills Cawood reimagined the playground area as “the Crestline Elementary Village Green.” It will incorporate traditional playground equipment and elements that allow for imaginative and open-ended play for children of all ages and abilities. The redesigned space will complement GMC’s work on the new Cougar Arena, pickleball and basketball courts and front-of-school renovation. We began our fundraising efforts with Boosterthon during the 2022-23 school year, and we launched the Village Green Partners campaign this August. We are incredibly thankful for the

enormous support we have already received from Crestline families, as well as grandparents and community partners. You can visit crestlinecougarspto.com/playground to learn more.

MOUNTAIN BROOK ELEMENTARY

► President: Ashley Seligson

► Email: mbelancerpto@gmail.com

► Children: Braxton (8th grade) and Brooklyn (6th grade)

► How long have you served on PTO and what positions have you held? This is my seventh year on the MBE PTO Board. I’ve previously served as secretary, vice president of events (a two-year position), treasurer-elect, treasurer and president-elect. It’s been fun learning the intricacies of the partnership between PTO and our school and serving in a variety of volunteer roles.

I’m super excited to be in this role to give back to our teachers, faculty, and school. My hope is to pour into our faculty so each person realizes how special and appreciated they are!

► What events or fundraisers do you have planned this year? Our one and only fundraiser at MBE is our Power of One campaign. This check-writing campaign enables our PTO to effectively fund and support its staff and students throughout the school year. We’re working closely with MBE’s administration to

plan many fun activities and events throughout the year, including implementing our new House System by building community with monthly house activities, Boo Bash, Grandfriends Day, Renaissance Fair, weekly teacher treats, beginning work on our nature trail and outdoor classroom project and so much more. This year we are also emphasizing community outreach through grade-level service projects, school-wide service days and finding creative ways for students and faculty to plug into the community to truly live by our motto: “Lancers Lead from the Heart.”

MOUNTAIN BROOK JUNIOR HIGH

► President: Karon Staples

► Email: ksstaples@gmail.com

► Children: Lib (11th grade) and Jack (8th grade)

► How long have you served on PTO and what positions have you held? This is my second year on the Junior High PTO Board. Last year, I served as the first vice president, and, this past May, I was sworn in as president. Previously, I served on the Crestline Elementary PTO Board for five years as assistant treasurer, treasurer, president-elect, president, and parliamentarian.

► What events or fundraisers do you have planned this year? We kicked off the school year with a fantastic Spartan Day for the

incoming seventh graders, a very welcoming and celebratory first day of school, and a wonderful Open House. We are looking forward to assisting the school in funding classroom enhancements and school projects, helping host grade specific events, and celebrating our teachers. It's going to be a great year at the Junior High in the wonderful new building. We have an amazing board this year that is excited about serving and supporting the Junior High's outstanding teachers, staff, and parents.

MOUNTAIN BROOK HIGH SCHOOL

► President: Stacy White

► Email: stacy@pshdr.com

► Children: Harrison (graduated from MBHS in 2018), Davis (graduated from MBHS in 2020) and Rachel (12th grade)

► How long have you served on PTO and what positions have you held? This is my fourth year to serve on the PTO board at MBHS. I have previously served as third vice president for the All In Foundation, second vice president for fundraising and first vice president (president-elect). I have also served on the PTO boards at Cherokee Bend and MBJH.

► What plans or fundraisers do you have planned this year? The Spartan PTO works diligently to provide financial and volunteer resources for all aspects of student and faculty life at MBHS. We want to support the teachers, staff and administrators in delivering the best educational experience for our children. Much of our funding provides needed materials for classroom instruction and teacher/staff appreciation activities. We invest a lot of time, money and effort to show our teachers and staff how grateful we are for everything they do for our children.

In addition, the PTO funds and coordinates events that benefit all students, such as Kaleidoscope (career day), Alumni day, Halloween and Valentine’s activities in the library and receptions for Awards Day and Honors Night. We really focus on activities that benefit every student. This year a large portion of our funds will go toward the purchase of new furniture for the Mall, the central area of the school where students congregate, socialize and study. We are looking forward to a great year!

With its tree-lined streets, broad sidewalks, and plentiful green spaces, Mt Laurel is a sustainable neighborhood that offers residents a relaxed pace of life. It’s a place with a unique identity, formed by three core values: community, respect for nature, and a commitment to the future.

Ashley Seligson

Karon Staples

Stacy White

Altamont seniors named National Merit semifinalists

Altamont School seniors Riley Pierce and Claudia Williams are among 263 Alabama students named semifinalists in the prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program. The pair will continue in national competition through this academic year for approximately 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million.

The national pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying test in each state.

To become finalists, Pierce and Williams must now submit detailed scholarship applications that demonstrate their academic

achievement, school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, honors and awards. They also must be endorsed by school officials, write an essay and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm their performance on the qualifying test.

If selected as finalists in February, the students will compete for three types of scholarships next spring, including:

► 2,500 individual scholarships of $2,500 each.

► 840 corporate-sponsored scholarships.

► 3,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards.

– Submitted by Sean Flynt, Director of Communications at The Altamont School.

Crestline students featured in art display

Six Crestline Elementary sixth-grade students had their poetry on display in front of Church Street Coffee & Books for the month of September.

Evelyn Shapshak, Teddy Dionne, John Clark Newman, Kate Bright, Mirabella Coshatt, and Lexie Whatley wrote memoir poems inspired by Jacqueline Woodson’s “Brown Girl Dreaming.”

“Church Street Coffee and Books is a great

community partner and offered to display several poems in their shop, highlighting those with exceptional use of imagery and sensory details,” Crestline sixth-grade Language Arts teacher Heather Phillips said. “We encourage everyone to grab a cup of coffee and read some nostalgic childhood poems penned by our budding poets.”

– Submitted by William Galloway, Mountain Brook Schools.

Six students at Crestline Elemeantary recently had their poetry on display at Church Street Coffee and Books. Photo courtesy of Mountain Brook Schools.

Altamont School seniors Riley Pierce, left, and Claudia Williams are among 263 Alabama students named semifinalists in the prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program. Photos courtesy of Altamont School.

Events

Mountain Brook events guide

Oct. 3: Community Night Out. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Mountain Brook City Hall, 56 Church St. Mountain Brook’s police and fire departments and the City of Mountain Brook are hosting this event in Crestline Village on the lawn of City Hall. Citizens can enjoy food, drink and opportunities to interact with first responders. mtnbrookchamber.org.

which incorporates local restaurants and businesses for an evening to experience live music, small plates, local drinks and more. Tickets $35, available on Eventbrite.

Oct. 14-15, 21-22 and 28-29: Hoots & Howls. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Birmingham Zoo. A daytime Halloween festival at the zoo. Guests are invited to wear costumes and trick or treat around the candy trail, enjoy a dance party, ride the train and climb the adventure tower. Meet animals and play lawn games. Regular zoo admission is $19.95 for adults and $14.95 for children (2-17). Separate tickets must be purchased for candy and rides for $10. birminghamzoo.com

Oct. 15: Pooch Plunge. 1-4 p.m. Levite JCC, 3960 Montclair Rd. Dogs must present proof of being current on their shots and be spayed or neutered. bhamjcc.org.

ion show at 7 p.m. Tickets $150. linlyheflin.org.

Oct. 19: Thursday Night Live. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Lane Parke, Rele St.. Enjoy local music, food, drinks and vendors hosted by the Mountain Brook Chamber’s Junior Board. Tickets $20, available at Eventbrite. Proceeds benefit the Mountain Brook First Responders Foundation. mtnbrookchamber.org.

Oct. 22: Pink Up The Pace 5K & Fun Run. 1 p.m. Crestline Elementary School. The event includes a 5K and 1-mile Dolly Dash fun run to support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama. After-race activities include face painting, an inflatable obstacle course and moon bounce. bcrfa.org/events/putp.

Oct. 5: Zoo Gala — Flamingo Flamboyance. 5:3010 p.m. Birmingham Zoo. The zoo’s largest fundraising event of the year featuring animal encounters, food, drinks, an auction, live music and more. Tickets $250. Visit birminghamzoo.com

Oct. 8: Three on a String. 2:30 p.m. Mountain Brook High School, 3650 Bethune Dr. Three on a String joins the Birmingham Boys' Choir for an afternoon of music and laughter. birmingham boyschoir.org.

Oct. 11: Tapas & Taps. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Lane Parke, Rele St. A unique fundraiser for Smile-A-Mile,

Oct. 18-29: Shop, Save & Share. Buy a card and save up to 20% off at over 250 retail locations, including in Mountain Brook. Cards are $40 and all proceeds support the Junior League of Birmingham's work, Building Partnerships for a Better Birmingham. shopsaveandshare.net/purchase.

Oct. 18: Linly Heflin Fashion Show. 5:30-7 p.m. The Club. The nonprofit based in Mountain Brook helps young women achieve their dreams by earning scholarship money to attend Alabama universities. The evening will feature fashions from Gus Mayer and designer Lafayette 148. A cocktail dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the fash-

Oct. 31: Mystics of Mountain Brook Parade. 4 p.m. The city’s annual family "Mardi Gras" style Halloween parade featuring parade floats, treats and festive costumes. facebook.com/ MysticsOfMountainBrook.

O’Neal Library events calendar

The main location of O’Neal Library at 50 Oak St. reopened on Sept. 20 following water damage repairs. The library is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday 2-6 p.m. ALL AGES

Tuesdays and Thursdays: Open Maker Lab. 2-6 p.m. Drop by the Makerspace to work on your creative projects and explore library resources.

Tuesdays: Beginner American Sign Language (ASL) Classes. For teens and adults on Zoom. A free eight-week course that will provide an introduction to American Sign Language.

Oct. 10: Family Night — Bama Air Dogs. 5:30 p.m. An outdoor dog show, weather permitting, with a light dinner for kids following immediately after.

Oct. 20: A Night Dark and Grimm — All Ages Carnival. 6-7:15 p.m. Games, costumed characters, prizes, crafts, games and treats and more.

CHILDREN

Tuesdays: Patty Cake — Lapsit Storytime. 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. For infants up to age 18 months.

Tuesdays: LOL Story Adventure. 3:30 p.m.-4:15 p.m. Laugh out loud, drop-off storytime. For kindergarten through second grade.

Wednesdays: Toddler Tales Storytime — Directed Movement. 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Establish routine and build attention and literacy skills.

Wednesdays: Movers & Makers. 1:30 p.m. Kindergarten

Prep Storytime (ages 3-5). Build cooperation, reading and school readiness skills through stories, movement activities and creative expression.

Thursdays: All Together Storytime. 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Informal storytime and lively music that seeks to build positive relationships with books and the library for all ages.

Thursdays: SNaP. 3:30 p.m. Gaming, crafts, movies and more for this drop-off program for children age 3 through grade 6

Oct. 9: Breakout Book Club. 5-6 p.m. “See the Ghost.” Kids who are new to reading bring an adult with them to this book club.

Oct. 12: Hot off the Press Book Group. 6-7 p.m. Discussion and pizza. Drop-off event.

Oct. 13: Sensory Play, Explore & More. 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Free play at 11:15 a.m. Children move through different sensory stations with their caregiver. Register for small group play.

Oct. 16: Illustrator Art Club — Art Inspired by Molly Coxe. 4:30 p.m. For children 6 and up and their grownup.

TEENS

Oct. 2: Teen Advisory Board. Join other students in grades 7-12 who want to contribute to the improvement of Mountain Brook’s library. To apply, fill out the application on the Teen page of the library’s website at oneallibrary.org

Oct. 4: Game On 3:30-5 p.m.

Oct. 5: Pumpkin Painting. 4-5:30 p.m.

Oct. 12: Pop-Art Makeup. 4-5:30 p.m.

Oct. 26: Spooks & S'mores. 6-7:30 p.m.

ADULTS

Tuesdays: Gentle Yoga — with Marie Blair. 10-11 a.m

Tuesdays and Thursdays: Writing Workshop with Miriam Calleja. 5:30-7 p.m.

Oct. 5: Yoga 101 — with Marie Blair. 12:20-1:30 p.m.

Oct. 5: Intro to House Healing. 6:30-8 p.m.

Oct. 7: Great Short Stories Movie Matinee — “The Fly.” 3-5 p.m.

Oct. 8: Scream for “THE DESCENT!” — An Under the Mountain Event. 7-9:30 p.m. A free Halloween screening of the terrifying modern-day classic.

Oct. 9: Great Short Stories. 6:30 p.m. “The Fly” by George Langelaan.

Oct. 10: The Bookies. 10-11:30 a.m. Discuss “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver.

Oct. 11 and 25: Medicare Made Clear — What You Need to Know. 10 a.m.

Oct. 11: Solar Eclipse 2023 — with UAB College of Arts & Sciences. 3 p.m. Learn about solar eclipses with UAB’s Dr. Michelle Wooten.

Oct. 22: Spooks & Books Club — A Thank You Books and Under the Mountain Event. 5:30 p.m. A book group discussion of “Blind Owl” by Sadegh Hedayat. This event will be held at Thank You Books, 5520-B Crestwood Blvd.

Oct. 31: Books & Beyond — Journalism. 6:30 p.m. Book clubbing, outside the box.

CONTINUED from page A1

Their cancers were similar in that they were both estrogen positive and both women had lumpectomies. Tortorici’s cancer was more invasive but was caught early, and she had 28 radiation treatments. Meanwhile, Bynon went through six rounds of chemotherapy along with 20 radiation treatments.

Bynon’s daughter created jewelry and bracelets, and that gave Bynon the idea to make her own bracelets as a way to give to others.

When Tortorici traveled to Houston to visit Bynon for the first time during her treatments, she was gifted with a bracelet from her friend. That turned into trips to bead stores, making bracelets and recruiting others to help them.

“I’d roll off my bracelet onto someone else’s hand and share hope, faith and that on their journey they were not alone,” Tortorici said. “I’d get more excited about going to radiation with that in my mind rather than the procedure itself.”

Hundreds of miles away, during her treatment days at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bynon was also giving out bracelets not only to patients, but to techs, nurses and others to brighten their day.

‘TWO BY TWO’

Both women had people reach out to them who were going through similar cancer experiences or knew someone who was. That’s when they realized they had to share what they had learned.

Since they had already created a cookbook together, they decided to combine their cancer experiences into a book to share with others. Instead of just “another cancer

book,” they designed the format as if they were writing to a new best friend facing the same journey.

“We had a lot of information to share,” Bynon said. “Kathryn is very creative and I’m more organized, technically. We bounced our ideas off each other when creating the format.”

In “Two by Two,” each chapter includes a portion of their personal stories, a devotional, a healthy recipe, key takeaways and a prayer. Also included are scriptures, strategies to overcome fear and develop a strong mindset, questions to ask their doctors and even what kind of clothes to wear to appointments.

“It’s a small, beautiful gift book that would not be overwhelming but a joy to read,” Tortorici said.

“Sometimes the book is easier to give than to receive,” Bynon said, “but this is the time for you to step back and let your friends and family help you in any real way, because somebody wants to do something.”

The recipes include salads, appetizers, entrees, snacks, desserts and even two mocktails.

Bynon revamped some of the recipes to use a natural maple syrup or honey instead of sugar.

“Nancy is great at concocting her own recipes; she has a knack,” Tortorici said. “That was really Nancy’s forte was the recipes, and mine was more of the storytelling. We played to our strengths.”

The book will be available on Oct. 24 on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and just prior to that, Tortorici and Bynon will have several book signings in Birmingham and Houston.

► Oct. 12: Ryan Reeve Boutique in Cahaba Heights (The owner attended Mountain Brook High School with Tortorici and is a fellow breast cancer survivor)

► Oct. 17: At Home in Homewood

► Oct. 18: Leaf and Petal at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens

► Oct. 19: Trussville Street Party

Bynon said she hopes one of the things that people away from the book is how important their relationships are, both with those around them, and with God.

“When you boil it all down, that’s the only thing that matters and sometimes it takes a hard lesson such as cancer — once you have it, you go through it, you’re tested, the things that are unnecessary in your life fall by the wayside,” she said. “I hope through this book people will

come away with some strategies on how to daily get through this, but that they will go up all 1,000 feet and see what really is important.”

Echoing those sentiments, Tortorici said it’s important whether going through cancer together or any adversity.

“I hope the book reveals how important friendships and relationships are,” she said. “You don’t always have to be strong, but you’re never alone. We hope someone can learn, be encouraged and end up with hope. There is hope.”

‘LITTLE BELL MOMENTS’

Tortorici said she strives to live life to the fullest every day. She will continue taking her cancer medication until April 2024. After her radiation was complete, she and her husband took a Caribbean cruise.

Bynon will finish her medication in September 2024 and has plans with her husband for a trip to Tuscany.

“With the radiation, you get to ring the bell [upon completion of treatments],” Tortorici said. I just keep thinking in life, whether it's a death in the family or a divorce or a child leaving for college or something, we all need to have little bell moments of moving on. What’s the next thing? That's life.”

As for future plans, the women agree their brains are always going.

“We’re always working. How can we help others? What are others’ needs?” Tortorici said. “We’ll just keep seeing one day at a time, but just looking out for somebody else and their needs, that brings me the biggest joy and I know it does with Nancy. I think that’s why this book has been so exciting, knowing how many people going through this will be affected just by knowing what to do.”

The cover art features a scene from Telluride, Colorado and the book was painted by artist Katy Garrison, a Colorado Springs artist. Tortorici’s late mother, Barbara Lavalett was the artist for the interior of the book. Image courtesy of Kathryn Tortorici

We already had that natural chemistry, and normally that’s a hard thing to work on. But since it’s already there, as long as we keep being consistent and trusting our training … we’ll be good.

PAIGE PARANT

Mountain Brook's Hannah Parant (1) sets during a match between Mountain Brook and Spanish Fort on Aug. 24 at Spartan Arena. Photo by Kyle Parmley.

Are you recovering from an injury or struggling with chronic pain that keeps you from doing the things you love? You aren’t in this alone! Our experienced team of therapists will work with you on an individualized care plan to get you moving better with less pain.

TherapySouth has many clinic locations throughout the Birmingham metro area so you can conveniently attend physical therapy two to three times per week to improve your daily functions. We will be with you each step of the way!

3800 River Run Drive, Suite 102

Derek Van Gerwen, Clinic Director

Fall is a perfect time to beautify your yard

There’s lots of landscapers in the Birmingham area, but few measure up to Gardner Landscaping in Hoover.

The talented Gardner Landscaping experts, all of whom are licensed and insured, have provided top-quality residential and commercial service since 2006.

“We have the people and resources to get your project done in a timely manner,” owner Grant Gardner says.

The company also seeks to provide clients with project quotes within 24 hours.

Autumn is a perfect season to have Gardner Landscaping beautify your property.

“Fall is considered the best time of year to plant new trees and shrubs,” Grant says.

However, you need help picking the perfect plants for you.

Many factors come into play, Grant says — sun exposure, soil type, landscape slope and your own preferences.

“We enjoy creating a plan that meets the needs of each customer and landscape,” he says.

The company staff specializes in beautiful landscapes but they’re also “very good at developing outdoor play

and entertainment areas,” Grant says.

The team stays abreast of the latest design trends and can satisfy any client’s taste with either traditional or unusual plant materials.

“More customers are spending more time around their homes,” Grant says.

“We have the best prices locally on large and small trees and shrubs to create privacy screens, shade and curb appeal.”

Gardner Landscaping also does clean ups, drainage projects and landscape borders.

“We can get your property where it’s managed correctly,” Grant says.

Gardner Landscaping works with all types of budgets and projects in Birmingham, Auburn, Dadeville, Alexander City or Lake Martin.

For details, call 205-401-3347 or go to gardnerlandscapingllc.com.

How long will $1 million last? The answer may surprise you.

• 205-868-3331 • linscomb-williams.com

Is $1 million enough to sustain a comfortable lifestyle? How can one determine if any amount is truly “enough”?

Numerous factors influence the longevity of $1 million (or any amount) and its ability to support your needs and desires. Studies suggest $1 million lasting an average span of around 20 years in retirement, but the truth is more nuanced. If not managed properly, even a substantial nest egg can disappear fast, regardless of the time it took to accumulate.

The Linscomb & Williams team, in consultation with each client, considers various factors when helping plan for retirement.

Spending habits:

Your spending habits play a crucial role in estimating your financial success. Keeping expenditures in check can extend the lifespan of your nest egg. Remember, excessive spending not only depletes your reserves directly but also diminishes your potential investment earnings by selling off capital when withdrawing from retirement accounts.

Certain expenses — like housing, transportation and healthcare — are necessary, but discretionary spending decisions often pose challenges.

Your city:

Location matters significantly. The cost of living in your chosen retirement

destination influences your expenses, tax situation and overall savings. Highcost areas can dramatically impact your financial longevity. For example, certain cities in California and New York can have a substantial effect on housing expenses alone, so choose wisely, especially during retirement. With remote work becoming more common, location decisions are even more critical.

The length of your retirement:

Retiring early may seem appealing, but careful financial management becomes essential for a longer retirement. It might necessitate a more significant nest egg to sustain your lifestyle. Strategies such as delaying Social Security benefits or working part-time during retirement can help stretch your funds.

Planning for your Golden Years: Planning how you’ll spend your retirement is exciting. Will you spend quality time with family and friends, simply enjoying the opportunity to live life without work? Or will you travel the world, checking off destinations as you circle the globe? Although your Golden Years are meant to be enjoyed, this time can burn through your savings if you’re not careful. Discuss your plans with a financial advisor so your savings adequately reflects the spending associated with your lifestyle goals.

Your financial goals:

Personal financial situations differ, making it crucial to align your goals with your savings and investments. Factors like charitable donations, funding grandchildren’s education or leaving a family legacy affect your financial planning and tax considerations. We’ve learned in working with families for more than 50 years that a “one size fits all” plan does not exist.

Your financial advisor: Working with a financial advisor becomes even more important as your

wealth grows. They can analyze your goals, habits and needs to create a personalized plan aimed at optimizing your financial health and preserving your assets.

Remember, wise spending, investment choices and comprehensive planning coupled with the guidance of a financial advisor are tools that may help safeguard your nest egg — be it $1 million or any other amount — for as long as possible.

Visit linscomb-williams.com today to learn more and begin planning with an experienced advisor.

Sheri Robinson

SENIOR WEALTH ADVISOR

Need some new window coverings this fall? Steve Thackerson is ready to help you have beautiful window blinds, shutters, solar shades and draperies that you can control from anywhere. They’re easy to use and easy to afford, he said.

“Motorization is a big thing now. There are ways you can tie motorized window coverings into your home’s automation system,” said Thackerson, owner of Budget Blinds of Birmingham.

With a touch of your phone — even when you’re not home — you can raise or lower your window coverings, or you can tell Alexa to do it for you. Your Budget Blinds can also open or close at a preselected time of day or night.

“We can usually tie our product into any system you might have,” Thackerson said. “We take pride in providing style and service for every budget.”

At Budget Blinds — your local window covering expert — they take the time to understand you and your unique needs to deliver the best custom window covering solution designed for the way you live.

They do any kind of custom window covering. As far as blinds go, they offer wood and faux wood, aluminum, vinyl, composite and vertical blinds or vertical blind alternatives. They also offer shades of all kinds: roller, Roman, cellular, bamboo, woven wood, pleated, sheer, graphic and solar.

And they can get your interior plantation shutter needs taken care of with wood or composite.

“Shutters and woven wood shades are our top two sellers,” Thackerson said.

You can see a gallery of recent projects on their website to get a feel for what they can do for your home or office, or

visit their showroom in Vestavia at 2130 Columbiana Road.

“We install them, so anything that’s purchased from us, we’ll custom measure your windows and professionally install them,” Thackerson said. “We don’t subcontract that out. We control everything from setting up the appointment to the final installation.”

They also have better warranties than their competitors, he said. “Our manufacturers may also sell to our competitors, but they don’t give them

the same warranties they give us. That sets us apart. We get the same products but better pricing and better warranties because we are the largest retailer of custom window coverings in the world.”

That comes with their national presence and the long relationships he and his wife have built in their more than 30 years in the business. He also has two salesmen with decades of experience.

“They are veteran employees who have been with me a long time,” Thackerson said.

The highly trained design consultants at Budget Blinds put their heart and soul into creating the perfect answer to your window fashion needs. They even bring their entire showroom to you with their free in-home design consultation.

They also really enjoy serving their many wonderful customers in all of Birmingham and surrounding areas.

To learn more, call them at 205-824-3300, go to budgetblinds.com/ birmingham or come visit the showroom today.

Are you a homeowner who is sick and tired of your grass not growing?

Would you like to stop spending thousands of dollars sodding your lawn over and over again?

Are you tired of incurring all of the expenses in mowing, watering and fertilizing your grass?

If so, you should call the skilled professionals at Gardner Astroturf and have Astroturf installed at your home.

You’ll be joining a growing trend, because the popularity of artificial grass has grown tremendously in the past decade.

Artificial turf has even attracted positive attention recently from such trendy media outlets as House Beautiful and Architectural Digest.

Consumers should be aware that artificial grass looks and feels much closer to real grass than it did in the past, thanks to improvements in technology

and manufacturing.

They can save lots of money on maintenance of their lawns if they choose Astroturf.

Astroturf is also very versatile and is often used not just for whole lawns, but for children’s play areas, decks, patios, putting greens and other spaces.

The skilled professionals at Gardner Astroturf deliver top-quality service to homeowners with a friendly, personal touch.

“We give individualized attention to our customers the big companies can’t,” owner Grant Gardner says.

The company’s employees are “some of the best in the business,” Gardner says, with knowledge, experience, attention to detail and a passion for customer service.

“We want our customers to have an enjoyable experience,” he says.

For details, call 205-401-3347 or go to gardnerlandscapingllc.com.

If your home needs routine maintenance or minor repairs, you may think you can do it yourself and save money.

However, even if you believe you have the right skills and tools to do a job, it will likely take you a lot longer than it should, because you don’t do home repairs every day.

Most home projects, even small handyman jobs, are better left to the experienced professionals at One Man & A Toolbox, now celebrating its 25th anniversary.

One Man & A Toolbox can handle any small project, including minor carpentry, plumbing and electrical fixes. They can also do painting, caulking, shelving and more.

“Any odd jobs around your home, we’ll get them done right the first time,” said owner Jay Moss.

Moss and company can also do many other special tasks, like putting up decorations or assembling a swing set.

“No matter how crazy you think the task is, call us and we’ll try to figure it out,” Moss said.

One Man & A Toolbox can also tackle larger home improvement projects.

Moss warns homeowners against calling unlicensed, uninsured repairmen from Angi or Craigslist. Many will ask for money to buy materials before starting and won’t return or won’t be available for warranty issues that arise after the job.

One Man & A Toolbox has skilled, reliable employees who are licensed, insured and bonded.

And the company is here to stay.

The 25th anniversary “shows the good reputation we have to be able to stay in business,” Moss said. Call 205-823-2111 or go to oneman-toolbox.com.

Capstone Village: Active living with a campus connection

Capstone Village • 800-799-5099 • capstonevillage.ua.edu

Tuscaloosa’s Capstone Village is a luxury retirement community for active retirees.

Capstone Village offers worry-free living while encouraging lifelong learning and healthy activities.

Located on the historic campus of The University of Alabama — the vitality of collegiate life is brought right to your doorstep.

“We take full advantage of our location at UA. Residents are provided with many opportunities to pursue fun, vibrant, active lifestyles.” said Jana Smith, Director of Sales and Marketing for Capstone Village.

The residents at Capstone Village enjoy university amenities — athletic and cultural events, access to campus libraries, auditing of classes and access to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). Many Capstone Village residents are volunteer instructors and OLLI members.

Capstone Village emphasizes health and wellness for residents by offering onsite fitness classes, including yoga, dance and strength training. Residents also receive memberships to the well-equipped student recreation center located directly across the street. “The special relationship between the University and Capstone Village is something our residents cherish. Most of them worked on campus, attended school here or are huge Alabama fans,” Smith said.

Residents enjoy having UA students from various departments and sports teams volunteer at Capstone Village. Students present musical concerts, host health clinics, facilitate special events, socialize with the residents and even work on research projects.

For more information or to request a tour, call 855-406-8242 or go to capstonevillage.ua.edu.

Build trust with local homeowners.

UNDER THE LIGHTS

By KYLE PARMLEY

The high school football season has begun, and the true identity of each team is beginning to emerge. For Mountain Brook, the Spartans got off to a rough start with a loss to rival Vestavia Hills. They quickly rebounded, though, knocking off Class 7A foe James Clemens and opening up 6A, Region 5 play with a shutout of Minor.

Here are some highlights from the first few Mountain Brook games.

Photos by Richard Force and David Leong.

Harrison Fell: 21-yard FG vs. James Clemens.

Hudson Young: Blocked punt vs. James Clemens, TDs vs. Minor and Woodlawn.

Mountain Brook defense: Shut out Minor and Woodlawn in back-to-back games.

John Cooper: 2 TDs vs. Minor

Cole Gamble: Over 200 rushing yards vs. Vestavia Hills

Sports Editor’s Note By Kyle Parmley

Why do we overreact?

By the time you read this, we will be smack in the middle of football season. High school, college and pro football are all in full force by now.

As the season goes, some teams ascend, some teams peak early and plateau and some teams are unable to pull themselves out of a rut and eventually bottom out.

There is a reason you play 10, 12 or 17 games in a season. Each game represents a chance to show off your team’s progress throughout the season. For some, that’s a great thing. For other teams, it brings further disappointment.

But one of the funniest things to me is that after the first week or two of a season, we all come to the table with the hottest of opinions.

This team is terrible!

This team is amazing!

This coach should be fired!

Why do we do this, all based on one game? Why does everything have to be the greatest of all time or the worst of all time? There is plenty of space in between both of those places.

After game one, we are ready to crown national champions and fire coaches on the spot. And yes, sometimes the first game of a season is certainly an indication of the direction a team is going that season.

If you’re a fan of a high school team, sometimes your team is going to go 6-4 and squeeze into the playoffs. Sure, you wish they were good enough to win the state championship, but some of the best coaching jobs come from teams in this area.

If you’re a college football fan, sometimes your team is going to go 8-4 (that sounds like

a dream for Auburn fans and a disaster for Alabama fans at this moment, but it won’t always be that way). And that’s OK some years. As long as the right people are in place and there is a vision toward the program’s values, you can see that dream season coming in the not-too-distant future.

It’s just human nature, but we are all prisoners of the moment at times. We label things as one extreme or another.

For example, I was at the 2013 Iron Bowl and witnessed Auburn’s game-winning field goal return. So, it’s hard for me to ever say that a finish to the game is the wildest one I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure what can top that one as “the greatest finish I’ve seen.”

A great example of this is the 2014 season, when the Hoover High School football team lost its first two games. The Bucs were playing a pair of high-caliber out-of-state opponents, but I’m sure many supporters were anxious about the team. But Hoover didn’t allow a point in the next two games and ripped off 12 straight wins to capture a state championship.

In this 2023 season, there will be some great teams and some awful teams, but the majority of them will fall somewhere in the middle.

That coach you were worried about after the first game may lead his team to the state championship.

But I must say, the hot takes are always wildly entertaining.

Kyle Parmley is the sports editor at Starnes Media.

Varsity Sports Calendar

FOOTBALL

Oct. 13: vs. Parker. 7 p.m.

Oct. 20: vs. Mortimer Jordan. 7 p.m.

Oct. 27: @ Gardendale. 7 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL

Oct. 3: vs. Spain Park. 6 p.m.

Oct. 5: @ Woodlawn. 6 p.m.

Oct. 12: vs. Oak Mountain. 6 p.m.

Oct. 13-14: Margaret Blalock Tournament. Homewood High School.

Oct. 18: Area Tournament. TBD.

Oct. 25-26: North Regional Tournament. Von Braun Center. TBD.

CROSS COUNTRY

Oct. 14: Dew It On the Trails. Point Mallard.

Oct. 21: Husky Challenge. Hewitt-Trussville High School.

Parmley

Spartans conclude region play in October

By KYLE PARMLEY

The schedule will do the Mountain Brook High School football team no favors in October.

The Spartans take their open date Oct. 6, but what follows are three pivotal Class 6A, Region 5 games that will determine their playoff seeding.

Mountain Brook hosts Parker on Thursday, Oct. 12, in a key game. Parker entered the season with high expectations, and early returns suggest the Thundering Herd could be in the mix for the region title this fall. The Spartans made quick work of Parker last fall, winning 35-6. The teams have met six times previously, with Mountain Brook winning all of them by double digits.

Mountain Brook remains at home the

following week to take on Mortimer Jordan on Oct. 20. The two programs met for the first time last season, with the Spartans cruising to a 56-14 win. Mortimer Jordan is attempting to return to the level of success it enjoyed in the 2010s, when the Blue Devils made the playoffs eight straight years.

Mountain Brook takes to the road one final time in the regular season Oct. 27, as the Spartans head to Gardendale to take on the reigning region champs. Gardendale claimed the region title last year for the first time since 2006, keeping Mountain Brook from winning it for a third consecutive year.

Mountain Brook wraps up the regular season Nov. 2, as it welcomes Baker to Spartan Stadium. Baker has made the playoffs three straight years in Class 7A, but the Hornets haven’t won a playoff game since 1984.

Mountain Brook running back Stuart Andrews (10) runs the ball during a game between the Spartans and Minor at Tony Lunceford Field in Birmingham on Sept. 8. Photo by David Leong.

SPARTANS SERVE UP WINS

Left: Mountain Brook’s Sam Settle (5) pushes the ball over the net. Right: Mountain Brook’s Alice Garzon (2) hits the ball.

Photos by Erin Nelson and Kyle Parmley

Left: Mountain Brook’s Grace Stewart (8) serves in a match against the Bucs at Hoover High School on Aug. 29 Top right: Mountain Brook celebrates during a match against Spanish Fort on Aug. 24 at Spartan Arena. Right: Mountain Brook’s Hannah Parant (1) celebrates with Alice Garzon (2) during a match

Left: Mountain Brook’s Annie Lacey (9) rises to the ball at the net. Right: Mountain Brook’s Ava Gillis (14) passes the ball.

Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association moving to Homewood

By GRACE THORNTON

The Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association, currently based in Mountain Brook, is in the process of relocating to Homewood, thanks to a $9.4 million building gifted to them by a real estate developer.

The 203,511-squarefoot building at 210 Wildwood Parkway, formerly used by Wells Fargo, will be the new home of STS Institute, a two-year trade school for church youth pastors and worship leaders. The institute will start this semester with a focus group of 10 students.

STS, or Strength to Stand, is the student arm of the association.

The building will also serve as the Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association’s offices and headquarters.

The 35-year-old organization hosts evangelistic gatherings in cities across the United States through its UNITE movement and Safe at Home Faith & Family Nights in partnership with Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and the National Football League.

It also hosts thousands of students each year for camps.

The new campus will become the centerpiece of its evangelistic work and future plans, said Scott Dawson, founder and CEO of SDEA.

“There was a time when SDEA had a birth, and we thought it might have a death, but now it’s become a legacy ministry,” he said in a news release. “We’re passionate about reaching the next generation and believe if we can reach them, we can reach America.”

Jordan Cox, SDEA communications director, said Dawson has been contacted by nearly 40 churches “desperately searching for qualified and called and equipped student pastors.”

“If we stop producing competent and called youth pastors, then we lose our ability to reach the next generation,” Cox said.

In the first year of the program, students will study theological and leadership materials. In the second year, they will be placed in a supervised ministry setting with a youth pastor as a mentor.

So far, pastors who have heard about Dawson’s vision for the institute have given or pledged about $250,000 in scholarships, he said.

Cox said those resources started falling into place around the same time that SDEA was starting to outgrow its office space in Mountain

Brook. As Hunter Dawson, Dawson’s son and vice president of strategic development for SDEA, talked with Realtors, the building on Wildwood Parkway was mentioned.

“That really kind of began this process,” Cox said, “and obviously at that point in time there was no way we could pay for the facility; it would just take an astronomical fundraising effort.”

But after some conversations and after the building went unsold at auction, the owner — Patriot Equities, a suburban-Philadelphia commercial real estate company — offered to gift the building to SDEA. Previously used as a training space for bankers, the space has educational space ready for 600 students, in addition to SDEA’s offices and room for future growth.

So far, the organization has plans for the first

and second floor of the new building but is still “praying and planning” about how to best use the upper three floors, Cox said.

For more information, visit scottdawson.org.

The Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association was given this $9.4 millon building at 210 Wildwood Parkway in Homewood. Photo courtesy of Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association.

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We’re passionate about reaching the next generation and believe if we can reach them, we can reach America. SCOTT DAWSON

I was watching cable news today. They said this was the most challenging time in our national history. They said that circumstances have never been this bad. They said we’d be lucky to make it through these hard times in good enough shape to bury.

They said a lot of things.

Well, I got to thinking about “they” today. Who are “they,” anyway? “They” are everywhere. You can’t get away from “they.”

They are always talking at you. They are always making predictions. They are always telling you about things that are going to happen.

They are your invisible critics who love telling you what you can and cannot do. They are the voices that make quick judgments and pretend to know the score. They’re everywhere, and they never shut up. You’ve heard them before.

“They say not to eat eggs.”

“They say to avoid butter.”

“They say you should sing ‘Happy Birthday’ three times while washing your hands in the sink…”

“They say, with your kind of cancer, your chances of survival are bad.”

“They say you might never get your life back after the big mistakes you made.”

“They say you’re done for.”

Sean of the South By Sean Dietrich They,

“Hold up. Wait a second. Now they’re saying butter and eggs are good for you.”

They, they, they.

You can’t get away from them. Their voices penetrate your brain from every angle. And if you ever start to actually concentrate about what they’re saying, you’ll discover something important:

They are full of beans.

They have no idea; they don’t know you, they don’t know how you’re made or what kind of uncharacteristic strength lies within you. In fact, they don’t know jack diddly.

They said that Gerald would never recover from the chemo treatments that nearly killed him. They also said he was going to die before age 40. Gerald is 89 today, and healthy. And I wonder what “they” would have to say about that.

They were also wrong about Rachel, whose children and grandchildren abandoned her because they said she was a “drunk old woman.” They said her family was ruined, they said Rachel would never see her grandkids again.

Today, Rachel celebrated her 19th year of sobriety, and she just attended her grandchild’s 30th birthday party last week. She is closer to her family than ever before. They severely underestimated her.

They said Donald was going to die of a rare autoimmune disorder. He couldn’t keep weight on, he was severely malnourished. He was withering into oblivion, and he kept getting worse. Until one day — snap — it all changed. There were no logical explanations; nobody knows what brought the change. They can’t explain it.

It might have been all the prayers. Or it could have been that Donald finally quit listening to “them.” Either way, Donald is fully recovered now. He is at a healthy weight, and he is a personal trainer who can bench press a Buick Roadmaster.

They said that there was no way Mikayla would ever walk again. Due to a host of health problems after a car accident, Mikayla was using a wheelchair and losing use of her feet. Her cognitive skills were affected, and they said she might be in a vegetative state one day.

But that didn’t happen.

Somehow, Mikayla took a turn for the better. Again, I don’t know what the magic bullet was. I don’t know why the course of her destiny changed. I only know one thing: “they” were flat wrong about her.

And here’s the thing. They will often be wrong. In fact, they usually are. Which is why I want you to know something.

They can’t tell you what will happen in your life. They cannot see what the future will bring. And above all, they cannot tell you what you cannot do. So don’t let their voices in. Don’t listen to their falsely confident tone. Don’t let them boss you around. Don’t pay attention to them.

One day, you’re going to get through whatever private mess you’re going through. Someday, you will be surprised at how far you’ve come. And this transformation you undergo will not only blow your mind but, mark my words, it will blow “theirs,” too.

For once in their lives, “they” will be speechless.

Sean Dietrich is a columnist and novelist 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

Life Actually By Kari Kampakis When your daughter feels surrounded … yet alone

An 11th-grade girl missed two weeks of school due to an emotional breakdown.

From her large friend group, only one girl checked on her, which fueled her fear that her friendships weren’t real.

A 10th-grade girl got booted from her friend group. They treated her terribly, yet she was scared to leave because the groups at her school were set in stone, and she had no place to go.

A 9th-grade girl saw a dominant new leader convince her friend group to exclude her. Her mom tried to stay upbeat, but seeing her daughter so hurt and spending every weekend at home made her want to cry.

An 8th-grade girl got dropped from a group text. First her friends stopped replying to her comments. Then they started a new thread without her.

A 7th-grade girl who was kind and well liked suddenly got edged out. Even her mom noticed how the other moms and daughters would get together without them, and they didn’t understand why.

These stories explain the hidden pain often associated with female friendships. I share them not to bash these girls, but to offer reassurance that those who face these situations are less alone than they think.

The friends who bring your daughter great joy can also bring her great pain. Still, it’s worth the effort to find real friends because your daughter needs them during her teenage years. As psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour says, “I can’t overstate the significance of a teenager’s tribe membership. Teenagers aren’t just looking to make friends, they are replacing the family they’ve withdrawn from with a tribe that they

can feel proud to call their own.”

Everyone feels lonely sometimes, but for many teens today, loneliness is felt within a group. They feel surrounded … yet alone.

As one girl wrote to me, “Even though I am the least-noticed person in my friend group, I’d give up anything to stay there. There are only 42 people in my grade, only a few friend groups left to go to, and I don’t fit in with any of them.”

It’s sad, isn’t it? This generation is struggling with their friendships, and there aren’t always options of other places they can go.

We can’t fix their heartaches, but we can do three things as parents: ► Pray.

► Be a source of strength.

► Point them to God.

We can listen, empathize and guide — even seek a counselor to lead them to a better place.

When your daughter faces a lonely season, here are talking points to consider:

1. You’re not alone. I’m with you, and more importantly, God is with you. He walks beside you and before you, loving you always (unlike people, who can be fickle and change their mind overnight). Remember Romans 8:31: If God is for me, who can be against me?

2. This feeling won’t last forever. Feelings are like the weather; they change hourly and daily. Feel your emotions, but don’t let them mislead you. Don’t let them blind you to the truth or cause regrettable reactions. Just because you feel unlovable doesn’t mean you are unlovable. Just because you feel like lashing out at your friends doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Feelings are terrific followers, yet terrible leaders. I know you’re hurting, but rest assured that this

is temporary.

3. Not all friends are equal. In friendship, quality matters more than quantity. It’s better to have two committed friends you can carry through life than 10 casual friends who only last for a season. Most people can count their best friends on one hand, and if you have that, you’re lucky.

4. You won’t thrive in every season — and that’s OK. We all face situations where we don’t click with anyone, make genuine connections or feel like we belong, but your lonely seasons teach you your best lessons in friendship. Being an outsider teaches you to be kind and inclusive. It gives you a heart for people who get left out and hunger for an invitation. It makes you appreciate real friends and reflect on the friend you’ve been. It inspires you to be better, to think beyond yourself even as you find your tribe.

5. Not everyone will like you — and that’s OK, too. You won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, and that’s OK because you don’t need popularity to have a terrific life. Be kind, but don’t chase the approval of people who you’re never going to please. Love many, trust few and set healthy boundaries with people who hurt you.

6. Friendship should be a source of comfort, not stress. You may feel lonely because you’re with the wrong people. Choosing the wrong friends will ultimately bring heartache. While no friend is perfect, healthy friendships should meet certain standards of love, respect and reciprocation. Don’t settle for bad relationships so you’ll have plans on Friday night. You’ll never reach your full potential surrounded by the wrong people, and you’ll never meet friends who bring out your best if you only invest in

friends who bring out your worst.

7. Real friendships grow one-on-one. Girls often aim “big” and try to get into a group, but real friendships grow through personal interactions. Think of someone who’s kind and who you want to know better, and invite her to walk, grab lunch or try an adventure. It’s natural to want an immediate squad, but most people build their trusted circle slowly and intentionally over time.

8. You have the power to be proactive and create the community you desire. Girls often wait to be invited … and then ruminate in feeling ignored or rejected when the invites do not come. The truth, however, is that you can do the inviting. You can learn the life skill of reaching out and being the friend you hope to find. So many girls are searching for real friends, and all it takes is someone like you to initiate the first step.

When your daughter faces a lonely spell, show her extra-love. Surround her with positive people and voices, even surprising her with a visit from a best friend from camp or a cousin who’s like a sister. Invite people into your home who create joy, warmth and community and make her feel like she belongs. Most importantly, ask God to help you as you help her. Pray for light to find light and for healthy relationships where your daughter can thrive and bravely walk into her purpose.

Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Mountain Brook mom of four girls, author, speaker, and blogger. Her bestselling books are available everywhere books are sold. Join Kari on the Girl Mom Podcast as well as Instagram and Facebook.