lice Womack learned about community
mom, did the same for her children.
“There has always been
something instilled in me to give back,” Womack said. “It's not just that it's something good to do; I truly enjoy it. Our city is fabulous,
the
I’ve worked with are
For former Mountain Brook residents Abby Garrett and Will Freeman, deciding to compete in the popular CBS series “The Amazing Race” was a no-brainer.
“We love ‘The Amazing Race.’ I’ve been watching it with my family forever, and I kept saying I was going to do it with my brother,” Garrett told Village Living. “Then Will and I started dating, and I was like, ‘Hmm. You’d make a pretty good partner on this show.’ So I made him start watching it with me.”
The couple has a lot of history. They share that they were friends first and often
spent time playing at one another’s houses as young children and carpooling together throughout elementary and middle school.
“We’ve grown up together, but we took it to the dating stage when we were in high school,” Freeman said. “Abby really started dating me because she thought I’d be a good ‘Amazing Race’ contestant,” he laughs.
So how did the couple go from talking about auditioning for the show to actually auditioning for it?
“For years, we talked about applying, but we never actually did it. Then came COVID,
Join
Sip,
Your
The
As I was reviewing this issue to decide what to write about for my publisher’s note, I noticed that sev eral stories are themed around run ning and races.
I’ve been running for the last few years.
I started the practice for two main reasons sometime in 2020. The first reason was to deal with the anxiety I felt during the early days of the pan demic. It was a bit unnerving to have a business selling advertising when many of your customers were not even allowed to be open.
Reason number two was to help me manage my cholesterol without medication. Running took root as a habit and now I’m training for my first half-marathon in Philadelphia on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
While my running has become a little more consistent of late, I have had spurts of running through my
adult life. They began around the time we started this paper, when I lived in Lane Parke Apartments.
One of my most memorable runs in the city happened the day we sent the first issue of Village Living off to the press.
As soon as I uploaded the files to the printer, I decided to take off from our office in Office Park and go for a run on the Jemison Trail. I then got the idea in my head that we’d misspelled Mountain Brook in the masthead, so I sprinted back to try to stop the presses and correct the mis take. It turned out that it was only my imagination.
I’ve enjoyed many runs around the city in the years since and I’d encour age you to consider the same if you are able.
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For advertising contact: dan@starnesmedia.com
Contact Information: Village Living P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@starnesmedia.com
Please submit all articles, information and photos to: leagle@starnesmedia.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253
Published by: Village Living LLC
Legals: Village Living is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. Village Living is designed to inform the Mountain Brook community of area school, family and community events. Information in Village Living is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of Village Living. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.
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At Alabama Power, we work hard to provide the dependable service our customers expect and deserve. We give 100% to achieve 99.98% dependability. That means regularly inspecting and trimming trees as a way of preventing potential outages.
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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.
The Mountain Brook City Council approved the city’s budget for fiscal 2023 at the Sept. 26 meeting.
Finance committee chairman Lloyd Shelton said total revenues budgeted are around $50 mil lion dollars including the general fund, capital projects and debt service.
“We've got a budget surplus of roughly $180,000, which is remarkable,” Shelton said, saying there was “a lot of red” on the proposed ledger before officials sat down with department heads. “A lot of folks did some work.”
The budget includes a 4.5% salary increase for employees. Shelton said the city is put ting aside $300,000 for debt service, another $300,000 for retirement benefits and $725,000plus to the state retirement fund.
“We're being good stewards, as well as taking care of the current needs,” he said. “I think it's a good job.”
Shelton said the city’s greatest challenge in this budget is that the budget is very capital intensive.
“We have a lot of capital projects going on,” he said, citing parks, sidewalks and bridges. “We've got it in our capital projects fund. The money's there but we're drawing that down pretty hard this year. But it's stuff that's needed.”
In other business:
► Parks and Recreation Superintendent Shanda Williams and councilman Billy Pritchard gave an update on the city’s recent ordinance banning dogs from fields in the city. Williams said reviews were mixed with many endorsing the move while others expressed their displea sure. The pair talked about the possibility of at least temporarily fencing some areas, par ticularly near Crestline and Mountain Brook
elementary schools, for dogs. That plan is depen dent on the approval of the school board.
► The council approved a resolution autho rizing the execution of an agreement between the city and Alabama Power Company regarding the city’s use of APCO facilities for license plate recognition services in the interest of public safety. Police Captain Jason Carmack said that system will aid in criminal investigation, com plementing information provided by the security cameras of residents.
► Assistant City Manager Steve Boone gave an update from the Cahaba Solid Waste Disposal Authority, saying that AmWaste service began in the city on Oct. 1. AmWaste will pick up the trash bins of the city’s previous service provider if those bins are marked for removal.
Boone said there will be a review of the fuel surcharge adjustment that was put in place in August, and that charge appears to be moving down as the cost of fuel has gone down recently.
► Council members received an update on a
Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
request for a three-way stop at the intersection of Brookwood Road and Sherwood Road. Richard Caudle of Skipper Consultants said the coun cil’s suggestion of cutting back foliage at the intersection had provided the desired visibility, thus the 3-way stop was deemed to be unneeded.
► A conditional use application was granted for office use for homeRN at 127 Oak Street.
► LaVonda Keel was appointed to the library board.
Council member Lloyd Shelton discusses the FY23 budget at the Sept. 26 Mountain Brook City Council meeting.
Graham Smith sat quietly in the audience during the pre-council and council meetings at Mountain Brook City Hall on Oct. 10. The council member-elect’s days in the audience are drawing short as she will be sworn in at 8 a.m. on Nov. 7.
“By law, the new council takes office on the first Monday of November,” City Manager Sam Gaston said. “We'll swear in Graham Leigh Smith and Billy Pritchard again and Lloyd Shelton. Then usually they make a bunch of appointments, probably reappointing the city manager, the city clerk, the city attorney and the city judge. It's kind of setting the stage for the next two years.” Shelton said that he had a conflict and cannot attend the meeting on Nov. 7. He will be sworn in at a later time.
In other business, the council:
► Authorized service agreements with All In Mountain Brook, Birmingham Zoo, Birmingham Botanical Society and Prescott House.
► Approved the cost-sharing of the Local Government Health Insurance Plan (LGHIP) medical/dental insurance premiums as estab lished by the State Employees’ Insurance Board (SEIB). The premium goes up 6.4% effective in January.
► Authorized the execution of an agreement between the city and Cahaba Solid Waste Dis posal Authority with respect to garbage, trash and recycling services. It was passed subject to review and revision for updated rates and adjust ments to the fuel surcharge.
► Amended the Employee Handbook regard ing take-home city vehicles.
“We've been implementing these take-home vehicles for our police officers for over three years,” Gaston said. “We're now allowing our three inspectors to take cars home so they can come in the mornings and actually go directly to an inspection site (instead of having) to come to City Hall, pick up their cars and go from there. It's supposed to give us several more extra inspections to be done every day based on
doing that.”
► Executed the statement of work with Ricoh with respect to DocuWare, an upgrade to the city’s purchasing system.
► Accepted the proposal submitted by Sain Associates regarding surveying and engineering services for the sidewalk project on Brookwood Road.
“We're going to be extending sidewalks on Brookwood Road from Crosshill Road to about where the land starts getting real steep,” Gaston
said. “We're going to contract that out with the hope maybe in two years to apply for a TAP (Transportation Alternatives Program) Grant to finish the rest of it so we can go all the way down to connect those sidewalks there in Jeffer son County.”
► Created one police officer position.
“We contracted out the dispatchers,” Gaston said. “We have like 11 positions and we were going to backfill it with up to six positions. We hired three desk sergeants and one extra patrol
Graham Smith was in attendance at the Oct. 10 Mountain Brook City Council meeting. She will be sworn in to her new position on the council on Nov. 7. Photo
by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.officer to work the phones and be the desk person.
If we needed a sixth one, which we don't know for sure, we would add that next fiscal year,” the city manager said. “We're kind of gradually fill ing those positions.”
► Received an update on drainage projects and studies from Mark Simpson of Schoel Engineering.
► Heard an update from Councilman Billy Pritchard regarding Junior High drainage and recreational field improvements.
By Stewart Welch III
As you are likely aware, we had an excel lent turnout for the recent City Council elections. About 41% of eligible residents voted, the highest turnout in our history and higher than the 2020 presidential election (39%).
Some of what we learned is the desire for greater communications and, as a result, we are implementing the fol lowing changes:
Stewart Welch III
► Easy access to council agendas. Residents would like a quick reference for what is happening at the City Council. The easiest way for you to quickly follow what the City Council is up to is to review the council agendas. The agenda is posted on the city website on Friday before the Monday council meetings. We can deliver both the pre-meeting agenda and formal meeting agenda directly and automatically to your smartphone if you sign up for our text message system. You can sign up by texting MOUNTAIN BROOK to 91896 using your cell phone. Of course, you are welcome to attend our council meetings in person. They are held the second and fourth Monday of each month. A quick scan of the agendas will give you a sense of what the council is working on, and there is ‘deep dive’ material for topics of greater interest to you.
► Easy access to our official city newsletter. Our city newsletter, The Reporter, goes to all residents’ mailboxes four times per year and is a wealth of information about what is going on around
our city. Mountain Brook Schools will be contrib uting to the Reporter to assist in effectively com municating with those residents who are not part of the school system com munity. The newsletter comes out in February, May, August and Novem ber. We have been told that many of our younger residents prefer digital reading versus a paper newsletter. We post the newsletter to our website, mtnbrook.org and will begin delivering a direct link via our text message service (per my first bullet point).
► Email access to council members and the mayor. We have added photos and email addresses so you can easily reach out to council members with your questions and comments. Visit mtnbrook. org, click on GOVERNMENT; then CITY COUNCIL or MAYOR.
Our city personnel and council mem bers all work very hard with the common goal of making Mountain Brook a great place to live, play and raise a family. We believe in continuous improvement and always appreciate helpful suggestions from our residents.
NOW
custom wrapping, local pick up, and even local personal ized delivery upon request. childrensedit.com
surprise overdraft fee practices years earlier but chose to wait while the bank pursued changes that would gen erate new fee revenue to make up for ending the illegal fees. Regions issued a statement, saying that “although Regions Bank disagrees with the CFPB’s characteriza tions, the bank cooperated with the investigation and is pleased to move forward. Agreeing to the settlement reflects Regions’ desire to focus its attention on con tinuing to support customers through a wide range of account enhancements that have already lowered fees for many customers.”
regions.com
Once Upon a Time’s new location at 70 Church St. was set to have a ribbon cutting on Oct. 26 at 9 a.m. The shop, which opened in 1996, makes shopping for a baby convenient, fun and easy with an extensive baby reg istry, exceptional product selection, and extraordinary customer service.
205-870-7772, onceuponatimebaby.com
Home with Hechart, offering home decor, furnishings, gifts, and design services, recently opened in English Village at 2102 Cahaba Road. 256-473-9206, homewithhechart.com
Children’s Edit, 2030 Cahaba Road, Suite 101, is owned by two moms who believe that all of the big and small moments should be celebrated fully without adding to the already heavy load you carry daily. Their cli ent-based approach focuses on paring down options,
Regions, with offices at 2721 Culver Road, 35 Church St. and 1642 Montclair Road, was fined $50 million by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and ordered to refund at least $141 million to customers the bureau said Regions harmed with illegal surprise overdraft fees. From August 2018 through July 2021, Regions charged customers surprise overdraft fees on certain ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases, even after telling consumers they had sufficient funds at the time of the transactions. The bureau found that Regions leadership knew about and could have discontinued its
new to share? If you have news to share with the community about a brick-and-mortar business in Mountain Brook, let us know at villagelivingonline.com/about-us
Brett Basik was working as an investment banker on Wall Street and Jacob Lee was working for a well known consulting firm. In 2021, the friends decided to go into business together.
“We had always dreamed of being entrepre neurs and had that itch and were talking about it for about a year,” Basik said. “We pulled the trigger and did it this past summer [in 2021].”
The duo opened their first Scenthound loca tion off U.S. 280 in Greystone’s Lee Branch shopping center in February 2022. The busi ness is a wellness-focused concept to keep dogs clean and healthy.
Basik graduated from Briarwood Christian School and Lee is from Nashville. They said they are excited to open their businesses near where they grew up.
They attended Auburn, where their wives were in the same sorority, but the two never crossed paths until they were in business school at the University of Virginia.
Lee said while they were in the process of looking at different businesses and franchises, he remembered a colleague had told him about a business she had opened in South Carolina (Scenthound), and they were interested in the concept.
They are preparing to open their second location in Mountain Brook on Nov. 1 and are already signing up members. Their goal is to open 10 stores over the next four years, includ ing four in Birmingham and six in Nashville.
Scenthound focuses on dogs’ overall health, and their routine care covers skin, coat, ears,
nails and teeth. After the appointment, owners receive a copy of their dog's report for each item, rated on a scale from one to five.
Scenthound also offers a membership model, making it a consistent monthly event for pet parents and their dogs. The basic pack age includes a bath, nail trim, ear cleaning and teeth brushing.
Other add-on services include haircuts, dog facials, deshedding treatments and more. 24/7 tele-vet access is also available at an addi tional cost.
“With our focus on routine maintenance and basic hygiene for dogs, there is nothing quite like Scenthound in the Mountain Brook
community and we felt we could serve a unique need,” Lee said. “Being right off U.S. 280, our location is super convenient to all over-the-mountain neighborhoods.”
Bobby Turner, manager of the Lee Branch location, will launch the Mountain Brook store, which will open with around eight employees.
“We're providing that easy button for people where they can be great dog parents and don't have to think much about it,” Basik said.
Scenthound will be located at 354 Holly wood Blvd. and will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Lee said he and Basik have already signed
Tiffany McKinney bathes Sky, an Australian shepherd, during a grooming appointment at Scenthound Lee Branch in Hoover. Scenthound is set to open a new location in Mountain Brook Nov. 1.
Photo by Erin Nelson.► 354 Hollywood Blvd.
205-476-4144
Scenthound.com
the lease for their third store, which will be located in Hoover by the Sprouts grocery store, and they plan to open in late 2022 or early 2023.
In the United States, around 1 in 8 couples face infertility issues — and finding support can be a challenge. That’s why local nonprofit Blessed Brokenness opened its doors in 2018 with the goal of providing that support to women and couples in and around Mountain Brook, starting with groups designed to promote healing in the wake of miscarriage and other fertility-related struggles.
“So often, we can’t change our circum stances, but we can change our perspective,” said Executive Director Mallory Wear. “And really, that’s what our hope is through these groups.” In the years since it began, the organi zation has grown in both reach and resources, leading to the recent announcement that Blessed Brokenness would become CARRYWELL — a name that reflects the desire to build a network of mutual support in the face of pain.
“It’s a community carrying one another through seasons of infertility and loss,” Wear said, “and we do that in different ways.” In addition to expanding their Groups program, CARRYWELL has also introduced a Connec tions page to facilitate one-on-one support and a Grants program to provide financial assistance for both grief counseling and fertility treatments.
In 2020, CARRYWELL Groups shifted to include virtual participation, which means they are now reaching participants in 16 states. The 10-week program is offered every other month, following a curriculum titled “The Hannah Anointing,” and participants can join in either virtually or in person.
“It’s a Bible-based book, so it’s really there to help us grow in our faith and be able to heal
from the disappointments of this world and focus on the truth,” Wear said.
Through CARRYWELL Connections, men and women can read through the stories of indi viduals in the community who have experienced similar struggles and connect with them directly.
“Not everyone has the exact same journey, so being able to connect with someone who has a similar journey is very important and, I think, crucial in our healing process,” Wear said.
Beyond the support provided by their in-house programs, the organization now offers financial assistance through CARRYWELL Grants, which are supported by both private donations and fundraising events. The program includes both grief grants — providing priority scheduling and discounted rates with Christian counselors and therapists in multiple states — and fertility grants. Through a partnership with Innovative Fertility Specialists, the fertility grants assist couples in accessing INVOcell treatments, which serve as a more affordable alternative to traditional in vitro fertilization.
As CARRYWELL continues to grow, the organization aims to serve as a resource to individuals, churches, and hospitals, making what Wear described as “a devastating season” less isolating.
“It can be very hard to navigate, so having that community and knowing that you’re not alone in this is so valuable,” she said. “We want to make sure that everyone knows that they don’t have to walk this alone — that we’re here for them.”
CARRYWELL Groups will start again in January, and the next grants cycle will open in the beginning of 2023. To learn more, visit carrywell.org.
A new partnership between the Birmingham Recovery Center in Hoover and LIV Ventures plans to build three new drug and alcohol abuse and mental health facilities in Hoover, Madison and Baldwin County.
The new Longleaf Wellness Center in Hoover will be a 15,000-square-foot facility in front of the Birmingham Recovery Center in International Park off Acton Road.
It will be a partial hospitalization and inten sive outpatient program with a capacity of 60 patients that will provide substance use treat ment as well as serve as a recovery resource for the community, said Collin Harris, managing director of the Birmingham Recovery Center.
When the Birmingham Recovery Center first opened at the end of June 2021, the center’s staff quickly identified a need for an outpatient facility that provided mental services.
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said he is excited to see the need for more mental health and addiction recovery facilities being filled.
“I don’t know if you know this, but I was a firefighter and a paramedic for the city of Hoover for 42 years, and I can’t tell you how many calls I went on that involved people suf fering from drug abuse and drug overdose, and we didn’t know where to take them and get them hospitalization,” Brocato said. “It was just as difficult to find somewhere to take people that were suffering from some sort of mental illness episode.”
Longleaf aims to strategically expand in order to make intensive substance use disor der treatment more accessible to residents of Alabama, starting with its Madison County location.
The new facilities will host support groups and retreats and provide meeting spaces for people with an “invested interest in recovery support,” Harris said.
Ian Henyon, executive director of Birming ham Recovery Center, said the center has two
overarching principles since it saw its first patient last summer: to be the gold standard for outpatient treatment throughout the mental health and addiction recovery industries and to improve the treatment experience for residents in Alabama.
“With the formation of this partnership and the announcement of these three new facili ties, Longleaf is setting a higher standard for behavioral health services here in Alabama,” Henyon said. “Our evidence treatment is trau ma-informed and centered around attachment
theory (a theory concerning relationships between people).
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said mental health and recovery facilities such as Longleaf are vital to the community because not enough resources have been put into mental health and recovery services.
“This conversation about mental health has to be had,” Woodfin said. “Our Birmingham police and fire and rescue units respond to thou sands of calls on a monthly basis every year. You can’t imagine the amount of calls where
From left, Kimberly Boswell, Alabama Department of Mental Health Commissioner, Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato, Birmingham Recovery Center Managing Director Colin Harris, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, Birmingham Recovery Center Director of Business Development John Giannetto, Birmingham Recovery Center Executive Director Ian Henyon, Hoover City Council President John Lyda attend a groundbreaking at the Birmingham Recovery Center on Sept. 7. Photo by Eric Taunton.
mental health services are needed.”
Henyon said he challenges their competitors and organizations to “do better” when treating patients struggling with addiction and mental health.
“The race to the bottom to provide the lowest cost and highest volume services does not lead the way to lasting healing and change,” Henyon said. “If we all do better, the standard of care gets raised for everyone.”
The Longleaf Wellness Center in Hoover is expected to be completed in late 2023.
amenities.
By LEAH INGRAM EAGLEto open in Lane Parke
Ignite Cycle are two of the
Clean Juice
Clean Juice held its grand opening and ribbon cutting along with the Mountain Brook Chamber on Sept. 22. The organic juice cafe’s menu includes healthy sandwiches, wraps, acai bowls, salads, toast, smoothies, fresh and coldpressed juices, shots and seasonal drinks.
Owners Cedric Bridges and George Whit lock said they are excited to bring their organic store to the Mountain Brook community.
“We are both already involved in the health and wellness industry, and Clean Juice is another way for us to expand our offering and knowledge,” they said in a statement on their website. “We are excited to partner with the community to serve organic and healthy options. We are happy to provide a product that can fuel and strengthen the body, and an atmo sphere that can fuel the spirit.”
Crawford Square Real Estate Advisors Leas ing Associate Jackie Beth Hollingworth said the addition of Clean Juice to Lane Parke Phase II is an exciting one.
“We can’t wait to see what Cedric and George will bring to the community,” Holling worth said.
The owners said they are looking into pro viding options for the Mountain Brook com munity and schools for catering, fundraisers, partnering with Quarters for Kids and other local organizations.
Visit Clean Juice Mountain Brook at 1081 Jemison Lane or visit cleanjuice.com.
Ignite Cycle, Birmingham’s only cycling studio, opened in Lane Parke on Sept. 17.
This is their second location in Birmingham and they offer cycling workouts on stationary bikes.
The studio features a bike room, showers, changing rooms, ample parking, and other
Childcare is also available and Ignite Cycle can host private events, including birthday par ties, bachelorette parties, wedding day rides and more.
Classes are from 30 to 45 minutes long and are held in a dark room with loud music. Riders clip special shoes into the bike for the rides. In addition to a leg workout, some songs also include an arm work out with lightweight dumbbells.
For information, visit ignitebhm.com or call 205-603-7463.
There are still several new businesses set to open in Lane Parke. For more information, visit laneparke.com.
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By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE
Mountain Brook’s city judge KC Hairston was recently elected to serve as president of the Alabama Municipal Judges Association where he will serve a two-year term.
Hairston is in his fifth year in the executive track for the Alabama Municipal Judges Asso ciation. For the past two years, he has served the president-elect, and prior to that, he served as vice-president.
It was 2003 when Hairston was first appointed a judge by former Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid, who gave him his start in the Birming ham Municipal Court.
After a seven-year tenure, Hairston moved to the Mountain Brook Municipal Court upon the retirement of Judge Pete Johnson in 2016.
“That's how I got involved in the municipal courts,” Hairston said. “I started in Birmingham and cut my teeth over there and then came over to Mountain Brook.”
As the president of AMJA, Hairston will serve on multiple state committees on behalf of the state’s municipal courts including the Alabama Justice Information Commission, the Domestic Violence Advisory Committee, and the Judicial Study Commission. He will also pre side over two statewide conferences each year. Judges from across the state attend the confer ences, which focus on key topics, benchmarking key issues and how to address emerging issues in courts.
“My hope is to not only use this role as a way to shape state policy and nationwide policy, but also to make our court in Mountain Brook the
best and most efficient it can be,” he said.
He said his role with the city is to share as much information as he can. He recently rolled off as president of All In Mountain Brook, which
focuses on youth issues in the community.
“My goal was to try to take the information and what I'm seeing in municipal courts and feed it to the community through that platform
to try to avoid making the same mistakes or repeating certain things happening that are per colating up to our court,” Hairston said.
When someone enters the municipal court, it’s generally their first experience with the judi cial system. Hairston believes that it’s important about the first impression they receive because it will shape their experience.
“Sometimes folks just want to be heard,” he said. “If they feel like they never got to tell their side of the story, they will feel cheated by the process. They may not agree with our decision, but they at least got the opportunity to state their case.”
Hairston said that many people who come through his courtroom say they did not expect it to be the way it is. His goal is to move people to the next best spot they can achieve.
“Regardless of the type of case, our interest is protecting the community, we are also inter ested in trying to help people, while helping people in the situations they are currently in,” Hairston said.
Hairston was born in Dothan and grew up in Birmingham, graduating from Briarwood Christian School. He received an engineering degree at Auburn before deciding to pursue his legal studies at Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.
“I do have a sense of what's going on in the community, which allows me to have a wellrounded platform to make decisions from,” Hairston said. “It's rewarding because no matter what people are facing, I try to get them help them, because the courts have tremendous resources.”
Drew Lasater, a Latin teacher at Mountain Brook High School, was recently elected to his second term serving as the Alabama Classical Association President.
Mountain Brook Junior High history teacher, Lisa Lewis, was recently named one of 50 Geography Teacher Fellows nationwide through the American Geographical Society (AGS) Geography Teacher Initiative.
She will have the opportunity to travel to New York in November to learn with and from industry professionals relating to human geography.
The Geography Teacher Fellows Initiative brings together Teacher Fellows with thought leaders from academia, government, industry and the social sector to facilitate discussion of the major forces shaping our planet’s future.
“This is a great opportunity to find out about the commercial applications of what we do academically in the classroom,” Lewis
said. “Getting to hear from people that work in industry positions that utilize the subject we teach will be special.”
This year’s Geography 2050 Symposium will examine The Future of Food to explore how geography and the use of geospatial technology will affect and transform global food systems. The Symposium will be held Nov. 17-19 at Columbia University in New York City.
“I can’t think of a better educator to receive this honor," MBJH Principal, Donald Clayton, said. "Lisa is a committed advocate of her stu dents and the AP Human Geography course. It is definitely an honor well deserved.”
– Submitted by William Galloway, Moun tain Brook City Schools.
Mountain Brook High School Latin teacher Drew Lasater was recently elected to serve as president of the Alabama Classical Asso ciation (ACA). This will be his second term serving as ACA president.
“I am eager to once again serve in this capacity,” Lasater said. “We have a great net work of classical educators in this state and it’s a privilege to represent Mountain Brook and lead this group.”
The ACA is a professional organization that exists to promote, improve and extend the study and appreciation of classical lan guages and culture at all educational levels in the state of Alabama. Members of the ACA are teachers of Latin, Greek and classical lan guages and cultures, as well as anyone who shares in a love of classics and a desire to promote its study in Alabama.
The ACA holds meetings in conjunction
with the Alabama World Languages Associ ation (AWLA) at its annual conference.
Duties and responsibilities of the ACA president:
► Preside at ACA business meeting held at AWLA
► Attend AWLA Executive Council meet ings as ACA representative
► Submit a brief written annual report to AWLA about ACA events
► Lead ACA Executive Council meetings (via Skype or phone)
► Select and communicate with the key note speaker for AWLA with the guidance of the rest of the ACA Executive Council
► Encourage membership to present ses sions at AWLA
► Plan fall ACA meeting
– Submitted by William Galloway, Moun tain Brook City Schools.
Eleven students at Mountain Brook High School were recently named National Merit semifinalists.
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition that recognizes high school students for their outstanding perfor mance on the PSAT.
According to nationalmerit.org, approxi mately 1.5 million high school students enter the program each year. Around 50,000 with the highest scores qualify for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program. In September, around one-third of the high scorers are notified through their schools that they have qualified as either Commended
Students or semifinalists and are designated on a state-representational basis. Semifinalists are the highest scoring entrants in each state.
The following Mountain Brook High School students earned PSAT scores that qual ified them as National Merit semifinalists and possible scholarships.
Mountain Brook High School Principal Phillip Holley said he is proud of these stu dents for their accomplishment.
“These students have worked so hard in the classroom, and being named a National Merit semifinalist recognizes their hard work,” Holley said.
– Submitted by Mountain Brook Schools.
Mountain Brook High School will host its 56th annual Miss Olympian Pageant on Satur day, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. in the William N. Eddins Fine Arts Center.
The Miss Olympian Pageant is a student led performance and the production is a fundraiser for Mountain Brook High School.
The pageant includes performing in a group dance, participants being interviewed by a certi fied panel of judges, showcasing a talent of their choice, and an evening wear presentation. The winner of this year’s pageant will be crowned Miss Olympian 2023.
The winner of last year's pageant was Julianne Abenoja. This was her second year
participating in Miss Olympian.
"I absolutely loved participating in the pag eant, especially becoming friends with all of the younger girls," Abenoja said.
There are 18 young women on the Olympian staff, and each is given a job to help the pageant come to life.
Co-sponsors of this year’s event are Brooke Collier and Margaret Ann Denton, and pageant directors are Sophie Kampakis and Lauren Jones.
General admission tickets to this year’s pag eant are $20. They will be available for purchase on Nov. 14 on the MBHS website under clubs and activities> Olympian Pageant and Go Fan.
For more information, visit mtnbrook.k12. al.us/domain/971.
Mountain Brook Schools Superintendent
Barlow was recently named the 2023 Alabama Superintendent of the Year. Barlow was named one of nine finalists for the award in September.
The School Superintendents of Alabama (SSA) and Schneider Electric made the announcement on Oct. 12 where he was rec ognized at the School Superintendents of Ala bama Fall Conference.
Barlow was named Superintendent of the Year for district 5 which is one of nine districts statewide. The district includes 15 school sys tems and the Alabama School of Fine Arts.
“This is a tremendous honor and would not be possible without the work of all of our teachers, staff members, students and incredible family and community members,” Barlow said. “I want to congratulate each of the finalists as well for the outstanding jobs they are doing in their school systems and communities.”
Barlow has served as Mountain Brook’s
superintendent since 2009. He was assistant principal at Mountain Brook High School from 1996-2001 before being named the school’s principal (2001-2009).
“Dr. Barlow’s ability to lead our school system with a heart of service and drive for continuous growth allows our students, teach ers and staff to reach their full potential on a daily basis,” Mountain Brook Schools Board of Education President Jeffrey Brewer said.
Per the SSA website, the Alabama Super intendent of the Year competes at the national level to become one of four nationwide final ists; represents Alabama at the AASA: The School Superintendents Association National Conference on Education in February; and is honored at a luncheon during the SSA Legis lative Conference in Montgomery.
Schneider Electric provides the winner with a Superintendent of the Year ring and travel expenses to the National Conference.
– Submitted by Mountain Brook City Schools
The 46th annual Sam Lapidus Montclair Run is coming back to the Levite Jewish Com munity Center on Thanksgiving Day.
The run will benefit LJCC, with five dol lars of each runner’s registration going to the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders.
The Thanksgiving tradition began in 1976 as the Montclair Run and has been a popu lar event in the community ever since. It was renamed in 2009 after 14 year-old Sam Lapidus, who died after a six-year battle with Ewing’s sarcoma, a type of bone cancer, in 2008.
Prior to his passing, Lapidus enjoyed work ing out at the LJCC, and scheduled treatments around his workouts. According to a press submission by the LJCC, Bruce Sukol, a friend of Lapidus’ from the LJCC, wanted to honor Lapidus’ memory and asked the LJCC to rename the run in his honor.
The event is the community center’s largest fundraiser, hosting around 1,500 runners each year, as well as 1,000 spectators, said Katie
• WHERE: Levite Jewish Communi ty Center
• WHEN: Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24
• WEB: bhamjcc.org/sam-lapidusmontclair-run
Hausman Grace, community engagement director for Levite Jewish Community Center.
“Sam’s family will also be there front and center, running,” Grace said. “We are a non-profit community center. This is a fund raiser for us, and we’re honored to be able to tie Sam’s family into that. It’s a two-fold fundraiser because we are fundraising for ourselves and then we’re also able to give a donation in Sam’s memory each year which is really great.”
This year’s event will feature a 5K, 10K and 1-mile fun run. For more information visit bhamjcc.org/sam-lapidus-montclair-run.
The Junior League of Birmingham is wrap ping up its 100th year with a celebration next month.
The Centennial Gala will be the culminating celebration of the JLB's 100 years of service and leadership in the Birmingham commu nity. JLB members, community partners and city officials will come together to honor all that has been achieved since the organization’s beginning.
The event will be held at Haven from 6 to 11 p.m. on Dec. 10. Check-in and cocktail hour will take place from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by a seated dinner at 7 p.m. and a reception and live music from 9 to 11 p.m.
Stacey Ramsay and Kristin Ritter said they are honored to chair the gala, a night that is over five years in the making.
“We are working with some amazing Bir mingham-based businesses to make it an event to remember, and we look forward to having JLB members and community partners and sup porters all together in one room to celebrate our 100-year milestone anniversary," they said.
The JLB’s purpose is to improve lives in the community by working with local agencies to deliver services and assistance to those in need. The organization of women is committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the poten tial of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
The first JLB general meeting was held May 10, 1922, at South Highland Presbyte rian Church and 133 women attended. As of September 2022, the organization has 2,013 members. The Birmingham chapter is the eighth largest league in the world and is one of the largest volunteer service organizations in Alabama.
In 2021, the JLB spent $1,629,780 in direct contributions to the Birmingham-metro
community, plus awarded $15,000 in college scholarships. Members served a total of 45,000 volunteer hours, according to Kaitlee Daw, director of program operations for BridgeWays Alabama.
Martina Winston is serving as the 2022-23 JLB president and said that the organization is truly something special – for the commu nity, the members and corporate sponsors and donors.
“Throughout our 100-year history our impact has shown our passion to deliver on our mis sion in everything that we do,” Winston said.
“As we continue to celebrate the second half of our centennial year, I’m honored to lead this organization as the 101st president. We have a lot to celebrate as our rich history and strong
impact over a century has proven to be a part of Birmingham’s DNA.”
Winston said she is excited about their cel ebrations and recognitions, but there is also a unique opportunity to set the stage for many more years to come. Goals for this year’s league include:
► Delivering a five-year strategic plan that helps the JLB focus on delivering on its mission.
► Evaluating community impacts areas to ensure the organization is providing support and resources where the community needs it the most.
► Re-engaging active and sustaining mem bers after the pandemic.
► Creating new opportunities for
row from left; Junior League board members Melody Harrington - Training VP, Katie Chilfton - Finance VP, Ellen King - Membership VP, Meg LovettCommunications VP, Alana FredrickRecording Secretary Haley ScallionsFund Development VP, Lauren Roberts - Sustainer Advisor, Jenny Bell - Member Liaison. Front row from left; Jessica Hopper - Volunteer VP, Rebecca YearbyGovernance Director, Martina Winston President, June Clark - PresidentElect, Whitney Poole - Nominating Director, Elizabeth Mann - Planning VP. Photo courtesy of Style Advertising.
partnership with community and corporate partners to help the JLB continue to support the needs of the community.
► “Our members are what makes us spe cial,” Winston said. “Our diverse volunteer, membership-led organization has some of the smartest, innovative, creative, fun and daring women in the world. I’m looking forward to changing our world (Birmingham) this year while continuing to honor our past all while forging our future.”
► "It's exciting to celebrate 100 years of impact in our Birmingham community through our Centennial Gala, and we are looking for ward to the next 100 years,” Winston added.
For more information on the Junior League of Birmingham, visit.jlbonline.com
The Crestline Village Holiday Open House is coming back to Mountain Brook on Nov. 17.
Crestline Village begins the holiday season with extended hours for merchants and restau rants in the area, said Emily Jensen, executive director of the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce.
“They kick off the season with a lot of cheer,” Jensen said. “They have different events in each store as well as specials and talk shows at some of them. It’s a really fan tastic way to get everything started right before Thanksgiving and before we get in the thick of the holiday season.”
The holiday open houses in Mountain Brook attract a lot of visitors from across Bir mingham, as does the city’s Holiday Parade,
Jensen said.
“We promote all of these open houses in various media publications across the city and through social media,” Jensen said. “It brings a lot of traffic throughout the months of November and December. Similarly our Holiday Parade, which is going to take place on Dec. 4, always draws a very large crowd to our community.”
Jensen said the English Village Holiday Open House will kick off festivities on Dec. 1, with Santa Claus being expected to make an appearance, followed by Mountain Brook Vil lage hosting its Holiday Open House on Dec. 8.
“The Mountain Brook Village Holiday Open House will not only encompass the traditional merchants you’re used to seeing in Mountain Brook Village but also the merchants over in Lane Parke,” Jensen said.
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Womack’s more than 20 years of giving back to the Mountain Brook community are now being recognized, as she is the 2022 recipient of the Jemison Visionary Award recipient. It is the highest honor to be bestowed to a resident and community leader in Mountain Brook and recognizes someone who has gone the extra mile to make Mountain Brook a great place to live, work and raise a family.
Upon moving to the city in 2000, Womack’s first involvement came with the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce. She was presi dent of the organization from 2007 to 2008. She said her biggest accomplishments there were hiring former chamber director Suzan Doidge and being on the search team for the current executive director, Emily Jensen.
Womack was chosen for the award due to the substantial role she has played as a servant leader in the Mountain Brook Community. She is a past president and current board member of the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce and is currently in her second term serving on the Mountain Brook City Council, where she is the liaison between the council and the chamber.
“It was kind of a natural gravitation to con tinue to stay involved and [the City Council] was another avenue by which to serve,” she said.
Womack is also the past president of the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation and was a member of the 2022 class of Leadership Birmingham. She has held other board posi tions with community nonprofits including the Junior League of Birmingham as volunteer vice president and the Service Guild of Birmingham.
She has previously served as finance chair and is currently on the board of trustees at Canterbury Methodist Church. She is a 2010 Momentum graduate, was honored in 2013 as the Synovus REACH Volunteer of the Year and received the 2016 Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama Woman of Distinction Award.
“I learned so much and you get exposed to things you would not otherwise be exposed to,” Womack said. “By getting involved, you get to see things and be exposed to new ideas and new people, and often you get back more than what you give.”
A career banker of more than 30 years, Womack obtained a bachelor’s of science in finance at Auburn University and later a
When you have someone of her character and integrity participate in your community, and in your life, to quote a line from one of my favorite Broadway shows [“Wicked”], you are changed for good. Alice has changed Mountain Brook for good.”
LLOYD SHELTON► Two four-year terms on the Mountain Brook City Council
► Former president of the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation
► Former president and current board member of the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce
master’s of business administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
She spent more than 20 years of her career with Synovus Financial, where she served as vice president of private banking. In 2015, Womack joined Oakworth Bank and currently serves as the associate managing director in private banking. She said she loves the people she works with and loves her job.
She credits her banking career for the many professional relationships she has formed over the years.
“We were greatly encouraged to get involved [in the community], and we have flexibility to do that,” Womack said. “That's really my pas sion. I love getting out in the community, get ting to know people and love serving.”
Womack said that Mountain Brook is full of servant leaders. She recalls riding with Ronnie Vaughn, the city’s public works director, and they passed a bag of trash in the road and he stopped the truck, got out and picked it up.
Another example was meeting a city worker on a ladder truck who climbed down to shake her hand.
“The city is very intentional about hiring those kinds of people,” Womack said. “It's been really really nice to see the caliber of people who are serving our city.”
In a letter to Womack from Mountain Brook Chamber President Walter Crye announcing her as the recipient of the Jemison Visionary Award, he said Womack has “led with grace and humility that is a lesson to us all.”
Former chamber Executive Director Suzan Doidge described Womack as a servant leader who has demonstrated this characteristic in every area of her professional and personal life.
Womack has served alongside Lloyd Shelton in the city for the past 15 years. Shelton said he has been fortunate to watch Womack in action and is proud to call her a friend.
Shelton said he is glad that Womack’s years of hard work and service are being recognized by receiving the Jemison Visionary Award, adding that no one could deserve it more.
The two currently serve together on the Mountain Brook City Council and have also worked together for the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation and the City Council’s finance committee.
“When I find myself in need of encourage ment, or seek a voice of reason, Alice is at the top of the list,” Shelton said. “Repeatedly, I find myself seeking her counsel or trying to find ways to engage her on another venture. Her steady presence and spirit have benefited me and many others.”
Shelton said that Mountain Brook is better for having Womack as a part of the community, and she has proven to be hardworking, com mitted to the service of others and doggedly dedicated to whatever cause she finds herself invested in.
“When you have someone of her character and integrity participate in your community, and in your life, to quote a line from one of my favorite Broadway shows [“Wicked”], you are changed for good,” Shelton said. “Alice has changed Mountain Brook for good.”
Mountain Brook Mayor Stuart Welch III said after five years of working with Womack in her position on the city council, his observation is that she is a consummate professional in all matters and is what he describes as an all-in person.
“She never gets flustered no matter what is thrown her way,” Welch said. “She is thought ful, deliberate, and always fully prepared. When she accepts a job, role, or responsibil ity, she is 100% all in. I attend many ribbon cuttings for new businesses and guess who is always there? Alice! She is a wonderful person and will be dearly missed at our city council meetings. Knowing Alice, she will remain
► Former volunteer vice president of the Junior League of Birmingham and the Service Guild of Birmingham
► Former finance chair and currently on the board of trustees at Canterbury Methodist Church
► 2010 Momentum graduate
► 2013 Synovus REACH Volun teer of the Year
► 2016 Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama Woman of Distinction Award
► Member of 2021-22 Leader ship Birmingham class
active in city events so we will all continue to benefit from her continuous upbeat personality and smiling face.”
Womack will receive her award at the Moun tain Brook Chamber’s annual meeting on Jan. 25, 2023, at The Country Club of Birming ham. This event is the one time of the year when the city of Mountain Brook, The O'Neal Library, Mountain Brook School System and the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce come together to honor those that are making a difference in our community.
Along with the Jemison Visionary Award, The O'Neal Library will present the Tynes Award and the city of Mountain Brook will honor its Employee of the Year. The Leader ship Mountain Brook Class of 2023 will be announced.
Womack said if she could convey one thing, it is how appreciative she is to be receiving this award for something she truly loves to do, with people she loves doing it with.
“I have built relationships with some of the most wonderful people in our community and I feel that the opportunity to serve has been a gift,” she said.
Alice Womack stands along the Jemison Park walking trail Oct. 4 Womack is this year’s Jemison Visionary Award winner. Photo by Erin Nelson.We
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and there was nothing going on, so we thought, let’s do it,” Freeman said.
The couple now lives in Boston, where Gar rett works as a data scientist and Freeman is an accountant.
“We were going to make a new video because there was a blizzard in Boston, and we didn’t have anything else to do, but then we got a call back,” Garrett explained.
After they completed their undergraduate studies together at the University of Mississippi, the couple went to separate graduate schools where they obtained master’s degrees. Garrett felt that her studies helped the couple while they were competing on the show.
“I spend all day problem-solving and creat ing a plan and then re-creating that plan when something goes wrong,” Garrett said. “That’s basically what you do on the show.”
Garrett and Freeman said that in addition to their audition video, there were several inter view components for the producers to get to know their relationship dynamic. They also said it seemed like it moved pretty fast in some instances, but between conversations with the team from CBS, it also felt like the audition process moved sluggishly.
So how did the couple prepare for what was to come during filming?
“I think, preparation-wise, because we watched the show, we knew there would be a ton of navigating involved,” Freeman explained. “You should be in pretty decent shape, and you want to know a bit about geography and lan guages because you never know where you’re going to go.”
“And meditating,” Garrett chimed in. “We did a little bit of that to try and right our mind set. We are so competitive; we had conversa tions like, ‘We really need to focus on making this fun. Even if we aren’t doing well, we need to make this fun.’”
Competing together as a couple, especially on national television, can sometimes reveal relationship difficulties. However, the Moun tain Brook High School alums said that wasn’t the case for them.
“Ultimately, we felt like we would work well together. We came out of it feeling like we bal anced each other out and came together well as a team,” Freeman said.
“I’m more competitive than Will is,” Garrett shared. “But, at the end of the day, if one of us is really down, we’re not going to beat the other one up. It’s a healthy level of competition. It drives us to be better more than anything. We’re really competitive with everyone else. This
[show] was the first instance of us truly com peting together in something, and that was fun.”
The high school sweethearts revealed that when they begin filming, there are really no hints or tips from the crew on what to expect during their season. They were pretty much on their own, so it was up to the couple to figure out their strategy.
“We went back and watched many of the past seasons. We also rewatched the first episode of several past seasons because we didn’t want to be the first couple eliminated,” Garrett said.
Are there any other competition shows on the horizon for Garrett and Freeman? “This is my favorite genre of TV, and ‘The Amazing Race’ is my favorite, but lately, they’ve reworked [the MTV version] of ‘The Challenge’ and I also love ‘Survivor,’ so those would be interesting to me,” Garrett said.
“Abby loves ‘Survivor,’ and I’d love to watch her on that, but I’m more into trivia,” Freeman said.
When season 34 of “The Amazing Race” pre miered on Sept. 21, Garrett and Freeman said their group message with the other contestants from their season became active again.
“It’s a supportive group,” Freeman said. “It’s such a unique experience to all of a sudden have the focus of however many millions of people are watching the show. It’s hard to recognize and deal with at first, so having that group where we could say, ‘Oh, we’re all dealing with this for the first time,’ and then share messages of ‘You got it!’ or ‘We’re proud of you!’ was really nice to have.”
The support at home wasn’t too far behind them, either. Garrett said that her family and friends all gathered at Cahaba Brewing for the premiere launch party of the 34th season.
“That was fun because we had several high school friends come, and my church came out, and several family friends. We are still from Birmingham, but we live in Boston right now, so I’m sure we’ll do something with that group when we get back,” Garrett said .
The couple said that they were able to keep in touch with their family minimally while filming, but that they intentionally left out some details to make their show watching experience more exciting.
Freeman said, “Generally, they’ve all been very supportive and nervous for us. There was a little bit of anxiety, but everyone has been so supportive.”
“My brothers were like, ‘You better have done well!’ because they know how competitive I am,” Garrett joked.
To find out how far the couple makes it on the show, “The Amazing Race” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on CBS.
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By KYLE PARMLEY
Greer Golden is making the most of an opportunity she never thought she would have.
The Mountain Brook native has long been one of the most talented volleyball players in Alabama, bursting onto the scene as a fresh man and leading the Mountain Brook High School program to three state championships over the course of her career.
But for years, she struggled with whether to pursue the sport in college, or to just “go to Alabama or Auburn and be in a sorority.”
It looks as if she made the right call, though, because she is currently a key force on the Samford University volleyball team, having established herself as a starting middle blocker from the season’s outset.
“She struck us as a kid that had potential,” Samford head coach Keylor Chan said.
That potential has panned out so far, as Golden had started the Bulldogs’ first 21 matches through mid-October, registering over 100 kills and 50 blocks.
Golden was hesitant to commit to the recruiting process throughout high school, knowing the amount of time and energy it required. She valued her time to engage in other school and social events and acknowl edges that long-range planning is not her forte.
“Looking two years into the future, that’s just not how I am,” she said.
But entering her senior year at Mountain
Brook, an event that had become routine for her set Golden on her current trajectory. The Spartans always take part in the high school team camp at Samford over the summer, but this one struck Golden differently.
“I don’t know why I had never thought about Samford,” Golden said. “I never
spot allowed room for Golden in Samford’s 2022 signing class. She called it a blessing given the way things have worked out.
Plenty of development had to happen in Golden’s game in order to work her way into Samford’s rotation, and even more so to be a starting middle blocker.
“Greer came on campus and we told her what our vision was, and I’ll give her a lot of credit. She wanted to tackle the opportunity and challenge we presented her,” Chan said.
“Even though she’s starting as a freshman, she started at the very bottom of our pyramid and worked her way up very quickly to where she is now. She’s a pretty tough kid and she’s a competitor.”
Chan noted that Golden still has plenty of technical things to learn, as well as continuing to get more comfortable in Samford’s system. But he is bullish on her potential over the rest of the season and the next few years.
“She’s got the physical tools, she has the right mindset, she understands how to work. We try not to predict outcomes or project a ceiling for a kid, we just know it’s high,” he said.
imagined in a million years that I would go so close to home.”
Golden remembers the vibes she got from observing the Samford volleyball team at that time, and she was impressed by the team’s joy and unity.
Fortunately for both sides, an open roster
Golden and Chan credited Mountain Brook coach Mattie Gardner, who played for Chan at Samford, for helping connect player and school.
Samford took a chance on Golden, and she’s making sure that pays off so far.
“I’m fortunate for that, because I’ve met a lot of great people,” Greer said.
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The regular season has officially ended, with several teams looking to extend their seasons deep into November in the state playoffs. Here are some highlights from the middle portion of the high school football season. Photos by Richard Force, Julia Freeman and Barry Stephenson.
Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager has long lauded the capabilities of kicker and punter Reed Harradine (12), and he is putting together an outstanding senior campaign. He hit all of his extra-point attempts against Jackson-Olin in addition to nailing field goals of 35 and 32 yards in the second quarter.
Mountain Brook High School’s volleyball team won the Class 6A, Area 10 tournament Oct. 13 to begin the Spartans’ postseason run. As of press time, the Spartans were still in the midst of the state playoffs. Photos by Erin Nelson.
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My cousin’s daughter is making a list of things she’s grateful for. It’s a Thanksgiving-themed assignment for school. She asked for my help. And when a kid asks you for help, it makes you feel eleven feet tall.
“It would be an honor,” I said. “Thanks for asking me.”
“You’re welcome.”
“What made you choose me?”
“Well, I was thinking maybe you could write my list while I ride bikes with my friends.”
“Wait a second. Aren’t you gonna do any work?”
“Of course,” she explained. “I’ll be your editor. Now get busy.”
Editors.
Well, I don’t mind naming items for which I am grateful. I will start by writing that I am grateful for cold weather.
Admittedly, I don’t love the weather itself, but I enjoy what the cold rep resents. It means November is here, it means the holidays are close, it means I have to put on my winter coat to use the toilet in my trailer home.
Gratefulness item number two: cin namon brooms in the supermarket. Man, I love these things. I could sniff them for hours in the grocery store.
I am grateful for sweet potato pies, and Butterball turkeys that are deep fried by men who wear overalls. And for squash casserole, green bean cas serole, cheese potato casserole, hash
brown casserole, col lards, and cornbread dressing.
Reruns of the Andy Griffith Show. My late father’s Case pocket knife. And good music.
This is the time of year when radio stations play the old stuff. Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Old Blue Eyes, and Alvin and the Chipmunks.
I am grateful for the way dogs wake you up in the morning. And for Hall mark Channel movies. Especially the cheesy movies that are about as clever as a scoop of ham salad.
The plots all go something like this:
Beautiful young business woman from big city visits her hometown after twenty years and falls in love with a handsome flannel-shirt-wear ing widower and former country-mu sic singer who owns a golden retriever named Max and is trying to save his town from bankruptcy by opening a Christmas bakery with his lovable but prediabetic grandpa, George. Boy gets girl. They kiss. The end. I could watch these movies until April.
I also love cast iron cookware, old coffee cans of bacon grease, the taste of pepper gravy, Conecuh sausage, gaudy socks, and the aroma of truck
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exhaust on a cold morning.
I am grateful for the way my wife looks when she’s sleeping. Her face relaxes, and she snores gently with her mouth open.
In moments like that, I like to see how many cocktail peanuts I can carefully place into her open mouth without waking her. My all-time record is nineteen. When she awoke, she spit out the peanuts, and tried to gut me with a set of car keys.
I am thankful for the way the sun comes out and warms the world when we need it most. The sun is poking through the clouds while I write this. And it’s enough to make you stop and stare.
My cousin’s daughter is still riding bikes with friends, laughing. She breezes into the driveway, then slams her brakes. She is out of breath, rosy cheeked, and alive with childhood. An entire lifetime is ahead of her, and she doesn’t even know it.
I was her age once. I was happy, like her. And I believed in things. Big things. But then life happened. Our family fell on hard times, I lost myself. The details don’t matter because my story is your story.
Life is hard. Sooner or later, every one learns this. It’s no revelation. Life is unfair, unforgiving, indifferent, and out to kill you—at least that’s what some people believe.
But I don’t believe that.
Not that it matters what I think, but if you ask me, life is artwork, hanging on a museum wall. Not a single stroke of paint is out of place. It’s magnifi cent. And I hope one day to see this painting from the Other Side. Maybe then, I’ll see how good things, bad things, and the sad things join to make a breathtaking portrait.
And how everything matters. Both the great, and the minuscule. From cin namon brooms, to the hours spent in a hospital waiting room. Neighborhood cats, cheesy movies, and the way my mother hugs me and refuses to let go before I do.
“Are you done with my list?” my cousin’s daughter says.
“Yeah, I’m done.”
“Hey!” she says, inspecting my work. “You misspelled ‘cinnamon.’
I thought you were supposed to be a freakin’ writer, man.”
Editors.
Sean Dietrich is a columnist and 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.
a family trip to a tropical island during one Spring Break, I got a text from my daugh ter’s friend.
Help! These guys are begging us to party with them tonight, and they won’t leave us alone. I got to the girls quickly, thanks to it being a small resort. Sure enough, 5 young men were surrounding and flirting with my daughter and her friend, both 16, as they laid out. The girls were trying to be polite, so I told the guys (who looked to be about 20) to leave them alone.
They left, and when my husband came, the girls explained how they couldn’t get rid of them. The guys tried to convince them to leave the resort, even as they repeatedly turned them down.
With anger crossing his face, my husband said, “Girls, you’ve got to be blunt. If blunt doesn’t work, get ugly. Don’t beat around the bush, especially with guys like that. Next time tell them to get lost. Or get up and leave and report them to the front desk.”
It was great advice – yet advice I’d never heard myself. For many females, being blunt does not come naturally, especially in the South, where we’re raised to have good manners. But sometimes, manners must fly out the window, and as we prepare our daughters for the real world, it’s imperative to talk through different scenarios that call for a different voice.
Every girl’s voice deserves to be heard, and every girl needs guidance with using her voice wisely.
At one extreme, there are girls who have a strong voice and say exactly what they think, yet they lack tact and warmth. They may have no problem telling boys to get lost, but they struggle in everyday relationships. They hurt people’s feelings and have no social filter.
At the other extreme, there are girls who
have a kind voice. They’re loved and respected – but they don’t speak up. They let people take advantage of them and often feel powerless over their lives. When they find their voice, often as grown women, they may be bitter due to years of suppressed anger.
Neither extreme is healthy, and the truth is, it’s possible to be strong and kind. Honest and tactful. Assertive and congenial. Respectful when we feel safe – and ugly and blunt when we don’t.
More than ever, today’s girls need healthy assertion. In a society where people will walk all over others and prey on the weak, girls should know how to take up for themselves, protect themselves, let boys down, tell friends when they hurt their feelings, and effectively express their emotions.
So how do we teach our daughters healthy assertion? How do we help them read situations and find the voice that is needed? Here are 6 points to start the conversation.
Your needs and desires matter. It’s not your job to make everyone happy. One of my daugh ters used to never speak up in family decisions. And what hit me on one vacation was how she rarely chimed in on even little things like where to eat. When I asked why, she said, “I just like to make people happy.”
Immediately I saw the flag of a people-pleas ing personality. I didn’t want her to lose herself and become a passive participant of life, so I started asking for her opinion more, reminding her that her thoughts and desires matter, and encouraging her to speak up even as her siblings voiced strong opinions.
One secret to being heard is to raise your argument, not your voice. People who are loud, offensive, vulgar, brash, or always angry push rational people away. They attract extremists,
which never leads to a positive life.
The best voices – ones that really inspire change – make people think, empathize, and open their hearts and minds to a higher point of view.
It’s okay to be rude to stay safe. Most guys fall into two categories: protectors and preda tors. Predators may look harmless initially to get what they want.
Trust your gut, and know if a situation doesn’t feel right, it’s usually not right. Walk away while you can, and don’t let anyone play on your niceness or give you a guilt-trip.
It’s your right to say no. In the book Boundar ies, the authors explain how God gives you your time, your life, and your body as gift. It’s your job to be a good steward of those gifts.
The authors declare no as the most basic boundary-setting word. It tells people that you exist apart from them, and you are in control of you. Boundaries are a “litmus test” for your relationships because people who can respect your boundaries will love your will, opinions, and separateness. People who can’t respect your boundaries will only love your compliance, your yes but not your no. Don’t let anyone take your power away – especially when it comes to your no.
Being a people-pleaser can make you say and do things you don’t mean. Since girls tend to be relationship-driven, many have an enor mous fear of upsetting others, rocking the boat, or losing approval.
Being a people-pleaser can make you tell people what they want to hear, even if it means white lies. It can make you go out with a boy you don’t like – or be talked into bad decisions – because you’re scared to hurt feelings or make a scene.
Value your relationships, but not the point
where you compromise your values, cower against strong personalities, or choose what is easy over what is right. Real relationships can handle differences in opinion and truth that’s spoken in love.
Learning to self-advocate brings lifelong ben efits. In Mountain Brook schools, self-advocacy starts early. Beginning in middle school, teach ers encourage students to speak up, email, and come to them directly with questions or prob lems rather than have their parents do it.
It’s awkward at first, but students adjust, and by high school they are comfortable interacting with teachers and adults. This is a big reason why our students end up in leadership positions in college.
Too often in life, we wait for things to happen rather than voicing our hopes, needs, dreams, ideas, and concerns.
Learning to self-advocate empowers you and gives you the confidence to advocate for others too.
Every girl should know that her voice mat ters. And should your daughter ever find herself in a tricky situation, needing a voice that means business, I hope she rises to the occasion. I hope she finds the strength to say what needs to be said and keep herself and others safe.
Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Mountain Brook mom of four girls, author, speaker, and blogger. Kari’s newest book, More Than a Mom: How Prioritizing Your Wellness Helps You (and Your Family) Thrive, is now available on Amazon, Audible, and everywhere books are sold. Kari’s bestselling other books – Love Her Well, Liked, and 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know have been used widely across the country for small group studies. Join Kari on Facebook and Ins tagram, visit her blog at karikampakis.com, or find her on the Girl Mom Podcast.
Stephanie Hazen and Kayla Swink have always been passionate about animals, which led them to work for several years as dog groomers in the city.
They’ve used their 30 years of combined experience to intro duce their own dog grooming service, Iron City PAWfection, which started accept ing appointments in September, Hazen said. The business is located at 1401 Montgomery Highway in Vestavia Hills.
Iron City PAWfection is a whole-service dog grooming salon that offers haircuts, baths, ear cleaning, nail trims and facials, she said.
“I’m really excited,” Hazen said. “I’ve been passionate about animals my whole life, Kayla has too. We have and always will be dog loving people.”
Iron City PAWfection offers a cage-free environment, which allows for a more relaxed atmosphere that is different from most dog salons, she said.
‘The dogs can kind of just hang out with us all day,” Hazen said. “They’re right here and we can keep an eye on them. It’s just fabulous.”
Hazen, who’s been a dog groomer for 17 years, has groomed dogs in Vestavia Hills for several years, she said.
She’s owned a dog salon before in Hueytown that was very successful, she said, but had to close it for personal reasons.
She later worked for PetSmart as a manager, leading her location to be ranked third in the region, she said.
One of the reasons Hazen and Swink decided to open Iron City PAWfection, she said, is because it’s hard and frustrating to work for people who don’t know much about the process
of grooming a dog.
“It’s frustrating when certain things are out of your control and you’re just like, ‘Gosh, it would work so much better if we did it like this,’” Hazen said. “Now I have that chance and I’m really excited.”
There are more dogs than there are people to groom them, Hazen said, both in Vestavia Hills and across the country.
The pandemic was a huge factor that contrib uted to the disparity, Hazen said.
There were so many people working from home, they had the time to be able to have pets, she said.
The problem was that dog grooming services were struggling to stay afloat while it wasn’t safe for people to socially interact, which forced many businesses to permanently close their doors, she said.
“I know one place that closed and I think they had been open for 20 years,” she said.
“There’s a nationwide shortage of groomers right now,” Hazen said. “The dogs that every body seems to have wanted to go out and buy are doodles; we probably see about six a day. A lot of doodles are very high maintenance, they require a lot of grooming. A lot of times, I don’t think the breeders have adequately prepared people for exactly how much grooming they’re going to need.”
Dogs need to have a regular grooming sched ule to maintain good health and prevent compli cations including eye infections, ear infections and skin infections, among other problems, Hazen said.
Hazen said her business sees a lot of clients that have done business with her for years and is looking forward to new ones.
“We want to be able to give people the best grooming experience that they can get. It can be a stressful experience but with our exten sive experience, we know how to make it a smoother, easier experience,” Hazen said.
information, visit facebook.com/ Ironcitypawfection or call 205-306-5405.
Hoover-based Epilepsy
Alabama plans to hold its
Registration for the 1-mile walk is sched uled to begin at 10 a.m., and a short program before the walk will start at 11 a.m., said Sara Franklin, a regional director for the Epilepsy Foundation.
It’s free to participate in the walk, but organizers ask participants to find people and/or companies who will sponsor them with donations.
The Epilepsy Foundation uses proceeds to raise awareness about epilepsy, fund research and training programs on seizure recognition and first aid, and to improve access to specialty and supportive care for people with epilepsy.
Last year’s Birmingham walk drew about 800 people and raised about $130,000, includ ing corporate sponsorships, Franklin said. This year’s goal is $75,000, she said.
This year’s walk also will be used as a time
• WHERE: Railroad Park
• WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m.
• WEB: walktoendepilepsy.org/ Birmingham
to celebrate the Seizure Safe Schools Act, which was passed by the Alabama Legislature and signed by Gov. Kay Ivey in the spring of 2021 and went into effect this school year.
The act allows non-medical school personnel who are trained to administer nasal anti-seizure medication to do so in emergency situations when a school nurse is not on campus. The act was similar to legislation that passed a few years ago, allowing trained personnel to administer epinephrine and insulin to students at school during emergencies, Franklin said.
There are about 7,500 students with epilepsy in Alabama schools, and this new legislation could help save their lives in the event of a severe epileptic seizure, Franklin said.
To sign up for the 2022 Birmingham Walk to End Epilepsy or for more information, go to walktoendepilepsy.org/Birmingham.
A Birmingham tradition, the Mac and Chest Fest hosted by Community Grief Support, will return for its fifth year at Back Forty Beer Com pany on Sunday, Nov. 13, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Brought to you by our sister paper:
The festival is “part competition and part cel ebration of the South’s ultimate comfort food” as well as a fundraiser for Community Grief Support, according to a press release by CGS.
music and a kid's zone with activities such as face painting, arts and crafts and balloon animals.
All proceeds from this year’s Mac and Cheese Fest will be donated to CGS, a Home wood-based nonprofit organization that helps people suffering from the loss of a loved one.
“Early bird” tickets are $15, same-day tickets are $20, tickets for children 12 and under are $5 and children under 5 get free admission.
thehomewood star.com
CGS expects over 3,000 participants this year, per the press release. The festival will feature different mac and cheese dishes from local restaurants, food trucks, corporate teams, caterers and home chefs.
Mac and Cheese Fest will also feature live
“The Mac and Cheese Festival has been a community tradition for the past five years,” said Erin Slaughter, CGS events & marketing man ager and junior board coordinator. “We decided on an annual Mac and Cheese Festival to repre sent the comfort that mac + cheese brings, just as CGS brings comfort to those who are grieving.”
CGS provides free individual, couples and family grief therapy; hosts more than 20 loss-specific grief support groups annually; and provides grief education to residents throughout the Greater Birmingham area.
Thursdays: All Together Storytime. 9:30-10 a.m. and 10:30-11 a.m. Informal storytime and lively music that seek to build positive relationships with books and the library for all ages.
Nov. 3: SNaP. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Tabletop and video games.
Nov. 7: STEAM Powered. 4-5 p.m. Dig up fossils and assemble dinosaurs.
Nov. 10: SNaP. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Get crafty with string art.
Nov. 10: Hot off the Press Book Group. 6 p.m. Share a book and get to know Ms. Morgan’s latest favorites over pizza.
Nov. 14: Breakout Book Club: It's a Sign! 5-6 p.m. For kids who are new to reading can bring an adult with them to this book club, where they participate together in activities to encourage enthusiastic engagement with the book.
Nov. 17: SNaP – Movie “The Good Dinosaur.” 3:30-5 p.m.
Tuesdays: Beginner American Sign Language (ASL) Classes. 5:30-6:30 p.m. For Teens and Adults. This free, eight-week course will provide an introduction to American Sign Language. Classes meet via Zoom.
Nov. 1: Teen Advisory Board Meeting. 5-6 p.m. Earn volun teer hours and improve the O’Neal Library’s Young Adult department by becoming Teen Advisory Board members.
Nov. 2: Game On. 4-5:30 p.m. Grades 7-12. Video games and board games.
Nov. 4: Stage Combat 101. 5-7 p.m. Grades 7-12. With Red Mountain Theatre Co.
Nov. 8: Dungeons & Dragons. 4:30-7:30 p.m. Grades 10-12. Glory, Monsters, and Mayhem await.
Nov. 9: DIY Yums: Dinner Side Mug Recipes. 4-5 p.m. Make easy sides in a mug.
Nov. 9: Dungeons & Dragons. 4:30-7:30 p.m. Grades 7-9.
Nov. 13: Under the Mountain Presents Nosferatu! - A LIVE! Symphony of Terror. 7-9 p.m. Grades 7-12 and Adults. A screening of the 1922 silent classic with an original score performed live by Birmingham musician Chayse Porter.
Nov. 15: Dungeons & Dragons. 4:30-7:30 p.m. Grades 10-12.
Nov. 17: Dungeons & Dragons. 4:30-7:30 p.m. Grades 7-9. Nov. 19: Video Games Tournament. Noon - 5 p.m. Grades 7-12. Celebrate International Games Month at O'Neal Library's Video Game Tournament!
Nov. 21: 3D Minecraft Perler Bead Craft. 4-5 p.m. Grades 7-12. Minecraft fans, craft fans and library fans are all welcome.
Nov. 30: Library Loot Book Club. 4:30-5:30 p.m. Grades 7-12. Read a YA book written by an Indigenous/First Nations author and join the book club meeting.
Tuesdays: Beginner American Sign Language (ASL) Classes. 5:30-6:30 p.m. For Teens and Adults. This free, eight-week course will provide an introduction to American Sign Language. Classes meet via Zoom. Registration is now closed.
Nov. 1 and 10: Creative Writing Workshop with Miriam Calleja. 5:30-7 p.m. A writing workshop for writers of all skill levels.
Nov. 5: An Afternoon With The Author: Will Bowron. 3-5 p.m. Join to learn about his new book “Vigilant.”
Nov. 5: An Evening with the Author: Matt Layne. 6-10 p.m. Local author and poet. Join us for his book launch and signing.
Nov. 8: Bookies Discuss “River of the Gods” - O'Neal Library Book Group. 10-11a.m. Bookies meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m. in the Library's Conference Room. Visitors and new members are welcome.
Nov. 9: Red Mountain Theater Presents The Seasoned Performers. 1-2 p.m. Red Mountain Theater's group of Seasoned Performers will present a dramatic reading of the original play “The Canton Culture Club.” Free.
Nov. 10: Sustainable Style: Atelier Visit with Julie Maeseele. 10-11:30 a.m. A field trip to the designer Julie Mae seele's atelier in Cahaba Heights for an exclusive tour.
Nov. 13: Under the Mountain Presents Nosferatu! - A LIVE! Symphony of Terror. 7-9 p.m. A screening of the 1922 silent classic with an original score performed live by Birmingham
musician Chayse Porter.
Nov. 14: Great Short Stories - Reading and Discus sion Group. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Conversation about short fiction.
Nov. 15: Medicare: What You Need to Know. 10 a.m. Presenter, Michael Wimberly, will share information needed to get started with the program.
Nov. 16: Sound Cafe: Kate Bush's The Dreaming lis tening party. 7-8:30 p.m.
Nov. 29: Books & Beyond. 6:30-8 p.m. Book clubbing.
Nov. 1: Animal, Vegetable, Junk. 4:30 p.m. The "Thyme to Read" book club is a monthly gathering hosted by the Library at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Nov. 5: Designing with Native Plants. 10 a.m. to noon. Join Molly Hendry, a horticulturist and landscape designer with the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, as she unpacks overarching design principles and practical applications for using native plants in our gardens.
Nov. 7, 14, 21 and 28: Ashtanga Yoga. 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Nov. 12-13: Alabama Designer Craftsmen Arts & Crafts Show. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enriching the Birmingham community through the sharing of fine craftwork, including basketry, metalwork, clay sculpture, pottery, wear able fiber, fiber wall works, gourds, jewelry, glasswork, stained glass, woodwork, printmaking, leatherwork, and more. A $5 entrance donation is requested.
Nov. 19: Forest Bathing. 9:30 a.m. to noon. Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is a guided immersion in nature. Through a series of simple invitations, participants open their senses and connect with the living world of the Japanese Garden.
Nov. 19: Garlic planting. 10 a.m. Garlic is a unique fall crop well suited for the urban landscape. Learn about the most productive varieties for Alabama and ways to prepare this delicious ingredient.
