Bham Family - March 2024

Venture up to Chattanooga for kid-friendly fun PAGE 26

SPRING BREAK TRAVEL STUDENTS IN MEDIA

Encouraging the next generation of journalists PAGE 23

EDITOR’S NOTE

Dear Readers,

Happy Spring! There’s something about March that just feels brighter. The time change, the first official day of a new season (March 19), and we even have Easter to close out this month, too. I know that, like me,you’re all busy with spring sports, family activities, and the chaos of life!

We’re also approaching the beginning of family travel season, and if you don’t yet have spring break plans, let me encourage you to take a short road trip to Chattanooga. There’s so much to explore as a family, plus great food and a walkable community. I recently took my 7-year-old daughter for a long weekend, and we had a blast. Check out our itinerary on page 26.

As the days are getting longer and the trees begin to leaf out, Birmingham’s many public spaces and playgrounds will once again be filled with energetic

kiddos— and Homewood’s Central Park is ready to get in on the action after a million-dollar upgrade. The park is scheduled to reopen at the end of the month. Find more details on page 14.

We have lots of other great stories this month, too, from moms who faithfully pray for their school-age children each week to a visit to the opera and more. I hope you enjoy it all—outdoors with a cold glass of sweet tea.

Cheers to warm weather and spring in Alabama!

PS: Don’t forget to visit our cover store—Sikes Shoes and Jack n’ Jill in Homewood—to get your family Easter-ready (March 31st!).

Stephanie Gibson Lepore, Content Director and Mom, stephanie@jbmcmedia.com

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ON THE COVER

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Holy Moly Motherhood

Keeping up with friends p. 10

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Update from the Hoover School District p. 16

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Rise Up—Moms in Prayer p. 17

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Kids Who Shine

Girls State Chess Champion p. 30

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Empowering the next generation of journalists p. 23

Explore Chattanooga

Spring break is the perfect time to take a road trip to the Tennessee mountains p. 26

Early in my marriage, I remember regularly watching two television shows. The first was Ally McBeal, which left me wondering and confused if I knew anything about how 20-year-old women dressed, thought, and pursued relationships. The other show was 7th Heaven, a show about the perfect family, which left me questioning if there really were families and homes that were that loving.

On one episode of 7th Heaven, there was conflict between the parents and their middle child. The middle child, Simon, told his parents he knew they loved him, but they could love him a lot less. As a young married man, the thought that parents could be overly involved really confused me and left me unsure if it was something I believed.

This blog is being written around Father’s Day and just after celebrating Mother’s Day. After many years working with men and fathers, I have come to the conclusion that loving too much, or more specifically over-involvement from parents, specifically moms, can wound children, especially boys.

I would never say anything negative about moms, and most boys and men will fight you if you say anything negative about their moms. There has been a great deal of research, which shows that an uninvolved or under-involved father leaves a wound on both genders of children. There is lesson in

Authentic Manhood’s “33 the Series” that discusses a man’s relationship with his mother.

Henry Cloud argues that the way a man’s mother handled his needs as a child shapes his worldview, relationships, marriage, career, and self-image. There is an argument that men with overinvolved moms or men who are overly connected to their moms can become males who are sometimes too controlling in relationships with women or too passive.

There was a popular John Mayer song, “Daughters,” that talked about how the daughter’s relationship with her father impacted all her relationships with other men. I am convinced that the opposite is true and there could be a song called “Sons” written by women trying to figure out why her relationships with men keep failing — and implore mothers to help raise healthy boys who will become healthy men.

The ability to identify overinvolvement is not nearly as easy to identify as lack of involvement. If you have a high level of self-awareness, some good questions to ask yourself might be, “Am I helping my son build skills in resiliency, compassion, masculinity, and spiritual leadership?” “Am I preparing my son to be able to have meaningful healthy emotional connections as an adult?” “Am I preparing myself for healthy emotional breaks?”

If you know a good, healthy father, he was most likely influenced by a fantastic mom.

Ward Williams

The Best Medicine

Alana Smith

When I was 13, my best friend and I would stay up half the night painting our nails, eating an entire sleeve of Chips Ahoy, and making prank calls to every person whose number we knew.

There was so much laughter.

We’d laugh so hard our face and stomach hurt. Tears would stream down our face. Then someone would snort or shoot milk out of their nose, and we’d be in fits all over again. One of my parents would yell across the house to “KEEP IT DOWN!” and we would cover our mouths and laugh even harder in silence.

It feels so good to laugh like that—without holding back and with no regard for how silly you sound. It really is the best medicine. As a grownup, it seems like those moments of slapping-the-table laughter are harder to find though. We are more reserved and in control of ourselves. And the people you do laugh like that with are usually people who know you well and can make fun of you in a way that others can’t—longtime friends. But it’s hard to make time for old friends, or new friends, when we have kids, spouses, and jobs (unless those friends are built-in with our kids, spouses, and jobs).

Friends seem to be the last thing on our totem pole.

But being friends means that you know that already, and it doesn’t matter. You are busy, and she is busy. Your situation is the same as hers. And when you do come together and find yourselves doubled over in laughter and trying not to pee your pants, you’ll see that the bottom of the totem pole isn’t all that bad.

It’s just the base that holds up a full life, filled with a whole lot of laughter. And that’s really special.

I hope something makes you laugh like you’re 13 again today.

xoxo, Holy Moly Motherhood

Alana Smith is a boy mom (ages 9 and 4), nurse anesthetist, and writer in Birmingham. She shares her writing at Holy Moly Motherhood (on Facebook and Instagram), where she tackles all things motherhood and marriage.

Happy Easter

First off, I want to wish a happy Easter to the Wong family. Especially to Father Pete, the Episcopalian priest who taught me, a non-Episcopalian, to say, “And also with you,” at the appropriate time during a ’Piskie service. These words are code for, “I love you.”

He was the same clergyman who once told me, as it says in Scripture, that whenever two or three Episcopalians are gathered, there is a fifth.

Happy Easter to Tessa, who is in the ICU with a serious infection right now. Tessa (age 23) will be celebrating this holiday by binge watching “Monk” episodes with her dad. Her father, a Lutheran minister, will be skipping his first Easter Sunday service in 22 years to sit beside his sick child.

“Pray for my daughter,” says Tessa’s dad. “Please.”

And to Don, who was stuck in traffic when he sent me an email from his phone this morning. Don is trying to make it to Georgia to see his newborn boy, Joshua, born last night at 11:43 p.m.

Don was on a business trip in Indiana and missed the agonizing childbirth. Thankfully, Don’s sister-in-law videoed the entire messy experience in great detail, then sent it to Don.

Don watched the video and remarked: “Just imagine passing a kidney stone the size of a secondgrader.”

Happy Easter to Aaron and April, my distant cousins, who are having Easter dinner with their daughters Rachel and Kendall, and all their friends. And especially to Aaron, who helped me move a heavy couch today and walked with a limp thereafter no matter how much medicinal beer we administered. The least I can do is mention his name here.

To Veronica, the Guatemalan woman who has been waiting on her U.S. citizenship to be approved for two years. She was approved yesterday. “I am an American now,” said Veronica. “I am weeping as I write this because I am so proud to be American.”

Happy Easter to George and Janet who, last Wednesday, were forced to put their 14-year-old Labrador to sleep. The dog’s name was Suzie.

To Bree (21) who lost her mother in a car accident on Monday. While many are in church, Bree will be preparing a funeral for her mother.

“I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do with my life now,” she said. “If you could, pray

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

for me, please. I miss calling her on the phone.”

Also, while you’re at it, pray for Robbie (10) and Paul (13), brothers whose father left this world last year by his own hand.

This will be the boys’ first Easter without him, and they’re a mess. This holiday will be particularly difficult because their father always sang bass in the choir. Said the boys’ mother: “My boys are going to remember their dad by going fishing.”

To the family of Wallace Mann, the whitehaired retired preacher I met by accident on the side of the road. He was selling vegetables at a vegetable stand in Reeltown, Alabama. He sold tomatoes that were beautiful enough to cause palpitations.

Wallace was the nicest man I ever knew. Shortly before he died, he hugged me from his wheelchair and said, “God don’t play favorites, son, but if he did, you’d be it.” Which he probably said to everyone. He died on Easter

Sunday a few years ago.

To Brother John and Miss Delores, of Brewton, Alabama. Brother John is the same elderly country preacher who once told me that ice cream was proof that God loved us. Then, like all steadfast Baptists, he took me to Shoney’s.

To Mama. This will be the first Easter I’ll be spending in another state, away from the woman who raised me. A single woman who endured hard times, low wages, and thankless work to bring up two children in the face of perdition.

Happy Easter to my sister, Sarah, and her husband, Paul, and my two towheaded nieces Lily (Uncle Lily), and Lucy (Stinky), who make “enthusiasm” an inadequate word.

To you. No matter who you are. No matter what you’re feeling. No matter what private hell you’re going through. No matter what obstacle you’re trying to surmount. No matter what kind of sadness you’re wading through, no matter what kind of uncertainty is wrecking your sanity. I speak from my heart when I say:

And also with you.

New Place to Play

A much-used park located in the heart of Homewood is set to reopen soon after a million-dollar makeover.

A beloved playground in Homewood will reopen at the end of the month afterreopen this month after a nearly $1 million makeover. The City of Homewood approved the upgrades to its largest park, Central Park, located at 1632 Oxmoor Road, in its 2024 budget. The figure includes removal of old equipment and mulch and the addition of ADA-compliant artificial turf, new play structures, and—praise hands!—shade. Rusty Holley, Homewood Parks and Recreation Superintendent, says that it was important for the city to make the playground accessible to everyone.

The list of new amenities includes:

• Ninja course meant to be enjoyed by kids and parents

• New swings and slides

• ADA-compliant play structures for all ages

• GaGa ball pit

• Shaded areas

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF CITY OF HOMEWOOD

Changes to the original plans include narrowing one entrance and closing off a second completely.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

The new turf, called playground grass, is also accessible for wheelchairs and individuals on crutches. The turf helps maintain clean playing surfaces—no loose fill, less dirt—and features built-in antistatic technology and antimicrobial properties. It also encourages safer, less restricted play due to its safe and durable surface. Plus, it was created specifically for kids.

The Central Park playground has been closed since mid-January, when construction began on the new space; the rest of the park has remained opened, and the project is still expected to be complete and ready for new memories by April 1. The improved playground will also feature a new, open, centralized entry (without a gate) that flows into the rest of the park, which includes a large green space, six pavilions with picnic tables, tennis courts, walking paths, an amphitheater, and adjacent outdoor pool.

Bugsy—the well-loved red metal climbing caterpillar—won’t make the cut at the new playground, but children of the eighties can rest easy, as he’ll be permanently installed somewhere nearby as a nod to the past and the future. The City of Homewood notes on its website that, “Bugsy the caterpillar, our beloved character at Central Park, is being well taken care of and will be brought back soon in a way that highlights the significance of this iconic landmark to the park and its visitors! Bugsy’s current adventure reminds us that even the smallest creatures can make a big impact. He won’t be a nostalgic memory; instead, he will be a symbol of longevity for generations to come in Homewood.”

Hoover JROTC cadets excel in essay contest

Hoover High School’s Air Force JROTC program announces the achievements of its cadets in the prestigious Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) Essay Contest. Nicholas Madriz, Hudson McClinton, and McKaylah Steele distinguished themselves with their exemplary submissions. SUVCW representatives bestowed each cadet with certificates and scholarships in recognition of their outstanding work.

SPHS Engineering Academy

The Spain Park High School (SPHS) Engineering Academy announced the remarkable achievements of its students in the 2023 beEntrepreneurial (beE) competition at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). SPHS teams secured significant accolades in this prestigious event. Earning second place in the competition was the visionary project “Wheelchairs for Everyone,” spearheaded by Emma Gregory and Hannah Halsell. The project entails the design of a wheelchair prototype accompanied by straightforward instructions, enabling volunteer groups to construct wheelchairs using affordable materials like PVC pipes. These wheelchairs aim to serve communities in third-world countries and impoverished areas of the United States. Additionally, Audrey Peacock and Sam Lin clinched third place with their project “TakBot.” Tasked with devising a safe method for an SPHS Spanish teacher to conduct piñata smashing parties, Audrey and Sam developed a rig that suspends the piñata from the ceiling, controlled remotely by the teacher.

Emma Gregory and Hannah Halsell

Rise Up: Moms in Prayer

All

across

Alabama

and

beyond, women gather to intercede for their school-aged children every week.

Q: What is Moms in Prayer?

A: Moms in Prayer is a movement that mobilizes women to gather weekly and pray for their children and their schools. Their Mission Statement: Moms in Prayer International impacts children and schools worldwide for Christ by gathering mothers to pray. According to their vision, they desire every school in the world to be covered with prayer. Their core priorities are God first, family second, ministry third. On their website, Moms in Prayer lists their purpose as: To stand in the gap for our children through prayer; to pray

that our children will receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, then stand boldly in their faith; to pray for teachers and school staff; to pray that teachers, administrators, staff, and students would come to faith in Jesus Christ; to pray that our schools will be directed by Biblical values and high moral standards; to be an encouragement and positive support to our schools; and to provide support and encouragement to moms who carry heavy burdens for their children.

PHOTOGRAPH BY PCESS609/iSTOCK

Q: How did it start?

A: The founder of Moms in Prayer, Fern Nichols, is a former elementary school teacher. When she found herself fearful about sending her two oldest children to middle school in 1984— knowing the environment would be a battlefield for their hearts and minds—she wanted others in the prayer battle, too. Fern called a mom and asked her to pray with her for their children and school, and Moms in Prayer began. There are now groups in every state and more than 150 countries.

In addition, Fern has traveled to almost every continent in the world to speak, teach, and train women on effective prayer. She has written several books, including The Moms in Prayer International Booklet, Moms in Prayer: Standing in the Gap for Your Children, and Mom’s Little Book of Powerful Prayers.

Q: What happens at a Moms in Prayer meeting?

A: Moms in Prayer is “an hour of hope,” helping to build faith over fear as, week after week, moms learn to never underestimate the power of their prayers. Each week, two or more moms gather to pray for their children and school. Groups can meet in homes and churches or anywhere where they can pray in private. Groups stay focused on prayer and always begin and end on time. (They know moms are busy!) The prayer format is Biblical and begins and ends with an attribute of God. They pray children’s names in scripture and keep what they pray about confidential.

Q: What are the “4 steps of prayer?”

A: The Moms in Prayer hour is divided into Four Steps of Prayer: Praise, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Intercession. To ensure plenty of time to thoroughly pray for children, schools, and administrators, they estimate 25 minutes for Praise, Confession, and Thanksgiving and about 35 minutes for Intercession. During the praise time, leaders select a character of God as a focus topic of the prayer hour. They move on to silent confession and thanksgiving before leaders give a scripture to pray for the kids. Each mom uses the same verse to pray for her child(ren). There is also given scripture for teachers, schools, and various concerns.

Q: Are there resources to help lead or participate in a group?

A: Yes! Moms in Prayer offers participants various prayer booklets, guidelines, outlines, and a training channel for leaders. There is also an available prayer calendar on their website, as well as a Moms in Prayer podcast.

Q: How do I get involved?

A: To be a part of a group of equipped moms who pray well to impact the next generation, visit momsinprayer.org, and fill out a “join a group” request form. A leader will contact you so you can join a local group for prayer time, then register as a group member. If there’s not a group in your area, you can start one! Moms in Prayer also offers Teachers in Prayer groups.

Over the Mountain Moms meet weekly at Vestavia Methodist Church, typically on Wednesdays. For more information, visit momsinprayer.org.

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Singing the Praises of Opera

How a first-time attendee became a fan

BY JUNE MATHEWS

For most of my life, I avoided opera. Not “like the plague,” necessarily. It just never seemed like the kind of entertainment I would enjoy. So, I never watched or went to an opera and tended to turn up my nose at operatic music, lest it offend my pop rock and country music sensibilities.

Then prompted by an opportunity to expand my horizons and write about something I’d never written about before, I saw Opera Birmingham’s world premiere of “Touch,” and my attitude changed. Much to my surprise,

I enjoyed it. More than enjoyed it, actually; I was captivated.

A masterful telling of the story of Alabama-born Helen Keller by composer/librettist Carla Lucero and co-librettist Marianna Mott Newirth, “Touch” picks up where the play “The Miracle Worker” left off.

“The Miracle Worker” introduced us to Helen as an untamed child, deaf and blind since infancy, struggling to make her solitary way in a hearing and seeing world. Pursuant to efforts by Helen’s father to find help for his daughter,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF OPERA BIRMINGHAM

a young woman named Anne Sullivan, herself sight impaired, came to stay at the Keller home in Tuscumbia, Alabama. This marked the beginning of a 49-year relationship as Helen’s teacher, companion, and friend.

“Touch” begins in 1904, as Helen, portrayed by Birmingham native Alie B. Gorrie, is about to graduate from Radcliffe College with Anne (Michelle Allie Drever) by her side. The story progresses from there to Anne’s romance with and ill-fated marriage to drunken womanizer John Macy (Caleb Clark) and on to Helen’s work as an anti-war and women’s suffrage activist.

Anne later becomes seriously ill, so a young interpreter, Peter Fagan (Patrick Bessenbacher), is hired to assist Helen, and romance blooms. The opera’s tone darkens as the Keller family, aided by Anne, essentially pushes Peter out of the picture, leaving a heartbroken Helen with the impression that she was abandoned.

Lacking the abilities to see and hear, Helen had to rely on unconventional means to communicate. Thus, her operatic mode of communication was a small chorus led by Catherine Goode as Helen’s voice. While the chorus expressed Helen’s inner thoughts, it left ample room for Gorrie to fully “be” Helen through facial expressions and body language.

As someone new to opera but not to the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, I considered ASO’s ensemble presence on the “Touch” stage an unexpected bonus. Unbeknownst to me until I began my post-opera research for this article, an orchestra frequently appears onstage in an opera. Since the singers don’t use microphones, a crucial part of their operatic training is learning to project their voices above the orchestra and out to the audience.

Another noteworthy aspect of “Touch” was the care taken to embrace the hearing- and sightimpaired communities. I can find no better way to express this caring spirit and the potential it holds for the future of opera than to simply quote these lines from the “Touch” program: “The Low Vision, Blind, Deaf and DeafBlind communities are present in every note and word of this score and libretto, as well as in the directorial choices,

set, costumes and lighting design of an amazing creative team. ‘Touch’ is a rare opportunity for opera to expand into untapped realms and foster greater representation of disability and agency on stage.”

In addition to her starring role, Gorrie acted as the production’s accessibility consultant. As an individual with low vision, Gorrie was in a unique position to determine the best ways to ensure that inclusion.

In this opera neophyte’s view, “Touch” was a compelling work of art hinged on what would have been an ordinary series of events, except for Helen. Over a half century after her death, Helen’s life remains a testament to the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity as it continues to offer inspiration not only to individuals with disabilities but to people everywhere.

As we left the theatre, I learned that my husband (who had been slightly arm-twisted into accompanying me) was equally impressed with the opera, and we talked about it all the way home. Not about the usual topics, like work the next day or what we’d have for dinner. We had a meaningful, thoroughly unanticipated conversation about – of all things – an opera.

But by setting aside our musical bias, we were rewarded with a delightful afternoon of entertainment and enlightenment. “Touch” opened a door for us in terms of the cultural arts and sparked a whole new line of thinking in terms of future date nights. To borrow a phrase from one of my husband’s favorite movies: “Opera Birmingham, we’ll be back.”

Empowering a New Generation

Jackie Alexander serves as College Media Association’s first Black president and helps students traverse the business of journalism.

BY SHANNON THOMASON

Jackie Alexander, director of UAB Student Media, is College Media Association’s first president of color. As president, Jackie says her focus is ensuring the organization’s strength and vitality and furthering its mission: educating and training college media advisers. Jackie was sworn in at the annual College Media Association’s fall convention this past November.

UAB Student Media was nominated in several categories in the association’s national Pinnacle Awards. Some students were able to attend the event in Atlanta and witnessed their director’s groundbreaking inauguration. All

three organizations—Kaleidoscope, Aura and UABtv—were recognized with top awards in the competition, which included more than 4,000 entries.

Jackie has been a member of the College Media Association since 2012, when she transitioned into college media advising from a background in print journalism, as an education reporter. Jackie became Student Media Director at UAB in 2018. In 2020, a friend and past president of CMA remarked on her involvement and urged her to run for the board. Though Jackie at first demurred, the friend stressed the need for more young people to run

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACKIE ALEXANDER/UAB STUDENT MEDIA

Kaleidoscope Editor-in-Chief RaeAnn Alexander accepts a board citation for graphic design with Jackie Alexander.

for leadership roles in the organization, so she ran—and won. She has been working and learning from the immediate past president, while serving on the board as president-elect in 2021. She stepped into the presidency on November 1, 2023, as CMA goes into its 70th year with more than 500 members across the country and including Canada.

A student media director’s job is to provide advice, guidance and institutional knowledge. In student media, students are not just members of a student club or organization leaders but are running media businesses, Jackie says. As such, they must provide feedback on the budget, write business proposals, make their own hiring and firing decisions, and “all the way down to editorial, they have control. But at the end of the day, they are making some big calls,” she says.

UAB Student Media is the home of UAB’s student-run media outlets. They include Kaleidoscope, an award-winning news outlet and magazine; Aura, a muchheralded literary arts magazine; and UABtv, which has original, web-based video programming. UAB students operate all media. The content and opinions are solely those of the student writers, producers, editors, deejays, and other staff and do not reflect those of the university, administrators, or adviser.

Aura produces a digital issue in the fall and a print issue in the spring. In between, they partner and do poetry slams and art nights, work with Muse—a student-led organization that aims to provide all UAB students with the opportunity to support or participate in an artistic, creative community regardless of major—and present workshops during spring semester. Kaleidoscope’s show “Blazin’ Bites” is a local UAB take on “Hot Ones.” For UABtv, a student worked on a modern true

crime version of the Hades and Persephone story. One did a podcast about being a millennial today, while another did a video series on anime.

Students are supported in their training through connections to the right resources, like the Poynter Institute. Media professionals come to campus for “talent talks” about their career journey and transferable skills. Students may talk with Jackie about Associated Press style or the production calendar but also about what challenges they may have, from food or financial insecurity to family challenges.

“One of the things we really focus on is ensuring our students know that the work they do at UAB Student Media goes well beyond journalism,” Jackie says. “We focus heavily on those transferable skills.” She says students now are creating their own opportunities. “I have interviewed and hired students who already have their own nonprofits, their own LLCs, their own businesses before they even graduate from UAB. And I am so incredibly proud and humbled to work with them, because I was not doing that in my undergrad career. They are so incredibly

Staff of Kaleidoscope’s show “Blazin’ Bites,” a local UAB take on “Hot Ones,” set up for filming.

smart and so driven and so entrepreneurial.”

On the media landscape, she sees college journalists really stepping up.

“They are breaking news that no college student should ever have to break about people in power,” Jackie says. “They are really holding their world accountable, and their world is often their university.” She sees partnerships between universities and local newspapers to save and preserve community news that provide great avenues for students. “With newspapers disappearing at a rapid rate, the pipeline for journalists and student journalists of color to get into the professional media landscape continues to contract. How do we prepare our students and make sure we are creating a better world for them to join after graduation?”

But Jackie says she is not looking to turn out 100 more journalists. “I’m trying to make sure we have people after graduation who

are gainfully employed in the field of their choosing, in the job of their choosing, in a way that they can contribute back to our world,” she says. “Whether that is being a storyteller or being in medicine, I want them to graduate as better people than when we first met. I want them to learn and grow holistically, to understand the world and contribute to the world in a positive way.”

Explore Chattanooga

Spring break is the perfect time to take a road trip to the Tennessee mountains.

BY STEPHANIE GIBSON LEPORE

If you’re looking for a quick and super-fun spring break trip, then keep reading—I have the perfect spot that’s kid-friendly and just a short drive away. When my daughter had a few days off from school recently, we jumped in the car and scooted over to Chattanooga for a 72-hour girls’ getaway. We’ve been to Chattanooga before and done quite a few of the amazing activities the city offers, like the phenomenal Tennessee Aquarium and Rock City at Christmastime. I’ve also been many times with college friends, where we hit the local karaoke spot and the Riverbend Festival. But for this trip, my seven-year-old daughter and I vowed to try all new (to us) activities. Following is our three-day itinerary.Day 1

We arrived in Tennessee after an easy two-hour drive up I-59, quickly dropped our bags, and walked over to the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge—one of the longest in the world. It’s a half-mile stroll from downtown over to the North Shore, where there are eclectic shops to explore. It was freezing and windy the day we crossed the bridge, and we

warmed up at Clumpies Ice Cream Co. (it was toasty indoors!). Opened by the son of a thirdgeneration candymaker in 1999, you can find a Clumpies on nearly every corner in Chattanooga. They pasteurize their own ice cream mix and churn each product in 10-gallon or less batches.

Fueled by our sugar high, we walked the streets and popped into a few shops before meandering down below the bridge to Coolidge Park. There, I bought $1 ride tickets for the Coolidge Park Carousel. The crown jewel of the park, the antique 1894 Dentzel carousel was restored by local master wood carver Bud Ellis and a team of craftspeople at his studio near Chattanooga. It features 52 hand-carved animals, a calliope band organ, and gold leaf benches. After a couple ride-arounds, we bundled back up for the half-mile trek back across the bridge and then admired the scenery on the second half-mile of our journey back to the hotel on Chestnut Street.

Following a quick rest and the addition of extra layers, we headed out to dinner at Agave & Rye, a short (and safe) walk a few blocks toward the

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF RUBY FALLS

river and across the corner from the aquarium. The restaurant is funky enough to entice adults but there’s cheese dip and loud music to keep the kids happy, too. Harper gives the queso and fresh-made tortillas two thumbs up, and I will definitely be back for more “epic tacos”—specifically the birria grilled street tacos, which featured slow-braised beef, cilantro, onion, and Oaxaca cheese nestled between housemade corn tortillas.

Day 2

Fresh from a good night’s rest, we enjoyed a slowish morning before heading out for our second day in Chattanooga. First stop: brunch at Hello Monty, which we thoroughly enjoyed. (Other suggestions that looked delicious: The FEED Co. and The Daily Ration. Next trip!) Bellies full, we crossed the street at our hotel’s corner and were at the doors of Creative Discovery Museum. I was a little worried Harper might not find much new to do, as we are members of and love McWane here, but not to worry. While some of the climbing structures and water play were similar, the museum otherwise offered so many options we hadn’t experienced before. The STEM floor was an especially big hit, as was the outside playground area. We spent a good part of our afternoon here and capped off the visit with the Great Balls of Fire science show, where our “mad scientist” explained combustion and demonstrated several types of explosions. It was fascinating!

Next stop: Target. Oops—mom forgot a swimsuit and the outdoor pool at our hotel was heated. Harper spent a few hours swimming with new friends from Atlanta, then we threw on some warm clothes to grab pizza at Community Pie, which offers by-the-slice options. We ended the night on a sweet note with treats from Cupcake Kitchen—a a family-run bakery started by Helene Grzybowski, a mother of five, in 2011. (Pro tip: Order a giant cupcake and a brownie the size of your palm, then share!)

Day 3

Our last day was all about adventure with some iconic stops that, believe or not, I’d never visited. We took a glass-front elevator 260 feet below Lookout Mountain to take in the ancient cave formations and explore the trail in the cavern before arriving to the light show at Ruby Falls, the tallest underground cave waterfall (145 feet) open

More Stops in the Scenic City

Need to fill another day or two in Chattanooga? Try some of these places!

Tennessee Aquarium – Located on the Tennessee River in the heart of downtown, the aquarium is home to 10,000 animals, an IMAX theater, and is split into two structures: River Journey and Ocean Journey.

Classic Arcade Pinball Museum – This interactive downtown spot is dedicated to the nostalgia of pinball, with the chance to play at 50-plus “exhibits,” including classic arcade games of the eighties and nineties. Admission includes unlimited play of all operating games and a wristband that gives you in-out privileges.

Southside Social – A boutique, familyfriendly, 10-lane bowling alley, this hangout also offers games like darts, ping-pong, and gigantic Jenga, along with cornhole, snacks, and live music.

to the public in the U.S. Truly breathtaking. We had a fantastic and engaging tour guide—Olivia— who kept us safe, entertained, and educated during the hourlong trek. The balmy 60-degree cavern was a welcome respite from the chilly Chattanooga temps, and my daughter is still talking about this adventure. We both enjoyed the cute intro video we viewed before we got too deep into the cave, which depicted the love story of Ruby and Leo Lambert. Leo accidentally discovered the falls in 1928, after crawling through 18-inch openings in the cavern for 17 hours. He named the feature after his sweetheart, and the attraction was opened to the public in 1929. As is our family tradition, we chose a Ruby Falls Christmas ornament from the gift shop on our way out. Cavern guests can also venture up to the Lookout Mountain Tower and Blue Heron Overlook, included with tickets, to look out over the Tennessee Valley, Cumberland Plateau, and Tennessee River. For older kids and adventure-seekers, be sure to check out the Ruby Falls Lantern Tour, offered after-hours on Friday

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evenings.

After the falls, we drove down the mountain to the Incline Railway lower station, where we hopped on a car to take us straight up to Lookout Mountain. The trolley-style cars—there are two— travel about 10 mph up to a 72.7% grade at the top, making it one of the steepest passenger railways in the world. Known as “America’s Most Amazing Mile,” the funicular railway operates by pulling the cars up the steep grade with heavy-duty cable, made more efficient by counterbalancing two train cars on the same track and using the weight of one to help pull the other up the mountain. The Incline’s two cars ride on the same single mile-long track, which splits into a “passing loop” when the cars need to pass each other. We explored a bit, took in the panoramic view of the Tennessee Valley from the top, walked down to Point Park Battlefield, then took the train back down.

Our very last stop was the Chattanooga ChooChoo, an iconic historical terminal that once welcomed visitors to the city. We enjoyed a late lunch at Nic & Norman’s, indulged in photo ops at

the train, and checked out the old cars that are now part of a hotel. One more scoop of ice cream at Clumpies, and then we hit the road to Birmingham. There’s no place like home, but Chattanooga, we’ll be back!

Students’ Work Chosen for Art Exhibit

Ten Jefferson County Schools students represent the district this month at the secondary division of the 2024 State Superintendent’s Visual Arts Exhibit. Student artwork will be displayed through March 22 a the Old Supreme Court Library of the Alabama State Capitol. The students are:

Jordyn Bostock - Hueytown High School

Jayden Burroughs - McAdory High School

Ashton Crawford - Shades Valley High School

Cara Gant - Gardendale High School

Kayla Henderson - McAdory High School

Theatre Group Selected to Perform

Hewitt-Trussville High School Theatre entered a nationwide competition through Broadway Licensing to perform Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. They were recently selected to perform the high school edition of the play this fall, making them the first school in Alabama to do so.

Elementary Named School of Character

Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park (VHELP) was recently chosen as a 2024 Alabama State School of Character by Character.org, whose efforts push for character education in schools across the country. Only two schools were chosen as 2024 Alabama recipients. “We are proud to be recognized as a State School of Character, a testament to our commitment in nurturing not just academic excellence, but the invaluable qualities that shape compassionate, resilient, good humans,” says principal Tiffany Marron via press release. Along with Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights, Vestavia Hills Elementary West, and Vestavia Hills Elementary East, VHELP is the fourth elementary school in the Vestavia school system to be named a State School of Character. The 2024 National Schools of Character will be announced in May.

Saniya Lee - McAdory High School

Georgia Lund - Shades Valley High School

Alexis Pride - Shades Valley High School

Laila Sayles - Shades Valley High School

Yolanda Velasco-Lopez - McAdory High School

Birmingham City School Students Win STEM Competition

A group of 6th and 7th graders from John Herbert Phillips Academy IB School are the first Birmingham City School to win a national NASA STEM competition. TechRise is a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math challenge for kids in sixth through twelfth grades, offering them an opportunity to design and test innovative solutions for space exploration. Sixty winning teams from the U.S. were selected, with Phillips being the only school from Alabama. The students—Aleigha Riggs, Journi Wilson, Alana Simien, Nina Hughes, Leigh Thomas, Luz Garcia, Carter Sanders, and Thompson Aguillard—will work on their experiment with the support of professional engineers in preparation for a NASA-sponsored flight test May 17. The winning teams will each receive $1,500 to build out their experiments, a 3D-printed flight box in which to build it, and technical support from Future Engineers throughout the process.

Head of School Elected to SAIS Board of Trustees

Altamont School Head of School Cecil Stodghill has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS). The organization provides industry-leading accreditation, resources and professional programs for 390 member schools, representing a quartermillion students in the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America. “SAIS has a unique and essential mission in supporting the work of independent schools in this region—many in the Birmingham area,” Stodghill said. “I am honored and humbled to join such great peers and colleagues in service.”

KIDS WHO SHINE SARAH PETER

Altamont’s Sarah Peter won the 2024 All Girls State Chess Championship, held last month at the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering in Hunstville. Sarah will represent the state of Alabama at the 12th Annual WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions, an invitation-only tournament that takes place July 27-30 in Norfolk, Virginia. She will represent Alabama for the second time, having participated in the 2023 event.

“We feel honored that Sarah has the opportunity to represent her state again and feel very thankful for God’s grace,” say her parents, Shajan Peter and Susan Jacob.

The WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions invites each state affiliate’s nominee to compete for the Haring National Champion title. A tie for first place will result in the naming of co-champions.

Each state representative must be a female player in grades K-12 “who has demonstrated her ability in a manner satisfactory to the state affiliate. Each affiliate is encouraged to arrange for an alternate player to attend should the original selected player be unable to participate. If there are an odd number of players, the host state affiliate may include a second participant to complete the field of players,” according to the

tournament website, new.uschess.org/haring.

The winner is named U.S. Chess WIM Ruth Haring National Girls Champion of Champions and qualifies for the World Youth or World Cadet Championship, if the player is eligible to join the U.S. Chess delegation. She is also seeded into the U.S. Girls Closed Championship and will receive a scholarship and other prizes. Richard Schiffrin, who sponsors the top prize of this event with his wife, Barbara Schiffrin, says, “Chess is a link to STEM fields, because it teaches relational and abstract thinking, along with patience and perseverance.”

One of Sarah’s teachers, Lia Gerety, Director of Middle School and a member of the Science Faculty, notes that, “Sarah has been an integral part of the Altamont community since fifth grade. Her curiosity and inquisitiveness have always stood out. In addition to academic achievements, Sarah has actively participated in our middle school LEAD program, promoting leadership skills and community engagement. This year, she took the initiative to reinstate Altamont’s chess club, which unfortunately dissolved during the challenging times of COVID. We are proud to have Sarah as part of our school community.”

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SHAJAN PETER AND SUSAN JACOB

Sarah Peter (far left)

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