Over the Mountain Journal - July 15, 2010 by Over the Mountain Journal

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

J O U R N A L THE SUBURBAN NEWSPAPER FOR MOUNTAIN BROOK, HOMEWOOD, VESTAVIA HILLS, HOOVER, AND NORTH SHELBY COUNTY JULY 15, 2010

A Painter’s Paradise

From a painter to a writer to a musician, these Over the Mountain artists’ unique talents are reflected in their homes. This year’s Public People Private Places will take Journal Photo by Emil Wald you inside the homes of three artists: Carolyn Goldsmith, above, Cathy Criss Adams and Ben Burford. See stories beginng on page 16.

Mountain Brook Village merchants will hold their annual Market Day in the Village on July 24. See About Town, page 5.

The Independence Day Festival at Our Lady of Sorrows The Funky Monkey auction hosted by the Church in Homewood was a popular spot over the Fourth of Junior Board of Directors for Camp SAM was a huge success. See Social, page 8. July holiday weekend. See Social, page 8.

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CONTENTS/OPINION

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

MURPHY’S LAW

OTMJ.COM e’ve been waiting for this for a long time now, and we’re happy to say it’s finally here – a new and much improved OTMJ.

com. It’s everything you’ve come to expect from the Journal and so much more. Gone are the days of waiting two weeks to find out what’s happening in the Over the Mountain area. But don’t take our word for it, go to OTMJ.com and see for yourself. Here’s just a little bit of what you can expect from our new Web site: • More photos from social events and OTMJ feature stories. • Easy-to-use forms to submit your own news to the Journal. • An events calendar with all the hottest happenings in town. • An in-depth guide on the OTM restaurants, retail, real estate and more. • Missed your Journal? That’s OK, visit the Current Issue link to flip through the issue in its entirety. This is just a sampling of what to expect at the new OTMJ.com. We hope you’ll check it out, and let us know what you think! Sincerely, OTMJ Staff ABOUT TOWN PEOPLE SOCIAL HOME

F E AT U R E S 3 7 8 16

SCHOOLS WEDDINGS SPORTS

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

JOU RNAL

21 23 28

July 15, 2010

Publisher: Maury Wald Editor: Laura McAlister Features Writer: Donna Cornelius Office Manager: Christy Wald Editorial Assistant: Stacie Galbraith Sports: Lee Davis Contributors: Susan Murphy, Bones Long, Cary Estes, June Mathews, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry Advertising Sales: Suzanne Wald, Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald Editorial Intern: Crystal Carr Vol. 18, No. 13

Over The Mountain Journal is a suburban bi-weekly newspaper delivered to more than 40,000 households in the Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Hoover and North Shelby County areas. Hot Property is a paid advertisement. Subscriptions for The Journal are available for $24 yearly. Mail to: Over the Mountain Journal, P.O. Box 660502, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216. Phone: (205) 823-9646. E-mail the editorial department at editorial@otmj.com. E-mail our advertising department at ads@otmj.com. Find us on the Web at otmj.com. Copyright 2010 Over The Mountain Journal, Inc. All rights reserved. The Journal is not responsible for return of photos, copy and other unsolicited materials submitted. To have materials returned, please specify when submitting and provide a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All materials submitted are subject to editorial review and may be edited or declined without notification.

All Growed Up

lifestyle magazine Along the way, I married and had children, two recently posed the beautiful little girls who looked up to me (they were question, “When shorter, too) and expected me to know about things was the moment you like car seats and recommended daily allowances and knew you were finally a whether they needed the cough syrup with the expecgrown-up?” For me the torant or the decongestant. Poor, poor kids. Still, answer was simple: I’m I did what I could. I knew what being a grown-up still waiting. I thought I looked like, so I went out and bought warm winter had it the other day when jackets and socks with the reinforced toes. I packed I realized I was walking yogurt and carrot sticks for lunch. I paid my bills. I out of Walmart carrying carted my children to piano lessons and Girl Scouts a 24-roll pack of toilet and chaperoned the occasional field trip. (OK, I only Susan Murphy paper in broad daylight, did that once. It takes a special kind of grown-up but then I went home to deal with a bus load of fifth graders.) What I’m and took a few clandestine bites from the bag trying to say is that where and when I could I acted of chocolates I’d been hiding like I knew I was supposed to. under the bathroom sink, so I Like a grown-up. And every probably have a ways to go. day, I felt like a fraud, someone What I’m trying to say Being a grown-up is slippery. clomping around the house in is that where and when I As a gawky teen, I thought I her mother’s hat and high heels. knew all the indicators – job, car, It all looked so simple from could I acted like I knew house, children. As soon as I got the kids’ table. Grown-ups were all of those things I would surely I was supposed to. Like a completely in control. They be a bona fide adult. But, at age all the answers. That cergrown-up. And every day, knew 30 I found myself with a house tainly wasn’t true for me. In and a job and a car and two chilI felt like a fraud, someone fact, every passing year brought dren and a puppy that needed to questions. Why? How? clomping around the house more be house trained and I still felt And once again, Why? as lost as I had when I was stumin her mother’s hat and Yes, there were good things bling (literally) through cheerabout being a grown-up, but high heels. leader tryouts. Maybe more. when things got tough, like I wasn’t even sure how I got dealing with economic indicathere. One day I was a college tors and family illness and student just hoping my psych putting our aged dog to sleep, test didn’t fall on the wrong side of the grading curve, having to be a grown-up was no fun at all. It was gut and the next I was a certified teacher. My friends, wrenching and exhausting and part of me was desperpeople who I’d seen knock back a brewsky or two, ately looking for the exit. I could have bailed, gone were being dubbed accountants and architects and all Peter Pan on the situation, but it just wasn’t in me. (shudder) doctors. Really? Just like that? Were the Not anymore. registrars absolutely sure? Maybe that’s what being a grown-up is all about, After graduation, I secured a teaching position Charlie Brown, showing up, staying in the front and the principal stuck me in front of 25 5 year olds lines even when you’re not the tallest one in the where I was expected to be the grown-up in charge. room. Good thing. I had my physical the other day Did I feel like a grown-up? No. I was certainly the and it turns out I’m getting shorter. Still, I did make tallest person in the room, but height can be deceivthat power walk to the car with the toilet paper. ing. Hopefully, it will all balance out. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN VIEWS

What was your favorite thing about summer when you were a kid?

“Going to the pool.” J.D. Danforah Vestavia Hills

“My favorite part of summer was swimming.”

“My favorite thing was playing baseball with my friends.”

Colin Smith Bluff Park

Michael Lowery Hoover

Share your favorite summer memories with us. Go to OTMJ.COM and click on Opinion.

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Junior Miss to Celebrate 43 Years JUST ONE

The 2011 Jefferson County Junior Miss Program will be July 23-24 at Samford University’s Wright Center. This year’s theme is “The Best Days ... Are Yet to Come.” Meredith Alvarez, 2010 Jefferson County Junior Miss, will be there as 29 rising high school seniors will compete for the chance to win scholarship money. During the two days of competition, participants compete in the categories of scholastics, interview, fitness, talent and self-expression. The winner will have the opportunity to compete in the Alabama Junior Miss Program for a share of $53,600 in cash-tuition scholarships and more than $2.2 million in college-granted scholarships. Tickets can be purchased at the Samford Box Office each night beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets for the preliminaries on July 23 at 7 p.m. and July 24 at 1:30 p.m. are $15. Tickets for the July 24 finals at 7 p.m. are $30. Call 868-8686 or email jeffcojrmiss@aol.com for advance ticket orders.

Casino Night Benefits Make-A-Wish Foundation

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010 • 3

of over 100 interior designers, decorators & antique dealers

WE CONSIGN & BUY At the 2010 Jefferson County Junior Miss Pageant were from left: first alternate Haley Ingrum, 2010 Jefferson County Junior Miss Meredith Alvares, 2009 Jefferson County Junior Miss Kathryn Tully and second Photo special to the Journal alternate Hannah Wilson. the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, McWane Science Center, Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark and Vulcan Park and Museum. Visit www. activeculture.info for a full list of participating organizations and Member Day activities. ❖

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Browse the offerings of more than 100 interior designers, decorators and antique dealers in our spacious 22,000 square foot showroom. You’re sure to find just what you’re looking for at Interiors & Antiques Market.

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The commercial real estate MALL industry’s Alabama chapters of �� IREM and CCIM are hosting a Charity Casino Night at Park Lane in Mountain Brook July 16 at 7:30 p.m. The event will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Georgia and Alabama. In addition to a raffle and silent auction, each ticket includes catering by Kathy G’s, �� cash bar with two free drink tickets and $5,000 in play money. Cocktail attire is recommended. Advance tickets are $40 each or $75 a couple and can be purchased online at www. IREM43.org, by e-mailing sharon@irem43.org or calling 249-4787. Tickets may also be purchased at the door for $50 a �� ticket or $95 a couple. ��

205-822-9922

1069 Montgomery Hwy. Vestavia Hills, AL 35216 www.interiorsantiques.com email: info@interiorsantiques.com Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.

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Organizations Say ‘Thanks’ With Member Day

As a way of saying thanks to members and supporters of arts and culture in the Birmingham region, area organizations have planned a special members-only day of free admission and family-friendly activities July 24. One valid membership card and/or postcard invitation (mailed to members at the end of June) admits two adults and up to four children to any participating venue all day. Nineteen varied groups of performers, museums and historical landmarks are participating, including the Alabama Ballet,

2724 Cahaba Road

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Mountain Brook Village

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HUGE CLEARANCE: Come through the front and head to the tent

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in the back for tremendous savings up to 75% OFF on our gorgeous ladies �� apparel from Kay Unger, Nicole Miller, Frank Lyman, Analili, Muse, MM Couture, Lauren Vidal, AKA New York, Eliza J, Hobo Purses, and others.

Fri. Sat. July 16 -17th 9:00–6:00 AND Sun. 18th noon to 6pm

4 • THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010

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For more information, contact volunteer co-chairmen Donna Schiff at gsschiff@aol. com or Nancy Denney at nancy_ denney@hotmail.com.

Local Chefs to Face Off ‘Iron Chef’ Style

Participating in the upcoming VSA Alabama ArtPartners are from left: VSA Art therapist Ali DeCamillis, ArtPartners and Birmingham 2010 Honorary chairmen Remy Cron and Quentin Cronand and VSA program Photo courtesy of Tracy Cron coordinator and art therapist Sarah Margaret Wade.

VSA Alabama Plans ArtPartners 2010

VSA Alabama will host the eighth annual ArtPartners Live Auction and Showcase Aug. 8 at 5:30 p.m. at B&A Warehouse in Birmingham. The event features live and silent auctions of collaborative works of art created by community artists and individuals with

chronic illnesses and disabilities. The live auction by Guin Robinson will include approximately 50 pieces of collaborative art from ArtPartners studio time. An additional 100 pieces will be featured in the silent auction. Guests will also enjoy live music, wine and food. Funds raised at the event enable VSA Alabama to continue providing opportunities in the

The Matnas, teenaged performers from Rosh Ha’ayin, Isreal will be vising Birmingham as part of the Partnership 2000 between the Israel city, New Orleans and Birmingham. They will be performing at the Levite Photo special to the Journal Jewish Community Center July 24.

arts to Alabama children and adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Tickets are $100 and may be purchased at the door or by calling 212-7042. For more information, visit www.vsaalabama.org or contact Meagan Vucovich, project coordinator, at 307-6300, ext. 12, or Meagan@vsaalabama. org.

The Vestavia Hills Rotary Club will host Iron City Chef, a signature benefit for the Vestavia Hills Rotary Foundation, at 6 p.m. July 24. The event will be at the Culinary & Hospitality Institute at the Jefferson State Community College Shelby/Hoover Campus. Just like in the popular Food Network show, “Iron Chef,” chefs will face off in a cooking competition. Those competing in the local culinary competition are Chef Tom Robey of Veranda on the Highlands, Chef Angela Schmidt of Chef U, Chef Clifton Holt of Little Savannah and Chef Robert Kamm of Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf and Spa. Tickets are $50 a person and include admission to the competition, gourmet tasting dinner, wine tasting, a silent and live auction and music by Sweet Licks. Go to www.rotarytoast.org to purchase tickets or for more information.

Israeli Teen Group Will Perform in Area UAB Forms New Matnas, a group of teenaged Toastmasters Club

performers from Rosh Ha’ayin, Israel, will visit Birmingham July 21-25. The group sings and dances at the Kimerling Community Center in Rosh Ha’ayin. The visit is part of Partnership 2000, a longstanding joint venture between Birmingham, New Orleans and Rosh Ha’ayin that is partially funded by the Birmingham Jewish Federation’s annual campaign. Several events are planned during the group’s stay; the biggest will be July 24 when the group performs at 9 p.m. at the Levite Jewish Community Center auditorium.

Anne Bet, a University of Alabama at Birmingham graduate assistant, has launched the UAB Toastmasters Club. Meetings will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at the Spain Wallace Tower auditorium, 620 19th St. South. Toastmasters International is a worldwide organization that helps people become more competent and comfortable speaking in front of an audience. The group has nearly 250,000 members in 106 countries. For more information about the club, contact Bet at annebet@uab.edu. For more information about Toastmasters International, visit www.toastmasters.org.

a 15 percent off coupon. The first 150 guests will receive Swag Bags. Silent auction items include a mini laptop, signed autobiography from Danica Patrick, stays at the Wynfrey Hotel and the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa, dinner at fine restaurants, gift cards and event tickets. The “new look” of the Girl Scouts will be unveiled at the event. All proceeds will benefit the initiatives of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama. For more information, contact Hilary Perry at hperry@girlscoutsnca.org or call 980-4750 ext. 1003. Visit www. girlscoutsnca.org/soiree.php to purchase tickets. Guests must be age 21 or older.

Annual Stokin’ the Fire Benefits Sloss Furnaces

Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark will host the sixth annual Stokin’ the Fire BBQ and Music Festival Aug. 20-21 at Sloss Furnaces. For the second year in a row, the competition will consist of all amateur teams. Up to 80 local barbecue teams will compete for the bragging rights to the best barbecue in Birmingham. Grill masters compete in two divisions: backyard grillers, graded by KCBS judges, and the People’s Choice competition, judged by the public. In addition to the barbecue battles, there will be an iron pour by the Sloss Furnaces metal arts staff, live music, Cajun dancing demonstrations, children’s activities, barbecue sampling during the People’s Choice competition and “Global Grilling” demonstrations by chefs from some of Birmingham’s best restaurants. All proceeds from the event will benefit the restoration and preservation of Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark. For tickets, visit www.slossfurnaces.com. For more information, call 324-1911. ❖

Saks Soiree Aids Local Girl Scouts ��

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The Girl Scout Leadership Circle will host Soiree@Saks Aug. 12. The event will be at Saks Fifth Avenue at The Summit from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $25 and include a choice of wine tasting or two beverage tickets. A cash bar will also be available. Additional wine tasting tickets may be purchased for $10. Hors d’oeuvres by Café IZ will be served, and there will be live music by Nathan Carter and a silent auction. Guests will get the chance to shop at Saks Fifth Avenue with a portion of the sales going back to the Girl Scouts. Each entry ticket will include

The annual Stockin’ the Fire BBQ and Music Festival will be Aug. 20-21 at Sloss Furnaces and will benefit restoration of the Furnaces. Photo Special to the Journal

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chef, complete with china and servers. A steak and seafood menu will be served. The event will benefit the cancer research labs at the Hazelrig-Salter Radiation Oncology Center at UAB. Proceeds will be used to purchase high-tech equipment to advance cancer research. Seating is limited. Contact Yvonne Pope at 967-9488 or email curecancer@bellsouth.net for tickets, or visit www.southeastcancer.org.

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STOCK UP NOW FOR SCHOOL

Briarwood Will Host Night of Music, Praise

Fairy tale characters like the Mad Hatter from “Alice in Wonderland” will be in attendance at this year’s Fairy Tale Ball, which will be Aug. Photo special to the Journal 28 at Birmingham Sheraton Ballroom.

Fairy Tales Will Come To Life at Annual Ball

Children and adults are invited to meet Cinderella, Peter Pan, magicians, stilt walkers, jugglers and other fairy tale and whimsical characters at the fourth annual Children’s Resources Fairy Tale Ball. The event, set for Aug. 28 from 6 to 9 p.m., benefits children and families in central Alabama. Guests can dance to music by Just a Few Cats, discover riches in the silent auction, explore a life-sized pirate ship, hide inside the Old Woman’s Giant Shoe and have tea with Alice and the Mad Hatter. The evening also includes hors d’oeuvres, cocktails for grownups and a candy bar for children. An all-inclusive family ticket admitting four is $150, a single adult ticket is $70 and an additional child’s ticket is $15. Information and tickets are available online at www.ccr-bhm.org or by calling 252-1991 ext. 306.

ROAR Event Honors Coach Pat Sullivan

The Women’s Committee (Regional Oncology Active Research, ROAR) of the Southeast Cancer Foundation is finalizing plans for its fund-raising event Aug. 29 at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse. The theme for the fundraiser is “An Evening of Miracles – Honoring Coach Pat Sullivan.” Emcees will be Wimp Sanderson and Sonny Smith. After wine and cocktails beginning at 5 p.m., Jack Granger will

HANNA

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MALL

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conduct a live auction. Items include a New Orleans weekend for two with tickets to a Saints game; jewelry donated by Sperry Snow of Barton-Clay Jewelers, Jewels by Rose and Brombergs; and a dinner for 12 prepared in the lucky bidder’s home by Fleming’s

Tenth Avenue North will be in concert along with The Museum as the opening band Aug. 6 at Briarwood Presbyterian Church. Tickets can be purchased through www.iTickets.com or at the Briarwood Bookstore. Advance general admission tickets are $15. Group rate tickets for 20 or more are $12. Tickets at the door are $18. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 776-5282. ❖ Making plans for “An Evening of Miracles” are, from left, front: Tish Gursky, Yvonne Pope and Travis Grappo; back, Sheila Verciglio, Stu Lindquist and Audrey Lindquist.

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Summer tunes, brews and barbecue in the courtyard begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $55, $48 and $38. Call 975-2787 or visit www.alysstephens.org for more information or to buy tickets.

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Monthly Mingles Target Area YPs

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Getting ready for Mountain Brook’s annual Market Day are from left: Marguerite Ray, Katie Prince, Welley Lassen and Brenda Meadows. Journal photo by Jordan Wald

Mountain Brook Merchants Gear Up for Market Day

Mountain Brook Village will host its ninth annual Market Day July 24. A European-style shopping experience that offers music, food, and discounts, Market Day makes a terrific family outing. From 8 a.m.5 p.m., at least 30 stores will offer sales, specials and discounts up to 75 percent. Some stores will open tents outside for a casual shopping environment. From home furnishings and outdoor supplies to clothing and jewelry, Market Day has a wide variety of shopping options. Young runners line up for the 2009 Lori Johnson 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run. The 2010 race that raises funds for the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation will be Aug. 14.

For more information visit www. welcometomountainbrook.com.

Carpenter to Appear at Alys Stephens Center

Mary Chapin Carpenter will perform July 23 at 8 p.m. as part of UAB’s Alys Stephens Center’s summer concert series. During the course of an 11album recording career, singer/ songwriter Carpenter has won five Grammy awards and sold more than 13 million records. She has scored 12 Top 10 singles, including “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” nominated for a Record of the Year Grammy.

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YPBirmingham’s next Monthly Mingle will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at Bottega Cafe on Highlands Avenue South. Monthly Mingles give young professionals the opportunity to meet up and chat with each other in a relaxed environment. These free events are open to all young professionals and feature an optional networking game to facilitate conversation among guests. To promote volunteerism and community service efforts, one non-profit organization is highlighted at every event. United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham will be featured in August. For more information, e-mail amaralm@uab.edu or visit www. ypbirmingham.com.

Fun Run Raises Funds For Ovarian Cancer Research

The sixth annual Lori Johnson 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run begins at 8 a.m. Aug. 14 at Greystone Golf and Country Club. The event will benefit the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation, which promotes ovarian cancer awareness and research funding. The foundation has raised more than $500,000 for research. Funding to date has benefited ovarian cancer research at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center under the direction of Dr. Ronald Alvarez and his associates. The Lori Johnson Fun Run raised about $20,000 for ovarian cancer research in 2009 and included some 400 participants. The Red Cross will host a blood drive at the event. Visit www.active.com to register online or e-mail cjohnson@greystonecc.com for a registration form

Society to Discuss Grave Dowsin

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The Birmingham Genealogical Society will meet at Historic Oak Hill Cemetery July 24 from 2-3 p.m. The speaker will be Billy Wilborn of Gadsden. He will be showing the art of grave dowsin, a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, metals, gemstones and other objects without the use of a scientific apparatus. Dowsin rods will be sold for $5 at the meeting. ❖ Visit otmj.com for more upcoming events in the area.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010 • 7

PEOPLE 2010 Brock School of Business Alumnus of the Year. The Brock School of Business presented the award to Kingren for his extraordinary service to J. Fred Kingren the community, to the organizations in which he participates and to the

school. Kingren received the award at the annual Scholarship and Awards Ceremony April 30 in Reid Chapel on the Samford University campus. Those attending included students, faculty, administrators and previous

alumni honorees. Kingren is a lawyer who helps guide businesses from their early stages of development through their evolution into maturity and ultimately their eventual transition into ownership. ❖

BLUFF PARK WINDOW WORKS

• Wood window restoration and repair • Sash replacement, rot repair • Replace broken and fogged glass • Wood insulated, putty glazed, and composite vinyl replacement sashes Call 205-542-6094 • Locally owned and operated © 2010 Alabama Power Company

SAFET Y TIP No. 34 Vestavia Hills Historical Society officers for 2010-2012 are, from left, front: Preston Pannell, vice president; Shelia Bruce, president; and Anne Boston, treasurer. Back: Ken Lundber and Bob Hart, directors; Jane Paris Smith, hospitality; Margaret Towns and Pat Linton, directors; and Pat Barr, publicity. Not pictured is JoAnne Mote, secretary. The society’s goal is to preserve the city’s history and historical sites. At its July 19 meeting, Dr. Calvin McCulloh will speak on the original location of Sibyl Photo special to The Journal Temple.

Ermert Installed to Association of Justice

Mike Ermert, a partner with Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton, was installed as secretary of the Alabama Association of Justice during the organization’s annual seminar in June. Ermert Mike Ermert joined the Birmingham law firm in 1990 and serves on the board of directors of the Birmingham Bar Foundation. He was treasurer of the Alabama Association of Justice before becoming secretary.

Widman Named Outstanding Undergraduate at UA

Will Widman, 2010 Honors Program with distinction graduate of the University of Alabama, has been named an Outstanding Undergraduate in economics, finance and prelegal studies. Widman, a 2006 graduate of Altamont School and Birmingham native was also selected to the Business Will Widam Honors Program in 2009. Widman worked as an University of Alabama intern last summer in Dublin, Ireland where he was

a writer for “Business Plus,” a business magazine. He is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and Honors College Connection, a mentoring program for freshman honors college students. Widman volunteered with SaveFirst, an Alabama program which trains college, graduate and law students to provide free tax preparation services and opportunities for savings and economic improvement to lowincome, working families.

Lucas Earns Eagle Rank

Bryan Lucas from Boy Scout Troop 237 has earned the rank of Eagle Scout. His Eagle project involved improvement of the band director’s facilities at Homewood Bryan Lucas High School’s marching band practice field. The son of Cathy and Tom Lucas, the Homewood senior earned 25 merit badges. He has been accepted to the school of engineering at Auburn University.

Brock Recognizes Alumnus Kingren

J. Fred Kingren, a partner at Hand Arendall LLC and Liberty Park resident, has been honored as the Samford University

ANOTHER GROUNDBREAKING TIP FROM THE POWER COMPANY. By Mike Barnes Alabama Power Lineman

Here are a few very important things you should know about underground power lines and how to work safely around them. More and more power lines are being buried underground.

Color codes for marking underground utility lines White

Proposed excavation

Pink

Temporary survey markings

Red

Electric power lines, cables,

This poses a considerable threat for both construction workers and do-it-yourself homeowners. Even if you’re undertaking a seemingly harmless job, such as digging a hole for a new fence, the risks are still there.

conduit and lighting cables

You’ve probably heard the “Call before you dig” mantra many times. But take it to heart. Nothing good happens when a

Gas, oil, steam, petroleum

Yellow

or gaseous materials

shovel plunges into a live power line. The number to call is easy to remember: just dial 811. You

Communications, alarm or

Orange

signal lines, cables or conduit

call, preferably at least 48 hours in advance of your project, and the representative will notify all the appropriate utilities.

Blue

Potable water

Pretty easy. Soon after your call, various technicians will come out and

Purple

Reclaimed water, irrigation

Green

Sewers and drain lines

and slurry lines

put colored spray paint in the places where they have lines. I’ve included a chart here so you can tell which one is which. Please take this simple step before you start digging. It’s easy. And it’s free. You’ll save yourself a lot of headaches – and maybe even your life. For more electrical safety tips, visit AlabamaPower.com/safety.

POWS-2147 Call811 5.75x10.indd 1

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Call before you dig.

Dial: 811

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8 • THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010

SOCIAL

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A Funky, Fun Auction Benefits Camp Smile-A-Mile

The Funky Monkey auction hosted by the Junior Board of Directors for Camp SAM June 24 at the B&A Warehouse was a success, raising $40,000 for Camp SAM. Jordan Truelove and Meredith Stutts were the chairwomen of the event. There was a silent auction with one live item – a black Labrador puppy, donated more photos at by junior board member John McElrath. The winning bidder was Taylor King for $950. The décor at the event was black tablecloths with black chair covers and colorful Gerber daisies in wine bottles as the center pieces. Upon entering, guests could purchase raffle tickets for giveaways and getaways. Martinis were sold in martini glasses that were painted at Camp SAM by volunteers. The menu consisted of some of B&A’s signature dishes including the favorite Nacho Station, Southern Comfort Grits Station, and one of the favorite spots of the night, the cheesecake station. Z & The Party Faktory set the mood with some music that had everyone moving.

OTMJ.COM

Top, Wiley Turnipseed, left, and Berdis Blanding were among those in attendance at the Funky Monkey Auction benefiting Camp SAM. Left, enjoying the night were Whitney Poole and Brian Blythe. Attending the Funky Monkey Auction at the B&A Warehouse were from left: Jamie Carey and Daniel Bolongaro.

Photos special to the Journal

All Fired Up for the Fourth

Riverchase residents and friends ...

Cooper Poirier, Morgan Wenz, Harper Poirier, Lynne Cooper and Griffin Poirer decorated their Volkswagon Bug for the Fourth of July Photo special to the Journal celebration in the Riverchase community.

... enjoyed festive neighborhood-wide events during the Fourth of July weekend. A fireworks display and barbecue dinner were held at Riverchase Country Club July 2. On July 3, residents decorated their convertibles, antique cars and motorcycles for a star-spangled drive through the streets of Riverchase, ending in food and fun activities at the country club’s driving range. The annual events were joint efforts of the Riverchase Residential Association, Riverchase Women’s Club and Riverchase Country Club.

ring toss, doll booth, toy car racing and bingo. The festival, organized by the Knights of Columbus Council No. 4304, featured Bobby “T” Tanory providing music and karaoke. There was also a raffle with eight great prizes and the awarding of the Ernie Eltz volunteer of the year award. Grand marshal was the Rev. Msgr. Martin Muller, OLS pastor. Festival proceeds go to the OLS Building Fund, the OLS School and the Knights of Columbus. ❖

How Did You Celebrate the Fourth?

Send us your pictures and, we’ll post them online. Go to otmj.com and click on “Got News” to share your photos.

About 5,000 pounds of barbecue hit the grill ...

Mary, Millie, and Annie McBride show off the dolls they won at the doll booth during the Independence day Festival at Our Lady of Sorrows Photo special to the Journal Church in Homewood.

... for one of Birmingham’s oldest Fourth of July celebrations: the 61st annual Independence Day Festival at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Homewood. In addition to food, the July 3 festival included the popular Trash ‘n’ Treasure rummage sale in the gym and a huge tent full of furniture in the parking lot. Games for all ages included a dunking booth, minature golf, cake walk, horse racing,

Enjoying the OLS Church Independence Day festival were, from left, Alyssa Baylon, Amica Rapadas, Allysa Rapadas and Samantha Photo special to The Journal Chriesman.

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010 • 9

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

The Comida-Encores Dance Club ...

Having a good time at the Gaieties Dinner Dance Club’s “Invitation to travel through the looking glass” were from left: Anne Martin, Kathleen Photo special to the Journal Bruhn and Mary Steiner.

The Gaieties Dinner Dance Club ...

... celebrated its 61st year with an “Invitation to travel through the looking glass.” President Anne Martin, with Wendell, and vice president dance chairman Kathleen Bruhn, with Dr. Hampton Smith, greeted more than 120 members and guests. Robert Logan of Backstage Florist created a scene of red green and purple feathers and topsy-turvey pink Flamingoes on black and white linens in the ballroom at Mountain Brook Country Club. Some of the officers seen dancing to the classics combo were Janie Henderson and Jimbo, Patricia Johnson, Glenn Slye, Morjorie Forney, Becky Bates and David, Brownie Evans and Barry, Cheryl Williams and Shorty, Edith Medley and Fred and Doris White and Joe McCracken. New members joining the merriment were, Ann Key and Gillie, Mary Roebuck and Terrell Spencer, Natasha Randolph and Richard, Lucy Allison and Dan and Shelly Clark and Jerry. Among others attending were: Shila Bowron and Henry Cobb, Clara Bingham, Ann and John Baker, Coquette and Bill Barnes, Nita Cox and Ed Thomas, Betty Jo and John Cowin, Carolyn Carter, Nita and Coy Collinsworth, Miriam

and Frank Davies, Jill and Kip Dangler, June and John Eagan, Louise and Sharp Gillespy, Beverly and John Goff, June Henderson and Marta Naramore, Fay Hall and George Babs, Nancy and Bob Jones, Susie and Ed Kissel, Sue and Bob Kreider, Nancy and Lamar Latimer, Marcia and Ken Little, Minnie Lee and Wiley Livingston, Say and Bill Longshore, Joy Magruder and Hap Chichester, Ann Massey, Janie and Ed Meadows, Betsy and Harry Miller, Bebe and Jack Noble, Sandra and Terry Oden, Valerie and Tom Pankey, Kathleen and George Petznick, Jane and Ted Randolph, Pat and Kenneth Robinson, Mary Roebuck and Terrell, Ann and Harris Saunders, Gail and Charlie Sharp, Winyss and Dick Shepard, Elma Shugerman, Elaine and Lamar Smith, Mary steiner, Karin and Jack Stewart, Cindy and Andy Strickland, Kitty Sutherland, Katy and Charles Terry, Jeanie and Lee Walthall, Mary Elizabeth and Jimmy Waitzman, Bobbie Winfree.

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... held its spring dance May 7 at Vestavia Country Club. The theme for the dance was “May Day.” Decorating the tables with spring pastels were Mollie Midlik, Elaine Hughes and Alice Ellison. Music was provided by Carol Downey and the Tradewinds. Members attending the event were: president Lillian Somers with Buck, Wilma Thompson with Charles, Mollie Midlik with Bill, AliceEllison with Tony, Elaine Hughes with Bobby, Lisa Roberts, Susan Rapier with Bob, Beth Yoder with Robert, Sylvia Stagner with Dan, Kathy Morris with Bill, Joan Kohut with Jack Porterfield, Julie Narz, Pat Coshatt with Henry, Shelayne Thompson with Avery, Mary Rankin with Brad, Darlene Higginbotham with Steve, Joanne McConnell with Art, Lucie Ellard with Eason Balch, Kathy Miller

Enjoying the Comida-Encores Spring Dance recently at the Vestavia Country Club were from left: Wilma Thompson, Darlene Higginbotham, Lillian Somers, Alice Ellison, Mollie Midlik and Elaine Hughes. Photo special to the Journal

with Ted, Mary Ann Nelson with R.E., and Jeannie Johnson with Lanier. ❖

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Reservations required & seating is limited. Go to www.everydayartist.net or call Vallie at 907-0116.

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10 • THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010

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MARKET D AY SATURDAY JULY 24th

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3138 Cahaba Heights Road • 969-3138 Mon.-Sat. 10:00 - 5:00

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The Jefferson County Medical Society Alliance ...

Holding a shawl made by Zena Schulman for the “Close Knits” are, from left, Dianne Luketic, Susan Hammontree, Beth Halsey and Jeannie Photo special to The Journal Davis.

An endless possibility of creations that can be used to stack with almost any ring. The wearable art - you can decide on how risqué or classic you want it to be.

�� At a recent SWC50 luncheon were, from left, Sally Price, president of the group; 2010 Women of Distinction Dr. Betsy Rogers, Patsy Riley and �� Lenora Pate; and Mary Jo Hand, event chairman.

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... held its annual meeting May 4 at The Club. President Donna Huggins decorated tables with arrangements of daisies, sunflowers and orange roses. Several caps and shawls from the “Close Knits” projects made by members for oncology patients were on display. Kay Savage installed new officers with a challenge and a beautiful Mexican rose. Sue Cybulsky presented a memorial ceremony, reading a poem and reciting the names of members who died during the past year as a white rose was placed in a vase in remembrance of them. Anne Lamkin won the Community Service Award and received a framed document citing her service not only to the medical alliance but also to many other organizations. Nell Williams introduced three of the group’s new members: Mary Beth Halsey, Susan Hammontree and Cindy Ostrowski. At the previous board meeting, a resolution was passed making 95-year old Vivian LaRussa an honorary member of the JCMSA for her contribution of 18 caps to the “Close Knits” project.

Members of the Southern Women’s ...

... Committee of 50 welcomed three notable Alabama women to the 13th annual SWC50 Women of Distinction luncheon at The Club. Funds raised through ticket sales and donations from the more than 400 attendees will benefit the Lovelady Center and the Birthday Wish program of the Alabama Foster and Adoptive Parents Association. Almost $50,000 was raised at the event. Honored at the luncheon were Alabama First Lady Patsy Riley, Birmingham attorney Lenora Pate and 2003 National Teacher of the Year Dr. Betsy Rogers. Those attending the SWC50 luncheon included Bobbie Knight, Cathy Staggs, Barbara Edwards, Blanche Montgomery, Brian Payne, John Lyda, Vikki Grodner, Jack Schaeffer, John, Rhonda and Leslie Cooper and, from Montgomery, Cathy Gassenheimer and Carolyn Novak. Others there were Jackie Walsh, Tony Thacker, Jodi Newton, Diana McQueen, Dr. Gary Fenton, Sheriff Mike Hale, Dr. Toy Holland, Ellen Staner, Faye Walker, Debbie Morris, Irene Collins, Judge Nikki Still, Maria Kennedy, Nancy Dupree, Sheila Wells, Megan Kappel, Terri Sullivan, Della Fancher and Melissa Allphin. ❖

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Members of the Birmingham Zeta Tau Alpha Alumnae Chapter include, from left, front: Rachel Knain and Caroline Jones. Back: Janna Perry, Ashley Nicholson, Areta Moseley, Sarah Gaskin and Jennifer Inghram.

Zeta Tau Alpha’s Birmingham ...

... Alumnae Chapter welcomed new graduates in the area into alumnae membership. Senior ceremonies were held at the collegiate ZTA chapters at both Birmingham-Southern College and Samford University. The Zeta Tau Alpha alumnae chapter hosts monthly lunches as well as after-hours meetings. In addition to social events, members support ZTA’s national philanthropy, breast cancer awareness and education, by participating in Race for the Cure as well as other service projects to raise money for the ZTA Foundation.

The Birmingham Music Club Guild ...

Photo special to The Journal

a major fundraising event set for March 5. Billed as “Bravo! Birmingham,” the production will bring to Wright Center’s stage nationally-recognized musical talent with Birmingham roots and will incorporate several musical styles. Project co-chairman Marsha Drennen described the fundraiser as an event of “seamless entertainment” that will begin with a gala at Birmingham Country Club, followed by the production at Wright Center and ending with refreshments with the star performers on the center’s mezza-

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010 • 13

nine. Also co-chairing the event is Jeanne Bradford. Carolyn Reich installed the new guild officers. Membership co-chairmen Terry Hamilton and Betsy Rietz welcomed new members along with guests Tina White, Linda Cooper, Marsha Terrell, Lynda Whitney, Margie Sabino and Pat Grant. Judy Anderson and Charlann Anderson were recognized for co-chairing the Guild’s hospitality committee during 2009-2010. Olivet Willis and Pat Megliola coordinated refreshments for the membership coffee. Assisting were Mary Frances Bailey, Fran Fendley, Janine Goode, Margaret Patrick, Julia Russell, Joy Schuffert, Katy Terry and Elouise Williams. Others mingling at the annual gathering were Anne Collum, Frances Wheelock, Patricia Johnson, Dorinda Smith, Anne Carey, Judy Long, Olivia Weingarten, Wilma Geels, Janis Zeanah, Dot Crook, Jan Cash, Corinne Greer, Rose Lofton, Edith Bauman, Suzanne McCain, Jo Nell Hales, Carol McCoy, Grace Cooper, Linda Cooper, Patti Summerford, Glenda Soaracio, Kim Lepley, Anne Lamkin, Mimi Arrington, Kay Clark, Jane Ellis, Marlea Foster, Therese Mays, Ann Johnston, Fran Gatch, Judy Haise, Betty Miller, Fay Hart and Martha Black. ❖

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Tom Walker, director and founder of the American Village in Montevallo, was guest speaker for the Camellia Garden Club’s April 19 meeting. Among those welcoming him were guest Lenora DeMarco, left, and club president Carolyn LaGroue. Photo special to The Journal

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... installed new officers, recruited new members and heard plans for the coming year at its May 7 membership coffee at the Mountain Brook home of Maura Goodwyn. Mary-Noel Sellers was installed as the new president of the Birmingham Music Club (BMC) Guild. Mrs. Sellers, formerly executive vice president, succeeds Elaine Clark as presiding officer of the 300member Guild. Kay Clark is the incoming executive vice president. BMC Executive Director Cindy Harper announced plans At a Birmingham Music Club Guild coffee were, from left, new member for the Music Club’s 2010-2011 Madelon Rushing, Anne Collum and Dr. Julia Russell. Photo special to The Journal season. The BMC is now in its 105th year as the southeast’s oldest cultural arts organization with a consistent history of bringing world-class performing SPECIALISTS artist to local audiences. BMC will partner with SPECIALIZING IN: Alabama Ballet to present the classical ballet “Giselle” Feb. CONVERTIBLE TOPS 23. In the fall of 2010, two parSUNROOFS lor performances will be held in outstanding Birmingham-area LEATHER INTERIORS homes where guests can enjoy superb classical music in an inti- 1201 3rd Avenue South . Birmingham, AL 35233 mate setting. Phone: 205-251-0684 . www.AlabamaAutoTop.com A highlight of 2011 will be

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The Women’s Committee of 100 for Birmingham ...

... honored several members of the community April 27 at its awards luncheon at The Club. Gov. Albert Brewer was named 2010 Citizen of the Year. Tee and John Croyle were joint recipients of the 2010 Brother Bryan Prayer Point Award, and Diana and Eric Hansen of White Flowers won the 2010 Small Business Award. President Anne Gibbons presided at the luncheon. Carolyn Awards chairman Carolyn Drennen, left, congratulates those honored Drennen, awards chairman, preat the Women’s Committee of 100 for Birmingham, including, from left, sented the awards. Anne Gibbons, John Croyle, Tee Croyle, Diana Hansen, Eric Hansen Catherine Allen, the 2009 Photo special to The Journal and Gov. Albert Brewer. Humanitarian of the Year recipient and Women’s Committee Sproull, John Taylor, Carole and Dick Jackson, Bill Johnson, member, gave the invocation and Thomas, Rae Trimmier, Kathy Lucille and Bud Johnson, benediction. Featured speaker Walton, Gerry Waters, Clark Carolyn Johnson, Ethel King, was Phyllis Hoffman DePiano, Watson, Doris Wayman, Atley Kitchings, Anne Lamkin, CEO of Hoffman Media, Women’s Dorothy Weathers, Frances Jim Lewis; Joe and Shirley Committee member and recipient Wideman, Elouise Williams, Jim Lewis, Jean Liles, Harriet of the 2007 Small Business Award Williams, Jo and Reid Wills, Maloof, Kay McCarty, Patti prior to her membership in the McDonald, Virginia McDorman, Mary Wyatt, and Deborah organization. Young, Joe Adams, Marci Anne Michaels, Marie Moss, Sitting with Gov. Brewer Edwards; Carol Ogle, Gerry Kathy Myatt, Dorothy Farm Market and Garden Center were Allison and Mark Waters, Jim Williams, Shirley Naughton, Nelda Osment, Calhoun, Jim Cooper, Kay and Bill Austin, Lee Allen, Buck Joan Parker, Sue Parker, Alvin and Rudy Davidson, Gail and �� Pelton, Kathleen Petznick, Mary Brock, Dean John Carroll, Jim Moebes and Fay Wright. Sarah Latham, Jim Lewis, and Jack Pfrimmer, Nancy Rocky Ridge Road • Vestavia • 824-0233 With the Hansens and Croyles Randy Pittman, Kathy Walton, Barr Plaia, Nelda Pugh, Laura were Dorothy McDaniel, Pat Clark Watson, Deborah Young, Hwy 150 • Hoover • 402-2639 Ramsay, Carolyn Reich, Lisa Scofield, Judy Haise, Lena Chervis and Martha Isom, Roberts, Ann Rose, Sarah Ruiz Knight, Kathryn Porter and Nan Voted Birmingham’s Best Garden Center Dr.and Mrs. William Hull and de Molina, Clarence Small; Teninbaum. Andrew Hull. �� Carolyn Satterfield, Cynnie Other guests included Jo Ballard, Pat Barr, Kitty Boswell, Margaret and Julian Brown, Trent Caddis, Pat and David Carder, Mary Alice Carmichael, Jenna Cassese, Kirk Cater, Dorothy �� Chambers from Fairhope, Pat �� and T.L. Cloar, Martha Cobb, � �� Nita and Coy Collingsworth, �� Bettye Fine Collins; Gera and David Comfort, Marla Corts, �� Lyndra Daniel, Patsy and Cliff �� Dodson, Ann Durwood, Mary Kate Dyer, Barbara Edwards, Marcie Edwards, Peggy �� and Bob Faircloth, Pauline �� Fugazatto, Toula Fulford, Mary Funderburg, Grady Gibbons, At a check presentation in support of Children’s Hospital’s Critical Care Betty Noe Gonder, Annie Green, Transport are: Dr. Margaret Winkler, Hoover Rotary Club president �� Betty Hawkins, Carol Hines, �� Ashley Neese, members of the flight crew and support personnel, Andrea Dorothy Hodges, Mary Louise �� Martin, director of Children’s Hospital Foundation, and Rotarian Larry Hodges, Jenny Hudson, Sadie Photo special to The Journal Sparks. �� At Columbia Cottage Assisted Living, we provide the comfort and care that your family needs, right �� here in the neighborhood. Stop by today to meet our warm, inviting Homemakers, enjoy one of our famous chocolate chip cookies, and see how your loved one ... met at Children’s Hospital �� can find a home at Columbia Cottage! to present a $9,000 check for the hospital’s Critical Care Transport 7 Levels of Personalized Care unit. The Hoover club has joined Warm, Cozy Environment with all clubs in Rotary District 6860 to donate $1 million for Homestyle Meals the unit, which includes both Laundry & Housekeeping aviation and ground transport and Family Owned and Operated serves children in Alabama, parts of Mississippi, Georgia and the Call us today at (205) 968-0000! Florida panhandle. The unit, called when children 3776 Crosshaven Dr. at Overton Rd. need to be transported to Children’s Hospital, consists of a physician, �� nine nurses, nine respiratory therawww.cottageassistedliving.com �� pists, a nurse coordinator and two �� pilots. ❖

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Your family loves this neighborhood... ...don’t you want them right here with you?

Members of Hoover Rotary Club recently ...

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010 • 15

SOCIAL

Margie and Walter Roberts were among those having fun at the Mount Photo special to the Journal Royal Towers senior prom.

Mount Royal Towers hosted its annual ...

... Sr. Senior Prom for the residents of the ActivCare residential Alzheimer’s program and their families May 12. Guests enjoyed music, dancing, refreshments and an opportunity for residents and their families to create new memories more photos at and reminisce about the days when they participated in such affairs. The men donned tuxedos and the ladies wore formal gowns gathered by the staff of Mount Royal Towers. Attendees danced the night away to such songs as “Rockin’ Robin,” “The Twist,” “Stars Fell on Alabama” and “ ‘A’ Train.” More than 35 residents attended the event with 50 of their family members. The annual senior prom at Mount Royal Towers is a tradition that started in 1991.

OTMJ.COM

Mitchell, prepared and served a sit-down dinner. Tables glowed from lighted candles in metal lanterns embellished by Frankie Hays with a variety of hydrangea blossoms. Jerry Gilbert conducted a live auction. Proceeds from the auction benefited Aldridge Gardens. Welcoming guests with the Aldridges were board members Dale Boehm, Charlie Diggs and wife Patsy, Bill Johnson and wife Hettie, Paulette Pearson and husband Bill, Greg Powell, Nicole’ Rayborn and husband Richard, John Sellers and his wife Deborah, Linda Sewell and husband Steve, Frank Skinner and wife Mary, Gary Stokes and executive director Rip Weaver and wife Kathy. Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos and Judge Theresa Petelos,

Gene and Pam Smith, Mari Morrison, Alan and Edna Pate and Rep. Paul DeMarco were among many other friends of the Gardens enjoying the event. Others there were Mark and Cathy Boardman, April and Gregg Danielson, Martha and Fletcher Yielding, Dave and Emily Naefe, David and Allison Bradley, Sonya and David Carrington, Judy and David Funk, Carol Beall, Jennifer Beall, Ken and Patricia Hubbard, Cecelia and Tom Surtees and Ken Jackson. Committee members for the event were chairman Nicole’ Rayborn, Kay Aldridge, Charlie Diggs, Frankie Hays, Beverly Meadors, Paulette Pearson, Teresa Real, Linda Sewell, Christine Simonton, Lois Taylor, Helen Todd and Lynda Wasden. ❖

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�� Dot Van Kyke, left, and Kay Aldridge enjoy the Hydrangeas Under the Stars benefit at Aldridge Botanical Gardens.

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Photo special to The Journal

For more Social news from the Over the Mounta area visit otmj.com.

STRAIGHT TEETH ARE WITHIN YOUR REACH

Aldridge Botanical Gardens recently ...

... hosted its ninth annual Hydrangeas Under the Stars garden benefit. Garden founders Kay and Eddie Aldridge welcomed more than 200 guests into the gardens for the event. Guests enjoyed music in the Aldridge House with pianist Shaun Pezant before being invited to the pavilion, where the Culinary and Hospitality Institute of Jefferson State Community College, under the direction of Chef Joseph

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16 • THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010

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public people, private places

Cathy Criss Adams - The Historian/Writer

Carolyn Goldsmith - The Painter

Ben Burford - The Musician

Artists’ Haven

They say art imitates life, and in the case of these artists you could say their work imitates their lifestyle and home. This year, our Public People Private Places section features artists in their homes, and their living spaces do truley reflect their medium and are just as unique and different as their talents. Journal photos by Emil Wald

An English Accent

Cathy Criss Adams’ Redmont House and Garden are Full of Cottage Charm with Big City Views

Spacious Basement is Creative Retreat at Artist Carolyn Goldsmith’s Crestline Home

BY DONNA CORNELIUS JOURNAL FEATURES WRITER

BY LAURA MCALISTER JOURNAL EDITOR

f Cathy Criss Adams’ house could be magically transported across the Pond, it would look perfectly at home with its neighbors. Mellow sandstone walls, beamed ceilings and a charming perennial garden make the house distinctly English in style. In fact, its architects, from the firm of Warren Knight and Davis, called the structure a “Cotswold cottage.” But the house wouldn’t be the same without its Redmont surroundings. Neither would its owner. Cathy didn’t grow up in the historic Birmingham neighborhood. She likely knows more about it, however, than many who spent their childhoods there. An accomplished writer, Cathy is the author of two novels – “Other Autunms” and “Truth Be Told” – as well as “Worthy of Remembrance,” an extensive history of Redmont. The book started as a presentation for a national Neighborhood of the Year award. “This was supposed to take about six months to do,” Cathy said. “It turned into two years, seven days a week. I spent hours in the library and interviewing people.” When Cathy and husband Tom, a Mountain Brook native, got engaged, “He said, ‘We’re going to live in Redmont one day,’ ” she said. The couple started out in Crestline and then lived on Sterling Road for 18 years before moving to their Aberdeen Road home in 1997.

hen choosing a house, most couples look for a fabulous kitchen or grand master suite and bath, but not Carolyn Goldsmith. It was actually the basement of her home that won her over. Carolyn and husband Rusty have lived in their Crestline home for about four years. While the main level of the house, with an open floor plan and lots of windows and hardwood floors, is great for entertaining and relaxing, it’s the basement of the house where Carolyn feels most at home. Carolyn is an artist. She’s most known for her colorful acrylic faceless figure paintings and abstracts. Her work can be found in several local galleries, including the Larry Atchison Gallery in Mountain Brook and the Monty Stable Gallery in Homewood. Her paintings are also in galleries in Georgia, North Carolina and Florida and are displayed in office buildings and hotels throughout the Southeast. Just as Carolyn’s paintings are elegant yet whimsical, so is her home. When the Goldsmiths decided to return to Birmingham after living in Houston, Carolyn wanted a space fit for painting, and lots of it. That’s just what she got in her Crestline home.

Arched doorways and beams accent the cottage charm of Cathy Adams’ Redmont home. Niches above the bookcases were trademarks of the architectural firm of Warren Knight and Davis, Cathy said.

A Painter’s Paradise

See Adams, Page 19

The dining table in Rusty and Carolyn Goldsmith’s home is said to have come from the flooring of a French hotel. One of Carolyn’s abstract paintings brightens the dining area. “We chose this house because it had a great place for a studio,” Carolyn said, referring to the basement. “Rusty said once he saw this space he knew we were getting this house. This is my favorite place to be. Right here in this studio.” Carolyn is right at home resting on a couch in the studio in paint-splattered clothes. The space is nothing fancy, but it’s just what the artist wanted. It’s got lots of space, high ceilings, and the modified garage door offers just the right amount of light. “It’s just a really freeing space,” she said. “I feel like anything is possible here.

See Goldsmith, Page 17

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Goldsmith

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010 • 17

Continued from Page 16

Even though there’s light on only one side, it’s good, and that’s what you need, light and space.” The space is filled with canvases of every size and still leaves room for Carolyn’s art library, an office and even a little area for her grandchildren to create their own works of art. While hours could be spent browsing Carolyn’s paintings in the studio, the upstairs of the house is also something in which an art lover could get lost. In her home, Carolyn keeps the decor soft and neutral. She uses her own and others’ artwork to bring in punches of bright colors. The furnishings are mainly antiques and have been passed down through their families or purchased during the couple’s travels. “We do have a lot of things that have been passed down, which are really some of my favorite pieces of furniture and artwork. Then we have a lot of stuff from our travels,” Carolyn said. “We have some very old pieces, but then right next to it is contemporary art.” In the kitchen, where Carolyn and Rusty are known to serve up gourmet meals to family and friends, cookbooks by popular Birmingham chefs are surrounded by an antique tea caddy. A large, colorful bowl purchased by the

The coffee table in the Goldsmiths’ living room is a work of art itself. Made by New York artists Phillip and Kelvin LaVern, the piece was inherited by the couple from Rusty’s cousin. couple while in Mexico is the centerpiece of the island. The kitchen opens to the living and dining room, where over the mantel sits one of Carolyn’s signature abstract paintings. Its bright pops of blue, yellow and pink add a splash of color to the otherwise neutral room. The couple keeps the television hidden in an antique English linen chest inherited from Rusty’s family. One of the more unique pieces in the living room is the coffee table. It’s another antique, this one inherited from Rusty’s cousin, who purchased it from New York artists Phillip and Kelvin LaVerne. The LaVernes, a father-son

team, began creating their pewter and bronze pieces in the 1950s, and looked at them as “functional sculptures” rather than furniture. Etched into the table top are ancient

See Goldsmith, Page 20

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18 • THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010

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Ben and Jean Burford’s contemporary house on Vestavia’s Sunset Drive was designed and built by Ben’s father, an architect who admired the work of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Blast from the Past

BY DONNA CORNELIUS

Chevy 6’s Ben Burford Loves Life in Childhood Home

JOURNAL FEATURES WRITER

I’m in the Alford Avenue Office. Call 222-7716

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s lead singer for Chevy 6, Ben Burford loves making audiences remember their lighthearted college days. Former sorority girls hear “With This Ring” and remember wishing for one of their own, while businessmen listen to “Shout” and think nostalgically of the time when their daily uniforms were Izod shirts and khakis instead of stuffy suits. “People will tell us, ‘I feel so young when I hear you play,’ ” said Ben, who started the band as a University of Alabama senior in 1975. Ben, who is a a partner and senior graphic artist at DavisDenny, a Birmingham communications firm and ad agency, is familiar with the comfort of happy memories. They’re around him every day in the house his father built. “My dad, Frank, was an architect – and also an artist and singer,” Ben said. “He was from Ensley Highlands and designed every house he lived in.”

An appealing assortment of artwork in the Burfords’ dining room includes, from left: Four Seasons by Jiang, two etchings by Joan Miro, a ceramic birdhouse by Mary Elizabeth Kimbrough and a trilogy of etchings by Nall. The large painting on the floor is by Chris Lawson and Doug Baulos. five years ago, and he couldn’t be In 1948, Frank Burford built his happier about the decision. first house in Vestavia Hills. “I insisted on having this “That was before Vestavia was house,” he said. incorporated,” Ben said. After that, He and Jean have filled the conFrank bought a lot on Sunset Drive, temporary-style structure with art, right on the golf course of Vestavia most of it by Alabama artists. The County Club, for $5,000. Ben was collection is like Ben himself: colborn when his parents were living orful, bright and lots of fun. there. Works by Nall, Mark Singer, “Dad was a Frank Lloyd Wright Thornton Dial and Jimmy Lee devotee, so the house is in that Sudduth keep company with style,” he said. He and wife Jean framed cartoon production cels moved into Ben’s childhood home and paintings by Ben himself. A portrait of former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy (let’s just say it’s straightforward about Scrushy’s misdeeds) and a whimsical Monopoly board painted on a table are by Studio By the Tracks artists. Ben’s a board member at the nonprofit organization that provides free art classes to special needs adults and emotionally conflicted children. Family photos Plumbsouth service llc are prominently displayed, too. Ben particularly treasures pictures Call today for all of your plumbing needs of his beautiful mother Rosie, a Over 14 years of Experience singer who died when Ben was 8 years old, and one of his father (205) 572-0947 with a band called “Bill Rollins and His Frollickers,” taken at the Specializing in: Birmingham airport. “I heard music • Custom Plumbing • Remodels all the time, every single day,” Ben • New Construction • Repairs said. “I have to have music on now • Installation • Water Services all the time. I come home and turn • Sewers • Drain Cleaning on my iPod. “I like everything but • Water Heaters country and rap. I love the oldies but like the new stuff, too.” Master Plumber Although the house retains Licensed/Insured much of its original look, some Competitive rates changes have been made over the Prompt & reliable 1 year warranty years. A former patio was enclosed 24 Hour service to make a den, where you’ll find Allen Hinkle the stump of a hickory tree that (owner)

See Burford, Page 20

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010 • 19

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Built in 1923 for $76,000, the house was first owned by Charles and Margaret DeBardeleben. “Our house stayed in one family until the early 1990s – two generations, except for an interim owner who was interested in old houses,” Cathy said. “It was in great shape. There were no bad 1960s-style renovations.” The interim owner did install a new kitchen, and the Adamses upgraded the master bathroom and added a terrace overlooking the Birmingham skyline. “If the original owners walked in today, they’d recognize their house,” Cathy said. Elements typical of Warren Knight and Davis remain, such as A neglected lot across the street from Cathy’s house was transformed into niches in the living room and light a beauty spot with Russian sage, coneflowers, Don Juan roses and phlox fixtures designed by architect Will along a new fence with an arbor. Warren and made in England. “These architects were known for their attention to detail,” Cathy said. The house still has radiators, hand-pegged tiger eye oak flooring and oak paneling in the living room. The quoin vaulted ceiling in the foyer is faux-finished molded plaster; the walls are hand-crafted “thumbprint” plaster. An inviting Palladian sunroom is Tom’s favorite space for relaxing, Cathy said. She most loves the upstairs room designed with love �� and filled with family treasures for granddaughters Ashlyn Olivia and Skylar Ann Adams. �� “When my mom died last fall, we found lots of toys in her attic,” Cathy said. They also brought home a rocking chair that belonged to Cathy’s great-grandfather. “When we went to clear out my mother’s house, my husband told me I could bring back only one U-Haul full of stuff,” she said. But when they saw the rocking chair on the front porch, Tom relented. Storewide Sale 25% OFF Friday & Saturday “He said we could get a second �� U-Haul if we had to so we could �� bring back that chair,” Cathy said. �� “He said, ‘I remember your� dad sit- �� ting in that chair and reading to our �� children, and I want to be able to do �� that with our grandchildren.’ ” �� The entire house is full of other reminders of the couple’s family. Portraits of their children, Jeff and �� Jenny, by artist Barbara Moon hang �� over fireplaces in the living room and sunroom. In the foyer is a photo of Tom’s grandmother, lovely in an �� ornate white dress. �� “We thought it must be a wed�� ding portrait, but it was actually �� taken for her high school graduation,” Cathy said. Like the terrace, Everything where Cathy and Tom usually eat Handcrafted in when the weather’s fine, the rooms on the Crest Road side of the house Alabama by Alabama offer sweeping views of downtown Senior Citizens Birmingham. That’s not why the DeBardelebens and other early Redmont residents chose the loca-

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PRIMETIME TREASURES

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Continued from Page 18 once grew in the area Also in the den is a kidneyshaped coffee table crafted by Ben’s father. “My dad made all the furniture, like Frank Lloyd Wright,” Ben said. Jean’s father is represented, too, in the Danish modern sofa and chairs in the living area. “It came from his orthodontist office,” Ben said. “Pretty cool, huh?” Those who know Ben and his brash personality won’t be surprised that he’s up-front about his favorite addition to the house: a urinal in the master bedroom. “When we redid the house, I just had to have it,” he said, adding that his prized possession is extremely practical.

Goldsmith

Continued from Page 17

Chinese scenes that are covered in �� an iridescent film, or patinas, devel�� oped through an aging process. The slabs of metal were dipped into a �� sod and chemical mixture and left there about six weeks. Once they �� achieved the desired coloring, the ��metal was sealed in wax and refrigerated in sub-zero temperatures to �� freeze the hues into lasting brightness. �� While the coffee table is used the way the artists intended – as a work of art and furniture – many of the Goldsmiths’ antiques are used in not so traditional ways. In the Kathy’s Designer Kitchens, Inc. dining room, for example, an old 1831 29th Ave. S. • Homewood, AL 35209 family secretary’s desk is used to 205-871-9880 • Kathy Owens, CKD, President display china and crystal.

Adams

Continued from Page 19

tion, according to Cathy. “People were looking for cool breezes, not a view,” she said. Cathy’s passion for gardening first bloomed at Aberdeen Road. “At one time, this house had formal gardens with gardeners

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“People say how remarkably clean our bathroom is, and I can go in there with my eyes closed and know right where it is.” The Burford family includes two sons. Ben lives in Houston, where the Rice University graduate is a drama director and teacher at the Kincaid School. Frank, recently married to Wendy Walters, works for Pricewaterhouse in Atlanta. Like his father, he’s a graduate of the University of Alabama. “Of course, both are absolutely brilliant,” said their father with a grin. Chevy 6 has had a hectic schedule almost since the band’s inception in 1975. “For years, we blanketed most of the Southeastern Conference,” Ben said. The group has performed in more distant locations, too, such as Beaver Creek, Colo., for the Young Presidents convention and at a huge estate in Providence, R.I., for a posh wed-

Modern works of art welcome those entering the Goldsmiths’ home. Carolyn said the dining room table came from an antique shop; before being transformed into a table it was supposedly flooring from a hotel in France. The long on site,” she said. “But when we moved here, nothing had been done for about 15 or 20 years.” Although she “only knew about impatiens” at first, she set to work reviving the gardens with the help of Jeff Powell, owner of Petals from the Past in Jemison. The task wasn’t easy. “Birmingham Botanical Gardens did an exhibition on the 50 most invasive plants, and all of them

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ding. “When the boys were growing up, I’d try to come home after every job to be there the next day,” Ben said. He’s quick to credit wife Jean, a Realtor with RealtySouth, for her support and good humor. “I’m very fortunate because Jean didn’t complain, even though we’d play 18 to 20 times a month sometimes. “Of course, I did give her the checks, so that helped.” Just as Chevy 6 transports listeners to a carefree past, Ben’s house takes him back in time. In the flagstone floors that his dad installed, “I can pick out shapes – a chicken, a penguin and a church. I saw them as a child and still see them. “That’s weird, but comforting.” Not at all weird is another heartwarming quality evoked by Ben’s childhood home. “I feel my parents here every day,” he said. ❖ narrow table makes the perfect setting for gourmet dinner parties. Colorful contemporary art leads the way up the stairs to the second story, where there is a library and office space for Rusty along with guest bedrooms for the couple’s grandchildren. The master bedroom is on the main level of the house, and contains what Carolyn says might be her favorite piece of art in their home. It’s a signed Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) print. The artist worked primarily in watercolors and painted lively scenes of the French seaside. It’s a mainstay in the house. As for her own paintings in the house, Carolyn changes them out occ asionally. And why not? There’s always something new to choose from just down the stairs in her basement studio. ❖ came from here,” she said. More rewarding finds were planters and olive jars buried in the ground. The garden behind the house bursts with favorite flowers – sunflowers, coneflowers, day lilies, roses and hydrangeas – and with Japanese maples and a towering magnolia. “This is more a spring and fall garden because that’s when I like to be outside,” Cathy said. “It’s technically a perennial bed with some annuals thrown in.” Cathy also transformed a neglected lot across the street into a beauty spot. She and Powell planted Russian sage, coneflowers, Don Juan roses and phlox along a new fence with an arbor. The Adamses love sharing their home, which was featured on HGTV’s popular “If Walls Could Talk” show. They often entertain and opened their garden to a Garden Conservancy tour in 2004 Since both house and garden are so decidedly English, it seems fitting that Cathy and Tom were actually in England when they purchased their much-loved home. “We bought it crammed together in one of those red telephone booths in Cornwall,” Cathy said. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Sue Huang’s Vestavia Hills Central Elementary School fourth grade class recently won first place in a Birmingham Water Works Board Photo special to the Journal “What Water Means to Me” poster contest.

Vestavia Class Wins Water Works Contest

Sue Huang’s fourth grade class at Vestavia Hills Central Elementary School won first place in the Birmingham Water Works Board’s “What Water Means to Me” poster contest. Classes that participated in the poster contest are also part of the inaugural class of the BWWB’s H2O University, a school-based initiative piloted in 13 elementary and middle schools during the 2009-2010 school year. Diplomas were awarded to Huang’s class members and to more than 300 other students May 7 at Vestavia Hills Central. The poster contest was held in observance of National Drinking Water Week May 2-8. Huang’s class received goodie bags and a surprise visit from BWWB media partners during their graduation exercise. Their entry will also be displayed on the BWWB Web site.

OTM Students Win Marmurek Scholarships

Karis A. Dison from Hoover High School and C. Smylie Kaufman from Vestavia Hills High School are recipients of the annual Adam Marcus Marmurek Scholarship. Adam Marcus Marmurek was a 13-year-old

student from Vestavia Hills who died in 1995 due to complications following a bone marrow transplant. Recipients received $1,000 scholarships based on an application and essay indicating that Karis A. Dison they have attributes similar to Marmurek, including an above average grade point; exerting a positive influence on their peers through C. Smylie leadership, Kaufman character and service; and being a responsible and conscientious student relating well to all people.

MBHS Groups Invited to Carnegie Hall

Mountain Brook High School’s Concert and Chamber Choir have been invited to perform at Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City,

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SCHOOLS one of the premier music festivals in the world. Only select choirs, bands, and orchestras are invited to perform in this world-renowned venue during the Festival at Carnegie Hall. Under the direction of Dwight Brown, the ensemble was awarded a gold rating for a superior performance during the Boston 2010 Heritage Festival, earning them an invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall in 2011 or 2012. Heritage Festival congratulates Dwight Brown and the groups from Mountain Brook High School for this outstanding accomplishment.

Civitan Club, Students Garden Together

Members of the Homewood Civitan Club visited Elizabeth Stewart’s classroom at Homewood Middle School to talk to students about the club’s activities. The students and club partnered to plant potted plants to grow inside the school. They potted different herbs for Stewart’s class to use during cooking projects as well. ❖

HMS students Brandon Reynolds and Demetrius Foster work with Homewood Civitan member Matt Feld to pot a plant for their school.

Photo special to The Journal

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22 • THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010

SCHOOLS

Primrose makes a difference

Aspiring to make a difference in the lives of area children and their families, area residents William and Gayla Clark opened the Primrose School at Liberty Park on June 21, satisfying the demand for high quality educational child care in the community. The new Primrose School at Liberty Park is located at 1800 Urban Center Parkway. William and Gayla said the new school will provide an unmatched educational child care experience to area families, and noted that it has already positively impacted the local economy by adding 25 to 30 new jobs. “Given the stellar reputation of Primrose Schools around the country, we’re proud to bring the Primrose name and their highly regarded accredited curriculum to the Vestavia Hills community,” said William Clark. “Our new school will give local parents the peace of mind they need and deserve, knowing that their children are learning and being nurtured while they’re away at work.” The 11,000 square foot Primrose School at Liberty Park is the only local school that will offer the exclusive Balanced Learning® curriculum for children ages six weeks to ﬁve years old. The new Vestavia Hills school features eleven private classrooms with state-of-theart technology. Outdoors, four separate and secure age-appropriate playgrounds accommodate each stage of the children’s early development with equipment speciﬁcally designed to help them develop and grow their gross motor skills. For more information about the Primrose School at Liberty Park, please call (205) 969-8202 or visit www. primroselibertypark.com. Stop by on Tuesday, July 27 for an evening Open House from 5-7pm.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

OLV Science Olympiad Team members earned high marks at a national competition held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Photo special to The Journal

OLV Team Finishes 35th in the Nation

Jack Allison and Billy Angel, owner of Oak Street Garden Shop, work in the Emmet O’Neal Library Community Garden. Photo special to The Journal

Young Readers Help Grow Garden

Young library patrons are planting, watering and weeding this summer in the new Emmet O’Neal Library Community Garden sponsored by Oak Street Garden Shop. The youthful gardeners have planted a wide variety of summer vegetables, which will be tended by children participating in the library’s summer reading program and harvested in the fall. A portion of the harvest will be sampled by the gardeners; the remainder will be donated to Magic City Harvest, a non-profit food recovery program that distributes excess food to organizations serving those in need. The garden is across from the library at the corner of Oak Street and Keely Court. Oak Street Garden Shop provides all the tools, materials and expertise necessary for the garden. Children and families can drop by to garden before and after select library events. Visit www.eolib.org or the Children’s Department blog, www.eolib.org/children-blog. php, for a full list of Community Garden Reading and Feeding opportunities.

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OMHS Starlettes Shine at UDA Camp

The Oak Mountain High School Starlettes won several awards at the Universal Dance Association All American Dance Team Camp at Auburn University. The OMHS team earned a first-place trophy and superior rating for its “home routine” and also placed first in the Drill Downs category and the A-Team routine category. The Starlettes received an overall superior score for the week, securing a bid to compete at the National Dance Team Championship in Orlando in February 2011. Starlettes competing in the All American individual dance category and named UDA All American Dancers were captain Summer Wales, co-captain Sylvie Lauzon, Maddy Perry, Sydney Dale and Natalie Few. Other Starlettes include co-captain Kaitlyn Zeek, Mary Allison Thrasher, Emma Brooks, Katie Jenkins, Anna Claire Vawter, Jordan Laxson, Caitlin Owens, Claire Turner, Sarah Jones, Brooke Lowery, Aubrey Duncan, Maya Johnson, Myrah Taylor, Morgan York and Sara Grace Bezkor. The team is directed by Pam Pugh.

The Our Lady of the Valley Science Olympiad Team earned an overall 35th ranking in the nation at the National Science Olympiad Competition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign May 20-22. OLV’s achievement places it in the top one percent of U.S. teams and as the top Catholic school in the nation in the competition. Twelve OLV events finished in the top 30. Two of those events, Science Crime Busters and Pentathalon, finished in the top 10 in the nation. Among OLV students who placed in different events were: Meghan Till and Josh Gancayco, seventh in Science Crime Busters; Miss Till, Tony Portante, Roh Harchelroad and John Michael Romano, ninth in Pentathalon; Harchelroad and Jack Christensen, 13th in Anatomy; Julia Terry and A.J. Keelin, 16th in Wright Stuff; Jake Herndon and Matt Byers, 18th in Helicopter (trial event); Christian Thornton and A.J. Matta, 22nd in Battery Buggy; Keelin and Matta, 22nd in Compute This; Marty McGuire, John Ruppert and Romano, 23rd in Experimental Design; Ruppert and Keelin, 28th in Ecology; Romano and Miss Terry, 27th in Elevated Bridge; Matta and McGuire, 29th in Write It Do It; and McGuire and Maggie Hagelskamp, 28th in Model This (trial event). The team was coached by Ann Stevens, OLV eighth grade science teacher. Contributing to the success of the OLV team were alumni ninth graders Meghan Till and Courtney Issis, principal Sandra Roden, faculty members Kathleen Keelin, Tom Chauffe, Brendan McGuire, Carol Gancayco, Cindy Naro, Barbara Brickner, Rina McKenna, Michelle Terry, Lorraine Cerfolio,

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Carolyn Romano, Debra Till, Jake Herndon, Joey Ciza, Judy Brown, Anamarie Bratcher, Gary Roden, and Monsignor Paul Rohling.

Spain Park’s Minority Achievement Council scholars were recognized at the school’s Senior Day Reception. Photo special to the Journal

Spain Park Celebrates 2010 MAC Scholars

Dozens of Spain Park MAC (Minority Achievement Council) Scholars were recognized recently as part of the school’s annual Senior Day reception. Keynote speaker was Ahmad Ward, director of education at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Sponsored by Kerry Williams and three other Spain Park faculty members, MAC began several years ago as a school-wide outreach to black male students. The service organization meets on a regular basis and encourages community involvement, good grades and service to others. ❖ Visit otmj.com for more school news from the over the mountain area.

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The Oak Mountain High School Starlets took home several awards recently at the Universal Dance Association All American Dance Team Photo special to the Journal Camp at Auburn University.

The Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama received a $5,000 donation from Barber’s Dairy. At the presentation are Barber’s general manager Lew McCravy and Trish Coghlan, Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama chief executive officer. Photo special to The Journal

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Wharton-Coggin

Hannah Elizabeth Wharton and William Everett Coggin were married April 29, 2010 at City Hall in San Francisco. A Blessing Ceremony for the couple and family members was held May 8 at the Avondale United Methodist Church, offici-

Watson-Gonzalez

Mr. Kelly Everett Watson and Mrs. Karen Robinson Sarcone of Mountain Brook are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Lauren Patricia, to James Benjamin Gonzalez, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Fredrick Gonzalez, of Little Rock, Ark. Miss Watson is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Griffin Robinson of Mountain Brook and

Hall-Money

Mr. and Mrs. O.B. Grayson Hall Jr. of Birmingham announce the engagement of their daughter, Laura Elizabeth, to Scott Joseph Money, son of Mr. and Mrs. Micheal David Money Sr. of

ated by the Rev. David Commer. A reception followed at the Cobb Lane Carriage House. The bride is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence Gene Wharton of Birmingham and the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter William Ditzler of Tyler, Texas, and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Earl Wharton of Edmond, Okla., and the late Mrs. Jane Rudd. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard M.H. Coggin of Birmingham and the grandson of Mr. George Grady Coggin Jr. of Birmingham and the late Mrs. George Grady Coggin Jr. and the late Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Boyd Wells of Huntsville. Family members witnessing the City Hall ceremony included Margaret Hadley Wharton of Houston, sister of the bride, Ryland Nathaniel Wharton of Columbus, Ohio, brother of the bride and Steven Michael Coggin of Birmingham, Mr. and Mrs. John Everett Watson, of Saint Petersburg, Fla. She is a 2002 graduate of Mountain Brook High School. Miss Watson received her bachelor of science, therapeutic recreation administration degree in 2008 from Arkansas Tech University where she was member of the Arkansas Tech University collegiate softball team. She is employed as a case manager for Rivendell Behavioral Health, in Benton, Ark. Mr. Gonzalez is the grandson of the late Mr. Benjamin Morgan Crocket and Mrs. Benjamin Morgan Crocket, of Brownsville, Texas and Mr. Edmundo Gonzalez – Correa and the late Mrs. Edmundo Gonzalez – Correa, of Dallas, Texas. He is a 2003 graduate of Central Arkansas Christian School. Mr. Gonzalez received his bachelor of science, electrical engineering in 2007 from the University of Arkansas. He is employed as an engineer for Southwest Power Pool in Little Rock, Ark. A July 17, 2010 wedding is planned. Headland. Miss Hall is the granddaughter of Mrs. Betty Scott Stringer and the late Mr. Thomas Raymond Stringer of Fort Payne, Mr. and Mrs. O.B. Gracen Hall Sr. of Fort Payne and Dr. and Dr. Charles Lesley Wooten of Tallahassee, Fla. She is a graduate of Auburn University and was a member of Chi Omega sorority. Mr. Money is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Earl James Crow of Thomasville and Mrs. Martha Smith Craft of Mexico Beach, Fla. He is a graduate of Auburn University and Southern Union. The bride is a graphic designer at Weddings Etc. in Homewood and the groom is a nurse at Mid South Home Healthcare in Birmingham. The wedding is planned for July 24.

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010 • 23

WEDDINGS & ENGAGEMENTS brother of the groom. The bride is a 2001 graduate of Altamont School. She received her Bachelor of Arts in architectural studies from Connecticut College in 2005. She is currently employed as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Florida where she is completing a master of architecture. The groom is a 2000 graduate of Ramsay High School and received his Bachelor of Science in exercise science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2006 and a masters in exercise physiology from UAB in 2007. He is currently employed as a biological scientist at the University of Florida where he will begin work on a doctor of physical therapy in the fall. After a wedding trip to San Francisco, Big Sur and Seattle, the couple now resides in Gainesville, Fla.

Tyra-Evans

Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Scott Tyra of Hoover, announce the engagement of their daughter Katelin Nicole to Clayton Maxwell Evans, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clayton W. Evans of Elkmont. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. Mack Barnett and the late Mrs. Jackie Barnett of Double Springs and Mr. and Mrs. Floyd E. Tyra Jr. of

Horton-Duke

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Wallace Horton of Vestavia Hills are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Lindsey Marie, to Derrick Brandon Duke, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Duke of Gallion. Miss Horton is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Leonard Starkel and Mrs. Ramona Horton all of Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. and the late Mr. Thomas Wallace Horton. She is a 2010 graduate of the University of Alabama, with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. She is employed by Johnson Controls Inc. in Roswell, Ga. Mr. Duke is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Duke and the late Mr. and Mrs. Frank Budacki. He is a 2009 graduate of the University of Alabama, with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. He is employed with Dos Santos International in Marietta, Ga. The wedding is planned for July 31, 2010 at Shades Valley Presbyterian Church.

Callahan-Thompson

Alice Manning Callahan and William Kyser Thompson were married on Jan. 9 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. The Rev. Richmond Webster and the Rev. David Bisgrove officiated the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.Timothy Alston Rucker Callahan of Birmingham. She was given in marriage by her father. Attending the bride as her matrons of honor were her sisters, Frances Callahan Glasgow and Marilyn Callahan McKenzie. Bridesmaids were Rachel Ann Dresher, Aubree Pollard Holmes, Jean Davis Huffman, Mary Cathryn McIntosh, Elizabeth Marie Murray, Harrison Comer Perry, Mary Lee Savage, and Leslie Ann McLean Thompson. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Hicks Thompson of Memphis, Tenn. His father served as best man. Groomsmen were Richard Anthony Bova, Tyler Knox Horn, Hollis Hunter Lamon, Jay Paul

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Haleyville. Miss Tyra is a 2005 graduate of Briarwood Christian School. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Auburn University in 2009. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Auburn University Marching Band, Phi Kappa Phi honor society and Kappa Delta Pi honor society. The prospective groom is the grandson of the late Mr. Jesse Baker and the late Mrs. Bonnie Easterwood of Cullman and Mr. and Mrs. Jesse P. Evans Jr. of Elkmont and Mrs. Maggie Black of Athens. Mr. Evans is a 2006 valedictorian of Elkmont High School. He is a 2010 graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor of science degree in software engineering. He was a member of Kappa Kappa Psi service fraternity and Auburn University Marching Band. The wedding is planned for July 24 at Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Vestavia Hills. McDonald, Lewis Fraser Smith, Charles McDonald Steele, Radford Carlton Stewart IV, Charles Adams Thompson, Michael Hicks Thompson Jr., and Woodson Cary Whitehead. Serving as ushers were William Blake Barnes, Charles Duncan Beard Jr., Oscar Clark Carr IV, Paxton Xenophon Head, Phillip Ryan Miller, Edward Heath Milligan, Matthew Kenneth Pyles and Harrison Andrews Smith. Flower girls were the bride’s niece, Frances Lott Glasgow, and cousins, Ann Heatherington Cox, Ellen Colomb Cox, Julia Frances Joyce and Margaret Heatherington Smith. Gibson Keen Roche Hope served as ring bearer. Following the ceremony, the Mountain Brook Club was the setting for dinner and dancing. After a wedding trip to St. Barts, the couple now lives in New York City.

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24 • THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010

Davis - Bumpous

Mr. and Mrs. Art Davis of Hoover announce the engagement of their daughter, Lauren Elizabeth Davis, to Kyle Ward Bumpous, son of Mr. and Mrs. Earle T. Bumpous IV of Nashville, Tenn. Miss Davis is a 2006 graduate of Hoover High School and a 2010 summa cum laude graduate

Perry-Lahr

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Curtis Perry of Vestavia Hills announce the engagement of their daughter, Hanna Blair, to Joseph Brian Lahr, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Richard Lahr of Beaver, Pa. Miss Perry is the granddaugh-

Ruppert-Murfee

Mrs. James Ervin Ruppert of Augusta, Ga. is pleased to announce the engagement of her daughter, Jamie Elizabeth, to James Thomas Murfee V, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Thomas Murfee IV. The bride elect is the grand-

of Auburn University, where she received a bachelor of science degree in math education. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Billie Jo Salser and the late Mr. Billy Earl Salser of Vestavia Hills and Mr. and Mrs. Ben Arthur Davis of Jackson, Miss. She will be employed in Smiths Station. Mr. Bumpous is a 2006 graduate of Oak Mountain High School and is currently pursuing a degree in accounting from Auburn University. He plans to graduate in December of 2010. He is the grandson of Mrs. Don Cope and Mr. Earle T. Bumpous III of Nashville, Tenn. and Mr. James Ward of Harlingen, Texas and the great-grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Rudolph and Mr. Charlie Ward of Nashville, Tenn. The wedding is planned for July 17, 2010 at Shades Mountain Baptist Church. Following the wedding, the couple will live in Auburn. ter of Mr. and Mrs. David Grant Whitaker of Houston and Ms. Joan Perry and the late Mr. Curtis Lawrence Perry of Birmingham. She is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Alabama, with a bachelor’s degree in commerce and business administration. In the fall, she will attend Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Mr. Lahr is the grandson of Mr. Oscar Salgado Leon and the late Ms. Maria Teresa Portuguez of San José, Costa Rica, and Mr. and Mrs. James Francis Lahr of Shippenville, Pa. He is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Alabama, with a bachelor’s degree in chemical and biological engineering. He is employed as an engineer at SABIC Innovative Plastics. The wedding is planned for July 24 at Liberty Park Baptist Church. daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Winton Partain Jr. of Augusta, Ga. and the late Mr. and Mrs. John Norman Ruppert Sr. of Charleston, S.C. Miss Ruppert is a cum laude graduate of Samford University, where she received a bachelor of science degree. She will be attending the University of Alabama in Birmingham in the fall where she will be pursuing a masters degree in clinical nutrition. The prospective groom is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Pope Swift Jr. of Selma, and the late Dr. James Thomas Murfee III and Col. and Mrs. Joe Dudley Berry of Marion. Mr. Murfee graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor of science degree in accounting. He will be employed with KPMG LLP in October. The wedding is planned for July 17, 2010 in Augusta, Ga.

WEDDINGS & ENGAGEMENTS

Davis-Parkes

Mr. and Mrs. William Anthony Davis, III of Birmingham are pleased to announce the engagement

Kontos-Thuston

Anna Brooke Kontos and Joseph Walker Thuston were married May 8, 2010, at Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Father Paul Costopoulos officiated. A reception followed at Mountain Brook Club. The bride’s parents are Mr. and Mrs. Alex Steven Kontos of

Morris-Jordan

Lindsay Paylor Morris and Jon Mark Jordan were united in holy matrimony March 27, 2010 at Mountain Brook Community Church. The Rev. Tim Kallam officiated the ceremony and a reception followed at The Country Club of Birmingham. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Cartwright Morris Jr. of Cropwell. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Robert Hillhouse Shaw and the late Mr. John Milton

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

of their daughter, Blair Colinne, to Dr. Kennett Brown Parkes of Nashville, Tenn. Dr. Parkes is the son of Mrs. Paula Smith Parkes of Nashille and Dr. Roger Brown Parkes of Jackson, Miss. Miss Davis is the granddaughter of Mrs. William Anthony Davis Jr. of Birmingham and the late Mr. Davis, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Dwight Blair Jr. of Odenville. Miss Davis is a graduate of Mountain Brook High School and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama where she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority and a four-year letterman on the cross country team. She received a master’s degree in special education from Vanderbilt University. She was presented at

the Krewe Ball, the Ball of Roses and the Heritage Ball. Dr. Parkes is the grandson of Mrs. Elizabeth Gottleb Smith of Destin, Fla. and the late Mr. Paul W. Smith, and Dr. and Mrs. Robert B. Parkes of Madison, Miss. Dr. Parkes is a graduate of Montgomery Bell Academy and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi where he was president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He received his doctorate of medical dentistry from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Miss Davis is employed as a teacher in Nashville and Dr. Parkes practices dentistry. A July 24 wedding is planned at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham.

Birmingham. The groom’s parents are Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Clement Thuston III, of Birmingham. Grandparents of the bride are Mrs. I.S. Wientrob and the late Mr. Wientrob and Mr. Steven Alex Kontos and the late Annette Vlahos Kontos all of Birmingham. Grandparents of the groom are the late Mr. and Mrs. Paul Higgins Sommers of Pike Road and Mrs. Charles W. Lokey Jr. and the late Elmer C. Thuston Jr. of Birmingham. Maids of honor were Mallory Ann Lane, cousin of the bride; and Jessica Deon Brasfield, both of Birmingham. Bridesmaids were Erin McInnis Kontos, sister-inlaw of the bride, of Boca Raton Fla., Katherine Murray Ridge of Jacksonville, Fla., Virginia Coffey Johnston of Huntsville, Katherine Anne Baker, cousin of the bride, Jennifer Lauren McCorkle, Anne Sherrill Rast and Keri Melinda Dismukes, all of Birmingham. Best Men were Elmer Clement

Thuston III, father of the groom, and Robert Lee Thuston, brother of the groom, both of Birmingham. Groomsmen were Eric Chris Kontos, brother of the bride, of Boca Raton, Fla., John Lewis Shillingburg of Atlanta, Blair Rodgers Badham, Charles Perry Still, James David Brown, Davis Cochran White, Dewey Anderson White and John Grayson Hall, all of Birmingham. Ring bearer was Eric Alexander Kontos, nephew of the bride, of Boca Raton. Serving as ushers were William David McLeod, Edward Hayes Arendall, Casey Jameson Neal and Robert Keeling Spotswood, all of Birmingham. Also serving as ushers were cousins of the bride Christopher Ryan Lane, Steven Lee Baker, Nicolas Steven Kontos, and Steve Alex Kontos III, all of Birmingham. After a wedding trip to Turks and Cacaos Islands, the couple now lives in Atlanta.

Grosvenor Parker Jr. and Mrs. John Cartwright Morris Sr. and the late Mr. John Cartwright Morris Sr. all of Birmingham. The groom is the son on Mr. and Mrs. Mark Stephen Jordan of Madison, Miss. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. James Alton Pierce of Madison, Miss. and the late Mr. and Mrs. John William Jordan Sr. of Carter, Miss. Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore her mother’s gown of candlelight silk organza designed with a fitted bodice and portrait neckline. The skirt flows to a chapel train made from the magnolia satin of her grandmother’s wedding gown. She wore an heirloom rosepoint lace veil worn by four generations of her mother’s family. The bride chose Rebecca Morris Wise, her cousin, of Birmingham as her matron of honor and Meagan Marie Jordan, sister of the groom, of Dallas as her maid of honor. Her bridesmaids were Meredith Slappey Halcomb, Abby Clark Maddox, Mary Lauren Griffin McBride, Whitney Ward Simon, Laurie Castleberry White and

Holly Caradine Worsham, all of Birmingham, Jessica Henig Coblentz of Montgomery, Jenny Bryant Strange of Ellaville, Ga., Mary Grace Bratschi Chapman of Clarksdale, Miss., Brannon Brooks Bludsworth of Charlotte, N.C. and Sara Elizabeth O’Steen of Nashville, Tenn. The groom chose his father, Mark Stephen Jordan as his best man. His groomsmen were Christopher Ryan Rosson of Birmingham, John Cartwright Morris III of Mobile and Jack Parker Morris, brothers of the bride, of Auburn, Michael Andy Ryder of Tuscaloosa, Jonathan David Loftin of Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., John Adam Goodman of Maui, Hawaii, William Tillman Moor Jr., cousin of the bride, of Northampton, Mass., Matthew Wilson McCool of Kosciuscko, Miss, Blake Edgar Hutto of Starkville, Miss, Michael Patrick Lyons of Queenstown, New Zealand, Collin John Fahrenkopf of Memphis, Tenn., Stephen Pierce Jordan, brother of the groom and Michael Jordan Ray of Dallas. After a honeymoon trip to St. Lucia, the couple now resides in Madison, Miss.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

WEDDINGS & ENGAGEMENTS

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010 • 25

Hamric-Harris

Mitch and Lane Heffington Hamric of Huntsville, announce the engagement of their daughter, Holly Beth, to Blake Harris, son of Mr. Steve and Donna Harris of Decatur. Miss Hamric is the granddaughter of Mr. Ned and Suzanne Heffington of Vestavia Hills and Mrs. Bettye Hamric and the late Cochran Hamric of Huntsville. She graduated form Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn. with a degree in dietetics and from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, with a masters of science in clinical nutrition. Mr. Harris is the grandson of Mr. Blake and Mary Catherine Harris of Talladega and Mrs. Sue

Huddleston and the late William “Red” Huddleston of Decatur. He graduated from Harding University in Searcy, Ariz. with a degree in political science and is currently finishing his degree at Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. The bride is employed as a registered dietitian for ‘A Center for Eating Disorders’ in Birmingham. The groom is employed by a political campaign. The wedding is planned for July 31, 2010 at the Mayfair Church of Christ in Huntsville. After a honeymoon trip to Antigua the couple will reside in Birmingham.

Lowe-Tolbert

Jamie E. Lowe and Tyler Graham Tolbert were united in marriage on March 13, 2010 at the bride’s childhood home in Vestavia Hills. the Rev. Kevin Young of Mountain Top Church officiated the ceremony. The reception followed at Sweet Bones Alabama. Music was provided by A.J. and Branscom Beavers of the Beavers Brothers Band. Parents of the bride are Mr. and Mrs. Walter E. Lowe of Vestavia Hills. Parents of the groom are Mr. and Mrs. Gary Tolbert of Birmingham. The bride is a 1994 graduate of Vestavia Hills High School and a 2001 graduate of the University

of Alabama at Birmingham. The groom is a 1994 graduate of Shades Valley High School. The bride was given in marriage by her father. Dianna Dunning of Macedon, N.Y. served as maid of honor. Lillie Grace Alexander, niece of the bride, served as the flower girl. Joey W. Smelcer, of Vestavia Hills, served as best man. Stroud Lowe, nephew of the bride, served as ring bearer. The bride is employed in Vestavia Hills and the groom is employed in Birmingham. After a honeymoon trip to upstate New York in July for wine touring and Niagra Falls, the couple now resides in Vestavia Hills.

Dyersburg. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Neil Dyer and the late Mr. Neil Dyer of Halls, Tenn. and Mr. Leonard Van Zandt and the late Mrs. Leonard Van Zandt of Clinton, Miss. She is a 2004 graduate of Dyersburg High School and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelors of accountancy from Mississippi State University in 2008 and a masters in business administration from Mississippi State University in 2009. She was an active member and served as treasurer of Chi Omega. She was also involved in the Roadrunner Student Recruitment organization and was selected a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society. She was selected for Who’s Who at Mississippi State University and Order of Omega, a Greek honor society. She is employed with Horne LLP as an accountant in Ridgeland, Miss.

The groom-elect is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Barry Foshee of Birmingham. He is grandson of Mrs. Shirley Johnson Bias and the late Mr. Clark Johnson of Sorrento, Fla. and the late Mr. and Mrs. Harold Foshee of Birmingham. He is a 2002 graduate of Hoover High School and earned a bachelors of science in communications from Union University in 2006 and a masters of science in sports administration from Mississippi State University in 2010. He will also earn a masters in business administration from Mississippi State in 2011. He was an active member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and interned with the Boston Red Sox. He also worked in public relations for the Green Bay Packers. He is employed with the Bulldog Club in the athletic department at Mississippi State University. All family and friends are invited to attend.

Johnson-Soyars

Mu. She is employed in Atlanta as a scientific recruiter with Aerotek. Mr. Soyars is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Edward Byrd of Monroeville and Mrs. Nancy Ferguson Soyars and the late Mr. James Wilbur Soyars of McComb, Miss. He is a graduate of South Forsyth High School and Auburn University where he is a member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity. Mr. Soyars is employed in Atlanta as a sales representative with CBeyond. The wedding is planned for Aug. 14, 2010 at the Sonnet House in Leeds.

Dyer-Foshee

Amy Lynn Dyer of Dyersburg, Tenn. and Steven Barry Foshee of Birmingham will wed during a 6 p.m. ceremony on July 17, at First Baptist Church in Dyersburg, Tenn. The bride-elect is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dyer of

Mr. and Mrs. David Hollis Johnson of Birmingham announce the engagement of their daughter Jordan Leigh to Jacob Gregory Soyars, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Gregory Soyars of Bowling Green, Ky. Miss Johnson is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Gilmer Potts of Oxford, Miss. and the late Mr. and Mrs. Joe Allen Johnson of Durant, Miss. Miss Johnson is a graduate of Briarwood Christian High School and Auburn University where she served as Senior recruitment chair for Phi

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26 • THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010

SPORTS

Shades Mountain 8 Year Old Nationals Win Metro

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Shades Mountain Nationals won an exciting championship game against the Hoover East Nationals with a final score of 12 – 6. Team members are from left: Top row: Colton Davis, Davis Young, Jake Willett, Lawrence Hammonds, Ryan Francisco, and Matthew Whatley. Bottom row: Colby Davis, Kole Roberts, Carter Wright, Brody Moss, Luke Tulloch, and Ethan Pomeroy. Coaches from left are assistant coach Rick Davis, head coach Craig Moss, assistant coach Jimmy Whatley, and assistant coach Gary Wright.

Mountain Brook 10U Metro National League Champions

Hoover East National Wins 6U Metro Tourney

The Mountain Brook Spartans captured the 10U Metro National League tournament championship hosted by Shades Mountain Ball Park. Team members are front row: George Shannon, Hill Cater, Phillip Bethea, John Galloway, George Carbonie and Walker McCraney. Second row: Culver Benedict, William Lineberry, Parker Garrison, Andrew Sink, Nick Belt and Hamp Sisson. Coaches are Aubrey Garrison, Sims Garrision, Andy Sink and Tommy Sisson.

Championship team members are from left: J.P. Pegues, Landon Gray, Jackson Mackin, Nick Dunlap, Max Stewart, Jaiden Smith, Mickey Holley, Conner Moore, Connor Elrod and Davis Gillespie. Coaches are: Berke Holley (assistant), Brad Gillespie (head coach), Steve Moore (assistant) and Kirby Gray (assistant).

Hoover 8U Win Metro in Dramatic Fashion

After being rain delayed to Sunday and having to play six games in one day, the never die and never quit Hoover A 8U All Star Ladies fought their way out of the losers bracket to beat Oak Mountain two times in a row to become ALNSA Area Champions. Earlier in the afternoon, with a state tournament berth already sealed, the Hoover 8U ladies lost their first game of the Area tournament to OM in the first semi-final game. Determined not to be denied a championship, they showed tremendous heart, got off the mat and went on a three game winning streak defeating Hueytown.

Team members from left: Haley Green, Madison Dabney, Kristen Hopkins, Nikki Busby, Aubrey Moody, Kate Campbell, Haley Lunsford, Alexis Anderson, MG Underwood, Sydney Chandler and Lindsay Parker. Coaches from left: Dustin Dabney, David Anderson, Kevin Hopkins (head coach) and Jeff Green.

The Bucs took Mountain Brook’s measure 30-0 and seemed to be invincible. Vestavia wasn’t impressed, however, and stunned Hoover 30-27 to hand the Bucs their first defeat. It would also be their last. “Vestavia was a wake-up call,” Propst said. “It reminded us that we still had a lot of work to do.” Hoover rolled through the

remainder of the regular season, swept through the playoffs like a hurricane and won its first state championship since 2005 with a 28-23 win over old nemesis Prattville at Tuscaloosa’s BryantDenny Stadium. “We wanted to get Hoover back to where it belonged,” Propst said. “That was our goal from the beginning. It was nice to be able to graduate knowing we had put the program back on top.” An argument can be made that without Propst, Hoover never

Propst, from back cover

Marlins Claim Mountain Brook Championship

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would have reached the throne room. As an all-state linebacker, he sparked a Buccaneer defense that earned four shutouts. Propst was so dominant that he was chosen by the over-the-mountain coaches as the 2009 Over the Mountain Football Player of the Year – an honor that had always gone to either a quarterback or a running back in previous seasons. Because of Propst’s superb play on the field, he epitomized the Bucs’ return to glory. His overall excellence and commitment toward achieving his personal and team goals make him the choice as the Over the Mountain Journal

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The Marlins recently won the Mountain Brook First/Second Grade Championship. Team members are front, from left: Chloe Dillion, Fraley Williams, Evelyn King, Georgia Montgomery and Annabelle Fowler. Standing from left: Coach Mike Bowling, Lucy Bowling, Helen Walthall, Cate Jones, Grace Russell, Celie Field, Anne Ross Bethea and Coach Ed Bethea. Also pictured is “Frankie” the lucky fish. 2009-2010 Boy Athlete of the Year. Hoover softball star Madison Dickey was named the Over the Mountain Journal 2009-2010 Girl Athlete of the Year. “I’m really honored to be picked as Over the Mountain Athlete of the Year,” Propst said. “That’s an honor I never really thought about being in consideration to receive. “When you look at all the great athletes in this area, it makes it all the more special. I’m proud to accept it on behalf of Hoover High School.” Propst believes that team unity was a big factor in the Bucs’ successful championship run. “We seemed to have been more together than we had been in the past,” Propst said. “The team was like a family, and that had a lot to do with our success.” Propst earned a football scholarship to the University of Tennessee and has spent much of his summer in Knoxville. “I’ve absolutely fallen in love

with the place,” he said. “I’m in the mix at linebacker. There are two guys ahead of me, so I don’t know if I’ll be playing special teams or even be red-shirted. Whatever happens, I just want to do whatever possible to help the team win games.” Whatever happens in his college career, Propst said he would always look back on his years at Hoover as a special time in his life. “The great memories will always be there,” he said. “First, I’ll always have the great relationships with my teammates and coaches from all the times we spent together at practices and games. And then I’ll remember the hard work that had gotten us where we wanted to be. “Maybe best of all is the feeling that we were the senior class that restored the Hoover dynasty.” Propst will have one more memory to add to his list: He’s the Over the Mountain Boy Athlete of the Year. ❖

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010 • 27

SPORTS

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Dickey, from back cover

Homewood 14U Claims Metro Championship

Team members are, front row, from left: Park Smith, Michael Tucker, Erek Johnson and Wilson Smith. Middle row: Brett White, Adam Marsch, Ben Ferren, Cade Mullins, Jordan Acton and Tripp Moss. Back row: assistant coaches Brian White, John Trippe, Joseph Shields, Will Trott, Garrett Stallings and head coach Jay Moss.

Hall of Fame, from back cover in 1972 and became head football coach in 1978. Since then, Anderson has compiled a 271-111 record while leading the Rebels to state championships in 1980 and 1998. Vestavia also reached the state championship game in 1978 and 1979. Anderson serves as athletic director and has built the overall Rebel athletic program into one of Alabama’s best. When Anderson was elevated from an assistant’s position to the head coaching job 32 years ago, some grumbled that the Rebel program needed a “big” name. Three decades later, there is no bigger name in Alabama high school athletics than Buddy Anderson. Fran Braasch – One of the true pioneers of women’s athletics in the state, Braasch coached basketball at UAB and Pizitz Middle School before taking over the high school program in the 1980s. She directed Vestavia to a 511-170 record, a state championship in 1987 and five Final Four appearances. Just as importantly, her charismatic personality and media-friendly charm made Braasch an outstanding ambassador for the school and for girls’ sports in Alabama. Sammy Dunn – Dunn was another obvious choice. Possibly one of the most successful coaches in the history of Alabama high school athletics, he led the Rebels to nine state baseball crowns from 1991-2000, including seven in a row from 1994-2000. Dunn’s 1998 squad won the mythical national championship. His overall record at Vestavia was an astounding 647-146. Dunn is one of two posthumous inductees into the Vestavia Sports Hall of Fame. Thompson “Mutt” Reynolds – After a highly successful career as the football coach at

Birmingham’s Ramsey High School, Reynolds was hired as head coach and athletic director at Vestavia in 1970. He is considered the father of the Rebel athletic program. Two of the young coaches Reynolds hired to Vestavia’s athletic staff in the 1970s were Anderson and Dunn. Reynolds is the Hall’s other posthumous inductee. Athletes Casey Dunn – A 1995 graduate of Vestavia, Dunn earned All-American honors in baseball at Auburn University as a catcher in 1999. Dunn began his coaching career at Spain Park High School, where he posted a 59-41 record before moving to Samford University. He has led the Bulldogs to three consecutive 30-win seasons. Dunn is the son of the late Sammy Dunn. Trey Hardee – A 2002 Vestavia graduate, Hardee won the 2009 World Decathlon in Berlin and holds the unofficial title of “The World’s Greatest Athlete.” He is only the third American to win the World Decathlon title. Hardee also earned All-American honors in track and field, first at Mississippi State University and later at the University of Texas. In 2004, he won the SEC championship in the decathlon. Chris Hammond – A 1984 Vestavia graduate, Hammond was a standout pitcher for the Rebels and played for Gulf Coast Community College and UAB.

Dickey. “Being chosen (Athlete of the Year) wasn’t really something I would have expected. I’m proud to accept it on behalf of my teammates and coaches, my school and the sport of softball.” Dickey is the first Hoover girl to win the award. And while Vestavia Hills softball/basketball star Whitney Larsen earned the honor in 2006-2007, Dickey is the first winner to play strictly softball. The Bucs’ John Propst was named the 2009-2010 Over the Mountain Journal Boy Athlete of the Year. Dickey is spending the summer months playing for the prestigious Birmingham Vipers Gold travel team, which just returned from a tournament in Colorado that feaHe went on to a 16-year major league career, which included stints with the Cincinnati Reds, Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres. He pitched for New York in the 2003 World Series, throwing for two innings and not yielding an earned run. David Jordan – A 1980 Vestavia graduate, Jordan was a three-sport star in high school. He later earned All-SEC honors as an offensive guard at Auburn University, where he opened holes for future Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson. Jordan played for the New York Giants for three years, including 1986 – the season the Giants won their first Super Bowl title. He concluded his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987. Suzanne Olcott Serrano – A 1999 Vestavia graduate, Serrano earned All-American honors in softball at the University of Alabama in 2001. She led the Crimson Tide softballers to the 2000 College World Series. �� Serrano is active in coaching, � �� presently serving as head softball �� coach at Briarwood. �� Jay Waggoner – A 1991 Vestavia graduate, Waggoner was a three-sport star for the Rebels. He later earned All-American honors in baseball as a first baseman for Auburn University. Waggoner led the Tigers to the College World Series in 1994 and is still one of the most prolific

tured some of the nation’s elite players. The Vipers posted a fine 7-3 record at the event, as Dickey took a break from her catcher position to play left field. “It was a lot of fun. We’d play a game and not really think that much about who we were playing,” she explained. “Then after the game, we’d hear that one player on the other team was going to UCLA and maybe another was going to (the University of) Florida, and we’d realize that we had faced some pretty good competition.” The Vipers will play in three tournaments in Georgia before disbanding for the start of school. Dickey will begin her senior year at Hoover Aug. 11. “It’s a little scary to be a senior, but I’ll be ready,” she said. “I know it’ll be a time in my life I’ll never forget.” While some might say that Dickey will be hard-pressed to

match the numbers of her junior season, she is setting her goals high for her final run as a Lady Buc. “First and foremost, we want to go back to Lagoon Park and win the state championship,” said Dickey. “Also, (Hoover) Coach (Jim) Brown wants us to win 50 games every year, and we only won 49 last year, so that’s another goal.” Individually, Dickey said that she just wants to be a better player, but she admits there is one statistical target in the back of her mind: “I’d like to hit 20 home runs.” Dickey’s greatest year could be still ahead. In 2009-2010, Dickey may have been average at the bowling alley, but she was exceptional on the softball field and in the community. And that winning combination made her Over the Mountain Girl Athlete of the Year. ❖

hitters in SEC history. He later played in the Detroit Tigers organization. Jeanne Wilson – A 1986 Vestavia graduate, Wilson is one of the most accomplished wheelchair athletes in America. A threetime world champion and 12-time national champion in weightlifting, she holds national records in two weight classes. Distinguished Citizen Award Dr. Michael Chandler — Chandler has worked as a team

doctor for the Rebel program since 1987. The class will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame at a banquet to be held Sept. 2 at Vestavia Country Club, as part of events honoring the 60th anniversary of the city’s incorporation. Despite my earlier misgivings, I’m delighted to see the Vestavia Sports Hall of Fame become a reality. Hopefully the other Over the Mountain cities will follow suit with halls of their own. ❖

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To Our Customers and Our Over The Mountain Neighbors... We, here at Vestavia BP and Tire Express value your business and have for 35 years. We enjoy supporting the local community, schools, sports and civic organizations and will continue to do so. We have made it our mission to provide the lowest cost on gas and tires and the best quality auto service. Vestavia BP and Tire Express is NOT a BP owned company. We are independently owned and operated and all of our business is done locally within the Over The Mountain community. We appreciate your business and hope to continue serving our valued customers. Hope to see you soon and as always we have the best prices on gas.

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN

JOU RNAL THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010

Sports

Community Sports Homewood 14U Wins Metro Baseball Tourney. Page 27

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Lee Davis

Honor Billings: Vestavia Hills Announces Hall of Fame Inductees

Madison’s Avenue

Back to the Future

BY LEE DAVIS

Hoover Slugger Top Girl Athlete JOURNAL SPORTS WRITER

ost people associate Madison Dickey with the sport of softball, but once in a while she’ll participate in a game played indoors in which getting a strike is a good thing. “I bowl occasionally,” said the rising senior at Hoover. “Sometimes I’m pretty decent and sometimes I’m terrible.” It isn’t how Dickey bowls but why she bowls that’s important. As an active member of her school’s Interact Club, she’s involved in numerous charitable activities, which included a bowling tournament last year to raise money to help deserving inner-city kids. And as a participant in the youth program at Hunter Street Baptist Church, Dickey tries to work some close-range mission trips into her already crowded summer schedule. “I’ve done missions to Mississippi and parts of Birmingham, but it’s hard for me to go on the long trips because I’m playing travel ball,” she explained. “But I do try to use softball to promote and stand up for good causes.” Opponents of the Lady Bucs probably wish Dickey would do charity work full-time, as what she accomplished on the softball field in 2010 was truly magical.

In leading Hoover to 49 victories and a berth in the Class 6A state tournament at Montgomery’s Lagoon Park, Dickey – playing the difficult position of catcher – hit for a hefty .500 average, the highest of any Lady Buc batter in 16 years. She also clubbed 19 home runs, setting the school single season record. In addition, Dickey had 59 RBIs and 22 doubles. And as her numbers grew, so did her aura: In 2010, the most dramatic moment in overthe-mountain softball was when Madison Dickey came to the plate in a close game. Although she’s been playing softball since the age of 5, Dickey never had much of a reputation as a power hitter until last season. “I didn’t think about swinging for the fences, and I really didn’t intend to become a power hitter,” she said. “If I made solid contact with the ball, I was happy. It may have helped that I wasn’t trying to hit a home run every time I came up to bat.” Dickey’s big season gained a lot of attention. She earned AllState and All-Over the Mountain honors. But maybe the biggest prize came last week, when she was named the 2009-2010 Over the Mountain Journal Girl Athlete of the Year. “This is really sweet,” said

See Dickey, page 27

Propst Embodied Hoover Revival JOURNAL SPORTS WRITER

hen John Propst entered Hoover High School as a young ninth grade linebacker in the fall of 2006, his school’s football program was at the top of the world. That previous December, the Bucs – under the direction of Propst’s uncle, Rush – had won their fourth consecutive state 6A championship. There seemed to be no end to what some were calling America’s greatest high school sports dynasty. Some even suggested that Hoover football was almost too good for the rest of Alabama, and that perhaps the Bucs should join a national super-conference for America’s elite prep programs. While that speculation proved to be just talk, it showed the perception of Hoover’s dominance to the rest of the state. But a strange thing began to happen during Propst’s freshman season: The Bucs’ football machine began to show signs of rust. Prattville defeated Hoover decisively in the 2006 state title game, knocking the Bucs off their championship perch for the first time since 2001. A year later, Hoover was plagued by off-the-field distractions, and the 2007 season ended with a loss to archrival Vestavia Hills in the state 6A quarter-

finals. The following year saw an old era end and a new one begin. Josh Niblett was brought in from Oxford to replace Rush Propst, who resigned after the 2007 season. In Niblett’s first season, Hoover returned to its familiar spot in the state championship game but lost to Prattville again. So going into their senior season of 2009, John Propst and his classmates – who had entered high school with such high hopes four years before – were facing their last shot at earning a state championship ring. “You play football at Hoover to win a state championship,” said Propst. “And here we were as seniors and hadn’t done it yet. We definitely went into the year with something to prove.” Propst and his teammates rolled through 15 games like men on a mission. Hoover routed Gardendale and Homewood in its first two games before staging a dramatic 30-27 win over Camden County, Ga. The Bucs scored easy shutout wins over Thompson and Oak Mountain, setting the stage for an epic confrontation with crosstown rival Spain Park. The Jaguars jumped to a 21-0 halftime lead, but Hoover rallied for a thrilling 24-21 win.

See Propst, page 26

pon hearing the news that the city of Vestavia Hills was going to announce the establishment of a Sports Hall of Fame, I must admit I was just a little bit skeptical. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the concept in general – on the contrary, I thought it was a sensational way to instill pride in a community. But too many times I have seen city and community Halls of Fame turn into either promotional vehicles for local politicians, or free commercials for local businesses. But when I saw the list of the charter members of the Vestavia Hills Sports Hall of Fame, my concerns were immediately dashed. Every single inductee in the Class of 2010 truly contributed to athletics in the over-themountain communities, and in Vestavia Hills in particular. Just as importantly, all of them have a true love for the city from which they came and have given back to it much more than they ever took from it. All of the members have close ties to Vestavia Hills High School, which is also a good thing. This may sound quaint in an era of travel ball and AAU teams, but I still think the local high school should be at the hub of a town’s sports scene, and I’m glad that the committee members respected that view as they made their selections. The class is divided into coaches/administrators and athletes, with one additional position called the Distinguished Citizen Award. Here’s a thumbnail sketch of the inductees: Coaches/Administrators Buddy Anderson – Anderson was an obvious choice. He joined the staff at Vestavia High School

See Hall of Fame, page 27