OTMJ 1.12.23

OTMJ

Rethinking Wedding Photographs Wedding Flowers Are Timeless Treasures in Resin Art

This Light Still Shines

By SuSan Swagler

There’s an artfilled – and heartfelt – celebration of life happening at The Joy Gallery in Homewood. A colorful, vibrant show honoring the life and the art of the late Robin Nance Metz is on display until March 12, 2023.

Metz’s vivid, whimsical paintings, some of her early work as a graphic artist and the clay sculptures she did later in life are on display in the gallery along with a portrait of Metz painted by gallery curator Tom Dameron and some moving and meaningful bronze sculptures by her husband, Ted Metz. The two men curated this show together.

Artist Robin Nance Metz, above, lost her battle with cancer in 2022. More than 20 of her suns were featured on CBS Sunday Morning—the first one, top, on Mother’s Day in 2020.

It’s a show that Robin Metz agreed to do months ago, but she died before it could happen. Robin, who lived in

Journal photo by Maury Wald

Photo courtesy Ted Metz

Courtesy Kelli & Daniel Taylor Photography

ABOUT TOWN 4 NEWS 6 LIFE 8 SOCIAL 12

WEDDINGS 20 FOOD 24 SCHOOLS 25 SPORTS 28

With everything that’s happening “Over the Mountain,” it can be difficult to keep up. That’s why we have launched the OTMJ newsletter. Published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - we’ll give you a quick recap of the latest news, sports and social events as well as a heads up on upcoming events so you won’t miss any of the interesting and fun happenings in the Greater Birmingham metro area.

To sign up for our newsletter, visit otmj.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, @overthemountainjournal, for daily updates on what’s going on around town, too.

Murphy’s Law W

Prescription: Chocolate Cake

ell, I did it again. I bought a package of rice cakes. They caught me in a weak (or possibly strong) moment when my psyche thought it was entirely possible that I would eat them, and not only eat them, but eat them instead of a chocolate chip granola bar. So far, that hasn’t happened.

That’s the power of the new year. When we’re in the middle of our holiday revelry, we placate ourselves by saying that “after the new year,” we will emerge as stronger, more organized human beings. In my case, that was not so. It never is, and after having gone through so many new years, you think I’d know that.

On a particularly upbeat day, I can talk myself into doing the recommended sit-ups. I can clean out the kitchen junk drawer. But I cannot always make myself eat things I do not want to eat.

For me, eating is multi-faceted. First and foremost, it is sustenance. I know that my body needs a reasonable number of calories to keep moving. I also know that my body will function better if I eat more healthy foods than junk. This is textbook.

For this reason, when I am being sensible, I approach eating prescriptively. I had both fruit and juice for breakfast, so I do not need to add fruit at lunch. I had pasta for dinner last night, so it would behoove me to have some kind of fish for dinner tonight. When I add a green vegetable, I feel particularly virtuous.

The problem with that approach is that nowhere in any health prescription does it say “chocolate cake.” That’s where the emotional side of eating comes in. If I am honest with myself, I know that I can only maintain

Over the Mountain Views

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JO U RNA L January 12, 2023

Publisher & Editor: Maury Wald

Copy Editor: Virginia Martin

Features Writer: Donna Cornelius Staff Writer: Anne Ruisi

Photographer: Jordan Wald

Sports Editor: Rubin E. Grant

Contributors: Susan Murphy, June Mathews, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry, Lee Walls, Bryan Bunch

Advertising Sales: Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald, Gail Kidd

Vol. 33, No. 11

Over The Mountain Journal is a suburban bi-weekly newspaper delivered to Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Hoover and North Shelby County areas. 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 mwald@otmj.com. Find us on the Web at otmj.com. Copyright 2022 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.

the broccoli-and-brown-rice routine for so long, and then an alarm goes off somewhere deep in my system and I start whining for a piece of chocolate cake. It rises from my core like a legitimate bodily need, right up there with air and water, and no matter how much my logical self tries to deny it, the “need” keeps raising its very persuasive voice.

It’s not always chocolate cake, of course. Sometimes, my body insists on mashed potatoes, but the process is the same. I need them. I really, really need them. This voice does not care that I had mashed potatoes yesterday, or that I know I am going to have mashed potatoes tomorrow. It does not care that I do not have the makings for mashed potatoes in the house. It does not care if a trip to the grocery store would involve getting out in rush hour traffic or in the middle of a thunderstorm. The voice wants what it wants.

I suppose I should be thankful that the voices in my head are just craving chocolate cake or mashed potatoes and do not demand that I throw things into a suitcase and drive to the Florida panhandle to sit in the sun. After enduring the Birmingham Christmas freeze, however, I can feel the sun-siren bubbling up in my chest. If you do not hear from me for a while, you’ll know why.

To keep mental peace, I try to give into the chocolate cake/mashed potato voices when the detour won’t cause too much harm. Preemptively, I’ll have one of my Aunt Dot’s chocolate peppermint patties after a “good girl” lunch. I will whole grain and fiber and dark leafy green myself as much as humanly possible, but I will not, will not eat those rice cakes. So there.

Pictures and Pancakes

Santa Joins OTM Families for Breakfast Before His Annual Duty

Delivering all those gifts surely works up Santa’s appetite, especially when he has to bulk up on carbs before his epic Christmas Eve run!

To get ready, Santa ate pancakes with Over the Mountain families on Dec. 10 at the new Vestavia Hills Civic Center. Breakfast with Santa, hosted by the city of Vestavia Hills, delighted the Jolly Old Elf’s fans, young and old, as they whispered Christmas wishes into Santa’s ear.

Cameras and cell phones were out as parents snapped photos of Santa with their young ones.

Left, Ellis, Jones and Jared Stricklen visit with Santa.

Sue Murphy

To keep mental peace, I try to give into the chocolate cake/mashed potato voices when the detour won’t cause too much harm.

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

RECOGNIZED AS LEADERS, INNOVATORS, AND THE NO. 5 OB/GYN PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY

U.S. News & World Report recently ranked UAB Medicine’s Obstetrics and Gynecology program No. 5 in the country, due to our number of complex cases, survival rates, overall patient experience, and advanced technology. We are at the forefront of women’s care, offering full comprehensive services for women at every stage of life. Although we receive the recognition, it’s our patients who reap the rewards.

Through Jan. 16

GLOW WILD: AN ANIMAL LANTERN CELEBRATION

Experience an animal-based light show this winter. Purchase tickets for the animal lantern light exhibit online, or at the ticket office. Where: Birmingham Zoo When: 5-9 p.m.

Fri., Jan. 13

Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute celebrates Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday. The event will offer free admission. Keynote speaker Dr. Paulette Dilworth, vice president of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at UAB, will touch on the importance of Dr. King and her thoughts about this year’s theme: “Together We Can Be THE Dream.” Where: Birmingham Civil Rights Institute When: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Jan. 13-14

ASO Presents Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony Set in four movements, Prokofiev’s heroic work culminates with a poignant question, after war, what comes after victory? Principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic, Anthony McGill, showcase his artistry in two works, Racine’s “Concertino” and the world premiere of a new clarinet concerto composed by ASO Music Director Carlos Izcaray. When: 7 p.m. Where: Jemison Hall, Alys Stephens Center.

Sat., Jan. 14

MLK Day 5K Drum Run

The 6th Annual MLK Day 5K Drum Run is back. The 5K will have an 8 a.m. start time, and the 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk for youth ages 12 and under will begin at 9 a.m. When: 7 a.m. Where: Historic 4th Avenue Business District, Birmingham

Wed., Jan. 18

Hoover State of the City Luncheon

This event will feature Mayor Frank Brocato’s update on the City of Hoover. When: 11:15 a.m. – 1 p.m. Where: Hyatt Regency - The Wynfrey Hotel

Mon., Jan. 23

International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Americans, Hitler, and the Holocaust

Join the Alabama Holocaust Center in commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day with a lecture by award-winning journalist and author Andrew Nagorski. There will be a reception with hors d’oeuvres. When: 5:30 p.m. Where: UAB National Alumni Society House

Wed., Jan. 25

Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce Annual Luncheon

The Chamber will be hosting its annual luncheon, with lunch and networking opportunities. The Chamber will honor Jemison Visionary Award winner Alice Womack Bank, associate managing director of Oak Worth Capital. Where: Country Club of Birmingham When: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

legends of the ‘60s and ‘70s. When: Showtimes vary Where: Red Mountain Theatre

Feb. 4

Jazz Cat Ball

Sat., Jan. 28

Homewood Salamander Festival

Friends of Shades Creek return with first non-virtual event since 2020. The event will feature activities, live music and refreshments. When: 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. Where: Homewood High School gym

Sat., Jan. 28

Burns Night Celebration

Music, food and drink from Scotland (including haggis) and poetry readings will mark Burns Night at the O’Neal Library in Mountain Brook. The evening celebrates Scottish poet and novelist Robert Burns. Register at oneallibrary.org/event/7563644.

When: 6-8 p.m. Where: O’Neal Library.

Thurs., Feb. 2

Grief Recovery Program

Registration is open now for GriefShare, a 14-week program starting Feb. 2 to help people who’ve lost a close family member. More information is at griefshare.org/ groups/159460. When: Thursdays from 7-8:45 p.m. Where: Faith Church, 4601 Valleydale Road.

Feb. 3-19

Dreamgirls

Enjoy “Dreamgirls” coming to Red Mountain Theatre. It’s a story infused with the spirit of Motown and the R&B

Every year, in conjunction with Mardi Gras, the Greater Birmingham Humane Society Auxiliary Board hosts the Jazz Cat Ball. The ball is one of the largest animal rescue fundraisers in the South, including a black-tie gala, seated dinner, live music by Revel Radio, casino, and huge online and live auctions! This year’s Jazz Cat Ball is presented by Regions Bank and the Jefferson County Commission. When: 6 p.m. Where: Sheraton Birmingham Hotel Ballroom

Feb. 9 - 26

Escape to Margaritaville Musical comedy featuring Jimmy Buffet’s hit songs and a book by Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia and Emmy nominee Mike O’Malley. A part-time bartender, part-time singer and full-time charmer thinks he’s got life all figured out until a beautiful career-minded tourist steals his heart and makes him question everything.

When: Showtimes vary Where: Virginia Samford Theatre

Sat., Feb. 11

MAGICIAN DAVID GARRARD

As seen on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us!” world class magician David Garrard brings his special brand of magic to Birmingham’s Historic Lyric Theatre. The Magic Show also features an appearance by David’s friend and fellow magician, Tommy Ellison. When: 2-5 p.m. Where: The Lyric Theatre

Spring Into Winter

GirlSpring Winter Party Raises Funds for Girls’ and

Young Women’s Programs

The GirlSpring 2023 Winter Party, a fundraiser for GirlSpring.com, the nonprofit online community created by girls for girls, is set for Jan. 26 at the home of Anna and Jason Comer.

Tommie G. Cummings, CPA, director of the Business Services Group at Kassouf & Co., is the event’s honoree.

The Winter Party begins at 6 p.m. and will feature cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $125 each and are available at gsfoundersparty.swell. gives/menu.

GirlSpring’s mission is to provide access to reliable information, inspiring events and positive role models so girls ages 9 to 18 are empowered to reach their full potential. The site launched in 2016 and reaches an average of 13,000 girls per month in Birmingham and across the globe through its digital platform, programs, camps and educational opportunities.

Samford Scholarships

Author Susan Alexander Yates Speaks at Legacy League Events

Christian author Susan Alexander Yates will be the guest speaker for the Legacy League’s annual Scholarship Luncheon and a casual supper, both on Feb. 9.

Yates will share timely, life-shaping messages relevant for all ages and stages of life, according to a statement from the league.

God” is the theme of Yates’ message for the luncheon, which will be held at a country club in Vestavia Hills.

Premium sponsors are Brookdale University Park and Wells Fargo Advisors.

Doors will open at 10:45 a.m. for a silent auction and the program will begin at 11:30 a.m. Reservations are required and cost $55, $26 of which is a tax-deductible donation.

Easterseals

Mardi Gras on the Mountain

Complete with a nine-piece live band and a New Orleans-inspired buffet dinner, beer and wine, you will feel like you have stepped into Mardi Gras. Live Auction hosted by Diamonds Direct, along with a silent auction. Each guest will receive a Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktail when you arrive! When: 6pm – VIP Cocktail Hour for Sponsors 7pm –Doors open for the main event Black tie optional Where: The Club

Among her books, Yates wrote “Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God who is Bigger Than Your World” and “Cousin Camp.”

Barbara and Dennis Rainey, co-founders of Family Life, a website that caters to families and couples, said Yates gives practical encouragement and hope to those who want to know God more deeply.

Proceeds from the events will provide scholarships to students with significant financial need and challenging circumstances to go to Samford University.

“Discovering an Infinite, Intimate

“Trusting God in Life’s Transitions” will be Yate’s topic for the supper, to be held on Samford’s campus. Reservations are required and cost $20. To buy tickets for either of the events, go to samford.edu/legacyleague.

Yates lives in Falls Church, Virginia, where her husband, John, pastored a church for 40 years. She frequently speaks on topics of faith, scripture and amily.

The Legacy League has nearly 800 members and has awarded more than $1.3 million in scholarships.

Susan Alexander Yates

Journal photo by Maury Wald

Courtesy

TNT Wakes Up From Pandemic

Terrific New Theatre will be performing the Obie Award-winning play “Circle Mirror Transformation” Jan. 5-8 and 12-15 at The Dance Foundation in Homewood.

The play, written by Annie Baker, is told from the setting of an adult creative drama class in Shirley, Vermont. Four people start the sixweek class as strangers, and through their teacher’s efforts and willingness to be open, they come to realizations about their own lives.

“TNT is thrilled to be back … after nearly three years in hibernation,” said Tam DeBolt, executive director of TNT. “We are also thrilled about starting 2023 with ‘Circle Mirror Transformation.’ … The audience will see how vulnerability uncovers the complex emotions that often surface when we are encouraged to be creative and open.”

David Strickland is directing the

‘Elvis People’

Play at the Homewood Library Explores the King’s Effect on People Through the Decades

South City Theatre is presenting the play “Elvis People,” by Doug Grissom, Feb. 17-18 at 6:30 p.m. in the Homewood Public Library’s Large Auditorium.

The comedic play spans decades to explore the King’s impact on American culture through the eyes of the disparate people he affected during and beyond his life.

Although Elvis is not a character in the play, his spirit runs through it as the play explores his effect on millions of people.

The event begins with a buffet dinner starting at 6:30 p.m., and the show follows at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 for the buffet and show. Buy tickets before Feb. 15 at homewoodpubliclibrary.org/vdt or at the Adult Services Desk in the library.

play for TNT, a nonprofit dedicated to high-quality, cutting-edge theater. The play will be performed Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. during its run.

Follow TNT on Facebook and Instagram for more updates as the show draws near. Tickets may be bought for $25 at terrificnewtheatre. com.

Photo by Stewart Edmonds

cookmuseum.org

A New Path

Jemison Trail to Get $2.7 Million in Updates

By Anne Ruisi

Improvements are coming to Jemison Trail, including replacing the concrete walkways with asphalt, widening those paths and rerouting sections of the walkway along Shades Creek that tend to flood, a city official said.

Cost of the $2.7 million project is being shared by the city of Mountain Brook and the Friends of Jemison Park, said Shanda Williams, superintendent of parks and recreation for the city of Mountain Brook. The city is allocating $1.4 million over the next three years, and fundraising by the Friends has netted $1.2 million of its $1.4 million goal to match the city’s contribution, she said.

The 54-acre linear park is a greenway along Shades Creek used for walking, jogging, reading, bird watching and picnicking, according to the city’s website. Owls, hawks, raccoons and fox are among the ani-

By RuBin e. GRAnt

mals in the area, as are abundant native plant species.

The 1-mile concrete trail along Mountain Brook Parkway connects with the Nature Trail and the Watkins Trace Trail. When finished, it will be 1.5 miles long.

“It’s a popular trail. More people

Williams said.

Trail width will be expanded from its current 5 feet, but the final width is to be determined. When finished, the trail will be ADA compliant.

Parking areas will be improved, with dedicated paths leading from the lots to the trails. Currently, if it’s been raining, people getting out of their cars have to deal with muddy conditions.

Work should start by summer and wrap up by the end of 2024. It will be done in sections so portions of the trail not under construction can be used, she said.

are using it since COVID,” because they were isolated at home and wanted to get outdoors when they could, Williams said. So, it needs to be improved to accommodate heavier use.

The asphalt will be friendlier to runners; concrete is a harder surface,

Nathan Matteo was thrilled when he found out a new downhill mountain biking park would be opening virtually in his backyard.

Matteo has been an avid mountain biker for five years, and the 14-year-old youngster who lives in Vestavia Hills has ridden trails in Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina and has raced on courses at Oak Mountain and Tannehill state parks.

So, when RideBHM, Alabama’s first downhill mountain biking park, was being construct-

Meanwhile, the Friends group used some of the money it raised for work underway on the new woodland trail across the creek from Jemison Trail, Williams said. This trail will give people a place to use the park while portions of the Jemison trail are closed for construction. It should be finished in fall 2024.

Take a Ride

New Downhill Mountain Biking Park Receiving Rave Reviews

RideBHM was modeled after Kanuga park, with some Kanuga employees coming down to help build some of the RideBHM trails. Dialed Dirt, a trail building company, also helped build some of the trails.

RideBHM features 10 downhill mountain biking trails of varying skill levels. It also includes adaptive trails that can be ridden by persons with disabilities.

One of Alabama’s first benefit corporations, RideBHM also has a mission to increase the access that underprivileged youths have to mountain biking and nature.

The park currently is open to riders seven days a week, from sunrise to sunset.

As of the first week of January, RideBHM had 149 people with memberships, which cost $600 for an adult (18 years and older) and $500 for youth (under 18). They also had sold more than 2,000 day passes, which cost $29 for an adult and $19 for a youth.

Spectators can check out the park for free.

ed in partnership with Red Mountain Park, Matteo was eager to grab his bike and go there to ride.

“I thought this place would be awesome,” Matteo said. “I was excited for the Birmingham community and the Birmingham mountain bike community. It has been really growing the last few years.”

RideBHM is to the west of Red Mountain Park on land owned by Red Mountain Park.

“We’re kind of like a ski resort on dirt,” said Hobie King, one of the founders of RideBHM. “There are only four others like this in the Southeast, so it’s pretty unique and it’s cool it’s in Birmingham.”

The pay-to-ride course opened in November, just eight months after construction began, with more than 400 mountain bike enthusiasts from 11 states, including as far away as New Jersey, coming to ride.

“I really like the convenience, only 15 or 20 minutes away from my house,” Matteo said.

“It’s supereasy to check in.”

RideBHM was the brainchild of King and his partner Emile Hughes, the CEO. Both grew up in Birmingham and are graduates of the Altamont School. They formed Ride Resorts to get the project off the ground.

“Me and the other founder always wanted to

do something cool and interesting after we got into mountain biking, something next level that was not available in Birmingham,” King said. “We saw it in Colorado and also in North Carolina at the Kanuga Bike Park and wanted to have something like that here.”

King and Hughes began searching for a location and reached out to T.C. McLemore, executive director of Red Mountain Park. The park owned 200 acres just outside the park’s official boundaries and agreed to let RideBHM build its mountain bike part there.

Funding Windfall

In August, King and Hughes won $25,000 through Alabama Launchpad, a statewide startup competition for grants, during the Cycle 2 2022 Finale.

Matteo, who competes for the Vestavia Hills Mountain Bike team, already has ridden the course five times, including New Year’s Day, when he participated in a downhill race.

“This is the most challenging place in Birmingham because of its size and stature,” Matteo said. “Oak Mountain is still challenging, but it doesn’t have as many jumps. RideBHM has some big jumping trails, such as Big Bertha and their signature trail, Berm-ingham.

“I think it’s a park more for intermediate to advanced riders, but they do have some familyfriendly courses, such as Sweet Pea and Tootsie Roll.”

Sunday Driver has very mellow beginner trails.

“There are a range of trails at RideBHM from beginner to expert,” King said. “Regardless of your ability level, we have trails that are suitable for you as long as you can ride a bike.”

For more information about RideBHM visit ridebhm.com.

Owls, hawks, raccoons and fox are among the animals in the area, as are abundant native plant species.

The 54-acre linear park, a greenway along Shades Creek, is a popular spot for walking, jogging, reading, bird watching and picnicking.

Journal photo by Maury Wald

“We’re kind of like a ski resort on dirt,” said Hobie King, one of the founders of RideBHM.

Nathan Matteo, who competes for the Vestavia Hills Mountain Bike team, already has ridden the course five times.

‘We saw it in Colorado and also in North Carolina at the Kanuga Bike Park and wanted to have something like that here.’

courtesy

From Page One

Montevallo, passed away at the age of 62 on Sept. 23.

Ted said Robin was excited about the show – her third in The Joy Gallery.

“Her plan for this show was to do 20 or 30 small paintings. She knew she didn’t have as much energy,” he said, “she didn’t have as much studio time.”

The 8-by-10 works that she was painting at the end of her life are displayed in the middle of the room. The subjects vary but all are playful, joyful pieces. There’s a photo of Robin painting her final piece. She’s smiling.

Robin was born in Nashville, but she spent much of her adult and professional life in Alabama. She attended Homewood High School, then she studied graphic design and illustration at the University of Montevallo and Auburn University and worked as a commercial artist for 20 years. A portrait of one of her children is what led her to a career in fine art. She showed it to Dameron one day, and he told her: “This is great. You should do more of these.” So, she did.

“I loved this sweet person and have promoted her art and have collected it over the years,” Dameron said. “She was the first artist to ever show at The Joy Gallery 10 years ago and has always been a favorite.”

Sun Symbol

Robin was a favorite of many.

Even as she was fighting stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Robin brightened the lives of others through her art. Specifically, her suns – both paintings and sculptures – ended up reaching millions of people.

Ted said Robin was diagnosed in March 2020 and she decided to send some of her work to CBS Sunday Morning, which features sun artwork from artists across the country between segments.

“CBS Sunday Morning was always our favorite thing to do on Sunday morning,” Ted said. “When Robin got cancer she said, ‘You know, what do I have to lose? I’m going to go ahead and write (to the person who selects the artwork) and send in a few suns and see what happens.’”

What happened is that more than 20 of her suns were featured on the show over the past few years. The first one was on Mother’s Day, Ted said.

A few weeks ago, when the program aired a segment on people lost in 2022, they featured Pope Benedict and Queen Elizabeth and Barbara Walters, Ted said, “and Robin was in that, too.” They featured members of the CBS

Sunday Morning team, he said, and “it was interesting that she led that group.”

Robin spoke with Bham Now in 2021, about a year after her diagnosis and after her seventh sun had been featured on the news show, and she said: “I am so happy that I have been given the opportunity to show people that hope is a good thing and it is real. You’ve got to focus on the good stuff.

The Life and Art of Robin Nance Metz with Ted Metz

Where: The Joy Gallery at Homewood Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 513 Columbiana Road, Homewood.

When: Mondays to Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., or by appointment, through March 12.

Tickets: Show is free and open to the public.

See online: You can view the online presentation of the art show by visiting HomewoodCPC.org or Facebook.com/HomewoodCPC.

good stuff that spans her career as a commercial artist and then as a creator of fine art. There are cats and fish, moons and suns, a woman wearing a flowerpot as a hat.

Ted said her art is “especially approachable. It makes you smile.” The three-dimensional pieces – the sculptures she did with him – show she was not afraid to venture out of her comfort zone.

None of the art is for sale. The show is meant as a memorial to Robin – a way to simply celebrate her life and her contributions to the lives of others.

Ted said Robin had plenty of hardship during her life, but she “was able to accept everything thrown at her with such grace and dignity. The woman smiled more than is humanly possible. She would light up a room.”

“She had the kind of life that would define most people in a negative way, and she rose above it in such an amazing way,” he said. “She was an inspiration to everyone. And the whole point of her work – everything she did – the only thing she wanted to convey in her artwork was she wanted to get people to put a smile on their face. She just wanted people to smile.”

Supporting Others in Need

Robin also worked with the Alabama Oncology Foundation, creating and selling art to support the co-pay costs of cancer patients in need of assistance.

After overhearing that a fellow patient who was checking in couldn’t afford her co-payment, Ted said, “Robin decided she was going to do an art project and all the proceeds were going to help people with co-payments.”

Then she had an art show at her church in Montevallo that sold out, he said. And half of those proceeds also went to the assistance program she initiated, Help Oncology Patients Excel.

When the show at The Joy Gallery ends March 12, there will be a celebration of Robin’s life in the sanctuary of the Homewood Cumberland Presbyterian Church at 2 p.m. All are welcome.

“She was such a bubbly, happy soul,” Dameron said, “even when she was dying. She had a perfectly wonderful disposition.”

New Routines, New You

Doctor Says Find New Mindset and Routines and Stick With Them for Long-Term Health

By Anne Ruisi

You know the drill; you make a New Year’s resolution to exercise more, lose weight or maybe work on your overall fitness. After a few weeks, you’ve lost the enthusiasm to go to the gym and the tags are still on some of your new workout gear.

So how to you keep those promises you make to achieve better health?

“It’s kind of the number one question,” said Dr. Holly Wyatt, an MD and professor of nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Health Professions. “How do you make those goals for 2023 stick?”

Uncovering your motivations, changing your mindset and behaviors, and enlisting support are strategies, said Wyatt, who’s been helping people achieve long-term weight loss for most of her career.

“I put all my effort into interventions that help people lose weight and live their best life. It relates to moving more into almost a holistic kind of lifestyle wellness,” she said. “It’s about body, state and lifestyle and how do you have the best body state to support the best life that you want?”

Wyatt co-wrote a book, “State of Slim,” that lays out a plan for longterm weight loss.

If you don’t, you’ll miss the sun, the moon, the cup of coffee on the front porch and the laughter of life.”

The show at The Joy Gallery is a room full of good stuff – dazzlingly colorful and wonderfully whimsical

Robin’s art made people happy, but it also made a tangible difference in the lives of those around her.

She opened her studio to people struggling with grief, and she shared with them the therapeutic relief that creating art had offered her over the years.

Dameron plays in a local band, and it will do six tunes to start the celebration service, he said. They play lots of songs from the 1930s, and he said, “We’re going to play ‘When My Sugar Walks Down the Street (All the Little Birdies Go Tweet-Tweet-Tweet),’ which is what would have happened if she walked down the street. … We’re going to do that to get people in a good mood and then people can come up and talk about her. … She wouldn’t want us to be sad.”

“People say, ‘I want to change my body shape, whatever.’ And that’s good. That’s what fires us up. So I would say, OK, let’s get excited about that. But let’s spend just as much time on why we want to do it,” she said.

Holly Wyatt, is a medical doctor and professor of nutrition sciences at UAB’s School of Health Professions.

“It’s … unique to each person, but it’s the power source if you can start to tap into what’s really important to you about changing your diet, or any behavior,” Wyatt said.

It’s also important that the new behaviors become so much a part of your life that they run on autopilot, she said.

Journal photos by Maury Wald

The Joy Gallery at Homewood Cumberland Presbyterian Church curator Tom Dameron, left and Robin’s husband, Ted Metz, right, curated The Life and Art of Robin Nance Metz with Ted Metz, together. Below, Robin’s vivid, whimsical paintings; some of her early work as a graphic artist; and the clay sculptures she did later in life are on display in the gallery through March 12.

Robin worked with the Alabama Oncology Foundation, creating and selling art to support the co-pay costs of cancer patients in need of assistance.

By Anne Ruisi

The very first thing a person should do when they want to lose weight is set reasonable goals, an expert in nutrition said.

“We all look forward to changing the world tomorrow, but don’t say you’re going to lose 20 pounds by the end of January,” said Wendy DemarkWahnefried, a professor of nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “One pound of weight loss per week is good.”

That adds up to 52 pounds a year – a big deal for someone who needs to lose a large amount of weight.

Taking weight loss slowly also helps protect against losing muscle mass. Muscle mass helps determine how many calories you burn. If you reduce that due to quick weight loss, “you lower your set point and that

sets you up for failure,” DemarkWahnefried said.

Exercising and getting your weight down if you are overweight are of paramount importance and not only for overall fitness and better health. It will reduce the risk of obesity-related cancers, said Demark-Wahnefried, who also is an associate director of UAB’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Thirteen common cancers are linked to obesity, including breast, prostate, ovarian, endometrial, colorectal, pancreatic and thyroid, she said.

You don’t have to starve yourself to meet your weight loss goal, DemarkWahnefried said. A plant-based diet, which doesn’t necessarily mean vegetarian or vegan, is what’s recommended by the USDA, the American Cancer Society and the American Institute of Cancer Research.

Americans have long been encouraged to eat less refined and fast foods and to limit or cut alcohol. They’re advised to limit the amount of red and processed meats in their diets and to

opt for healthier options, such as chicken and fish, and to eat whole grains. General guidelines and information for most people regarding healthier eating are available online, such as at myplate.gov, the USDA’s website, Demark-Wahnefried said.

Besides setting reasonable weight loss goals, these tips can help you stay on track:

• Weigh yourself every day. “Getting on a scale brings it home on what your weight is and helps make you aware of what you’re eating,” DemarkWahnefried said.

• Exercise regularly and do it early in the day. That way you won’t use the “I’m too tired” excuse later in the day.

• Stay hydrated with water, plain tea or another non-caloric beverage.

• Slow down when eating and don’t be distracted. “It’s easy to go through a bag of chips when you’re in front of the computer screen or TV, Demark-Wahnefried said.

• Be mindful when you eat. Sit at the kitchen table and focus on what you’re eating and feel satisfied.

Wendy DemarkWahnefried, a professor of

sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

ROAR to Honor Marilyn Waggoner at Gala

By Anne Ruisi

Surgery was about the only option available in the 1970s when Marilyn Mitchell Waggoner’s mother was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Initially it was successful. For almost five years the procedure kept the cancer at bay, but it returned and eventually Waggoner’s mother passed away.

“We didn’t then have the benefit of knowledge that we do now” to fight cancer, especially thanks to lifesaving research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said Waggoner, herself a breast cancer survivor who advocates for early detection and finding a cure.

On Jan. 28, she’ll be honored at ROAR’s James Bond Gala at The Club. It will be the nonprofit’s 12th annual gala fundraiser.

“I’m overwhelmed to be asked to be the honoree,” the Vestavia Hills resident said. “I feel in a position to represent people everywhere who’ve gone through this valley to get to the other side.”

ROAR’s mission is to raise money for cancer research programs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Radiation Oncology Department. ROAR is an acronym for Radiation Oncology Accelerated Research.

Cancer is a disease pervasive in

ROAR Gala Details

Tickets to ROAR’s James Bond Gala fundraiser at The Club on Jan. 28 are available online.

Each ticket helps fund cancer research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The gala begins at 6 p.m. and the evening includes a reception, dinner and entertainment by the band Total Assets.

A live auction led by auctioneer Granger Thagard will feature an array of experiences, such as a South African hunt and photo safari, a beachfront vacation in Key West and a week’s stay in a villa in Tuscany. A guitar signed by the Rolling Stones, a Jovanni couture gown and a lot called “Shaken Not Stirred” of more than 100 bottles of top shelf spirits and wine also will be auctioned off.

Tickets are $250 per person and are available at Roar2023.givesmart. com.

society, with one in two men and one in three women developing cancer in their lifetimes, according to ROAR’s website, roarthecure.org.

Waggoner’s own cancer journey, which began in early 2013, started like many others, with something unusual detected during a routine doctor’s visit, she said. A mammo-

gram, a scan and biopsy followed and, finally, a startling diagnosis: Stage 3 triple negative breast cancer.

“It’s very shocking to hear the big C word,” she said, even though due to her family history, she was aware of cancer screening measures, such as colonoscopies.

Waggoner’s treatment course was a lumpectomy, followed by chemotherapy and then radiation.

The Travails of Treatment

During chemo, she was told to expect hair loss. She was in the shower after her second round and it started to fall out.

“I just lost it,” Waggoner said. She underwent radiation for six to eight weeks, which she said

wasn’t as bad as she expected.

Her family and friends were supportive. “My husband and daughter were there with me every step of the way,” Waggoner said. She is married to Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, and they have a daughter, Lyn Kilpatrick.

Loving gestures from family and friends helped boost her spirits, such as the blanket, snacks and water bottle a grandchild gave her to take to treatment sessions. Her sons would call her while she was having an infusion.

itself as you might expect” and doctor visits can certainly help.

Waggoner was treated by doctors affiliated with Ascension St. Vincent’s Birmingham and benefited from medical advances at UAB. She wholeheartedly supports cancer research and lauds the doctors, researchers and scientists who are fighting to stamp out this disease.

“We’re so fortunate to have UAB here,” she said. “Cancer’s been with us for such a long time. It’s time to get rid of it.”

Courtesy GOALS

From page 8

Waggoner’s been in remission since her treatment ended, 10 years for which she is thankful. In the time since then, she’s been a support to others on their cancer journey, especially in a one-on-one capacity. She lent that support to her daughter when Kilpatrick was diagnosed with colon cancer.

“They caught it early and she’s in remission, Waggoner said.

She emphasizes early detection played a key role in her daughter’s treatment and recovery. To catch cancer before it spreads, Waggoner advocates people keep up annual physical exams.

“Cancer doesn’t always present

Another strategy for success is eliminating temptations. People say they want to lose weight and keep it off, but “you open the refrigerator and the first thing I see are leftover cookies,” Wyatt said.

For better meals and snacks, put healthy food front and center in the fridge, like pre-cut vegetables or meal ingredients you can prep yourself ahead of time. That way, when you come home from work, you don’t have to run out for fast food because you’re too tired to prepare a meal.

Seemingly small gestures, like putting out your workout clothes at night so they’re ready for you in the morning, can help.

“That’s the routine you get into that makes the behavior easier,” Wyatt said.

Marilyn Mitchell Waggoner, with husband Jabo Waggoner, is this year’s Roar Gala honoree.

Clare Bridge Crossings at Brookdale

Specifically developed to help persons with earlystage dementia, our Clare Bridge Crossings program builds on the growing body of aging research that shows well-designed programs can help sustain mental functions often impacted in the early to early-middle stages of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

This specialized programming preserves selfesteem and enables persons living with early dementia to remain engaged with peers when they might otherwise struggle socially—and be more susceptible to depression— in a traditional personal care setting.

As a proactive discipline the Clare Bridge Crossings program may benefit individuals whose symptoms are just starting to result in the need for additional cueing and care. The Crossings’ daily path of activities features mind-and-body enhancing, socially-engaging programs such as: art expressions, vigorous mental workouts utlizing the latest technology, activities that recognize prior occupational skills and interests, outings which encourage learning and new knowledge.

The Clare Bridge Crossings program offers private suites in comfortable neighborhood environments. Unique building features, such as an exercise room, art gallery and resident-use kitchen help residents stay engaged and socially active.

The Clare Bridge Crossings program is, by design, a stepping stone in the Clare Bridge continuum of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care provided by Brookdale. As such it is most beneficial for those in the early stages of these conditions.

It all comes together at Brookdale. See how our blend of hospitality, service and care help loved ones continue their story in a place they’ll feel comfortable calling home.

The Clare Bridge Crossings program is a stepping stone between Assisted Living and Memory

The Clare Bridge Crossings Difference

The Clare Bridge Crossings program is a stepping stone between Assisted Living and Memory Care and is designed to support those living with early-stage dementia. Clare Bridge Crossings has as its foundation a growing body of research that shows that a structured program of cognitive workouts, regular and varied physical exercise and increased social interaction may help to slow the decline of those living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Brookdale University Park IL/AL/MC (AL) Independent Living | Assisted Living Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care | Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing 400 University Park Drive Birmingham, AL 35209

decline of those living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

When Should you consider early-stage dementia care? Consider care when you or someone in your care: needs a bit of help with planning day-today activities; doing well with reminders, reassurance and social interactions with others but may be struggling with initiation; getting around without a lot of assistance; mostly managing bathroom needs and personal care with only occasional support.

What can you expect from the Clare Bridge Crossings program? Innovative engagement.

Engagement provides an opportunity to ‘stretch to improve’ cognitive skills, and a daily routine of programs, including a specially designed exercise program, helps residents stay socially connected, engaged and more confident in their abilities. We like to call our daily path of engagement ‘kicked up a notch’.

Dining Options

Dining in the Crossings encourages resident choice and participation to build self-esteem and help maintain autonomy.

Healthy and delicious meals featuring optional Optimum Life brain-healthy menu help increase our residents’ nutritional health and decrease their risk for weight loss.

Purpose-built and Designed Environments

Intentionally designed program spaces encourage continued learning and help our residents maintain connections with opportunities, such as: Art and music workshops, live and active garden spaces as well as fitness areas that exercise the mind and body. Outings that include learning opportunities, local interests, and culture.

Come home to Clare Bridge Crossings for a different approach to early stage Alzheimer’s and dementia care.

Care and is designed to support those living with early-stage dementia. Clare Bridge Crossings has as its foundation a growing body of research that

shows that a structured program of cognitive workouts, regular and varied physical exercise and increased social interaction may help to slow the

SOCIAL

Rockin’ for Christmas

The Redstone Club’s 100th Christmas Ball was held Dec. 17 at the Country Club of Birmingham, with more than 150 members attending.

The 17, all college seniors, wore traditional long white dresses with gloves and carried simple flower bouquets, a complement to their chosen escorts in black tuxedo tails.

The Redstone Club’s 121st president, Richard Murray IV, and his wife, Norita, presided over the presentation, receiving curtsies from each of the young women following their walk down the packed ballroom. This year’s ball chairman was Evans Johnson Dunn.

Carole Sullivan installed the Christmas-themed decorations for both the seated dinner before the ball and the room where the presentation was held. A cocktail party also was offered before the ball.

The presentee class of 2022 included Miss Helen Caroline Abele, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Fletcher Abele Jr.; Miss Ella

Caroline Cobbs, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Glenn Cobbs; Miss Hannah Grace Doss, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Coates Doss; Miss Clara Parker Evans, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Parker Evans II; Miss Elizabeth Halsey Hamilton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Buckner Woodford Hamilton III; and Miss Grace Shepard Hull, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hewes Turner Hull.

Also presented were Miss Valerie Bennett Lightfoot, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Bricken Lightfoot Jr.; Miss Abigail Aydlette Shepherd, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Wylie Shepherd Jr.; Miss Virginia Tynes Wahlheim, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Bernhart Wahlheim Jr.; Miss Margaret Whitton Bumgarner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen James Bumgarner, sponsored by Mr. Warren Bricken Lightfoot Jr.; and Miss Eleanor Elizabeth Edwards, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Hugh Edwards, sponsored by Mr. William Mudd Hiden.

Other presentees were Miss Anna Beverley Hoyt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Wills Hoyt, sponsored by Mr. James Somerville McLester French; Miss Lucy Claiborne Jones, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Marshall Jones III, sponsored by Mr. David Alan Elliott; Miss Anna Elizabeth Littleton, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Michael

Byrne Littleton, sponsored by Mr. William Lyle Hinds Jr.; Miss Mary Allen Murray, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Bradley Murray, sponsored by John Reese Murray III; Miss Anna Catherine Sims, daughter of Mr. George William Sims II and Ms Caroline Coleman Edwards, sponsored by Mr. James Arthur Smith IV; Miss Mary Elizabeth Vaughn, daughter of Mr. Joseph Collin Vaughn; and Ms Elizabeth Seibels Ogletree, sponsored by Mr. Edmund Kelly Seibels.

At a luncheon a day before the presentation, presentees were introduced to the club membership and received background on the long history of the event and the club. Also represented were four members of the 1972 presentee class, whose 50th anniversary was celebrated.

The “golden girls” from 1972 were: Elizabeth Scott Abele, Nancy Ann Adams, Margaret Anne Bowron, Lillian Sibley Browning, Ruth Ann Bullock, Margaret McEwen Estes, Mary Givhan, Eugenia Dorothy

Music chairman John R. Simpson arranged the evening’s accompaniment. For the cocktail party, the debutante presentation and first dance, the Sonny Harris Trio Band set the musical atmosphere. Following the presentation, the Universal Crush band from Atlanta took the stage, turning the formal setting into a rocking dance hall that kept the presentees and their escorts, along with a few hardy members, dancing late into the evening.

The 2022 Redstone Club officers are: Richard Murray IV, president; William Bernhart Wahlheim Jr., vice president; Robert Murphy Couch, secretary-treasurer; Charles Hatcher Simpson, traditions

Blount Hofammann, Eva Elizabeth Houseal, Diane Duncan Lyles, Sara St. Clair Maring, Sheard Lovelace Mason, Mary Perry McIntosh, Margaret Moore Parker, Katherine Frances Rudulph, Julie Bargeron Scott, Martha Shorter Stephens, Katherine Lawrence Thomas, Margaret Tutwiler, Sara Brewster West and Julia Carolyn Wittichen.

chairman. ❖

Photos by Dee Moore

17 Young Women Presented at the Redstone Club’s Christmas Ball

Ella Caroline Cobbs, Clara Parker Evans ,Hannah Grace Doss, Anna Beverley Hoyt, and Elizabeth Halsey Hamilton

Lucy Claiborne Jones, Margaret Whitton Bumgarner, Virginia Tynes Wahlheim, and Valerie Bennett Lightfoot

Eleanor Elizabeth Edwards, Mary Elizabeth Vaughn, Grace Shepard Hull, and Helen Caroline Abele

Abigail Aydlette Shepherd, Mary Allen Murray, Anna Catherine Sims, and Anna Elizabeth Littleton

2022 Club President; Richard Murray IV, and wife Norita

A cabin nestled in the woods of Bluff Park, home of Robert Raiford and Zane Rhoades, was the scene of the Symphony Volunteer Council Christmas Party on Dec. 3.

SVC President Michael Meeks played sing-along Christmas carols pitting the women against the men. Hospitality chair Susan Atwood kept the table full of goodies made by members. Bartenders Tom Warren and Rich Venglik made sure everyone’s glass was full. Executive Director Mark Patrick gave an update on the state of the Alabama Symphony.

Seen in the crowd were Jim and Roberta Atkinson, Jonnie and Rich Venglik, Herb and Diane Rossmeisl, Janet Lauer, John and Susan Atwood, Molly and Tom Bloetscher, Roger and Linda James, Terry and Jack Standridge, Diane Ray, Carolyn and Bob Orchid, Susan Mason and Betsy Cooper.

The Symphony Volunteer Council is a support group for the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. For more information, call the symphony office at 205-314-6958. ❖

Above, John and Susan Atwood, Molly and Tom Bloetscher Left, Tom Warren and Rich Venglik

Stars Fell on Alabama

“Stars fell on Alabama,” as 21 young ladies were honored Dec. 29 at Mountain Brook Club.

In keeping with tradition of the Debutante Club, a Black and White Ball was held. The debutantes wore white gowns as their guests were attired in black tie and black cocktail dresses.

The 2022 debutantes and their escorts were Emma Blakely and Pierce Rodrigues, Mallie Bradford and Bradley Pinson, Emilie Brown and Phillip Gaut, Whitton Bumgarner and Jarret Harrison, Anna Elizabeth Byrne and Robert Goolsby, Mary Ann Carmichael and Diego Melendez, Mimi Davis and Zach Shunnarah, Isabelle DeBuys and James Burkett, Hannah Doss and Sam Morrow, Laura Lacy Gardner and Chip Porter, Elizabeth Hamilton and Jackson Davis, Anna Hoyt and Sam Somerville, Grace Hull and Patton Browning, Eleanor Kerr and Winston Smith, Vale Lightfoot and Robert Reed, Caroline Monaghan and Liam Powell, Mary Kate Rainer and Blake Roth, Mary Jane Rose and Benton Ladd, Lillian Perkins and

Harry Ware, Anna Spencer and Blake Wilkinson, Virginia Wahlheim and Brendan Brogan.

Katie Smith of Please Reply created an elegant black invitation with stars of gold foil. Robert Logan of Backstage Design transformed Mountain Brook Club into a star-filled venue.

Guests arrived to an assortment of stars of glitter and lights within the circle drive of Mountain Brook Club. A red carpet invited guests to enter under more stars and a replica of the iconic Alabama Theater sign. The Debutante Club of Birmingham’s monogram was arrayed in gold and silver glitter with white lights above the doorway.

A black and gold Birmingham skyline stretched across the room, and other rooms of the clubhouse were arrayed in white lights and more stars of silver and gold. Cocktails and dinner were served before the party. They sat at tables of black and silver sequins with art deco designs around the room and centerpieces of white hydrangea and silver stars. Rhythm Nation, a 10-piece band out of Atlanta, played for the group. ❖

Isabelle DeBuys, Whitton Bumgarner, Virginia Wahlheim, Vale Lightfoot, and Emma Blakely

Elizabeth Hamilton, Mimi Davis, Hannah Doss, Anna Hoyt, and Grace Hull

Anna Spencer, Eleanor Kerr, Mary Jane Rose, Laura Lacy Gardner,and Caroline Monaghan

Lillian Perkins, Emilie Brown, Mallie Bradford, Mary Kate Rainer, Mar y Ann Carmichael, and Anna Elizabeth Byrne

Photos by Dee Moore

Cheryl Fritze, Kelly Styslinger, Kelly Aland, Valerie Lightfoot, and Anna Cooper

Gisel Cooper, Lauren Connor, Brooks Sanders, and Helen Catherine Smith

Holly Robertson, Sumner Reeves, and Cindy Barr

Courtesy

Sandee Taylor, Rosemary Gillespy,Elizabeth Outland , Jennifer DeBruge, Gisel Cooper, Martha Bailey, Cheryl Fritze, and Elizabeth Miller

Poinsettia Pirouette

Ball Introduces Debs, Benefits Alabama Ballet

The Ballet Women’s Committee and Poinsettia Men’s Club hosted the 55th annual Poinsettia Ball on Dec. 15 at the Vestavia Country Club.

The committee was founded in 1960 to foster and promote fine arts in the greater Birmingham area. In 1968, the Poinsettia Debutante Ball was created at the proposal of Mrs. John W. Gustafson. The revenue generated from the ball supports the Alabama Ballet. The men’s club was formed in 1969 to support and promote the goals and activities of the Ballet Women’s Committee.

Eighteen debutantes were dressed in white gowns and carried bouquets of red poinsettias. They were present-

ed in the ballroom to a crowd of family and friends. These young ladies were nominated in the spring of their sophomore year in college and presented during their junior year.

The debutantes presented were Anna Grace Brown, Katherine Sydney Calamusa, Blakely Jordan Channell, Claire Campbell Chester, Catherine Grace Couch, Isabel Kate DiGuglielmo, Caroline Wade Gilroy, Lauren Ann Holmes, Ansley Katherine Kirkpatrick, Emily Grace Lemak, Arden Grace McCullough, Audrey Campbell Osborne, Isabella Grace Plaia, Abby Elizabeth Reed, Victoria Ashley Rohner, Emma Frances

Stewart, Emma Grace Stutts and Lillian Foster Troiano.

Seventeen junior debutantes were presented in red gowns and carried bouquets of white poinsettias and fresh greenery. The junior debutantes are seniors in high school.

The junior debutantes were Laura Grace Bullock, Elizabeth Ann Burton, Caroline Marie Chandler, Karrington Reed Channell, Kendall Blaire Channell, Molly Alice Coleman, Nancy Caroline Collums, Kathleen Virginia Culberson, Georgia Campbell

Johnston, Ivy Elizabeth Morin, Ella Kathryn Reed, Abigail Catherine Saia, Sylvia Christine Smith, Laura

Catherine Grace Couch, Sydney Calamusa, Emily Grace Lemak, and Caroline Gilroy

Arden McCullough, Bella Plaia, Lillian Trioano, and Claire Chester GUIN II Air Conditioning • Plumbing • Generat or s

Cavan

The evening began with a private presentation of the Poinsettia debutantes at the Benefactor’s Dinner, sponsored by the Men’s Club. The dinner was coordinated by Stacey Gregory, Benefactor Dinner chairman.

Don Mosley, of Sounds of Birmingham, served as the master of ceremonies for the evening. Each debutante was presented on the arm of her father followed by a traditional waltz. Dance music was provided by Az Izz.

The evening festivities were coordinated by Poinsettia Ball board President Liz Guest with the support of Jayna Southerland, the Poinsettia Ball chairwoman. Sarah Bryan coordinated the event’s ticket

sales. The Men’s Club president is David Adams Mason. The Ballet Women’s Committee president is Melissa McMurray. Kelly Troiano and Stephanie Whisenhunt are the co-debutante social chairwomen who coordinate all of the debutante activities. Beth Martin is the junior debutante social chairwoman.

Poinsettia Ball board members also include Loren Leigh Baggett, Lianne Hand, Allison Herr, Diane Early, Ashley Stockard, Tammy Towns, Michelle Channel and Angie Saia. ❖

Hoover’s newest senior living community is welcoming new

be greeted with fresh, exciting experiences around every corner, not to mention all-day dining with your choice of chef-prepared, seasonal menu items and a full calendar of activities, live entertainment and guest speakers. Discover a vibrant community created for you and your lifestyle — and a future full of ways to live inspired at The Crossings at Riverchase.

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Meadows Smith, Lynley Freeman Threadcraft, Emma Grace Walters and Charlotte Tucker Wambsganss.

Victoria Rohner and Emma Stewart

Stephen and Missy Armstrong, Laura and Mike Mitchell

Bo and Jan Kirkpatrick

Greg and Beth Martin

Thirty-two young women will be presented at the 56th annual Beaux Arts Krewe Ball on Feb. 17 at Boutwell Auditorium.

Hosted by the Beaux Arts Krewe, the Mardi Gras ball’s theme is “Aladdin.”

On the night of the ball, in traditional Mardi Gras style, a queen and three ladies in waiting will be named from among the young women, and the rest will remain princesses.

Princesses being presented are: Eugenie Joyce Allen, Sara Frances Berte, Susannah Bristow Blount, Guilder Scout Carruthers, Courtney Alice Clark, Anne Carlton Clegg, Elizabeth Patterson Cooper, Sally Grace Cooper, Evelyn Claire Couvillon, Catherine Edith Driscoll, Callie Ryan Dukes, Emily Bricken Evans, Mary Catherine Fowlkes, Barbara Bugg Holloway, Anna Beverley Hoyt, Elizabeth Grace Hulsey and Salter Conary Hydinger.

Also to be presented are Marilyn Douglas Joyce, Adeline Elizabeth Lawson, Rosemary Katherine Lee, Katherine Elisabeth McDonald, Alice Alden Monk, Louisa Eleanor Patrick, Theresa Elizabeth Patton, Caroline Warner Payne, Alexandra Catherine Ritchie, Caroline McClendon Ritchie, Marguerite Alice Sprain, Georgia Ellen Stewart, Virginia Florence Vogtle, Lauren Campbell Walston and Anna Caroline Williamson.

For more than 50 years, the Krewe, which was created to benefit the Birmingham Museum of Art, has been instrumental in supporting the museum and has donated to the Krewe Acquisition Fund. These contributions have allowed the museum to spend more than $1 million to buy important European paintings, sculptures and drawings.

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Eugenie Allen, Marguerite Sprain, Scout Carruthers, Dede Driscoll, Anna Hoyt, and Katherine McDonald

Georgia Stewart, Anne Carlton Clegg, Rosemary Lee, Tess Patton, and Sara Frances Berte

Lauren Walston, Anna Caroline Williamson, Florie Vogtle, Courtney Clark, and Lizzie Cooper

Mary Katherine Fowlkes, Marilyn Joyce, Sally Cooper, Laouisa Patrick and Alice Monk

“An Evening of the Unimaginable” captured the attention of

The black-tie party at the museum featured unusual tastings and experiences. DJ Gina T provided music, as did To the 9’s, a 12-piece band with a three-piece horn section and five lead singers. There also was a midnight toast to ring in the new year.

Brewer Stella Artois showed off its artsy side with custom onsite glass engraving, along with a pouring and tasting of the Belgian beer. ❖

Museum

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Aralea Seachris and Joe Goslee

Kathryn Van Arcken, Autumn Harris, and Nichole Golson

Coby Kutcher and Andres Carlos Eric Jack and Nancy Hendrix Joe and Joyce Limbaugh

Megan and Barnett Chenoweth Stefanie and Mark Miller

Audra Seachris and Shandra Bouzman

partygoers at the Birmingham Museum of Art New Year’s Eve event, NYE at the BMA.

Journal photos by

Jordan Wald

Jeremy and Shelby Barron

By Anne Ruisi

Your great-grandmother might have saved her wedding bouquet by pressing individual blooms in a book kept wrapped in the attic, but you now have the option to treasure your flowers as an artistic memento of the day you said your vows and display it in your home long after your Golden Anniversary.

Preserving wedding flowers by encasing them in artistic shapes made of transparent resin is gaining more attention among brides as an alternative to traditional ways of floral preservation. HeidiCat, a new business based in Mountain Brook, is helping brides preserve their flowers for a lifetime.

“It’s a unique memory of that day,” said Catherine Romero, who, with her longtime friend Heidi Hallman, started the company in August.

Flowers can be preserved in spheres, book-

WEDDINGS

Forever Flowers

Wedding Flowers Are Timeless Treasures in Resin Art

ends, decorative trays, rectangles, squares, hexagons and other shapes, some in different sizes, to create substantial pieces with weight. Smaller pieces can be made for a jewelry dish, ring holder, ornaments, a cross, and bottle stoppers

and openers. Their website, heidicat.com, showcases the variety of items.

Each piece can take from two to four months to produce. The process begins with a careful preparation of the bouquet or other floral piece,

Rethinking Wedding Photographs

but Never Cheese

By Anne Ruisi

Shots of the bridal party, a mother adjusting her daughter’s veil before the ceremony and the happy couple cutting the cake are scenes every wedding photographer captures on the job.

Then there’s the Indian wedding where the groom got bucked off a horse during the baraat, part of an outdoor, prewedding groom’s procession, at an Over the Mountain hotel, photographers Kelli and Daniel Taylor recalled. That mishap wasn’t part of the wedding choreography and, luckily for the groom, a number of doctors were among the guests.

“Of course, he saw stars and they helped him, gave him some water and then things went on,” said Kelli, who, with husband Daniel, runs Kelli & Daniel Taylor Photography.

While that incident is definitely not the norm, it’s one of many memorable experiences the Taylors have encountered since starting to shoot weddings in 2005 as a sideline from their jobs at The Birmingham News, where Kelli was a reporter and Daniel was a photographer for the advertising department. He also was a photographer for Birmingham magazine.

The idea for starting a wedding photography business came about after the couple married in

Catherine Romero and Heidi Hallman, from left, started HeidiCat, in August. Left, preserving wedding flowers by encasing them in artistic shapes made of transparent resin is gaining more attention among brides as an alternative to traditional ways of floral preservation.

Romero said. The freshest and best blooms and greenery will be preserved.

The first step in their studio is to dry each bloom in silica gel an average of three weeks to ensure all moisture is removed. The piece is then designed. Once it’s reviewed and approved by the customer, the work to pour multiple layers of resin to preserve the flowers begins. Each layer can take 24 to 48 hours because they have

Above, Kelli and Daniel Taylor began shooting weddings in 2005 as a sideline from their jobs at The Birmingham News. Left, Emily Martin photographed on her wedding day at Vestavia Country Club. She and her husband, Page, live in Brook Highland. Cover photo is of Anna and Robert Crook at the Country Club of Birmingham.

Daniel’s native Australia in 2004. They didn’t like what they saw from most of the mainstream wedding photographers at the time – images that were formulaic and forced. Kelli shared her ideas with their photographer, who was a photography school classmate of Daniel’s. They loved the end result.

“We knew the value of timeless, classic, real

Journal

photos by Jordan Wald

Couple Brings Elegance and Authenticity to Wedding Art

Courtesy Kelli & Daniel Taylor Photography

Birmingham Museum of Art

The Birmingham Museum of Art is an elegant and modern venue, suited to host any wedding event, such as engagement parties, bridal luncheons, teas and showers down to the ceremony and or reception.

“If you choose the Museum for your wedding, you can utilize all of our public spaces –Oscars Café, with the dramatic spiral staircase; the Eighth Ave. Lobby, which has the colorful blown glass art created by Dale Chihuly adorning the wall; and the multi-level Charles Ireland Sculpture Garden outside,” said Special Events Manager Jestina Howard, above.

“ You can have the Museum art galleries open for your guests to tour and we only book one private event after 5:00pm when we close to the public. So, you and your guests will have the entire Museum to yourselves,” Howard added.

Howard’s Wedding Planning Tips

“One: Consider hiring a wedding planner or

coordinator. They can make the process of planning your wedding stress free. Planners handle all of the details from beginning to end such as logistics, event design, contract negotiations, booking vendors and the day-of execution of your event. Coordinators handle some day-of logistics, but on a shorter timeline. They usually begin helping you prepare a week or month before the wedding and function as your day- of point person.”

“Two: Think about the three most important aspects you want for your special day. Are those aspects the food, specialty drinks, decor or entertainment, etc.? Prioritize the three things and stick to them.”

“Three: Decide on your wedding style/theme - is it traditional, contemporary or rustic? Focus on this so you stay aligned with your complete event vision.”

Birmingham Museum of Art is located at 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., 205-2542681 or email plananevent@artsbma.org

Bromberg’s

As we welcome 2023, we have much to celebrate, especially the many holiday engagements! At Bromberg’s we enjoy making all our couples feel special, from picking out the engagement ring and wedding bands to creating a wedding registry tailored to each couple’s individual tastes.

If you’re recently engaged, creating a wedding registry at Bromberg’s is a delightful and easy part of wedding planning! While you can create an online wedding registry at virtually any store these days, nothing compares to the helpful and hands-on service you will receive working with our expert bridal consultants.

With the South’s most extensive selection of fine china, casual dinnerware, crystal, silver, and home décor, every couple that registers at Bromberg’s will be guided in setting a beautiful table that will be the focal point of cherished memories for years to come. Additionally, your guests will appreciate the wide variety of in-store gift choices or the

ease of sending a present through our Bromberg’s Gift Letter program.

Our renowned Gift Letter program allows couples to receive a store credit in the amount of each gift purchased from their registry. A beautiful gift letter is sent to the couple that details the gift that has been purchased, along with an enclosure message and the name of the gift-giver. After the wedding, couples can redeem their gift letter credit for anything they want in the store, allowing them to take advantage of special offers and seasonal sales while reducing the amount of returns and duplicate gifts.

Other benefits of registering at Bromberg’s include discounts for attendant and hostess gifts, 20% off wedding bands, and a free place setting with the purchase of seven place settings.

Couples can register at Bromberg’s, located in Mountain Brook Village and The Summit, or online at www.BrombergsBride.com.

John Bromberg is a sixthgeneration GIA trained jeweler with memberships in the prestigious Diamond Dealers’ Club of New York and The American Society of Jewelry Historians.

At a time when individual service and privacy is of the utmost importance, Bromberg personally works with his clients to select or create just the right piece for the occasion, always adhering to their style and budget. Whether it is a diamond engagement ring, a special piece for your day or turning your old jewelry into something current. JB & CO can help you with your jewelry heirloom. His collection of estate jewelry comes from the finest jewelry houses such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany, Verdura, as well as, designers Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany, Ilias Lalounis, Pierre Sterle’, Elizabeth Locke, Katy Briscoe, Chopard and Ippolita. John also has a select collection of coveted watches from Cartier, Patek Philippe and Rolex.

John Bromberg is a sixth-generation GIA trained jeweler with memberships in the prestigious Diamond Dealers’ Club of New York and The American Society of Jewelry Historians.

John’s longstanding relationships offer the unique opportunity for his clients to purchase fine jewelry at an exceptional value. JB & CO was named “The Best Jeweler” in the About Town magazine Readers’ Poll!

For the full JB & CO experience, we recommend making an appointment. “Collect with us,” says Bromberg.

JB & Co. is located at 1 Office Park Circle, Suite 201, Mountain Brook, AL 35223. 205478-0455.

Website: www.JBandCoJewelry.com Instagram: @ JBandCoJewelryMountainBrookAL Facebook: JBandCoJewelry

G & Company

Kathy G & Company is a well-seasoned and experienced catering and event company. A bride who chooses to work with Kathy G can rest assured that she will meet knowledgeable events coordinators and respected chefs who will strive to execute her vision to the fullest. The Gardens Café by Kathy G at Birmingham Botanical Gardens is the perfect setting for bridal luncheons, rehearsal dinners, and wedding receptions.

Kathy G & Company has been working with brides for over 35 years. From small intimate weddings at home to large scale affairs, Kathy G has experience in all situations. “We do travel the state as well,” said Kathy G. Mezrano, president and owner of the business, above. “Every bride is unique and very special to us. We design the menu to reflect the couple’s taste and style.

Our event coordinators are “hands on” from the planning process through the setup and execution of the reception and until we put the “wed-

ding basket” in the going away car, which is complimentary for all of our brides.

“When planning your wedding my best advice is budget. Even an overall idea will be helpful in designing a menu and will save time.We can design a menu to fit any budget and style.

“Consider all the guests attending, family preferences and the bride and groom’s favorites. For example, many brides like to showcase the South when families are coming from other parts the country. Time of day is also important in deciding the menu. Whether it’s an afternoon affair or evening event is part of the planning. Be sure the caterer is aware of any dietary restrictions.

“Check with your caterer about beverage services as well as food service. Cutting the cakes, packing food for family and a going away baskets are some of the services the we include in every wedding.

Kathy G & Company is located at 11 W. Park Cir., Birmingham, 942-4210.

Kathy

and authentic” images, Kelli said.

A year later when they moved to Homewood’s Edgewood neighborhood, some neighbors who saw their wedding photos loved them, and their sister approached the couple to shoot her wedding.

The Taylor’s wedding photography portfolio, which is on their website, kellianddaniel.com, does include the classic set ups, such as of the bride and her mother, the wedding party and the rings, but there is an elegance to the shots in color and black and white.

“You want it to still be a great photo 30 years later,” Daniel said.

Since then, they’ve developed their business into a full-time operation with bookings not only in the Birmingham area but in Atlanta, at weekend homes on Lake Martin, along 30A on the Florida Gulf Coast, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Colorado and Spain.

The brides and grooms who hire them aren’t the uber rich, Kelli said.

“These are professionals who see this an investment, who put value on the experience,” she said.

Photos Individualized

They coordinate every photo detail to prepare for each wedding, whether it is Over the Mountain or in the mountains of Colorado.

“We come up with the plan, the timeline, how to get there, where to go, what we’re going to do at that time of day,” said Kelli, adding that her background as a journalist is vital help in research and logistics.

It’s not just the big day itself the couple shoot. Depending on what a

“We

Kelli Taylor said. Above, Kristen and Brandon Thurber, who live in Homewood, at their wedding ceremony at the Grand Bohemian hotel in Mountain Brook.

couple wants, every big moment of an engagement can be recorded, from the proposal to the rehearsal dinner, to the morning after and wedding brunches at destination weddings.

Personalizing weddings is a trend the Taylors are seeing, including men and women participating in nontraditional bridal party roles. A “bridesman” and “best woman” have stood beside the bride and groom, and pets are getting more involved in weddings.

“It certainly helps the vibe” at the reception, Kelli said.

What’s out these days?

“We’re not seeing as many garter tosses or throwing the bouquet,” she said. Some brides and grooms “think that’s old fashioned.”

The relationship with some clients

lasts beyond the wedding. Some couples ask the Taylors to take Christmas photos, especially after they start having children. “For the first time we are doing a lot of family photos. There have been a lot of pandemic babies,” Kelli noted.

One couple whose wedding was one of the first they shot and who now live in Texas were visiting family in Birmingham for the holidays and asked the Taylors to take photos of them and their four children at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

“We’ve known and have been shooting for some of our clients for a decade,” Kelli said.

One of their memorable weddings involved an older couple who were high school sweethearts in Birmingham and had married but divorced years ago. They eventually remarried and had some of the same guests at their second wedding as they had at their first, including the bridesmaids.

“That was incredible – they even had their first wedding album. We used pictures from the first wedding album to make their second wedding album,”

The Taylors have developed a subspecialty in Indian and Pakistani weddings, events they love to shoot.

“It’s festive, it’s colorful, it’s so much fun and the food is amazing,” Kelli said.

Their trip to shoot a wedding in Spain came about because they knew someone who was getting married there and were asked to take the photos. What surprised them the most about the experience , Kelli said, was how late the reception went on.

“Daniel left at 1 a.m. and I made it ‘til three, and (the reception) went on past sunrise,” she said.

From page 20

to cure before another layer is added.

“We often say we need a degree in chemistry to do this,” Hallman joked, noting that the process isn’t as simple as it sounds and that working with resin can be tricky.

Precision and attention to detail are key. For example, materials used, such as resin, have to be at precise measurements and temperatures when the piece is being created or the work will be ruined. The items also have to be watched for bubbles that might form as each layer is poured.

“We do all we can to minimize them,” Romero said.

Brides are ordering HeidiCat’s pieces not only for themselves but for relatives and the wedding party. At Christmas, a number of brides ordered ornaments to give as gifts, Hallman and Romero said. And some bridesmaids and groomsmen give the happy couple the company’s service as a wedding gift.

While they both shared a similar interest in art and flowers, home décor and weddings and knew what they wanted to do to open their busi-

ness, it took plenty of preparation. Hallman had worked in advertising and Romero in marketing, and Romero had a background in art and some experience working with resin but not with flowers in resin.

They did their research mostly on their own, with plenty of advice from vendors who sold the materials needed to make the pieces.

Since August, they’ve preserved flowers from about 20 weddings.

Their client base is in Birmingham, and their business is growing, with customers in Huntsville, Mobile, Tampa and North Carolina.

Social media and word of mouth from satisfied customers are the ways most potential clients hear about their service. Romero added that some wedding planners they’ve worked with have helped get the word out.

“We’ve been very blessed,” Hallman said.

Courtesy Kelli & Daniel Taylor Photography

knew the value of timeless, classic, real and authentic” images

By Anne Ruisi

Open the menu at Helen, Emily and Rob McDaniel’s downtown Birmingham restaurant, and you’re likely going to see items that are literally family-approved.

Creamer peas and middlins, a type of heirloom rice grown in South Carolina, is a dish he created with help from his staff but tested on his family at their Vestavia Hills home. It’s served with a black walnut, vinegar-like sauce with bay leaf. McDaniel, Helen’s chef, said his family, which includes the couple’s 5-year-old twin girls, liked it and it’s been popular on the menu since it debuted in September.

Butternut ragu made with dried mushrooms and San Marzano tomatoes is another family favorite. It also came about because of McDaniel’s experiments with his family’s palate. He put together ingredients in his kitchen.

“I cooked it and it was delicious. I said, alright, we’re gonna put this on the menu,” and it’s been a popular item for two years, McDaniel said.

The in-laws enjoy tasting the dishes, and their feedback has helped determine what ends up on Helen’s menu. McDaniel’s father-in-law usually comes over on Sundays, and on occasion his brother-in-law and sister-in-law and their daughter will drop by and he’ll cook for the whole clan. Steak is a family favorite. Even the twins, Rosemary and Amelia, love steak.

“We try to get them to eat what we eat,” their father said.

Helen, at 2013 Second Avenue North, is upscale and serves 180 to 250 people a night. McDaniel described it as a very Southern restaurant, kind of like a meld between a barbecue place and a steakhouse. The kitchen has a smoker and a wood grill, with all the meat cooked over hardwood.

At lunch you’ll find Iceberg and Bacon Salad with pecans, crispy onions and buttermilk basil dressing; blackened catfish; Fripper’s Bologna Sandwich with cheese, pickle, mustard and Duke’s mayonnaise; or smoked chicken thighs.

Dinner will feature steaks, fish, pork chops, chicken and a list of vegetable dishes such as Celery and Blue Cheese Slaw made with crispy potatoes, sweet onion and Gremolata, braised collards and Yukon Gold potatoes.

“It’s all approachable food, things people are familiar with, like butternut squash and collard greens,” he said, adding Helen uses mostly locally sourced ingredients.

That means the restaurant works closely with local and regional farmers, fishermen and meat producers to use the freshest, high-quality ingredients in the kitchen. Helen’s in-house butcher carves the meats into cuts.

Dishes can be tweaked, even daily, to reflect

Home Made

seasonal changes, and the restaurant rotates different dishes on the menu. Beef and fish menu items depend on what suppliers have available for delivery.

The Tennessee farmers who supply meat might offer bone-in pork loin and ribeye steaks one week, while the fisherman in Destin sometimes uses traditional fishing techniques but also uses a spear gun while scuba diving. Amberjack, small barracuda and snapper are among the fish harvested.

Vegetables are plentiful, offering vegetarians

and vegans more variety than they might be used to when dining out. A braised button mushroom dish is a steady presence at Helen, which the restaurant’s namesake, McDaniel’s late grandmother, Helen Fruitger of Oneonta, made.

Sometimes Mother Nature drives menu changes. The hard freeze the South experienced just before Christmas ruined the carrots, so the restaurant had to find an alternative source. What they got were multicolored carrots in hues of orange, white, yellow and purple that looked “beautiful on the plate,” McDaniel said.

Sausage Pinwheels

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound of your favorite breakfast sausage

3 cups White Lilly Self-Rising Flour plus extra for rolling out

1-1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter

1-1/2 cups cold whole-fat buttermilk

1teaspoon kosher salt

Non-stick spray

INGREDIENTS:

Mix the flour and salt together in a medium bowl, using a box grater to grate the cold butter into the flour. Using your hands carefully toss the butter in the flour to coat the outside of the butter slivers. This should be done rather quickly, then form a well in the center of the flour and pour in the cold buttermilk.

Using a floured hand and turning the bowl with the other hand, carefully fold the flour into the center of the buttermilk. Once the flour and buttermilk come together, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and lightly flour the top of the dough then roll out the dough into even squares that are about ¼ inch thick.

Cut two pieces of parchment paper slightly larger than your square of dough. Remove the sausage from the wrapper and place between the two pieces of parchment paper that have been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. Using a rolling pin roll sausage out into a sheet that’s slightly smaller than your sheet of dough. Remove the top sheet of parchment and place the sausage onto the dough, then remove the remaining sheet of parchment.

Starting with the edges of the dough closest to you, roll the dough and sausage, forming a log. Trim the edges off the log then cut in half. Wrap each piece separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or freeze for up to two days.

To bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the log into ½ inch round pinwheels and place on a cookie sheet. Bake until bottoms start to brown, about 15 minutes, then turn over to brown the other side 5-10 more minutes.

I like to enjoy the pinwheels with yellow mustard or favorite preserves.

And while the menu changes regularly, staple items that customers love – such as warm Angel Biscuits served with whipped butter with cane syrup and sea salt – remain to be ordered time and again.

p.m. to 9 p.m. at the new Vestavia Hills Civic Center. Food and wine tastings along with a silent auction will be part of the event.

Proceeds are to benefit the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Tickets are $50 and must be purchased in advance. Participants must be 21 or older. For ticket information, go to business.vestaviahills.org, click on events and then Viva Vestavia XVIII.

Viva Vestavia in 2021 drew a large crowd of food and wine enthusiasts.

Family-Tested Menu Drives Diners to Helen

Photo by Elise Ferrer

Emily and Rob McDaniel, owners of Helen restaurant, like to test new recipes on their family.

Journal file photo by Jordan Wald

Courtesy of Chef Rob McDaniel of Helen

By Anne Ruisi

Over the Mountain public schools have named their Teachers of the Year, who now will represent their school systems in the 2023-2024 Alabama Teacher of the Year competition.

Teachers in Homewood, Hoover, Mountain Brook, north Shelby County and Vestavia Hills were honored as elementary or secondary Teachers of the Year.

The Alabama Teacher of the Year Program honors and recognizes excellence in the teaching profession by identifying outstanding Alabama classroom teachers at local, district and state levels. It works in conjunction with the National Teacher of the Year Program, which began in 1952.

Homewood

Homewood City Schools named Hall-Kent Elementary kindergarten teacher Abigail Marchetti as Elementary Teacher of the Year and Becky Morton, an eighth-grade teacher at Homewood Middle School, as Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Hoover

Mary Charles’ Doll House

New, Collectible Antique Dolls

2820 Petticoat Lane Mtn. Brook Village

Open Thur. - Sat. 10am - 4:30pm

To: Mary Charles Robbins

In Hoover, Meghan Craig is the 2023-2024 Elementary Teacher of the Year, and Kevin Pughsley is the Secondary Teacher of the Year. Craig is a first-grade teacher at Bluff Park Elementary, and Pughsley is a sixthgrade earth science teacher at Berry Middle School.

Mountain Brook

Rosenstiel, who teaches AP chemistry and engineering technology at Mountain Brook High School, as the Secondary Teacher of the Year.

To:

Date: May 2010

To: Mary Charles

Mary Charles' Doll House Dolls, Doll Houses and Minatures

Mary Charles’ Doll House

New, Collectible Antique Dolls

COME SEE US IN HOMEWOOD!

1901 Oxmoor Rd. 205-870-5544

2820 Petticoat Lane

Mtn. Brook Village 870-5544

Wednesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm

Open Thur. - Sat. 10am - 4:30pm

Legal Notice

In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, notice is hereby given Amason & Associates, Inc. Contractor has completed the Construction of Vestavia Hills Community Center, 1090 Montgomery Highway, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216 for the City of Vestavia Hills, 1032 Montgomery Highway, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216, and have made request for final settlement of said Contract. All persons having any claim for labor, materials, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately notify William Blackstock Architects; 2204 1st Avenue South, Suite 200; Birmingham, AL 35209 Amason & Associates. P. O. Box 1729 Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35403

This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN June 3, 2010 issue. Please fax approval or changes Please make sure all information including address and phone

From: Over The Mountain Journal, 205-823-9646 ph., 205-824-1246, fax Date: May 2010

Mountain Brook Schools named literacy coach Lyndsi Kirk of Cherokee Bend Elementary as the Elementary Teacher of the Year and Bryan

Shelby County

Please initial and fax back within If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday your ad will run as is. We print the paper Thank you for your prompt

Oak Mountain Middle School sixthgrade math teacher Jeff Norris was honored by the Shelby County Board of Education and the Shelby County Schools Education Foundation as the Middle School Teacher of the Year.

This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the June 3, 2010 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

Vestavia Hills

Please make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number!

Vestavia Hills Elementary West third grade teacher Megan Humphries is the Elementary Teacher of the Year, and Amanda Jordan, a Spanish teacher at Vestavia Hills High School, is the Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Please initial and fax back within 24 hours.

If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday. Thank you for your prompt attention.

Abigail Marchetti

Becky Morton Meghan

Craig

Kevin Pughsley

Lyndsi Kirk

Bryan Rosenstiel

Jeff Norris

Megan Humphries Amanda Jordan

Homewood School Counselor Wins State Award

Homewood Middle School counselor AnnaGrace Baldwin, shown with some Homewood Middle School Peer Helpers, received the Alabama Counseling Association’s 2022 Dr Er vin “Chip” L. Wood Distinguished Professional Service Award. The award is given to recognize outstanding service that reflects a significant contribution to the professional concerns of the Alabama Counseling Association, and it aims to stimulate future service for the wellbeing of the counseling profession.

Photos courtesy

Several Over-the-Mountain schools competed in the 2023 Ice Breaker Invitational indoor track meet Saturday at the Birmningham CrossPlex. The meet was divided into the two parts. Vestavia Hills and John Carroll Catholic had multiple winners in Icebreaker #1

Vestavia Hills’ Max Armstrong won the boys 400 meters in 50.81 and finished second in the 800 behind teammate Alex Leathw, who won with a time of 1:53:34. Armstrong’s time was 1:56.84. The Rebels won the 4x200 and 4x400 boys relay races. Vestavia Hills’ Kennedy Moreland won the girls pole vault, clearing 11-06.00.

John Carroll’s Arthur Langley won the 1600 meter with a time of 4:26:32 and the Cavaliers’ Carson McFadden won the boys high jump, clearing 6-02.00.

On the Upswing

“Everybody plays just about every game,” King said. “We’ve got a lot of speed off the bench and that allows us to change our presses.

“Annie is our leading scorer off the bench and she plays great defense. She can guard any position on the court. Ryanne plays some at point guard and we use her for ball handling. Madeline plays great defense and Molly is a 5-11 player who is really skilled and good around the basket.”

Whitsett, McBride and Tangye all played for Homewood’s Class 6A championship soccer team last spring. Ezekiel was on the junior varsity and Warren will suit up in the spring as the goalkeeper.

“They’re good all-around athletes,” King said. “They’re competitive and they know how to win.”

Homewood continues to play an aggressive, up-tempo style, including a relentless front-court pressing defense and firing up 3-point shots at a rapid pace.

By RuBin E. GRant

One week into the new year, the Homewood girls basketball team already had surpassed the number of wins it had in Gavin King’s first season as the Patriots’ head coach.

King guided the Patriots to a 17-13 record last season, but after three blowout wins last week, Homewood’s record stood at 18-4.

“We are definitely improved,” King said. “We are better as a team, but for the second straight year we’re in a tough area. Last year we had Chelsea, Mountain Brook and Briarwood in our area, and this year we’ve got Parker, Minor and JacksonOlin. Jackson-Olin is a little down, but Parker and Minor are really good. Parker doesn’t have any seniors and Minor has only one. It’s going to be

tough to get past them for the next two years.”

Homewood doesn’t have any seniors on its roster, but the Patriots have plenty of experience.

“Last year, we got a lot of girls playing time,” King said. “All 12 girls on the varsity got varsity minutes, including the girls off the bench and even the freshman who we called up to the varsity at times.”

The Patriots start three juniors, small forward Kayla Warren, point guard Susie Whitsett and 6-foot-3 center Mira McCool. Sophomore guard Laine Litton and 6-1 freshman forward Ellis McCool, Mira McCool’s younger sister, round out the starting lineup.

The Patriots also have plenty of firepower from their reserves, featuring sophomores Annie McBride, Ella

Balanced Bucs

Hoover Boys Basketball Team Looking to Make a Run at State Title

By RuBin E. GRant

Hoover’s Gabrielle Washington won the girls 60 meter dash in 7.65 and the 400 meter dash in 56.44.

In Icebreaker #2, Hoover’s boys and girls shined. The Bucs’ Collin Pate and Connor White won the boys pole vault, with both clearing 15-6. Hoover’s Gabrielle Washington won the girls 60 meter dash in 7.65 and the 400 meter dash in 56.44, just ahead of teammates Daisy Luna (56.87) and McKenzie Blackledge (57.48).

Blackledge won 800 meter run in 2:13.96 with Mountain Brook’s Reagan Riley second (2:14.80). The Bucs’ Bradley Shaw won the boys shot put with a toss of 53-9. Hoover girls won the 4x200 meter relay and the 4x400. The Hoover boys also finished first in both relay races.

Mountain Brook’s Virginia Averyt won the girls girls 3200 with a time of 11:13.58 and Mountain Brook won the girls 4x800. Homewood’s Brooke Walden won the girls pole vault, clearing 12-0.

—Rubin E. Grant

Hoover’s boys basketball team ended December with an 18-2 record, but third-year Bucs head coach Scott Ware isn’t putting much stock in the mark.

That’s because the Bucs posted a 16-3 record at the turn of the calendar last season but finished 5-7 and was eliminated in the area tournament.

“We’re super happy to be 18-2, but we haven’t won anything,” Ware said a few days before Hoover played its Class 7A, Area 5 opener last Friday at Thompson.

The challenging area also includes Vestavia Hills and Tuscaloosa County.

“7A overall is tough period and our area might be the toughest in 7A with us, Vestavia, Thompson and Tuscaloosa County,” Ware said. “You have to be up and ready to go every night or you will lose.”

The Bucs were up and ready for

Thompson, defeating the Warriors 54-45 while using the balanced attack that has worked so well for them this season.

Sophomore swingman Salim London led Hoover with 15 points and four rebounds. Senior forward Jonathan Caicedo posted a doubledouble with 11 points and 10 rebounds and 6-foot-6 sophomore center DeWayne Brown scored eight points and pulled down nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Jarett Fairley had nine points and three assists.

“We’ve got a good group of guys,” Ware said. “It’s been a different guy every night. We’ve got two or three guys averaging in double figures and some others who are hovering between seven and nine points. When you have multiple guys capable of scoring, the other teams can’t plan for just one or two guys.

“I’m sure some teams go in plan-

Serotsky, Madeline Alford, Savannah McDonald and Hollis Tangye, and freshmen Ryanne Ezekiel and Molly Dorough.

In Homewood’s 64-24 rout of Jackson-Olin last Thursday in the Patriots’ Class 6A, Area 9 opener, Warren had 14 points, six assists and four steals. McBride scored seven points and had three steals, and Dorough grabbed five rebounds to go with six points.

Litton sank five 3-pointers and finished with 15 points, and Ezekiel and Ellis McCool had eight points each in a 58-23 road victory Friday against Columbia in Huntsville. On Saturday at Pinson Valley, Warren had 15 points, five rebounds and five steals and Mira McCool had 14 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots to lead the Patriots to a 49-37 victory.

ning to stop a couple of our guys. One is DeWayne Brown and the other is Salim London. DeWayne has size and great hands and Salim was honorable mention all-state last year as a freshman.”

Brown is averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds, and London is averaging 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Caicedo, who is a 6-7 transfer from Orlando, Florida, is one of two seniors in the starting lineup. The other is guard Elijah Herron. The Bucs also have two seniors coming off the bench, forward Jake Hatch and guard Noah McAfee.

“Our seniors are great leaders,” Ware said. “They have pulled together and have pulled this team together.”

Junior Elijah Thomas and sopho-

“We want to play at a fast pace,” King said. “We like to get down court and get up a shot and not run a set offense. We’ve got great stuff and the girls know how to run it, but that’s not what we want to do.

“The girls are used to the speed of the game. They worked hard during the summer on their ball-handling, shooting and conditioning. Our shooting percentages are up on 3-pointers and free throws.”

The Patriots are scheduled to play two area games this week, hosting Minor on Tuesday and visiting Parker on Friday.

Homewood didn’t advance past the area tournament last year, but King hopes that will change this season.

“Our goal is to get one step farther this year,” he said.

mores Seneca Robinson and Cam Torbor are talented reserves.

Ware likes the way his team has come together.

“The guys have worked hard,” he said. “We had a great offseason and a great summer. The good thing about us is this is a team. The guys are playing for the name on the front of the jersey and it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.”

Hoover (19-2) has won 13 consecutive games since a narrow 54-50 setback at crosstown rival Spain Park on Dec. 2. This week the Bucs were scheduled to play two more area games, at home Tuesday against Vestavia Hills and on the road Friday at Tuscaloosa County.

The glossy record hasn’t raised Hoover’s expectations for the rest of the season.

“We have high expectations anyway,” Ware said. “You walk into our gym and you see all the championship banners from different sports. Our ultimate goal is to play the last game of the season. To get there, we’re going to have take one day at a time and one game at a time.

Basketball is marathon. You can’t just hit little sprints.”

Salim London made the All OTM basketball team and was honorable mention all-state last year as a freshman.

Journal file photo by Jordan Wald

Young Homewood Girls Basketball Team Showing Marked Improvement Sophomore guard Laine Litton

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

From

Spartans win, they will clash again in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

The Duals semifinals will be held Jan. 17 and the finals Jan. 20 at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

Here are complete results of the Homewood-Mountain Brook match:

Homewood 32 Mountain Brook 31

106 – Joseph Marcum (Homewood) pin. Bobby Rutkoff (Mountain Brook)

“There is simply not a greater honor in golf than to be invited to play in the Masters Tournament,”

113 – Stephen Springfield (MB) pin. Barrett Bridgmon

120 – Buddy Ketchum (H) major dec. Davis Smith

126 – Moeen Almansoob (H) pin. Douglas Johnson 132 – Hanif Muhammed (H) major dec. Bill Bradford

138 – Nathan McCain (MB) dec. Bobby Chamarro

145 – Stuart Andrews (MB) dec. Jordan Cottrell

152 – Sam Sutton (H) pin.

Coleman Bates

160 – Jude Smith (MB) dec.

lanham Boyd

170 – Sam Carroll (MB) major dec. Blas Correa

182 – Jack Windle (MB) dec.

195 – Allen Baker (MB) dec.

Hayden

220 – William Courtenay (MB) pin.

Trust Darnell

285 – Bardon King (H) pin. Daniel Ellis

look forward to hosting them at Augusta National in April.”

The 87th Masters will be held April 6-9.

“I find it very interesting that when Gordon talked about getting the invitation on Instagram, it was amazing to see his humility coming through,” Lockett said. “He’s so well-grounded. He’s a special guy.”

Sargent will be playing in the Masters for the first time. He is No. 3 in the current World Amateur Golf Ranking and is the first amateur to accept a special invitation to play in the Masters since Aaron Baddeley in 2000.

Vanderbilt coach Scott Limbaugh said in a statement released by the school’s athletic department. “I also believe this is a huge day for college and amateur golf as Augusta National Golf Club has extended a special exemption to Gordon to play in this year’s Masters as the reigning NCAA champion.

“We are thrilled for Gordon and especially proud of the way he represents our university and golf program with high character and integrity in everything he does. This is certainly another great opportunity for him to showcase his talents on the grandest of stages.”

Sargent won the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 6A

boys’ golf individual championship in 2021. He also won the Alabama Golf Association’s state junior championship in 2019 and state amateur championship in 2020.

In his first year at Vanderbilt, Sargent won the Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award and was chosen as a first-team All-American by Golfweek and PING.

Sargent will be the first of Lockett’s former players to play in the Masters.

“It’s especially hard to qualify to get in,” Lockett said. “You have to win a tournament on tour or win the U.S. Amateur to qualify or be in the top 50 in the world amateur rankings. I think this is the first special exemption they have offered since 2000.

“I think he’ll hold his own.”

Randall Jaquez

Eldridge

Mountain Brook’s Sam Carroll won with a major dec. over Homewood’s Blas Correa at 170.

Journal

photo by Jordan Wald

26

‘Special Talent’

Sargent Accepts Invitation to Play in the Masters

By RuBin E. GRant

Mountain Brook golf coach Alex Lockett once described former Spartans’ golfer Gordon Sargent as a “special talent.” Now, that special talent will get a chance to showcase his game on perhaps the grandest golf stage in the nation. Sargent, 19, has accepted an invitation to compete in the 2023 Masters.

Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, announced last Thursday that Sargent, now a sensational sophomore at Vanderbilt, and Kazuki Higa had accepted invitations extended by the tournament.

“I think that’s pretty awesome,” Lockett said.

“Gordon

Last year, Sargent became the first freshman to win the NCAA Division I men’s golf tournament since 2007. Higa topped the Japan Golf Tour’s Order of Merit in 2022.

“The Masters Tournament prioritizes opportunities to elevate both amateur and professional golf around the world,” Ridley said in a statement released by Augusta National. “Thus, we have extended invitations to two deserving players not otherwise qualified. Whether on the international stage or at the elite amateur level, each player has showcased their talent in the past year. We

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‘BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT’

Homewood Edges Mountain Brook to Claim Regional Duals Title

By RuBin E. GRant

Since the inception of the Alabama High School Athletic Association wrestling duals in 2017, Homewood had won its regional championship just once. And that was in the first year of the competition.

The Patriots finally secured another regional duals title last Friday, but just barely. Homewood edged Mountain Brook 32-31 in the finals of the Class 6A, Region 4 duals tournament at Homewood. Second-year Homewood coach

Frankie McKeown described it as a “big accomplishment.”

“Mountain Brook is a really, really good team,” McKeown said. “I’m super proud of our guys. It was a big accomplishment.”

Homewood recorded four pins, Joseph Marcum at 106 pounds, Moeen Almansoob at 126, Sam Sutton at 152 and Bardon King at 285. Mountain Brook had two pins, Stephen Springfield at 113 and William Courtenay at 220.

McKeown liked the enthusiastic atmosphere at the tournament.

“It was really cool,” he said. “We

had a number of people there and they were really into it.”

Neither Homewood nor Mountain Brook had any trouble in the early rounds. The Patriots knocked off Minor 82-0, Hueytown 81-0 and Jackson-Olin 70-6, while Mountain Brook defeated Jackson-Olin 78-6, Hueytown 84-0 and Minor 84-0.

Both schools advance to the ASHAA Duals tournament this weekend. Homewood will host Pelham in a preliminary round match Friday, while Mountain Brook visits McAdory. If the Patriots and

See HOMEWOOD, page 27

has a lot of high expectations, and he seems to be exceeding them all.”

Balanced Bucs: Hoover boys basketball team looking to make a run at state title Page

On the Upswing: Young Homewood girls basketball team showing marked improvement Page 26 See SARGENT,

Courtesy of Vanderbilt University

Former Mountain Brook High School standout Gordon Sargent is No. 3 in the current World Amateur Golf Ranking and is the first amateur to accept a special invitation to play in the Masters since 2000. In his first year at Vanderbilt, Sargent won the Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award and was chosen as a first-team All-American by Golfweek and PING.

Last year, Sargent became the first freshman to win the NCAA Division I men’s golf tournament since 2007.

Homewood’s Sam Sutton pinned Mountain Brook’s Coleman Bates in the 152 pound weight class.

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Above, Mountain Brook’s William Courtenay pinned Homewood’s Trust Darnell in the 220 pound weight class. Below, Homewood’s Buddy Ketchum won a major dec. over Mountain Brook’s Davis Smith in 120.