1.28.16

Otmj over the mountain journal u otmj.com

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Thursday, january 28, 2016

sports

The Constant Gardener Krewe King Tommy Amason Doesn’t Mind Getting His Hands Dirty

Journal photo by Lee Walls Jr.

Longtime Birmingham pediatrician Dr. Tommy Amason and his wife, Yates, are looking forward to this year’s Krewe Ball, set for Feb. 5 at Boutwell Auditorium.

See story page 8.

inside

Hooking With Heart Heart of Dixie Rug Bees will display handmade rugs at Southern Voices Festival. about town Page 3

Making Old New Again Hassles of construction pay off for OTM neighborhoods. home Page 20

Compassion Through Service Grandson of famed civil rights Jurist makes his mark on Alabama. life Page 10

2 • Thursday, January 28, 2016

Opinion/Contents

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

murphy’s law

Save Christie Brinkley

‘Passionate, Focused and Committed’ Patients at Children’s of Alabama will receive a special gift this year because of the fundraising efforts of students at Vestavia Hills High School.

VHHS’s Student Government Association presented a $25,000 check and other gifts to Children’s Harbor, an organization supporting the hospital’s seriously ill children and their families, Jan. 14.

The organization announced Jan. 11 that the money will be used, in part, to deliver Beanie Babies to each child admitted this year through the hospital’s department of general patient admission. The stuffed animals will include a tag bearing the logo of Children’s Harbor and Vestavia Hills High School with directions to the Children’s Harbor Family Center and a list of resources available to families, the organization announced.

During a Jan. 14 assembly, students also recorded a special message of encouragement for recipients of the Beanie Babies.

“Our partnership with Vestavia Hills High School is inspiring,” Children’s Harbor CEO Myrle Grate said. “If all of our supporters were as passionate, focused and committed as these students, we would change the outcome of every seriously ill child in the state of Alabama.”

The donation represents the culmination of the high school’s annual fall philanthropy drive, spearheaded by the SGA. Through activities such as powder-puff football and a homecoming barbecue competition, the school managed to raise thousands of dollars in just a few short months to support Children’s Harbor.

“The response has been really big,” SGA President Ashlyn Lovell said.

“Children’s Harbor is very well known here, and we have some students who remembered Children’s Harbor from time they had to spend at the hospital when they were younger. It was awesome to see the student body get behind this effort and raise so much money.” ❖

in this issue About Town 3 life 10 news 12 social 14 weddings 19

home 20 business 24 schools 26 sports 32

ning at me 24/7, but I couldn’t resist It came to me at the end of an taking a few peeks in the bookstore. aisle in Barnes & Noble: Someone I saw healthy recipes concocted by has to save Christie Brinkley. her close personal professional chef I’ve never actually met Christie friend, workout tips from her close Brinkley but I feel a kinship with personal professional trainers, and the woman because she and I are the every page contained a new picture same age. There. I’ve said it. I’m of Christie Brinkley (27 costume old. But then, so is she. The problem changes) being close and personal and is that on her old looks…different. fabulous. There’s not enough resoluShe’s all blond and gorgeous and tion in the world to counteract that. perky, and I am noticeably less so.

My dark side hoped there was The comparison used to bother extensive airbrushing involved. My me, and when I say “used to,” I mean even darker side hoped that, like up until five minutes ago. All of Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray, the my adult life, no matter how much Brinkley attic contained a self-portrait primping and priming I did, Christie Sue Murphy that had deep forehead furrows and Brinkley was always one sparkling cottage cheese thighs. smile ahead. Just when I would But then, something changed. think she had faded into deserved Maybe it was the little girl pout she obscurity – bam – there she’d be on a new magazine cover saying, Just when I would think had when highlighting her cheekbones or maybe it was her medita“Ha, ha! Still gorgeous!” she had faded into tion pose on a sunny California It didn’t help that, at one point, deserved obscurity – bam beach, but whatever it was, my Christie Brinkley was married to Billy Joel, that soulful piano man – there she’d be on a new heart went out to the woman. I back to the fabulous food I’ve seen in concert three times. It magazine cover saying, flipped section. Not one recipe for chocowould have been four but the first “Ha, ha! Still gorgeous!” late cake. I flipped further. Yes, concert, years before his big break, she looked fabulous on every page, was canceled due to puny ticket but her waistbands (all 27 of them) sales. I was there during Billy seemed particularly unforgivJoel’s lean years, but who did he ing, not a skosh more room in the marry? Christie Brinkley. He did bunch. Poor dear, was she ever able to take a deep a whole album about her that went to the top of the breath? charts. Christie Brinkley was his big break. And then, And that’s when I knew I had to save her. I’m not she left him. Can you see why I worry about the girl? sure how just yet. I may start by sending her a pair of My Christie Brinkley backlash is sour grapes, sweatpants, something she could wear in the privacy bunches and bunches of it, and in this new year I was of her own home. I thought about sending her a cookonce again trying to be a kinder, gentler soul, but then I saw Christie on TV promoting her new book, a hard- ie gift basket but I think that would be too much too soon. I’ll start with a few granola bars just to coax her back wonder chock full of tips on how to be fabulous when you’re old like we are, and all of my angst came out into the open and move up from there.

Save Christie Brinkley, my 2016 cause. I think I’ll flooding right back. print up T-shirts, all with a skosh more room. ❖ To buy the book would mean I’d have her grin-

On otmj.com

There’s so much happening in the Over the Mountain area, we can’t fit it all in the paper! Visit www.otmj.com for more stories and photos.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

J O U R N A L January 28, 2016 Publisher & Editor: Maury Wald Copy Editor: Virginia Martin Features Writer: Donna Cornelius Staff Writers: Sarah Kuper, Emily Williams Editorial Assistant: Stacie Galbraith Sports: Lee Davis Contributors: Susan Murphy, June Mathews, William C. Singleton III, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry, Lee Walls Jr., Bryan Bunch Advertising Sales: Suzanne Wald, Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald Vol. 26, No. 2

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 ads@otmj.com. Find us on the Web at otmj.com.

Copyright 2016 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.

over the Mountain Views

If we had another snowstorm, what would you stock up on?

“Wine, beer or even bourbon. We spent the last “Snowmaggeddon” with strangers, so booze was necessary.”

Vaughn Sparks Vestavia Hills

“I remember needing more food, but also things like baby diapers and wipes.”

“We’d need more beer.

Probably something from Avondale Brewing Co.”

Stacy Sparks Vestavia Hills

Matt Darby Birmingham

“We would definitely need food. Maybe some things to grill if the power goes out.”

Sarah Darby Birmingham

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Hooking With Heart

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 3

Heart of Dixie Rug Bees Will Display Handmade Rugs at Southern Voices Festival

By Sarah Kuper A group of hookers meets every Wednesday at the Episcopal Church of St. Francis of Assisi.

It isn’t what it sounds like; these women are rug hookers.

Rug hooking is a craft and an art form in which rugs are made by pulling yarn or other fabrics through a stiff woven base such as burlap or linen. The term “hooking” comes

Meeting for 25 years, the group’s oldest member is 93, and many of the members drive more than an hour to participate. Two members live in log cabins.

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Journal photos by Sarah Kuper

from the crochet-type hook used.

The Heart of Dixie Rug Bees is a group of 17 women who share their love of and dedication to the art form.

Their work will be featured during the Hoover Library’s 2016 Southern Voices Festival.

Meeting for 25 years, the group’s oldest member is 93, and many of the members drive more than an hour to participate. Two members live in log cabins.

Jan Henger has been a part of the group for 13 years. She said she learned to hook from her sister. A natural artist, Henger has worked with calligraphy and stained glass, and she taught art for several years. She and her husband are docents at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Henger said rug hooking is more than just a hobby for her.

“Whenever you design a rug, part of the process is choosing colors and I even dye my own wool. It’s like watercolor or any painting – if you don’t use the right colors the result won’t be what you hope.”

Just as clay is the medium for making pots; wool is the medium for rug hooking. And just as there are many styles of painting, hooking has many different looks.

“Our group tends to do more contemporary designs using brighter colors and patterns. Some of our women even hook images of their grandchildren,” Henger said.

She said the group is close-knit, but it is common for members to sit and hook together and not say a word.

“It can get very quiet as we concentrate. But every 18 months or so we have a challenge we participate in.”

As part of the “challenge rug” competition, members all hook the same pattern but the colors and materials are their choice.

The challenge ends with a big reveal and members try to guess whose design is whose.

Rug hookers such as Henger are part of a bigger culture that spans the nation. There are annual conferences

Vestavia’s Premiere Green Home Community

Rug hooking is a craft and an art form in which rugs are made by pulling yarn or other fabrics through a stiff woven base such as burlap or linen. The term “hooking” comes from the crochet-type hook used. Jan Henger, above, has been a member of The Heart of Dixie Rug Bees group for 13 years.

www.wedgworth.net (205) 365-4344

and workshops where artists learn new techniques and trends. They also provide a chance to admire other hookers’ work.

The Over the Mountain community will have the opportunity to admire some of the Heart of Dixie Rug Bees’ work at the end of February during the Southern Voices Festival at the Hoover Library.

The annual festival features a variety of Southern authors and artists. This year, the Heart of Dixie Rug Bees were

chosen as the visual artist.

Their work has been showcased before, but Henger is especially excited to be presenting the group’s work in their own backyard.

“Nobody knows anything about rug hooking and the library didn’t really either. But they saw our work and chose us for the Southern Voices festival.”

Henger and her husband will be hanging the exhibit the second week of February. The festival runs Feb. 23-27. ❖

4 • Thursday, January 28, 2016

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Jan. 28 - Feb. 14 Thurs., Jan. 28 VESTAVIA HILLS

Photo special to the Journal

Legacy League Scholarship Luncheon A Private Club in Vestavia Samford University’s Legacy League will host its annual luncheon at 11:30 a.m. The featured speaker will be Kelly Minter, a Christian author and musician.

The luncheon is open to the public and tickets are $50.

Reservations must be made by Jan. 22. For more information, visit www.samford.edu/legacyleague.

BIRMINGHAM

From left: Mary Browning, Missy Etheridge, Van Etheridge and Michele Alfano at last year’s Relay for Life event.

Costumes for a Cure

‘80s-Themed Party Raises Money for Cancer Society

By Sarah Kuper The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event has a battle cry: “Celebrate, remember and fight back!”

Mary Browning especially likes the “celebrate” part.

“Sometimes we just aren’t having enough fun,” she said.

For the past 11 years, Browning has been throwing themed parties to raise money for Homewood’s Relay for Life.

Browning came to the area from New Orleans, so for years, the theme of her party was “Krewe for a Cure.”

But this year, guests at Browning’s fete will forego the masks and beads in favor of shoulder pads and legwarmers.

She’s calling it “Back to the ‘80s

for a Cure,” and it will happen Jan. 28 at Octane Coffee Company in Homewood.

Browning said she’s always wanted to revisit the big hair trend, “I pulled out hot rollers from who knows where and I have a great big blazer I’m going to wear.”

Browning said she resonates with “celebrate,” but it isn’t just because she likes to throw a party.

Browning was nine years old when her mother died from cancer.

Browning was the youngest of six children.

“It is really sad. Now I have friends with cancer,” she said, “I always wanted to be able to do something to help.”

In 2005, Browning organized her first Relay for Life team. At the time, the event happened at West

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For the past 11 years, Mary Browning has been throwing themed parties to raise money for Homewood’s Relay for Life. Browning came to the area from New Orleans, so for years, the theme of her party was “Krewe for a Cure.”

Homewood Park.

“I think my team raised $1,000 or something. Then someone asked me to be on the committee and I said, ‘OK!’” Browning soon arranged for the event to move to the larger and more visible Homewood Central Park.

The relay is now 4-7 p.m. instead of overnight to enable high schoolers to participate.

The “Back to the ‘80s for a Cure” party is an event leading up to the big relay April 22. The Homewood Relay for Life goal is $60,000, and Browning hopes to raise a portion of that through her party.

The cost is $25 at the door.

“We will have a ‘biggest hair’ contest and the popular DJ Sills will handle the music. Plus a cash bar,” she said.

Browning said that, although the Homewood Relay for Life is getting closer, there is still time to form a team.

She said the easiest way is to go to relayforlife.org and click “get involved.”

Other information is available through the Relay for Life of Homewood’s Facebook page. ❖

Peppa Pig Live!

Alabama Theatre The hit “Nick Jr.” TV series takes to the stage for a live-action adventure.

Tickets begin $27.50 and are available through Ticketmaster. The Theatre’s box office will open at 4:30 p.m. before the 6 p.m. show. For more information, visit www.alabamatheatre.org.

HOMEWOOD

Neuroscience Cafe Homewood Library This month, Neuroscience Cafe will discuss Alzheimer’s disease, its implications and the support network that is available in Birmingham.

The program will begin at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www. homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Fri., Jan. 29 BIRMINGHAM

Pointe Ball The Club The Alabama Ballet will host its 16th annual gala, benefiting the education and scholarship programs that the ballet provides. Gala chairs are Nikki Still and Sarah Warburton, Krystal Drummond is the corporate chair and Drs. Susan and Morgan Eiland will serve as honorary chairs. Tickets are $400 per person or $650 per couple. For more information, visit www.alabamaballet.org.

Jan. 30 and 31 BIRMINGHAM

CFA Cat Show Zamora Shrine Temple The Birmingham Feline Fanciers will host the annual Cat Fanciers Association show benefitting local humane societies. Showtimes will be Jan. 30 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Jan. 31 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Pedigree and household pets must be entered by noon Jan. 26. Tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for children.

For more information, visit www. birminghamfelinefanciers.com.

Mon., Feb. 1 HOMEWOOD

Valentine’s for Children’s Hospital Homewood Public Library Visitors are invited to make homemade valentines throughout the day for Children’s Hospital.

Candy and glitter are prohibited.

For more information, visit www. homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

HOMEWOOD

MOUNTAIN BROOK

Flying the Hump Emmet O’ Neal Library Local author Billy MacDonald will give a presentation, sponsored by the Jefferson County Historical Society, on his father William C. MacDonald (pictured above, far left) and his experiences in World War II serving as a pilot with the Flying Tigers in China.

MacDonald will be releasing a book on his father’s adventures, “The Flying Tigers,” this spring. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a reception. For more information, visit www.jeffcohistory.com.

Jan. 28-Feb. 21 BIRMINGHAM

Rock of Ages Virginia Samford Theatre The Theatre will perform a musical set in 1987 in Los Angeles’ infamous Sunset Strip. The music features songs by Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi and more. Showtimes are ThursdaysSaturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets begin at $33.

For more information, visit www. virginiasamfordtheatre.org.

Monday Musical Homewood Library The Library will show the 2014 movie “Annie” from 6-7:30 p.m. in the large auditorium. Popcorn and drinks will be provided. For more information, visit www.homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Tues., Feb. 2 MOUNTAIN BROOK

February Family Night Emmet O’ Neal Library The Library will host its monthly family night beginning with dinner at 5:30 p.m. A 6 p.m. show featuring juggling comedian Tom Foolery will follow. For more information, visit www.eolib.org.

BIRMINGHAM

Groundhog Day Birmingham Zoo The zoo will host a groundhog day prediction from its resident groundhog Birmingham Bill, left. For more information, visit www. birminghamzoo. com.

Thurs., Feb. 4 BIRMINGHAM

Art Crawl Downtown Birmingham Venues in the historic arts, loft and theatre districts will transform into a walking art gallery from 5-9 p.m.

Admission is free. For more information, visit www.birminghamartcrawl.com.

BIRMINGHAM

Larisa Brechun

Riverchase Loves Artists Annual Show Set for Feb. 6 More than 40 artists are set to exhibit their work during the Riverchase Loves Artists Art Show Feb. 6 at the Riverchase Country Club.

“This 10th anniversary show promises to be one of our best shows ever,” said Lynne Cooper, art show chair.

“We have many of our favorite artists returning and several new artists; there Joan Perry will be something for everyone. If you love art, you will not want to miss this show.”

The event, sponsored by the Riverchase Women’s Club, features local and regional artists exhibiting and selling works in a variety of mediums.

Artists scheduled to exhibit include: Laurel Browning, Susan Baird, Michael Davis, Nancy Hammond, Rickie Higgins, Pat Palmer, Joan Perry, Kami Watson and Susan Ripp.

David Goldhagen from North Carolina is returning for the second year, and Georgia artists Holly Hartman Williams and Jackie Debell are making their first visit to the show. Williams was established as a glass bead sculptor and Debell as a fused glass and metal artist before they began working together on wearable art, much of which incorporates alpaca fiber.

“They do beautiful hand-dyed silk, hand-sculpted glass jewelry, felted alpaca and mohair scarves and they raise their own alpacas,” said Cooper.

The show will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. A $2 donation will be collected as admission to the show. Shuttles will be available to transport guests from the parking lot to the entrance of the clubhouse, where food and drink will be available. For more information, visit www.riverchaselovesartists. com. ❖

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 5

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Big Benefit Run Good People Brewing Company The Brewery will host a 5k run and 45-minute bike ride through downtown Birmingham at 6 p.m. The event benefits Bici Coop, a local non-profit that promotes cycling and bike sharing.

Admission is $10 and includes a free beer and the chance to win prizes. For more information, visit the Big Benefit Run and Ride Facebook Page.

Feb. 5 and 6 BIRMINGHAM

$20. For more information, visit www. redmountaintheatre.org.

Fannie Lou Hamer: This Little Light Red Mountain Theatre Company Billie Jean Young will perform this one-woman show about Fannie Lou Hamer and the Civil Rights Movement Feb. 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Cabaret Theatre. Tickets are

Sat., Feb. 6 BIRMINGHAM

Chinese New Year Festival BJCC - Boutwell Auditorium The Birmigham Chinese Festival Association will host its 10th annual festival from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. showcasing cultural booths, dance, food and a stage show. Admission is free for

children ages 12 and under and $2 for adults. For more information, visit www. bhmchinesefestival.org.

BIRMINGHAM

Face/Time Birmingham Children’s Theatre In this technology-themed production, Teena is a high school senior trying to find a balance between school and social interactions. Showtimes are from 2-4 p.m. Tickets are $9 for children and $11 for adults. For more information, visit www.bct123.org.

” Kathy Filyaw went above and beyond my expectations.”

Fri., Feb. 5 VESTAVIA HILLS

Opening Reception Artists Incorporated Gallery The gallery will host a reception introducing new artists from 4:30-8:30 p.m. New artists include: Yvonne Andrews, Mavis Bierd, Wes Carter, Pat Gavin, Neal Hearn, Emily Nelson, John Sowell and Sally Threlkeld. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

For more information, visit www. artistsincorporated.com.

BIRMINGHAM

Jazz Cat Ball Cahaba Grand Conference Center The Greater Birmingham Humane Society Auxiliary will host its fifth annual Mardi Gras-themed gala from 6 p.m.midnight. The evening will feature casino games, a seated dinner, live and silent auctions as well as music. Tickets are $125 each and benefit the animals at the GBHS. For more information, visit www.gbhs.org.

Meredith Bryant with daughter Abbie

When Meredith Bryant needed to sell her home in Argo and find a new place to raise her two daughters, she turned to Realtor Kathy Filyaw for guidance. “A lot was changing in my life,” says Meredith, “and Kathy was a great encourager, advising me in making decisions on how to market my existing home and what types of homes and communities best suit my lifestyle. With two teenage girls, we’re busy!” Finding a low-maintenance, new home in a convenient location was important. “No matter what needed to be done, Kathy went the distance. I highly recommend her as a Realtor and friend.”

Kathy says being a part of ARC Realty is important, too. “I have great support from everyone at ARC. There’s a family atmosphere at work, which suits my lifestyle.”

A Relationship Company 4274 Cahaba Heights Court, Suite 200 Birmingham, AL 35243 • 205.969.8910 www.arcrealtyco.com

Lindsey Kelly

Kathy Filyaw • (205) 999-5939 • kfilyaw@arcrealtyco.com

Contact us about the BEAT study Better Exercise Adherence after Treatment for Breast Cancer 6 • Thursday,Physical Januaryactivity 28, 2016 may improve quality of life after cancer.

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

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BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS Photo special to the Journal

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From left: Vicki Daniels, Shaun Gray, Kaci Chesebro and Kim Williamson.

Community Collection

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Saturday, January 30th

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Our biggest Spring Shipment will be here, as well as samples for custom orders in new styles and colors. Come in to enter to win a $100 Town & Country gift certificate!

Friends of Emmet O’Neal Plan Annual Book Sale

The Friends of the Emmet O’Neal Library is celebrating the library’s 50th anniversary and planning the annual book sale to begin Feb. 18.

The group is an organization of individuals and families who support the enrichment of the library.

A preview party will take place Feb. 18 from 6-8 p.m. The party is open to the public and requires a $25 donation to the library.

The official book sale will be open to the public Feb. 19 and 20 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Feb. 21 from 1-4 p.m.

“The book sale is my favorite time of year at the library,” said BIRMINGHAM

Jack and the Beanstalk Birmingham Children’s Theatre The theatre will perform the classic fairytale about a boy named Jack who trades the family cow for magic beans.

Showtimes are at 10 a.m. and noon each day. Tickets are $9 for children or $11 for adults. For more information, visit www.bct123.org.

BIRMINGHAM

Beaker Bash McWane Center The Center’s annual fundraiser will begin at 5 p.m. This year’s event will take to space with a “galactic road trip” theme. Tickets are $50 per person. For more information, visit www.mcwane. org.

Feb. 8-12

BIRMINGHAM

74 Church Street • Crestline Village Mon.-Fri. 10-5 & Sat. 10-4 871-7909 www.townandcountryclothes.com

Scholastic Book Fair LJCC The book fair will be held in the main lobby and library daily. All proceeds from the sales benefit the Cohn Early Childhood Learning Center and will provide new books for LJCC preschool classrooms. For more information, visit www.bhamjcc.org.

Library Director Sue DeBrecht. “It’s wonderful to see people connect with our Friends – and books!”

Various special items will be available throughout the sale, including first editions, collectors’ books and hardbacks and paperbacks from a wide range of genres.

The Friends accepts book donations throughout the year in preparation for the sale. Anyone who is interested in donating books to the library can drop off gently used books at the back door of the library and ask for a receipt.

“The Emmet O’Neal Library is extremely fortunate to have a com-

Thurs., Feb. 11 HOOVER

Hoover Service Club Meeting Hoover Country Club The Hoover service club will host a meeting featuring Barbara Randle, designer and author of “Crazy Quilting.”

The doors will open at 10:30 a.m. and the program will begin at 11 a.m.

Lunch is available for $18 following the meeting. For more information, visit www.hooverserviceclub.com.

Fri., Feb. 12 BIRMINGHAM

Mardi Gras Masquerade Rogue Tavern Krewe of Vulcan will host a blacktie optional event benefitting Kid One Transport, a transportation service to health care facilities for children and expectant mothers in need. The event will begin at 9 p.m. and tickets are $30.

For more information, visit www.kidone. org.

Feb. 12-13 HOMEWOOD

Valentines Dinner Theatre

munity that continues to support our local library through fun activities such as the book sale,” said Book Sale Chair Kaci Chesebro. “We are really excited about the different collectors’ books and first editions that will be available for purchase this year. Since this year is our organization’s 50th anniversary, we encourage those that haven’t yet attended a book sale or donated to the group to become involved this year.”

For more information about the 2016 Emmet O’Neal Library Book Sale, call 879-0459 or visit www. eolib.org. ❖ Homewood Library The South City Theatre will perform “Steel Magnolias” at 7:30 p.m. in the large auditorium. A buffet dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 and must be purchased by Feb. 9. For more information, visit www. homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Sun., Feb. 14 BIRMINGHAM

Mercedes Marathon Boutwell Auditorium The annual marathon, half-marathon and marathon relay will begin in front of Boutwell Auditorium by Linn Park at 7:03 a.m. All marathon events taking place on Feb. 14 will benefit The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs.

Registration for the marathon is $125.

For more information, visit www. mercedesmarathon.org.

HOOVER

Choral Concert Bluff Park UMC The church will host the 8th annual Over the Mountain Festival of Sacred Music installment “Consolation and Hope” at 4 p.m. This event is free. For more information, visit www.otmfestivals. org. ❖

About Town

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 7

Birmingham Holocaust Education Center Provides Events and Resources for Teachers and Community

Rebecca Dobrinski, left, is executive director of the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center. The BHEC has a resource library with books about antiSemitism, World War II and the Holocaust.

It is one of the largest of its kind in the Southeast.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

By Sarah Kuper Eva Mozes Kor is one of the surviving “Mengele Twins.”

During the Holocaust, Nazi scientist Josef Mengele performed inhumane medical experiments on twins at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Nearly 1,500 sets of twins, 3,000 children, were victims of his experiments. At the camp’s liberation in 1945, only 200 of those children were still alive.

Eva Kor will Eva Mozes Kor is be presenting one of the survivher story and her ing “Mengele journey of physi- Twins.” Kor will be presenting cal and emoher story and her tional recovery journey of physiJan. 28 at Saint cal and emotional Luke’s Episcopal recovery on Jan. Church. The 28 at Saint Luke’s event, called Episcopal Church.

“A Lesson in Forgiveness,” is a partnership between the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center and Saint Luke’s Episcopal.

The BHEC offers resources and programing to educate Alabamians about the history of the Holocaust in the hope that future generations will apply the lessons learned from the past and contribute to a more tolerant future.

Recently, the BHEC has been partnering with churches and the Birmingham Islamic Center to present events geared toward educating the community about ethical responses to

prejudice, hatred and indifference.

Rebecca Dobrinski, executive director of the BHEC, said the center’s purpose is timeless and important.

“Not everyone shares their story, but survivors are out there. We try to make sure they are heard,” she said.

The center hosts workshops for teachers preparing for lessons on the Holocaust.

“Every time we work with teachers we are reaching 75 teenagers,” Dobrinski said.

The center does not charge for the workshops. In fact, they reimburse school systems for the cost of substitutes while teachers attend.

The BHEC has a resource library with books about anti-Semitism, World War II and the Holocaust. It is one of the largest of its kind in the Southeast. The public can make an appointment to spend time exploring the collections.

The center has standing exhibits educating the public, but it also offers traveling exhibits. The “Darkness into Light” photography and artwork exhibit has travelled to schools in the Birmingham area and is on display at Vulcan Park until May 16.

Local organizations and schools can request speakers through the BHEC. Survivors and survivors’ children are available to give firsthand accounts.

Dobrinski said that many may not know about all the BHEC offers, but most of the big events are standing room only.

She said she is excited to see the new partnerships emerging between the center and other organizations and she hopes it will lead to greater aware-

ness.

For more information and a list of upcoming events, visit bhamholocausteducation.org. Tickets to hear Eva Mozes Kor speak can also be bought online. ❖

Journal photo by Sarah Kuper

A Lesson in Forgiveness

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8 • Thursday, January 28, 2016

The Constant Gardener cover story

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Krewe King Tommy Amason Doesn’t Mind Getting His Hands Dirty

After moving to Birmingham in 1971, Amason set about not only establishing his pediatric practice, but putting down roots – literally. His gardens have twice been featured on the Birmingham Botanical Garden’s Glorious Gardens tour. though he’s about to celebrate his 76th birthday, he didn’t retire to twiddle his green thumbs.

“If my brain and body just stayed in this house all day, I wouldn’t live very long,” Amason said.

That’s why he’s taken on a new job.

“I’m now a medical consultant for the state of Alabama,” he said. “I go through the medical records of people and do a legal document that solidifies all kinds of material. Then my information goes to a medical examiner, who determines whether or not that person can be considered to be disabled.”

Amason isn’t afraid of fresh challenges.

After he attended school in his native Ozark for 11 years, his father, an agronomist, got a new job in Auburn.

“I was about to be a senior in high school, and a lot of folks advised me to just pass up my senior year,” he said. “But going to a new school was one of the best things to happen to me; it was sink or swim.”

Amason entered Auburn University with the intention of going on to medical school. Both his grandfather and great-grandfather were doctors, he said.

“I had wanted to do medicine forever,” Amason said. “After Auburn, I went to the Medical College of Alabama. When I had to get FBI clearance for my new job, I was told they were ‘failing to get the Medical College of Alabama to tell us you graduated.’ Of course,

since I’d learned how to graft, was to graft pecan branches onto a hickory tree. It worked.

We had pecans, and I won a prize. That’s when I got into the horticultural stuff.”

Amason became a Master Gardener in 1993, taking night classes at Jefferson State Community College’s Shelby campus. He’s served on the American Horticultural Society’s board of directors, which took him to the group’s headquarters near Washington, D.C.,

were way north of Russia. The sub was a hotbed, with about 140 people on it in close quarters.”

Amason said he was particularly worried about one sailor, whom he considered a suicide risk.

“I had someone monitoring him around the clock,” Amason said.

His precaution saved the life of the sailor, who did attempt suicide but was rescued. That led to a promotion for Amason that’s rare for Navy doctors, he said.

“Most Navy doctors go in as lieutenants and come out as lieutenants,” he said. “I was discharged as a lieutenant commander.”

Amason spent two years in the Navy before he and his family moved to New York for his last year of residency at Montifiore Hospital, part of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

“Adolescent medicine was a brand new specialty then, and I was in a training program at Albert Einstein,” he said.

After moving to Birmingham in 1971, Amason set about not only establishing his pediatric practice, but putting down roots – literally. His gardens have twice been featured on the Birmingham Botanical Garden’s Glorious Gardens tour.

The Beginnings of a Gardener

His interest in gardening started early.

“My daddy grafted camellias for people,” Amason said. “My sixth-grade science project,

Krewe Legacy

Amason is just the latest member of his family to be in the spotlight at the ball. His wife Yates was presented at the Beaux Arts Jewel Ball. It was the predecessor to the Krewe Ball, which was started in 1967 by Mrs. James Mallory Kidd. The Amasons’ daughter, Caroline Amason Adams, was Krewe queen in 1994.

The couple’s son, Thomas Gilbert Amason III, will be one of his father’s dukes this year.

Other dukes are William Alfred Bowron Jr., Joseph Henry Brady Jr., Jack Dabney Carl, Hubert Wesley Goings Jr., John Higgins Martin, James Walton Rainer Jr. and Frederick Weyman Renneker III.

Photo special to the Journal

In between ridding himself of unwanted wives, Henry VIII studied a gardening manual.

The famous garden maze at England’s Hampton Court Palace was created for another British king, William of Orange. France’s Louis XIV wrote a book giving visitors a path to follow at his spectacular Versailles garden.

Dr. Tommy Amason, the king of this year’s Beaux Arts Krewe Ball, has something in common with these monarchs. He’s a garden guru.

“Everybody who knows me knows that the garden is a part of me, and I’m part of the garden,” Amason said.

He’ll have to trade his digging-in-the-dirt duds for more formal attire when he reigns over the 49th Krewe Ball, set for Feb. 5 at Birmingham’s Boutwell Auditorium. The glittering event isn’t just a social affair; it benefits the Birmingham Museum of Art. “I’ve been in the Krewe about 32 years,” said Amason, who lives in Mountain Brook.

“I’m taking this as an honor. I’m doing it because I’m very proud of the Krewe and the museum.”

Amason spent years tending children as well as his garden. The pediatrician opened Mayfair Medical Group in Homewood in 1971 and was there for 44 years, retiring last April. But even

that was because it’s now UAB.” He and his wife, Yates Middleton Amason, lived in Charleston, S.C., right after they married. He was stationed there as a U.S. Navy doctor.

“In 1968, I wound up on a nuclear submarine,” Amason said. “It was character-building to go for 90 days underwater. The sub stays deep. I monitored the air, and I did that right next to the navigator’s station, so I knew we

Journal photo by Lee Walls Jr.

By Donna Cornelius

about four times a year, he said.

He also was invited to be a guest lecturer at the prestigious Colonial Williamsburg Garden Symposium in Williamsburg, Va. “They like to have somebody there who has a personal garden, and I’ve got dirt on my hands,” Amason said. “I did a slideshow of our garden. Afterward, Yates said, ‘Your garden is beautiful – but you had too many slides.’”

Amason said he became interested in horticultural therapy and wrote an article about it.

“I then went to Pasadena, Calif., for a national symposium about children and gardening and presented a paper there,” he said.

Amason’s list of career and civic achievements is a lengthy one. He is a past president of the medical staff at Children’s of Alabama, was named to the America’s Top Pediatricians list for 2004-2005, and qualified for the 2010 edition of “The Leading Physicians of the World.”

He’s a life member of the National Registry of Who’s Who and a founding board member of the Discovery Place, the forerunner to Birmingham’s McWane Science Center. After serving on the Birmingham Botanical Gardens board of directors as president and as a member, he’s now a trustee there.

He is an active member and past vestry member of St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands Presbyterian Church. He’s also a member of the St. Andrew’s Society of the Middle South and of the Country Club of Birmingham.

Amason spent years tending children as well as his garden.

The pediatrician opened Mayfair Medical Group in Homewood in 1971 and was there for 44 years, retiring last April.

The Amasons’ grandchildren also will be on hand for their grandfather’s big night.

Edith and Gilbert Adams will be King’s Box ushers. Emily Browning Amason will be a train bearer, along with Harriet Huntress Crommelin Adams, Richard Gunter Crommelin IV, Thomas Coker Foster, Jon Killebrew Roberts, Albert Flynn Thomasson and Robin Adair Wade IV. Murphy McMillian is captain of the Krewe. Forest Whatley is Krewe board president. The queen’s identity is kept secret until the ball.

Amason said he’s looking forward to sharing the Krewe Ball experience with his family and friends.

“I’m happy and I’m proud – and it may be strange to say that I’m modest when you realize that I’ll have to get into that king’s costume,” he said, smiling. ❖

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 9

about town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

The honoree of this year’s event is Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey, pictured with his wife Carolyn. The James Bond Gala will be held at The Club Jan. 30.

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Adventures on Auction at ROAR’S James Bond Gala At ROAR’s James Bond-themed gala this year, once-in-a-lifetime is being used to describe more than one of the big-ticket items in the live auction.

At the top of the list are trips to places such as Cape Cod and the Sonoma Valley, as well as a Kentucky Derby experience, an African safari adventure and a day with Dan Aykroyd.

Thanks to ROAR members Mike and Kim Hull and their connection to Aykroyd’s Crystal Head Vodka brand, the Emmy award-winning actor and his wife, Donna, will treat four guests to a star-studded day in Los Angeles.

“On our Friday together, we’ll have breakfast in Santa Monica at the Loews Hotel overlooking the beach walk,” Aykroyd said in an email statement. “Then we’ll go to Sony Studios and have a tour of the old MGM lot, the new Ghostbusters offices, and lunch in the Wolfgang Puck Studio Commissary.”

The festivities will continue with evening cocktails at Aykroyd’s home in the Palisades and will finish with dinner at Mastro’s on the beach.

ROAR, which stands for Radiation Oncology Accelerated Research, is raising money for the UAB Cancer Research Labs and an endowment for the UAB Department of Radiation Oncology.

The honoree of this year’s event will be Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey. He is also president of Crest Cadillac, the largest Cadillac dealership in the state.

The James Bond Gala Honoree is a cancer survivor. “Everyone I know has been touched by cancer, including my mother, father, and mother-inlaw,” said Ivey Ivey is reaching-out and givingback to fund cancer research with the hope that his grandchildren can grow up in a world without the devastating effects of cancer.

The James Bond Gala will be held at The Club Jan. 30, and instead of being licensed to kill, event guests will leave the event licensed to “cure.”

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“On our Friday together, we’ll have breakfast in Santa Monica at the Loews Hotel overlooking the beach walk,” Dan Aykroyd, above, said in an email statement.

“Then we’ll go to Sony Studios and have a tour of the old MGM lot, the new Ghostbusters offices, and lunch in the Wolfgang Puck Studio Commissary.”

The festivities will continue with evening cocktails at Aykroyd’s home in the Palisades and will finish with dinner at Mastro’s on the beach.

event includes: Doug Acton, Joe and Adrienne Agresti, Eddie and Kay Aldridge, Pam Ausley, Bruce and CheChe Ayers, Frank and Pam Barefield, Lee Barnes Jr., Greg Beers, John Bentley, Dale and Victoria Benton, Judge Brad and Dr. Anne Bishop, Justice Mike Bolin, John Boohaker, Danny Braden, Jeffrey Brewer, Ronnie Bruno, Dick Burleson, Chuck J. Carr, Cooke, Cameron, Travis & Co., Michael J. Davis, Paul and Jacqueline DeMarco, Lee and Laura Domingue, Alex Dudchock, Daymeon Fishback, former Gov. Jim Folsom, Rob and Anna Fowler, Deane Giles, GonzalesStrength & Associates, John Greene, Richard Grimes, Ike Gulas Law Firm, Gene Hallman, Hendrick Automotive,

Bobby Humphrey, Dr. Bruce Irwin, Dr. Larry Lemak, Matthew Lemak, Joe and Joyce Limbaugh, Randy Lott, John Lyda, Pat and Tynette Lynch, Joey and Kaye Moore, The Liz and Ron Moore Family Foundation, Adm. John T. Natter, R. Shan Paden, Joe Rives, Royal Automotive, Dr. Jack Schaeffer, Michelle M. Scholtz, Nick and Julie Sellers, Jenn Sides, Signature Homes, Brian Skelton, Gene Smith, Bart and Cherry Starr, Commissioner Jimmie and Mona Stephens, Coach Pat & Jean Sullivan, Richard Thompson, Sen. Jabo Waggoner, Charlie Waldrep, Stewart Welch, Jim Wilson & Associates LLC and Jack Wright.

For more information, visit www. roarthecure.org. ❖

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1

life

10 • Thursday, January 28, 2016

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Photo special to the Journal

A large part of Impact Alabama’s staff is made up of young people supported by the AmeriCorps program. Through AmeriCorps, the nonprofit offers full-time, year-long paid positions. Spots in the program are competitive and applications can be found online.

The deadline to apply is Feb. 15.

Stephen Black moved to Alabama in 1997 after graduating from Yale Law School. He worked as a lawyer in Birmingham when he first arrived but he never planned to make law his life’s work. Rather, Black founded the service-learning, non-profit Impact Alabama in 2004. He is the grandson of the late Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black.

Compassion Through Service Grandson of Famed Civil Rights Jurist Makes His Mark on Alabama

By Sarah Kuper Stephen Black’s passion for Alabama’s youth may seem out of place. He didn’t grow up here, he didn’t go to school here and he doesn’t have a Southern accent.

But a quick check into Black’s family tree shows that a penchant for social justice for Alabamians is in his genes.

Stephen Black is the grandson of the late Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black – an Alabama native famous for his decisions in civil rights cases such as Brown vs. Board of Education.

Now, Black is forging his own path, ever mindful of his grandfather’s legacy. He has established himself in Vestavia Hills, but his mission’s reach is statewide.

Black moved to Alabama in 1997 after graduating from Yale Law School. He worked as a lawyer in Birmingham when he first arrived but he never planned to make law his life’s work. Rather, Black founded the service-learning, non-profit Impact Alabama in 2004.

According to the non-profit’s website, Impact Alabama’s mission is to engage students and recent college graduates to address community needs, empowering a generation through collaborative efforts to promote change.

One initiative at Impact Alabama is FocusFirst.

Volunteers go to day care centers and schools to conduct vision screenings on small children. With special cameras, college students with no optometry training can identify children who have vision problems. A child’s trying to learn letters and shapes without adequate vision can lead to lifelong struggles in school.

Thanks to FocusFirst, nearly 300,000 area children have been screened, with more than 30,000 of those children found to have vision problems.

Another important service volunteers at Impact Alabama provide is assistance with tax returns. Many Alabama families depend on tax refunds for necessities but fall prey to negligent or fraudulent tax preparation companies. Since 2006, SaveFirst has prepared almost 50,000 free tax returns, saving families $11.9 million in fees and claiming $73.9 million in tax refunds.

By conducting child vision screenings and preparing free tax returns, college students who volunteer with Impact Alabama are exposed to people and communities they may not encounter otherwise.

Issues such as lack of pediatric care and living paycheck to paycheck become more real when students deal with them firsthand. Black says when students get involved and provide a service for the community they become more invested in that community.

“Millennials are passionate about making a difference.

They crave meaning in their life,” he said.

Black said students fortunate enough to attend college should graduate with a sense of compassion, not just a diploma.

Impact Alabama’s mission is incorporated into the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility at the University of Alabama – a center Black was chosen to direct by former university President Bob Witt. Witt now serves as chancellor of the UA System.

Black credits Witt for some of the center’s success because Witt supported and encouraged Black’s use of the model in other Alabama colleges. University of Alabama at Birmingham and Birmingham-Southern College also encourage students to volunteer through Impact Alabama.

“Professors weave service-learning into their courses.

This way it isn’t just the nursing students that sign up. We want business and accounting majors to visit day cares

too.” Black said.

To volunteer, students can take a course offering or requiring service-learning or they can get directly involved with Impact Alabama by filling out an application online.

A large part of Impact Alabama’s staff is made up of young people supported by the AmeriCorps program.

Through AmeriCorps, the non-profit offers full-time, yearlong paid positions. Spots in the program are competitive and applications can be found online. The deadline to apply is Feb. 15.

Black said that pushing young people to broaden their horizons through service propels the state of Alabama forward. But his mission wouldn’t be possible without supportive adults from the Over the Mountain community.

In fact, Black credits Over the Mountain neighborhoods for supplying generous funds and civic support for Impact Alabama. Parents and school officials from Mountain Brook were instrumental in supporting the “SpeakFirst” debate team initiative for low-income high school students.

Over the Mountain communities are leading by example. More than ever, Black said the city of Birmingham is seeing activism from its suburban neighbors.

“We all suffer if kids 10 minutes away from us can’t see and aren’t taken care of,” he said.

The success of Impact Alabama has led the non-profit to expand its mission to other states, thus creating Impact America. By taking this model nationwide, Black hopes the public will take notice and follow the lead of young people who are driven to make a concrete difference in the lives of others.

“Service is really a natural impulse but it will be up to the country to harness it,” he said.

For more information about involvement with Impact Alabama, visit ImpactAmerica.com. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Diapers for Hope Bundles of Hope Hosts Diaper Drives for Needy Families

By Sarah Kuper

Nearly one in three Birminghamarea families struggle to provide enough diapers for their children.

With small children going through up to 10 diapers per day, the cost can be more than $100 per month, and diapers cannot be bought with food stamps or even through the WIC program.

Right now, Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood is asking every family in its congregation to donate a box of diapers or write a check during the month of January. There are donation boxes stationed throughout the church and the office is accepting “dollars for diapers.” The church is encouraging public participation as well.

But a Birmingham organization has created a way to help. Bundles of Hope is a non-profit that helps organize diaper drives and directly provides a reliable supply of diapers to parents and child care workers.

The idea originated when a group of women at Mountain Chapel United Methodist Church in Vestavia Hills hosted a baby shower and discussed the high cost of diapers. From there, a

few of those ladies assessed the need in the area and formed Bundles of Hope.

Holding a diaper drive is not a new concept, but through Bundles of Hope, those efforts can be streamlined, making it easier for people and civic groups to participate.

Right now, Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood is asking every family in its congregation to donate a box of diapers or write a check during the month of January. There are donation boxes stationed throughout the church and the office is accepting “dollars for diapers.” The church is encouraging public participation as well.

Cel Bailey is the president of the United Methodist Women’s center in Birmingham. She said, “It’s the new year, what better time to do something for others while you are already at Walmart or the drug store.”

Most day care centers require parents to supply diapers, and the inability to do so can affect a family’s access to job opportunities if they don’t have someone to care for their children.

“You hear horror stories about people leaving children in diapers too long because they don’t have enough,” Bailey said.

The Bundle of Joy website offers information about how to host a diaper drive and resources for those in need of diapers.

During a “Stuff the Bus” event in the fall, Bundles of Hope gathered more than 117,000 diapers in a week.

Diaper banks organized through Bundles of Hope will accept any size diapers. The organization also appreciates donations of money and time.

For more information, visit bundlesdiaperbank.org. ❖

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 11

life

Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens Announces Board Members

The Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens has announced members of its 2016 board of directors.

Brian Barr, of Brasfield and Gorrie, is chairman of the board for a second term. Beverly Hoyt assumes the role of chair-elect this year while also serving as chair of operations.

Wally Evans is serving his first term as treasurer, and Paul Jones returns for his second term as secretary. John Miller is chair of development; Charles Goodrich is chair of governance; John

Smith T is chair of education; J. Turner Inscoe is chair of government relations; and B. Hanson Slaughter continues to serve as past-president.

There are six new members for 2016: Norm Davis of Trufund Financial Services; Chris Hastings of Hot & Hot Fish Club; Peyton King, formerly of Elegant Earth; Lee McLemore of Country Club of Birmingham; Randall Woodfin, Birmingham assistant city attorney; and junior board Chair Laura McCraney.

Completing the 2016 board roster are: Cathy Adams, Craig Beatty, Chris Boles, Emily Bowron, John Hudson III, John C. Hurst Jr., Bill Ireland, Elizabeth Jernigan, Carl Jones, Natalie Kelly and Katie Baker Lasker.

Six 2015 board members are rotating off the board: Mary Boehm, Maggie Brooke, Elizabeth Broughton, 2015 junior board Chair Amanda Foshee, Clarke Gillespy and Scott Walton, who had served as treasurer for the board of directors since 2007. ❖

e hands, k a h s e w e B efor nds. we hold ha

Pack 326 Spreads Holiday Cheer in Homewood Cub Scout Pack 326 scouts and family members brought holiday cheer to the Brookdale assisted living facility in Homewood.

Practicing the values of the scout oath, “To help other people at all times,” scouts and their families dedicated a Sunday afternoon to singing Christmas carols with the residents of the Brookdale facility. The group caroled to classic holiday songs, including; “Jingle Bells,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Silent Night,” “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “The 12 Days of Christmas.”

“Brookdale residents, scouts and family members alike shared a joyful afternoon and made fond memories that will likely last for many years to come,” said scoutmaster Rick DeFilippo.

Cub Scout Pack 326 is affiliated with Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Hoover. ❖

At RealtySouth, real estate doesn’t simply equate to hard negotiation and paper work. For us, it’s more than a transaction. It’s the relationship that matters most. For nearly 60 years, we’ve been supporting the same charities you support. From the gardens to Big Oak Ranch, the animal shelter and everything in between, what has mattered to you, matters to us. For us, it’s not just about the walls, but the people inside. Your community is our community. We are proud to be your neighbor.

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12 • Thursday, January 28, 2016

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

u Over the Mountain

Renew the Zoo Zoo Reaches 85 Percent of Its $18 Million Goal for Construction

Asian Passage exhibit, are made possible by the “Renew the Zoo” $18 million capital campaign.

Campaign Chairman F. Dixon Brooke Jr. announced this month that the campaign has reached 85 percent of its goal. That’s $15.4 million.

“We were optimistic that the community would respond this way, but we still have more work to do,” he said.

In fact, zoo leadership’s first goal

was $15 million. But Brooke looked at the plans and at the numbers and recommended stretching the goal to $18 million.

“Several ideas for the expansion were being deferred for another time, but we decided those should be a part of this campaign,” Brooke said.

Brooke said Auburn fans should be particularly excited about the new tiger habitat.

The money rolling in is due, in

large part, to eager support from the Birmingham business community.

“The city of Birmingham showed its support, followed by several foundations, and that led the way for the business community to get involved.

It’s a key cultural education attraction in our city,” Brooke said.

The Birmingham Zoo has been funded by a private/public partnership since 1999. The Birmingham mayor and City Council supported the expan-

sion by contributing $7.5 million.

More than 575,000 visitors come to the zoo annually, and 35 percent of those visitors are from out of town.

That’s $37 million in annual economic impact.

Once the new entry and exhibit are open, zoo leadership projects annual attendance will exceed 600,000 and even approach 1 million. Construction itself is adding $31 million to the area’s economy and the annual economic impact is predicted to be $46 million once projects are complete.

Leadership also expects the expansion will lead to the zoo’s supporting 530 to 550 jobs in the area.

Zoo Director Bill Foster said he believes all great cities have a great zoo, but the mission goes further than just a pretty exterior.

“Without the educational opportunities and the conservation work we do, the zoo would just be a menagerie. A zoo experience should teach the importance of empathy – whether for a bear or a mountain gorilla.”

Foster said another primary goal for the zoo is environmental responsibility. The new designs include alternative energy provisions such as solar panels, and the zoo will take advantage of the natural spring that used to feed the two ponds that are now filled in. ❖

online survey. The Homewood Chamber of Commerce has set up a website for people to complete a survey about how much they would use the service and pinpoint on a map where they would like to see bikeshare stations.

Drennen said the committee will look at the data to see if there would likely be enough participation for a bikeshare program to be successful in Homewood.

“If everyone wants a different location for a station or if we only get two responses – that will show us where to go with this,” Drennen said.

Although the arrival of a bikeshare program would depend on the results of the study, Drennen said the idea could be innovative for Homewood.

“Homewood is already pretty walkable, but it would make us even more tight-knit,” she said. “I imagine being able to bike from Edgewood to West Homewood. And what if the program spread to Mountain Brook or Vestavia Hills?”

According to Zyp, the Birmingham bikeshare program has garnered more than 3,000 members since October.

If the study comes back in favor of the bikeshare program, Drennen said it likely would be funded partially by the city but chiefly by revenue generated through the program as well as corporate sponsors.

To take the survey and give feedback on the idea, visit homewoodbikeshare.

com.

There also will be two public involvement meetings; Feb. 25 at Seeds Coffee from 5-7 p.m.; and March 3 at Cahaba Cycles from 5-7 p.m.

—Sarah Kuper

help.

Since work on the land affects the area’s watershed, the transformation into a park made the project eligible for the grant. The city will receive $1.2 million from ADEM and will put up $400,000.

At first, the houses on the property were set to be demolished. But after some calculations, Downes said it made more financial sense to move the houses and then resell them.

The project involves restructuring the existing stream and creating a “constructed wetland.” Downes emphasized the new park will not eliminate flooding in the area, but it will

reduce how frequently it floods.

Downes hopes to have all the houses relocated by mid-February but said the logistics of moving them depends on weather conditions. After the houses are moved, it will be three to four months before the park is finished.

Downes said he is excited to see the park realized because it will provide green space, help the environment and provide recreational activities that don’t currently exist in Cahaba Heights.

“The residents who live here are quality people and anything we can do to enhance their quality of life, they deserve it,” he said.

—Sarah Kuper

u homewood

Officials Consider Adopting Bikeshare Idea Homewood city officials are looking at whether a bikeshare program similar to the one in Birmingham would be popular and beneficial in the community.

A bikeshare is an initiative allowing residents or tourists to rent bikes from centrally located kiosks and use them for commuting, sight-seeing, exercise or just a trip to lunch. At the end of their rides, users check the bikes back in to any kiosk.

Riders can buy a membership or pay per day.

Birmingham installed Zyp bikeshare stations throughout town last fall.

Homewood Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Meredith Drennen said there is a lot of buzz about bikeshares, but Homewood city officials will do a thorough study before deciding whether to apply the concept in Homewood.

“We are doing surveys, having userfriendly public meetings and listening to the community,” Drennen said.

Homewood has partnered with the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham to conduct the study, with the help of a steering committee of about 15 community members.

One tactic officials are using is an

By 2018, zoo patrons will enter through a two-story, windowed welcome center and step onto a plaza with interactive exhibits and a water feature. From there, guests will follow a trail connecting to all zoo exhibits. The new arrival experience and Asian Passage exhibit, are made possible by the “Renew the Zoo” $18 million capital campaign.

u vestavia hills

City Begins Work on Park to Alleviate Cahaba Heights Flooding The landscape is changing in Cahaba Heights.

The city is moving four houses to build a park on Dolly Ridge Road. The new park will have a walking path along the stream, an open green space and a pavilion for picnics and events.

The project was born out of the community’s desire for more green space and as a solution to the area’s frequent flooding, which has been a huge headache for the neighborhood.

Initially, Vestavia Hills leadership applied for a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant to help with a solution. They did not get the grant, but city officials kept the issue as a high priority and found another way.

According to Vestavia Hills City Manager Jeff Downes, city planners discovered a grant opportunity through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management that could

Journal photo by Tommy Wald

Elephant-sized trucks are moving mounds of dirt as work begins on the new entrance to the Birmingham Zoo and the Asian Passage exhibit.

By 2018, zoo patrons will enter through a two-story, windowed welcome center and step onto a plaza with interactive exhibits and a water feature. From there, guests will follow a trail connecting to all zoo exhibits.

An open green space planners are calling the meadow will serve as a place to picnic and as an area for hosting festivals and concerts, and it will be available for private events.

The Asian Passage exhibit will evolve from the existing predator building and the surrounding land. The orangutans will be moved from the primates building to an open air jungle gym enclosure and the tigers will have more space to prowl.

An elevated bridge will give visitors a bird’s eye view of the new habitats.

The new arrival experience and

Journal photo by Sarah Kuper

By Sarah Kuper

The city is moving four houses to build a park on Dolly Ridge Road. The new park will have a walking path along the stream, an open green space and a pavilion for picnics and events.

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 13

news

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

u birmingham

I-20/59 Expansion Under Fire Birmingham Business Community Keeps Pushing Against ALDOT Plans

Journal photo by Sarah Kuper

By Sarah Kuper

The Hoover City Council hears a proposal to build a $70 million sports complex on 120 acres near the Hoover Met.

u hoover

Mega-Sports Complex

120-Acre Development Near the Hoover Met Would Draw Events and Feed the Economy

By William C. Singleton III The proposed $70 million Hoover Sports Complex won’t be nearly as grand as the “Wide World of Sports” complex at Disney World in Orlando.

But the idea of attracting youth sporting events and teams nationwide like Disney does with its sports complex has city, parks and recreation and community sports leaders drooling at the potential tourism and economic opportunities such a facility would bring.

“We have obviously been waiting on something like this,” said Richard Bisso, Hoover Soccer Club President. “The thing we’ve seen traveling throughout the country and playing in the sports complex at the Wild World of Disney is the economic impact,” he said. “It would be outstanding to have (a sports complex) in our community where we could draw that type of impact.”

The Hoover City Council recently approved the construction of a megasports complex to be located on about 120 acres near the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, also called the Hoover Met. The proposed facility will include six outdoor fields for soccer, lacrosse and football, eight outdoor fields for baseball and softball, 15 tennis courts and a 140,000 square-foot events center which could be used for basketball and volleyball tournaments, trade shows, banquets, conferences and graduations.

Jeffrey Brewer, regional president of Goodwyn Mills & Cawood, architect for the proposed facility, said the indoor multipurpose complex would be “roughly the size of a football field that’s under (a) roof.”

He said because it’s a multipurpose facility, “We can do just about any sport. … Really, the only thing you can’t do football-wise is punt.”

The sports complex would also include an athletic performance center, a food court, an indoor elevated walking track, a two-mile walking track outdoors, a playground and parking

for about 1,700 vehicles. With the Met parking, both facilities would have a capacity to handle 5,000 vehicles, Brewer said. An enclosed concourse would connect the sports complex to the Hoover Met, according to the proposal.

The city already owns 103 acres near the Met and would have to acquire 17 acres from the city school board, said Allen Pate, executive director for the city of Hoover.

City officials estimate an economic impact of between $27 million and $33 million annually based on figures from the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Pate said the city’s population has grown steadily through the years, which translates into more youth participating in its sports programs. Yet its sports facilities haven’t kept pace. He said that in 10 years, the city’s youth lacrosse program has gone from zero to 500 kids. In 10 years, the youth football program has gone from 200 to 1,000 players.

Pate said parks and recreation officials and community leaders have been asking for more athletic facilities, and the proposed sports complex should satisfy this need.

“Hoover hasn’t constructed a single new athletic field since 2000,” he said.

“Park board (officials) and others have received requests for additional facilities. These requests have been increasing in their urgency, yet our construction lags behind. … It’s time to catch up.”

Pate also said that the city of Hoover has a year remaining in its contract with the SEC for the conference’s baseball tournament at the Hoover Met. Having a new sports complex that’s connected to the Met would make the entire SEC tournament experience more enjoyable and more profitable.

Council President Jack Wright said the city plans to borrow money to build the complex and support it through a bond issue. ❖

Downtown Birmingham has many prominent features and landmarks.

The recently renovated Lyric Fine Arts Theatre, the Birmingham Museum of Art and the McWane Science Center are just a few attractions drawing people in.

But there is one feature many area business leaders find worrisome: the Interstate 20/59 corridor cutting through downtown.

The Alabama Department of Transportation is moving forward with plans to reconfigure and widen the interstate. Civic leaders believe the plan will have long-term, detrimental effects on the city.

The plans include widening portions of the highway from six lanes to 10 lanes and rearranging access ramps and exits.

The widened roadway would cut closer to the Sheraton and Westin hotels, the newly developed Uptown Entertainment District and other downtown attractions.

It may also affect the success of proposed developments such as a stadium next to the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.

F. Dixon Brooke Jr., former president and CEO of EBSCO, and nearly a dozen other business and community leaders are asking ALDOT to look at alternatives.

Brooke said the current layout of the interstate has hurt Birmingham’s revitalization.

“It has proven to be dividing the city for years. It has limited quality of life and the ability to revitalize,” Brooke said.

A Birmingham non-profit was born in opposition to ALDOT’s plans.

Move I-20/59 Inc. is led by civic activist Darrell O’Quinn.

O’Quinn, president of the Crestwood North Neighborhood

Association, grew interested in the issue when ALDOT presented its initial plans in 2013.

“I went to the few community meetings ALDOT held and there were a lot of people with concerns. It seemed like they had no intention of entertaining comments,” O’Quinn said.

He said ALDOT is not considering

O’Quinn emphasized that not just downtown Birmingham will be affected by the project.

Over the Mountain neighborhoods could see more traffic, pollution and noise, he said.

Birmingham’s potential for economic growth.

“It seems their main objective is just to get people through the city,” he said.

Move I-20/59 filed a lawsuit against ALDOT contending it had not adequately considered environmental issues and asking that it consider economic issues as well.

On Jan. 19, the Federal Highway Administration and ALDOT responded by denying all claims.

Opponents have asked for an injunction to stop work on the project.

Meanwhile, Brooke is circulating a petition among local business and community heavyweights asking Mayor William Bell to take action.

“Leaders of all stripes have to have a real conversation. The mayor has the city’s interest at heart and we are encouraging him to call time out,” Brooke said.

If opponents had their way, ALDOT would revert to the early plan to redeck

and repair the existing road to buy time until a larger vision develops.

“We have an influx of millennials into the city. Let’s pause and think what would advance Birmingham into the future,” Brooke said.

O’Quinn said he would be pleased if he felt ALDOT was hearing opponents’ concerns.

“Let’s have a reasonable level of confidence that they aren’t screwing things up because we will be living with it for the next 50 years,” O’Quinn said.

O’Quinn emphasized that not just downtown Birmingham will be affected by the project. Over the Mountain neighborhoods could see more traffic, pollution and noise, he said.

“We hired our own transportation engineer and he found this would actually make traffic worse on I-65,” O’Quinn said.

Brook and O’Quinn said a reconfiguration of the entire I-20/59 viaduct could open up Birmingham’s north side to revitalization much as the city has seen surrounding Railroad Park and Legions Field.

Though plans are drawn and ALDOT is moving forward, work on the elevated bridges through the Central Business District won’t begin until 2018.

O’Quinn said there is still time to push for change.

Brooke said he is just asking that no alternative is overlooked.

“I need ALDOT to exhibit genuine interest in collaborating and consider alternatives. They feel they’ve looked at all options because they think this is the best one, but I’m not convinced.

We want an open, honest collaborative view.”

He said he isn’t looking for a fight, he is just asking for transparency.

“At the end of the day we may look at everything and see there just isn’t a better way to do it,” Brooke said. ❖

14 • Thursday, January 28, 2016

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Ballet Benefit

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Journal photos by Emily Williams

2015 Poinsettia Debutantes Presented in Holiday Ball

From left: Katherine Susan Brightbill, Kathryn Courtney Lundberg, Carlyle Elizabeth Thornton and Katherine Bouchard Tracy.

Catherine Carlisle Masingill, Mary Francis Yeilding, Mary Amanda Hall and Joan Leslie McGill.

Mary Katherine Manakides, Alexandria Grace Morris and Allison Elizabeth Pounds.

Anna Scott Welch, Susanna Katheryn Bagwell and Paige Margaret Burleson.

Andrea Burris, Bailey Thompson, Haley Harmon, Morgan Brown and Hannah Nelson.

F

ourteen debutantes and 20 junior debutantes were presented on the arms of their fathers at Vestavia Country Club at the 48th annual Poinsettia Debutante Ball on Dec. 29.

The holiday-themed event was hosted by the Ballet Women’s Committee and the Poinsettia Men’s Club.

Each of the debutantes, all college juniors, wore white ball gowns and white gloves, and carried bouquets of red poinsettias and greenery.

The ballroom was decorated with garlands lit with white lights, two towering Christmas trees trimmed with gold ornaments and a grouping of red poinsettias. Carole Sullivan, of Lagniappe Designs, coordinated the festive décor.

Junior debutantes wore red dresses and carried white poinsettias with greenery.

The evening began with an early presentation of the debutantes at a Benefactor’s Dinner sponsored by the Poinsettia Men’s Club and coordinated by Jan Roberts and Sue Ellen Summers.

The 2015 Poinsettia Debutantes were: Susanna Katheryn Bagwell, Katherine Susan Brightbill, Paige Margaret

Hannah Pahos, Hope Ward and Rachel Nesbitt.

Gabby Turnbough, Katharine Henley, Harper Coleman, Lizzy Boston and Mary Beth Duckett.

Burleson, Mary Amanda Hall, Kathryn Courtney Lundberg, Mary Katherine Manakides, Catherine Carlisle Masingill, Joan Leslie McGill, Alexandria Grace Morris, Allison Elizabeth Pounds, Carlyle Elizabeth Thornton, Katherine Bouchard Tracy, Anna Scott Welch and Mary Frances Yeilding.

Junior debutantes were included for the first time at the 2015 ball. The inaugural junior deb class consisted of 20 area high school seniors: Hanna Marie Boge, Elizabeth Copeland Boston, Morgan Elizabeth Brown, Andrea Leigh Burris, Harper Gray Coleman, Mary Elizabeth Duckett, Haley Patricia Harmon, Susannah Elizabeth Harvey, Katharine Elizabeth Henley, Bailey Elizabeth Johnson, Olivia Marigo Karagas, Frances Abbott Knox, Anna Kathryn Lucas, Morgan Nadine Maddox, Hannah Kathleen Nelson, Rachel Catherine Nesbitt, Hannah Grace Pahos, Hailey Elizabeth Thompson, Gabrielle Elizabeth Turnbough and Hope Elisabeth Ward.

After the presentation, the debutantes and ball guests danced

to the music of the band Az-Izz. Melissa Lassiter served as Poinsettia Ball Board president.

Other ball board members included: Mary Jo Angelo, Sherry Bohorfoush, Joanna Burleson, Joanna Duckett, Liz Phillips Guest, Lianne Hand, Nancy Kennedy, Frances McAleer and Marian McCord.

Ball co-chairs were Joanna Duckett and Marion McCord.

Sherry Bohorfoush served as ball social secretary. Other ball board members included: Betsy Spivey, Frances Knox, Una Ray Barnett, Jan Roberts, Sue Ellen Summers, Karen Waldheim, Kelley Brown, and Tammy Towns. Frances McAleer served as president of the Ballet Women’s Committee. Poinsettia Men’s Club president was Tab Whisenhunt.

The Ballet Women’s Committee was founded in 1960 to foster and promote fine arts in the greater Birmingham area.

The Poinsettia Men’s Club was formed in 1969 to support, promote and cultivate goals and activities of the Ballet Women’s Committee. All proceeds of the ball help support the Alabama Ballet. ❖

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 15

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Photo special to the Journal

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

From left: Bob and Martha Black, George and Beverly Jackson, Olivia and Gene Weingarten.

For over 90 years, Levy’s has been Birmingham's Specialist in Antique and Estate Jewelry as well as Fine Diamonds, Art and Antiques.

Classic Christmas

Valentine's Day is Sunday, February 14.

Amulet Club Celebrates 60 Years at Christmas Dinner Amulet Club members dined and danced to music played by The Classics at a Christmas party Dec. 8. Co-Chairs of the dinner-dance were Olivia Weingarten and Martha Black.

Vestavia Country Club’s ballroom was decorated with two large Christmas trees that reached to the ceiling.

Garlands of greenery with white lights and gold ribbon hung over the ballroom’s arched doorways. Tables for dining were overlaid with white cloths and centered with red poinsettias that contrasted with green napkins.

It was a gala occasion for friends of long-standing and their guests as the club celebrated its 60th year.

Beverly Jackson is the club’s president.

Enjoying the festivities were Martha and Bob Black, Cheree and Eric Carlton, Cathy Carpet, Jane Crouch and Frank Jones, Gerry Dunham and Walt Stone, Virginia and John Golightly, Ann and Sonny Harris, Ann and Fletcher Harvey, Margaret and Bill Howell, Beverly and George Jackson, Barbara and Bobby Jones, Elizabeth Judd, Rusty and Don Kirkpatrick, Nell Larson and Russell Kilgore, Lynda Matson and Bob Francis, Joanne and Art McConnell, Kathy and Ed Miller, Anne Nelson and Jesse Stinson, Yvonne Norton and Jack Ferguson, Dena and Wallace Parker, Mary Pate and Dennis Dickie, Kathie Ramsey, Evelyn Ringler, Donna and Tom Talbot, Phyllis and Roye Tinsley, Sue and Preston Trammel, Jane Weimar, Olivia and Gene Weingarten, Betty and Wally Womack and Janis Zeanah.

Amulets will meet again Jan. 28 for a bridge luncheon at Birmingham Country Club. Bonnie Ciccio and Peggy Coleman will co-chair this annual event. A wine and cheese party at the Liberty Park home of Kathie Ramsey is planned for March 9. ❖

Dining and Learning

Metropolitan Dinner Club Hosts First Dinner of the New Year with The Club’s signature orange rolls.

The Dinner Club greeted the new year by welcoming new members,

DON QUIXOTE To: From:

February19-21

Jennifer Leslie S. Wright Fine Arts Center, Samford University Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 Jan. 2016

bringing the grand total to 300. The 2015-2016 officers include Lowell Womack, president; Elam Holley Jr., Date: vice president of programs; Bill Ringer, vice president of membership; and Gail This is your AD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTAiN Wood, secretary/treasurer.

Jan. 28, 2016 issue. Please fax approval or change Directors include Carlos Ballard, Harriet Cloud, Tom Davis, Jim Please make sure all information is correct, includ Musgrove, Louise Tommie, Jean Hendrickson, Barry Holsombeck, number!

Jim Morrow, Eric Oller, Diane Ray, Please initial and fax back within 24 Anne Hartline, Bill Johnson, Kay if we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad w McLean, Sharon Thompson and Thank you for your prompt atten Olivia Weingarten. ❖

Photos special to the Journal

Members and guests of The Metropolitan Dinner Club of Greater Birmingham gathered Jan. 12 at The Club for a night of dinner and dancing.

The JRobinson Trio Plus provided tunes for the evening. Tom Walker, founder and CEO of the American Village Citizenship Trust, presented a program filled with interesting facts about American Village.

Dinner began with a wedge salad, followed by boneless angst short ribs, squash casserole and green beans.

Apple pie was served for dessert along

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Hettie and Bill Johnson.

16 • Thursday, January 28, 2016

Rehab Reality

by Jeff

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Returning to Retro Gaieties Dance Club Hosts ‘50s-Themed Christmas Party

I heard that a meeting one morning years ago and it has stuck with me ever since for a couple of reaons. First, I remember it because it is just sarcastic enough for me to find it funny. Second, I can’t forget it because it hit so close to home.

Photos special to the Journal

“I had been selling myself the same lies for so long that I started having them giftwrapped.”

Judy and John Feagin and Carolyn Featheringill.

Delmar and Carolyn Hill, Marjorie Forney and Henry Lynn.

For years, I was convinced that I had everyone fooled.

Sure, I partied, but no more than anyone else. My legal troubles were because of my rotten luck, not my lifestyle. Even as my life started falling apart around me, I pretended to be Nero and played my fiddle as Rome burned.

When I first decided to get help, I was still convinced that I was just taking a hiatus; that I really didn’t have a problem.

Suffice it say, I was wrong.

The only person I had been fooling all those years was myself. Even when I thought I was like everyone else, the truth is I was a trainwreck that they couldn’t stop watching.

If you have a problem with drugs or alcohol, or both like me, get help. A sober life does not suck. I’ve tried it both ways. Call us.

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Clockwise from above, Tootie and Ken Fash. Valerie Pankey, Jim and Joyce Lott and Janie Henderson.

Marlea Foster, Millie Curtis, Helen Pardue, Kimberly Freeman, Barbara Stone, Becky Sevier and Ann Hull.

Members and guests of Gaieties Dance Club were invited to “Return to Dale’s Cellar, Joe’s Ranch House and the Canebreak” for “A Retro Christmas” held at Mountain Brook Club Dec. 4.

Color wheels and giant Christmas lights recreated the festive Birmingham nightclub scene of the ‘50s and ‘60s, transporting guests back to the days of Bob Cain and the Canebreakers.

The event was chaired by Carolyn Featheringill.

Dinner and dancing followed at “Top of TwentyOne.” While Elvis never hit these famous watering holes in his heyday, Jason Sikes of Atlanta entertained party-goers with the songs and the moves made famous by the King.

Enjoying the evening were Gaieties President Judy Feagin, with her husband, John; and board members Margaret Ritchie with Tommy, Janie Henderson with Jimbo, Virginia Tucker with Tommy, Becky Bates with David, Tootie Fash with Ken, Nan Carter with Buddy, Dana McCarn with Pete, Doris White with Joe McCracken, Jackie MacClary with Bruce, Brownie Evans with Barry and Suzanne Wald with Mike.

New members in attendance were Millie Curtis with John, Ann Hull with Leland, Marlea Foster with John, Kimberly Freeman with John Simpson, Helen Pardue with Richard, Becky Sevier with Kirby and Barbara Stone with Cris.

Among those sharing stories from the era were Sallie and Carlos White, Delmar and Carolyn Hill, Marjorie Forney and Henry Lynn, Cindy and Andy Strickland, Ann and John Baker, Lucy and Dan Allison, Betty and Al Tully, Barbara and Win Baird, Betty and Charlie Northen, Louise and Sharp Gillespy, Ken and Marcia Little, Gail and Charlie Sharp, Marguerite and Steve Ray, Margie and Sid Davis, Janie and Walter Wilson, Kim and Corbin Day, Catherine and Lee Styslinger, Beverly and Stan Erdreich, Cathy and Jack Echols, Valerie and Tom Pankey, Betty and Bill Phillips, Joyce and Jim Lott, Vickie and George Daniels, Frances and Claude Bennett, Marjorie and Jay Johnston, Betsy and Bill Gresham, Leslie and Rob Black, Julie and Doug Carmichael, Dorothy and Bryan Ratliff, Coquette and Bill Barnes, Kathleen and George Petznick, Helen and Walter Gay Pittman, Marie and Mike Cole, Jane Morris, Katy and Charles Terry, Elna Shugerman, Natasha and Richard Randolph, Anne and Barrett Hicks, Martha and Tom Roberts, Mary and Bobby Cobb, Barbara and Bobby Klyce, Mary and Terrell Spencer, Doris and Jim Wilson, Linda Sue and Sam Johnson, Betsy and Harry Miller, Dena and Bill Leitner, Mary Steiner, June and John Eagan, Gerry and Jim Gillespy, Sandra and Terry Oden, Shelley and Jerry Clark and Fay Hall with David Parker. ❖

Photos special to the Journal

FEBRUARY 6, 2016

From left: Tallulah Hargrove, Helen Smalley, Virginia Chappelle, Elaine Wood and Betty Weeks.

Caroling Through the Day

5:00 pm — 8:00 pm

Sprig O’Holly Garden Club Hosts Christmas Luncheon While the weather felt like springtime, the Sprig O’Holly Garden Club members gathered by the fire in Vestavia Country Club’s living room for a Christmas luncheon and caroling Dec. 12.

The party room was decorated with a tree trimmed with bronze ornaments and an embellished garland of magnolia leaves over the fireplace.

Luncheon tables were decorated with centerpieces provided by Virginia Chappelle, who also presented a Christmas reading. Helen Smalley coordinated party plans and pianist Martha Chism accompanied the caroling.

Guests in attendance included Betty Bowen, Chappelle, Chism, Tallulah Hargrove, Fay Hart, Nell Larson, Lovie Montgomery, Betty Nunis, Adrienne O’Brien, Smalley, Cille Spader, Betty Weeks, Elaine Wood, and Janis Zeanah. Joan Hinkle is president of Sprig O’Holly.

Upcoming programs and speakers in the New Year include “The Cultivation and Use of Herbs,” to be presented by Dianne Brannon in February, “The History of Mountain Brook,” by Margaret Pittman in March, “The Galloping Gourmet,”

by Fletcher Harvey in April, and “Questions and Answers,” by Judge Laura Petro in May. ❖

Mark your calendars for McWane Science Center’s annual family-friendly event, Beaker Bash!

Presented by

200 19TH STREET NORTH BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA 35203 • (205) 714-8300 • WWW.MCWANE.ORG

Betty Bowen, Cille Spader and Betty Nunis.

Sale Ends Saturday Jan. 30th!

It’s not what you might think …

It’s Hanna Antique Mall’s biggest sale of the year.

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10% to 50%

on our huge selection of furniture, rugs, accessories, glassware, china, jewelry & silver.

2424 7th Avenue South • 323-6036 Martha Chism and Nell Larson

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 17

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

MON-SAT 10:00-5:00

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18 • Thursday, January 28, 2016

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Service on the Rocks

Hurry, venues are booking fast!

Call 205-397-3859 or send an email to specialevents@birminghamzoo.com for more information and to book your event today!

birminghamzoo.com

Experts on:

Happily Ever After 3930 Crosshaven Drive 968-0909 www.thebluewillow.com Find us on facebook

From left: Melissa and Michael Dempsey and Aaron and Catherine Rupp.

Pat and Melissa Smith.

nity board members: Leslie Allen, Reed Avant, Meridith Bottchen, Steve Bottchen, Burt Chandler, Whit Cox, Patrick Cummings, Ty Czeschin, Bill Davis, Robert Dawson, Margaret Ellis, Ashley Ferguson, Jenna Flanagan, Joel Gilbert, Will Griffin, Becci Hart, Steve Hewett, Ashley Powell, Renita Rigney, Cody Robinson, Vann Rudolph, Patti Steelman, Peggy Striplin, Chris Tanner, Scott Thorne, John Weinacker and Greg Werchanowskyj. ❖

Brian Guilbeau and Scott Thorne.

Mark Riemer and Kirk Roberts.

Trees and Treats

The Cheramis Club Dances Into Winter Festive arrangements with candles and miniature Christmas trees adorned the tables and ballroom stage of the Vestavia Country Club for the Cheramis Fall Holiday Dance on Nov. 20.

More than 80 Cheramis members and guests danced to the music of the Classics Band. Vice president Nita Hestevold and her committee chaired the event. Decorations were provided

by Nancy Coggin.

Members and guests dined on teriyaki grilled salmon and pork tenderloin Marsala with a dual petit dessert of chocolate and a vanilla mousse. ❖

Photo special to the Journal

Looking for a truly unique space for your next event? The Birmingham Zoo is your perfect venue.

With catering options ranging from African safari to formal elegance, we can help make your event a success. The Zoo also offers event extras including animal demonstrations, non-profit discounts, audio/visual equipment and much more.

The Alabama-Mississippi Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society celebrated its inaugural bourbon and barbecue tasting event Jan. 24 with more than 400 guests at Old Car Heaven.

Guests explored the event space sampling from a selection of more than 40 bourbons ranging in style, flavor and value.

Tasters had the option of pairing their bourbon with cigar in the Cigar Lounge or a slice of the whole hog that Jim ‘N Nick’s prepared for the event.

The Big River Blues Band provided live music while NFL games were projected so football buffs did not have to miss out on watching the playoffs.

The event was the brainchild of Alabama-Mississippi chapter community board member Scott Thorne, a bourbon enthusiast. He came up with the idea a year ago after being diagnosed with MS. “I came up with the idea because I like bourbon, I like barbecue and I have MS,” Thorne said. “I didn’t know how to plan an event, so when I met up with Andrew Bell (Alabama-Mississippi chapter president) we came up with a way to make it happen.”

While the finance team is still working on a grand total, the organization expects that the first-ever BourbonHAM raised more than $20,000.

“When I walked in here today, the overwhelming feeling of complete awe was unmeasurable,” Thorne said.

“MS is an expensive disease.

It takes a lot of money. This support is going to help a lot of people.”

Guests in attendance at the event included commu-

Journal by Emily Williams

BourbonHAM Guests Drink for a Cause

From left: Nancy Coggin, Doris Kenny, Sherry Hartman and Dianne Adams.

Weddings & Engagements

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 19

and the late Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Harvey. She is the great-granddaughter of Mrs. Verna Larison.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Murray Dixon II of Mountain Brook. He is the grandson of the late Mr. Sam Perry Dixon and the late Mrs. Thomas Vanoy Magruder Jr. and the late Mr. and Mrs. Paul Leland Cleverdon.

Given in marriage by her parents, the bride wore Sottero and Midgley’s Isabella gown. The soft, flowing tulle and embellished lace ball gown had dimensional floral accents to add a whimsical touch, a satin belt and a scoop neckline with a corset closure.

Serving as maid of honor was Kandis Joy Harvey, sister of the bride, of San Jose, California.

The matron of honor was Jacqlyn Hyler King of Eugene, Oregon.

Bridesmaids were Valerie Sjelin Johnson of Princeton, New Jersey; Phoebe Marie Samuelson of San Jose; Natalia Sarita Guerreiro and Jamie Chung of Springfield, Missouri; Madison Joy Bursch of Brentwood, California; Brianna Michelle Halverson of Portland, Oregon; and Brandi Wilson Dixon, sister-in-law of the groom, of

Mountain Brook. Flower girls were Maci Catherine Lebsack, Londyn Joy Langum, Sally Marie Dixon and Ila Grace Byrd.

The groom’s best men were his father and his brother, Frank Murray Dixon III, of Mountain Brook. Groomsmen were Ross Edward Byrd of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Tyler Townsley Tuite of Richmond, Virginia; Joseph Logan McCabe III and Drew Compton Thach of Charlottesville, Virginia; Joseph Harrison Kidd of Blacksburg, Virginia; Dr. James Warren Rankin of Princeton; and Theron David Harvey, brother of the bride, of Ozark. Ring bearers were Joseph Perry Dixon and Isak Nathan Samuelson.

Readers were Richard Pell Jordan, Brinden James Langum, Jaden Trent Lebsack, Paul Aishen Dixon and Natalia Sarita Guerreiro. Music was provided by Dr. James Warren Rankin and Mr. Han-wei Kantzer.

After a wedding trip to Hawaii, the couple will reside in Princeton, where the bride serves as a children’s pastor and the groom is completing his doctor of philosophy degree at Princeton Theological Seminary.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Elizabeth Underwood Gardiner and the late Mr. William Francis Gardiner Sr. of Tuscumbia and Mrs. Norma Hardeman Owen and the late Rev. Paul Worthy Owen of Birmingham.

Miss Owen is a graduate of Mountain Brook High School and Auburn University, where she was a member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority.

She is attending and studying secondary mathematics education at Auburn University at Montgomery. Miss Owen is employed in Columbus, Georgia.

The prospective groom is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. James Edward Butler of Paducah, Kentucky, and Mrs. Jewell Noles Snelling and the late Mr. Allen Ray Snelling of Greenville, Kentucky.

Mr. Butler is a graduate of Western Kentucky University. He is employed in Columbus, Georgia.

The wedding will be May 14.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Coley Smythe Sr. of Birmingham. The groom is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Richard Leroy Heyer Jr. of Tupelo, Mississippi.

Given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, the bride wore an ivory embroidered lace gown with a Sabrina neckline.

Her veil was handmade by a family friend with lace from her mother’s wedding gown.

The bride was attended by Kimberly Barton Robbins of Montgomery as matron of honor.

Bridesmaids were Jessica Wiggins Barry, Virginia Shaw Burton, Ashley Daniel Caffey, Amy Floyd Corr, Amy Young Duncan, Bethany Holloway Gannon, Sara Wilson Gunnells, Claire Dunn Lampkin, Lindsey Westbrook Lee, Mary Anne Osborne Phillips and Lindsey Terry Rogers, all of Birmingham; Mary Katharine Elizabeth Eoff of Nashville, Tennessee; and Megan

McSweeney Spellman of Atlanta.

Bridget O’Neal Chase, cousin of the groom, was the flower girl.

The father of the groom served as best man. Groomsmen were Jake Morrison Heyer and Richard Leroy Heyer III, brothers of the groom, Brandon Taylor Burks and John Riley Henton, all of Tupelo; Donald Coley Smythe Jr. and William George Smythe, brothers of the bride, Matthew Melton Fort and Stewart Walsh Sessums, all of Birmingham; Lucas Connor Ainsworth and William Heston Ray of Jackson, Mississippi; and John Armstrong Milam of Houston.

Scripture reading was provided

by Dorothy Jean Longley, cousin of the bride, of Atlanta. Program attendants were Carrie Newton Gargis of Birmingham and Mary Katherine Boone of New York.

After a honeymoon trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the couple live in San Antonio.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Harvey-Dixon

Kristen Ree Harvey and Thomas Perry Dixon were married May 9, 2015, at the Family Community Church in San Jose, California. The ceremony was officiated by the Rev. Nathanael Johnson, friend of the couple, and the Rev. Kim Harvey, father of the bride. A reception immediately followed the ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. Kim Harvey of Ozark, Missouri. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Wagner

Smythe-Heyer

Dorothy Katherine Smythe and John Tays Heyer were married July 18 at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. The Rev. Dr. T. Michael Morgan officiated the ceremony. A reception followed at The Florentine.

To have our wedding & engagement forms sent to you, call 823-9646 or visit www.otmj.com and fill out the form under “Issues, Forms and Info”

Huffman-Wash

Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Huffman of Vestavia Hills announce the engagement of their daughter, Elizabeth Huffman, to Robert Wash, son of Mr.

Brad Wash and Ms. Dottie Leverett of Hoover.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Sara Huffman and the late Mr. Elbird Huffman of Montgomery and the late Mr. and Mrs. B. M. Flowers of Goshen.

Miss Huffman is a graduate of Auburn University and Cumberland School of Law. She is employed with Southern Power.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. Steele Leverett and the late Mr. Roy Leverett of Vestavia Hills and the late Mr. and Mrs. Tom Wash of Vestavia Hills.

Mr. Wash is a graduate of the University of Alabama. He is employed with Smith and Nephew.

The wedding will be April 16, at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church.

Owen-Butler

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Richard Owen of Birmingham announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Owen, to Ryan Michael Butler, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Michael Butler of Central City, Kentucky.

St. Germain-Colon

Mr. Clif Joseph St. Germain and Ms. Nancy Picard of Mandeville, Louisiana, announce the engagement of their daughter, Gabrielle Marie St.Germain, to Taylor Alexander Colon, son of Dr. and Mrs. Percy Joseph Colon III of Vestavia Hills.

Reid-Baker

Meghan Miranda Reid and Andrew Burton Baker were married Oct. 2 on Mr. Baker’s farm in Notasulga. The small ceremony was officiated by the Rev. Jimmy Sims.

The bride is the daughter of

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Ms. Lenore Leva Picard of Birmingham and the late Mr. Sam Picard Jr. and the late Mr. and Mrs. Clifton St. Germain.

Miss St. Germain is a graduate of St. Scholastica Academy and a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Alabama. She is a second-year dental student at the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Percy Joseph Colon Jr. of Kenner, Louisiana, and Mr. and Mrs. Garland White of Metairie, Louisiana.

Mr. Colon is a graduate of Vestavia Hills High School and a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Alabama. He is a second-year student at William Carey College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

The wedding will be July 9 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in New Orleans.

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald D. Reid of Homewood. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Marvin J. Williams of Garden City and Mrs. Conrad Reid and the late Mr. Conrad Reid of Trimble.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. Baker Jr. of Montgomery. He is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth A. Glasner of Sidney, New York, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. Baker of Montgomery.

Mrs. Baker is a graduate of Homewood High School and will graduate from Auburn University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in fruit and vegetable production. Mr. Baker is a graduate of Alabama Christian Academy in Montgomery and a 2015 graduate of Auburn University with a master’s degree in fruit and vegetable production.

The couple live in Elberton, Georgia.

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20 • Thursday, January 28, 2016

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Making Old New Again Hassles of Construction Pay off for OTM Neighborhoods

By Sarah Kuper

Ingram said construction on older streets can mean a lot of change for mature neighborhoods. Fortunately, he said homeowners don’t seem to be letting go of the charm and quality craftsmanship that embody Over the Mountain communities.

It’s a work-in-progress on the triangu-

‘It’s really tough actually – working around old trees and working with setback regulations, but the before and after pictures make it worth it. You want people to notice the house, but not notice it because it is out of place.’ William Siegel, Twin Construction

hole?’ But we embraced its setting and it made for a much more interesting house.”

Part of the intrigue of new construction is the ingenuity required to build in a mature neighborhood. With rocky ridges, valleys and narrow roads, there are a lot of logistical hurdles.

Brian Jernigan is an architect in Homewood.

He said the list of required permits and restrictions in Over the Mountain neighborhoods is lengthy but not forbidding.

Photo left and above special to the Journal

Bill Ingram, below right, said construction on older streets can mean a lot of change for mature neighborhoods. Fortunately, he said homeowners don’t seem to be letting go of the charm and quality craftsmanship that embody Over the Mountain communities. A recent total renovation, above, in Hollywood. Below left, Ingram is working with the existing structure instead of tearing it down and starting over on this home in Mountain Brook.

Journal photo by Sarah Kuper

lar lot of Montevallo Road and Country Club Boulevard.

“Everyone in town is asking me, ‘What is going on with that house?’” said Mountain Brook architect Bill Ingram.

Rest assured, Ingram has a vision.

It is a familiar scenario – an aging house with a misguided addition of a second story that needs to be transformed to suit the needs of a young couple. In this case, Ingram is working with the existing structure instead of tearing it down and starting over.

Because of the desirable schools and the community amenities in Over the Mountain neighborhoods, people buy the location more than they buy the house. Still, curiosity is piqued any time passersby spot new construction on an old street.

William Siegel and his twin brother, David, own Twin Construction in Homewood. He said they know the challenges and the rewards that go along with building in an Over the Mountain neighborhood.

“It’s really tough actually – working around old trees and working with setback regulations, but the before and after pictures make it worth it. You want people to notice the house, but not notice it because it is out of place,” Siegel said.

Ingram said the biggest challenge he faces in Mountain Brook and Homewood is balancing the homeowners’ desire for space with the reality of the lot they have to work with.

“Most people prefer a first floor master bedroom, but older homes don’t have that. So we end up with the problem of a very large first floor,” he said.

The design demands of a 21st century home and the restrictions of early 1940s lots mean architects and builders have to get creative.

Siegel said that, while his team is solving problems, he asks clients to have faith.

“Take it step by step, focus on the fun of it all and when something comes up they will be less anxious because we can educate them on the problem rather than stress through it,” he said.

“People may have to realize the limitations, but if they have trust they can end up with a house they never would have imagined,” he said.

Ingram said one trick is to play to the strength of natural elements.

“There was a certain lot in old Mountain Brook in a ravine with the curve of the road.

People asked me, ‘What are you building in that

“It is a matter of being able to build up front, out back or up,” he said.

One thing Siegel said he loves about the Over the Mountain neighborhoods is the range of lifestyles and life stages the neighborhood allows.

“You see small starter homes next to large mansions. This diversity allows for many different types of families to be a part of the community,” he said.

also in this section

Christopher Showhouse Prepares for Closing Weekend

Mt. Laurel to Host 2016 Southern Living Idea House

Page 22

Page 23

“People are asking for real materials, real brick and wood that will age and weather beautifully.”

Jernigan’s work is in keeping with the style of Homewood homes while creating an updated living space. “I use clean lines with European influences – keeping things simple and modern,” he said.

Over the Mountain architects and builders understand that clients face a hard decision when it comes to rebuilding or renovating in an old neighborhood.

“It comes down to time or money,” Jernigan said. “Either decide you have the time to drive into town from a neighborhood where you can buy a bigger house; or decide you have the money to spend to get the house you want in Homewood.”

Ingram added, “There just isn’t any more land in these areas, but there is usually a house on every street that can be torn down and rebuilt to suit.”

Construction trucks parked on small streets and 4 a.m. hammering can make the novelty of new construction on the street wear off quickly.

Ingram said an act of neighborliness can go a long way.

“Reach out and keep neighbors informed on progress, assure them that the worst is almost over. Usually, if it fits in the neighborhood, they will love it in the end,” he said.

Builders said they remind neighbors that the successful transformation of one house can improve the whole neighborhood. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

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Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 21

22 • Thursday, January 28, 2016

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

We Have Solutions to Your Resolutions 1) Lamps 2) Mirrors 3) Chairs 4) Tables

has them all!

Antiques and Accessories 2700 19th Place South Homewood • 871-9779 Tue.-Fri. 10:30-5:30 Sat. 11:00-4:30

Last Call

Christopher Showhouse Prepares for Closing Weekend

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

Decorator Fabrics • Hardware • Trim 1820 Greensprings Highway 322-5878 www.kingcottonfabrics.com

Photos by Scott Carlisle

Thank you for your prompt attention.

a brain tumor and underwent her second brain surgery in It may be the final weekend of Christopher the past year on Jan. 11.

Architecture and Interiors’ first Showhouse, but the team “A surgery that’s benefits outweighed its risks, but isn’t slowing down. could have realistically left me mute, unable to walk, or The house, at 3620 Ridgeview Lane in Mountain even brain dead,” Perry wrote in a Jan. 12 blog post.

Brook, will be open Jan. 28 and 29 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

“So, the fact that I woke up this morning actually and Jan. 30 and 31 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. does enthuse me.”

Due to lack of onsite parking, a shuttle Kayla is up and walking and back at home service has been organized to pick-up and after a successful procedure. With donated drop-off guests at two locations: Calton Hill, funds from Christopher Showhouse, OHOH will 3918 Montclair Road in Mountain Brook; and have the opportunity to fund research to help Erskine Ramsay Park, 3600 Montclair Road in find a cure for children and young adults such Birmingham. Tickets can be purchased online as Perry who suffer from pediatric cancer. or at the door for $25.

So far, roughly 1,000 guests have entered The show house will continue to host a the home, giving Christopher Architecture the variety of pop-up shops as well as a tour of the opportunity to donate more than $25,000 to house highlighting the vendors and suppliers Kayla Perry Perry’s cause. who helped the firm create the home. In For more information, visit www.christopherai. addition, the funds raised from the show will com/showhouse or www.ohoh.org. For updates on Perry, benefit the local non-profit organization Open Hands and visit her blog at www.kaylanicole42.blogspot.com.

Overflowing Hearts.

—Emily Williams OHOH founder Kayla Perry has been diagnosed with

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 23

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Mt. Laurel to Host 2016 Southern Living Idea House ested in building here,” Vance said.

She added that the Idea House is predicted to bring more than 20,000 visitors to Mt. Laurel.

Work on the Idea House has already begun and it is scheduled to be finished by June 2016.

The house will be open for tours from June until December. ❖

Special to the Journal

Vance said that looking at past Idea Houses gives her an idea of how remarkable it is to have one in Mt. Laurel.

Plus, the economic impact of the attraction will be big for the area.

“It will be great to bring attention to our area. It will likely result in the sale of more homes, and people inter-

The Birmingham-based magazine is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. By choosing to build the 2016 Idea House in Mt. Laurel, the publication is embracing its Alabama roots.

Nationally recognized Birmingham architect Bill Ingram was picked to design the house along with Mt. Laurel’s Town Builders Inc.

By Sarah Kuper Southern Living magazine has announced this year’s Idea House will be in Mt. Laurel.

The Birmingham-based magazine is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. By choosing to build the 2016 Idea House in Mt. Laurel, the publication is embracing its Alabama roots.

Mt. Laurel was selected by Southern Living editors for its embodiment of the magazine’s taste.

Nationally recognized Birmingham architect Bill Ingram was picked to design the house along with Mt. Laurel’s Town Builders Inc. The landscape architecture will

be directed by David Brush of Mt. Laurel.

To represent each decade of the publication’s 50 years, five renowned designers each will be assigned a room to plan and decorate with their own take on the given decade.

Mt. Laurel is a community of large front porches, a walkable city center and many green spaces.

Mt. Laurel representative Julianna Vance said being home to the Southern Living attraction is an honor for the community.

“It is just recognition that our neighborhood is a special place. We foster community and we aren’t full of cookie cutter homes.”

3003 6th Ave. S. Birmingham, AL 35233 (205) 320-2696 Now open in the heart of Lakeview.

business

Miss Dots Connects

New Crestline Restaurant From Former Zoe’s CEO Already Has Regulars

By Sarah Kuper A nose for the restaurant business and a great cooking partner have made John Cassimus’ latest restaurant venture a big success in Crestline and Tuscaloosa.

Along with partners Tyre Stuckey

and Leola Rogers (a.k.a. “Miss Dot”), Cassimus has created a new fastcasual dining opportunity for anyone interested in menu items such as fried chicken, collard greens, pecan pie and even fresh cocktails.

Miss Dots opened in late December and Cassimus said he knows the restaurant hits the spot for diners.

“When you have the same people coming in several days a week.

You’ve got something special.”

Journal Photo by Sarah Kuper

‘When you have the same people coming in several days a week.

You’ve got something special.’

John Cassimus mans the counter at Miss Dot’s Crestline location.

high-quality, preservative-free chicken in a fast-casual setting.”

Cassimus has a passion for Southern living. His Sawtooth Plantation in southeast Alabama is a luxury hunting experience offering packages and cabins for hunting weekends. Of course, Cassimus and

Cassimus knows how to spot an opportunity. As the former CEO of Zoe’s Kitchen, another fast-casual concept, he has a knack for finding unfilled niches in the community.

“You can buy fried chicken at the grocery or get it from fast-food places but nobody on a national lever offers

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Miss Dot are on hand for culinary needs.

The restaurant’s namesake and cook at Sawtooth, Miss Dot, started cooking when she was eight years old. She and Cassimus have cooked together for seven years, each learning techniques from the other.

Guests and friends at Sawtooth give high compliments to Miss Dots food, including Sam Beall, proprietor of the Tennessee luxury hotel and resort Blackberry Farm.

Cassimus said Miss Dots fried chicken recipe is better than any he’s tasted, but his favorite item on the Miss Dots menu is the baked chicken.

“It’s crispy on the outside but moist on the inside. It goes great with the Brussels sprouts and pecan pie.”

Cassimus hopes patrons will fall in love with his new signature sides and the fresh and frozen cocktails.

“Our bloody Marys are especially good. Plus, we serve a nice rum punch and frozen screwdrivers.”

With the success of the Crestline and the Tuscaloosa locations, Cassimus and his partners are looking at opening more locations in Birmingham.

“We wanted to create a brand we could scale and would work everywhere. Here, we don’t necessarily target a certain demographic or taste – everybody in society can eat here whether they are soccer moms or construction workers.” ❖

On the heels of being named Homewood’s Retail Business of the Year, the Assistance League of Birmingham is welcoming the recognition and looking forward to the possibility of gaining some new volunteers.

The Assistance League’s retail outlets, PrimeTime Treasures and Encore, fund the organization’s three non-profit programs.

PrimeTime Treasures takes over the front portion of the store, selling goods handmade by Alabama senior citizens.

The store gives seniors an easy way to sell their crafts and make an income.

“They set the price and when we sell something they get that money,” said Barbara Kelley, league past president and current member. “We add a little bit for lights and heat, but basically they get what they ask for.”

The shop opened its doors in 1977, the year after the Birmingham chapter of the league was established.

PrimeTime used to take up the entire retail space in the league’s storefront, but in 2010, during Kelley’s presidency, the league voted to introduce the upscale thrift store Encore.

“This has been a good steady income for us,” Kelley said. “We have some people who come in and shop on

Journal Photo by Emily Williams

Assistance League Welcomes a New Season of Operation School Bell a regular basis with us.”

The space houses a variety of clothing for women and children, toys, small appliances and furniture, among other things. The only thing the store doesn’t carry is men’s clothing.

Everything sold in the shop is donated by community members.

“When we first started, we cleaned our closets out and thought, ‘What’s going to happen now?’” Kelley said. “It hasn’t mattered at all because the community – people we have never even laid eyes on – decided they would rather bring (their clothes) here, because they know it’s going to be used.”

All of the money raised in Encore goes toward the league’s service endeavors: Operation School Bell, which provides clothes and hygiene products for elementary school children in need, and Operation Literacy, an ESL tutoring program at Shades Cahaba.

Encore’s “book nook” is it’s own fundraiser.

“These are gently used books that we sell and the money goes towards buying new books for Operation School Bell,” said league President Connie Williams. “A lot of us who read, or our husbands who read, buy them. I brought three back today that I bought here. Now I’ve donated them back.”

Mountain Brook Chamber Presents Awards A record-breaking number of guests attended the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce’s annual luncheon Jan. 14 at the Grand Bohemian Hotel, according to chamber officials.

The sold-out event was emceed by broadcaster Mike Royer and featured a keynote speech by Hatton Smith and an awards presentation.

Emmet O’ Neal Library Director Sue DeBrecht presented Larry Faulkner with the Library’s Tynes Award for his aid in developing the Library Foundation.

Dan Bundy presented the chamber’s Jemison Visionary Award to Miller Gorrie, (above). Gorrie’s construction firm, Brasfield & Gorrie, is working on the Piggly Wiggly in Crestline.

Past recipients of the award include Katherine McTyeire and Wilmer Poyner.

Homewood Mayor Announces New Development Projects

Service First

By Emily Williams

business briefs

Photo by Harry Long

24 • Thursday, January 28, 2016

Connie Williams and Barbara Kelley show off one of the Assistance League’s closets filled with clothes they donate to children in need through the Operation School Bell program.

Operation School Bell

Each chapter of the League has the freedom to create and choose service programs, but each one must incorporate Operation School Bell.

Each year, 1,500 to 2,000 elementary school children are bused from school to the league store, where they are fitted with new clothing. The fall semester is devoted to schools that require uniforms, and other schools take over the spring.

The league kicked off this semester Jan. 19 with a visit from Gwinn Elementary.

“We have been coming to Operation School Bell for more than 15 years and it’s a great program,” said counselor Wendy Gault. “They provide clothing for children who are in need. We have a lot of families who can’t afford clothes that fit.

“It’s a fun trip and the ladies make it fun,” Gault added. “This helps their families so much. Not only do they provide clothing, they provide hygiene packets, socks and underwear. The kids look so forward to coming on this trip.”

The Monday before a visit, league See service, page 25

Mayor Scott McBrayer said in his State of the City address recently that the city has ended the year with a surplus, which it can use to promote new development projects.

McBrayer gave his annual address during the Homewood Chamber of Commerce luncheon Jan. 19.

McBrayer mentioned a continuation of revitalization efforts on 18th Street, but the focus on Wildwood seems to be picking up.

McBrayer said that, in addition to a new six-story parking garage for Brookwood Hospital, Green Springs Highway will see a new free-standing restaurant in the Wildwood area. The development is another addition to renovations to the area surrounding the old Mazer’s building.

“We met with the developer last Friday and that’s a go,” McBrayer said.

The city plans to continue renovations to the property to lure more retailers to the area.

The city also is trying to buy Fox News property in West Homewood to add to the Greenway Trail Project. The Homewood City Council in a meeting Jan. 11 approved increasing its offer for the land to $280,000. If it acquires the land, the city will extend the trail behind Wildwood along Shades Creek.

“By working together we will continue to enhance our vision, enhance our unity and will promote and pay for ideas that will enhance the livability and workability of our city,” McBrayer said.

—Emily Williams

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 25

business

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

service, From page 24

Car Dealerships Donate $6,000 to Mitchell’s Place Representatives from Tom Williams Porsche, Land Rover Birmingham and Jaguar Birmingham joined together Jan. 15 to present a check for $6,000 to Mitchell’s Place, a local center for children and families affected by autism.

“To me, Mitchell’s Place is a sanctuary where these children can get comprehensive but individual care and services that they may not receive in school,” said Tom Williams Porsche General Manager Lily Young. “It is (a) wealth of information and reassurance for the families. Most importantly, it is a place where smiles are abounding and those affected can truly be themselves and understood.”

With the funds, Mitchell’s Place plans to purchase school supplies for the year.

“Mitchell’s Place means that there are skilled, caring people right here in our community that are doing exactly the kind of work that can change lives,” said Land Rover and Jaguar Birmingham General Manager Mike Long. “This is work that deserves our support.”

From left: Robert P. MacKenzie III, Leila H. Watson and Charles Fry Jr.

Birmingham Bar Association Names Officers Robert P. MacKenzie III has taken the reins as president of the Birmingham Bar Association.

MacKenzie, elected during the association’s December meeting, is a partner with Starnes Davis Florie in Birmingham. During his year-long tenure as president, he plans to address, among other things, the issue of adequate funding for Jefferson County Courts, according to a press release from the association.

The association also elected Leila H. Watson to serve as president-elect. Watson, a principal in Cory Watson attorneys, will assume the presidency in 2017.

Serving as secretary-treasurer for 2016 is Charles Fry Jr., who is general counsel for the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation.

Elected as at-large members of the Bar’s Executive Committee were Rodney Barganier, Andrew Nix and Katie T. Powell. Deborah Walker will represent the Magic City Bar Association on the Executive Committee, and Erik Heninger represents the Alabama State Bar Board of Bar Commissioners.

volunteers pack a bag for each of the participating students that contains a sweatshirt, two shirts, two pairs of pants, six pairs of socks and six pairs of underwear.

Kelley said many of the league members who prefer to help out on fitting days for students are retired educators. In fact, Williams is a former superintendent of the Hoover City Schools.

On fitting days, children file into the basement of the league’s building and take turns entering the 11 fitting rooms to try on their clothing. While they wait, kids draw thank you cards for the league, and each picks out a book to take home with them.

“Seeing a little child come out of that dressing room, walk in front of that mirror and see the grin on their face – it makes all of the work worth it,” Kelley said. “They just light up when they see themselves.”

In addition to books and clothes, each child gets a hygiene kit complete with shampoo, toothpaste and a toothbrush, along with deodorant if they are older.

“We have one or two people who shop,” Kelley said. “There are 120 chapters of Assistance League and everybody has Operation School Bell, so most of the shopping is done in bulk and a lot of chapters use the same vendors. We get most of our orders for about $60.”

The league has large storage closets with shelves upon shelves of shirts, pants, underwear and any other item a child could possibly need, all sorted by size. The only requirement for children in need to apply to the program is to go through their school counselor and have a form completed by a parent or guardian.

The league can only accommodate a certain number of schools, but it does respond to emergency situations. Kelley said the league served

a group of children who relocated to Birmingham after Katrina.

Williams recently packed a few bags for a family affected by the Jan. 14 fire in Vestavia Hills.

“That fire happened on Thursday and the family barely got out with their two school-age kids,” Williams said.

“So I came down and just packed a bag for them.” The next day, a friend of Williams’ pointed out that one of the children was being interviewed on the news wearing one of the shirts provided by the league.

“Most of my personal memories of the league are School Bell memories, because I was an educator and that was the hook that drew me into Assistance League,” Williams said.

Another favorite memory of hers is of a one-on-one interaction with a student.

“It seems such a trivial thing – but I was working downstairs with a little boy and I was showing him a hygiene kit,” Williams said. “I showed him that in this bag we have shampoo and soap and a toothbrush and he looked up at me and said, ‘My own toothbrush? I’ve never had my own toothbrush.’”

The boy told Williams that he had been sharing a toothbrush with his four brothers, so she gave him four more toothbrushes and told him to give one to each of his siblings.

“We take for granted that we have those things,” Williams said. “It’s probably better than not brushing at all, but I can’t imagine five boys sharing one toothbrush.”

Volunteers Needed

Williams and Kelley agreed that the recognition from the Homewood Chamber will help keep them from being the “best kept secret in town.”

The league has about 90 members, many of whom do not actively volunteer.

“We want people to know about the work we do,” Williams said. “This city should be able to support a chapter of 150 or 200. When we go to national conference and talk to other chapters,

we are a small chapter as Assistance Leagues go. There are some of them who have 400 people.”

Many of the members of the Birmingham chapter are retirees, but there is no age requirement to join, just a $75 annual membership fee and desire to make a difference for young children.

“We can get overwhelmed with the need in this city,” Williams said.

“There are so many kids who need Operation School Bell that we don’t

‘Seeing a little child come out of that dressing room, walk in front of that mirror and see the grin on their face – it makes all of the work worth it.’

serve. We don’t serve them because of money limitations and limitations on our time.”

The Assistance League hosts two large fundraisers each year. In honor of its 40th anniversary, the league’s fall fundraiser, the Little Black Dress luncheon and fashion show, will incorporate a celebration of the chapter and will recognize past presidents.

In the meantime, the league is preparing for its largest fundraiser of the year, “Sunset and Song,” March 17 at the Kress Building. The event will feature a performance by Lonnie Parsons, Kristi Tingle Higginbothom, Jan Hunter and Carl Dean.

For anybody who is interested in joining, the league hosts a monthly meeting every third Wednesday of the month.

“We start our meetings with coffee at 9:30 a.m. and we start our meeting at 10 a.m. then we have lunch afterwards,” Williams said. “We do lots of eating around here.”

For more information about the Assistance League, visit www.assistanceleaguebhm.org. ❖

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26 • Thursday, January 28, 2016

Schools

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Campus minister and theology teacher Kelsey Gaines instructs students on how to serve others during weekly Mass.

The Catholic Difference Campus Minister Appreciates the Deeper Meaning in Catholic Education

By Sarah Kuper Last fall, students at John Carroll Catholic High School faced two tragedies back-to-back.

A student and a recent alum died suddenly within days of each other.

Campus minister and theology teacher Kelsey Gaines said it was a difficult time for the campus, but the following days and weeks were a true testament to faith-based education.

“I saw this school come together in ways that are hard to describe. We were there for each other ... We attended Mass together and simply accompanied one another in our sorrow.”

The last Sunday in January serves as the beginning of National Catholic Schools Week.

Each day has a theme of celebrating Catholic education in various aspects of life.

This overarching theme of the 2016 week is “Catholic Schools: Community of Faith, Knowledge and Service.”

Gaines began her experience serving in a Catholic high school just this past fall.

After serving as a missionary for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, Gaines decided to pursue her mission for high school students at John Carroll.

Working in campus ministry, Gaines said her purpose is to help bring students closer to God. She plans special retreats, helps prepare for weekly Mass and incorporates faith-based activities into classes.

“My job as campus minister is simply to minister to the students and, primarily, their

Hoover Schools Name Teachers of the Year Hoover City School System named its 2015-2016 Teachers of the Year in December.

Teachers recognized on the elementary level were: Bluff Park Elementary’s Kathryne Flippo, kindergarten, and Amanda Walker, second grade; Deer Valley

spiritual needs, but of course there are aspects of academic, extracurricular and social as well,” she said.

Though John Carroll has a reputation for rigorous academics and sports, Gaines said those accolades aren’t what make the Catholic school special.

“If we excel at teaching our students academics, are the best in class in our sports and present the highest level of excellence in the arts but do not teach our students how to love God and love one another, we have failed,” she said.

Gaines said a Catholic education stands apart from other private or public models because of the examples of Biblical leaders. Gaines said a Catholic education allows for open spiritual education as well as academic education.

As campus minister, Gaines said, the best part of her job is seeing a student’s honesty and growth.

“That makes this way more than a job. It is very rewarding,” she said.

She admits it is challenging to try to get to know all 600 students on a deeper level. But she said she doesn’t worry about students being overlooked.

“We have an incredible staff that in each of their own capacities will travel to the moon and back to reach and care for each of our students.

It is a special place to say the least.”

John Carroll Catholic High School is on Lakeshore Parkway in Homewood. For a full list of Catholic schools in the Over the Mountain area, visit bhmcatholicschools.com. ❖

Elementary’s Beth Hankins, first grade, and Carrie Wallace, fourth grade; Green Valley Elementary’s Erika Russ, kindergarten, and Tina West, third grade; Greystone Elementary’s Leta Hoit, physical education, and Kenneth (Rand) Peyton, physical education; Gwin Elementary’s Dani Berryhill, fifth grade, and Traci Knight Ingleright, enrichment; Riverchase Elementary’s Mary Long, fourth

Photo special to the Journal

Indian Springs School recently announced that Dr. Sharon Louise Howell will serve as the school’s sixth director, effective July 1.

Howell, who is currently the associate head of school at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Gill, Massachusetts, will succeed Gareth Vaughan. She will be the first woman to lead Indian Springs.

Before joining NMH in 2014, Howell spent 15 years at Harvard University studying, teaching history and literature and serving as the resident dean of a Harvard College house.

In her final three years, she served as senior resident dean, was an elected member of the faculty council, served on the academic integrity committee and helped to develop a Harvard edX online course called Poetry in America X. She has a bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College, a master’s from Villanova University and a master’s and doctorate from Harvard University.

In addition to her career in schooling, Howell has produced a poetry podcast called ramblebarrow, published a book of poetry called “Girl in Everytime” and partnered with her husband, Tom, on international service projects to help primary schools in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Namibia. She and her husband, a sculptor, have two children: Ethan, 13, and Maggie, 10.

“Indian Springs is clearly a special place,” Howell said in press release from Indian Springs. “I am honored beyond measure to be entrusted with leading this extraordinary school into its next era and helping ensure that it grows and thrives in accord with its inspiring mission. The students, faculty, staff, parents, and Board members I met during my visits show a profound devotion to the school, but also to the boundless potential inherent in empowering students truly to know themselves, each other, and

Howell, who is currently the associate head of school at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Gill, Massachusetts, will succeed Gareth Vaughan. She will be the first woman to lead Indian Springs.

the world. I could not be more impressed, more ready to start our work together, or more eager to join this warm community with my family.”

Indian Springs’ national search was assisted

by Wickenden Associates of Princeton, New Jersey, and led by a 16-member search committee that included alumni, parents, faculty, staff and board members.

“Dr. Howell rose to the top of our extremely competitive candidate pool because of her singular skill set: infectious optimism, deep concern about social justice, passion for collaborating, formidable intellect, ability to engage and inspire, and commitment to transparency and forward thinking,” said Libby Pantazis, chairman of the board and head of the school’s search committee. “Her approach to learning and teaching aligns in every way with Springs’ distinctive mission. As she builds on the strong legacy that Gareth Vaughan and previous directors have nurtured and safeguarded, I believe that she will hold us to the highest possible standards, guiding us as we explore new partnerships and continuing our commitment to education that transforms.” ❖

Photo special to the Journal

Journal photo by Sarah Kuper

Indian Springs Hires New Director

Shades Cahaba Girls on the Run Raise Money for GBHS Shades Cahaba Elementary School students recently completed their 12-week Girls on the Run program for the fall.

The program, which is for third- to fifth-grade students, aims to build confidence and self-esteem by teaching students how to deal with bullies, build healthy friendships, deal with peer pressure, interpret media pressure, serve the community and live healthy lifestyles. Each lesson incorporates running as well.

At the end of the term, the girls run a 5K to celebrate and plan and implement a service project.

This year, the girls at Shades Cahaba chose to raise money for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society by hosting a bake sale and did everything from posting advertising to collecting money and baking goods. Altogether, they raised $481.35. ❖

grade, and Elizabeth Dunn, fifth grade; Rocky Ridge Elementary’s Abbey Northington, kindergarten, and Breanna Sabbatini, third grade; Shades Mountain Elementary’s Jennifer Collins, second grade, and Marla Vansant, kindergarten; South Shades Crest Elementary’s Amy Tomberlin, first grade, and Angie Barnes, second grade; and Trace Crossings Elementary’s Cally Boyers,

instructional support, and Dana Joyner, STEAM facilitator; Brock’s Gap Intermediate’s Christie Willis, electives and technology, and Allison Dolan, discoverers and fifth-grade language arts and social studies.

Teachers nominated on the secondary level were: Crossroads School’s Leslee Green, mathematics, and Sue Martindale, history; Berry Middle’s Jessical Badio, language

arts, and Lincoln Clark, science; R.F. Bumpus Middle’s Vinny Chiaramonte, computer science, and Marva Raby, Spanish and French; Simmons Middle’s Delle Kincaid, drama, and Eric Ness, social studies; Hoover High’s Matthew Walker, social science, and Stacey Avant, mathematics; and Spain Park High’s Amber Lewis, science, and Todd Parker, social studies. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Leading in Literature

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 27

schools

The Leadership Mountain Brook class of 2016 with instructor Amber Benson (far right).

By Emily Williams A group of students from Mountain Brook High School is saying, “Goodbye, moon,” and “Hello, Buttons.”

The Leadership Mountain Brook class of 2016 has spent the past semester hard at work finishing the children’s book “Buttons Explores the Brook.”

“It’s about a cat named Buttons who decides he wants to learn about leadership,” said leadership member Hadley Hitson. “He goes around to all of the different department officials, meeting them and learning indirectly about the different qualities that each of them have.”

Members of the group meet four times a week – twice a week at the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce – and spend their time discussing leadership, learning about the inner workings of the city and brainstorming ways they can help the community.

Member Annie Hughes said the book was a group effort. “We divided up into groups and each group centered on one department. At the end we split up into marketing, photos, art and writing.”

Henry Kilpatrick, who is heading up the marketing group, agreed that it took a village to create Buttons’ story; but with a group of leaders, everyone was ready to pitch in during times of stress.

He said that while the group was trying to finish the book and get it published, each member took the time to learn how to use PhotoShop, help the design

team finish the images for the book and help create flyers and banners to promote it.

“The hardest part was the very beginning, finding a way to lead into the story,” Hughes said. “We all knew what we wanted to say and had strong characters, but we did not know how to start the book.”

Members of the group said they always knew they wanted the book to be geared toward children in an effort to teach elementary-age students more about leadership, but the plot was challenging to create. At moments Buttons could have been the mayor’s cat and at other moments he could have been the grand-cat of Robert Jemison, the man who helped design the city.

In the end, the group chose to keep the origin story simple.

“There is a real-life Buttons who used to walk around Crestline Village,” Hitson said. “There were too many story lines we could play off of.”

The students said that, before their research for the book and their creation of the different characters Buttons meets, they didn’t realize how much work goes into running a city.

Hughes, who was a part of the public works research team, said she had no idea that Mountain Brook residents didn’t have to pay a garbage fee.

“We have a leaf compost pile,” Hughes added. “I thought that it was hilarious that we have this pile of leaves. Anyone can go for free and load up their truck with mulch. I thought that was really interesting.”

Hitson’s group researched the fire

Vestavia Hills Schools Recognize Teachers of the Year

Photos special to the Journal

Vestavia Hills City Schools on Dec. 8 named its 2016-17 elementary and secondary Teachers of the Year.

Dawn Norris, a guidance counselor at Vestavia Hills Elementary West, was named Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Lauren Dressback, a history teacher at Vestavia Hills High School, received the Secondary Teacher of the Year award.

Both teachers now qualify to compete for Alabama Teacher of the Year, a title currently held by VHHS instructional coach Jennifer Brown.

Norris came to Elementary West as a guidance counselor in 2007.

Before teaching in Vestavia Hills, Norris taught fourth through seventh grades at schools in El Paso, Texas. She also is a member of the school district’s Drug Awareness Team and Student Assistance Team.

Dressback has spent her entire teaching career in Over the Mountain schools. After several years of teaching history in Homewood and Mountain Brook, Dressback arrived at VHHS in 2005. She served on the district’s Strategic Planning Committee and leads small groups in the high school’s Leading by Learning program for teachers.

Norris and Dressback were nominated for the awards by being named Teacher of the Year at their respective schools.

Other 2016-17 nominees were Above, Dawn Suzanne Bonovitch Norris. Left, from left: Sheila of Vestavia Hills Elementary Phillips, Lauren Dressback and East, Vicki Cato Jennifer Brown. of Louis Pizitz

and police departments. “I had never been inside the jail before,” she said.

“I thought it was so interesting to see.

They walked us through the entire process for when they bring in a criminal.”

The group plans to organize readings at each of the elementary schools in the city as a way to market their product and to teach younger students the importance of leadership within a community.

“I want (kids) to have a greater appreciation for the people who work hard behind the scenes,” Hughes said.

“Our city is really incredible if you take a look at some of the things that people do. Some of them don’t even get paid for it.”

When they aren’t working on various programs to improve the city, Leadership Mountain Brook students make an effort to reach out to the younger kids in the community. They host an annual “Little Leadership Day.” At the 2015 event, elementary students helped the high school group clean up the Tot Lot in Crestline Village.

“We don’t want kids to sit back and

be led all of the time,” Hitson said. “We want them to take their own initiative and express their own ideas.”

“Buttons Explores Mountain Brook” is available for $25 at Snoozy’s, Swoop, Smith’s Variety and the Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s very important for the buyers to know that the money that goes towards buying the book funds our city improvement projects,” Kilpatrick said.

“So, really, their purchase of the book is an investment in the future of Mountain

Journal photo by Emily Williams

Leadership Mountain Brook Students Release Children’s Book

Brook.”

The Leadership Mountain Brook team isn’t taking a post-book break.

Members are discussing marketing opportunities for their book and brainstorming new service projects.

“It was reaffirming to know how great the city of Mountain Brook is,” Fitzpatrick said. “I know a lot of people move away once their kids graduate high school. I think my parents are probably in that group, but I’m really lobbying for them to stick around.” ❖

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“We are so proud of these teachers and everything they To:do to Linda move our students and our school From: OTMJ system forward,” said Dr. Sheila Date: January 2015 Phillips,Vestavia Hills schools superintendent. She said Norris, This is your ad proof for the over the mountain Journal for the Dressback and all of the other Teachers Jan. 29, 2015 issue. Please approve, initial and fax to 824-1246 or contact of the Year “are educators who your sales representative as soon as possible to make changes. understand our mission of ‘learning without limits’ and work to put our please initial and fax to 824-1246 within 24 hours. students first in all they do.” ❖

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28 • Thursday, January 28, 2016

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Rocky Soccer Show

Vestavia Club Has Grown in Recent Years

By Lee Davis Rocky Harmon wasn’t named after a famous boxer, but even at an early age he had a way of shaking things up.

“When I was a baby, I kept trying to crawl out of the crib,” he recalled. “I literally was rocking my own cradle. So from that point on – everyone called me ‘Rocky.’”

Harmon has spent the past eight years as executive director of the Vestavia Hills Soccer Club, and he’s still showing that knack for making things shake and move. Under his leadership, the VHSC has grown from 19 teams to 46 and features programs that go far beyond just teaching youngsters to play soccer. Most of all, Harmon is a tireless promoter of the game.

“Soccer is one of the very few sports where every player gets to be like the quarterback in football,” Harmon said. “When a player has the ball he can decide if he’s going to shoot or pass.

Basketball is similar, but in soccer it doesn’t matter how tall you are – you can be successful.”

Harmon takes his message to virtually anyone who wants to listen – he’s a popular speaker on the local civic club circuit – but thinks it’s important to reach elementary schoolers.

“If you can reach the six-, seven- and eightyear-olds at an early age, they eventually become 13- and 14-year-old players,” he said.

A native of Ohio, Harmon played soccer at the University of Tampa. He later coached at the high school level before earning an advanced degree in sports administration at the University of West Virginia.

Harmon was working in Georgia as director of the North Atlanta Soccer Association when he got the call from the Vestavia Hills Soccer Club.

“One conversation led to another and the next thing you know I was coming to Vestavia,” he said. “It was a very attractive place to me.”

The biggest contrast Harmon saw in the Birmingham area as opposed to Atlanta was a matter of numbers.

“The quality of play was pretty similar except that there were so many more kids playing soc-

Executive director of the Vestavia Hills Soccer Club Rocky Harmon, right, with Oak Mountain’s Christian Atkins celebrate a victory over the Dallas Texans at Regionals in 2013.

cer in Atlanta,” Harmon said. “Atlanta had about 30,000 in the city, as opposed to about 5,000 in the whole state of Alabama.”

Harmon said the best selling point for the game is simple – fun.

“Soccer is a fun sport with comparatively simple rules,” he said. “If you put a soccer ball in the backyard with a group of five-year-olds, they are naturally going to want to kick it. And you don’t need a lot of fancy, expensive equipment to play the game. All you need is a field, a ball and something to use as goals.”

The Vestavia Soccer League offers both recreational and competitive soccer programs for youths up to age 18. It also offers a program for players with special needs. And the league’s work goes far beyond the soccer field. VHSL offers free ACT preparation classes for all high school-age participants. More than 200 students have signed up for the classes.

Of all the things that can be done to promote soccer, Harmon said community involvement may be among the most important.

“I was watching an NBA game and saw a promotion where Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets star) was reading to little kids,” Howard said.

“And I thought, ‘Why don’t we do that?’” So the VHSL began a Reading Buddies program in which players and coaches read to area kindergarten students.

“If you embrace the community, it will embrace you,” Harmon said.

In the meantime, VHSC teams are enjoying an impressive run on the field. One of the teams Harmon coaches – the 98 Steamers – was a finalist in the prestigious Disney Showcase in South Florida last December. The club has produced four of the eight state champions in under-15 and under-18 boys and girls so far in 2015-16.

Harmon is quick to point out that VHSC’s success has been a team effort, with support from dozens of staffers, volunteers and parents. And at the end of the day, it’s all about the soccer.

“This is such a great game,” he said. “I can hardly wait to get up every day so I can go out and spread the word about it.” ❖

Joy League in Homewood Set to Begin 59th Consecutive Season

Spartans Win Jingle Bell Jam Tournament The Mountain Brook Spartans second grade team won the Mountain Brook-based Jingle Bell Jam Tournament recently. The tournament took place at Crestline Elementary School and involved 9 teams.

Team members are, from left, front: Parker Wright, Maddox Brown, Trey Davis and William Grubbs. Back: Hayes Holbert, Billy Pharo, Isaac Mastin, Sam Estes and coach Josh Wright.

Photo special to the Journal

Edgewood Elementary School selected Elizabeth Walker as the 2016 Teacher of the Year. Walker has taught fifth grade at Edgewood Elementary School since 2006.

She has been an instructional coach to new teachers and a presenter at professional development Elizabeth sessions, and she Walker has served as part of several of the district’s instructional technology pilot programs and committees.

Barbara Jane Ellenburg was chosen as the 2016 Teacher of the Year for HallKent Elementary School. She has been teaching at Hall-Kent for four years, two years in first grade, and is currently in her second year of teaching third grade.

She has Barbara Jane Ellenburg participated on several Homewood City Schools committees and serves as an instructional coach to new teachers.

She is actively involved in the Alabama Reading Association and is presidentelect to the Birmingham Area Reading Council, and she has presented at several conferences on the importance of integrating technology into everyday teaching and learning.

Shades Cahaba Elementary has chosen Terran Greer as its 2016 Teacher of the Year. Greer teaches kindergarten. She has been a teacher for 25 years, 14 of those years at Shades Cahaba.

Terran Greer Homewood Middle School selected Georgia Miller as its 2016 Teacher of the Year. Miller has taught in Homewood since 1983 with a range of roles, including teaching honors language and computer keyboarding and coaching tennis. She serves as the middle school’s English as Georgia Miller a second language teacher.

Homewood High School named Teri Nash as the 2016 Teacher of the Year.

This is Nash’s fifth year at the school as a technology support specialist. In this role she provides professional support to teachers and staff in their use of technology, manages the Teri Nash school’s website and provides technical support to staff and students.

Photo special to the Journal

Homewood Schools Teachers of the Year

schools/sports

Joy League Baseball in Homewood begins registering boys and girls for its 59th consecutive season of daytime baseball Feb. 6.

Registration continues each Saturday in February from 9 a.m. until noon at Edgewood Elementary School.

League games are played on Saturday mornings.

Games begin March 26 and end June 25, followed by a watermelon picnic.

Boys and girls, ages 4-12, are eligible to play. Each team practices one hour a week. Cost per player is only $30.

There are 16 teams in Joy League, and last year 175 youth played. They are coached by parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives, and they play their games at Edgewood Elementary School. There are four teams under the names of Bucs, Cards, Sox, and Yanks.

Two former Joy League coaches, Perry Akins (8234929) and Ted Hagler (985-9608) currently serve as commissioners of the league.

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 29

sports

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

By Lee Davis

“Obviously the speed of the game is faster and the skills are better, but the biggest difference is a matter of size,” he explained. “At 6-8, I was used to being by far the tallest guy on the floor in high school. In college there are plenty of guys just as tall or taller. That, along with overall athleticism, was the biggest adjustment for me.”

Peters was off to a similar start in 2015-16, coming off the bench to average three points and two rebounds per contest. The bad news came Jan. 14, when he suffered an injury while

diving for a loose ball early in a loss to Eastern Tennessee State. He was given a standing ovation from the home crowd at Pete Hannah Arena as he was taken from the court on a stretcher. Peters is expected to return to action soon.

The injury was disappointing but Peters isn’t the type to dwell on the past. He’s much more likely to savor the fact that he is playing basketball at the major college level.

A highlight may have been Samford’s 69-58 upset of Big Ten power Nebraska late last year.

“For me it’s all about the experience,” Peters said. “To go to Nebraska and play in front of a big crowd and come away with a win makes it worth everything. This is a time in my life that won’t come again and I’m determined to make the most of it.”

Peters enjoys playing for Samford coach Scott Padgett.

“He reminds me a lot of my coach at Mountain Brook (Bucky McMillan) because he always puts the team first,” he said. “It doesn’t matter about who is scoring or getting the most rebounds. That was the philosophy we

learned in high school, and it’s really not any different in college.”

Long-time Spartan fans aren’t surprised at Peters’ success at Samford.

He was a mainstay of the 2014 state champions, averaging nine points, five rebounds and three blocked shots per game. His best performance may have come in a victory over highly regarded Wenonah, when he scored 23 points with nine rebounds and nine blocked shots.

Peters credits the work ethic he learned at Mountain Brook as a key ingredient for his success in college.

“At Mountain Brook, there is so much emphasis on basketball fundamentals and attention to detail that it was a relatively easy transition to college,” he said. “I’m not sure that every high school gets their players as ready for college as our coaches did.”

Although Peters is busy, he still occasionally finds time to get away and see the Spartans play.

“Between school and basketball, I don’t have a lot of time but I do try to support them whenever possible,” he said. “They are off to another good start. The program has a great future.”

Peters may enjoy watching his former team play, but his primary focus is on the here and now at Samford. And he has one team goal: to help the Bulldogs reach the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s every college basketball player’s goal to play in the Big Dance,” Peters said. “To get there would be a dream I’ve had since I was a kid. I can’t imagine anything in basketball that would be more fun.

If Samford does reach the Big Dance, it’s very likely that the dream – and hard work – of Alex Peters will be a big reason the Bulldogs get there. ❖

Stidfole. A junior, Stidfole was named the 2015-16 Gatorade Alabama Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Stidfole finished second in the state Class 7A meet last November and guided the Eagles to a fourthplace finish. His best time of the year was a 15:20.45 at the Jesse Owens Classic.

Tuscaloosa County and Thompson in Area Five. Mountain Brook, Spain Park and Oak Mountain will be affiliated with Huffman in Area Six. In Class 6A basketball, Homewood will be with Parker, Ramsay and Shades Valley in Area 10. John Carroll will be in Area Nine with McAdory, Bessemer City and Hueytown.

Briarwood will belong to Area Eight with Moody, Shelby County and Sylacauga.

every team essentially starts a new JoyLeague59 ad_Layout 1 12/13/15 4:16 PM season in the area and regional tour-

naments. February and March are the months that create champions. ❖

The Peters Principle

After helping lead Mountain Brook to the state 6A basketball championship in 2013-14, Alex Peters had a problem.

Peters – a 6-8 forward – wanted to continue his career in college, but most major schools had overlooked him.

“I had talked to some (NCAA) Division III schools, and Loyola of Chicago was interested, but that was about it,” he recalled, when contacted last week. So after deliberations with coaches and family, Peters made a

Former Spartan Star Contributing to Bulldogs

‘For me it’s all about the experience. To go to Nebraska and play in front of a big crowd and come away with a win makes it worth everything.’ decision; he would attend Samford University as a walk-on basketball player and try to earn a scholarship.

Neither party has ever regretted the decision.

Peters made an immediate impact as a freshman, earning playing time in 31 games – including eight starts – and shooting 55 percent from the field and blocking 12 shots. His best game may have come in a Bulldog loss to Louisiana Tech, when he scored 10 points with eight rebounds and two blocked shots.

Despite coming from one of the top high school basketball programs in Alabama, Peters admitted that the differences in the game at the college level were dramatic.

davis

From page 32

They included sophomore defensive end Dalton Campbell from Vestavia, redshirt freshman offensive lineman Ryan Childers, also a former Rebel, senior offensive lineman Blake Burkes from Hoover and redshirt defensive lineman Kameron Wood from John Carroll.

Turner the Tiger….

Vestavia defensive back Nolan Turner has deep blood lines to the University of Alabama, but those ties may have helped him earn a football scholarship to Clemson.

Turner’s father, Kevin Turner, was a teammate of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney in the early 1990s. Swinney and the other Tiger coaches watched Nolan closely during the 2015 season as he recorded 63 tackles and intercepted five passes for the Rebels.

Last week, Clemson offered Turner a scholarship.

With Clemson losing several defensive backs to the National Football League draft, Turner has a shot at making an immediate impact in his freshman season.

Stidfole Named Top Runner…

Another area athlete receiving good news last week was Oak Mountain cross country star Cole

Briarwood to Class 5A…

The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s new reclassifications for 2016-2017 and 2017-18 only seriously affects one Over the Mountain school, as Briarwood moves from Class 6A to smaller Class 5A. In football, the Lions will compete in Region Five, along with Fairfield, Moody, Pleasant Grove, St. Clair County, Shelby County, Wenonah and Woodlawn. In basketball, the Lions will be aligned with Moody, Shelby County and Sylacauga.

Hoover, Mountain Brook, Oak Mountain, Spain Park and Vestavia Hills will remain in Class 7A, grouped together in football Region Three, along with Huffman, Thompson and Tuscaloosa County.

Homewood and John Carroll Catholic will remain in Class 6A. In football they will be set in Region Five, along with Hueytown, JacksonOlin, Parker, Ramsay and Shades Valley.

In Class 7A basketball, Hoover and Vestavia will be aligned with

Polling Data…

Area teams continue to look strong in the most recent Alabama High School Athletic Association basketball polls.

In boys Class 7A, Mountain Brook ranks second behind number one Central of Phenix City, while Spain Park sits at number three. Oak Mountain is ranked ninth.

In girls Class 7A, perennial power Hoover is ranked fourth.

In boys Class 6A, Homewood is ranked third, as coach Tim Shepler recently celebrated his 500th career victory. In girls Class 6A, Homewood’s Lady Patriots – the defending state champs – continue to hold down the number one spot.

In boys Class 2A, the Altamont Knights, coached by former Alabama star Terry Coner, are ranked sixth.

Poll rankings are nice, but the great thing about basketball is that

Photo courtesy Samford University

Alex Peters made an immediate impact as a freshman, earning playing time in 31 games – including eight starts – and shooting 55 percent from the field and blocking 12 shots.

Page 1

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sports

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

all-otm team From page 32

Raney said. “It’s also meaningful because this all-star team is chosen by the coaches. There’s no question that the best high school football in Alabama is played right here in this area.”

Raney took the reins at Spain Park in 2013, following a three-year stint as defensive coordinator at Hoover.

Before that, he served as defensive coordinator at Oak Mountain in 2009.

He coached defensive backs at Iowa State under Coach Gene Chizik from 2007 to 2008. Raney also coached defensive backs at UAB from 2004 to 2006.

A native of Erick, Oklahoma, Raney played football at Northwestern Oklahoma State and earned a degree in math education from the school in 1991.

Young was the leader of one of the state’s best defensive units. The Jaguar defenders gave up an average of only 10 points a game and posted four shutouts. In games that were settled in regulation play, Spain Park yielded only an average of six points per contest. In their two wins over Hoover, the Jags gave up only a pair of field goals.

“Our defense was a big part of our success and Perry was one of the reasons for it,” Raney said. “His leadership both on and off the field was consistent all year. And when we needed a big play, Perry would always come up with it.”

Young – who also qualified for last year’s All-Over the Mountain

Clockwise from above: Nolan Turner, Vestavia Hills; Griffin Gentry, Homewood; RJ Jennings, Briarwood; Walker Minor, Vestavia Hills; Grey Best, Spain Park and Jeremiah Moon, Hoover.

Journal file photos by Mark Almond, Bryan Bunch, Marvin Gentry, Lee Walls, Jr. and Hal Yeager.

More photos at otmjsports.com

We've got a pretty strong lineup too!

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Joe Donald, Mountain Brook

team – credited his teammates for his success.

“Football is a team game,” he said. “Any award or honor that I receive really belongs to all my teammates. We made up our minds to have the best defensive team possible and, because of the hard work that we and our coaches put into it, we were successful.”

On offense, two quarterbacks qualified for the team. Oak Mountain’s Warren Shader, who compiled more than 1,400 yards of total offense despite missing several games with an injury, is a repeater on the unit and is joined by Homewood’s Carson Griffis.

Behind the quarterbacks is an outstanding foursome of running backs. Spain Park’s dynamic combination of Wade Streeter and Larry Wooden qualified, as did Homewood’s explosive Derrick Underwood and Vestavia Hills’ hard-running Walker Minor.

No backfield can be successful without a strong offensive front, and the 2015 All-Over

sports the Mountain team features one of its best.

The blockers upfront are Vestavia’s duo of Alex Robin and Clayton Farris, Hoover’s Nick Eldridge, Spain Park’s Grey Best and Oak Mountain’s Justice Hammond.

The Jags’ Parker Kelley is the tight end.

Earning spots at wide receiver are Spain Park’s Bridge Suber and Vestavia’s Remington Patterson.

When the Jags were in a tight situation, placekicker Crosby Gray got the call for a field goal. His consistency earned him a spot on the All-Over the Mountain team.

Over the Mountain area football teams have been known for playing great defense, and this year’s unit is an example of why that reputation is still very much intact. This year’s defensive line offers the type of depth many college teams would envy. Qualifying for the team was Spain Park’s Markell Clark and Jonah Tibbs, Oak Mountain’s Armond Lloyd and Avery Holsomback, Vestavia’s Sam Lawson and Dillon Campbell, and Homewood’s Griffin Gentry.

Five linebackers were chosen for the team, including Hoover’s Jeremiah Moon and Christian Taylor, Spain Park’s Houston Hollis and Player of the Year Perry Young, and Mountain Brook’s Joe Donald.

Producing a great secondary is another long-time Over the Mountain tradition. This season’s grouping includes Vestavia’s Nolan Turner and Levi Wiggins, Hoover’s P.J. Hall, Oak Mountain’s Payton Youngblood and Spain Park’s Chase Young.

The Jaguars’ Tyler Sumper was the coaches’ choice as team punter.

“This was a season where hopefully we built Spain Park football into one of the state’s best programs,” Raney said. “That’s our goal every season. Now we have to sustain it.”

If this year’s All-Over the Mountain team is any indication, the Jaguars have accomplished that feat. ❖

Thursday, January 28, 2016 • 31

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Thursday, January 28, 2016

the 2015 All-Over the Mountain football team

The Reign of Spain

Title Roles

Members of the 2015 All Over The Mountain defensive football team are first row, from left: Tyler Sumpter, Spain Park; Markell Clark, Spain Park; Chase Young, Spain Park; Perry Young, Spain Park; P.J. Hall, Hoover; Joe Donald, Mountain Brook. Second row from left: Jonah Tibbs, Spain Park; Houston Hollis, Spain Park; Dillon Campbell, Vestavia Hills; Armond Lloyd, Oak Mountain; Christon Taylor, Hoover. Third row, from left: Coach Shawn Raney, Spain Park; Payton Youngblood, Oak Mountain; Sam Lawson, Vestavia Hills; Levi Wiggins, Vestavia Hills. Fourth row, from left: Jeremiah Moon, Hoover; Carter Bankston, Briarwood; R.J. Jennings, Briarwood.

Inset: Griffin Gentry, Homewood. Not pictured: Nolan Turner, Vestavia Hills.

Journal photos by Marvin Gentry

By Lee Davis

See all-otm team, page 30

lee davis

Area Players Were Part of Tide, Gamecock Championship Runs

Raney, Young and Jags Lead 2015 All-OTM Team

Whenever Spain Park fans gather to share their favorite football memories, the 2015 season will be a popular conversation topic.

The Jaguars, coming off a 5-6 record in 2014, turned in perhaps the most memorable year in the program’s comparatively short history.

Spain Park posted a 12-2 worksheet, defeated arch-rival Hoover twice and went all the way to the Class 7A finals before losing to McGill-Toolen of Mobile.

With such a dominating effort, it’s no surprise that the Jaguars are well represented on the 2015 All-Over the Mountain football team.

No less than 12 Spain Park players were chosen for the team by the exclusive Over the Mountain Journal poll of the eight area head football coaches. Additionally, Jaguar linebacker Perry Young was chosen as the 2015 Over the Mountain Player of the Year and Spain Park coach Shawn Raney was named 2015 Coach of the Year.

“This is a real honor and very reflective of what our young men accomplished this past season,”

Sports

The Peters Principle: Former Spartan Star Contributing to Bulldogs Page 29

Members of the 2015 All-Over the Mountain offensive football team are, first row, from left: Larry Wooden, Spain Park; Parker Kelley, Spain Park; Grey Best, Spain Park; Crosby Gray, Spain Park. Second row, from left: Warren Shader, Oak Mountain; Michael McKenna, John Carroll Catholic; Justice Hammond, Oak Mountain; Walker Minor, Vestavia Hills; Bridge Suber, Spain Park. Third row, from left: Alex Robin, Vestavia Hills; Clayton Farris, Vestavia Hills; Remington Patterson, Vestavia Hills; Wade Streeter, Spain Park; Nick Eldridge, Hoover. Inset: Carson Griffis and Derrick Underwood, Homewood.

The University of Alabama’s 2015 national championship football team was packed with players who had Over the Mountain connections.

A count of the official Crimson Tide football roster shows no fewer than eight players from area schools.

While some – such as Hoover’s Marlon Humphrey and Michael Nysewander – had high profiles, others served in roles that garnered less publicity but were of vital importance on special teams and scout teams.

Coach Buddy Anderson’s Vestavia Hills program sent five players to Tuscaloosa, including senior linebacker Paden Crowder, junior tight end David D’Amico, senior long-snapper Alex Harrelson, junior defensive lineman Jake Long and sophomore wide receiver Thomas Woods.

Another area contributor was sophomore running back Brandon Turner from John Carroll Catholic.

Special teams and scout team players are the unsung heroes of college football, but they will have earned their championships just as much as the Jake Cokers, Derrick Henrys and Reggie Raglands of the squad.

Jacksonville State lost the NCAA FCS championship to North Dakota State but produced a memorable season that included a narrow overtime loss to Southeastern Conference power Auburn. According to the official team roster, several local players were involved in the Gamecocks’ outstanding season.

See davis, page 29

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