Dec. 18, 2010 Over the Mountain Journal by Over the Mountain Journal

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

J O U R N A L

THE SUBURBAN NEWSPAPER FOR MOUNTAIN BROOK, HOMEWOOD, VESTAVIA HILLS, HOOVER, AND NORTH SHELBY COUNTY DECEMBER 16, 2010

2 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010

CONTENTS/OPINION

MURPHY’S LAW

Happy Holidays from OTM Students

e’re once again highlighting the talents of young Over the Mountain artists. On the cover and starting on page 22, we feature more than 200 cards from OTM area school children. Thanks to the many students and their teachers who submitted their work for this issue.

From the cover: first row from left: Sophie McLemore, 3rd grade, Green Valley Elementary; McKenzie Nation, 4th grade, Gwin Elementary; Zola Thompson, 1st grade, Highlands School; Dacey Goodwin, 9, Advent Episcopal School; Caroline Bearden, 4th grade, Shades Cahaba Elementary. Second row from left: Isabella Dailey, 1st grade, St. Francis Xavier School; Joe Renfro, 3rd Grade, Oak Mtn. Elementary; Mendy Posner, 5th Grade, N.E. Miles Jewish Day School; Benjamin McDaniel, 5th grade, Liberty Park Elementary; Emily Straughn, Kindergarten, Crestline Elementary. Third row from left: Allison Balogh, 3rd grade, Vestavia Hills Elementary East; Mary Katherine Etheredge, 5th grade, Greystone Elementary; Kate Gillum, 1st grade, Edgewood Elementary; Kelli Crockett, 4th grade, Deer Valley Elementary; Sydney Le, 4th grade, Rocky Ridge Elementary. Fourth row from left: Alex Brooks, 3rd grade, Hall-Kent Elementary; Ethan Turner, 4th grade, Shades Mountain Elementary; Kathleen Beall, 5th grade, Mtn. Brook Elementary. Fifth row from left: Clayton Sloan, 2nd grade, Our Lady of Sorrows; Molly Grace Watkins, 3rd grade, Briarwood Christian School; Presley Lankford, 4th grade, South Shades Crest Elementary.

Happy holidays from the Over the Mountain Journal staff. After our annual holiday break we will return with our next issue Jan. 13, 2011.

F E AT U R E S ABOUT TOWN PEOPLE LIFE SENIORS

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SOCIAL WEDDINGS SCHOOLS SPORTS

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

JOU RNAL

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December 16, 2010

Publisher: Maury Wald Editor: Laura McAlister Features Writer: Donna Cornelius Office Manager: Christy Wald Editorial Assistant: Stacie Galbraith Sports: Lee Davis Contributors: Susan Murphy, Bones Long, Cary Estes, June Mathews, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry Advertising Sales: Suzanne Wald, Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald Editorial Intern: Molly Folse Vol. 19, No. 24

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

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Calm and Bright

’m trying to be calm establishments all year long so I only had a few this Christmas. Calm quirky items left to upload. and bright, if at all Like magnetic calendars for the fridge. Everyone in my family uses them and I volunteered to be possible. My goal is to this year’s procurer. The Web page thanked me for fend off the tension and chaos that usually ensues my order and before giving my total said, “You might also be interested in our Pull Back & Go and concentrate on that Car, Faucet Sock, or Rainbow Butterfly Spinner.” one small quiet spot in I wasn’t. At least I didn’t think I was. There was a my psyche where loftier tiny moment of doubt as I looked at my pile of outthings are possible. Thanksgiving was a going presents. Naaah. They’d be fine. good start. Turkey and Good thing, too, because I needed to get them Susan Murphy mashed potatoes always in the mail. Tomorrow. Today, if I could manage it. make me smile. There was If I missed this bus, I’d be left with Express Mail a brief incident with a backed-up garbage disposal or Overnight Panic Mail or the dreaded “I’m Sorry that ate into the calm part Your Gift Didn’t Arrive Until but my list of “thank yous” New Year’s” Mail. I admit, I admit, calm and bright went calm and bright went out the was so long this year that I couldn’t help but feel bright. window for a few hours there out the window for a few Of course, after that came as I wrapped and finagled hours there as I wrapped and and labeled and taped and Black Friday, a serenity the boxes to my roadblock to be sure. I’m finagled and labeled and taped schlepped mailing place. I needed a not much for the crush of the crowds, but my daughter and schlepped the boxes to my peppermint mocha after that episode, too. I sat down in loves that kind of sport shopmailing place. I needed a ping so I negotiated a calm/ one of the overstuffed chairs chaos compromise, agreeing by the coffee house window peppermint mocha after that to hit two stores, but only if I (Score!) and repeated under episode, too. didn’t have to drive and I got my breath, “Calm and bright, a peppermint mocha when calm and bright.” A mere the assault was over. (Note: 30 minutes later, less visChocolate and peppermint are proven calm and ibly shaken, I went home to tackle the next holiday bright catalysts.) must-do. I was up in the air on Cyber Monday (literWhile I’ve been doing all this shopping and ally), trading the crash of the web site crowd for wrapping the dust has been piling up on my coffee the TSA cattle call, but I wasn’t pulled aside for a table. pat down or a full body scan, so I added that to the Running through the living room, I wafted a calm column and moved on. Of course, missing cloth across the surface and millions of tiny little Cyber Monday left me doing my online shopping specks danced in the light coming through my on Missed-the-Bus Tuesday, a day when the super equally neglected windows. It was kind of pretty deals are gone and the only people at their computreally. Bright in a hyper-allergenic sort of way. OK, ers are hitting all the wrong buttons then calling I’m stretching the calm/bright parameters here but customer service on their land lines. It wasn’t too like I said, I’m on a holiday mission. bad, though, because I didn’t have a lot to buy. In I hope you are, too. Calm and bright, calm and a preemptive calm initiative, I’ve been checking bright. A few deep breaths, a few peppermint mochas. things off my gift list at local bricks-and-mortar You can do it. We all can. Happy holidays! ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN VIEWS

Highlands School students share some of their “favorite things” about the holidays

“I like decorating the tree.”

“Wrapping presents is my favorite.”

Anderson Stone Mountain Brook

Sophie Claire Dixon Vestavia Hills

“I like wrapping presents, and we make roasted pecans.” Laura Joy Simpson Birmingham

“I like roasting marshmallows by the fire.” Veer Chugh Mountain Brook

CONTENTS/OPINION

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010 • 3

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ABOUT TOWN

Events Celebrate the Holidays

Find out about more area happenings at otmj.com in our extended events calendar. ��

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The Magic City Choral Society’s free holiday concert will be Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. at the Alys Stephens Center’s Jemison Hall.

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The Magic City Choral Society will present “Hollywood Holidays,” a free family concert celebrating music of the season created for the silver screen, Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. at the Alys Stephens Center’s Jemison Hall. The concert will feature the society’s men’s and women’s choruses. A reception will follow at the Wine Loft on First Avenue South. Patrick Cather will continue a new tradition of the Choral Society as he serves as guest conductor for “Sleigh Ride.” Former mayoral candidate Patrick Cooper was the first guest conductor at last year’s holiday concert. Seating is first come, first served. Reserved seating is available to Choral Society donors. Early arrival is recommended.

Opera Birmingham Hosts Holiday Performances

Opera Birmingham will present “Home for the Holidays,” now in its fourth season, Dec. 17 and 19 at Samford University’s Brock Recital Hall. Tenor Elias Hendricks, baritone Corey Elias Hendricks McKern, soprano Jan Cornelius, mezzo soprano Chandra McKern, pianist Kirt Pavitt of the Santa Fe Opera, the Opera Birmingham Chamber Choir and other special guests will

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Photo special to the Journal

present a concert of classical holiday favorites. The event also includes a singalong and visit from Santa Claus. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 19. Tickets are $15, $30 and $50; student tickets are $12 with a valid ID Tickets may be purchased by phone at 322-6737, online at www. operabirmingham.org or by visiting the Opera Birmingham office, 3601 6th Avenue South.

ASYO Plans Free Holiday Concert

The Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra will present two free concerts Dec. 19 at 2 and 4 p.m. at the Riverchase Galleria. The youth orchestra will perform music from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Festive Sounds of Hanukah,” “Waltz of the Flowers” from “The Nutcracker,” songs from “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “A Christmas Festival.”

Symphony Presents Handel’s ‘Messiah’

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra will present Handel’s “Messiah” Dec. 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jemison Concert Hall of the Alys Stephens Center. Neal Gittleman will conduct.

Guest soloists are Kimberly McCord, soprano; Anthony Roth Costanzo, countertenor; John Aler, tenor; and Jason Grant, bass-baritone. Tickets are $32-$74; student tickets are available for $15 with a valid student ID. To purchase tickets, call the Alys Stephens Ticketing Center at 975-2787 or visit www.alabamasymphony.org.

ZooLight Safari Will Light Up Holidays

The Birmingham Zoo will be illuminated with more than half a million lights during ZooLight Safari. The annual event continues Dec. 17-23, 26-31 and Jan. 1-2 from 5 to 9 p.m. It’s free to zoo members and $8 for non-members. In addition to seeing the lights, visitors will find lots of activities: the Holiday Express Train Ride, Jingle Bell Carousel, Santa’s Rock ‘n Roller Racers and the Winter Trail Ride. There are additional costs for rides. The All-You-CanRide wristband, allowing admission to all rides, is $10. Those who attend can stop at the Children’s Zoo barn for photo opportunities and animals to enjoy. The zoo will close at 4 p.m. every night of ZooLight Safari. Animal exhibits will be closed during safari hours. ❖

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ABOUT TOWN

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010 • 5

6 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010

Students Invited to Holiday Bridge Camp

Vestavia Civic Center is offering a holiday bridge camp for students in fifth through eighth grades Dec. 27-30 from 2 to 4 p.m. The camp is free, but pre-registration is required. To register, contact Jane at 822-5118, or e-mail her at jal2305@aol.com.

ABOUT TOWN

Gee’s Bend Quilter Will Appear at Marketplace

That’s SEW, Gee’s Bend and Greystone Antiques Marketplace will host a book signing with Gee’s Bend author and quilter Tinnie Pettway Dec. 16 from noon to 6 p.m. at Greystone Antiques, 5475 U.S. Highway 280. The marketplace will have

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one-of-a-kind quilts made by Tinnie and her sister Minnie Pettway as well as other Gee’s Bend quilters’ creations. Tinnie might also read poems from her book, “The Gee’s Bend Experience,” and talk about her life as a “Bender.” The oldest of five children, Tinnie has been quilting for as long as she can remember. She began writing poetry after observing her mother, who wrote poems on old scraps of paper and then read them to those who came to quilt. “The Gee’s Bend Experience” is the culmination of Tinnie’s own thoughts and poetry over the years. For more information about Tinnie and “The Gee’s Bend Experience, visit www.geesbend.net.

Red Nose Run Aids Ronald McDonald House Charity

The seventh annual Red Nose Run, which benefits the Ronald McDonald House, is set for Jan. 6 at SoHo in Homewood. The 10-mile run starts at 7 a.m., and the 5K run/walk starts

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

The 2010 Red Nose Run drew hundreds, and organizers of the 2011 race, are hoping for even more runners and walkers for the Jan. 6, 2011 event. Photo special to the Journal at 8 a.m. Kids can participate in the One Mile Fun Run, which begins at 9:30 a.m., with real Ringling Brothers clowns and Ronald McDonald on hand. Others can run or walk the 5K- and 10-mile courses. Entry fees for the 10-mile run are $40 before Dec. 31, $45 afterwards and $50 the day of the race. Entry fees for the 5K run/ walk are $40 before Dec. 31, $34 afterwards and $40 the day of the race. Entry fee for the fun run are $20. Student rates are available. Registration for the race includes a goodie bag with a $10 coupon for Ringling Brothers Circus tickets, clown nose, longsleeved race T-Shirt and more. For more information, visit http://rednoserun-bham.com.

Singles Invited to Mingle at RUMC

Singles of all ages are invited to attend “Singles at the Shoals” at Riverchase United Methodist Church each Sunday in December at 9:40 a.m. The event includes coffee and brunch, fellowship, live acoustic praise music and an informal worship service. For more information, call 978-4030 and ask for Patti.

The church’s new uAdult Ministry began in October with some 40 single adults in their 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. Attendance increased to more than 75 in November. Scheduled events at RUMC include five new classes for singles on Sunday, monthly meetings on Thursday evenings for uAdult Ministry events and ballroom dance classes.

Chess Tourney Open to Adults, Children

The third annual Magic City Classic Chess Tournament will be held at the Homewood Community Center Dec. 18 beginning at 9 a.m. The competition, sponsored by Caesar Chess, is open to the public. Entry fees paid in advance are $30 for adults, $20 for the premier category for children in kindergarten through grade 12 and $10 for the novice category for children in kindergarten through grade eight. Fees will be $10 more if paid at the event. For more information, contact Caesar Lawrence at CaesarChess@yahoo.com or call 663-3441. ❖

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

ASO Plans Concert For New Year’s Eve

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra will present a Viennese Celebration Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. at the Alabama Theatre. Christopher Confessore will conduct. The program includes Viennese waltzes and polkas with guest soloist Layla Claire. Guests will hear Strauss’s Layla Claire “Overture to Fledermaus” and “Aschenbrodel Overture,” Brahms’ “Hungarian Dances” and Mozart’s “Porgi Armor” from “Marriage of Figaro.” A champagne toast will celebrate the New Year. Tickets for the concert are $22$74; student tickets are available

ABOUT TOWN

for $15 with a valid student ID. To purchase tickets, call the ASC Box Office at 975-2787 or visit www. alabamasymphony.org.

Blood Drive Set at Riverchase Galleria

Volunteer blood donors in Jefferson and Shelby counties can give blood and save lives at “Birmingham’s Biggest” blood drive Dec. 28-29 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Riverchase Galleria. Blood donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. All volunteer donors at the drive will receive a Red Cross T-shirt. During December, volunteer donors will be entered into a regional drawing for one of two pairs of round-trip tickets on Delta Air Lines as part of the “Fly Into the Holidays with Delta” promotion and into a drawing for a 42-

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010 • 7

inch television provided by UAB, among other door prizes. To make an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code “biggest.”

Concert Will Benefit Cancer Society

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Bluff Park United Methodist Church Chapel will host a AAA orchestra directed by Mario Padone Jan. 22 at 1 p.m. The concert will be in three selections. After a short intermission, Padone will entertain the audience for an hour in a solo concert and will meet guests and sign autographs afterward. All proceeds will go to the Alabama Cancer Society. Tickets are $15 and are on sale now. Call Betty Bridges at 733-1524 or Jim Wadowick at (334)566-1664 for tickets or more information. ❖

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The Literacy Council recently selected Beth Wilder as executive director. Wilder will lead the organization’s continued vision of a community in which each person is functionally literate, while examining new ways to serve the growing and changing literacy needs in Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker counties. Wilder Beth Wilder is a former member of the council’s board of directors. She also has served on the boards of Better Basics and the Service Guild of Birmingham as well as the pre-school board at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. A charter member of the Children’s Literacy Guild, she served as president of the board of directors and Book Drive chairman. An Auburn University graduate, Wilder has written for Southern Living, Southern Accents, Portico, Executive Traveler, Thicket, Alabama Baby, Birmingham magazine and several literary journals.

MacKnight Named Distinguished Alumna

Jeanenne Barnes MacKnight of Hoover has been named a distinguished alumna of Auburn

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University at Montgomery, where she received a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1988. MacKnight has conducted research in several long-term care facilities to verify what is now known as Kennedy Terminal Ulcers. She is currently working with the Alabama Board of Nursing to provide educational opportunities on wound care, staging and assessment for hospital-acquired ulcers. After Hurricane Katrina, MacKnight drove to the Gulf Coast to deliver ostomy pouches and supplies to those in need. She is an active participant in the Birmingham Wound Care Nurse Society. The Distinguished Alumnus Award is given annually at AUM to a nursing graduate known for his or her clinical distinction in nursing through scholarly endeavors, promotion of health care, professionalism and remarkable service to the community.

Walsh Elected President of State NAMI

James F. Walsh, a partner with Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, was recently elected president of the Alabama Chapter of the National James F. Walsh Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Walsh will serve a two-year

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term. NAMI Alabama is an organization of local support and advocacy groups dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with mental illnesses. Walsh focuses his legal practice on commercial litigation and product liability defense. His practice also includes representing clients in matters involving medical and mental health issues, claims filed under the Federal Torts Claim Act, criminal defense and military law. Earlier this year, Gov. Bob Riley appointed Walsh to the Alabama Family Trust board of directors on behalf of residents who have mental and developmental disabilities as well as physical impairments. Walsh is a member of the NAMI state executive board and serves on the Birmingham board of the American Diabetes Association. Within the legal community, Walsh has served on the grievance committee of the Birmingham Bar Association as well as its fee arbitration committee. Walsh earned his juris doctor, cum laude, from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1976. He is a 1968 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy.

Hoover High Student Is DAR Good Citizen

Taylor Anne Bannister, daughter of David and Kelly Bannister, has been named this year’s DAR Good Citizen for Hoover High School. The yearly award is presented by the Cahawba Chapter DAR to a senior who is outstanding in dependability, service, leadership Taylor Anne and patrioBannister tism. Bannister was nominated for the award by her teachers and counselors. Her school activities include Peer Helper, Juniorettes, Hoover Belles, Interact Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. A cheerleading captain, she won the cheerleading leadership award and has been a junior and senior class officer. Her community activities include the Susan G. Komen program, Relay for Life, Camp Smile-A-Mile, Birmingham Habitat for Humanity and the Ronald McDonald House. She is a member of the Campus Life Student Ministry. Bannister plans to attend the University of Alabama to earn a degree in special education. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Emily Grantham of Troop 451 decided to do an art project that she could donate to the children’s area of the new Vestavia Hills Public Library and in the process earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award. She enlisted the help of her troop Emily Grantham by taking pictures of businesses, schools and places in Vestavia Hills. She pasted the photos to a canvas that she had painted beforehand. Emily also sought donations to get the artwork framed and then donated it to the new library. The Bronze Award, the highest award a Junior Girl Scout can earn, recognizes scouts who have gained the leadership and planning skills required to follow through with a project that makes a positive difference in the community.

Photo special to the Journal

other awards. He was inducted into the Order of the Arrow in August 2009. He has held several leadership positions in the troop. Dickson’s Eagle Scout project was to lead a group of volunteers in extending a brick pathway at the Alabama Veterans Memorial. The son of Suzanne and David Dickson of Mountain Brook, he is a freshman at Mountain Brook Junior High and a member of Canterbury United Methodist Church.

Judson College Salutes Outgoing Trustee Chairman Judson College honored outgoing trustee chairman Charles Dunkin of Vestavia at the Oct. 7 meeting of the school’s board of trustees. Dunkin is in his 15th year on the board and completed the maximum term of three years as chairman.

A graduate of Suttle High School, he spent three years in the U.S. Army before enrolling at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is owner of Dunkin-Lewis, Inc., a sporting goods agency, and Dunkin Farms in Marion Junction. Dunkin’s many activities include the Southeastern Beefmaster Breeders Association, of which he is a past president; Beefmaster Breeders Universal; Bass Research Foundation; Zamora Shrine; Ducks Unlimited; and the Wild Turkey Federation. The college awarded Dunkin the 2004 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Non-Student Award, which recognizes spiritual qualities applied to daily living. ❖

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Andrew Michael “Drew” Dickson achieved the rank of Eagle Scout Aug. 12. An Eagle Court of Honor was held in October at Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church. A member of Boy Drew Dickson Scout Troop 320, Dickson earned 24 merit badges and has received the Arrow of Light and

Judson College’s outgoing trustee chairman Charles Dunkin, with new chairman Dr. Robin Hall, was honored at the college’s fall board of trustees meeting.

Dickson Earns Eagle Scout Rank

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010 • 9

Vestavia Scout Wins Bronze Award

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LIFE

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JOU RNAL

A Doggone Good Cause Ornaments Help Transport Shelby County Shelter Dogs to Loving, Forever Homes in the North BY LAURA MCALISTER

Brittany Maness holds one of the puppies she recently transported to a shelter in New Hampshire. Brittany has made three trips transporting Shelby County shelter dogs up north through Shelter Partners and said she plans to make many more.

JOURNAL EDITOR

he ornaments hanging on the Christmas tree at Whole Foods Market are not your ordinary ornaments. They’re lifesaving – at least they are for some lucky dogs at the Shelby County Humane Society. The ornaments are pictures of dogs currently at the shelter, and the $50 it costs to purchase an ornament will be used to cover the cost of more photos at sending a dog to a “forever home,” said Jenny Miller, president of the Shelby County Humane Society Board of Directors. Since 2006, the shelter has participated in Shelter Partners, a program that moves Shelby County shelter pets to shelters in the northern United States, where strict neuter laws limit the number of dogs available for adoption. To date, around 3,600 dogs from the Shelby County shelter have found homes up north thanks to the program. “As a result of those laws, the shelters we partner with have almost no dogs,” Jenny said. “Here in the South, our shelters are overcrowded. It’s very, very rare that all the dogs we transport aren’t adopted within a week of their arrival.” The program relies on volunteers to transport the dogs to the New England shelters, and it costs roughly $50 per dog. The humane society provides a van, which will hold about 35 dogs, and money for gas, meals and one to two night’s lodging, as well as the animals’ vaccinations. Though $50 may sound like a lot for an ornament, Brittany Maness said it’s worth every penny. She should know. She serves on the Shelby County Humane Society Board of Directors and has made three trips transporting pooches to a New Hampshire shelter. “It’s kind of crazy, but it’s really great,” she said. “They

OTMJ.COM

Standing by the Christmas tree at Whole Foods Market in Mountain Brook are Brittany Maness, left, and Jenny Miller. Both have transported dogs from the Shelby County Humane Society to Shelters in the North through the Shelter Partners program. Journal photo by Laura McAlister

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Learn More ■ Picture ornaments are $50 and will send one dog to a shelter up North for adoption ■ Other ornaments are $25 and help purchase shelter supplies like bedding, food and cat litter ■ They can be purchased through Christmas at Whole Foods Market or online at shsornaments.blogspot.com have people on waiting lists for shelter dogs up there. These people really want these dogs.” The trip takes 24 hours each way and requires two people, since the drive up with the dogs is nonstop. Jenny and her husband, Zach, have made the trip seven times. Although it’s a long, sometimes tedious journey, she admitted, in the end, it’s worth it. “It’s 24 hours straight on the way up, but the reward is so wonderful,” she said. “When you get there it’s just great. All the volunteers at their shelters cheer when we get there. “It’s just really, really sweet. If you do it once, you want to do it over and over again.” When the dogs arrive, they are unloaded and walked. Then they are quarantined for one week before leaving for their adoptive homes. Brittany plans to continue making the drive north for Shelter Partners, and she’s also come up with a way to help

fund it without the shelter’s help. She and two others make collars and sell them online at www.altonh.blogspot.com or http://www.etsy.com/shop/ OneDogAtaTime. So far, the three have raised enough money for two trips. Jenny said many volunteers who can’t afford to give financially to the shelter see the trip as a way they can help save lives. “That’s why we like to provide money for gas, meals and lodging,” she said. “A lot of our drivers can’t support us financially, but they can give us their time.” In addition to Whole Foods, the humane society ornaments can also be purchased online at shsornaments.blogspot.com. For those who don’t want to spend $50, Jenny said there are other options. Ball ornaments are also being sold for $25 and fund anything from pet food to cat litter and other basic shelter needs. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

SENIORS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010 • 11

System, similar to the Amber Alert but geared toward the elderly, and ethics reform. Bill’s work on the Silver-Haired Legislature and his advocacy for the state’s senior citizens have earned him a spot in the state’s Senior Citizens Hall of Fame. The ASHL, along with other volunteer work with Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, has kept him active.

Bill doesn’t expect to slow down anytime soon, either. “When I was born, I was 3 1/2 pounds. The doctor said I would die in three days,” he said. “The rest is history. Here I am 79 years old. I’ll be 80 in February. The secret to staying healthy is staying active. My mother lived to be 96. She stayed active and was sharp as a tack until the day she died.” ❖

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Bill J. Hendrix has served on the Alabama Silver-Haired Legislature for 10 years. His work earned him a spot on the Alabama Senior Citizens Hall of Fame. Journal photo by Laura McAlister

An Active Voice

Hendrix Spends ‘Golden Age’ Serving in State’s Silver-Haired Legislature

BY LAURA MCALISTER JOURNAL EDITOR

hen Bill J. Hendrix was born, the doctor predicted he would live only a few days due to his low birth weight. Bill proved him wrong, as well as himself. He thought he would live to be around 65. Now, at age 79, he figures that just means he has more work to do. The work that absorbs much of Bill’s time now and recently earned him a spot on the state’s Senior Citizen’s Hall of Fame is that of the Alabama Silver-Haired Legislature (ASHL). First elected to the Silver-Haired Legislature in 2000, Bill has been re-elected by his peers five times since. He also serves as the chairman of the ASHL’s Jefferson County delegation. The purpose of the nonpartisan model legislature is to educate Alabamians about local and state issues concerning the elderly. “We’re intimately involved in the background,” Bill said. “But we have a lot of influence. It’s a powerful little group, but a lot don’t know about it.” Though Bill made his living in sales, he’s been active in politics since high school. He was a senior at Phillips High School in 1949 when the YMCA started a project called the Alabama Youth Legislature. Bill was a member of that first group and helped introduce and write a bill that would eventually abolish poll taxes in Alabama. It was then he learned one of his first lessons in politics. “The legislative process takes a long time,” he said. “The poll tax passed the U.S. Congress in 1964, and it took 38 years for Alabama to ratify it. You really have to be patient.” If a life of politics was in store for Bill, it would have to wait. He joined the U.S. Naval Reserves while still in high school, and shortly after graduation, he was sent to serve in the Korean War. When he returned home, he attended the University of Alabama,

where he received a degree in business administration. From there, everything just sort of “flows,” as Bill likes to put it. His career in sales started in 1953, and he retired in 1990. He worked hard and managed his money, allowing him to purchase land in Florida without financing. He built a vacation home there himself at age 63. Retirement left him and his wife, Rita, more time to travel and spend with grandchildren, but Bill knew he also had more work to do. His brother, a retired attorney for Alabama Power, encouraged him to join the Alabama Silver-Haired Legislature. In order to do so, he had to submit a petition with at least 25 signatures from eligible voters to the secretary of state. Then, senior citizens had to vote to elect him to represent their district for a two-year term. They did, and Bill is now serving his fifth term on the ASHL. The organization has 105 members. The delegations meet monthly in their regions, and the entire legislature meets in Montgomery twice a year, once in the fall and again in the summer. Though all ASHL representatives are volunteers and receive reimbursements only for travel expenses, Bill said they take their work for the state’s senior citizens very seriously. Since Bill has been serving on the Silver-Haired Legislature, the group has helped pass the state’s voter ID law. This year, Bill is working to draft legislation that would regulate writein votes on the ballot. As a chief inspector of elections, he knows write-in votes can cost poll workers lots of time. “We don’t want to prevent writeins. We just want to regulate it with this,” he said. “Instead of having to count every single write-in when the polls close, we would just have to count those who registered with the secretary of state.” That means the chances of Nick Saban or Cam Newton being elected are less likely, Rita joked. Other top priorities for the ASHL this year are creating a Silver Alert

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A Holiday Tradition Continues

he Birmingham Country Club’s east room was transformed into a white winter wonderland for what has become a holiday tradition. The 2010 Heritage Ball was hosted by parents of young women in the Birmingham Debutante Club Nov. 27. Before the party, girls were presented by their fathers in a formal presentation for their families in the living room. David Seale more photos at served as master of ceremony. At the party, the newly-presented debs danced to music from the band Nationwide Coverage. The aisle for the presentation was decorated from above with fresh white flowers suspended from the ceiling and tied with white satin ribbons. Accents included tiny white lights, candles, crystals and pearls. The ceiling-to-floor décor continued into the East Room. There, the focal point was a three-tiered chandelier adornment of delicate white fabric hand-sewn with more than 2,500 yards of streaming, hand-pleated sheer white ribbons edged in satin. The theme was carried throughout the room with décor accented by streaming pleated ribbons and accents of crystals, pearls and tiny white lights. Tables were centered with clear swirled candelabra featuring white flowers, candles, pearls and crystals. The atmosphere was created by Sybil Brooke Sylvester of Wildflowers Designs, whose niece, Sally Brooke, was one of the debutantes presented. The 2010 debutantes and their escorts were: Leslie Allen and Knox Richardson, Allie Bates and Jeff Bissell, Sally Brooke and Arthur Davis, Amanda Brown and Hunter Houston,

Among those presented at the 2010 Heritage Ball were from left: Claire Eagan, Neely Krebs, Laura Jackson and Taylor Garrett.

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Attending the annual TumTum Tree Foundation’s 21st annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction were from left: Greg Logan, Peter Thompson, Stewart Lee, Tom Miller and Jim Perry. Photos special to the Journal

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Other presented were, above, from left: Marguerite Gray, Joyce Ratliff, Allie Bates and Carleton Rafield.

Also presented were from left: Cecil Wright, Amanda Brown, Palmer Sherer and Brooking Pritchard.

Mary Katherine Bushnell and John Hammontree, Frannie Chenoweth and Theo Pinson, Claire Eagan and Jon Hill, Grace Garrett and Gardner Park, Taylor Garrett and Ian Dexter, Marguerite Gray and Mason Morris, Dede Grenier and Hobie King, Mary Catherine Hawley and Charles Hawley, Jane Latham Hodges and Charlie Callahan, Caroline Holman and Philip Powell,

Laura Jackson and Kevin Ligon, Neily Krebs and Tripp Otis, Laura McCraney and Cromwell Johnson, Lawton Osbun and Griffin Dewey, Brooking Pritchard and Walt Davis, Carleton Rafield and Derrick Cupstid, Joyce Ratliff and Hunter Williams, Maggie Rowe and Hunter Weber, Palmer Sherer and Patrick Rouse and Cecil Wright and Drew Spradlin. ❖

ine enthusiasts turned out for the TumTum Tree Foundation’s 21st annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction benefiting local children’s charities. Honorary chairman was Peter Thompson of Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards in St. Helena, Calif. The TumTum Tree Foundation wine auction weekend is the state’s premiere wine weekend and draws a crowd from California’s wine country. Events kicked off Nov. 5 with a dinner hosted by Kay McWane Rosse and Mark Rosse. The silent auction and tasting of more than 150 fine wines was Nov. 6 at B&A Warehouse, and on Nov. 7, Bottega was the setting for a formal dinner and live auction. Those attending events over the weekend included Susan and Tom Curtin, Gene and Sally Price, Patsy and Alan Dreher, Tim and Crystal Downard, Ernie and Vivian Cory, Tom and Elizabeth Broughton, Rebekah and Stephen Hunt, Kelly and Greg Logan, Pam and Tommy Burleson, Barbara and Frank Cobb and Kelly and John Higgins. Also there were Laura and Gordon Kirschberg and Lydia and Taylor Pursell, T and Rick DiGiorgio, Leila and Robert

Enjoying the TumTum Tree Foundation’s event were above, Frank and Pardis Stitt, and below, Greg and Kelly Logan.

Watson, Kim and Bill Horton, Marcia Unger, Farrar and Michael Murray, Liz and Doug Guest, Lin and Bil Halbrooks, Kathryn and Doug Eckert, Todd and Nell Fredella, Colleen and Shea Samples and many others. Proceeds benefit Magic Moments, KidOne Transport, the Hematology-Oncology Division of Children’s Hospital, the Children’s Hospital Intervention and Prevention Services (“CHIPS”), Sickle Cell Foundation, Mitchell’s Place and Spirit of Hope Youth Ranch. ❖

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010 • 13

Left, Dean Doreen Harper cuts the cake designed by Barb’s Cakes. Above, graduates of the UAB School of Nursing include from left: Mary Traywick Pate, Kathy Murchison, Patricia Underwood Baker and Sarah Johnston. Photos special to the Journal

The UAB School of Nursing marked its 60th anniversary ...

in October with a variety of activities. Officially named The University of Alabama School of Nursing in 1950 by the Alabama Legislature, the history of the school began in 1905 when the first seven graduates completed their nurses’ training at what was then known as Hillman Hospital Training School for Nurses. The school changed names several times until legislation was enacted to create the first official nursing program for Alabama to offer a bachelor’s degree for nursing. Since 1905, more than 11,000 have graduated from nursing programs associated with University Hospital and UAB. Anniversary festivities culminated Oct. 23 with a celebration honoring the diploma graduates of the school, who gathered with faculty, staff and students for the Cap & Cape event. Graduates there rep-

resented three decades from the 1940s to the 1960s. Guests reconnected in the school’s Archives room and shared stories with archivist Pat Cleveland. Dean Doreen Harper recognized the group with a toast before brunch was served. Alumni and their guests were treated to a cake designed and created by Barb’s Cakes as a replica of the uniform of the 1940s diploma nursing student. Afterward, alumni toured the campus and took a group photo in front of Hillman Hospital, where their nursing careers began. At the reunion from Birmingham were diploma graduates Jean F. Estes, Eulene Kennedy Roberts, Mable Poovey Prescott, Mary Whitehead Dickinson, Patricia U. Baker, Mary Traywick Pate, Peggy O. Argent and Rita Ingalls Spencer, Patricia Springer, Jenelle Berrey Jones and Brenda L. Digerness. Dr. Sarah R. Johnston of Birmingham attended both as an alumna and former faculty mem-

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Hilltop Montessori School hosted its annual fundraiser ...

Attending Hilltop on the Green, a fundraiser for Hilltop Montessori School were, from left: Lisa Trodd, Clara Chung and Michael Wilensky.

Hilltop on the Green, Nov. 20 at Old Overton Club. The event drew more than 130 guests. Proceeds benefited Hilltop programs, including its environmental education program and financial assistance fund. Hilltop Montessori School serves children from 18 months through eighth grade. Guests were greeted by the Max Stehr Jazz Trio and then dined on shrimp and grits, prime rib, crab cakes and miniature fried green tomatoes. Jack Granger of Granger, Thagard & Associates conducted a live auction. The school hosted a silent auction with more than 60 items. Some of the most popular live auction items included the dona-

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tion of “Personal Chef for the Evening” from Chris Hastings of Hot and Hot Fish Club, won by Dr. Heidi Umphrey; a necklace and earrings set donated by Bromberg’s, won by Dr. Michael Wilensky; and the “School Spend the Night Party” won by Melanie Vigelis for her daughter, Rachel. Hilltop executive director Michele Scott presented the Elton B. Stephens Environmental Award to architect Bill Segrest for his “green” sustainable projects, including the Vestavia Hills library and the green-certified Hilltop Montessori School in The Town of Mt Laurel. Among those at the event were Stewart and Missy Waddell, Carol Smith, Eric and Nancy Patterson, Stuart Siegal, Cindy Hood-Siegal, April Mraz, Cherie Stine, Phil and Libby Holmes and Tim and Catherine Prince. ❖

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010 • 15

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Winners of the 2010 Nucor Children’s Charity Classic were presented with green jackets embroidered with the tournament logo and autographed by Children’s Hospital doctors. Top golfers were, from left: Derrick Sawyer, Robbie Miller, Chris Champion and Wayne Simmons.

A record number of golfers played in ...

Photo special to the Journal

the Nucor Steel Children’s Classic Presented by Ranger Steel in October, raising nearly $300,000 for patients at Children’s Hospital of Alabama. Three hundred vendors, customers and employees of Nucor Alabama’s five operations participated in the fourth annual golf tournament that benefits the nonprofit hospital. Tournament activities included a four-person team scramble, putting challenge and a dinner buffet with live entertainment and a silent auction. Steering committee members were Harold Fulk and Terry Green of American Buildings Co., James Huff and Kenneth Miller of Nucor Steel Birmingham, Chris McLean of Vulcraft Alabama, Mike Miller of Nucor Steel Decatur and April Pitts of Nucor

Steel Tuscaloosa. The tournament, held at the Robert Trent Jones Trail at Oxmoor Valley, has raised nearly $900,000 since it began in 2007. In addition to Ranger Steel, other major sponsors included Kinder Morgan, Curbs Plus Inc., Tube City IMS, Heavy Machines Inc., Alabama Southern Railroad, American Cast Iron Pipe Company, Chatham Steel Corporation, Phoenix Metals, SES, the Cooper Group of Companies, Signal Metals, Neo Industries and FDR Safety. ❖

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‘Motorcycles by Moonlight,’ the third annual fundraiser ...

benefiting the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, was held at the museum Oct. 8. The event included a live auction, seated dinner and question and answer session with motorcycle and auto racing legend John Surtees, the only man to win world championships on �� both two and four wheels. Surtees won seven World Championships between 1956 and 1960 while riding for the MV Agusta team. His motorcycle career also included British championships and six Tourist �� Trophy victories on the Isle of �� Man. After transitioning to auto �� racing, Surtees won a Formula �� One World Championship with �� Ferrari in 1964. In all, he won �� 290 of 621 races he entered. �� Emcee was motorsports � �� personality Alain de Cadenet. �� The British-born de Cadenet �� has hosted many shows on �� SPEED, including “Legends of �� Motorsport,” and the network’s �� coverage of the Goodwood �� Festival of Speed. �� He now hosts “Victory By �� Design,” in which he drives �� vintage race cars and talks about their history. �� One of the highlights of the �� evening for guests was seeing �� George Barber and Surtees �� together with three other racing legends, Cook Neilson, Eddie Lawson and Dan Gurney. Live auction items included the original artwork of the 2010 Barber Vintage Festival poster, Porsche Sport Driving School, signed items by Surtees, a Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama weekend package, private track laps and more. The original sixth annual Barber Vintage Festival poster

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At Motorcycles by Moonlight were George Barber, Cook Neilson, Eddie Lawson, John Surtees and Dan Gurney. Photos special to the Journal

Above, racing legend John Surtees chats with motorsports personality Alain de Cadenet. Left, Don Rosene of Alaska and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame made the winning bid for artist Katherine Anne Hicks’ Barber Vintage Festival Poster. artwork was painted by artist Katherine Anne Hicks of Mountain Brook. The inspiration for this year’s artwork was

the 1954 AJS E95 that won the Inaugural Motorcycle Class at Pebble Beach in 2009. ❖

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010 • 17

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screenplay for the 1991 movie “Fried Green Tomatoes.” The event’s organizing committee members included Susan Nettles, Betsy Henle, Dot Mash, Norma Warren, John English, Linda Griggs, Cathy Rye Gilmore, Helen Crow Mills, Betty McMahon, Judy Bewley, Libby Brasfield Suttle, Glen Conn, Lisa Parden Gaines and Leslie Wampol. ❖

Among those attending “An Evening with Fannie Flagg,” center, are Cathy Rye Gilmore, left, and Lisa Gaines. Below, Fannie Flag gets a pretend crowning from Miss Alabama Ashley Davis.

Friends and fans of best-selling author Fannie Flagg ...

honored her and heard about her Birmingham roots Nov. 20 at Virginia Samford Theatre. “An Evening with Fannie Flagg” was also a chance to celebrate the release of Flagg’s new novel “I Still Dream About You,” which highlights specific Birmingham landmarks and the city’s history. Proceeds from the night benefited the historic theater. Guests received a signed copy of the book and chatted with Flagg about the publication. An on-stage interview was conducted by Alabama Booksmith’s Jake Reiss. The evening concluded with a special proclamation from Mayor William Bell to Flagg for being one of Birmingham’s most outstanding ambassadors. Her best-known book is “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café,” in which she subsequently wrote the Academy Award-nominated

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wear the colors of their favorite teams. Traditional tailgate food – hot dogs, chips, cookies and more – was served. The Friendship Force of Birmingham is a chapter of Friendship Force International, which promotes global friendships and understanding through exchange programs. The Birmingham club formed more than 25 years ago.

Supporting their teams at the Friendship Force of Birmingham’s tailgate party were, from left: Steve Cragon, Vanderbilt; Kate DeGaris, Alabama; Charlotte George, UAB; Charlotte Laggy, Mississippi State; Karolyn Mersmann, Kansas; and Marlyss Giles, Nebraska.

Members of the Friendship Force of Birmingham ...

showed their team colors when they hosted a tailgate party at a recent meeting at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Vestavia Hills.

Photo special to the Journal

Marlyss Giles presented a program about the group’s exchange to Zeeland, Netherlands. The Birmingham visitors were hosted by members of the Zeeland Friendship Force Club and also visited Amsterdam. Members were encouraged to

More than 80 members of the Greystone Ladies ...

Club recently gathered to learn about classic interior design techniques and the latest design trends from some of their neighbors. The group’s October program featured four creative interior specialists who live “behind the gates” in Greystone. The decorators demonstrated goals to achieve in design, such as balance, successfully mixing antique and contemporary pieces and a list of top 10 cur-

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010 • 19

Helping out at the Metro Area Lions Club’s annual pecan sale and fundraiser Nov. 19 were, from left: Max Herzel, president; Wayne Dunlap, secretary/treasurer; James McRae, membership chairman; and Marvin Broome, vice president. Photo special to the Journal

rent trends. Featured presenters were Carolyn Haynes, Merle Howard, Kay Miller and Wilma Thompson. New members Ashley Fuentes and Eleanor Hall were introduced. For Greystone Ladies Club membership information, call Tina Douglas at 437-0226 or visit www.greystoneladiesclub. com.

Members of the Birmingham Bar Auxiliary served as ...

hostesses in conjunction with the Birmingham Bar Foundation at the Court’s Annual Oral Arguments held at Samford University. Several high school students and groups of citizens came to the Leslie Wright Center to see the Alabama Supreme Court and the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals in action. Local attorneys argued actual cases before both courts. Serving as hostesses for the event were auxiliary members Faye Clark, Crystal McMeekin, Rosemary Gillespy, Pat Durward, Suzanne Esdale and president Kathy Skinner. ❖

Hostesses for the Birmingham Bar Foundation’s Court’s Annual Oral Arguments were, from left: Birmingham Bar Auxiliary members Faye Clark, Crystal McMeekin, Rosemary Gillespy, Suzanne Esdale and Kathy Skinner. Photo special to the Journal

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Blue Willow in Cahaba Heights celebrated Christmas early on Nov. 11 with an Elf Magic Party. Hundreds of children showed up in the Blue Willow parking lot to meet Jangle the elf, above, and Santa. Getting their picture taken with Santa are Mary Elizabeth and Kate Wood and Jack and Will Greene.

Photos special to the Journal

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Clockwise from top left: Getting ready for the Mountain Brook Christmas Parade are Monica Vinoski with children Harrison and Madelyn. Helen Catherine Darby and Carly Glidewell greet those attending the parade; and trying to stay warm during the parade are from left: Sarah Moore, Drake Dunning, Rachel Moore and Jonas Dunning.

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Journal photos by Laura McAlister

The 22nd annual Mountain Brook Christmas ...

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Parade was Dec. 5 in Mountain Brook Village. The parade included holiday floats, a marchmore photos at ing band, music, elves and the mayor arriving by fire truck. Festivities kicked off a 1 p.m. with music and entertainment. Several Mountain Brook Village merchants were open offering holiday shopping specials. The 2010 parade was chaired by Paul Allen. The parade committee consists of Debbie Bartoletti, Dr. Frank Blanton, Amy Carter, Nancy Cox, Suzan Doidge, Laura Gorham, Lauren Hayes, Amy Jackson, Sara Lynn Keith, Gayle Kidd, Carole Pitard, Amy Tully, Paige Albright, and John Feagin. ❖

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the engagement of their daughter, Anne Elizabeth, to Patrick Joseph Paolone, son of Dr. and Mrs. Francis “Buck” Paolone of Hoover. The couple became engaged while on a recent vacation in Rome. A private family wedding will be Dec. 28, on the beach at Marco Island, Fla. A reception will follow at The Island Country Club. A rehearsal party will be held on Monday evening at the bride’s parents’ condo. On Thursday, Mr. and Mrs. Nick Paolone, aunt and uncle of the groom, will host a luncheon in honor of the newlyweds at Stonebridge Country Club in Naples, Fla. The wedding will be offici-

ated by Rev. Stephen Larson, the bride’s pastor from Park Ridge. The bride’s sister, Sarah Stetler of Chicago, is the maid of honor, and the groom’s brother, Jon Paolone of Hoover, is the best man. Miss Timmer is a graduate of Purdue University and is employed by a Washington, D.C., communications firm as the account director in Chicago. Mr. Paolone is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is an information technology specialist with a global consulting company headquartered in Chicago. After their wedding and honeymoon on Marco Island, the couple will live in Chicago.

Mr. and Mrs. David Benjamin Kimerling of Birmingham announce the engagement of their daughter, Katherine Maura Kimerling, to Steven Isaac Bromberg, son of Dr. and Mrs. Edward Bromberg of Mountain Brook. The bride is the granddaughter of Mr. Joseph Kimerling and the late Mrs. Paula Kimerling of Mountain Brook and Mrs. Anne Elder of Nashville, Tenn., and the late Mr. John Elder of Birmingham. She is a 2006 graduate of Mountain Brook High School. She attended Vanderbilt University and is a 2009 graduate of Peabody College. She is a member of Chi

Omega sorority. The groom is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Wolfy Bromberg of Atlanta and the late Mr. Irvin Leslie and Mrs. Frances Savage of Atlanta. He is a 2005 graduate of Mountain Brook High School and a 2009 graduate of the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He is currently working toward a master’s degree in business administration at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. The bride is pursuing a career in non-profit work, and the groom is a pilot for Torchmark Corporation. The wedding is planned for December 2010.

Mrs. Charles V. Lee Jr. announces the engagement of her daughter, Christina Shire Lee, to Glenn Edwin Jones. The bride-elect is the daughter of the late Charles V. Lee Jr. of Birmingham. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles V. Lee Sr. of Huntsville and the late Mr. and Mrs. H. Worth Busbee of Birmingham. The groom is the son of Mr. Elwood Wayland Jones of Port Angeles, Wash., and Mrs. Rose Mary Jones of Brunswick, Ga. Grandparents of the groom are the late Mr. Glenn Edwin Jones and Mrs. Lucille Jones and the late Mr. Leo Joseph Schaefer

and Mrs. Agnes Schaefer, all of Livingston, Mont. Miss Lee is a 2001 graduate �� School �� of Mountain Brook High �� and graduated magna�� cum laude from Vanderbilt University �� in 2004. �� Mr. Jones is a 2000 graduate of Glynn Academy High �� School and graduated from the�� University of Georgia �� in 2004. Both received their juris doctorates from the University of �� Alabama School of Law in 2008 and practice as litigation �� attorneys with Hall, Booth, Smith & Slover in Georgia. �� The wedding is planned for �� January 2011 in Birmingham. ��

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From page 22: First row from left: Alexa Smith, 3rd grade, Gwin Elementary; Alec Johnson, 4th grade; Crestline Elementary; Alex Simpson, 2nd grade, Gwin Elementary; Abbie Moon, 5th Grade, Green Valley Elementary. Second row from left: Allison Kerins, 3rd grade, St. Francis Xavier School; Alyson Wilcox, 3rd grade, Deer Valley Elementary; Aaleyah Sweet, 4th grade, Gwin Elementary; Alek Ledvina, 9, Advent Episcopal School; Alyssa Frost, 5th grade, Shades Cahaba Elementary. Third row from left: Amanda Parker, 2nd grade, South Shades Crest Elementary; Amelia Baker, 4th grade, Crestline Elementary; Amil Cole, 4th grade, Rocky Ridge Elementary; Amelia Snider, 5th grade, Gwin Elementary. Fourth row from left: Ann Derby Welden, 1st grade, Crestline Elementary; Amy Taliaferro, 3rd Grade, Mtn. Brook Elementary; Anastasia Caviedes, 2nd grade, Mountain Brook Elementary; Andrew Camp, 4th grade, South Shades Crest Elementary; Anna Grace Beatty, 3rd Grade, Oak Mtn. Elementary. Fifth row from left: Anna Cecile Hammond, 2nd grade, Deer Valley Elementary; Anna Frances Gardner, Crestline Elementary; Anna Grace Pattillo, 4th grade, Briarwood Christian School; Anna Hilsman, 5th Grade, Mtn. Brook Elementary. Sixth row from left: Anna Stephens, 4th grade, Edgewood Elementary; Anna Kate Lyda, 3rd grade, Gwin Elementary; Anna Wade, 1st grade, Liberty Park Elementary; Anna Wood, 3rd grade, Vestavia Hills Elementary East; Ansley Powell, 5th grade, Rocky Ridge Elementary. This page. First row from left: Arwa Almansood, 3rd grade, Gwin Elementary; Anne Doyal, 2nd grade, Edgewood Elementary; Avi Goldstein, 5th grade, N.E. Miles Jewish Day School. Second row from left: Annie Neill, 1st grade, Crestline Elementary; Brandon Nguyen, 4th grade, Rocky Ridge Elementary; Audrey Millhouse, 4th grade, Shades Cahaba Elementary. Third row from left: Bailey Deas, 5th grade, Greystone Elementary; Bayley Sartain, 4th grade, Deer Valley Elementary; Cadee Hood, 4th grade, Gwin Elementary. Fourth row from left: Belle Drummond, 2nd grade, Mountain Brook Elementary; Ben Barksdale, 3rd grade, Our Lady of Sorrows; Cadee Hood, 4th grade, Gwin Elementary. Fifth row from left: Brantley Newsome, 1st grade, Our Lady of Sorrows; Brennan Young, Kindergarten, Liberty Park Elementary.

24 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010

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From page 24: First row from left: Audrey Colabrese, 4th grade, Gwin Elementary; Carlisle Barranco, 2nd grade, Vestavia Hills Elementary East; Carmen Retzer, 4th grade, Rocky Ridge Elementary; Grace Weeks Williams, Kindergarten, Liberty Park Elementary. Second row from left: Carlton Mullins, Kindergarten, Crestline Elementary; Caroline Holt, 4th grade, Deer Valley Elementary. Third row from left: Christiana Megerdigian, 1st grade, Gwin Elementary; Chloe Bloodworth, 3rd grade, Hall-Kent Elementary; Caitlyn Hilley, 3rd Grade, Oak Mtn. Elementary; Katie Kelley, 3rd grade, Briarwood Christian School; Clay Spencer, 4th grade, Gwin Elementary. Fourth row from left: Kenny Lueken, 3rd grade, Our Lady of Sorrows; Delaney Thomas, 4th grade, Mountain Brook Elementary; Elissa Harika, 4th grade, Our Lady of Sorrows; Emilie Brown, 4th grade, Crestline Elementary. Fifth row from left: Ella Hartman, 8, Advent Episcopal School; Ellie Gorman, 2nd grade, Crestline Elementary; Davis Reese, 1st grade, Highlands School; Elizabeth Brennan, Advent Episcopal School. Sixth row from left: Ella Given, 5th grade, Liberty Park Elementary; Ari Valentine, 3rd Grade, Oak Mtn. Elementary; Eesha Banerjee, 2nd grade, HallKent Elementary; Lara Hejazen, 5th grade, Gwin Elementary; Dalis Sigvaldson, 2nd grade, South Shades Crest Elementary. This page: First row from left: Emma Tosney, 5th grade, Gwin Elementary; Emily Grace, 3rd Grade, Mtn. Brook Elementary; Emma Noble, Kindergarten, Edgewood Elementary. Second row from left: Ethan Harter, 4th grade, Gwin Elementary; Emma Watkins, 1st grade, Crestline Elementary; Keeley Percer, 3rd Grade, Oak Mtn. Elementary. Third row from left: Evan McSwain, 3rd grade, Shades Cahaba Elementary; Garrett A. Squires, 5th grade, Hall-Kent Elementary; Gracen Lape, 1st grade, South Shades Crest Elementary. Fourth row from left: Grace Kim, 1st grade, Liberty Park Elementary; Haley Turner, 3rd grade, Edgewood Elementary; Grace Turner, 4th grade, Shades Cahaba Elementary. Fifth row from left: Hamp Sisson, 5th Grade, Mtn. Brook Elementary; Holland Rula, 5th grade, Shades Cahaba Elementary.

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First row from left: Hanna Brook Gibbons, 5th grade, Edgewood Elementary; Hannah Rogers, 3rd grade, Deer Valley Elementary; Hannah Minor, 5th grade, Gwin Elementary; Ellie Thomas, 2nd grade, Mountain Brook Elementary. Second row from left: Harrison Coleman, Highlands School; Helen Carson, 3rd grade, Crestline Elementary; Holly Hancook, 4th grade, Briarwood Christian School; Isabella Narducci, 4th grade, Advent Episcopal School; Ila Hadnot, 1st grade, Gwin Elementary. Third row from left: Isabella Radriguez, 4th grade, Deer Valley Elementary; Jackson Ulmer, 5th grade, Liberty Park Elementary; Isabella Hernandez, 5th grade, Edgewood Elementary; Jacob Taylor, 4th grade, Gwin Elementary. Fourth row from left: Jackson May, 3rd grade, St. Francis Xavier School; Jamie Parsons, 3rd grade, Deer Valley Elementary; Kellyn Murch, 2nd grade, Liberty Park Elementary; Jillian Sapalaran, 1st grade, Our Lady of Sorrows; Isabella Dailey, 1st grade, St. Francis Xavier School. Fifth row from left: John Bramlett, 3rd, Deer Valley Elementary; Kassidy Crawford, 5th grade, Shades Cahaba Elementary; Scout Carruthers, 3rd grade, Crestline Elementary; Sydney Stewart, 3rd Grade, Oak Mtn. Elementary. Sixth row from left: Katie Foster, 4th grade, Our Lady of Sorrows; Julia Grooms, 1st grade, Crestline Elementary.

SCHOOLS

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Vestavia West Elementary students Glen Porter, Virginia Gaddy, Cole Tanner and Wheeler Smith show off their new West Way armbands.

Character Is Focus of West Way Week

Teachers and students at Vestavia Hills Elementary West focused on the school’s good character code during West Way Week at the first of the school year. To start the celebration, each student received a West Way armband. The band served as visual reminders to remember courtesy, respect, responsibility and teamwork all year long. Each day, different character development topics were emphasized through morning announcements, books and group activities demonstrating real-world applications. Classes competed by designing posters to illustrate what they learned. Anna Lynn Griffin’s kindergarten class, Pam Worrell’s first grade class, Wendy Rigrish’s second grade class and Lisa Kearney’s third grade class won the poster contest and will receive a Popsicle party for their achievements. Posters are displayed in the physical education hallway. Guidance counselor Dawn Norris organized the week’s events with the help of parents Lessie Duncan, Missy Hoogland and Robin Smith.

MBE Second Graders Collect Food for Needy For the past few years, Mountain Brook Elementary second graders and teachers have teamed with Greater Birmingham Ministries to collect non-perish-

Photo special to the Journal

able foods to help more than 300 families in need. The program, “From My Pantry to Yours,” encourages MBE second graders to bring food items from their pantries at home to share with those in need. Teachers Ashley Johnson, Cassie Jacobs, Barbara Brewster and Julie Tuck collected donations in their classrooms. Students prepared the donations for pickup by Greater Birmingham Ministries. More than 120 food items were collected. Second grade students also made placemats for nursing home residents of St. Martin’s in Birmingham to use for Thanksgiving dinner and during the holiday season.

OLV Students Earn Duke Recognition

Seventh graders at Our Lady of the Valley School recently participated in the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP), with 56 percent of the class qualifying this year. The program identifies academically talented seventh graders based on standardized test scores achieved in certain subject areas that are 95 percent and above. These students are then given their choice of taking either the SAT or ACT. The program’s goals are to provide additional information about academically talented children’s abilities and to introduce them to services and programs available to them. OLV students who quali-

Participating in “From My Pantry to Yours” were MBE students, from left, front: Payton Flynn, Sarah Patton Butler, Garner Wilkerson, Daniel Carmichael and Byars Stewart. Back: Charles Crommelin, Maddie Ross and Isabelle Yates. Photo special to the Journal

fied were Evelyn Bostany, Juan Jose Campos, Matthew Cerfolio, Jack Christensen, Albert Dascher, Grace Galvin, Nicole Galvin, Kaylee Gilchrist, Abby Hagelskamp, Maggie Hagelskamp, Mick Hagelskamp, Addie Harchelroad, Courtney Hayhurst, Kelsi Hobbs, Connor Howlett, Anna Larock, Mitchell Ledbetter, Maggie Mahoney, Anthony Marino, Daniel Matos, Jack McGuire, Cam McLean, Jo Jo Meineke, Nikki Panzica, Mariah Schley, Nicky Sebastian, Katie Sherman, Sara Sligh, Aimee Sznajderman, Catherine Vaughn and Simon Webster

Cities Proclaim October Dyslexia Awareness Month

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010 • 27

Spring Valley student John Hickman, with Andrew Hickman, Hettie Johnson and Derek Perry, accepts a Dyslexia Awareness Month proclamation from Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos. Photo special to the Journal the more than 20 million people with dyslexia. Spring Valley is the only school in central Alabama

Spring Valley School students accepted proclamations recognizing October as Dyslexia Awareness Month from Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos, Vestavia Hills Mayor Alberto “Butch” Zaragoza and Birmingham Mayor William Bell. The goal of these proclamations is to bring awareness to

serving students who struggle academically with dyslexia, AD/HD and other learning differences. ❖

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SCHOOLS

Burgess Visits LPMS For Red Ribbon Week

Radio personality Rick Burgess from “The Rick and Bubba Show” visited Liberty Park Middle School to talk to students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. The school’s PTO invited Burgess during October’s Red Ribbon Week, the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the country. As part of Red Ribbon Week, LPMS students made commitments to live drug-free lives and were given wrist bands to wear to show their support.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Rick Burgess from the Rick and Bubba Show visits with students at Liberty Park Middle School after a presentation there during Red Ribbon Week. Photo special to the Journal The top collectors for Cub Scout Pack 63’s canned food drive were, from left, front: Jean-Paul Doucet, Jack Rousell, Woody Fipps and Austin De La Torre. Back: Jay Skinner, Cubmaster for Pack 63, and Susan Dowdey, Canterbury UMC head of the Brown Bag Project.

Gwin Holds Annual Colonial Day Event

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Above, dressed as Native Americans, first graders Keegan Moore, Carson Wilkins and Nick Berg enjoyed Colonial Day activities at Gwin. Right, third graders Lauren Halcomb and Emily Scarborough dressed in Colonial Day costumes for the day. Photos special to the Journal

Photo special to the Journal

quilting. Students learned about foods and drinks with a stop at the Colonial kitchen. State Rep. Paul DeMarco attended the event and observed the students in the National Treasure activity, a scavenger hunt of period items and facts. Students rode in a horse-drawn carriage, wrote with quill pens and participated in Gwin’s very own edition of “Are You Smarter than a Patriot?” Before the event, photos were taken of each class dressed in period clothing. Photos featured a Colonial pillory with the class’ teacher inside.

Cub Scouts Support Brown Bag Project

Pack 63 recently sponsored a canned food drive for Canterbury United Methodist Church. The pack collected 1,006 cans for Canterbury’s Brown Bag Project food ministry. The troop includes boys from Crestline Elementary School in Mountain Brook.

Oak Mountain Middle School Raises $24,640 for Toys for Tots

Each year, Oak Mountain Middle School students set a goal of $20,000 for the local Toys for Tots campaign. And each year they not only reach that goal, but they also exceed it The students raised $24,640. The school has raised nearly $250,000 since it first began its annual Toys for Tots campaign in 1999. Oak Mountain Middle holds the national record for the largest school donation for Toys for Tots with $42,000 raised in 2006. The Oak Mountain Toys for Tots project is led by the National Jr. Honor Society. The National Jr. Honor Society students will spend the money on new toys Dec. 16 at the Toys-RUs in Hoover. The United States Marine Corps, which sponsors Toys for Tots, will attend the school’s Christmas assembly that same day at 2:15 p.m. to pick up the toys. ❖

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First row from left: Jonathan Wyatt, 5th grade, Liberty Park Elementary; Laura Kate Howell, 4th grade, Crestline Elementary; Jordan Sims, 3rd Grade, Oak Mtn. Elementary. Second row from left: Laura Lacy, 4th grade, Crestline Elementary; Lauren Bistritz, 4th grade, Shades Mountain Elementary; Jake Berg, 5th grade, Gwin Elementary. Fourth row from left: Lily Kraft, 2nd grade, Crestline Elementary; Jane Ann Baggett, 9, Advent Episcopal School; Jada Griggs, 5th Grade, Green Valley Elementary. Fifth row from left: Levy Ericksan, age 8, Rocky Ridge Elementary; Louis Howland, Kindergarten, Our Lady of Sorrows. Sixth row: Hollen Terry, 5th grade, Edgewood Elementary; Katherine Ratliff, 4th grade, Liberty Park Elementary

By simply autographing the check for your electric bill, you can donate to Project SHARE and the American Red Cross and help those in need in your own community. Just check the donation box on your next Alabama Power bill. Or give online at AlabamaPower.com/ProjectSHARE.

30 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010 • 31

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start here! $ From page 30: First row from left: Lauren Sitarz, 5th grade, Liberty Park Elementary; Lucy Rumbley, Kindergarten, Liberty Park Elementary; Lydia Bloodworth, 3rd grade, Hall-Kent Elementary; Laura Green, Kindergarten, Liberty Park Elementary. Second row from left: Mac Scott, 3rd grade, Crestline Elementary; Macy McClinton, 5th grade, Deer Valley Elementary. Third row from left: Katie Baird, 4th grade, Crestline Elementary; Madison Le, 1st grade, Our Lady of Sorrows; Lee Anna Cunningham, 1st grade, Liberty Park Elementary; Madison McClintock, 1st grade, Liberty Park Elementary. Fourth row from left: Lucian Doss, 5th grade, Gwin Elementary; Madison Smith, 3rd Grade, Oak Mtn. Elementary; Madison Walker, 4th grade, South Shades Crest Elementary; Mae Neil, 3rd Grade, Mtn. Brook Elementary. Fifth row from left: Mabry Smyer, 3rd grade, Mountain Brook Elementary; Madison Garrett, Liberty Park Elementary; Madeline Hubbert, 2nd Grade, Oak Mtn. Elementary; Mary Blakely Wood, 3rd grade, Edgewood Elementary. Sixth row from left: Litzy Marian Salazar, 4th grade, Edgewood Elementary; Mary Elizabeth Harrison, 5th grade, Edgewood Elementary; Mary Burgin Bosworth, 1st grade, Liberty Park Elementary; Walker Phillips, 2nd grade, Mountain Brook Elementary; Magali Valdez, 4th grade, Gwin Elementary. This page: First row from left: Marlee Johnson, 5th grade, Greystone Elementary; Namei Savannah Werner, 2nd grade, Shades Mountain Elementary; Tilly Gwaltney, 3rd Grade, Oak Mtn. Elementary; Mary Griffith Lytle, 4th grade, Liberty Park Elementary; Matthew Chung, 4th grade, Rocky Ridge Elementary. Second row from left: James Dickenson, Kindergarten, Our Lady of Sorrows; Max Ruiz Gonzalez, 3rd Grade, Oak Mtn. Elementary; Matthew Coleman, 2nd grade, Liberty Park Elementary. Third row: Maggie Brown, 2nd grade, South Shades Crest Elementary. Fourth row: Melanie Chambers, 4th grade, Gwin Elementary.

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First row from left: Nick Badolate, 4th grade, Briarwood Christian School; Mya Rumph, 3rd grade, Deer Valley Elementary; Nancy North, 3rd grade, Crestline Elementary; Nicole Jebeles, 4th grade, Liberty Park Elementary. Second row from left: Perry Steed, 4th grade, Edgewood Elementary; Nikki Busby, 4th grade, South Shades Crest Elementary; Rachel Chapman, 4th grade, St. Francis Xavier School; Olivia Cornella, 2nd grade, Edgewood Elementary; Rachel Ross Davis, 4th grade, Shades Cahaba Elementary. Third row from left: Olivia Hannah, 3rd grade, Briarwood Christian School; Olivia Hay, 4th Grade, Mtn. Brook Elementary; Regan Henkey, 3rd grade, Liberty Park Elementary; Olivia-Ann Burgess, 1st grade, Mountain Brook Elementary. Fourth row from left: Rilyn Todd, 3rd Grade, Oak Mtn. Elementary; Riley Watson, Kindergarten, Deer Valley Elementary; Rivers Parkman, 2nd grade, Crestline Elementary; Ramey Medders, 3rd grade, Gwin Elementary; Ryan Border, 3rd grade, Briarwood Christian School. Fifth row from left: Sahnir Abou-Haidar, 1st grade, Our Lady of Sorrows; Sarah Beth Cowart, Kindergarten, Mtn. Brook Elementary; Sarah Catherine Cooper, 3rd grade, Mountain Brook Elementary; Sarah Kate Crafton, 4th grade, Mountain Brook Elementary. Sixth row from left: Urmi Roy, 5th grade, Deer Valley Elementary; Tatum Popwell, 2nd Grade, Oak Mtn. Elementary.

SPORTS

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Memorable, from back cover

nated Over the Mountain football, winning 14 consecutive games. This Hoover team had a shot at being the best in school history, but the loss to Daphne cost it that distinction. But 2010 was still a remarkable season for the guys in orange and black. Best Story. Spain Park coach David Shores was removed because of an alleged practice field incident just prior to the opening game, and the Jaguars’ season seemed headed toward disaster. But Jaguar assistant Ben Berguson was named interim coach and immediately calmed the waters. Spain Park even made a nice run in the playoffs, something nobody would have expected after the earlier distractions. Best Game. Nobody thought much about it at the time, but Vestavia Hills’ 17-13 win over Mountain Brook Sept. 3 may have been the most intense game of the year. Either side could have won, but the Rebels scored a late touchdown to secure the victory. The Spartans may have had the last laugh, however, when they defeated Vestavia 7-0 in the playoffs several weeks later. Three Most Exciting Players on One Team. No school in Alabama had any more talent at its skill positions than the Homewood trio of quarterback Stephen Baggett, running back Ameer Abdullah and wide receiver Aaron Ernest. The only problem for the Patriots is that they compete in Class 6A against much larger schools. If Homewood was in the smaller Class 5A – where it belongs – the Patriots would have been championship contenders. Most Impactful Injury. John Carroll’s Adric Merchant was going to be a superstar at running back for the Cavs before his season ended early with an injury. The loss of Merchant led to a disappointing season on Lakeshore Drive Best Story Nobody’s Talking About. When Josh Niblett took the Hoover job three years ago, some people honestly wondered how he would handle the spotlight in the state’s highest profile high school coaching position. In those three years, Niblett has led the Bucs to the Class 6A finals three times and posted an overall record of 41-4. That’s a pretty good answer. A few,

of course, will nit-pick the fact that Niblett is only 1-2 in state championship games. But the odds are, he’ll take Hoover to a few more of them before his tenure ends. Best Kept Secret in Alabama. The continuing consistency and success that Fred Yancey has brought to Briarwood is the story that just keeps growing. When Yancey took over the program 21 years ago, the Lions were a perennial homecoming opponent. Now, armed with facilities as good as almost any Class 6A school, Briarwood is an annual Class 5A powerhouse. It’s truly difficult to find a situation where a coach is as perfect a fit at a school as Yancey – who just turned 65 – is at Briarwood. Most Determined Optimist. Shades Mountain Christian went 010 in 2010 and came close to winning only a couple of times. Eagles coach Jonathan Loudermilk, however, stayed upbeat through it all. He never stopped remembering that his first job as a coach is to be a teacher. I don’t know how many games Shades Mountain will win next year, but with Loudermilk at the helm, the Eagles will never be losers. The One Change About the Super Six Format That Should Be Considered. The University of Alabama and Auburn University have both done a great job of hosting the Super Six format since it was moved away from Birmingham’s Legion Field two years ago. On the down side, however, giant stadiums like Tuscaloosa’s Bryant-Denny and Auburn’s Jordan-Hare are simply too big to provide much of an exciting atmosphere for championship games in the smaller classifications. The smaller schools simply can’t provide enough fans. At times it was distracting to watch the small classification games on television because of all the empty seats. Maybe the Alabama High School Athletic Association should consider moving the Class 1A-3A �� championship games to perhaps �� Regions Park or Montgomery’s � �� Riverwalk Stadium. The downside �� there, of course, is that to do so would deny players at the smaller schools the thrill of competing at two famous college stadiums. To create a more intense football atmosphere, however, a move to a smaller venue would help.

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Mountain Brook Sporting Goods Celebrates 20 Years

Business partners Dave Arnold and Mike Morrison, from left, marked a milestone recently as Mountain Brook Sporting Goods celebrated its first 20 years in business, at the store’s location in Crestline Village. “We want to thank all of our wonderful friends and customers for supporting us and we look forward to 20 more years,” said Mike. Mountain Brook Sporting Goods is located at 66 Church Street in Crestline Village and their phone number is 870-3257.

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34 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010

SPORTS

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

Top-Ranked Patriots Win, Hoover Rises to 10-0 BY LEE DAVIS

JOURNAL SPORTS WRITER

The Hoover Lady Bucs, above, earned their first Class 6A swimming title since 1994, totaling 188 points. Homewood, Spain Park, Mountain Brook and Vestavia all finished in the top ten. Photo special to the Journal

Orange Tide

Lady Bucs Win First Swim Title Since ’94

BY LEE DAVIS

JOURNAL SPORTS WRITER

he Hoover girls’ swim team ended a 16-year drought at the University of Alabama Dec. 5. The Lady Bucs earned their first Class 6A swimming title since 1994, totaling 188 points. Grissom of Huntsville was second with 171 points. Homewood took third place honors. Spain Park was seventh in the girls’ competition, while Mountain Brook was eighth and Vestavia Hills ninth. Hoover won the 400 freestyle relay with the tandem of Claire Williamson, Allison Smith, Natalie Swindle and Angelica Chapman winning in a time of 3:38.01, a

new state record. Chapman also won the 100yard butterfly in a state record time of 55.71. The Lady Bucs’ 200-yard freestyle relay team narrowly defeated Homewood by a margin of 1:39.70 to 1:39.99 to win that event. Genny Pittman, a freshman from Homewood, won the 100yard backstroke with a state record 55.67. Pittman also finished second in the 50-yard freestyle event. Briarwood’s Mallory Mathias won the 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle competitions. In boys’ swimming, Hoover finished in fourth place behind champion Bob Jones. Spain Park finished seventh. The Jaguars’ Will Freeman won the 500 and 200 freestyle events.

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omewood showed Leeds why it is Alabama’s topranked boys’ basketball team in Class 6A with an 8042 thrashing of the Green Wave Friday night. Nyck Young led the Patriots with 28 points. Jeremy Watson scored with 13 points and added seven rebounds. The surprising Hoover Bucs ran their record to 10-0 with a 5449 victory over archrival Vestavia Hills. Hutcheson led the winning cause by scoring 17 points and grabbing seven rebounds. John Crain helped Hoover by scoring 15 points and pulling down six rebounds. Jason Davis and Tyler Hawkins also scored nine points. William Truss led the Rebels with 16 points. Mountain Brook won its ninth game of the year with a 73-63 win over Shades Valley. Mario Stramaglia scored 22 points for the Spartans. Austin Keim added 19, while Brooks McElveen chipped in 11. Oak Mountain overcame a 127 halftime deficit to outlast Spain Park 29-27. Garrett Cosgrove scored 12 points and had eight rebounds for the Eagles. Steven Lawson led the Jaguars with nine points. Parker defeated John Carroll Catholic 68-57. The Cavs’ Justin Coleman scored 26 points, and Chris Turk added 11. John Carroll dropped to 5-3 for the year. Indian Springs edged Shades Mountain Christian 35-34. Charlie Simpson led ISS scoring with 13 points. Hart Williams added 10 for the victors. The Eagles’ Jaylon Sims led all scorers with 14 points. In girls’ play, Spain Park upended Oak Mountain 59-42. Colby Ryan led the Lady Jags with 18 points, including four three-point baskets. Jessica Freeman added 17. Nine of Freeman’s points came from three-point baskets. Lay Watts led the Lady Eagles with 18 points. John Carroll Catholic routed Parker 66-23. Alicia LaDoux and Meghan McCarrick each scored 13 points for the Lady Cavs. Shades Valley edged Mountain Brook 56-51. Collier Ogilvie led

Homewood’s Adam Salls drives to the basket in the Patriots 80-42 win over Leeds Friday night. More photos at otmj.com the Lady Spartans with 19 points. Ramsay took a 51-24 win over Altamont. Yorisha Bryant led the Lady Knights with 11 points. On Saturday, Briarwood’s boys defeated McAdory 54-38. Jason Laatsch scored 28 points for the Lions. Luke Collins added 10 assists as Briarwood moved to 9-2 for the season. Also on Saturday, four area players represented the state in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic at Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The game ended in a 24-17 double overtime victory for Alabama. Included on the Alabama roster were running back Ameer Abdullah of Homewood, offensive lineman Brandon Morgan of Hoover, kicker Wilson Whorton of Briarwood and linebacker Miller Williams of Mountain Brook.

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Journal photo by Pete Collins

The Alabama team was coached by Briarwood’s Fred Yancey, who brought Geoff Walters as an assistant. Whorton’s 22-yard field goal in the first overtime tied the game at 17-17 to send the battle into a second overtime. Abdullah’s 10-yard touchdown run gave Alabama the victory. He finished the game with six carries for 24 yards.

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Spain Park’s Robby Prater drives by Oak Mountain’s Taylor Kral in the Eagles’ win over the Jaguars this weekend. Journal photo by Tom Neil

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Hoover, from back cover

They drew blood later in the quarter. Quarterback Ryan Carter connected with Reginald Johnson for a 47-yard scoring strike to give Hoover a 6-0 lead with only 47 seconds remaining in the period. The conversion attempt, however, failed and would come back to haunt the Bucs later on. The rest of the night, Hoover would struggle offensively. The Bucs rushed for a mere 32 yards for the entire night. “We couldn’t get our running game going,” said Niblett, “and that hurt us badly.” But despite Hoover’s problems moving the football, its lead held up until early in the fourth quarter. Daphne’s T.J. Weldon scored a touchdown on a three-yard run with 10:57 remaining in the game. Brandon Roberts’ all-important extra point gave the Trojans

Briarwood, from back cover

Briarwood coach Fred Yancey afterward. “So right off the bat, we go out and show that we can move the ball, and then we leave it on the ground. It’s hard to win at the championship level when you do that.” On its opening possession, Briarwood moved the ball to the Toro 46 before losing a fumble. The second Lion offensive thrust reached the Spanish Fort 13-yard line but resulted in another lost fumble. Briarwood’s third drive moved to the Toro 30, but the Lions were stopped on fourth down. Briarwood’s fourth possession also resulted in a lost fumble. Meanwhile, Spanish Fort’s Ameriol Finley scored on a nineyard run to give the Toros a 7-0 halftime lead. Turnovers continued to plague the Lions in the second half. On its sixth possession of the game, Briarwood moved into Spanish Fort territory but threw an interception. The fatal blow came in the fourth quarter when the Lions threw a second pass that was intercepted at the Briarwood 20-yard line. From there, the Toros put together a short drive, climaxed by Finley’s three-yard run, that gave Spanish Fort an insurmountable 140 lead. Finley, who rushed for 174 yards on 37 carries, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. The Lions completed their season with an impressive 13-2 record. Briarwood’s only regular season defeat came at the hands of perennial Class 6A power Vestavia Hills. “This was our year to grow and to grow up,” said Yancey. “This was Spanish Fort’s year to be the best team in the state, not ours.

a one-point advantage that would hold for the ages. With just minutes remaining in the game, Hoover put together an impressive drive from its own 37-yard line. The Bucs moved to the one-yard line. From there, they had what appeared to be the go-ahead touchdown nullified by an illegal procedure penalty with 1:23 on the clock. The penalty moved the ball back to the Trojans’ six-yard line. Three ensuing plays netted only one yard, and Hoover faced a fourth and goal situation. The obvious call was a field goal, and the Bucs’ Larsen Real is one of Alabama’s finest place kickers. Hoover looked like it had money in the bank, but in today’s economy nothing’s a sure thing. Neither was Real’s kick. The snap was high, and the 22-yard attempt went wide to the left. Daphne ran out the clock. Afterward, Hoover players handled their disappointment with class. “Daphne deserved it. I salute “But we’ll work hard and try to get back here.” Briarwood junior quarterback Ben Craft accepted the disappointing evening with the maturity and dignity that is typical of him. “I’m not kicking myself,” he said. “I made some mistakes tonight, no doubt. But everybody makes mistakes – nobody on this earth is perfect. But I believe Briarwood’s best days are still ahead.” The Lions finished with an even 200 yards of total offense and punted only once. But the five turnovers were just too much to overcome. Chad Davis led Briarwood’s defensive efforts with 11 tackles. “Spanish Fort had a lot of intense players,” said Davis. “I’m not saying they wanted to win more than we did, because I don’t think that’s true. But they were very intense.” Forcing its opponent to give up the ball had been a big part of Spanish Fort’s winning formula in the post-season. In their final three playoff games, the Toros forced 14 total turnovers, including the five that the Lions surrendered. Ironically, Briarwood’s quarterback was no stranger to championship games. As a youngster growing up in Alexander City, Craft served as a ball boy for the Benjamin Russell Wildcats in their Class 5A championship battles against Homewood in 2000 and 2001 at Birmingham’s Legion Field. The Patriots won the first game 41-34 before Benjamin Russell bounced back to win the rematch 48-21 a year later. Craft seemed confident that he hasn’t made his final trip to the championship finale. “We’re going to be fired up and work to get here again next year,” he said. “Only next time, we want to be on the other (winning) side.” The rest of Class 5A would do well to heed Craft’s warning.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010 • 35

SPORTS them,” said Buccaneer tackle Blake Burks. “They won. There’s nothing to cry or gripe about. “I’m so proud to play for Hoover with this great bunch of guys and coaches. You can’t blame any of this on Larsen or the rest of the kicking team. We never should have put them in this position.” The Bucs saw their season end with a 14-1 record and their reign as state 6A champions end after one year. Hoover defeated Prattville 28-23 in last year’s title game at Tuscaloosa’s BryantDenny Stadium. The Bucs lost to Prattville in the championship game at Legion Field in 2008, Niblett’s first season as the Hoover coach. Although the Bucs managed only six points, Carter completed 13 of 23 passes for 222 yards. Ace Buc receiver Jaylon Denson caught eight passes for

124 yards. “Losing doesn’t feel good,” said Niblett. “At Hoover we’re not used to losing, and we don’t

want to get used to it. “But when it happens, we will accept it with character.” And that’s no surprise.

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN

JOU RNAL THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010

December Surprise

Sports

Orange Tide

Lady Bucs Win Swim Title. Page 34

Bucs Fall to Trojans In 6A Championship

Lee Davis

BY LEE DAVIS

Despite Final Losses, Season Was Memorable

JOURNAL SPORTS WRITER

he game of football – just like life itself – is full of surprises. For example, if someone could have looked into a crystal ball and seen that Hoover would hold Daphne to seven points in the state 6A championship game at Jordan-Hare Stadium, they would have predicted a Bucs victory. By the same token, if someone with that same crystal ball had seen that Hoover would have a first and goal situation with less than two minutes to play to win the championship, they likewise would have predicted a Bucs victory. In real life, however, they would have been wrong on both counts. For 48 minutes, Hoover gave all the effort it had. But for most of those 48 minutes, Daphne

T-Square

Hoover players, with their runner-up trophy, look on as Daphne receives the 6A state championship trophy. The Bucs fell to Daphne 7-6. Journal photo by Tom Neil had just a little bit more. In the end, the Trojans had a 7-6 win to earn their first state 6A championship since 2001. “Everybody wants to win,” said Hoover coach Josh Niblett, now 1-2 in state 6A title games. “We didn’t come here to take a red (runner-up) trophy home. But sometimes this is what happens. “I tell our players that one day they are going to be working and raising a family and

Turnovers and Toros End Lion Title Bid BY LEE DAVIS

JOURNAL SPORTS WRITER

hen the members of the Briarwood football team enjoy Christmas dinner with their families in a few weeks, one item that won’t be welcomed on the serving plate will be turnovers of any kind. They’ve seen enough of those for a while. In the culinary world, turnovers can be delicious treats. In the foot-

ball world, they can be as deadly as poison, particularly when a state championship is on the line. The Lions learned the latter lesson the hard way, committing five turnovers in last Thursday’s Class 5A championship game at Auburn University’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. The net result was a 14-0 loss to Spanish Fort. “Our whole game plan was that if we didn’t turn the ball over, we’d be okay,” said a gracious

See Briarwood, page 35

something isn’t going to go the way you want. That’s when they will draw from the experience they had tonight.” The Bucs aren’t likely to forget the evening of December 3, 2010, for a long time. Hoover started off strong in the opening period. The Bucs moved to the Daphne 30-yard line before giving up a fumble.

See Hoover, page 35 Briarwood quarterback Ben Craft looks for running room in the Lions 5A title loss to Spanish Fort. Journal photo by Pete Collins

o be honest, I didn’t expect either Hoover or Briarwood to come home with red runner-up trophies last weekend. Instead, I fully expected both schools to win football championships in their respective classifications. But the fact they didn’t shows once again that football can take some funny (as in unusual) bounces. In Class 6A, for example, who would have thought that Hoover’s potent offense would be held to a mere six points by the Daphne defense? In Class 5A, who could have predicted that disciplined Briarwood would commit five turnovers in losing to Spanish Fort? But both teams had a lot of things of which to be proud. Hoover finished 14-1; Briarwood went 13-2. And both teams have plenty of talent on the docket for next season. The Bucs’ and Lions’ losses, however, provided a surprising end for a season full of surprises. Here’s a quick look at some of the highs and lows of Over the Mountain football 2010. Best Team. Although it fell just short in its bid for a state title, Hoover once again domi-

See Memorable, page 33