Everything Everywhere All at Once” is certainly all that: an of-the-moment, global box-office sensation with 11 Oscar nominations, more than any other film in the running this year.
And it’s locally relevant.
Two Over the Mountain natives, director and screenwriter Daniel Scheinert and film editor Paul Rogers, have been nominated for Oscars for their work on this buzzy film.
Art Meripol would smile and quietly agree when people pointed out the coincidence of his name.
The career photographer was an artist, they surmised, whose name is Art. But Meripol, whose given name is Arthur, never saw it that way.
“No, not at all. Other people would point it out to me before, once my career got going,” the 68-year-old Hoover resident said. “But I never thought of myself as an artist. If I did think of myself in that respect
at all, it was as a craftsman.
“I think I’ve taken pictures that were artful, but I still think of as myself as a craftsman,” he continued. “You learn the trade and that’s kind of what I did. You learn techniques and experience teaches you things. The more mistakes you make, the more you learn, and I made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot.”
The product of Meripol’s craft – a collection of photos from live music concerts – is on display in the art gallery at Hoover’s Aldridge Gardens. The showing runs Mondays through Fridays until March 3. An artist reception will be held Feb. 16.
The exhibition includes a collection of rock, blues, jazz and country concert photographs that Meripol captured from 1974 to 1990. It includes photos of B.B. King, Tom Petty, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Merle Haggard, Chick Corea, KISS, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Eddie Van Halen and other artists.
“We originally planned for 38 (photos) and I kind of snuck four more in,” the photographer chuckled. “The people at the gallery have been fantastic. We talked about having a show and I showed (Rip Weaver,
Scheinert has two nominations: Best Director, along with co-director Daniel Kwan, and Best Original Screenplay. Scheinert and Kwan make up the filmmaking duo is known as “Daniels.” Rogers is nominated for Best Film Editing.
The film leads all nominees at the 95th Annual Academy Awards with nominations for best picture, director, actress (Michelle Yeoh), supporting actor (Ke Huy Quan), supporting actress (Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu), original screenplay, film editing, costume design, original score and original song.
This year, Oscars Night is March 12.
In celebration of all these Oscar nominations and the movie’s cool hometown connection, Sidewalk Cinema will show “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Feb. 10-12.
A modern science fiction/comedy/adventure film, described as “an assault on the senses,” it’s about an aging Chinese immigrant who, while being audited by the IRS and going through a midlife crisis, realizes that she –and she alone – can save the world by connecting with parallel universe versions of herself.
The New York Times called the film a “swirl of
ABOUT TOWN 3
NEWS 6
LIFE 8
GIFT GUIDE 12
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Ifelt so happy leaving a basketball game last weekend that I felt compelled to drive thru and buy myself a chocolate milkshake on the way home. I even said yes to the whipped cream and cherry.
Now, I have been to the NCAA tournament three times. Loved every minute of it. I plan to go this year, too, and am pretty much counting the days. But I have to tell you, none of that brought me close to milkshake euphoria. No, apparently, my real jam is watching the little guys.
The players were all second graders, and my grandson was one of them. At that level, basketball is an entirely different game. First of all, the officials have to physically lower the basket. Understand that getting the ball into the basket is still a slim possibility, but at least the kids have a better chance.
SOCIAL 14
FOOD 20
SCHOOLS 21 SPORTS 24
With everything that’s happening “Over the Mountain,” it can be difficult to keep up. That’s why we have launched the OTMJ newsletter. Published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - we’ll give you a quick recap of the latest news, sports and social events as well as a heads up on upcoming events so you won’t miss any of the interesting and fun happenings in the Greater Birmingham metro area.
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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JO U RNA L February 9, 2023
Publisher & Editor: Maury Wald
Copy Editor: Virginia Martin
Features Writer: Donna Cornelius
Staff Writer: Anne Ruisi
Photographer: Jordan Wald
Sports Editor: Rubin E. Grant
Contributors: Susan Murphy, June Mathews, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry, Lee Walls, Bryan Bunch, Susan Swagler, Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Advertising Sales: Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald, Gail Kidd
Vol. 33, No. 13
Over The Mountain Journal is a suburban bi-weekly newspaper delivered to Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Hoover and North Shelby County areas. Subscriptions for The Journal are available for $24 yearly. Mail to: Over the Mountain Journal, P.O. Box 660502, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216. Phone: (205) 823-9646. E-mail the editorial department at editorial@otmj.com. E-mail our advertising department at mwald@otmj.com. Find us on the Web at otmj.com.
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must be lowered, although that particular goal seems to have escaped some of the more vocal parents in the stands. Traveling is rarely called, and with good reason. I feel fairly sure that the majority of the players aren’t always aware that their feet are in motion. (See skipping and twirling above.)
To be fair, some of the players have skills. A few of them have been watching basketball on TV and have also mastered the finer points of postscore celebration, but the coaches and officials make sure that the game belongs to everyone.
Their coach is a marvel. Calm.
The team has made progress from last year. There isn’t nearly as much crying and now most everyone stays focused on the game. Yes, there is still the occasional skipping as they move from one end of the court to the other. The players do a leap or a twirl when the mood strikes them. It just shows me that, underneath all that press for competition, there is still joy, and that does my heart good.
Their coach is a marvel. Calm. Encouraging. He’s exactly what these little guys need at this stage of the game. Actually, he’s what players need at every stage, but as they get older, it’s harder to come by.
The real heroes of the day, however, are the officials. Talk about calm. Talk about encouraging. They keep that straight business-like face because they have to, but underneath all that, they are pure heart.
At the second grade level, performance expectations
When a foul is actually called, which surprises everyone, the players have to assemble for a free throw, and it takes every bit of five minutes to get the little guys lined up. Who stands where, passing the ball to the ref in a helpful manner –there’s a lot to remember.
When a team needs to throw the ball inbounds, it is often necessary for the ref to call someone over to do it. The entire team has already run back down the court. Conversely, it is also sometimes necessary for the ref to remind the players to run back down the court; no, not you, Tommy, someone has to stay behind to catch the ball.
The kids are much better at dribbling than they were last year, but effective passing is still beyond their reach. Most times, the ball is beyond everyone’s reach. Another fine point that could use some work is that you should throw the ball to someone who is on your own team. Notes for next year.
My grandson’s team lost the game. They might not win a game all season, but it doesn’t matter. There is growth. There is kindness. There is joy.
I feel another milkshake coming on.
Reptiles, refreshments and live music were some of the highlights of the Homewood Salamander Festival on Jan. 28. The event, held at Homewood High School by the Friends of Shades Creek, was the group’s first nonvirtual salamander festival since 2020. On hand were the festival’s namesake reptiles, fish and turtles, plus family-friendly activities, live music and refreshments. The Friends of Shades Creek is a nonprofit organization that works to protect and maintain the 56-mile-long waterway, which flows from near the Birmingham Race Course to the Cahaba River in Bibb County, passing through the Over the Mountain cities of Homewood, Mountain Brook and Hoover.
Encouraging. He’s exactly what these little guys need at this stage of the game.‘I AM GRATEFUL’ Alice Womack receives Mountain Brook’s Jemison Visionary Award PAGE 6 CAUTIONARY TALE Heart attack patient beats the odds to completely recover PAGE 8 ‘GREAT EVERY DAY’ New Vestavia Schools HOF member said teaching was best job he ever had PAGE 21 MAKING THE CUT Birmingham chef, two restaurants are James Beard Awards semifinalists PAGE 20
Thurs., Feb. 9
Samford Legacy League Scholarship Luncheon
Christian author Susan Alexander Yates will share life-shaping messages for all ages and stages of life. Proceeds will provide scholarships to students with financial need and challenging circumstances. When: 11:30 a.m. Where: Vestavia Hills Country Club
Feb. 9-19
The Hallelujah Girls
Homewood Theatre’s production of the comedy “The Hallelujah Girls” will be presented. When: Showtimes vary Where: Homewood Theatre
Dreamgirls Red Mountain Theatre
It’s a story infused with the spirit of Motown and the R&B legends of the ‘60s and ‘70s. When: Showtimes vary Where: Red Mountain Theatre
Feb. 9 - 26
Escape to Margaritaville
Musical comedy featuring Jimmy Buffet’s hit songs and a book by Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia and Emmy nominee Mike O’Malley. A parttime bartender, part-time singer and full-time charmer thinks he’s got life
MERCEDES MARATHON WEEKEND | FEB. 10-12
Birmingham’s premier race event that drew runners from around the world is ending after more than 20 years. The marathon raised millions of dollars for charity over the years. Races during the final weekend will include full and half marathons, the Regions SuperHero 5K, a relay and a Kid’s Marathon (Above). When: Times vary Where: Races begin at Birmingham’s Linn Park
all figured out until a beautiful careerminded tourist steals his heart and makes him question everything.When: Showtimes vary Where: Virginia Samford Theatre
Feb. 10-11
Giggles & Grace Consignment Sale
Asbury United Methodist Church will hold a baby and child consignment
sale, select items will be 50% off on Saturday. Where: Asbury United Methodist Church When: Fri. 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.- 12 p.m.
Feb. 10-12
Lift Every Voice
This three-day celebration will honor the achievements of Black artists in our community through
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The Friends of O’Neal Library book sale returns this month for its 58th year. The Friends group held its first book sale in 1965, raising $303; in 2022, more than $29,000 worth of books were sold.
The book sale this year runs from Feb. 23 to Feb. 26. More than 20,000 volumes are available.
The sale kicks off with a preview party Feb. 23, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Those who donate $50 or more to the library will receive an invitation to the preview party and have first access to the collection, which includes art and coffee table books, first editions and rare titles that the Friends have been organizing all year.
Donations may be made at the door, or you can donate to the library at oneallibrary.org. Go to the support tab and click on Mountain Brook Library Foundation.
The sale is open to everyone Feb. 24-25 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. During the Sunday Sale, Feb. 26 2-5 p.m., patrons can fill a bag of books in the basement for $15 and purchase treasures for half price.
Proceeds from book sales support the O’Neal Library’s adult and teen pro-
theatre, dance, music, poetry, art, literature, panels, talkbacks and workshops. When: Various times Where: Birmingham Children’s Theatre
Sat., Feb. 11
Easterseals Mardi Gras on the Mountain Presented this year by Zyne Family Foundation, complete with a ninepiece live band and a New Orleansinspired buffet dinner, beer and wine, you will feel like you have stepped into Mardi Gras. Live auction hosted by Diamonds Direct, along with a silent auction. Each guest will receive a Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktail upon arrival. When: 6 p.m. – VIP Cocktail Hour for Sponsors, 7 p.m. – Doors open for the main event, Black tie optional Where: The Club
Sun., Feb. 12
Birmingham Boys Choir and Magician David Garrard
The choir and magician perform in a show titled “Love, Magic and Music.” When: 2:30 p.m. Where: Thompson High School
Big Machine Day McWane Center
This event features some of the coolest machines around. From dump trucks to fire trucks, kids young and old will have the chance to climb aboard these incredible contraptions and explore all they have to offer. When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Where: McWane Center Plaza
grams. Programs for adults this past year ranged from book clubs to an American Sign Language course to a Sustainable Style Series. Programs for teens included college financing workshops, theater programs and exam support for teens.
Over the past decade, the Friends have raised more than $300,000 for the library and have shared the surplus donated books with various charities throughout Alabama. Last year at the philanthropy day after the sale, 24 non-
TUES., FEB. 14
Alabama Theatre Presents
Casablanca
Celebrate Valentine’s Day at the Alabama Theatre with a showing of “Casablanca.” Enjoy the movie with your date, and the theatre’s variety of special holiday drinks. When: 7 p.m. Where: Alabama Theatre
Parkside on Fifth Valentine Dine Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Parkside on Fifth and help support Birmingham AIDS Outreach. Parkside has a new menu with wonderful food and will present a special three- course menu for the evening. When: 6-10 p.m. Where: Parkside on Fifth
Fri., Feb. 17
Volunteer Recruitment
Want to volunteer but don’t know which organization you’d like to work with? The Hoover Public Library is holding its 2nd Annual Kindness Summit, an event where you can meet representatives from 29 area organizations looking for your help. When: 1-5 p.m. Where: Hoover Public Library, Theatre Level.
Sat., Feb. 18
Birmingham Camellia Society
A camellia plant sale will take the place of the annual Birmingham Camellia Show, which had to be canceled due to a lack of outdoor blooms from subfreezing weather earlier this winter. When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Where: Birmingham Botanical Gardens auditorium.
profit organizations were able to select more than 3,300 books to be donated to their organizations.
Books in this year’s sale were donated by members of the community or from the library’s collection. The Friends are accepting donations continuously. Those wishing to donate can bring books to the back door of the library and ring the doorbell. Encyclopedias, out-of-date textbooks and books that are damaged or moldy will not be accepted.
Feb. 17-18
Elvis People
South City Theatre presents dinner theater show “Elvis People,” a comedic play by Doug Grissom that explores the King’s impact on American culture. When: Buffet dinner at 6:30 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. Where: Homewood Library
Mon., Feb. 20
Washington’s Birthday Celebration
American Village will celebrate George Washington’s 292nd birthday with birthday cake and a musical tribute featuring the Cahaba Chamber Chorale and Ramsay IB High School Choral Department. When: 10 a.m.4 p.m., with cake at noon and the musical tribute at 2 p.m. Where: American Village
Thurs., Feb. 23
An Evening With Josh Blue
The comedian, who has cerebral palsy, will perform at this benefit for Disability Rights & Resources, which wants to establish its first fully equipped ADA resource center, The Next Step Resource Center. When: reception at 5:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. Where: Red Mountain Theatre
Restoring Hope Gala
This fundraiser for Blanket Fort Hope, a nonprofit Christian organization to help children who have survived sex trafficking, will feature meteorologist James Spann as special guest emcee. Live and silent auctions and games will be part of activities for the evening. When: 6-9 p.m. Where: The Club
The Dogwood Dink brings pickleball enthusiasts together for a day of fun and enthusiastic game play!
Registration closes Feb. 14. When: 9 a.m. Where: Vestavia Hills Civic Center
Birmingham Does Broadway: Chris Confessore and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra will showcase music from Les Miserables, Evita, West Side Story, The Music Man, and many more in this yearly crowdfavorite performance. Where: UAB’s Alys Stephens Center When: 7 p.m.
Dinner & Diamonds
This benefit for the Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation will include dinner, entertainment, and silent and live auctions. When: 7-11 p.m. Where: Vestavia Country Club
Rotoract Black and White Foundation Ball
The Black & White Ball supports the Rotoract Club’s Signature Service projects. When: 6:30 p.m. Where: Birmingham Museum of Art
A Night at the Oscars
Dance the night away, raise your paddle to bid on unique auction items, and strike a pose on the red carpet to benefit Mitchell’s Place. Pre-registration required by Feb. 10. When:
The students of Unless U have partnered with volunteers and will be competing Feb. 25 for the title of Unless U Got Talent Champions.
Acts will include a band performance, a cooking demonstration, a Gospel choir and a bodybuilding exhibition. The Lochamy Brothers from Birmingham Mountain Radio will emcee the show, according to a statement from Unless U.
The judging panel includes Ashley Mac’s owner, Ashley McMakin; the president emeritus of Samford University and executive director of the Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership, Andrew Westmoreland; and WTVM 13 news anchor Brittany Decker.
Unless U Got Talent is sponsored by LIV Development, Community Bank, the Will & Ammie Akin Family Fund, Mitchell Marketing Solutions, FlexCare Infusion Centers, BEBWS CPAs, Scout Sport Floors, HPM, Robert & Lois Luckie Charitable Foundation, Lacroix, the Cooper Family Foundation and SCA Health.
The event will be Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m. at the Lyric Theatre. Tickets are $35 and can be bought at unlessu.org/uugottalent.
As Alice Womack accepted the Jemison Visionary Award at the Country Club of Birmingham during the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce’s annual luncheon, she thanked the chamber and the people who welcomed her to the city when she moved there 23 years ago.
“I may be this year’s recipient, but it is because you welcomed me into this community in February of 2000 and allowed me the opportunity to make this my place to live, work and raise a family,” Womack said at the Jan. 24 luncheon. “I am grateful.”
Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart H. Welch III, who introduced Womack and presented her with the award, noted the Jemison Visionary Award “is the highest honor to be bestowed to a resident and community leader in Mountain Brook.”
The award seeks to honor the vision of Mountain Brook developer Robert Jemison Jr. “by appreciating a citizen who has gone the extra mile to make this city the special place it is today,” Welch said.
“I can think of no person more deserving of the Jemison Visionary Award than Alice Womack. Alice has a long history, more than 20 years, as an unselfish servant-leader to our community,” he added.
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genre anarchy” with elements of surreal comedy, science fiction, fantasy, martial arts films and animation. It explores themes of generational trauma, mother-daughter relationships, ADHD and Asian-American identity. And there’s an important message of kindness, too. It is one of the bestreviewed movies of the year.
Both Scheinert and Rogers were born in Birmingham. The two met in Los Angeles at Scheinert’s birthday party a decade ago and, realizing their hometown connection and a shared passion for filmmaking, collaborated on the music video for “Turn Down for What” by DJ Snake and Lil Jon.
“That video was way bigger than any of us thought it would be,” Rogers told the Hollywood media outlet Deadline. “It just kinda snowballed from there.”
Rogers was raised in a home where art mattered.
His mother, Melissa Springer, is an acclaimed photojournalist and one of the first to document the AIDS epidemic.
Welch listed Womack’s public service to the city, including serving eight years on the city council, which ended in the fall; serving previously as president of the Mountain Brook
always deliberate and always seeking the ‘win-win’ in difficult issues,” he said.
Womack said she was grateful to have served on the City Council “because it gave me a front row seat to the inner workings of our city government.” She also praised city employees.
“We truly have the most dedicated men and women that work hard and with integrity. You have already heard from two of them, Heather Richards and Janet Forbes, who not only put their heart in soul into this community but do so with such positivity and enthusiasm.”
Richardson and Forbes were named City Employees of the Year at the luncheon.
The city of Mountain Brook recently was recognized by The Arbor Day Foundation for 20 consecutive years of Growth Awards won from the Tree City USA program.
To be recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA, a city must meet four criteria, including that someone must have statutory authority over the city’s trees. In Mountain Brook, that is the Board of Landscape Design.
United Methodist Church.
Among her other distinctions are membership in the Leadership Birmingham Class of 2021-2022, previous service as a board member and vice president of the Junior League of Birmingham and as a board member of the Service Guild of Birmingham. She also received the Woman of Distinction Award by the Girl Scouts of North Central Alabama in 2016.
The mayor recalled meeting Womack when he came into office.
City Schools Foundation and the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce; and serving as chair of the board of trustees at Canterbury
She said, “He was surrounded by my friends. I had a wonderful group of studio mates, and we hung out together. He went to every art opening since he was 2 years old. And the first thing he learned was where the cookies were. So, he went to art openings his whole life. He also had a good friend who was interested in movies, and they started making them together. He was 8 when he made his first one.”
Springer tells a story about when Rogers was in the seventh grade, and he got into a fight. As punishment, she made him read a biography of Gandhi.
“It was 432 pages. And then we both read it and both fell in love with Gandhi,” she said. “So, one of his films that he made – I guess he was 13 years old – was ‘Gandhi: No More Mr. Nice Guy.’” There were no fake guns in the house, so they had to use sticks, she said. “It was hilarious.”
Rogers attended Homewood High School and then the College of Santa Fe in New Mexico. Upon graduating, he returned home to Birmingham and worked at Alabama Public Television on the “We Have Signal” live episodic music program filmed at the Bottletree Cafe in Birmingham.
“He’s always been interested in music,” Springer said. When Rogers was a teenager, she bought him and his
“I instantly liked her and over time came to know her as someone who was always prepared, always compassionate, always thoughtful,
friends a 12x12 piece of linoleum from Mazer, and they used it as a roll-out stage for breakdancing at Five Points South.
Springer’s friends still surround Rogers with love and support.
When the film came out, several of them joined Springer at the movie theater to celebrate Rogers’ accomplishment.
“There were about 12 of us,” she said. “When his name came up, we all jumped up screaming. And then somebody in the audience said, ‘Is Paul Rogers here?’ and I said, ‘No, but his mama is.’”
These friends, of course, are hosting an Oscar party. When Rogers came home this past Christmas, some of them came to Springer’s house with googly eyes (they feature in the film) on their foreheads and posed for a photo with Rogers.
Springer is intensely proud of her son.
“I love his creative mind. It was always there, and I’m so happy to see that he’s found his place in the world and his voice in the world. And he’s speaking loudly.”
Scheinert also grew up in Birmingham, attending Oak Mountain elementary and middle schools. He then went to the Jefferson County
She also lauded Mountain Brook police Cpl. E.J. Melton, who was present. Melton was on his way home after he ended a shift and stopped to help some people who were in a car accident in Birmingham. The people who were in the accident happened to be Womack’s friends, but Melton didn’t know that.
“Being in Birmingham’s district he acknowledged that he was limited in his ability to provide assistance but could wait with them until Birmingham police arrived, and he did for 20 to 30 minutes. This was not his municipality, these were not ‘his’ Mountain Brook residents to serve. He did it on his own accord, on his own time – he is representative of the men and women we have at the city of Mountain Brook,” Womack said.
International Baccalaureate School on the Shades Valley campus for high school. That’s when he became interested in filmmaking through local competitions and musical theater.
His solo directing debut, in 2019, was “The Death of Dick Long,” an Alabama-based film shot in and around the greater Birmingham area. Rogers edited this film, too. It was screened with a filmmaker chat at Sidewalk Film Festival.
Scheinert still comes back for Sidewalk when he can, and he’s served on the festival’s jury. It is, he has said, his “favorite film festival.”
The Oscars might be icing.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” came into the Oscar competition already a huge winner.
The film has won Critics Choice Awards for best picture, director, screenplay, supporting actor for Quan, and editing. It won two Golden Globes for Yeoh and Quan at the 80th Golden Globe Awards from a total of six nominations that included Best Director and Best Motion Picture–Musical or Comedy.
It took home five awards from its 14 nominations at the 28th Critics’ Circle Awards, including Best Picture,
Cities also must have a tree care ordinance that establishes criteria for managing the trees, such as standards for planting, removal and care of public trees; a commitment to spend at least $2 per capita on its trees; and an annual Arbor Day celebration that includes a proclamation by the mayor, according to a statement from the city.
Mountain Brook has been a Tree City USA for 28 consecutive years. The Growth Award program was implemented to recognize communities that go beyond the four basic criteria to improve their urban canopies.
In the decades since the program began, 46 communities in Alabama have been recognized with Growth Awards for their urban forest achievements. Daphne, Gulf Shores and Foley can claim similar years of recognition, but only Gulf Shores has matched Mountain Brook in recent years.
Best Director and Best Editing. There were five nominations at the 29th Screen Actors Guild Awards, including acting nominations for the overall ensemble and individual nominations for Yeoh, Quan, Hsu and Curtis. These will be presented Feb. 26.
The film has earned $105 million at the global box office, becoming distributor A24’s highest-grossing film and its first to pass the $100 million mark.
It has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95% with the critics’ consensus saying, “Led by an outstanding Michelle Yeoh, ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ lives up to its title with an expertly calibrated assault on the senses.”
The audience reviews cite the film’s “incredible acting; stunning visuals; and a really deep, powerful story.”
“It’s a wild ride,” Springer said. “It really is. Of course, I’m the mother, but editing is such an integral part of making this movie understood. It’s a pretty crazy film but with a beautiful message that I think the world needed.
“Obviously, the world did because they are embracing it. It’s a movie about kindness and loving yourself … accepting your life and loving who you are. It’s a lot of really positive, wonderful things put out in the world.”
‘Alice has a long history, more than 20 years, as an unselfish servant-leader to our community.’
Mitchell’s Place on Feb. 1 held a grand opening of its new Southside location, which will expand the applied behavioral analysis program, speech therapy, occupational therapy and a variety of services for families.
The new Mitchell’s Place Southside, at 2305 Arlington Ave. S., also will offer parent education and support groups, providing a comprehensive approach to caring for families affected by autism, according to a statement by Mitchell’s Place.
“We are so excited to offer clinical services for autism to all!” shared
Registration is open for the Publix GreenWise Market Village2Village
10K/7.5K Run on March 11.
The event, hosted by the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, opens at 7 a.m. with the race kicking off at 7:30 a.m. It will start at the Grand Bohemian Hotel and wind through city streets, around the Birmingham Country Club, then head downhill past the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and finish at Lane Parke.
A Race Village After Party in Lane Parke will be held with food and drink vendors, live music, a kids zone and awards for race participants.
For more information and to register, visit village2village10k.com.
Mitchell’s Place Executive Director Sara Nall. “Being on the Southside of town enables clients who struggle with transportation to receive services, and it gives us an opportunity to partner with other autism services and healthcare providers in the area. We are thankful to be able to serve more families.”
The grand opening included the unveiling of a donor wall featuring 14 local and national foundations that
Her 42nd wedding anniversary, on Aug. 2, 2021, was almost the last for Sharon Dawkins.
She was home in unincorporated Jefferson County near Mountain Brook working out upstairs on her Peloton bike when her husband, Jim Dawkins, heard a thud and found his wife unconscious on the floor.
When paramedics from the Mountain Brook Fire Department got to the couple’s home, they had to restart her heart twice and told her husband to be prepared in case she didn’t survive.
That she is alive and healthy 18 months later is a miracle, Dawkins, 66, said. That she didn’t suffer brain damage when her heart stopped beat-
ing, as her doctor feared, is another. She doesn’t remember much about the incident – the efforts by paramedics to restart her heart twice, the race to Ascension St. Vincent’s Birmingham or her three-week stay St. Vincent’s, including one week in an induced coma.
Dawkins does remember waking up from the coma and asking her husband, who was by her side, “Why am I in the hospital?”
When he told her she’d had a heart attack, she said, “I laughed. He said, ‘No, you had a heart attack.’”
She also discovered she had broken her ankle when she fell off the bike.
She spent a week at a rehabilitation hospital following her discharge from St. Vincent’s.
From Page One
the director) and some other people here some pictures and they were enthusiastic and we scheduled it.”
That sent Meripol back to figure out which images would make the cut.
“It’s kind of curating,” he said. “Which ones are worth hanging and how big should they be? We walked around and talked about the sizes of the pictures and how they would hang and we came up with 38 that we thought would work – 18 of the really big ones that are 2-by-3 foot and these are 17-by-22 inches.
“We thought 20 of these (big ones) and 18 (smaller ones). Somehow, I just managed to instead of doing 20 of those, I did 24. I don’t know how that happened.”
In his artist statement, Meripol says he began photographing live music on campus while pursuing a degree in journalism at the University Arkansas. He fell in love with the experience and for 13 years spent his days as a news photojournalist and his nights in clubs and arenas photographing musicians.
Meripol’s side gig of concert photography ended in 1990, when he joined Southern Living Magazine as a senior travel photographer. He spent more than 3,000 nights on the road during the next 24 years, sharing the best of the South in his images.
The photographer rediscovered his old negatives of musicians a few years ago and began scanning images, many of which had been unseen since the shutter was snapped. There were exceptions, including some that were in posts on social media.
Every photo in the gallery has a story, like the portrait of Tina Turner. It was the only show he attended with a specific shot in his mind.
“I wanted to have her face looking right back at the viewer, tight with all that hair and attitude and power and personality that she has,” Meripol said. “I took a lens that was a manual focus, 350-millimeter lens that
Having a heart attack was a terrifying experience but also a surprising one, Dawkins said. While she had a history of atrial fibrillation, a disease
of the heart characterized by irregular and often faster heartbeat, stroke is more commonly associated with this condition.
“I had no clue I was at risk for” a heart attack, Dawkins said.
She’d retired from Southern Company four months before the heart attack and was about 20 pounds
weighed more than a dozen cast iron skillets.”
The lens wasn’t made to be used without a tripod or monopod, but the photographer could have neither during the 10-minute access he was granted. And the moment came.
“She had been close to me and she started to walk away and then she just stopped … and threw her chin around and looked over her shoulder at me, pursed her lips and looked right down the lens,” he said. “At that moment I was fortunate to be in focus and you can see every little crease in her lips.”
Meripol has a picture of KISS in the makeup for which the band is known and another without the makeup. And he describes a frail-looking Ray Charles being led onto the stage and to his piano bench before he was transformed before his eyes.
“As soon as his fingers touch those keyboards, it’s like 10,000 volts goes through him. All of a sudden, he becomes this just … he becomes that,” the photographer said, referring to the photo. “The transformation was
magic.”
And there are images that aren’t from a stage. There’s the one Meripol got while working for Southern Living. He saw a pink Cadillac convertible while doing a travel shoot in South Beach of Miami, Florida.
Then he looked in the back seat.
“‘Holy Cow! That’s Cab Callaway!’” he recalled, recognizing the legendary jazz singer and bandleader before going over to ask permission to snap the shot. “Look at these guys with him. They look like extras from the Sopranos.”
Ironically, the gifted photographer of musical acts is not a musician, saying he could barely tune a radio. But he longed to be a rock star.
“When I was a kid, early ‘60s, the Beatles came out and I was just a Beatles fan. I still am,” he said. “My little brother and I both wanted to be Beatles.”
The pair found plywood and cut out guitar shapes and nailed yardsticks to them for make-believe guitar necks. In their back yard and in their minds, they were the Beatles.
“I’m sure my mom was laughing
overweight. Dawkins said she’d worked with a personal trainer to get in better shape. While she was trying to take care of herself, she’d also started eating somewhat unhealthily, like fast food on occasion. And she was feeling fatigued.
“My mother had a history of heart disease, so I probably shouldn’t have
her butt off staring out the kitchen window at us in the backyard playing,” he recalled. “I tried playing music (but) I can’t. It’s not in me. I couldn’t be a rock star, but I can at least take my axe – which is a camera – and go to shows and be part of it that way.”
Meripol was intimately close to the show. Initially, he was in the camera pit with screaming fans pressing against his back while performers peered into his lens.
As a starving college student, Meripol took pictures for the school paper, student union and school yearbook. That gave him access to live concerts whose tickets he couldn’t afford.
“I loved it,” he recalled. “The first time I shot a concert, I just fell in love with it. It was so exciting.”
The photographer started working part time for the Northwest Arkansas Times while he was a student and then worked full time there after he graduated. But he didn’t graduate from shooting concerts.
“A lot of these I shot for newspapers,” he said of his gallery display, “but a lot I shot because I could get in … on my name and reputation. And I was shooting for me because I love shooting live music.”
The showing at Aldridge Gardens will run Mondays through Fridays until March 3. The gallery is normally open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call (205) 682-8019 before visiting the gallery to make sure a luncheon or other event has not been scheduled when you plan to visit.
For information about the artist reception on Feb. 16, go to aldridgegardens.com, click on the Classes & Events link, then Events and Event Calendar.
Courtesy Art MeripolToday Dawkins is more conscious of what she eats and pays closer attention to ingredients and nutritional information on items at the grocery store.
developed those habits,” Dawkins said.
At the hospital doctors discovered she had a blockage and put in stents, Dawkins said.
Her cardiologist, Dr. Christopher DeGroat of Ascension St. Vincent’s Birmingham, said it was feared that she’d suffered anoxic brain injury due to being deprived of oxygen between the time she suffered the heart attack and when paramedics got there.
When she came out of the induced coma, it was discovered she’d suffered no brain damage. Dawkins attributes her recovery to her medical team, including DeGroat, and the prayer warriors who prayed for her.
Since the heart attack, Dawkins has welcomed a granddaughter, Vivienne, who was born exactly a year after the heart attack, and a new daughter-in-law when her son married in October.
Her heart function is completely normal now, compared to moderately to severely reduced when she first went to the hospital, DeGroat said.
“I wish I could say that every case is like that,” he said.
Last August, on the one-year anniversary of the heart attack, Dawkins and her family brought dinner to the Mountain Brook fire station to thank the paramedics and firefighters who responded and saved her life so she could make it to the hospital.
There is a lot in medicine today to get your heart healthy when things go wrong, said cardiologist Christopher DeGroat of Ascension St Vincent’s Birmingham.
less chance of heart attack and stroke.”
• Activity. Some people like to exercise; some people don’t. But it’s not only good for your heart, it’s good for your mental health, he said. Running, biking, even a leisurely walk through the neighborhood for 15 to 20 minutes a day at least three times a week are all good.
• Be aware of your body and, when something is off, let your doctor know. It might not be anything but it’s better to get it checked.
Christopher R. DeGroat, MD
To prevent heart attacks, people need to stay on top of their health and get screenings to keep their hearts healthy, especially if they have a family history of heart disease or they have high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, DeGroat said.
He offered these other tips:
• Take preventative medications if your doctor advises them. “I don’t want my patients to take any excessive medicines. But the truth is some of these medicines help prevent heart attack,” DeGroat said. “I tell patients all the time that cholesterol medicines, for example, offer a 25%
The firefighters “were glad I made it,” she said.
Today Dawkins is more conscious of what she eats and pays closer attention to ingredients and nutritional information on items at the grocery store. She cut out deli meat, which
DeGroat also said people need to be aware that symptoms of heart attack in women tend to be different from that of most men, who often report a shooting pain down the arm or feeling like an elephant is stepping on their chest.
“Some women certainly get chest pain and the typical symptoms,” he said. “I see ladies in the ER who say they just have bad indigestion, abdominal pains, or ‘every time I walk around, I get a little jaw pain or discomfort,’ or just something that you wouldn’t necessarily associate it with the heart.”
she likes, and reduced her salt and fat intake as advised by her doctor, who she sees every six months. Exercise is important too.
“I’m so glad I’m here,” she said. “I feel a debt of gratitude to Dr. DeGroat.”
Jeremy Edgerly, OD, with wife Chelsey above, is bringing 10+ years of experience to his family’s hometown of Mountain Brook to serve its residents and the surrounding communities. The couple is proud to be the only family-owned optometry practice in Mountain Brook, and looks forward to providing patients and customers with the individual and personalized attention they deserve. Mountain Brook Eye Care also offers contemporary
Alex Broadhead admits she had superficial reasons for becoming a member of the junior board at Glenwood, a nonprofit agency dedicated to serving children, adolescents and adults with autism and other behavioral health needs.
“I got involved as part of a startup company I was working for, looking to make business connections,” Broadhead said.
That was five years ago, and Broadhead is still on the Glenwood junior board. In fact, she’s now the junior board president.
“I have become passionate about Glenwood and their mission,” she said.
This month, Broadhead and the rest of the Glenwood junior board will be hosting its annual Big Top fundraising event Feb. 24 from 8 p.m. until midnight at the Haven in Lakeview.
The Mallie and Glenn Ireland Foundation is the presenting sponsor.
The event is led by co-chairs Jacquelyn Drennen and Kyle Crew. Committee chairs include Nonie Brown and Justin Detwiler, sponsorships; Alicia Tibbs, silent auction; Jessica Caldwell, Friends of Glenwood; Kimberly Piazza and Megan Fingerman, publicity.
“It’s a huge fundraiser,” Broadhead said. “Our pre-Covid numbers were around 700 attendees and we’re looking to bringing it back to that number.”
This will be the 19th Big Top event held by the junior board.
“Big Top is our largest fundraiser for children’s services,” said Linda Baker, chief development officer for Glenwood. “It’s super exciting. Normally the life for an event like this is seven years, so it’s amazing success story for our junior board and it’s fun. Our junior board brings a lot of energy to helping children with autism.”
Guests will be treated to an evening of live music featuring local band TOTAL A$$ET$, casino games, silent auction and food provided by Happy Catering.
The event is best known for the silent disco in which guests dance the night away to their own personal beat.
“I absolutely will take part in silent disco,” Broadhead said. “It’s one of
All tickets come with complimentary beer and wine. VIPs and Friends of Glenwood also will be treated to complimentary cocktails provided by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and other donated spirits.
Other activities include photos taken on the red carpet, ring toss to win a bottle of wine, and the silent auction featuring trips, jewelry, art
Broadhead said some of the things available for the silent auction are stays in the mountains and lake, Alabama and Auburn items, cooking classes and things for golf enthusiasts.
“The good thing about the silent auction is you don’t have to be at the event and you can do it online in the comfort of your own home,”
Baker hopes the event will top the amount of money raised during last year’s Big Top.
“Every year our junior board wants to do more than it did the last year,” Baker said. “Last year we raised about $360,000. It’s a wonderful event.
“With all that’s going on, our junior board is working hard to make it a success. Glenwood has been affected by inflation just like everyone else. We’ve got a lot of employees working and we need to keep them engaged, and we’ve got about 30 homes we care for and we have to provide groceries for about 125 people.”
Baker said the work is ongoing for Glenwood, which began in 1974 as a program to provide treatment, education and research in children’s mental health.
“Currently one in 44 children will be diagnosed with autism, so there’s a huge need,” she said. “We have a continuum of care. We serve children as young as 18 months and the oldest person we serve is 70, so we do it across the years of life.
“We have over 30 comprehensive services for children from evaluation, diagnosis and full-time residential care. We touch the lives of over 8,000 families each year.”
For more information about Big Top, contact Jackie McLean at jmclean@glenwood.org or 205-795-
Qua was born with tricuspid atresia that required a series of open heart surgeries as an infant. But as a teen, his health took a dramatic turn. Qua’s pediatrician and cardiologist recognized something wasn’t right with his heart and sent him to Children’s of Alabama. Our team was standing by when he arrived by helicopter, and within two weeks he received a new heart. He rebounded quickly and was back at home a few weeks later, thanks to the expert heart team here at Children’s of Alabama.
‘We have a continuum of care. We serve children as young as 18 months and the oldest person we serve is 70, so we do it across the years of life.’Glenwood Junior Board President Alex Broadhead, above, says the silent disco is one of the most popular parts of the event.
When you’ve got a love song in your heart but need someone to sing it to your darling, The Exceptional Foundation’s Caroling Cupids will hit all the right notes.
For a suggested $100 donation, this year’s duo from the nonprofit center for people with special needs will sing a classic love song to that special someone, said Robbie Lee, the foundation’s director of partnerships and outreach.
Accompanied by Lee on guitar, singers Tia Stallworth, 30, and Sam Sullivan, 32, will sing one of the songs from this year’s repertoire: Stevie’s Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” “My Girl” by the Temptations or “Can’t Help Myself” by the Four Tops.
The carolers and the songs rotate annually.
“We try to keep it fresh each year,” Lee said.
The carolers said they enjoy participating.
“I love singing for people because it makes them feel good. It is my favorite thing to do,” Sullivan said.
Lee said it’s fun to surprise people when the carolers turn up to sing for someone’s sweetheart.
“I think they are impressed by the level of performance,” he said.
It’s also a fun way for The
Exceptional Foundation to get out into the community and celebrate Valentine’s Day, Lee added.
All proceeds benefit the founda tion, Lee said. Its mission is to serve people with special needs in the great er Birmingham area with social and recreational objectives not met by schools or the community, according to its website.
The Caroling Cupids started a few years ago when it grew out of the foundation’s popular Christmas carol ers. Eight to 12 singers each year go to businesses to sing Christmas carols for a donation, Lee said.
Tues.-Sat. 10-4:00
5620 Cahaba Valley Road 991-6887
New Laura Park notepads and notebooks with her inimitable style and palette. Christine’s on Canterbury, 205-871-8297
Heartbreaker Funfetti $3 for your sweetheart. Cookie Fix, Homewood 205-582-2623 and Cahaba Heights 205-848-8001
Surround yourself in softness with PJ Harlow, luxury loungewear filled with buttery soft fabrics, beautiful colors and the perfect feminine fit. Gus Mayer, 205-870-3300
Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646
109 Hilltop Business Drive Pelham www.GriffithArtGallery.com 205.985.7969
PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the 2022 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246. make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number!
Weaving style and sustainability one bag at a time. Goes anywhere, unlimited uses. From $128 to $168. Marguerite’s Conceits, 205-879-2730
Festive for Valentine’s Day! Etnia Barcelona sunglasses, $288. Mountain Brook Eye Care, 205-341-9595
Signed Frank Fleming Bisque heart. Roman Brantley Art and Antiques, 205-460-1224
Spinelli Killollin x ETC x Ring available in sizes 5-9, $2,280. Exclusively at ETC… 205-871-6747
Please initial and fax back within 24 hours. not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday. Thank you for your prompt attention.
Special Treats for Someone Sweet $54.95 (ships free) Instore and at alabamagoods.com
2933 18th Street South Homewood, AL 35209
www.alabamagoods.com
Facebook.com/alabamagoods Instagram.com/alabamagoods
Nothing feels as exquisite as Branché Silk. Extraordinarily soft, silky and lustrous, Branché’s exclusive silk is simply without rival, $98. B. Prince, 205-871-1965
This Sweet Dreams nightshirt will become her favorite. Made with 100% soft cotton, it is adorable and oh so comfortable! $37.75. In store and at alabamagoods.com.
Pet portraits make a perfect custom Valentine’s Day gift, starts at $1,500. Portraits, Inc., 205-879-1222
Hire your honey a handyman and get all those small projects finally done. Just $225. (Covers travel, setup, two hours labor and cleanup)
TruBlue, 205-839-3818
”When”
Silver leaf frame and lamp. Griffith Art, 205-985-7969
Certified angus sweetheart rib eye steak and a dozen roses pair well with André Clouet Rose Champagne ($52.99) from France for a perfect Valentine’s dinner. Piggly Wiggly
Julie Los Heart Bangle, 24K yellow gold plate, embellished with four shimmering mother of pearl heart stations, $145. Bromberg’s, Mountain Brook, 205-871-3276. Bromberg’s at the Summit, 205-969-1776
Ready. Set. Sleep. Repeat. Take your rest day to a cozier level with Tasc’s new Bamboo Silk sleep shirt and pant. Tasc, 659-599-9240
White gold ruby and diamond ring, the ultimate Valentines Day gift, for the most romantic day of the year. Levy’s at Gus Mayer, 205-870-9477
Create an elegant centerpiece with the Stainless Steel Ice Bottle Chiller. Perfect for chilling a variety of bottles. Formal or casual; decorate the Final Touch Ice Bottle to suit your occasion. The Cook Store, 205879-5277
Mixed metal jewelry from Hunstville designer LJ Sonder, $50 and up. Shay’s Jewelers, 205978-5880
Snoozy’s and george make Valentine’s Day easy ... choose your items and we will wrap it or create a Valentine’s box (at no charge!) 205-871-2662
No olives here, just smartly-dressed almonds coated in white chocolate, masquerading as cocktail garnishes. A clever gift for martini lovers! $10. The Village Poodle, 205-423-5443
Creative marble hearts, $8. Attic Antiques, 205-991-6887
Luxurious walk-in custom closet, $3,500. Closets By Design Alabama 205-777-4000
Twenty artists created original works in 90 minutes during the 38th ArtBlink gala, Feb. 4 at the Kirklin Clinic.
ArtBlink is a Birmingham social event during which the artists create their pieces, which are then available for bids in a silent auction.
Guests also took part in dinner and dancing at the gala, which is the main fundraiser for the advisory board of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB.
Each year the board selects an ArtBLINK Director’s Circle honoree, someone who has contributed to the Cancer Center’s success greatly over the years. This year, the board honors Gray and Lee Thuston and the Thuston Family. ❖
No spies were in sight, but the glamor of the iconic films set the tone for the ROAR James Bond Gala at The Club on Jan. 28.
Breast cancer survivor Marilyn Mitchell Waggoner was the honoree for this year’s event, which included dinner, dancing and a silent auction for items that included trips to Tuscany, Los Cabos and an African safari.
ROAR’s mission is to raise money for cancer research programs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Radiation Oncology Department. ROAR is an acronym for Radiation Oncology Accelerated Research. ❖
Tyler Pilz, Shannon Cooley, Julie Kim, Stephen and Holly Gunn, Colleen Carr and Andre Toffel
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
Tommie Cummings, a founding member of GirlSpring, was the honoree at the nonprofit organization’s fundraiser Jan. 26.
The event, held at a private home, raised money to support the nonprofit online community created by girls for girls. Cummings also is GirlSpring’s treasurer and a member of its executive committee.
GirlSpring’s mission is to provide access to reliable information, inspiring events and positive role models so girls ages 9-18 are empowered to reach their full potential. GirlSpring reaches an average of 13,000 girls each month. ❖
Speaker Tells DAR Chapter of Noah Webster, Dictionaries and the Founding of the United States
The Old Elyton Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution during its January meeting heard from Susan Webb – a retired teacher and historical researcher – about her research into founding father and lexicographer Noah Webster.
In her presentation, titled “Noah Webster, Forgotten Founding Father: More Than the Dictionary, Webb told the story of Webster, who also was an English language spelling reformer, political writer, educator, textbook pioneer, state legislator and political adviser to George Washington. The meeting was held at the Country Club of Birmingham. ❖
Left, Old Elyton DAR members Laurie Hereford, Tricia Drew and Genie Stutts participated in the DAR ritual honoring the passing of their mother, Patricia Camp Faulkner. Right, New member Anne Luckie Cobb was welcomed to the Old Elyton DAR chapter by Regent Stephanie Byrne.
Hoover’s newest senior living community is welcoming new residents! You’ll be greeted with fresh, exciting experiences around every corner, not to mention all-day dining with your choice of chef-prepared, seasonal menu items and a full calendar of activities, live entertainment and guest speakers. Discover a vibrant community created for you and your lifestyle — and a future full of ways to live inspired at The Crossings at Riverchase.
Come
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winner, and Frank Stitt in 2001 for Best Chef in the Southeast.
Finalists for the 2023 James Beard Awards will be announced March 29. The winners will be revealed at a glittering ceremony June 5 at Chicago’s Lyric Opera.
The 2023 Restaurant and Chef semifinalists are recognized across 23 categories, including an award that’s new this year: Outstanding Bakery.
You can find the full list of semifinalists at jamesbeard.org.
For food enthusiasts, here’s a little trivia about the Beard Awards, dubbed the “Oscars” of America’s food industry:
• The awards are named for James Beard, a chef and cookbook author who was known as the “Dean of American Cookery.”
• While most people probably think of Beard’s good friend Julia Child for her pioneering TV cooking shows, it was actually Beard who had the first ever televised cooking show, “I Love to Eat,” in the United States.
By Donna Cornelius
Looking to score some brownie points with your valentine? Here’s a mouth-watering suggestion: goodies made by some of Birmingham’s best bakers, pastry chefs and allaround great cooks.
Members of Les Dames d’Escoffier International’s Birmingham chapter are getting ready for Sweet Treats 2023, featuring boxes with an assortment of cookies, bars, chocolates, brownies and more treats.
By Donna CorneliusBirmingham was once again well represented when the 2023 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists were announced Jan. 25.
Timothy Hontzas of Johnny’s Restaurant is on the semifinalist list for Best Chef in the South. This is the sixth year the talented chef known for his Greek-and-three menu at the popular Homewood eatery has been a semifinalist.
Last year, he advanced as a finalist in the same category, which includes chefs from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Puerto Rico. Last year, Adam Evans of Birmingham’s Automatic Seafood was the winner in this division.
Frank and Pardis Stitt’s Bottega is a semifinalist this year for outstanding hospitality.
Stitt’s flagship restaurant, Highlands Bar and Grill, won top honors as the 2018 Beard Awards’ Most Outstanding Restaurant, and Highlands’ Dolester Miles was named Outstanding Pastry Chef that same year.
A newcomer to the roster of Birmingham culinary luminaries is Pizza Grace, a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant. Chef Ryan Westover and his wife, Helene Jones, opened the restaurant last year in the Mercantile on Morris development in downtown Birmingham. Known for its three-ingredient dough and fresh ingredients, Pizza Grace already has built a loyal fan base during its short time in the Magic City.
In addition to Miles, Evans and Highlands Bar and Grill, past Beard winners from the Birmingham area include Chris Hastings in 2012 for Best Chef in the South, the Bright Star in Bessemer in 2010 as an America’s Classic
Tastings of the best food and wine that restaurants in the city had to offer were the highlight of Viva Vestavia Hills on Jan. 24 at the Vestavia Civic Center. Twenty-two establishments participated, offering food and drink samples to those attending the annual Taste of Vestavia Hills event, which was organized by the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce.
• After Beard’s death in 1985, Child, Peter Kump and other chefs and friends of Beard bought his New York City townhouse and established the James Beard Foundation.
• The first James Beard Awards were presented in 1991. Journalist George Plimpton and actor Jill St. John were the ceremony’s cohosts. Among the winners and nominees were chefs Rick Bayless, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Nancy Silverton, David Bouley and Charlie Trotter and food writer M.F.K. Fisher.
• Food Network televised the awards ceremony for a few years in the 1990s.
• This year’s Awards Committee chairperson is Tanya Holland, a chef and restaurateur who owns the highly regarded Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland, California. You might know her for her appearances on several food-themed TV shows, including season 15 of Bravo’s “Top Chef.”
You can preorder at ldeibirmingham.org and pick up your boxes curbside at the Market at Pepper Place, 2829 Second Ave. S in downtown Birmingham, from 8 a.m.-noon on Feb. 11. For last-minute shoppers, a few boxes will be for sale on site at Pepper Place that morning, too.
The boxes are available for a donation of $50. Proceeds benefit the LDEI scholarship and grant fund.
Among the Dames who will be cooking up treats for the event are: Roz Bloomston, retired caterer; Sonthe Burge, an instructor in Samford University’s Wellness Kitchen; Clara Darling, also of Samford’s Wellness Kitchen; Sidney Fry, a James Beard Award-winning food and nutrition writer and editor; Sherron Goldstein, cookbook author and cooking school owner; Fanoula Gulas, The Greek Kouzina; Amy Jason, Cookie Fix; Telia Johnson, Telia Johnson Cakes; Pam Lolley, a longtime recipe tester and developer in Southern Living’s test kitchen; April McClung, Emily’s Heirloom Pound Cakes; and Gia McCollister, Gia’s Cakes.
Also cooking treats will be Kathy G. Mezrano, Kathy G Catering; Erin Mooney and Sara Walker, Tre Luna; Kate Nicholson, a food, cookbook and recipe editor; Susan Notter, Elizabeth Moore Chocolates; Becky Satterfield, Satterfield’s restaurant; Cheryl Slocum, senior food and features editor at Allrecipes magazine; Leigh Sloss-Corra, the Market at Pepper Place; Jasmine Smith, recipe developer and tester at Meredith Corp.; Joy Smith, Sorelle restaurant; Susan Swagler, Savor blog; Pat Terry, creator of Samford University’s Wellness Kitchen; Carey Thomasson, former private chef and restaurant owner; Emily Tuttle, Bistro V; Rebecca Williamson, Holmsted Fines; and Jennifer Yarbrough, Crestline Bagel.
Les Dames d’Escoffier International is a philanthropic organization of women leaders in the food, beverage and hospitality industries. The Birmingham chapter is one of 44 in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Italy.
When former Vestavia Hills High math and psychology teacher Brian Cain was inducted into the Vestavia City Schools Hall of Fame on Jan. 30, one of his former students at the ceremony told him how much he learned and how much fun he had in the educator’s class.
“That is my bonus right there. The
“It really was never a popularity contest,” he said of the students who ran for office. If elected, a student would be making a strong commitment because they were going to serve their fellow students, he added.
“And so, you’ve got these kids that were just so selfless, so amazingly selfless and it was just such a wonderful thing to see that,” Cain added.
After leaving Vestavia High, Cain worked in Hoover City Schools in administrative positions, including as principal of Simmons Middle School, before retiring from the system. But his educational career wasn’t quite finished.
Last school year, he was asked to work as interim head of school at the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School in Birmingham. He joked he wanted to make sure that as a retiree, the job was worth “getting out of my pajamas.”
It was, and he was asked to return as interim for a second year. In January, Cain, now 57, signed a contract to stay as head of school for three more years.
fact that a kid said your class was interesting and fun, and I just love that,” said Cain, whose 13-year tenure at the high school began in 1989.
Another bonus? That former student was Scott Brown, now a member of the Vestavia Hills Board of Education.
Cain called his job at Vestavia High the most enjoyable he’s ever had.
“It was great every day, every single day was so much fun and interesting,” Cain said.
It’s almost ironic that Cain’s most enjoyable job was in the classroom, because initially he didn’t want to be there. He planned to be a school counselor, but at that time, in the late 1980s, Alabama required two years of classroom teaching experience to get there.
Cain was adamant that he didn’t want to work in the classroom, but one of his professors at BirminghamSouthern College encouraged him to try it. He did and landed a job teaching math at Vestavia High. Eventually he also taught a psychology class.
“My job was to make them better as math students, psychology students, but most importantly, as kids who are dealing with life issues. I probably spent two hours a day counseling kids after school, which of course I loved,” Cain said.
Cain’s former principal, Michael Gross, said he was a popular and effective teacher.
“The kids loved him,” Gross said. As a high school teacher, he not only taught but also sponsored the Student Government Association. Cain said working with these young leaders was a blessing.
Three Hoover City Schools teachers were recognized recently for leading with character and going beyond the call of duty to serve students in the district.
Monica Horne, Allison Winterberger and Jordan Sherrell were honored at the Teacher in the Trenches Character Awareness Breakfast at Hoover City Hall on Jan. 24 by the Finley Committee, according to a press release from the school system.
room by attending their birthday parties, sporting events and dance competitions. Horne said teaching allows her to serve others, build relationships and fulfill her desire to connect with students, families and peers.
“Teaching allows me to serve others, and I am forever grateful that someone saw my servant’s heart, Horne said.
Winterberger is a sixth grade math teacher at Simmons Middle School. Her colleagues said she has an incredible ability to create an engaging and creative classroom, and she does whatever it takes to get her students across the finish line.
“I hope my students gain the confidence to continue to share their ideas. It is so encouraging to see a room full of students eager to participate, and I hope they take this enthusiasm far beyond the classroom,” Winterberger said.
Vestavia Hills City Schools’ 202223 Teachers of the Year were honored Jan. 30 during the Board of Education’s monthly meeting, according to the school system’s website.
The teachers were chosen by their peers at each school.
Two teachers, Megan Humphries from Vestavia Hills Elementary West and Amanda Jordan from Vestavia Hills High School, were named the district’s Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year and will represent the school system in the Alabama Teacher of the Year program.
Other teachers honored were:
• Meg Walker, Vestavia Hills
The school is small, with 42 students in grades K-8 who he described as “precious.”
“I get to work with them, I get to talk to them. I get to work with these incredible teachers and staff members,” he said.
Cain, who is married and the father of two children, lives in Vestavia Hills. His older child is in graduate school and the younger is a junior at Auburn University.
The Vestavia Hills City School System honored five former educators with induction into the system’s Hall of Fame.
Kelly Bagby, Brian Cain, Karen DeLano, Audrey Pharo and the late Kim McBride were inducted during an event at Louis Pizitz Middle School on Jan. 30.
Bagby was a special education teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary Central, Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge and Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park from 2000 to 2022.
Cain taught math and psychology at Vestavia Hills High from 1989 to 2002.
DeLano was assistant superintendent of Vestavia Hills City Schools from 2000 to 2012.
McBride was custodian at Liberty Park Middle School from 2008 to 2021.
Pharo was a kindergarten teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary West from 1977 to 2008.
The Class of 2022 is the third group of educators inducted into the Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees were chosen from a field of nominees submitted by alumni, current and former school employees, and the community at large.
The committee hosts events throughout the year to recognize students and teachers who exhibit exceptional character in the spirit of coach Bob Finley –the committee’s namesake. A longtime coach and educator at the former W.A. Berry High School, Finley led by example and was known for his calm demeanor, integrity and strong faith, the release stated.
The Teacher in the Trenches award honors educators whose dedication and kindness follow students beyond the classroom. The award highlights the teacher’s positive impact on the overall climate and culture of the school and for being a steadfast champion for students.
One teacher each from an elementary, middle and high school is chosen for the honor based on nominations from their fellow teachers. A group of educators choose the three people to win the award.
The winners all said they were honored to be recognized with the character award.
Horne, a third grade teacher at Deer Valley Elementary School, is known to support her students outside the class-
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Sherrell teaches advanced English in the ninth and 10th grades at Hoover High School. He also is on the coaching staff of the Hoover High School freshman football team and speech and debate teams. His colleagues describe him as a teacher who removes the intimidation from reading and writing and invests in each student.
“I try to set a good example and lead with kindness, but to hear that my intentions are meeting my actions made me fulfilled,” he said.
Elementary East
• Carmen Sullivan, Vestavia Hills
Elementary Cahaba Heights
• Kalyn Randolph, Vestavia Hills
Elementary Liberty Park
• Kellie Miller, Vestavia Hills
Elementary Dolly Ridge
• Amy Woodard, Liberty Park
Middle
• Michaela Spence, Louis Pizitz
Middle
• Emily Hall, Vestavia Hills High Freshman Campus
Just four pins. That’s all that kept Spain Park from repeating as Class 6A-7A state bowling champions.
The Jaguars fell 181-177 to Sparkman in the decisive seventh Baker game to lose the finals series 4-3 on Jan. 27 at The Alley in Gadsden.
“We are disappointed, but we fought hard,” Spain Park coach Stephen Hobbs said. “We played good solid matches in the quarters and the semis. Sparkman was a really good team. I’ve got to give it to them. It was a tough, back-andforth seven-game match, but they deserved to win. They did what they needed to do.”
The Jags were down 3-2 but then bowled 245 to force the seventh game.
“In game 6, we rolled eight strikes, but in game 7, those strikes turned into nines,” Hobbs said. “Nines in bowling are a backbreaker.”
The Jags finished the traditional round as top seed and reached the finals with two 4-1 wins against American Christian and Hartselle in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
In the finals, Spain Park finished with 1,339 pins to Sparkman’s 1,267, but the Senators came up clutch in the seventh game.
The Jags had four bowlers make the all-tournament team. Senior Ethan Lee was the top bowler, bowling a threegame total of 615. Junior Michael Kimble was second with 606 pins over three games. Liam Hilson was fifth
From page 24
total of 1,792 points. Kaiser played on the Rebels’ 1992 state championship team.
Miller has scored 1,946 points and with a strong postseason could reach 2,000 for his career.
“It was awesome,” Miller said of breaking the record. “That had been one of my goals since I was a freshman and it’s really cool to have accomplished that.”
Miller joined the Rebels’ varsity as a freshman and was primarily a shooter.
“I was a scrawny kid who parked out around the 3-point line and was just shooting 3’s,” he said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Miller decided to spend his time away from school working on
Fort 4-1 in the quarterfinals before falling to Sparkman 4-3 in the semifinals.
The Rebels led the Senators 3-2 after five games, but Sparkman won 201-162 and 161-156 in the final two games to win the match.
In the traditional series, Douglas Dellaccio rolled a 581 over three games to finish sixth overall and make the alltournament team.
The Oak Mountain girls reached the Class 6A-7A semifinals for the first time in program history before falling to Sparkman 4-2. The match was tied 2-2 before the Senators won the final two games.
American Christian beat Sparkman in six games in the final to win the state title.
Krystle Johnson said this year’s Lady Bucs have more depth than any team she has had in her seven years as Hoover’s girls basketball head coach.
“From top to bottom this is the deepest team,” Johnson said. “On any given night, I can play everybody.”
That depth was important last week when Hoover defeated Hazel Green 52-38, snapping the Trojans’ Alabama High School Athletic Association state record 87-game winning streak, which had been the longest active winning streak in the nation.
with North Carolina, made 9 of 18 field goal attempts, including 3 of 5 three-pointers.
“It’s been awhile since Reniya shot the way she did against Hazel Green,” Johnson said.
Senior guard Layla Etchison added 10 points for the Lady Bucs.
Hoover’s 52 points marked the first time all season an opponent has scored 50 or more points against the Trojans.
with a 586 and Luke Eaton was eighth with 578.
“I couldn’t be more proud,” Hobbs said. “We had the No. 1 and No. 2 players and the No. 5 and 8.
“I’m very pleased. We can hold our heads high. We have established ourselves as one of the top bowling programs in the state.”
The Vestavia Hills boys finished third in Class 6A-7A, beating Spanish
his physique, becoming more muscular.
“I worked on my body a lot,” he said.
The extra muscle – he’s now a solid 180 pounds – enabled him to become more physical and play through contact on drives to the basket. He also added a mid-range jumper to his repertoire.
Davis described what Miller is doing this season as “phenomenal.”
Miller is averaging nearly 23.0 points per game along with 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
He is doing it despite being a marked man, with other teams trying to slow him down and make the other Rebels beat them.
“I’ve seen all kind of defensive strategies,” Miller said. “The other night I had two people follow me up and
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In the quarterfinals, the Eagles rallied from a 3-2 deficit to defeat Baker 4-3, winning the final two games 130115 and 151-111.
Oak Mountain’s Emma Hawkins and Grace Smith earned all-state honors. Hawkins was fourth, as she bowled games of 159, 160 and 175 to total 494. Smith was eighth, bowling 128, 198 and 145 for a total of 471.
Meanwhile, the John Carroll Catholic girls were eliminated in the Class 1A-5A quarterfinals, losing 4-2 to Southside-Gadsden.
The Cavaliers’ Maggie Mackin bowled 453 over three games in the traditional series to make all-tournament.
down the court. It’s frustrating at times, but I take it as a compliment.”
Miller poured in 32 points in the 56-48 victory against Hoover on Jan. 24. The victory catapulted the Rebels over the Bucs to the No. 1 ranking in Class 7A and gave them the Area 5 regular season title and the right to host the area tournament. Vestavia Hills plays Thompson Wednesday in the area semifinals.
Miller scored 19 points in a 62-58 victory at Mountain Brook last Friday to end the regular season.
After starting the season 3-3, Vestavia entered the postseason with a 23-4 record, having won 20 of their past 21 games. The only loss was a narrow 64-61 setback at Hoover on Jan. 10.
“We weren’t really expected to be this good, so that’s been fun,” Miller said. “Our defense is so much better and Jordan Ross (an athletic 6-5 junior forward) has made a big difference with his rebounding, scoring and defense on the inside. We haven’t had someone like him since I’ve been here.”
Veteran Leadership
Miller’s leadership and savvy has been front and center throughout the Rebels’ lengthy run of success.
“It’s just the veteran poise he brings,” Davis said. “He’s a four-year guy who’s comfortable in any situation. We lost a lot of guys with a lot of experience off last year’s team, but he
With senior forwards Kristen McMillian and Alanah Pooler in foul trouble, Johnson was forced to turn to 6-foot-2 sophomore Layla Cannon and 6-3 freshman Khloe Ford to deal with Hazel Green’s 6-2 junior star Leah Brooks, who has committed to Alabama.
“They are the two tallest players on the team,” Johnson said. “There have been some games they didn’t play, but they came in and made their presence felt against a player like Leah Brooks.”
Brooks finished with 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds, but she was the only Hazel Green player in double figures against Hoover’s aggressive 2-3 zone defense. The Lady Bucs (291) held the Trojans (28-1) to only three points in the second quarter.
Senior guard Reniya Kelly led Hoover with 24 points, six rebounds and four assists. Kelly, who has signed
has steadied the ship.”
Miller enjoys being the Rebels’ unquestioned leader on the court.
“When I started, I was kind of playing with older guys,” he said. “Now, I’m on the court with all my friends. I would describe myself as a good teammate and unselfish. I am our leading scorer, but I also do the little things to help us win.”
Although both of his parents were college athletes at Samford – his dad, Bud Miller, played baseball and his mom, Mary T. Miller, played volleyball –they didn’t name him Win because they wanted a winner in the family.
“A lot of people think that,” Miller said with a laugh. “My full name is Carl Edwin Miller V, and we just pared it down to Win.”
Miller grew up playing a variety of sports, including baseball, football and soccer, but by the time he reached seventh grade he was down to just basketball.
“Obviously when you’re good at something, it’s fun, and I was blessed to be good at basketball,” he said. “It’s always been my dream to play at the next level and beyond that if I can.”
Miller has signed a basketball scholarship with Belmont in Nashville, breaking the family’s Samford tradition. In addition to his
Hoover (29-1) had lost three times to Hazel Green during the Trojans’ winning streak, including a 59-32 blowout in 2022, and hadn’t beaten the five-time defending Class 6A state champions since 2018.
Hazel Green lost for the first time since Dec. 19, 2020, when it fell to Ensworth (Tennessee). Ramsay, on Jan. 25, 2020, had been the last instate team to beat the Trojans.
“It’s pretty cool to end their streak,” Johnson said. “Our players were obviously happy, but it was not our goal to beat them. We never brought up their streak. We just wanted to come out and play disciplined and not make too many mistakes.”
Hoover heads into postseason in its quest to win its third consecutive Class 7A state championship. The Lady Bucs were scheduled to host Tuscaloosa County Tuesday in the semifinals of Area 5 tournament.
“We didn’t get any ring for beating Hazel Green,” Johnson said. “There’s only one ring we want and that’s the state championship ring.”
parents being athletes at Samford, his great-grandfather, Carl Miller Jr., and grandfather, Eddie Miller, both played football for the Bulldogs. The press box at Samford’s baseball stadium is named after his great-grandfather.
“I had some bigger offers such as Alabama, Auburn and Virginia Tech, and of course, Samford, but Belmont has been there since my freshman year,” Miller said. “I have a great relationship with their coaches, and I believe I can make an impact as soon as I get there.”
Davis said Belmont, which plays in the Missouri Valley Conference, is “the perfect fit” for Miller.
“It checked a ton of boxes for him and his family early on,” Davis said. “It’s a good school academically and it’s in a great city. And Belmont has one of the best mid-major programs in the country.”
Before Miller heads off to college, he has some unfinished business at Vestavia Hills. The Rebels have yet to advance to the State Finals in his career and suffered lopsided losses to Huntsville in the regional semifinals the past two seasons. They haven’t won a state championship since 2009.
“I can’t say I never think about the next step,” Miller said, “but I try to stay in the moment. I would love to win a state championship. That’s the only thing I haven’t done.”
From page 24
hurdles behind Thompson’s Bradley Franklin (8.00).
Hoover’s Brady Shaw was third in the shot put with a toss of 50-08.00. Hoover’s Collin Pate (15-06.00) and Connor White (15-00.00) finished second and third in the pole vault.
The Bucs’ team of Beck, Zachary King, Pate and Charles Crowder won 4x400 meter relay, clocking 3:22.89.
Mountain Brook put together a strong performance in the distance races to win the Class 6A girls championship with 77 points. Northridge was second with 64.50 points and Homewood was third with 61.75.
The title was the Spartans’ first since winning the Class 7A crown in 2019.
Mountain Brook senior Reagan Riley collected two golds and two silvers to lead the Spartans.
“It was such a team effort and we couldn’t have gotten it without people stepping up and doing their absolute best for the team,” Riley said. “It was so fun to win alongside this group of girls and an amazing way for us to go out of indoor and into outdoor with the same momentum.
“It was a lot of behind-the-scenes meetings, prayers, hard conversations
CORRECTION:
In our last issue we ran an incorrect photo with our story about the Mountain Brook High School wrestling team winning their first ever state wrestling title. Nathan McCain clinched the team victory with a 5-3 decision over Mortimer Jordan’s John Leon at 138 pounds in the nextto-last individual match. McCain is pictured at right on top.
Reagan Riley could be described as a cool runner, and now she has a cool award.
At least that’s how Mountain Brook’s senior distance runner described being announced as the 2022-23 Gatorade Alabama Girls Cross Country Player of the Year on Jan. 23.
“I’m just go grateful,” Riley said.
and work that got us here and getting to hold the trophy was such an amazing feeling to have something tangible that showed off our hard work.”
Riley won the 1,600-meter run in 5:06.81 and finished second behind teammate Lucy Benton in the 800meter run. Benton clocked 2:13.88 and Riley 2:14.88.
Riley also was second in the 3,200 in 11:02.51, behind Northridge’s Mary Mac Collins, who won with a time of 10:50.81. Mountain Brook’s Virginia Averyt was third in 11:06.00.
Riley was a part of Mountain Brook’s 4x800 relay team that won in 9:45.42. She was joined by Callie Kent, Mary Katherine Malone and Kennedy Hamilton.
Mountain Brook also won the 4x400 relay in 4:05.33 with a team of Kent, Malone and Ellie Fooshee Benton.
Homewood’s Brooke Walden won the pole vault, clearing a record 12-03.00.
Homewood’s Emma Brooke Levering finished third in the 1,600 (5:09.23), fourth in 800 (2:20.57) and fourth in 3200 (11:5.83.)
The Patriots finished second in both the 4x200 and 4x400 relay races.
Vestavia’s Leath Shines
Vestavia Hills senior Alex Leath set a new 7A state indoor meet record in the 1,600-meter run, clocking 4:10.94 to win the event.
Auburn senior Maxwell Hardin
“It’s such a prestigious and cool award. It’s an all-encompassing award, so it shows in a physical way all the hard work I’ve put in, and it shows what the team and coaches put into me. I definitely feel like it’s a team honor.”
Riley is the second Gatorade Alabama Girls Cross Country Player of the Year to be chosen from Mountain Brook, joining Madeline Morgan (2007-08 and 2008-09).
“I think that’s so cool,” Riley said. “Mountain Brook is a school that likes to focus on legacy and history, so being the second one ever is what makes it so cool.”
The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field. Riley is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year award, which will
be announced later this month.
Riley raced to a second consecutive Class 6A individual state championship in the fall with a time of 17:57.30, leading the Spartans to their second consecutive team title. She also won the Southern Showcase and placed second at Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational in Washington. She finished ninth at the Garmin RunningLane National Championships.
“Reagan Riley reached high levels of national recognition with her victory at the Southern Showcase and a runner-up performance in Washington at the Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational, and (she) used those experiences to repeat as state champion,” said Erik Boal, an editor at DyeStat.com. “She punctuated her season with AllAmerica honors for the second year in a row racing on home soil at the RunningLane National Championships
was run by the team of David Howard, Armstrong, Mitchell Schaaf and Leath.
In the girls 7A pole vault, Vestavia sophomore Kennedy Moreland cleared 12 feet to win.
Homewood finished second with 66 points and Mountain Brook third with 54 in the Class 6A boys competition, won by McGill-Toolen with 84 points.
The Patriots won the 4x800 in 8:01.90 with a team of Will Doughty, Colvin Bassey, Ethan Bagwell and Ben Murray. Mountain Brook was second in 8:03.07.
The Spartans were second in the 4x400 in 3:24.56 and the Patriots were third in 3:25.59. Mountain Brook also was second in 4x200 relay in 1:31.26.
in Huntsville.”
Riley has maintained a weighted 4.16 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a track scholarship with Notre Dame to run for the Fighting Irish in the fall.
She has served as co-president of the Justice Club, organized to raise awareness about human trafficking, and has volunteered locally at Alabama Game Changers, where she tutors autistic youth to make them feel comfortable in new environments. She is also the secretary of the Civitan Club, which plans service projects in her community.
Riley becomes the third consecutive Over the Mountain runner to be named the Gatorade Alabama Girls Cross Country Player of the Year, joining Vestavia Hills’ Crawford West (2021-2022 and 2020-2021) and Homewood’s Lainey Phelps (20192020).
Homewood’s Ben Murray was fifth in 50.91.
Murray was third in the 800-meter run in 1:54.78 and teammate Slate Rohrer was third in the 60-meter hurdles in 8:51.
Homewood’s Hunter Drake finished third in the triple jump with a leap of 43:04.50.
Altamont won Class 1A-3A girls with 69 points, edging Houston Academy with 68.6 points. Indian Springs was third with 44 points. Altamont’s Merritt Fulmer cleared 10 feet to win the pole vault. Altamont won the 4x800 relay in 10:44.63 and finished second in the 4x400.
crossed the finish line at 4:12.24 to finish second and Vestavia Hills’ junior Henry Strand was third at 4:15.99. Spain Park senior Keith Warner was fourth in 4:16:83 as all four runners beat the old record of 4:17.06, which was set by Mountain Brook’s Drew Williams in the 2016 state indoor meet.
Leath also won the 800-meter run with a time of 1:53.41 and teammate Max Armstrong was third in 1:55.64.
The Rebels broke the 4x800-meter relay record with a time of 7:57.02. That beat the all-class record of 7:57.91 set by Smiths Station in 2007 and the 7A record of 7:47.923 run by Mountain Brook in 2016. The record-setting time
Mountain Brook’s Davis Lee was third in the 400-meter dash in 49.57 and
Indian Springs’ Elise Picard collected three golds, winning the 800 with a time of 2:25.88, the 1,600-meter run in 5:26.31 and the 3,200 in 11:47.14.
Spain Park comes up short in quest to repeat as state bowling champs PAGE 22
Thursday, February 9, 2023 ❖ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
By RuBin E. GRant
Bitcoins might be all the rage for some, but Hoover track coach Chris Schmidt prefers nickels and dimes – at least when the Bucs are competing in a state track meet.
“We’re blessed with some great coaches and great athletes, but knowing where to put our athletes for them to be successful is a big part of it,” Schmidt said. “Our goal is to score in everything, every event, and to pick up those nickels and dimes when it comes to scoring points. That’s the key to our success.”
Hoover collected plenty of nickels and dimes as it continued its indoor track dominance by winning the boys and girls indoor track championships in Class 7A last Saturday at the 53rd AHSAA State Indoor Track and Field Championships held at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
Hoover has won three of the past four girls indoor championships, while the boys have won six of the past seven. Both squads repeated as the Class 7A indoor team champs. Hoover’s boys scored 134 points to beat runner-up Vestavia Hills’ 61, and the girls had 111.5 points to runner-up Chelsea’s 81.
“Obviously, I am very pleased,” Schmidt said. “Our kids executed the way they were supposed to.”
In the girls Class 7A competition, Hoover senior Gabrielle Washington won the 60-meter dash in 7.62 seconds and the 400-meter dash in 55.81 seconds. She also was part of the winning 4x200 and 4x800 relay teams. She barely missed winning the 60-meter dash, finishing a split second behind Foley’s Roper. Both were clocked at 7.67.
“Gabby was dominant,” Schmidt said. “She had a great indoor season.”
Freshman Daisy Luna finished second to Washington in the 400-meter dash with a time of 56.21. Two other Bucs freshmen earned goal medals. Dasya Harold won the triple jump with a leap of 47 feet, 1¼ inches, and Nyel Settles won the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 4 inches.
Hoover’s McKenzie Blackledge was second in the 800-meter run in 2:13.09 and Laurin Mack finished second in the long jump with a leap of 17-03.75.
Hoover broke the girls 4x200-meter relay record with a time of 1:39.35. It set a new 7A and all-classification record, which had been set by Hoover in 2016 with a time of 1:40.91. The record-setting time was run by the team of Taylor Canada, Luna, JeBreiya Chapman and Washington.
The 4x400 team of Blackledge, Luna, Canada and Washington won in 3:55.28.
In boys action, Hoover took 1-2 in the 400meter dash with junior Dallas Beck winning the event with a 49.09 time and sophomore DeMarcus Gardner second at 49.12.
Hoover also took 1-2 in the 60-meter dash with senior Jay Avery winning with a 6.96 time, edging senior teammate Khaalid Ruffin, who crossed the finish line with a 6.98 time.
Cool Runner: Spartans’ Riley receives Gatorade Cross Country honor
PAGE 23
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT: Hoover senior Gabrielle Washington won the 60-meter dash in 7.62 seconds and the 400-meter dash in 55.81 seconds. She also was part of the winning 4x200 and 4x800 relay teams; Callie Kent was a part of Mountain Brook’s 4x800 relay team that won in 9:45.42; Homewood’s Brooke Walden
In January, Win Miller became Vestavia Hills’ all-time leading scorer, surpassing Wade Kaiser’s total of 1,792 points.
By RuBin E. GRant
As soon as Patrick Davis was hired as Vestavia Hills boys basketball head coach seven years ago, a young player appeared on his radar.
“When I first took the job, I kept hearing about a fourth or fifth grader who was a really good player,” Davis said. “Then, I saw him in our camps and I recognized that he was a good player.”
Davis didn’t know how good the young Win Miller would become, but he had an idea.
“He had a really good feel for the game as a young player,” Davis said. “That’s something you have or you don’t. And if someone has it, you just cultivate it.
“He combined his love for the game with hard work and I knew that kid was special.”
Miller rose through the ranks in the Vestavia Hills school system and joined the Rebels’ junior varsity as an eighth grader. All along the way, he added nuances to his game.
Journal photo by Marvin Gentry
also won the triple jump with a leap of 47 feet, ¾ inches and was runner-up in the long jump with a leap of 22-03.50.
Hoover’s Denver Cash (8.28) and RJ Torbor (8.33) were second and third in the 60-meter
“He’s been really intentional about his work during the offseason and the summer, working on some things to add to his game,” Davis said. “He didn’t just shoot a lot of shots and then just say, ‘I got my shots in today,’ like you see some players do. You could see he had a plan. You could see clear progress in different areas of his game along with adding strength, speed and athleticism.”
Miller, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, credits his work ethic to being a competitor.
“It’s just kind of how competitive I am and just the desire to get better,” he said. “To take the next step you have to work at it all season.”
In January, Miller became Vestavia Hills’ alltime leading scorer, surpassing Wade Kaiser’s See TRACK, page 23
Avery