OTMJ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL u OTMJ.COM
SOCIAL
SPORTS
Journal photo by Maury Wald
THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018
The Constant Gardener Eddie Aldridge Has Made the World a Little More Beautiful
The founder of Aldridge Gardens, Eddie Aldrige, with wife Kay, above, reflects on family, business, discovery of the Snowflake hydrangea, the garden’s annual fundraiser “Hydrangeas Under the Stars” and more. See story page 10
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2 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
IN THIS ISSUE
MURPHY’S LAW
O FREEDOM FROM ADDICTION OTM Mayors Band Together to Fight Opioid Abuse PAGE 8
LIBRARIES ROCK Hoover, Emmet O’Neal Libraries Kick Off Summer Reading Programs PAGE 12
LOW AND SLOW Restaurateur Brings Texas BBQ to Mountain Brook – and Plans New Edgewood Eatery PAGE 20
OLYMPIC IDEALS Galleria Woods Resident Still Demands Excellence From Her Body and Her Mind PAGE 23
ABOUT TOWN PEOPLE NEWS LIFE SOCIAL WEDDINGS
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
OPINION/CONTENTS
3 6 8 10 14 18
SCHOOLS FOOD SENIORS HOME SPORTS
19 20 23 27 32
ON OTMJ.COM
There’s so much happening in the Over the Mountain area, we can’t fit it all in the paper! Visit www.otmj.com for more stories and photos.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN
May 31, 2018 JOU RNAL Publisher & Editor: Maury Wald Copy Editor: Virginia Martin Features Writer: Donna Cornelius Staff Writers: Sarah Kuper, Emily Williams Editorial Assistant: Stacie Galbraith Sports: Blake Ells, Rubin E. Grant Contributors: Susan Murphy, Jordan Wald, June Mathews, William C. Singleton III, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry, Lee Walls Jr., Bryan Bunch Sam Prickett Advertising Sales: Suzanne Wald, Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald, Laura Lane Vol. 27, No. 21
Over The Mountain Journal is a suburban bi-weekly newspaper delivered to Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Hoover and North Shelby County areas. Subscriptions for The Journal are available for $24 yearly. Mail to: Over the Mountain Journal, P.O. Box 660502, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216. Phone: (205) 823-9646. E-mail the editorial department at editorial@otmj.com. E-mail our advertising department at mwald@otmj.com. Find us on the Web at otmj.com. Copyright 2018 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.
Super Attendant
ne good thing about my chilAs soon as the fasten seatbelt light dren living on separate coasts is is extinguished, flight attendants rush that I have developed a crackerpast the people who completely disrejack airport ritual – optimum spot in the garded that notice to begin work in the parking deck, biscuit at Chick-fil-A, tea galley, their inflight tiny house. From from Starbucks. I schedule at least two those 6 square feet, they are expected to hours for layovers in Atlanta and never, produce sodas and snacks and Bloody never take a carry-on that has to be Marys. They pass out peanuts and prethoisted into an overhead bin. zels and carry credit card zappers for Overhead bin space is available on a cocktails. First class attendants warm first-come-first-served basis, and that up Chicken Marsala and pour wine (red means a lot of anxiety for people who or white?). are boarding last, but then these soonThis is all commendable, but conto-be flyers are worried about a lot of sider that these sturdy souls are also in the front lines if an engine goes down things. Will they score an aisle or winor someone has a heart attack or some dow seat? Will the Wi-Fi be workSue Murphy looney tune tries to attack another pasing? Will the person seated next to or blow up the plane. They them want to (shudder) chat? Do you seriously think senger deal with crying babies and mean For all but first-time flyers, the drunks. Those extra life jackets they fact that hundreds of people are people seated in the being loaded into a giant metal tube talk about? They know where they emergency exit rows will are. They are trained in detaching expected to actually fly goes unnoticed. I’ve read the science behind turn into super heroes those detachable slides, and thank this miracle but try not to think about you seriously think if the plane makes an goodness. Do it because it makes me people seated in the emergency exit woozy. Horrible things can happen emergency landing? No. rows will turn into super heroes if the plane makes an emergency landon an airplane. Horrible things have, They just wanted the ing? No. They just wanted the extra yet very few people pay attention to legroom. the safety briefing given by the uniextra legroom. Flight attendants are asked to formed flight attendants. smile even if you are being a pain, to Flight attendants seem to take it answer the call button every time all in stride. Of course, they have a you ring it, whether it’s a credible reason or not. And lot on their minds, too. Next time you fly, put down that when the pilot emerges to go to the bathroom, the flight online solitaire game for a few minutes and watch them. attendants circle the drink carts, forming a flight-saving After greeting each person and making several “please sit down so we can take off” announcements, always in a human shield. Incredible. It’s like the Secret Service cheerful voice, they bid goodbye to the gate agent and being asked to make the president’s lemon drop martinis. slam the cabin door shut. Now, ladies and gentlemen, So next time the flight attendant announces, “I’m everyone is sealed into the metal tube for better or for sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but the Wi-Fi isn’t workworse. The pilot locks the door to the cockpit from the ing,” don’t whine. If you are asked to check your carryinside so everything that goes on with all 250 people on, do so cheerfully. And when they ask you to take your who are finally, finally seated is up to the flight attenseat, for heaven sakes, sit down. Quickly. dants. Oh … and have a nice flight. ❖
OVER THE MOUNTAIN VIEWS
Who’s your favorite author? “Mark Twain, his simple and to the point style of writing. There is a fabric of morality running through his works.” William Fowler Hoover “Jack London, because when you read his books you sink into them and become one of the characters.” David Roberts IV Homewood “Robert Penn Warren, he is a poet and his writing is sort of stream of consciousness.” Steve Coleman Homewood
“Stephen King, the Shawshank Redemption is one of my favorites.” Jackie Romine Walburn Hoover
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Birmingham Burger Fest Sat., June 2
What: The ALS Association Alabama Chapter Junior Board hosts the 2nd annual Burger Fest benefiting the ALS Association Alabama Chapter. The event will feature Birmingham’s best burgers battling it out to be named top burger along with live music, family friendly activities, raffles, craft beer and more. When: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Where: Avondale Brewery Website: webal.alsa.org ❖
Thurs., May 31 Vestavia Hills Public Library Summer Reading Kick-off with Musician Zak Morgan
What: Grammy nominee Zak Morgan encourages children to read and use their imaginations through witty songs that entertain all ages. Free Kona Ice after the performance. The first 500 children to sign up for summer reading will receive a goody bag with coupons and treats from Summer Reading sponsors. When: 10:30 a.m.-noon Where: Vestavia Hills Public Library Website: “ Summer Reading kick-off with Musician Zak Morgan” Facebook page
Vestavia Hills Public Library Summer Reading Kick-off with Global Movement Project What: Global Movement Project will be back to kick-off Libraries Rock Summer Reading with their circusstyle performance. Be entertained by acrobats, jugglers, silk performers and more. A free hot dog dinner will be served followed by popsicles. When: 6-7:30 p.m. with the show to start at 6:30 p.m. Where: Vestavia Hills Public Library Website: “Summer Reading Kickoff with Global Movement Project” Facebook page
Homewood Library Rockstar Summer Reading Kick-off
What: Gutsy the Flying Fox is getting pumped for reading with his acrobatic tricks. Sing up for summer reading,
decorate your own pet rock and have a snack. When: 6:30-7 p.m. Where: Homewood Public Library Large Auditorium Website: homewood.libnet.info
Fri., June 1 ARTasting: Americana Summer Kick-off
What: The Alys Stephens Center JPats hosts an event featuring the best in art, music, food and drink with an Americana twist to kick off the summer. The evening includes live music and DJ set with Birmingham’s own Michael Warren, wine tasting with International Wines and Craft Beer, cocktail sampling, an Americana themed menu and art activities. When: 6 p.m. Where: ArtPlay Website: alysstephens.org
“Ain’t too Proud to Beg” Party
What: The second annual band party hosted by Community Grief Support includes music by Total Assets with some of your favorite tunes from the 1950s - ‘80s. In addition to music and dancing, a cash bar will be on site. All proceeds benefit Community Grief Support to aid in continued funding of free grief counseling, grief support groups and grief education in the Greater Birmingham area. When: 6-10 p.m. Where: Homewood Senior Center Website: “2nd Annual “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” Party” Facebook page
Photo courtesy Vulcan Park and Museum
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MAY 31 - JUNE 14
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 3
ABOUT TOWN
Vulcan’s 114th Birthday Bash - Sun., June 3
What: The museum will host a 114th birthday party featuring music by George Griffin and the Firebirds and characters form Birmingham Barons and UAB’s Blaze. New this year is the Boost Kids fun run at the Kiwanis Vulcan Trail. Back by popular demand but with a new twist will be the GameStop’s Virtual Reality game room, kid’s activities with Red Mountain Park, McWane Science Center, corn hole, a moonwalk and more. When: noon-4 p.m. Where: Vulcan Park and Museum Website: visitvulcan.com ❖
Sat., June 2 Lakeshore’s Amazing Race
What: Lakeshore Foundation’s Junior Board presents an event modeled after the popular show to benefit Lakeshore Foundation. Teams of four will complete fun and interactive challenges specifically designed to promote the programs and resources available at Lakeshore. The event includes food,
drinks, live entertainment, awards and prizes. When: 8 a.m.-noon Where: Lakeshore Foundation Website lakeshore.org
Wed., June 6 Flicks Among the Flowers
What: The Gardens presents “Hitch.” Admission is free, but a $5 donation is
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Look Forward. 5/24/18 3:36 PM
4 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
ABOUT TOWN
Photo courtesy Birmingham Museum of Art
When: 4-8 p.m. Where: Avondale Brewing Company Website: “Birmingham Fire & Rescue Crawfish Boil 2018” Facebook page
Mon., June 11 Tee It Up Fore Life Golf Tournament
What: Birmingham Museum of Art kicks off its 14th season of its summer series presented by Dale’s Seasoning. The first event features musical guests The Suffers. Art on the Rocks brings three Friday nights (other dates are July 27 and August 17) of entertainment to downtown Birmingham with artist collaborations, interactive performances, food, cocktails and more. When: 7-11 p.m. Where: Birmingham Museum of Art Website: artsbma.org ❖ encouraged which benefits educational programming at the Gardens. Bring a blanket. No pets or alcoholic beverages. When: 6 p.m. Where: Birmingham Botanical Gardens in the formal garden in front of the Conservatory. Website: bbgardens.org
Fri., June 8 Alabama Young CPA Charity Golf Tournament
What: The Alabama Young CPAs presents a golf tournament to benefit the Exceptional Foundation and the Alabama Society of CPAs Educational Foundation. The tournament will kick off with participants from the Exceptional Foundation on the putting green and driving range, followed by a shotgun start and drinks, food, music and tournament awards. When: Registration and light breakfast at 8 a.m., shotgun start at 9 a.m.
Journal file photo by Jordan Wald
Art on the Rocks Fri., June 8
Art from the Heart - Sun., June 10
What: Studio by the Tracks presents its 29th event benefiting its arts programming for adults with autism spectrum disorders and emotionally conflicted children. The event includes live and silent auctions featuring works from 200+ donating artists, food and drink. When: 6 p.m. Where: Haven Website: studiobythetracks.org ❖ Where: Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Oxmoor Valley Website: ascpa.org
June 8-10 Symphony in the Summer
What: For the eighth year, Alabama Symphony wraps up its season with three free concerts. Join them June 8 for an evening of Beethoven Under the Stars, June 9 for William Tell & 1812 and Family Fund Day June 10 with everything from Jurassic Park, to Super Mario Bros. to West Side Story. When: June 8 and 9 at 8 p.m. and June 10 at 6 p.m. Where: Railroad Park Website: alabamasymphony.org
June 8-July 1 Beauty and the Beast
What: Red Mountain Theatre Company presents Disney’s Beauty and the Beast the Broadway Musical. Meet Belle before each Matinee from 12:30 -1:30 p.m. RMTC will partner with the Autism Society of Alabama to offer a sensoryfriendly performance for patrons affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders and other sensory, social and cognitive disabilities June 12 at 2 p.m. When: Tues.-Sat. 7:30 p.m.; Wed., Sat. and Sun. 2 p.m. matinee Where: Dorothy Jemison Day Theater in Birmingham Website: redmountaintheatre.org
Sat., June 9 Cahaba River Ramble
What: Alabama Outdoors presents a 5k and 10-mile trail race along Alabama’s longest remaining free flowing river. The race benefits the Shane Hulsey CLEAN
IT'S TIME TO
Enjoying the art at last year’s Studio by the Tracks event were, from left, Andrea Jackson, Wendy McDowell, LouAnne Harrell and Bama Hager.
Environmental Education Program and the Cahaba River Society’s work with many partners to protect and restore the Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge. When: 6:30 a.m. registration, 7:30 a.m. race start Where: Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge Website: cahabariversociety.org
Birmingham Heart Walk
What: The American Heart Association presents its free premiere event, bringing communities together to raise funds and celebrate progress in the fight against heart disease and stroke. The day is designed to promote physical activity and heart-healthy living for the entire family. When: 7:30 a.m., 5k and 1 mile route available Where: Railroad Park Website: www2.heart.org
Take the Reins Run
What: The Red Barn hosts a 5k and 10k memorial run in honor of Cpl. Anthony Clay Ward. The run is designed to celebrate veterans and raise money for The Red Barn and its programs, which provide equine assisted activities for those with special needs and special circumstances, including veterans and their families. When: 8-11 a.m. Where: Veterans Park, Hoover Website: theredbarn.org
Birmingham Fire & Rescue Crawfish Boil
2828 Linden Ave. Homewood • 870-4060 • alabamagaslightandgrills.com
What: Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service Department hosts the second annual crawfish boil. Meet your favorite local firefighters for fresh seasoned boiled crawfish, potatoes, corn, sausage and more while enjoying the latest music from the best live bands and DJs in the South. The event will include dancing and Avondale Brewing Company’s locally brewed ice cold beer. Bring lawn chairs and blankets.
What: American Cancer Society presents a golf tournament honoring Pat Sullivan, All-American Quaterback, Heisman Trophy Winner and college Football Hall of Famer, followed by a one-of-a-kind evening featuring food, dancing, an auction and more. When: beginning with a 1 p.m. shotgun start Where: Old Overton Club Website: teeitupforelifebham.com
Tues., June 12 Alabama Wildlife Animal Show
What: Alabama Wildlife will be bringing some of their favorite animal friends to teach about the wonderful creatures in your own backyards. When: 10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Where: Homewood Public Library, Large Auditorium Website: homewood.libnet.info
Thurs., June 14 The AbiliTEE Golf Classic
What: The Junior Board of United Ability is returning to the daytime with its golf tournament in support of children and adults with disabilities. All players receive 2 Mulligans, player gift bag, breakfast, snacks, lunch and beverages. When: 7 a.m. registration and an 8 a.m. shotgun start Where: Robert Trent Jones Oxmoor Valley Golf Course Website: unitedability.org
S’mores & Pours
What: This fundraiser presented by Vulcan Value Partners features samples of select brews and wine from Avondale Brewing Company, food, a silent auction and live music. Proceeds benefit Camp Fire Alabama. When: 6-9 p.m. Where: Avondale Brewing Co. Website: campfire-al.org
June 15-24 “Sand Mountain Saturday Nite”
What: The Virginia Samford Theatre Arts Collective shares the VST stage with the Birmingham arts community. “Sand Mountain Saturday Nite,” written and directed by Norton Dill, features the original cast of six actor/musicians who play 24 different characters and a slew of instruments. A show for the entire family with old time string band music, a variety of characters and twists and turns in the storyline. When: Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Where: Virginia Samford Theatre Mainstage Website: virginiasamfordtheatre.org
Sat., June 16 The Original Makers Festival
What: Celebrate the opening weekend of the Birmingham Museum of Art’s new
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
What: The final night of the summer series will showcase dozens of artist booths, live music by Live Wire, tasty treats from the Bendy’s Cookies & Cream truck, complimentary balloon twisting by Magic City Face Art and more. When: 5-9 p.m. Where: On the sidewalks and inside of Brookwood Village Website: Birmingham Art Crawl at the Village
performances. When: June 22, Nora Jane Struthers, 8 p.m.; June 23, Lindsay Lou, 8 p.m. Where: Odess Theater
June 22-23 Alys Stephens Center Original Series: Sessions What: Discover and get to know artists in the Center’s new original concert series Sessions. This series will showcase the best singer-songwriters this area has to offer. Enjoy cocktails, bites and inspiring
Thurs., June 28 Photo by Todd Roeth
Birmingham Art Crawl at the Village Fri., June 22
Nora Jane Struthers
I Love America Night
What: Vestavia Hills 37th celebration of America features a children’s area hosted by Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, a Pops in the Park concert by Shades Mountain Baptist Church Orchestra and a family movie.
Due to unexpected pool renovations, free swimming will not be available this year. When: Children’s area available from 6-8 p.m., concert at 7 p.m. and movie at 8:15 p.m. Where: Wald Park Website: vestaviahills.org ❖
SEND ABOUT TOWN INFO TO: editorial@otmj.com
Artist Morgan Elizabeth Buko and friend at the Birmingham Art Crawl at the Village on May 18. exhibition, The Original Makers: Folk Art from the Cargo Collection. Enjoy a day at the museum featuring live music by The Cedric Burnside Project and demonstrations by Blackbelt Treasures, art-making activities and face painting. When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Where: Birmingham Museum of Art Website: artsbma.org
SliceFest
What: SliceFest 2018 celebrates its seventh anniversary as Birmingham’s largest food and music block party hosted by Slice Pizza & Brewhouse. The event includes local and regional music talent paired with local craft beer and specialty pizzas. Proceeds benefit the Suki Foundation. When: Gates open at 1 p.m. Where: 29th Street in the Lakeview District Website: slicefest.com
Annual Fern Show and Sale
What: A free celebration of Alabama’s best, presented by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center. The event features Alabama artisans, artists and vendors. Food trucks including Big Spoon Creamery, City Bowls and Red Mountain Crawfish will be onsite, and a series of live musical performances will entertain onstage. When: 5 p.m. Where: Alys Stephens Center’s Engel Plaza Website: alysstephens.org
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Zoo, Brews & Full Moon Bar-BQue
July 2 7
What: Enjoy drinks from over a dozen breweries from all over Alabama and the southeast as well as other libations, including wines and non-alcoholic beverages. Attendees will enjoy dinner provided by Full Moon Bar-B-Que and music by Union Road Band, animal greetings and walkabouts, train and carousel rides, special kids activities and more. When: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Where: Birmingham Zoo Website: birminghamzoo.com
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Additional Sponsors
Lounge Sponsor
What: Smile-A-Mile’s Junior Board of Directors presents its annual summer fundraiser featuring a silent auction, complimentary beer and wine, heavy hor d’oeuvres, cash bar, live auction, music by The Toddfather and a photo booth. Where: Regions Field Banquet Hall Website: smileamile.com
7–11pm // $25 Non-Members // $15 Members artsbma.org Presenting Sponsor
Funky Monkey - Fri., June 22
Getting funky at last year’s event were, from left, Jason and Blake Rhodes with Katie and Matthew Elliott.
PRESENTED BY DALE’S SEASONING
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Art On The Rocks 2018
What: The Birmingham Fern Society presents their annual fern show and sale. All public entries are welcomed. When: Entries accepted from 8-10 a.m., viewing between 1-4 p.m., sale open to the public from 1-5 p.m. Where: Birmingham Botanical Gardens Website: bbgardens.org
LOCAL 2018
Birmingham Museum of Art
Journal photo by Jordan Wald
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 5
ABOUT TOWN
6 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
PEOPLE
Pride and responsibility drive us to be the best in everything we do. As a life-long Over-the-Mountain resident and a third generation working at Guin, I feel great pride and responsibility in carrying on the legacy of honesty and hard work that my grandfather began 60 years ago. Family is very important to us, and we treat our customers with the same care and respect as members of our own family. It Joseph Braswell would be a privilege to serve you.
Serving Birmingham since 1958
Member of the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce
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Cottages The
3776 Crosshaven Drive Birmingham, AL 35223 Located just north of The Summit
From left to right: Mimi Batten, troop leader Anna Batten, Lindsey Allen, Lauren Holl, Jamese Melton, Avery DeBerry, troop leader Cynthia Stafford, Amelia Batten, Carly Wolsoncroft, Iggy Hill, Erin Simmons, Allie Stafford and Jane Bae.
Riverchase Girl Scouts Earn Troop Silver Award Members of Girl Scouts Troop 30117 from Riverchase in Hoover recently completed five community projects, earning the troop the Silver Award. Among the projects completed were Animals and Education with Bats,
Siblings of Low Birth Weight Babies, Animal Welfare and Shelter Image Enhancement, Equestrian Sensory Trail and Peace Garden. According to the troop, the Girl Scout Silver requirements help participants build “courage,
confidence and character” and “make the world a better place.” The award was presented to the troop May 20 in a ceremony featuring keynote speaker state Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Birmingham.
Prince of Peace Girl Scouts Earn aMaze Badge
The Prince of Peace Catholic Parish Girl Scout Cadette Troop 30150 recently created two “buddy benches” for POP School and installed them on two of the school’s three playgrounds. In completing the project, the troop has earned its aMaze Badge, a goal the girls have been working toward for a year and a half. Students in K4 to first grade and second grade to fifth grade who don’t have someone to play with at recess can go and sit on the bench, indicating that they are looking for a playmate. The seventh-grade scouts also wrote and illustrated five “Buddy Benches” books that explained how the benches work and distributed them to POP classrooms. The aMaze badge focuses on relationships and requires a project that involves taking action. Now that the troop has completed the aMaze badge, the girls can begin work on their silver awards, the highest honor that a Girl Scout Cadette can earn. Troop members attend either POP Catholic School or Bumpus Middle
Front row, from left: Mary Kate Sanders, Jaleel Townsend, Kinsey Roberson, Ashna Berawala, Caroline Rohn and Maura Martin. Back: Laura Jane Johnson, Rezi Ubogu, Brooke Johnson and Jordyn Frank. School in Hoover. This troop earned its Girl Scout bronze award two years ago with a recycling project for POP School.
The bronze award and buddy bench projects were completed under the adult leadership of Beth Martin and Melissa Johnson.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Artist demos by
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 7
PEOPLE
THE
Live music by
CEDRIC BURNSIDE PROJECT
ORIGINAL MAKERS FESTIVAL BLACK BELT TREASURES
Exhibition opening of
THE ORIGINAL MAKERS Folk Art from the Cargo Collection
Art-making activities for all ages! BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART artsbma.org
Reverend John “J. L.” Hunter, American, Taylor, Texas,1905–1999, Walking Man, 1993, painted wood; Collection of the Art Fund, Inc. at the Birmingham Museum of Art; Robert Cargo Folk Art Collection; Gift of Caroline Cargo AFI.485.2013
Face painting, live Zoo Animals, local eats, and more!
SATURDAY, JUNE 16
10AM–2PM · FREE
The Original Makers: Folk Art from the Cargo Collection has been made possible by grants from the Henry Luce Foundation, Alabama State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Alabama Power Foundation, and The Lydia Eustis Rogers Fund. We also extend our gratitude to the City of Birmingham for their sustained support for the Museum and its mission. The 2017–2018 Family Festivals Series is presented by
NEWS
8 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Freedom from Addiction OTM Mayors Band Together to Fight Opioid Abuse
By William C. Singleton III
‘We wanted to come up with a single protocol so that if you raised your hand and said either I had a problem or somebody I care about has a problem, there would be one place you could go and get help.’ MOUNTAIN BROOK MAYOR STEWART WELCH
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As a retired FBI agent, Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry has seen the fate of drug dealers who enter the criminal justice system. As general manager of a funeral home, Homewood Mayor Scott McBrayer has seen the ultimate consequences of drug use. As a former fire marshal, Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato has seen emergency paramedics respond to an opioid overdose, and as a financial advisor, Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch has seen the financial devastation drug use creates on a user’s family. All four Over the Mountain mayors say the opioid crisis is important enough to gain their attention. “The opioid crisis is one of if not the single biggest issue facing the country, not just our communities,” Welch said. The four mayors are hosting an “Addiction Coalition Community Breakfast on June 12 at Canterbury United Methodist Church, 350 Overbrook Road, Mountain Brook. The breakfast, which starts at 7:30 a.m., is free and open to the public. That was by design so those needing help with drug addiction or who have family or friends with drug addictions can attend without the burden of having to pay, the mayors said. Guest speakers include Richard Simmons III, founder of The Center for Executive Leadership, a non-profit, faith-based ministry in Mountain Brook, and Jay Lloyd, founder of the Center’s RealLife Ministries. The mayors have also partnered with faith-based and secular outreach groups that help drug addicts on the road to recovery. Those groups are Addiction Prevention Coalition and
Alabama Teen Challenge. After the breakfast, the event will include a session about drugs and drug addiction, particularly as it relates to the opioid crisis. An important part of the event, Welsh said, will be unveiling a “single protocol” – possibly a phone number – to which city officials and others can refer a person seeking help with drug addiction. “We wanted to come up with a single protocol so that if you raised your hand and said either I had a problem or somebody I care about has a problem, there would be one place you could go and get help,” Welch said. The source would have enough knowledge about drug addiction and recovery efforts to point a person in the right direction, Welch said. The Mountain Brook mayor said they’re
still “fleshing out” the concept, but the protocol should be ready to reveal by the breakfast event. The misuse of opioids in America has become a major crisis over the past 20 years as the availability and over-prescription of pain relievers has made this type drug more accessible. Opioid users didn’t have to venture into dark corners or seek out street peddlers, at least not initially. They simply had to receive a prescription for pain relief or visit their home medicine cabinets to acquire them. Now, a black market has arisen as the desire for opioids, which includes heroin, has increased and has spawned a powerful and deadly synthetic opioid, fentanyl. According to IMS Health, a market research firm, the prescription of opioids rose from 112 million in 1992 to 282 million in 2012, although those numbers had
declined to 236 million in 2016. “This issue has become a public health crisis with devastating consequences,” the National Institute on Drug Abuse states. According to the NIDA, more than 115 people die daily after overdosing on opioids.
It Starts With a Prescription
“Most people who end up at heroin, almost all of them start with prescription pills,” Danny Molloy, a brand ambassador with the Alabama Prevention Coalition and a recovering addict, said. “A lot of these pills can come from an injury, wisdom teeth being taken out. We’re just seeing a huge overprescribing of prescription narcotics.” Molloy said his organization sponsors an “End Heroin in Birmingham”
Walk at Railroad Park every year. The walk has drawn more than 4,000 people in over two years, signifying the problem within the community. “We meet with parents, brothers, sisters and loved ones,” he said. “There are so many people who have died from an overdose. This problem has kind of crept up on us, and it’s taking us over.” Ashley said the idea to address the opioid crisis came from a meeting of the four mayors. After the last election, Welch, Ashley, Brocato and McBrayer began talking and decided to meet quarterly to address topics that affect their cities. The concern about opioids was a natural topic because it has touched all of those cities as well as the state, Ashley said. “I’m a retired FBI agent for 25 years and I spent a good number of those years working drug cases,” he said, “and I saw the effects of drugs” on society. Ashley said he further researched stats on opioid use in Alabama and realized it was an important subject to tackle for the mayors’ first community breakfast. “It’s an issue that is real, and it’s real in Vestavia,” Ashley said. Both Welch and Ashley said they are aware that there are programs in their communities and schools that are addressing the issue of drug use. “What we’re doing in our Freedom of Addiction Coalition in no way interferes with what each of our cities are doing in their schools,” Ashley said. “Those programs are still intact and will not be changed. This is to address the age bracket of people after high school.” Providing a component to give people help is vital to the success of the mayors’ approach, Ashley said. “This is to help the addicted person who wants to help himself,” Ashley said. ❖
Leadership Hoover Graduates First Class and Looks Toward the Next
After graduating from Leadership Shelby County in 2000 and Leadership Birmingham in 2004, Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato, then a city fire marshal, said he felt the city of Hoover should start a similar program. He was not alone in his thinking. “It was on the minds of many of our elected officials,” he said. “I brought it to the table, but it wasn’t a foreign idea by any means.” Brocato said it is important to identify and develop leaders who live and work in Hoover. “As life goes on and as our city grows and as the leadership class continues to develop and we have more and more classes, my goal is to have the impact on our city that Leadership Shelby County has on Shelby County and Leadership Birmingham has on the city of Birmingham,”
Journal photo by William C. Singleton III
By William C. Singleton III
the mayor added. Hoover moved in that direction earlier this month as Leadership Hoover graduated its first class during a ceremony in the Michael Jordan Room at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. The first class included 34 professionals from civic organizations, schools, businesses and city government. The class was selected last year by Leadership Hoover’s board of directors and began meeting in September. Classes were held each month, and class members met in groups outside of class to work on projects, which they presented to the entire class at the graduating ceremony. The projects were: • Team Welcome to Hoover Alabama develHoover Mayor Frank Brocato hands Dan Blackman his graduation plaque.
oped a strategic plan for a website welcoming visitors to the city and highlighting some of its amenities. • Team Choose to Refuse created a plan for an event targeting middle school students to address drug use and promote drug prevention. • Team Sugar Foots developed a plan to promote leadership among students transitioning from their sophomore to junior years in school. • Team Awesome developed a plan to partner with Hoover City Schools to market the Riverchase Career Connection Center, a center to address skills and trades for students whose career path may not include a four-year college. • Team Cultivate created an idea for a business incubator to help entrepreneurs who want to start and grow their businesses. “As you can tell from our project presentaSee HOOVER, page 9
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
HOOVER, From page 8
tions, this group of Hoover residents have really been focused on their presentations and really want to make Hoover even better for the future for its citizens,” said Mike Vest, who served as Leadership Hoover’s parttime executive director for its first class. Each month, the Leadership Hoover class focused on different aspects of the city such as government, quality of life, business development or education, he said. “One day out of each month we travel through the city of Hoover, even Montgomery on ‘Government Day,’ and learn about legislation or something we can bring back and do better in the city of Hoover,” Vest said. CORRECTION:
In the May 17 issue of the Over the Mountain Journal, we made the error of misidentifying a photo as Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas Rivers Jr. in the article “In Memory: Support Our Soldiers Dinner Will Fund Care Packages for Troops Abroad.” The photo used was one of the late Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan Winslow of Hoover, who lost his life at the age of 19 while on tour in Iraq. Following Winslow’s death, on April 15, 2006, then-state Rep. Paul DeMarco met with his parents, Marynell and George Winslow, and the three began discussing ways
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 9
NEWS Leadership Hoover is identifying members for its next class. Because the program runs about 10 months, a class will graduate once every year. “We have about 50 applications in right now,” he said. “They’ll probably filter through those and come up with the best 30 to 34 people to be in our next class.” Vest said that just because someone isn’t selected in the next class doesn’t mean they won’t be eligible for future classes. Dan Blackman, owner and chief executive officer of Edmonds Engineering Co., said the Leadership Hoover experience gave him a deeper appreciation for Hoover. “I feel a lot closer to our community now that I’ve gone through this program,” he said. “The most benefi-
cial part of it to me is learning more about our community but also the relationships I’ve been able to make with these fine leaders in the city of Hoover over the past nine months.” The Leadership Hoover graduating class of 2017-2018 is April B. Danielson, Ashfaq Taufique, Brandon Ward, Charles Lewis, Dan Blackman, Derrick Murphy, Jammie Cowden, Janet Turner, Jennifer Whisenant, Jerome Morgan, Jessica Coates, Joe Thomas, Josh Etress, Kem Marks Bryant, Khristi Doss Driver, Lori Salter Schommer, Lynn Ray, Matthew Allen, Melinda James Lopez, Michael Ray, Michael Staley, Nathan Hinds, Nathan Reed, Paul Dangel, Sarah Johnson, Shannon Isbell, Shelley Shaw, Susette Clark Walker, Tim Aho, Tom Chelewski, Toni Herrera-Bast, Tynette Lynch, Van Moody and Wayne Reid. ❖
they could honor the couple’s son as well as all other fallen servicemen and women from Alabama. Together, they founded the Alabama Gold Star Families, a non-profit support group for families of Marine Lance Cpl. fallen Alabama Ryan Winslow servicemen and women.
Since its establishment, the group has funded the installation of a veterans’ memorial at Hoover’s Veterans Park, and DeMarco got a bill passed by the Legislature to establish the Alabama Gold Star Family license plate, which is available to members of the immediate family of a person killed while on active duty in all branches of the U.S. military. A bronze bust of Ryan Winslow rests in Aldridge Garden’s Gateway Pentagon Plaza. It was presented during the 2016 dedication of the Veterans Memorial Arbor alongside one of Rivers in celebration of their memory and service to the country. ❖
Cultivating a New Crop
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Collier's Over The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646, fax 205-824-1246 March This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the March April 6, 22,2017 2018issue. issue.Please Pleasefax faxapproval approvalororchanges changestoto824-1246. 824-1246.
Please make sure all information is correct, Including address and phone number! Please initial and fax back within 24 hours.
If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.
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By Donna Cornelius
E
ddie Aldridge was on a tour bus heading into Canada’s famous Butchart Gardens several years ago when he gave his fellow passengers a bit of a jolt. “I started screaming because there at the entrance to the gardens were our plants,” he said, smiling at the memory. The plants that so delighted him were Snowflake hydrangeas. Thanks to Aldridge and his father, both noted nurserymen in the Birmingham area, the Deep South shrub with its intricate blossoms now brightens gardens around the world. Snowflake hydrangeas are the signature plant at Aldridge Gardens, a 30-acre public garden that’s an oasis of serenity in bustling Hoover. But it was another plant that was the seed of Aldridge’s idea for the garden. In the 1960s, he had planted two magnolia trees on what was then the Coxe family estate in Hoover. He’d been struck by the natural beauty of the property and, when he found out years later that the land was for sale, took his father along for a closer look. “Dad and I toured the place,” Aldridge said. “He said if this place wasn’t more than $1 million, I should buy it. He said I could make a garden out of it. One month later, he died.” Eddie Aldridge bought the property in 1978, but not without overcoming some obstacles. “A company was going to buy the property and build 380 apartments on it,” he said. Those plans fell through when Jefferson County declared a moratorium on sewer connections, and the price of the property dropped from $900,000 to $425,000. “I went to talk to Mrs. Coxe and said I wanted to buy the
LIFE
The Constant Gardener Eddie Aldridge Has Made the World A Little More Beautiful
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Journal photos by Maury Wald
10 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
property but wasn’t sure I could get a loan,” he said. “She said not to worry about that. She said, ‘I’ll loan you the money.’” Part of his purchase included the Coxes’ house, which was designed by Birmingham architect Henry Sprott Long. Aldridge wasn’t sure he needed such a large home because he was unmarried at the time. That changed when in 1981 some friends brought a pretty young woman named Kay Shackelford Rockett to his house for dinner. “I said to myself, ‘I don’t think I’ll let her get away,’” Aldridge said. “We met at the house, and later we married there.” Kay Aldridge said she didn’t know much about plants when she and Eddie married. “But loved them, and I still do,” she said. “At one point, he asked me if I’d take over the garden shop from his mother, and I said yes.” Aldridge said his wife did a “great job” with the garden shop. “She was a natural,” he said. The couple lived in the Hoover house until 1995, when they reached an agreement with the city of Hoover that allowed Aldridge Gardens to become a reality. They took the same architectural plans that had been used for the Hoover house and built an almost identical home in the Highlands Lake neighborhood in North Shelby County. “We’ve been here 22 years,” Kay Aldridge said. “When we
Snowflake hydrangeas, left, are the signature plant at Aldridge Gardens, a 30-acre public garden that’s an oasis of serenity in bustling Hoover. But it was another plant that was the seed of Aldridge’s idea for the garden. Above, Eddie and Kay Aldridge enjoy spending time outdoors at their home in Highland Lakes.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Starry Night
Aldridge Gardens Fundraiser Is June 9 Hydrangeas Under the Stars will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. June 9 at Aldridge Gardens. The garden gala includes food, entertainment and live and silent auctions. The event is Aldridge Gardens’ major fundraiser. It raises money not only to help keep the gardens beautiful, but for educational programs, camps and field trips for the thousands of children who visit every year. For more information, visit aldridgegardens.com.
moved in, Eddie started planting.” Behind the lakeside house is a bank of Snowflake hydrangeas. The deck is dotted with colorful potted plants, including some planted in a Radio Flyer wagon from 1933, the year Eddie Aldridge was born. Fountains add the peaceful sound of rushing water. “Some of those things that Eddie planted have gotten too big or have grown together,” Kay Aldridge said, adding that she’s part of a “committee of two” that makes decisions about garden maintenance. The other member of the “committee” is her experienced helper, Tommy Eakin. His dad, Walter Eakin, started working in the Aldridge family’s greenhouses in about 1950. In the house’s spacious den is a framed photo of a Southern Living magazine cover featuring the Snowflake hydrangea. The photo was a gift from John Floyd, the magazine’s former editor, and it’s a daily reminder of the plant whose story Eddie Aldridge loves to tell.
Accidental Discovery
“One day, Mr. Bobo, a man I rode to school with, brought a plant over to us and asked what it was,” Aldridge said. “I thought, “My God! This is an oakleaf hydrangea.’ But I’d never seen anything like it. What makes it unusual are its multiple blooms, which makes it look like a snowflake. “We made three cuttings. It’s a sterile plant, which means it doesn’t produce any seeds. It produces
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 11
LIFE sepals.” The Aldridges propagated and then patented the plant – but not for profit. “We belonged to the American Nurseryman organization, and it had a publication that listed patented plants,” he said. “We had learned from the retail business that any plant that was patented drew a lot of attention. That’s why we patented it. We never charged a royalty.” Today, the Snowflake hydrangea is Alabama’s official state wildflower. It’s also spread far beyond the Alabama woodlands. “New York is full of them,” Aldridge said. “In the early 1980s, New York City bought 2,000 5-yearold plants from our farm. They’re in Central Park and at the New York Botanical Garden. “From those three cuttings, they’re now all over the world.” At age 84, Aldridge still serves on the Aldridge Gardens board of directors. “I try to go to the gardens almost every Saturday just to visit with people,” he said. He said Tynette Lynch, Aldridge Gardens CEO, is “doing such a great job.” “We were lucky to find her,” he said. Kay Aldridge said Lynch has been instrumental in the growing success of Hydrangeas Under the Stars, the garden’s annual fundraiser. It’s set this year for June 9. “Hydrangeas Under the Stars is a beautiful event,” she said. “Every year it’s just gotten better, and a lot of it is due to Tynette.” Eddie Aldridge said one of the nicest things that’s happened to him recently was being inducted, along with his father, into Auburn University College of Agriculture’s Hall of Honor in 2017. Loren Aldridge played football at
Auburn, which then was Alabama Polytechnic Institute. A description beside his photo in the 1926 Auburn yearbook says: “A more popular man … has never graced our campus.” The civic-minded Aldridges have set up several trusts, including one that benefits Auburn University, Samford University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Birmingham-Southern College. Eddie Aldridge graduated from Birmingham-Southern; his older brother died shortly after graduating from Auburn. In 2009, Eddie Aldridge wrote a book called “A Garden of Destiny.” It preserves for posterity the remarkable
story of how a young man’s dream came into full flower. Because of Aldridge’s foresight, the gardens will continue to bloom in the future. “My grandfather was a dentist and the mayor of Bessemer, and he had every city park dedicated forever,” Aldridge said. “I thought, why can’t the city of Hoover dedicate this place forever?” A measure doing just that passed the Hoover council despite opposition from two council members, Aldridge said. “That’s the most important thing about the gardens – they can never be sold,” Aldridge said. ❖
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‘Dad and I toured the place (what is now Aldridge Gardens). He said if this place wasn’t more than $1 million, I should buy it. He said I could make a garden out of it. One month later, he died.’
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12 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
LIFE
OTM Libraries Rock and Roll
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
Hoover librarian Justin Banger.
Hoover Library Rocks Around the Clock to Kick Off Summer Reading
Reese Hassinger makes her way up the rock wall at EOL Carnival.
EOL Kicks Off Summer of Reading with Libraries Rock! Carnival
A sunny Sunday afternoon set the scene as Emmet O’Neal Library and the Junior Women’s Committee of 100 hosted the library’s annual summer reading kick-off carnival on May 20. The event began will the annual Thomas Hughes Brinkley Memorial one-mile fun run, and the party continued on the library’s lawn. Festivities included a climbing wall, train rides, popcorn, inflatables, games, face painting and more. In addition, kids could sign up for the Libraries Rock! incentive-based summer reading program, which helps motivate kids to tackle their summer reading lists.
The Kids Rock summer reading kickoff at the Hoover Library on May 18 invited kids to celebrate the summer season and motivated them to start tackling their summer reading lists. Following the Libraries Rock! theme, activities throughout the library followed the musical themes of disco, sock hop, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, country and hip hop. Activities included live music and crafts, including decorating and stringing guitars, personalizing roller skates with the Tragic City Rollers, dressing up for 1920’s jazz era photos and making Achy Breaky Hearts. Other activities included, a Johnny Cash maze, a “Jump, Jump” bouncehouse and a “U Can’t Touch This” obstacle course. A Soda Shop served up root beer floats and burgers.
Conall McBride and Leah Thomeer.
Franklin and Catherine Long.
Wynn Rose, Laurie and Dixon Douglas.
Adeline, Richard, Bennett, Brea and Peyton Rowan.
Anna Raco and Holden Strickland.
Su, Russell, Emlyn, Gabriel and Braden Shamburger.
Emilie Anne and Alessia Corbetta.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 13
LIFE
FREE WORKSHOPS FOR OLDER JOBSEEKERS
It starts with a free workshop. It ends with renewed confidence. Journal photos by Jordan Wald
Our BACK TO WORK 50+ program offers free workshops on the strategies you need to compete for full-time, in-demand jobs. Workshop participants can also apply for our free coaching program offering skills training, job search guidance and more. Dr. William “Bill” Foster, center left, CEO and president of the Birmingham Zoo since 2004, is joined by zoo supporters at his recent retirement party.
Fond Farewell for Foster
which caters many of the corporate and private events held at the facility. The menu included a Southern antipasto selection, chicken and waffles, a walking beet salad, a shrimp and grits station, beef brisket carvery, a macaroni and cheese creation station and mason jar desserts including key lime pie, bourbon praline cheesecake and chocolate mousse. The evening also included hot air balloon rides, giving riders a bird’s eye view of the Birmingham Zoo. ❖
Zoo Hosts Retirement Party for Dr. Foster Visitors took flight in a hot air balloon May 22 as the Birmingham Zoo hosted a retirement celebration for Dr. William “Bill” Foster, who has served as the CEO and president of the attraction since 2004. At the heart of the evening’s festivities was the introduction of the William R. Foster Conservation and Education Fund, which has been set up in honor of Foster’s services to the zoo. Many of Foster’s peers took to the podium to give kind words and recount the successes Foster brought to the zoo. Sitting on stage alongside the speakers were the founding board members who were inducted as the Birmingham Zoo first shifted to an independent nonprofit organization in 1999. Speakers included Wally Nall III, chair of the board of directors; Michael D. Thompson, founding board member emeritus; Arthur C.P. Henley, founding board member; T. Alan Ritchie, founding board member; Birmingham City Councilor Valerie Abbott, District 3; and Jesse S. Vogtle Jr., board member emeritus. According to zoo officials, the fund recognizes Foster’s achievements in his field and at the zoo.
Above, Eli Grill and Tera Greenwood. Below, Ben Daly and Christine Lewis.
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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
14 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
From left, Kelly Webb, Emily Anderson, Lindsay Handey, Ashley Bazemore and Hayley Herd.
Daphne and Alistar Harding-Smith.
…AND THEY WILL COME St. Jude Field of Dreams Raises Funds for Pediatric Cancer Research
The fourth annual St. Jude Field of Dreams, on May 12, raised funds for the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The ballroom at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook was filled as the sold-out event offered up a seated dinner, alongside both a live and silent auction. The evening’s festivities were organized by event chairs Miranda Atwood Vickers and Regina Reese; founding chairs Emily Anderson, Molly Fielding and Michael Schefano; auction chair Krissi Williford; and honorary chairs Molly Fielding and Meleesa Jack. A program honored past and present patient honorees, including this year’s honoree, Thompson Wagoner of Jacksonville. The evening concluded with music and dancing to the sounds of The Undergrounders. Funds raised through the evening will contribute to the hospital’s mission to support pediatric cancer research and to ensure that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. ❖
Above, Meleesa Jack, Miranda Vickers and Molly Fielding. Left, Lindsay Hussey, Debbie Anderson and Libet Anderson.
Josh and Emily Anderson with Charlie Hussey.
Julie Van Hoy, Tyler Strauss, Harrison Giles and Brandi and Sam Shober.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
IN THE JUNGLE
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 15
SOCIAL
Bluff Park WindoW Works
Birmingham Zoo Junior Board Hosts Fundraiser for Flamingo Habitat Transporting guests to the far reaches of Africa, the Birmingham Zoo junior board hosted its annual fundraiser, Tails in the Trails, in the zoo’s Trails of Africa on April 27. VIP ticket holders were welcomed early to the event to take part in a new activity – tossing apples to the zoo’s elephants. The event included a silent auction, a live drawing by international artist Russ Ronat, animal encounters and tastings of drinks and food offered by The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, Cahaba Brewing Company, Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, Fairhope Brewing Company, B&A Warehouse, Jimmy John’s, Yellowhammer Brewing, Kathy G and Company, Jojo’s On Broadway, Back Forty Beer Company, Newk’s Eatery, Mason Dixon Bakery and Bistro and others. Funds raised throughout the evening will benefit the zoo’s new interactive flamingo habitat. Junior board members helping
coordinate the event include Rosemary Alexander, Frank Anderson, Louis Anderson, Dane Cooper, Tony Crocker, Courtney Patton DeShazo, Krystal Drummond, Joey DuMontier, Jayna Goedecke, Joe Gribbin, Gabe Harris, Fontaine Haskell, Amanda Hawkins, Eve Hennessy,
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Jim Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 May 2015 This is your AD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTAiN JOurNAl fo Nov. 4 2010 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.
Please make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number! Please initial and fax back within 24 hours.
if we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.
Thank you for your prompt attention.
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
Rebekah Lane with Pepe.
ARC Realty teams with Heights Title, LLC.
Aaron and Megan Latham.
Herbie and Hannah Johnson.
ARC Realty is pleased to announce they have teamed with attorney Josh Hartman to launch Heights Title, LLC. “ARC is a company built on relationships,” says ARC CEO Beau Bevis. “Partnering with Josh to provide title and settlement services for any type of real estate transaction complements our values. Josh puts technology and experience to work for every client, and that’s what we try to do, too.” Josh, an attorney with Hartman, Springfield & Walker, LLP, has managed thousands of real estate transactions. “We have represented buyers, sellers and lenders in transactions ranging from vacant land and residential properties, to complex commercial and multifamily deals,” says Josh. “Each customer deserves step-by-step practical guidance to successfully navigate their particular transaction, and it’s exciting to get the opportunity to expand those relationships through partnering with Beau and the ARC leadership team in Heights Title.” Other members of the leadership team include Tommy Brigham, Mechelle Wilder and Dale McIntyre, all with ARC Realty. The businesses are across-thestreet neighbors in the bustling retail area of Cahaba Heights.
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16 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
SOCIAL
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
June 6th, 'Hitch' July 18th, 'Jaws' Presented by Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc. Movie will begin at dusk. Beverages and food available for purchase from Catering by Kathy G. From left, Kayla Smeraglia, Madison Williamson, Ella Grace and Sanya and Butch Young.
$5 donations encouraged
Rockin’ the Joint
Arthritis Foundation Hosts Fundraiser Featuring Crawfish and Crooners The 14th annual Mudbugs & Music kicked off at Cahaba Brewing Company on May 5 as guests chowed down on crawfish from Shindigs. A kid’s zone offered plenty of entertainment for the younger guests, while a silent auction and live music were offered up for adults. The fundraiser was hosted by the Arthritis Foundation to benefit its mission to cure arthritis and support local patients. In particular, the event benefits the pediatric rheumatology program at Children’s of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, which has changed the course of treatment for thousands of children who suffer from juve-
nile arthritis. One of those patients served as honorary chair for the event. In spring 2010, Ella Grace Young joined her first softball team. After numerous visits to her pediatrician with what was assumed to be softball-related pain and swelling, she was sent to rheumatology at Children’s, where she was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic polyarticular arthritis, defined as unknown in origin and affecting five or more joints. With the help of a team of doctors and life-changing medication, Ella Grace’s arthritis has been inactive for years. ❖
Rebecca and Kevin Steinman.
Katie Fox and Sean Peters.
Kinsley and Rob Moss.
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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 17
SOCIAL
—Galleria Woods—
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
Exceptional Senior Living
Above, Kay Cook with daughter Ansley. Below, Kristina and Madelynn Browder.
From left, Bobby, Cece and Ruth Douglass.
BOOK BASH
Local Library Cooperative Celebrates 40 Years
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
The parking lot of the Homewood Public Library was filled May 4 with guests gathered to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative. Craft beers from around the region were served up, along with food trucks, a birthday cake, a bounce house, face painting, balloon making, crafts and a photo booth. The evening concluded with an anniversary installment of the cooperative’s monthly Bards and Brews event, emceed by performance artist Brian Hawkins and including live musical performances and poetry performances. ❖
Calli DeVore and Jessica Holden.
Tracy Joyce and Kathleen Boudreaux.
Coastal Conservation
Birmingham Crawfest Auctions Adventures to Benefit Gulf Coast The Coastal Conservation Association of Alabama’s Birmingham chapter took over the Birmingham Zoo on May 3 for its annual Crawfest. On the menu for the evening were boiled crawfish and shrimp alongside a Cajun buffet catered by Crazy Cajuns. Winston Ramble provided music at the event, which was coordinated by chapter President Jay Skinner. Up for silent auction were a safari in Africa and an Argentina dove-hunting trip, along with sporting gear, certificates and more. All proceeds from the evening’s festivities benefit marine conservation efforts on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. ❖
T
he residents are well-educated, interesting and congenial,” said Frances Poor, above, who has been a resident at Galleria Woods for ten years. “The planned activities are varied and enjoyable. The food is outstanding. When looking for a senior living community, be certain the community you are considering provides for all of your needs: physical, spiritual, emotional and intellectual and move while you are still able to make your own decisions and healthy enough to enjoy the fun activities.”
Galleria Woods is a premier senior living community offering distinctive amenities and attentive service. Residents enjoy a dynamic lifestyle with a selection of care options to meet changing needs, including garden homes with garages in addition to independent living apartments, assisted living, skilled nursing and rehab. Galleria Woods is an entry-fee community, which means you receive life-time care regardless of financial circumstances. “Our Life Care program offers a unique opportunity for seniors looking to plan how they will be cared for as they age and how to pay for that care. Life care offers predictable long term care expenses, significant savings on monthly costs, tax benefits, estate preservation and a Life Care Guarantee,” Josh Hullett, Sales and Marketing said.
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3850 GALLERIA WOODS DR, BIRMINGHAM, AL 35244 brookdale.com
18 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
Photo special to the Journal
From left, Carolyn Waquespack, Rebecca Mason, Carmen Morrow, Sahra Coxe Lee, Julie Crocker, Cheree Carlton and Pat Grant.
Poured to Perfection
Ballerina Club Welcomes Spring with a Wine and Cheese Party
Nancy Bush, Marquita Self and Jean Liles.
Ballerina Club members gathered April 19 at the home of Second VicePresident Cheree Carlton for a general meeting and the election of new officers. Spring was in the air throughout her home with lovely arrangements of silk flowers and flowers from Carlton’s garden. Hospitality chair Bonnie Cicio
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
SOCIAL/WEDDINGS
coordinated a display of savory and sweet treats, including petite sandwiches and petit fours, on the dining room table. Wine and lemonade were served from the butler’s pantry. Among those enjoying the food and fellowship were Pat Grant, Sahra Coxe Lee, Janis Zeanah, Marlea Foster, Rebecca Mason, Carolyn Waquespack, Julie Crocker,
Lou Lanier, Carmen Morrow, Nancy Bush, Marquita Self, Anne Lamkin, Margaret Howell, Ann Harvey, Carolyn King, Kathie Ramsey, Jean Liles, Judy Long, Vicki Lukens and Elouise Williams. President Sahra Coxe Lee called the convivial partiers together for a brief business meeting. Ball chairman Carmen Morrow gave a report on the 2018 Ballerina Ball, “Mad Men, Martinis, and Music.” Marlea Foster, chair of the Nominating Committee recognized her committee: Vicki Smith, Connie Bishop, Lou Lanier and Nell Williams. Foster then presented the slate of the Ballerina Club executive officers for 2018-2019: Carmen Morrow, president; Julie Crocker and Beth Elliot, first vice-residents; Susan Williams, second vice president; Rebecca Mason, secretary; Carolyn Waquespack, treasurer; Pat Grant, assistant treasurer; and Sahra Coxe Lee, parliamentarian. The Ballerina Club Members present unanimously approved the proposed Executive Committee for 2018 2019. ❖
Nicholson-Bamberg
Hannah Rose Nicholson of Hoover and Ian Robert Bamberg of Burbank, California, were married April 21 at Siloam Baptist Church in Marion. The Rev. Matt Lawson, pastor of Story City Church in Burbank, officiated. A reception followed at the Paul B. Robinson Excess House at Marion Military Institute. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Nicholson of Hoover. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Perry (Pearl) Nicholson Sutton and the late Mr. G.W. Nicholson of Birmingham, and Mr. Dick Blaising and the late
Mrs. Betty Furtick Blaising of Hoover. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bamberg of Prattville. He is the grandson of Mrs. Francis Bamberg and the late Mr. Buford Bamberg of Marion, and Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Junkins of Hartselle. Given in marriage by her parents, the bride wore a floor-length, ivory, mermaid Vera Wang wedding gown. She was attended by her twin sisters, Leah and Sarah Nicholson of Hoover, as maids of honor. Bridesmaids were Abby Wells, Sarah Kidd and Savannah Lathem all of Hoover; Amy Hagan of Portland, Oregon; Breanna Bence of Anchorage, Alaska; and Alison Batts Smolin of Birmingham. Flower Girl was Sage Smolin. Best men were the groom’s brother, Zach Bamberg of Prattville, and Sam Heiney of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Groomsmen were John Harrett of Jacksonville, Florida; Josh Hurd of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Patrick Greco and Garrett Notman of Stafford, Virginia; and the bride’s brothers, Caleb and Gilbert Nicholson III of Hoover. Ring bearer was Jude Smolin. The couple honeymooned in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and are living in Burbank.
CELEBRATION! Look for Weddings Special Section OTMJ June 14th Issue!
New Club Year, New Leadership The Antiquarian Society of Birmingham concluded the club year with an Installation of Officers and a luncheon honoring retiring and incoming officers at the Mountain Brook home of member Susan Dasher. The luncheon was chaired
Roman BRantley aRt, antiques Gifts & DecoR
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by Meredith Peeples and Caroline Sparrow, with Gail Pugh and Sandra Holley greeting guests. President Marjorie Forney presided and presented thank you gifts to all who had served on the Executive Board during the year. Parliamentarian Elouise Williams, assisted by guest Anna Williams, installed the 2018-19 Officers: President Linda Stewart, First Vice President and Program Chair Diana Turnipseed, Second Vice President and Yearbook Chair Lucy Richardson, Corresponding Secretary Janet Krueger, Recording Secretary Dottie Hoover, Treasurer Judy Long and Historian Kay Clark. New members Carolyn Delk, Carla Roberson and Nancy Skinner were welcomed. All present enjoyed
Photo special to the Journal
Antiquarian Society Installs New Officers
From left, Marjorie Forney, Kay Clark, Judy Long, Janet Krueger, Dottie Hoover, Lucy Richardson, Diana Turnipseed and Linda Stewart.
a picnic lunch following the Invocation given by Dottie Hoover. Other members in attendance were: Martha Bartlett, Redonda Broom, Kirke Cater, Elaine Clark, Martha Lee Culp, Cece Dillard, Carolyn Drennen, Marsha Duell, Jane Ellis, Carolyn Featheringill, Anne Gibbons, Claire Goodhew,
Kay Grayson, Annie Green, Charmion Hain, Judy Haise, Judith Hand, Jean Hendrickson, Annalisa Jager, Rosemary Jager, Nancy Jones, Becky Keyes, Barbara Klyce, Anne Lamkin, Cookie Logan, Terri Lyon, Rebecca Mason, Nancy Morrow, Mary Jean Myers, Helen Pittman, Margie Preston, Natasha
Randolph, Lynda Robertson, Janeal Shannon, Nan Skier, Jan Smith, Mary Carol Smith, Rhetta Tatum, Rebekah Taylor, Nan Teninbaum, Carole Thomas, Amy Tully, Jean Vaughan, Elizabeth Wallace, Laura Wallace, Liz Warren, Doris Wayman, Margie Williams and Janis Zeanah. ❖
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Mountain Brook Names New Director of Student Services, Principals of MBHS and CBE
By Emily Williams When Mountain Brook City Schools students go back to classes in August, they might be seeing a new face in the principal’s office. Philip Holley will be taking over as Mountain Brook High School’s principal, and Sandy Ritchey will begin as principal of Cherokee Bend Elementary. The changes begin the first of July. Holley takes over as former Principal Amanda Hood moves to the Board of Education to be student services director. Holley has been assistant principal for curriculum and instruction at MBHS. He has been teaching for 19 years and has coached football, basketball, baseball, softball and soccer. For 11 years, he was a science teacher and assistant coach at Mountain Brook Junior High School. He also worked as an assistant principal at Riverchase Elementary and Vestavia Hills High before joining the MBHS staff in 2016 in his current position. Among his recognitions during his teaching career, Holley received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 2005, was nominated for Alabama Teacher of the year in 2010 and received the Margaret Spencer Ragland Award for excellence in teaching in 2011. “Philip Holley is highly regarded by his students, his colleagues and by parents. His demonstration of excellence in teaching and his extensive experience as a leader make him the ideal choice to serve as principal of our high school,” school Superintendent Dicky Barlow said in a released statement. Ritchey, currently an assistant principal at Cherokee Bend, will be taking over the position of principal following the retirement of Principal Betsy Bell. She taught at Hoover’s Green Valley Elementary before joining the Mountain Brook schools as a reading coach at Crestline Elementary, where she worked from 2013 to 2017, when she joined Cherokee Bend. Holding a bachelor’s and master’s in elementary education from UAB, Ritchey is working toward a doctorate in educational leadership. In addition to her administrative role, she has served as president of the Birmingham Area Reading Council and is a member of the International Literacy Association and the Alabama Reading Association. Her recognitions include receiving Crestline’s inaugural Jerome Lewis Legacy Award in 2017, District VII Alabama Teacher of the Year in 2016 and alternate Elementary Alabama State Teacher of the Year in 2017.
Philip Holley will be taking over as Mountain Brook High School’s principal.
Sandy Ritchey will begin as principal of Cherokee Bend Elementary.
Amanda Hood moves to the Board of Education to be student services director.
Moving on Up
Hood will be filling the position held by Dr. Dale Wisely, who will be retiring from the school system after serving as director of student services for the past 12 years. Barlow said Hood has shown herself to be the perfect person for her new position. She has been principal at the high school for five years, after serving as an assistant principal at MBHS and principal of MBJH. In her 19-year career in education, Hood also has worked as a math teacher and cheerleading coach at Oak Mountain High School and assistant principal for curriculum and instruction at Spain Park High School. Her recognitions include the University of Montevallo’s Lawrence L. Malone Outstanding Principal Award in 2013. She also is active in the Council for Leaders of Alabama School and the Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals. ❖
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 19
SCHOOLS OTM Teams Take on Vex World Robotics Competition
The 11th annual VEX Robotics World Championship brought more than 30,000 people – including 1,648 teams from 30 nations – to Louisville, Kentucky, for a week-long celebration of STEM, diversity and robotics. The competition holds the Guinness World Records title of largest robot competition. Over the Mountain schools sent teams from the elementary, junior high and high school levels to the competition, and four of those teams returned home with awards. Mountain Brook Junior High’s G team took home a Build Award in the middle school engineering division. The Wall-e Wombats from Oak Mountain Middle School earned a Create Award in the middle school science division. The Invictus team from Vestavia Hills’ Louis Pizitz Middle School earned a Service Award for their work in the middle school opportunity division. The team was made up of eighth graders Amrita Arora, Nancy Chen, Corbin Mehrer, Russell Price and Ethan Raley and is led by coaches Diane McAliley and Kim Jaggard. The C team from Mountain Brook’s Crestline Elementary School won third place in the division team work challenge in the elementary school cassini division. The team is led by Crestline teacher Amy Anderson and Mountain Brook Junior High’s James Salvant. It includes Henry Carr Chapman, Jack Chapman, Beau Dionne, Hayden Graham, Eric Kao, Farley Nunnelley and Doug Shook.
Homewood City Schools Announces Summer Construction
Homewood City Schools facilities will be getting updates this summer to accommodate the growing student body. All buildings in the system, including the Board of Education building and Waldrop Stadium, will get upgrades
or replacements of their automation systems, including new server systems and software as well as new equipment. The project is estimated to be completed by October 2019. Resurfacing will begin this month on the track at Waldrop Stadium and a new sprint lane will be added. The construction crews also will work on drainage improvements and hope to have the new track base completed by August. Demolition of the Homewood High School’s field house and fine arts building will begin in June, with demolition projected to be completed by August. The next step for the school will be a two-level classroom addition, a new sports pavilion, a fine arts pavilion expansion and a dining room expansion with kitchen modifications, among other interior modifications. At Homewood Middle School, construction will add six classrooms to the building – two for each grade level – as well as additional office space and a new secure entryway. The crew hopes to have the project finished by August.
VHHS Sophomore Earns German Study-Abroad Scholarship
Vestavia Hills High School rising junior Sophia Akhtar received a scholarship to study abroad in Germany, it was announced May 14. She is one of 50 students throughout the southeastern U.S. and Puerto Rico who has received a Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholarship. As a CBYX scholarship recipient, Akhtar will spend the next school year living in Germany with a host family and attending a German high school where she will learn about German government and culture while fullyimmersed in the German language.
MBHS’s Lipp Earns Most Prestigious Davidson College Scholarship
Davidson College officials recently announced that Mountain Brook High School’s Elizabeth Rose Lipp,
a graduating senior, has received the John M. Belk Scholarship as an incoming student at Davidson College. Lipp, the daughter of Eric and Debra Lipp, will enroll in the Class of 2022 in August. The scholarship is identified as one of the most prestigious undergraduate scholarships in the country. It is awarded based on academic prowess, integrity, passion for life and records of distinction across various areas of school and community life. In the Davidson Class of 2022, Lipp is one of eight recipients who were chosen from among more than 1,280 nominees from all over the United States and around the world. The scholarship, which includes full comprehensive fees and special study stipends for travel and study, is valued at more than $260,000 over four years.
Pizitz Students Surpass Funding Goal for Africa Water Well
Students of Louis Pizitz Middle School students have raised more than $8,100 to drill a clean-water well in northern Uganda, it was announced May 16. The fundraiser began Sept. 27 with a “Be the Drop that Fills the Bucket” challenge kick-off. Brandon Gossett, director of development for NeverThirst, an organization that works to solve the ongoing global clean water crisis, spoke during the event. Fundraising efforts included an October concert by the Pizitz Band that raised more than $700, a T-shirt design contest that earned $650 and a $1,000 donation from Beth Uhlman and the PE staff’s faculty-student volleyball challenge for pediatric cancer research. In addition, the students throughout the year participated in waterrelated service projects and learning opportunities in the classroom. Students and staff will be dedicating the well to beloved library assistant Sandy Waldrop. Waldrop’s family attended the assembly to receive a plaque commemorating her service to the school and the well that will be named in her memory. ❖
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Congratulations Class of 2018!
Mary Charles’ Doll House New, Collectible Antique Dolls 2820 Petticoat Lane Mtn. Brook Village 870-5544 Open Thur. - Sat. 10am - 4:30pm
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20 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
FOOD
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
FOODIE NEWS CHOCOLATE WARS: BAKERS, CHEFS WILL COMPETE IN JUNE 21 CHALLENGE
Birmingham bakers, chefs and restaurateurs will face off June 21 in the fourth annual Magic City Chocolate Challenge. The fundraiser for Disability Rights & Resources will be from 5:30-8 p.m. at Regions Field. Participants will compete for a people’s choice award for the best chocolate dish. The event also will include musical entertainment and a silent auction. Already signed up to participate are Anna Claire, The Bright Star, Carrabas Italian Grill, Crestline Catering, Dena’s Cakes, Ivory LeShore’s Gourmet Bread Pudding and Cheesecakes, Savoie Catering, Taco Morro Loco, and We Have Doughnuts. Early bird tickets are $30 and on sale through June 11. Regular admission tickets will be $35. Children ages 12 and younger get in free if they’re with an adult. For tickets and more information, visit drradvocates.org.
Tom Sheffer owns the Green Apple Restaurant Group, which includes Avo and Dram in Mountain Brook, Jackson’s in Homewood and Nashville, and now Icehouse on Culver Road in Mountain Brook, above. Another eatery will be added to the group later this summer when Sheffer opens Soda Jerk in Homewood’s Edgewood neighborhood.
LOW and SLOW
Restaurateur Brings Texas BBQ to Mountain Brook – and Plans New Edgewood Eatery By Donna Cornelius Debates about which state has the best barbecue can get heated in a hurry. But a Mountain Brook restaurant that opened in March puts forth a pretty tasty case for Texas. “In Alabama, barbecue is more focused on ribs and pork,” said Tom Sheffer, owner of Icehouse Texas BBQ on Culver Road. “In Kentucky, where I’m from, it’s more mutton and chicken.” The Lone Star State, where it’s said everything is bigger, has a heavy-duty contender in the barbecue wars: brisket. This cut of beef can be tough if it’s not prepared properly – but when it is, look out. “Brisket is less forgiving than other meats and has to be cooked low and slow,” Sheffer said. Justin Green, the pit master at Icehouse, has the cooking method down pat. You almost don’t need a knife to eat his tender, flavor-forward brisket – but you’ll be glad to see a handy roll of paper towels on each table at the restaurant. Green, who’s from Arkansas, said another difference in Texas barbecue is the sauce – or lack of it. “They don’t do sauces, except maybe on the side,” he said. “The thought is that the meat is good enough to stand on its own.”
He and Sheffer know many Alabama folks are partial to sauce, so Icehouse serves theirs in separate containers. Green said there are three kinds of sauces. “You have sweet, heat and tangy,” he said. Icehouse smokes its meat at the restaurant. “In Texas, they use oak, not hickory,”
‘In Texas, they use oak, not hickory. The best is post oak – a type of native oak they use for fence posts on ranches. We ship it in from there. It’s great for pork. We use local pecan wood, too.’ Sheffer said. “The best is post oak – a type of native oak they use for fence posts on ranches. We ship it in from there. It’s great for pork. We use local pecan wood, too.” Sheffer said one reason he chose Texas
barbecue for his new restaurant is because he loved Texas growing up. “And the fun part of the Texas thing is that you can play off Tex-Mex, too, so we can have tacos and chips and queso,” he said. As a tribute to central Texas culture, side dishes include German potato salad and Czech-inspired kohlrabi slaw. “Our turkey has been a surprise hit, and so has our sausage,” Sheffer said. “Brisket has been even more popular than we thought. We also have barbecued bologna.” Dessert offerings are Texas-themed, too. “Pecan pie is a Texas and Southern favorite,” Sheffer said. “We also have Texas sheet cake, which is heavy on the chocolate.” Each Icehouse cocktail is named after an old Texas country song. “Red-headed Stranger” is a ruby red grapefruit margarita. “Make the World Go Away” is a Manhattan with Old Forester, sweet vermouth and orange bitters. “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” combines Tito’s vodka and sweet tea. Also on the drinks menu are beer and wine. Brunch, served only on Saturdays, has Austin, Texas-style breakfast tacos, eggs and brisket, mimosas and bloody Marys. Carry-out and catering are available. Sheffer said the restaurant’s name comes from, as one might guess, Texas. See ICEHOUSE, page 22
The Funky Food Truck Festival will be from 1-6 p.m. June 16 at Cahaba Brewing Co., 4500 Fifth Ave. S. in Birmingham. Participating food trucks will include Dixieland Funnel Cakes, Lazy Boy BBQ, Nola Ice and Taco Morro Loco. Fetch: A Treat Truck for Dogs will be on hand, too, and the Greater Birmingham Humane Society will bring adoptable dogs. Suggested donations of $5 benefit AIDS Alabama programs. For more information, visit aidsalabama.org.
TOP TACOS: ANNUAL FESTIVAL IS AT AVONDALE BREWERY
Try some of the best tacos in Birmingham at the second annual Taco Festival from noon to 5 p.m. June 30 at Avondale Brewing Co., 201 41st St. S. in Birmingham. Bare Hands Gallery, host of the annual Dia de Los Muertos Festival, is presenting the event. Those who attend can vote for the best taco and have margaritas and other beverages. The festival also will have live music and a kids’
See FOODIE NEWS, page 22
Photo special to the Journal
Journal photo by Jordan Wald
WHEELS ON THE GROUND: FOOD TRUCK EVENT BENEFITS AIDS ALABAMA
Anna Claire won Most Creative Use of Chocolate and Best Dressed Table awards at last year’s Magic City Chocolate Challenge.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 21
FOOD
Rehab Reality... By Judy and Julie Butler
Graduation is Only the Beginning
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
El Barrio Owners Expand Their Influence on Birmingham’s Food Scene
COOKING for the CITY
Chef Neville Baay and his business partners spiced up the Birmingham food scene when they opened El Barrio in 2011. This summer, they’ll introduce their newest venture: The Woolworth, a lively new establishment in Five Points with food, drinks and games.
By Donna Cornelius It’s hard to believe one of Birmingham’s most innovative restaurants is almost seven years old. El Barrio Restaurante Y Bar almost immediately created a culinary buzz when it opened in December 2011 on Second Avenue South downtown. From its funky design to its imaginative, not-your-traditionalMexican menu, the eatery quickly became a favorite of those who love food that’s creative, thoughtfully prepared – and delicious. “Twenty years ago, you couldn’t have done this kind of food with any
become one of the stars on the menu – as have the roasted chile relleno, chicken tostada, and the ceviche – citrus-marinated shrimp with pineapple, avocado, cilantro and a crisp tortilla. “The menu is something that’s developed organically,” Baay said. “We adjust the menu for seasonal ingredients. I have culinary ADHD – I like to change things up. I’m always thinking, how can I make this or that different?” Cullen said the timing was right when El Barrio opened. “Downtown Birmingham was going to be revitalized,” he said. “Since we’ve opened, it’s become
Paramount, and I do the day-to-day at El Barrio,” Baay said. “We talk about ideas every week.” The five partners are about to deepen their imprint on Birmingham’s
food scene. “We were approached by a company who had just bought Bailey Brothers Music Co. in Five Points,” See EL BARRIO, page 22
‘The three pillars of a good food scene are good farmers, a population that’s interested in and likes food, and then chefs and professionals who can bring those two groups together. That’s what we have here in Birmingham.’ CHEF NEVILLE BAAY authenticity,” said Neville Baay, the New Zealand-born chef who’s one of the restaurant’s owners. “Now, we can get products from all over the world.” El Barrio also is owned by Chris Cullen, Geoff Lockert and Brian Somershield. “When we started, we all agreed we’d do Mexican food,” Baay said. “We try and stick to traditional inspirations, but there’s a lot of crossover. Our meatloaf is a classic example.” The grilled chorizo meatloaf has
even more progressive.” He said the restaurant is “not fastcasual.” “We’re a step closer to gourmet food in a casual environment,” Cullen said. In 2013, the four El Barrio owners plus Ben Smith opened Paramount on the corner of Second Avenue South and 20th Street. The trendy spot is a bar with high-level pub grub and an arcade. “Brian does the day-to-day at
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Yes, it’s a great accomplishment. We’ll give you that, but it’s only the beginning. Some rehabs actually give out graduation certificates. At Bayshore Retreat we only give certificates to those who may need them for legal reasons. Reality is people don’t ‘graduate’ from addiction. It’s an everyday challenge until finally one day you realize that it’s no longer a challenge. After graduation the real challenges begin such as a student looking for employment or the addict must find new ways to fill the time they previously had for their drugs or alcohol. Whether someone has been to Bayshore Retreat or another facility they will be faced with the same issues. The only difference might be that at Bayshore Retreat we work very hard to ensure our clients get the best treatment possible, physically and with counseling to prepare them for their new life. They don’t ‘graduate’ instead they develop an Exit Plan, which is how they will live, work, and play. Also, and not the least is who they will associate with or have for support. Some of these things can’t change and this is where the possibility of relapse is greatest. Friends that were friends may no longer fit in this new life style. Relatives will question behavior that reminds them of the addicted behavior. We work hard to prepare them for those possibilities and are in touch with them long after they leave Bayshore. Many reach out to us when they have a problem and some have even returned to us because of a relapse. The ones who have returned always admit ‘it was harder than they thought it would be’.
22 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
FOOD
EL BARRIO,
ICEHOUSE,
Baay said. “They were looking for a food-entertainment place. We’d wanted to have bowling at Paramount, but there was no room to expand that much. The new concept will be entertainment, good food and good drinks.” He said the main attraction will be duckpin bowling. In this form of the game, the pins are shorter and squatter. Players get three balls instead of two; the balls are lighter than traditional bowling balls and don’t have finger holes. “We’ll have pool and ping-pong tables, shuffleboard, TVs, a dining area and a rooftop patio,” Baay said. “You can go with your work colleagues, friends and family.” The new establishment, set to open in July, will be called The Woolworth since the building once housed one of the famous five-anddime stores. “Also, a ‘woolworth’ is a 5-10 split in bowling,” Baay said. The menu still is being fine-tuned. “We have a wood-fired pizza oven,” he said. “We have a strong desire to use local farmers, seasonal products. The menu will encourage people to share and help themselves to things like flatbreads and dips.” While each of the partners’ establishments has a fun side, food is taken seriously. “We cooks take a great deal of pride in what we do,” Baay said. “You don’t buy mayonnaise – you make it. You don’t buy stock – you make it. You don’t buy frozen vegetables – you use fresh.” Baay likely wouldn’t have been part of the El Barrio partnership if not for a gut-based decision. “I was living in Birmingham and had bought a house in New York,” he said. “My wife and I got to New York, sat down and looked at each other – and we came back to Birmingham. We never even unloaded the truck.”
“In the 1800s, icehouses in Texas were places where you bought cut ice,” he said. “Later, they sold butter and eggs. Now, they’re usually places to get good food.” Sheffer owns the Green Apple Restaurant Group, which includes Avo and Dram in Mountain Brook, Jackson’s in Homewood and Nashville, and now Icehouse. He said the family company’s name comes from a drink that was wildly popular when he started the business. “When we opened in 2000, we couldn’t make green apple martinis fast enough,” he said.
From page 20
El Barrio’s Tacos al carbon.
The El Barrio opportunity presented itself when the couple returned to Birmingham, “A friend of mine knew Brian and Geoff and knew they were looking for a chef,” Baay said. “We all talked to each other, and it was love at first sight.” Baay said part of Birmingham’s appeal is that it’s still a work in progress. “In cities like London, Paris, Nice and Sydney, you look at the downtown, and you see beautiful architectural spaces that have been reborn,” he said. “You look at Birmingham, and some parts of downtown are that way, and others are like a ghost town. It’s a feeling you don’t get anywhere else in the world. It’s inspiring. You don’t get opportunities like we have here everywhere you go.” Baay said he and his partners are happy to be part of Birmingham’s culinary community. “The three pillars of a good food scene are good farmers, a population that’s interested in and likes food, and then chefs and professionals who can bring those two groups together,” he said. “That’s what we have here in Birmingham.” It would be surprising if The Woolworth is the partners’ last venture. “Myself especially, we all want to grow, to continue to be surprised,” Baay said. “Part of doing this has to be that you’re learning and growing. Give me the choice of doing this and opening a new place – I’ll take the new one every time.” ❖
Homewood Soda Fountain Planned
Another eatery will be added to the group later this summer when Sheffer opens Soda Jerk in Homewood’s Edgewood neighborhood. “It will be a riff on the old soda fountain but up-to-date,”
Icehouse is at 2708 Culver Road in Mountain Brook. It’s open Mondays to Fridays from 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sundays from noon-4 p.m. For more information, call 438-6950 or visit the restaurant’s Facebook page. Soda Jerk will be at 920 Oxmoor Road in Homewood. ❖
WINGING IT: LVH HOSTS WING DING CHALLENGE
Leadership Vestavia Hills presents a hot wing challenge and festival from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., June 2 at Vestavia Hills City Hall. Enjoy chicken wings from competing chefs, live music and a children’s area full of games and activities to benefit Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For more information visit: leadershipvestaviahills.com.
Journal file photo
From page 20
he said. “We’ll have hamburgers, hot dogs, deep-fried grilled cheeses, a few tacos like poke and fried chicken, fries, onion rings and kale salad. We’ll also have a big ice cream program with ice cream, shakes and frozen custards with mix-ins.” A full bar will offer frozen drinks plus wine and beer on tap. “We’ll have a bocce court and a lot of outdoor seating and an outdoor bar,” Sheffer said. “Inside, we’ll have a counter, subway tile and reclaimed barn wood booths like the ones at Icehouse.” Sheffer said Soda Jerk, like his other restaurants, will focus on freshness and quality. “We like the small spaces,” he said. “We like to do a few things really well.”
FOODIE NEWS, From page 20
area. Admittance is $5 in advance and $10 at the gate; beverages and food cost extra. For tickets and more information, visit barehandsinc.org.
cheese and a choice of protein. Holler & Dash is at 2801 18th St. S in downtown Homewood.
BISCUITS AND MORE: HOLLER & DASH EXPANDS ITS MENU
Taco Mama, a fast-casual taqueria that started in Crestline Village in 2011, opened its newest restaurant this month in Shelby County. The new location is in Cadence Place on Hoover’s Cahaba Valley Road. Taco Mama offers freshly prepared tacos, burritos, quesadillas and burrito bowls featuring premium, slow-roasted meats and fresh produce. The restaurant also has hand-shaken margaritas and beer, including Muchacho, Good People Brewing Co.’s new Mexican-style lager. For more information, visit tacomamaonline.com. ❖
The Homewood location of Holler & Dash, which specializes in special takes on biscuits, is joining the company’s other six restaurants in expanding its menu. This month, Holler & Dash launched a new menu that includes chef-driven sandwiches, bowls, toasts and side dishes. Among the new offerings are the Avocado Smash – toast with avocado, watermelon relish, lemon Dijon vinaigrette and paprika – and the Everyday I’m Brusselin’ Bowl – with shaved Brussels sprouts, sundried cranberries, apples, pecorino
MAMA ON THE MOVE: TACO RESTAURANT OPENS IN SHELBY COUNTY
SENIORS
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 23
Living the Olympic Ideals
By June Mathews
Being “up and moving” has helped Jackie Matte stay fit in her recent years, which came in handy when she took part in the community’s Senior Olympics, held May 18.
A Life of Study and Scholarship
Matte returned to college after her three children were old enough to go to school and got a master’s in history and secondary education at UAB. From there she embarked on what would become a 27-year career teaching in the Mountain Brook School System. “I taught social studies,” Matte said. “So one half of the year was Alabama history and the other half was spent on current events.” It was while teaching Alabama history that Matte developed an interest in the history of her home county, Washington County in south Alabama. “When I was growing up, I never realized I was living in this historic place,” she said. Putting her research to work, she began compiling information for what would become her first published book, “The History of Washington
Journal photo by Jordan Wald
Having experienced success as an author, teacher and scholar, Jackie Matte continues to challenge body and mind in her daily life at age 83. The Galleria Woods resident takes part in a plethora of activities at the senior living community. “There is always something to do around here,” she said. “You see everyone up and moving and it really makes this a lively place.” Being “up and moving” has helped Matte stay fit in her recent years, which came in handy recently when she took part in the community’s Senior Olympics, held May 18. “It’s definitely a major event here,” Matte said. “We went down to the villa homes and they had a putting green set up and all kinds of games.” Matte medaled three times, but her most prized win was in the cornhole tournament. “I had never played that game before,” she said. “I was playing against one of my good friends and he could hardly get one beanbag in the hole and I got every single one in.” Matte’s exercise isn’t limited to physical exertion, though. The 11-year resident of Galleria Woods recently was diagnosis with Alzheimer’s. But she said she has
found plenty of ways to keep her mind sharp. One of those ways is her dedication to the community’s “Flex Your Brain” course, which includes a section that helps participants work on their memory skills. It is those memory skills and critical thinking on which Matte built her life.
County: The First County in Alabama.” Published in 1982, the book is recognized by the county as the authority on its history. “It took a whole lot of work. I worked on it mostly during the summers and I made sure I included everyone,” Matte said. “I also won a
Teacher/Scholar Award from the National Endowment for the Humanities and had one year of independent study to work on my research.” While researching for that book, Matte’s appreciation for the Choctaw Native American presence in the county grew, leading to the
book she said she is most proud of “They Say the Wind is Red: the Alabama Choctaw Lost in Their Own Land.” “I spent so much time with them,” she said. “I interviewed elders and went from village to village, so they made me kind of their
See MATTE page 24
Pursuing the Art of Writing, Group Style
If ever writing were in someone’s blood, it’s in Carolynne Scott’s. Take a look at her resume, and you’ll see a history of writing-related pursuits spanning 60 years. You’ll also see that Scott has spent a good part of those years in educational settings. Beginning in 1959 with a brief stint as a teacher of journalism, English and speech at HewittTrussville High School and continuing to the present, she has coached countless students in the art of the written word. But, said Scott, a small but dedicated group of five fiction writers she meets with every Wednesday afternoon at the Homewood Senior Center teaches her as much as she teaches them. Billed as Fiction Writing Critique, the sessions have evolved into a gathering of friends who support one another in their chosen craft. “It’s my favorite thing to do, actually, to come to this class,” Scott said. “We’re very informal, and it’s so much fun. But you learn and grow with every subject that’s presented, and we help each other become better writers.” The roots of the group trace back to Scott’s extended run as an instructor in UAB Special Studies. “I taught fiction writing there for 22 years, but the program shut down in 2004,” she recalled. “But I got a place for the group here at the senior center, and we’ve been here ever since. I didn’t realize until I started thinking it
writer has taken a turn on the proverbial hot seat. “They’ll let you know if they don’t like it,” said group member David Roberts, author of a book based on teen life in Mountain Brook.
‘There’s something about reading your own work aloud, that even if you don’t get a verbal response from anybody in the room, you still get a critical sense of how they’re taking it.’ STEVE COLEMAN, WINNER OF A FIRST PLACE HACKNEY LITERARY AWARD FOR HIS STORY “THE MEANEST MAN IN PICKENS COUNTY”
Journal photo by Jordan Wald
By Emily Williams
83-Year-Old Galleria Woods Resident Still Demands Excellence From Her Body and Her Mind
Carolynne Scott in front with her writing students, from left, William Fowler, David Roberts, Steve Coleman and Jackie Romine Walburn. The group meets every Wednesday afternoon at the Homewood Senior Center.
over that we’ve been here 14 years. It seems like yesterday.” Each week, every member of the group brings an excerpt from whatever they’re work-
ing on and reads it aloud to the others. Then a discussion takes places about the good, the bad and the ugly of what they’ve heard. The same routine continues around the room until each
“They’ll rake you over the coals and tell you, ‘Here’s something you left out.’ ‘Here’s something you need.’ ‘Here’s a time difference that doesn’t make sense.’ And you say, ‘Oh, gee, how’d I mess that up?’” But sometimes the things not said speak louder than words. “There’s something about reading your own work aloud, that even if you don’t get a verbal See WRITERS page 24
24 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
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Always Best Care Senior Services Always Best Care has provided non-medical care and skilled nursing services to local residents for the past five years. “Our team is made up of Nurses and Certified Nurse Aides who have extensive experience working with elderly and disabled individuals,” said owner Jennifer Mancuso, above. “Staff members provide a wide array of services, including bathing, vital sign monitoring, medication reminders, meal preparation, companionship, transportation and incontinence care. We take a concierge approach to working with our clients and can manage such things as arranging doctor’s appointments, running errands, taking care of pets and handling aesthetic needs. All care services are supervised by an on-staff RN who completes the initial client care assessment, as well as ongoing assessments. With a team of experienced RN’s and LPN’s, we provide a full continuum of care, offering skilled nursing services such as wound, burn and trach care and disease management.” Always Best Care is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC)
for Private Duty Nursing, Infusion Nursing, Companion and Aide Services. Accreditation by ACHC reflects Always Best Care’s dedication and commitment to meeting standards that facilitate a higher level of performance and patient care. ACHC is a not-for-profit organization that has stood as a symbol of quality and excellence since 1986. “We are proud to be the only company in Alabama to be accredited by ACHC for these services.” “Client satisfaction is paramount to Always Best Care. We cater to the needs of our clients by providing services from just a few hours a day to 24 hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Our clients are carefully matched with the most appropriate caregiver, based on their individual needs and care plan. All Always Best Care clients receive a customized care plan developed for their particular situation and regular nurse visits to ensure that the care plan is being followed and updated as needed.” Always Best Care is located at 6 Office Park Circle, Suite 315, Mountain Brook, 874-9730.
Norton, is a retired speech therapist who has won numerous awards for her short stories, including a first place Hackney Literary From page 23 Award. Her family memoir, “The Eleventh response from anybody in the room, you still Voice”, is available on Kindle. get a critical sense of how they’re taking it,” “Sometimes I think I’ve made a mistake by said Steve Coleman, winner of a first place not sticking to my own writing,” said Scott, To: Literary Stephanie Hackney Award for his story “The “but that wouldn’t be near as much fun as getFrom: Over TheCounty.” Mountain Journal, 205-823-9646 Meanest Man in Pickens ting to togetherph., with these folks. They make Coleman is205-824-1246, now working on fax a novel about me read from my own novel (a murder mysa robot that develops Date: May human qualities, a subtery set in the world www.respiratorysleepmedical.com of ballroom dancing), ject that’s sparked much discussion on philoand that’s an incentive to get it finished. It’s a sophical levels. great help to get the kind of feedback this ButMay group members more contact than critique; group provides. We all wetocan get bet31, 2018 issue.doPlease your sales representative as soon asknow possible approve your they also exchange ad other usefulchanges. information. or make You may faxter.” approval or changes to 824-1246. ❖ “They’ve helped me with my query letPlease make sure all information is correct, ters,” said Jackie Romine Walburn, a former We Offer: including and phone number! corporate communications manager, nowaddress a • In-Home Care, Including Bathing, Grooming, Housekeeping, Meal freelance reporter. Walburn wrote you a Southern Thank for your prompt attention. Preparation, Incontinence Care, Medication Reminders and Transportation gothic novel set in Alabama’s Black Belt and is now seeking an agent for it. But she’s also From page 23 • Skilled Nursing Services learned other lessons along the way. go-between and I helped write their petition • The Only Agency in Alabama Accredited by the Accreditation Commission “Coming from the world of journalism, for federal recognition.” I’ve found that fiction is a different animal,” of Health Care (ACHC) for Aide, Companion and Skilled Nursing Services She became something of an expert on the she said. “As a reporter, I’d turn something in • BlueCross BlueShield and and VIVA HEALTH Native Americans in her home region, even and be through with it, but writing fiction has testifying before U.S. Congress in support of commercial insurance participating Home Health provider for Skilled a lot to do with revision, revision, revision. I the Choctaw people. In 2007 she was invited Nursing services heard somebody say if you’re not revising, to Johns Hopkins University as a guest speakyou’re not writing.” er during a commemoration of Native William Fowler has done his share of American Heritage Month. revising, too. After 40 years in the real estate Throughout her apartment, Matte has disbusiness, he decided to give writing a whirl. played photographs of her late husband and Initially a songwriter, Fowler has since writfour generations of her family, along with certen a novel and a children’s book. tificates and plaques recognizing her work as “It’s a lonely sport,” he said. “Ninety pera historian and educator. Together they tell the Jennifer Mancuso cent of it is thinking. Ten percent of it is writOwner jmancuso@abc-seniors.com story of her life. ing, at least in my case. But Carolynne’s been But it’s clear the story does not end there. great for us. She’s kept us together, and it’s www.AlwaysBestCare-Birmingham.com There also is room for a basket of Olympic been worth gold to have somebody like her 6 Office Park Circle, Suite 315, Birmingham, AL 35223 medals that spell her continued success into help us.” Locations independently owned and operated throughout the United States and Canada. her senior years. ❖ The fifth student in the group, Yvonne
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Choice Home Care Seeking to fill a need in the community, David Jernigan, founder of Care First Private Duty, began offering services in 2000 to local seniors, providing sitters, companions and home health aides. The business has since grown to become a major provider of these services for Jefferson, Shelby and St. Clair counties. “After improvement and expansion of the company in 2007, we became Choice Home Care,” said Jernigan. “We feel it better describes our company. We are not a sitting service. Our employees work with our clients to provide wellness and to improve their independence in the comfort of their own home.” Choice provides services seven days a week, 24 hours a day; which can include transportation, medication management, personal care services, overnight services, home-making needs, unskilled and skilled respite care and meal preparation. The Choice staff takes calls around the
clock, so the client speaks to a person, not a machine. Caregivers are prompt and reliable in meeting the individual needs of your loved ones. Developing a relationship with respect in all situations helps solidify the partnership between the client and Choice. The Choice team listens first then quickly responds to tailor a care plan to meet your changing needs. A longtime membership with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America provides Choice staff with the most effective and current training to care for clients with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Choice Home Care is dedicated to providing peace of mind to family members and their loved ones as their needs evolve. Choice Home Care’s rates are competitive with no hidden fees and consultation is free. Choice Home Care is located at 3928 Montclair Rd., Suite 202, Birmingham, 4450705.
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Beltone
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 25
Since 1940 Beltone has made high quality hearing care available, developing technically optimal hearing solutions focused on the patients needs. Free hearing tests are offered and a licensed hearing instrument specialist recommends instruments based on the patients hearing loss. “We build relationships with our patients and offer premier customer service,” said licensed
“WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE SERVICES AND PRODUCTS THAT WE PROVIDE. WE BELIEVE AN EDUCATED PATIENT IS A SATISFIED PATIENT. YOUR SATISFACTION WITH THE HEARING SOLUTION WE RECOMMEND FOR YOU IS IMPORTANT TO US.” hearing aid specialist John Eddins, right. “We want to help patients hear for years to come. This is why we take time to get to know our patients. Listening to what they need and want from their hearing aids. “We now offer rechargeable batteries. Our newest technology is the Beltone Trust. Its small, virtually invisible and built to last. “We are passionate about the services and products that we provide. We believe an educated patient is a satisfied patient. Your satisfaction with the hearing solution we recommend for you is important to us. We know the more you understand your hearing loss and solutions that are available to you, the greater the chances you will be completely satisfied. Beltone is located at 1491 Montgomery Hwy, Vestavia Hills, 205-824-8170.
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Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. *Discount off MSRP and applies to a pair of Beltone Trust 9 or 17 hearing aids. $425 off single hearing aid. Cannot be combined with other offers, coupons or insurance plans. Previous purchases excluded. Participation may vary. See location for details. Benefits of hearing aids vary by type and degree of hearing loss, noise environment, accuracy of hearing evaluation and proper fit. Beltone Hearing Care Centers are independently owned and operated.
26 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
Danberry at Inverness The Unique Choice in Senior Living
In the past, seniors seeking a retirement community had few options. Often, it was either an uninspiring urban high-rise with few outside amenities or an upscale development built around a golf-course or waterfront with few personal services. But today’s retirees and tomorrow’s retiring baby boomers increasingly demand an environment that not only is carefree, but also offers them ample opportunities to remain mentally and physically active in a soothing natural setting. In other words, they want an address that redefines retirement. Danberry at Inverness senior living community, located at 235 Inverness Center Drive in Hoover, just off US 280 and Valleydale Road, is an example of an inspiring approach to retirement living that feels unique from the moment one enters its atrium lobby. Stained-glass windows and a cascading waterfall set the mood for a retirement lifestyle that emphasizes natural beauty, vitality, and personal fulfillment. Residents can choose from comfortable one-, two-, or threebedroom luxury apartment homes which are appointed with upscale features such as ceramic tile floors, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. English gardens and flowering landscapes complete these picture-perfect residences. The award-winning Frank Lloyd Wrightinspired architecture and natural surroundings only add to the peaceful, stress-reducing environment. “We believe that Danberry at Inverness offers
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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
people over 55 independent living unlike anywhere else—one that encourages growth, learning and discovery of new things about yourself and your environment,” said Danberry at Inverness Marketing Director Lori Krueger. Comprehensive health and wellness services for independent living, assisted living, and memory care lifestyles are available at Danberry at Inverness, and they are offered in meticulously designed environments that invite nature indoors. For example, throughout the Danberry at Inverness Clubhouse, nature seamlessly blends both indoors and out with fireplaces, the atrium lobby, English tea gardens and waterfalls. Here, residents can take care of everyday details and enjoy a range of first-class amenities (movie theater, creative art studio, bridge and card rooms) and services (library, mail/communications room). Dining is available in the formal dining room and al fresco on the garden terrace. A Dynamic Approach to Wellness The advantages of living in one of today’s wellness-oriented retirement communities are many: ample opportunities to stay as strong and independent as possible, staying in the mainstream of activities and events, and keeping a healthy outlook on life. Danberry at Inverness offers exceptional fitness opportunities all under one roof, such as “senior-friendly” spa services, a fully equipped fitness center, classes including Tai Chi, aerobics, water yoga and Pilates, a private senior-friendly heated indoor, resort-style saltwater pool, and a wellness clinic. “We make sure our residents have every opportunity to learn, explore and savor life in a whole new way,” said Krueger. “In other words, we help them design a future filled with fun!” This community really must be seen to be believed, so stop by Danberry at Inverness today or visit DanberryAtInverness.com. Or call 205443-9500 for more information.
ABOVE: Residents spending time together at Danberry at Inverness. LEFT: The atrium at Danberry at Inverness is the center of the clubhouse. It connects the common areas and provides a place where residents can enjoy a cup of coffee or a cocktail with friends before dinner.
Get more out of life at Danberry at Inverness Even more than larger floor plans, gorgeous architecture, and outstanding amenities—Danberry at Inverness frees you to create a lifestyle all your own, with Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care all right here. More peace of mind. And a lot more fun!
Call 443-9500.
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235 Inverness Center Drive Hoover, AL 35242
DanberryAtInverness.com
Limited Availability
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Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 27
Less Is
MORE
Photos courtesy Slate Barganier Building/Stock
OTM Builder Said Lake Living Is More Achievable Than Ever
Residents of homes at The Village at Lake Martin, above, may not live directly on the water, but they can still easily enjoy its beauty and activities. Golf carts are allowed and common docks are available. The community has a pool and fitness center.
By Sarah Kuper
M
any families dream of one day spending long lazy summers at their own idyllic waterfront lake home. For young families, it is a distant dream as they save up to afford one by the time grandchildren come around but Vestavia Hills builder Cameron Eaton said it doesn’t have to be that way. “Young families, who by their mid-30s have made their way in the professional world, are financially at the point where they are thinking about vacation property. There are entry-level options for lake living,” Eaton said. Eaton and Tison Barganier are the principals at Slate Barganier Building based in Vestavia Hills. Responsible for grand homes and modest remodels alike in the Over the Mountain area, the company is also a prominent builder in the Lake Martin community. The majority of their lake construction appeals to a client looking to wade into lake life without spending millions. “Interest from younger clients is pretty basic. They care about the exteriors and the
‘Everyone wants to live on the water, but living just off the water is a good stepping stone.’ CAMERON EATON
amenities of the community,” Eaton said, “They want water access at a lower price point.” That holds true even if that means buying a lake home not immediately situated on the lake. Eaton said The Village at Lake Martin is a good example. Residents may not live directly on the water, but they can still easily enjoy its beauty and activities. Golf carts are allowed and common docks are available. The community has a pool and fitness center. “They are one of the places that has been successful with off-water stuff. Young people enjoy it and the price point is right. It still feels like you are in a mountain retreat,” Eaton said. Furthermore, Eaton said that, nowadays,
the owner of a multimillion-dollar home in the Over the Mountain area may not want to live that way on the lake. A modest, more carefree home is the sweet spot. “Here in town, people are focused on putting a $2,000 faucet in, but at the lake their tastes are much simpler. Here it might be white marble, but there it isn’t such a big deal. Oak floors make it more of a retreat,” Eaton said, “The same clients that in Birmingham want it one way aren’t the same way at the lake.” Another category of client drawn to the simpler, low-maintenance lake life is empty nesters. “We’ve sold a few to empty nesters with See LAKE HOME , page 28
28 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
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LAKE HOME, From page 27
kids at Auburn who may want a place for kids to come on the weekends,” Eaton said. While the craftsman or cabin
styles remain popular at Lake Martin, clients make homes their own through custom finishes such as beams or rustic accents. Slate Barganier Building has erected its share of large homes in the Over the Mountain area, but the company’s naissance keeps Eaton and
While the craftsman or cabin styles remain popular at Lake Martin, clients make homes their own through custom finishes such as beams or rustic accents.
Celebrating 50 Years ESTABLISHED 1967
Barganier grounded. The ever-busy company was founded in the depths of the 2010 recession, so its principals know a thing or two about making dreams come true on a budget. Plus, the two partners treat every modest project as a step on the way to
a lasting client relationship. “Our mindset is that the 30-yearold with the $10,000 bathroom remodel will need a bigger-scale project as their family and budget grows. Some other builders may overlook that client, but we want those jobs.” The same theory is true for entry-
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level lake construction. Eaton said buying a modest lake house doesn’t mean a client will never upgrade. “Everyone wants to live on the water, but living just off the water is a good stepping stone.” Whether a young family aims to enjoy lake life sooner rather than later or a retired couple longs to live the simpler lake life, a modest but quality home could be the answer. The demand for affordable and easy lake homes is growing so much that developers are expanding communities and snatching up previously overlooked lots. With the rising interest rates, the appeal of a more affordable vacation home is only growing. Eaton said he doesn’t see lake construction drying up anytime soon. ❖
otton he Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 05-824-1246
AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the May 31, 2018 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.
make sure all information is correct, including address To: Tricia and phone number! From: Over The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646, fax 205-824-1246 Please initial and fax back within 24 hours.
If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.
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Date: May
This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the May 31, 2018 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.
Please make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number! Please initial and fax back within 24 hours.
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COMING SOON LIBERTY PARK
TOWN VILLAGE A true live, work and play environment, the new 700-acre Town Village will be the heart of Liberty Park’s hometown, featuring an expansive town green, grocery store, community fuel and convenience store, restaurants, and thousands of square feet of retail. Imagine living so close to everything you need. Soon you can. Visit Liberty Park today and learn about our upcoming townhomes.
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(205) 945-6401 @libertyparkcommunity @libertyparkal @libertypark
N E W H O M E S • H I G H LY R AT E D V E S TA V I A H I L L S S C H O O L S • S W I M C E N T E R • T E N N I S C E N T E R • P A R K S • P L AY G R O U N D S • W A L K I N G T R A I L S All information herein believed accurate but not warranted or guaranteed and subject to change without notice. Future additions and amenities subject to change without notice. Liberty Park Joint Venture, LLP and its affiliates, officers, employees and agents are not responsible for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any of the above information. All rights reserved.
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30 • Thursday, May 31, 2018
SPORTS
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
White Sox Claim Third-Grade Championship
The third-grade White Sox pulled off a victory in the Mountain Brook Athletics’ End of Season Tournament on May 5, upsetting the Pirates 11-5 to win the championship. Members of the baseball team included, left to right, River Parant, Henry Walton, William Russ, Douglas Johnsey, Thomas Watson, Griffin Allen, Walton Moore, Parker Whitten, Oliver Mange and Evan Mussafer. Head coach for the team was Brett Watson, with Wes Whitten and John Johnsey as assistant coaches.
STEVENSON, From page 32
Stevenson is in her seventh year as Lakeshore’s head of development and special events, but the former Olympic diving champion is more like a goodwill ambassador for the foundation. “I love what I do,” said Stevenson, who spent 15 years on the Lakeshore board of directors before moving into her current position. “I am working more on community relations and public engagement. “Lakeshore is a world made up of similar energy (to Olympic athletes), positive energy, passion and people who love what they do. You have collaborative leadership and committed staffers, providing opportunities for our programs, our members, athletes and military people.” One of Lakeshore’s more popular and successful community events will take place Saturday, June 2, when Lakeshore’s Amazing Race is presented by its junior board. Modeled after the popular television show, teams of four will race throughout Lakeshore’s 45-acre campus, completing interactive challenges and competing for prizes. “There will be close to 20 challenges,” Stevenson said. “Each challenge centers on a physical disability so the challenges have an educational benefit.” Past challenges include sprinting down a track while wearing a blind-
COURSON, From page 32
AHSAA State Decathlon Championships. “He’s an all-around athlete,” Hind said. Courson finished third in the 47-athlete field with 6,229 points, behind winner Graham Collins of McGill-Toolen, with 6,914, and Stone Shellnutt of Hewitt-Trussville, 6,368. Of course, Courson finished first in the pole vault during the event, hitting 15-05. “I have competed in the decathlon since I was a sophomore,” Courson said. “I’ve always been pretty good at a lot of things and
fold, guided only by the feel of a thin tether held by a sighted guide runner, or kayaking down the pool with one arm and hand immobilized. Registration for Lakeshore’s Amazing Race begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, followed by the race from 9 a.m. to noon, and then an after party with food, beer, prizes and music. “It’s a true blast and people can come out and spectate,” Stevenson said. Of course, Stevenson knows all about challenges and competition, having won a gold medal in springboard diving at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal when she was 17 years old. It was the culmination of a journey that began several years earlier. Her mother, Kay Merrill, a former diver, was the swim team manager at Mountain Brook Swim and Tennis Club and was trying to start a diving team. She didn’t have any divers, so she suggested her daughter do it. Stevenson happily obliged. “I didn’t really like swimming and with diving I got to be outside,” she said. “It was like flying.” Carlos DeCubas, a former Cuban Olympic swimming and diving coach, just happened to be at the club at the time. He took Stevenson under his wing when she was 8 and quickly noticed she had special talent as a diver. “When I was 10, he told me I could be a national champion,” Stevenson recalled. “I didn’t know what that meant, but I was all in.”
By age 12, Stevenson began training for the Olympic trials. At 13, she moved to Georgia to continue training with DeCubas, who had become coach at Georgia Tech. At 14, she won the senior national diving championship for the first time. In 1975, Stevenson began training with Ron O’Brien, who was coaching future Olympic gold medal winner Greg Louganis among others. Soon after changing coaches, Stevenson won gold at the Pan American Games in Mexico City at age 16 and turned her sights to the Olympics the following year. “One of the hardest parts was just making the team,” she said. “We had a lot of depth in diving.” Stevenson won the Olympic trials and then went to Montreal and won the gold medal in the 3-meter springboard by 40 points. “I was in shock,” Stevenson said. “But that was a long time ago.” Now, 58, Stevenson splits her time between Lakeshore and Roanoke, where she returns on weekends and where she and her husband, John Stevenson, editor and publisher of The Randolph Leader, tend to goats, donkeys, chickens, dogs and cats. “We have a city house and a country house, and it’s perfect,” she said.
better than other people in some of them. “When I first tried the decathlon, it was just something I found interesting. I finished in eighth place as a junior. My goal this year was to get into the top five, so I’m glad I accomplished that.” Courson could have just as easily been competing for Pelham or Helena instead of the Bucs. When he was 2, his parents moved to Russia as missionaries through Green Valley Baptist Church. They returned to Alabama when Courson was 12 and moved into a house that the church owned in Hoover. Eventually, his family moved into his mother’s childhood home in
Helena, but because Frances Courson worked in the Hoover school system, her son was able to attend Hoover. Courson enjoyed his track career at Hoover, but now he’s ready to move on. “Some people get really sad when their high school career is over, but track is not over for me because I’ll be continuing my track career,” Courson said. Courson signed a track scholarship with Auburn in April after visiting several schools. “I want to study software engineering and Auburn turned out to be the best school for me athletically and academically,” he said. ❖
For more information about Lakesore’s Amazing Race visit: lakeshoresamazingrace.swell.gives. ❖
Mountain Brook eighth-grader Jackson Ogletree recently won the state middle school championship in the Alabama Interscholastic Cycling League. Jackson, 14, earned the title by winning all five of the league’s mountain bike races, competing against more than 70 other boys. He competes on the Red Mountain Composite team, since Mountain Brook does not have a mountain biking team. He goes on to compete at the USA Cycling Nationals in Snowshoe, West Virginia, on July 21.
SPARTANS, From page 32
and we weren’t able to win any faceoffs,” Sean said. “And every possession was important to the game.” Jake Long secured those faceoffs for the Jaguars, and while Patton Browning gave a valiant effort, possessions were still at a premium for the Spartans; they won just two of 24 faceoffs. “Jake was just so good,” said Sean. “We couldn’t get the ball. We had to stop them so many more times than they had to stop us, which made it a really good game.” Senior attackman Harris Jeffords had three goals in the win. “They had the ball for a solid fourminute possession there at the end of the game and we were up by a goal,” Jeffords said. “It was 10-9, and our defense just locked down. They could do nothing; they called a timeout with about 30 seconds left to set up a play and our defense jumped them. They dropped the ball, and we took possession with five seconds left. That was the game. Offense, we did all we could, but when it comes down to it, our defense deserves all the credit.”
Unknown Quantity
The Spartans had not seen the Jaguars in person this season before the championship. Players and coaches scouted as best they could, but they remained cautious of their toughest test of the season. “I was nervous,” said Jeffords. “Their defense was something that we hadn’t really seen. We had no idea what to expect.” The Spartans made this championship run look relatively easy; only Vestavia Hills gave Mountain Brook a real challenge before the championship game, an 8-7 Spartans victory in their final regular season contest on May 2. “During the season, Vestavia was getting all the talk,” Sean said. “We played them and beat them by one and I think we took that momentum and used it for the rest of the season. That was a really big win for us. We were down 5-1 in that game and came back. It was an incredible game.” “It was a heartbreaker for (the Rebels), but (the Vestavia Hills victo-
Photo special to the Journal
Photo special to the Journal
OTM Cycler Wins Mountain Biking Championship
ry) was exactly what we needed,” Jeffords said. “There was a realization for us that this was our season; we could take it all the way.” The Rebels had defeated the Spartans handily in a jamboree in January. “We knew they were the best team, or that everybody thought they were the best team,” Sean said. “So we used that as motivation the whole season.” The graduating class of 2018 leaves with just four losses in four seasons. “You can have as much talent or as little talent as possible,” Jeffords said. “When it comes down to it, what matters is how well you mesh together and how well your team works together. That’s what we tried to prove this year. As captains, me and
‘You can have as much talent or as little talent as possible. When it comes down to it, what matters is how well you mesh together and how well your team works together.’ SENIOR ATTACKMAN HARRIS JEFFORDS
Sean sat down before the season and said, ‘Alright. We don’t have the depth that we’ve had previous years, but we all bring something different to the table. That’s the legacy we hope to leave behind – no matter the team’s talent level, you’ve got to bond as a team. We’ve proven that if you can do that, you’ll get the results you want.” It was the third boys’ state championship in Mountain Brook history. A year ago, the Spartans fell in the semi-finals to Briarwood Christian. Doud will attend Georgia next season, while Jeffords will attend Auburn. Both plan on playing club lacrosse. Just three Alabamians were awarded All-American honors this season: Doud and Mark Hand Jr. and Patrick Moore of Briarwood Christian. ❖
Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 31
SPORTS
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
It’s Two in a Row as Mountain Brook Golfers Capture State Title
By Blake Ells
Photo special to the Journal
Mountain Brook shot a 13-under 275 in round two of the 80th annual Alabama High School Athletic Association State Golf Championships to finish 32 strokes under par with a team total 544, securing their second consecutive Class 7A boys title over rival Spain Park. The Jaguars were the last school not named Mountain Brook to win the title – with that championship coming in 2016. The RTJ’s Shoals Golf Club hosted this year’s tournament. Spain Park finished 20 strokes back on the tournament with a 280-284-564 total. McGillToolen Catholic was third at 584 and Auburn finished fourth with 587. Just one senior was on this year’s Mountain Brook team, Ford Clegg. At state, he shot a 73 on day one and a 76 on day two, scores that weren’t needed in the team’s total. “Everyone played to the best of their ability,” said Clegg. “We set the record for lowest one day total ever. I didn’t play that bad, and they didn’t even need my scores, which speaks to how well everyone else played. The Spartans fell to the Jaguars at the Bradley Johnson Memorial in March, a tournament hosted by the Jaguars at Greystone Golf and Country Club. It was a tournament that Mountain Brook had won a year ago, and an eye-opening experience that propelled the Spartans to better play for the remainder of 2018. “It sparked us to start playing better,” Clegg said. “I guess coming into the season, we thought it was going to be super easy to win every tournament. Last year, we only lost one tournament, and we won the rest of the tournaments that we played in by a significant margin. Once Spain Park beat us in their home tourna-
Members of the Mountain Brook boys golf team are, from left, Gordon Sargent, William Wann, Reynolds Lambert, coach Alex Lockett, Ford Clegg, and Mac Scott.
ment, we kicked it into another gear and got ready for state.” William Wann and Gordon Sargent tied the state record for lowest 36-hole score, with Sargent, a freshman, shooting a 64 on day one and a 69 on day two. The junior, Wann, shot a 67 on day one and a 66 on day two. The 133 was a mark previously achieved only by Spain Park’s Patrick Martin and Straughn’s Brooks Rabren at the 2015 state tourney and St. Paul’s Robby Shelton at the 2013 championships. The rest of the scoring that led the Spartans to their third state championship in four years was junior Reynolds Lambert (67-70-137) and
sophomore Mac Scott (71-70-141). Spain Park’s Ethan Hagood was two shots back of the leaders with a 67-68-135 total. This was the seventh boys state championship for Mountain Brook in school history. Clegg, who will join Mississippi State’s golf team in August, was part of three of those teams. In the 6A boys state championship, Homewood finished second to Muscle Shoals, just six strokes behind at 298-289-587. The Patriots’ Jack Goldasich finished second individually with a 68 Tuesday and 139 total. At the 5A state championship, Briarwood
Christian finished third with 627 behind St. Paul’s Episcopal and Russellville. In the 7A girls state golf championship, Hoover finished second to Auburn, just one stroke back. Spain Park was third at 469. The Jaguars’ Caroline Waldrop had a 3-under 69 to finish with a 1-under 143 total, securing the individual low score, while Hoover’s Carron McKie shot a 73 on the final round, finishing with a 144 and tying for second. Homewood finished fourth in the 6A girls state championship behind Muscle Shoals, Hartselle and Oxford. ❖
The Mountain Brook High School boys’ basketball team ended its season ranked No. 31 nationally, according to MaxPreps, the online high school sports leader and a CBSSports.com site. The team is one of 10 boys’ teams being honored on the MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard. According to a statement from MaxPreps, nearly 40,000 varsity teams compete each year, but only the top-level teams qualify for the Tour of Champions. Andy Beal, president and founder of MaxPreps, said the Spartans earned their spot as Alabama champions. Mountain Brook (34-4), closed out the season with 18 consecutive victories and in March claimed their second straight Alabama 7A state championship. The school has reached the title game in five of the past six seasons, winning four of those games. “It’s great in every way. Any time the Army National Guard is involved it’s rewarding, and we use MaxPreps for statistics and to compare quality of opponents. It gives us an accurate depiction that makes high school sports better, said Mountain Brook head basketball coach Bucky McMillan. Alabama Army National Guard Sergeant Joshua Hamilton presented McMillan and the team with the Army National Guard national ranking trophy during a recent school assem-
Journal photo by Jordan Wald
More Hardware for Mountain Brook Basetball
Alabama Army National Guard Sergeant Joshua Hamilton presented Mountain Brook basketball coach Bucky McMillan with the Army National Guard national ranking trophy during a recent school assembly.
bly. The team also received a banner for its accomplishment. MaxPreps computer rankings are used to determine team rank for the Tour of Champions. The system uses a huge number of game results, according to the MaxPrep statement. Generally, the more a team wins, the higher its ranking, but the system takes into account whether teams have won against other highly ranked opponents, the margin of victory and the strength of the schedule. Mountain Brook lost its four games this year by a a cumulative 11 points. ❖
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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018
SPORTS
Spartan Boys Win Class 7A State Golf Title PAGE 31
Goodwill Ambassador Chandler Stevenson Touts Lakeshore’s Amazing Race By Rubin E. Grant The smile on her face and the pleasantness of her voice suggested that Jennifer Chandler Stevenson is at a good place in her life. During the week, that place is the Lakeshore Foundation.
Photo courtesy Brian Doud
See STEVENSON, page 30
The Spartans secured that championship – awarded by the Greater Birmingham Youth Lacrosse Association – by edging rival Spain Park 10-9 on May 12 at Birmingham-Southern College. It was the completion of a perfect 15-0 season.
‘Absolutley Incredible’
Stevenson, seen here with her portrait at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, knows all about challenges and competition, having won a gold medal in springboard diving at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal when she was 17-years-old.
Father-Son Team Wrap up Their Lacrosse High School Careers with State Championship Mountain Brook boys lacrosse coach Brian Doud decided before the 2018 season that it would be his last, taking the opportunity to leave the program at the same time as his son, senior defenseman Sean Doud. Doud finishes his time with the Spartans as a two-time All-American, three-time All-State, including First Team in 2017 and 2018, and
two-time team captain. They both finish their careers as state champions. Sean said his father “had not won a championship at the varsity level, and he decided that this would be his last season. And he went out on top, which was pretty special. I’ve never played for anyone else but him.” The coach said it was, “absolutely incredible to finish this way – undefeated and state cham-
pions with my son and this group of guys and coaches,” Brian said. “No place I’d rather be.” The Spartans secured that championship – awarded by the Greater Birmingham Youth Lacrosse Association – by edging rival Spain Park 10-9 on May 12 at Birmingham-Southern College. It was the completion of a perfect 15-0 season. “[Spain Park] had a really good faceoff guy,
Photo special to the Journal
By Blake Ells
See SPARTANS, page 30
BUCS’ COURSON TAKES POLE VAULTING TO A NEW PERSONAL HEIGHT Senior Wins in Both Indoor and Outdoor Alabama High School Athletic Association Track and Field Championships
James Courson has come a long way in a brief amount of time as a pole vaulter. Courson didn’t start vaulting until his freshman year at Hoover High School. His friend Jacob Doak, who was also a pole vaulter for the Bucs, suggested he try it. “I didn’t know much about it at first,” Courson said. “I slowly learned how to do it and how to grip the pole. Then when I first bent the pole, my mom told me that I came home and said, ‘I’m going to do this every single day for the rest of my life.’ I don’t remember that.” Courson steadily improved, and this year as a senior he won the pole vault in both the indoor and outdoor Alabama High School Athletic Association track and field championships, helping the Bucs claim team titles, as
well. In the indoor meet, Courson had a winning vault of 16 feet, 1 inch. He attempted to clear 16-05 and set the AHSAA all-time indoor record, but he came up just short. He cleared 15-00, 15-06 and his winning height without a miss. Courson went even higher in the outdoor meet earlier this month. He cleared 16 feet, 9 inches, three inches shy of the state record set by Sean Collins of McGillToolen Catholic in 2015. Courson defeated the second-place finisher by more than two feet, leaving Hoover track coach Devon Hind in disbelief. “He’s a very hard worker,” Hind said. “He works year-round, but I never expected him to do what he did. I thought he would get to 15-05, but 16-09 is really up there.” Courson attributed his personal record to a breakthrough with his
In the indoor meet, Courson had a winning vault of 16 feet, 1 inch.
Photos courtesy James Courson
By Rubin E. Grant
technique that came last summer while he was competing for Peak Athletics, a pole vaulting development group in Pelham. “I think multiple things happened for me to do that, a lot of hard work and a lot of luck,” Courson said. “I knew I had a lot of things to improve on last summer. You do technical practice every day and I was able to develop a breakthrough technique. I also had a new mindset that it was something I wanted to do. “All last summer, my goal was 15 feet. And then in the indoor meet I did 15-06. I definitely surprised myself, and I kept getting better and better.” His mother, Frances M. Courson also credited coach Bill Lamb. “He came out of retirement to coach the Hoover pole vaulters when James was a freshman,” she said.
An All-Around Athlete
Following the state outdoor meet, Courson competed in the 55th See COURSON, page 30