5.5.22 by Over the Mountain Journal

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SOCIAL

THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022

SPORTS HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

Photo courtesy Hoover High School

OTMJ Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2022: Shop Local!

Nine Hoover High seniors spent their spring break repairing a well so people in a Ugandan village wouldn’t have to walk five miles to get clean water. Students in the mission group from Hoover were, from left, front: McKamie Patrick, Ann Redd, Emma Mitchell and Anna Dymond. Back: Regan Heitschmidt, Caroline Adams and Sasha Fowler. Not pictured: Mark Thomas and Noah Williamson.

LIFE-CHANGING Hoover High School Students Travel to Uganda on Mission Trip

By Ally Morrison

hen you ask a high school senior what they did for spring break, you’ll likely hear about a week spent soaking up rays on one of the Gulf Coast’s beautiful beaches. But nine Hoover High seniors were

repairing a well so people in a Ugandan village wouldn’t have to walk five miles to get clean water and teaching their children to speak English. “We helped an entire community,” Hoover student Anna Dymond said. “They didn’t have water for nine years.” Before the well was repaired, kids would drink water from the lake and get

sick, Hoover student Sasha Fowler said. The students are part of a youth group at Hunter Street Baptist Church, where Dymond’s father is the missions pastor. Accompanied by eight adults, they kicked off their spring break by flying for more than 20 hours to East Africa, where they worked alongside the African

See LIFE CHANGING, page 9

Whether you’re looking for flowers, jewelry, clothes or cooking gear, we rounded up all the best Mother’s Day gifts from Over The Mountain area shops. PAGE 12

Plus

Check out fun stuff to do this Mother’s Day weekend in our About Town calendar including: We Love Homewood Day; Mother’s Day Sip and Stroll in Lane Parke; Mother’s Day Market at Cahaba Brewing; and The Birmingham Rose Show at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. PAGE 4

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OPINION/CONTENTS

Inside

Murphy’s Law

STATE SENATE DISTRICT 15 Roberts seeking second term; Christine wants to lead from the front PAGE 8

COMMUNITY AND FOOD LJCC brings Jewish Food and Culture Festival to Food-Loving Birmingham PAGE 10

UNLESS U GOT TALENT Program partners participants, artists and performers in competition PAGE 10

COOKING UP A COOKBOOK Ashley McMakin’s newest venture Is a formidable but fun project PAGE 26

ABOUT TOWN NEWS LIFE GIFT GUIDE PEOPLE

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SOCIAL WEDDINGS FOOD SCHOOLS SPORTS

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otmj.com With everything that’s happening “Over the Mountain,” it can be difficult to keep up. That’s why we have launched the OTMJ newsletter. Published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - we’ll give you a quick recap of the latest news, sports and social events as well as a heads up on upcoming events so you won’t miss any of the interesting and fun happenings in the Greater Birmingham metro area. To sign up for our newsletter, visit otmj.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, @overthemountainjournal, for daily updates on what’s going on around town, too.

Personally, I’m On My Own

received a bill from my doctor ceeding there anyway. the other day. Since I am insured Even when the annoyances are to the hilt, I knew it was an anticipated, they slow me down. My error, and as soon as I could dog Dave must feel the same. I say, explain it to them, the office would “Let’s go for a walk!” and in our correct the problem and we would all mind’s eye, we are already happily move on. But first, I had to make that out the door. But then, I realize that phone call (sigh). first I must gather up the treat bag It wasn’t a big thing. It wasn’t and doggie bag and make sure I have even going to be difficult. It was just a key and my phone in my pocket. going to be tediously annoying, takMeanwhile, Dave is waiting at the ing up time that could have been door. He has no pre-walk requirespent doing something else. In short, ments and I’m sure he doesn’t underSue Murphy it was one of those things that I stand why I do. would have passed off to my personal My personal assistant would have assistant if I had one. anticipated this. When I said, I don’t, of course, but that is my “Let’s go for a walk,” she would dream. I love the movies where meet me at the door with these I wouldn’t be that some bigwig (best played by Meryl items in hand. I would tell her that demanding. My life is she was a treasure and Dave and I Streep) walks into a room and is immediately flanked by a personal not that complicated, would emerge into the sunlight. assistant who has made all the When the washing machine and I am happy to broke down, my assistant would day’s necessary arrangements and even prepared her coffee just the phone the repair person. When the make my own tea. way she likes it. maintenance required light came I wouldn’t be that demanding. on in my car, she would schedule My life is not that complicated, the oil change. When an airline and I am happy to make my own tea. Still, I would problem arose that absolutely, positively needed the love to have a person on my payroll (I would pay intervention of a live trained agent, she would park handsomely) who would take over the nitpicking jobs herself at the desk and wait until her turn came up in that I am loathe (or sometimes too lazy) to do. the day-long phone queue. Anything that involved waiting on hold on the phone. The situation wouldn’t work long term, though. Anything that involved waiting in a physical line. After a while, I would feel guilty about sticking the Anything that was a non-productive gnat buzzing poor girl with all those maddening details. A week in, around my to-do list. I would become concerned that I was single-handedly I don’t have a problem “to-doing” the big things, robbing her of her joie de vivre. I would tell her to sit but in between the official “to-do’s” a number of down and I would bring her an iced tea and we would unwelcome annoyances continually arise. Calling to relax and have a wonderful conversation while the bill rectify that doctor’s bill was a speed bump, something from the doctor’s office went unresolved. that kept me from moving forward. Now, in truth, I do No, I will just do it myself (sigh), but if I have a not know where this forward is, but my mind is proproblem with the airlines, I’m just going to stay home.

Over the Mountain Views Abracadabra

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

Journal photos by Ally Morrison

May 5, 2022 JOU RNAL Publisher & Editor: Maury Wald Copy Editor: Virginia Martin Features Writer: Donna Cornelius Staff Writer: Ally Morrison Photographer: Jordan Wald Sports: Rubin E. Grant Contributors: Susan Murphy, June Mathews, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry, Lee Walls, Bryan Bunch Advertising Sales: Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald, Gail Kidd

Vol. 32, No. 19

Over The Mountain Journal is a suburban bi-weekly newspaper delivered to Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Hoover and North Shelby County areas. Subscriptions for The Journal are available for $24 yearly. Mail to: Over the Mountain Journal, P.O. Box 660502, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216. Phone: (205) 823-9646. E-mail the editorial department at editorial@otmj.com. E-mail our advertising department at mwald@otmj.com. Find us on the Web at otmj.com. Copyright 2022 Over The Mountain Journal, Inc. All rights reserved. The Journal is not responsible for return of photos, copy and other unsolicited materials submitted. To have materials returned, please specify when submitting and provide a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All materials submitted are subject to editorial review and may be edited or declined without notification.

Birmingham’s Historic Lyric Theatre was filled with “oohs” and “ahs” April 24 as magician David Garrard took the stage for a Magic Show benefiting Magic Moments. Guests were treated to pre-party entertainment, snacks and drinks while watching the magic unfold. As seen on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us!”, Garrard’s mix of magic and music has made him popular with audiences throughout the United States for more than 50 years. The show also featured an appearance by Garrard’s friend and fellow magician Tommy Ellison. Above, left, Magic Moments Executive Director Sandy Naramore with Mickey and Minnie Mouse welcome guests Charlotte and Lou Willie. Above right, magician David Garrard.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 3

ABOUT TOWN

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Charity Partner

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JUNE 17-19 UNITED ABILITY

100 Oslo Circle, Birmingham AL 35211

Rehab Reality... By Judy Butler

MAY 5 - MAY 19 May 5-28 The Teddy Bears’ Picnic

Mama and Buddy Bear invite the families of Birmingham to a very special event: the Teddy Bears’ Picnic. When the Special Surprise turns out to be ruined, Mama and Buddy set off on a plan to make all that is wrong right again. When: Showtimes vary Where: Vulcan Park and Museum

Many probably think Mother’s Day is just another one of those commercial holidays to drive retail sales of card, gifts and flowers. It is actually a tradition that dates back to the 18th century. England was one of the first to recognize it when many people worked as household servants for the rich. “Mothering Sunday” was set aside for them to return home to honor their mothers. Today, just as in those days, mothers deserve to be recognized for the work they do in the home, outside and everywhere in between. So many times we overlook or take this for granted. She keeps the household together with cleaning, cooking, carpooling, errands, nursing, and the list goes on. As the family becomes more independent and her job or list of jobs become less important, so is the feeling of being needed. Empty nester moms are the most likely to fall into the world of addiction. A glass of wine with dinner becomes another glass just to relax and so on. This is the pattern of most of the female clients who have come to Bayshore Retreat and interestingly many of the people who reach out to us were the children. Whether it’s the child that has fallen into the addiction trap or the parent, getting healthy in mind, body and spirit is the greatest gift someone can receive. As we think of Mother’s Day this year, forget the flowers, the cards and chocolate. Instead know that the greatest gift you can give your mom is a sober healthy life. Compared to other rehabs, coming to Bayshore Retreat is truly a gift.

May 5-15 A Night at the Cascade Lounge

A Lounge is re-creating a Vegas variety show… But the lounge is 1,831 miles from Las Vegas! When: Showtimes vary Where: Homewood Theatre

Fri., May 6 Tails In The Trails 2022

The Birmingham Zoo Junior Board hosts the the12th annual Tails in the Trails. Party down the Trails of Africa at this outdoor celebration with music, foodie favorites from area restaurants, drinks and a silent auction. This event is 21+, and is rain or shine. When: 6-10:30 p.m. Where: Birmingham Zoo

Sat., May 7 Art In The Lot

Presented by Trinity Studio, this fun and popular event allows attendees to shop and discover the talents of local artists. When: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Where: Trinity United Methodist Church, Large parking lot

Mother’s Day Sip and Stroll

Sip on mom-mosas and shop for Mother’s Day gifts at Lane Parke. Guests will be able to shop from

WE LOVE HOMEWOOD DAY 2022 | SAT., MAY 7

A day full of fun with activities that the whole family will enjoy. Food, music, games, parades, entertainment, and more. This year’s celebration will include a 5K, Spring in the Park Festival, Bake Sale and Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest, Food Trucks, and Parade. When: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Where: Homewood Central Park and Edgewood

Below, Jordan Kretzer and Mary Hunter Nelson at last year’s We Love Homewood Day parade.

A Day at Hallmark Farm

Decorators’ ShowHouse Open Through May 8 Decorators’ ShowHouse, presented this year at Hallmark Farm – with its stately mansion, picturesque barn and rolling green fields – is open for public viewing through Sunday, May 8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. A few of the participating designers and their ShowHouse spaces include Nancy Gowens, Issis and Sons, living room (above) and entry; Mandy Majerik, HotHouse/PropHouse, ballroom; Lynne Coker, master bedroom and bath; Ann Marie James, The White House Interiors, family room and an upstairs bedroom; Allyson Kirkpatrick, AllysonK Designs, upstairs bedroom; and Cathy Hannah, Hannah Interiors, with the help of her sister, Julie Hooper, upstairs alcove. Farrow & Ball donated paint and wallpaper for the house. Tickets are available for the Alabama Symphony fundraiser at alabamasymphony.org. Also on the website is a list of locations in the Birmingham area where you can buy tickets. Advance tickets are $25, or they are $30 at the door. local vendors including House Plant Collective, Good Neighbor Baking, and Natalie Zoghby Art. When: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Where: Lane Parke

Celebrate The Family Expo

Journal file photo by Jordan Wald

Mother’s Day Gift to Remember

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

ABOUT TOWN

Journal photo by Maury Wald

4 • Thursday, May 5, 2022

Presented by Birmingham Christian Family and First Priority, guests will enjoy free family fun, great giveaways and much more. The event will kick off at 10 a.m. with a welcome from Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato and swag bags full of goodies for the first 200 attendees. When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Where: Hoover Metropolitan Complex

Mother’s Day Market

Kick off Mother’s Day celebrations

with the first annual Mother’s Day Market with over 50 vendors, live music, food trucks and more. When: 12-5 p.m. Where: Cahaba Brewing Co.

May 7-8 Birmingham Rose Show

The Birmingham Rose Society will present its annual Rose Show on Mother’s Day weekend, with festivities for all. When: 1-4 p.m. Where: Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Wed., May 11 Hump Day Hops with Girlspring

Mother's Day Is May 8th

Girlspring will feature Cindy Martin, Shannon Riley and Dawn Rock to tell their story of climbing to the highest leadership positions with fresh strategies and innovative thinking. Guests will find out what keeps these women motivated and at the top of their game. When: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Where: Cahaba Brewing Co.

Sat., May 14 Run For A Reason

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The 11th annual Run For A Reason welcomes runners and walkers of all ages. Free donuts, corn hole and inflatables will be set up for runners to enjoy, in addition to a short performance by the Sozo Children’s Choir. The event will support Sozo’s mission of empowering vulnerable children to become thriving leaders for Jesus. When: 8:00 a.m. Where: Sozo Trading Co.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Music for Food concert benefiting the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. Clear your pantries and bring a food donation for our neighbors fighting food insecurity. When: 7 p.m. Where: UAB’s Alys Stephens Center

Journal file photo by Jordan Wald

Sun., May 15 Alabama Bridal & Wedding Expo Brides-to-be will enjoy a unique, interactive event with food to taste,

ASCENSION FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL | THURS., MAY 12

Episcopal Church of the Ascension invites all to the 3rd Annual Food Truck Festival. The festival will feature delicious food, music and kids activities. All proceeds will benefit outreach ministries. Free admission, donations gratefully accepted. When: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Where: Episcopal Church of the Ascension

Motherwalk & Run 5K

The annual Motherwalk 5K invites the whole family to honor a survivor or remember a loved one during the race to find a cure for Ovarian Cancer. Attendees can participate in a 5K or 1-mile Fun Run. All proceeds of the event will benefit The Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation. When: 8 a.m. Where: Homewood Central Park

Magic City Wine Fest

Travel through regions spanning the globe drinking wine and beer

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 5

ABOUT TOWN dresses to see, flowers to smell and music to dance to. Meet with vendors and enjoy bridal fashion shows and live DJ demonstrations. When: 1-5 p.m. Where: BJCC

nurses and more, who have musical talents can put them on display at one of the featured locations throughout the UAB Hospital System. When: 10 a.m. Where: UAB Medicine

Thurs., May 19 Medical Music Day

Hosted by UAB’s Arts in Medicine, members of the UAB Hospital Community including physicians,

SEND ABOUT TOWN INFO TO: EDITORIAL@OTMJ.COM

what moves you? Searching for a home with a dream kitchen?

from around the world, and take a break from your travels to enjoy the soothing sounds of live music. A portion of every ticket will benefit the Birmingham Zoo. This is a rain or shine event for 21+. When: 6-9 p.m. Where: Birmingham Zoo

The Music of John Williams

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra performs favorites from film composer John Williams--from Star Wars to Jurassic Park, to Indiana Jones. The Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra presents the inaugural

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

ABOUT TOWN

Coming Together

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

Family Fest Takes Over Crestline Elementary Field on May 8 By Ally Morrison Family Fest, being held May 8 in Crestline, will feature inflatables, crafts and games for children and youth. The festival will include savory snacks from Mountain Brook Vendors such as Mountain Brook Creamery, Craft’s and Post Office Pies. Local churches – including Mountain Brook Baptist Church, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Canterbury United Methodist Church, Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Brookwood Baptist Church and Covenant Presbyterian Church – will come together in support of the event at Crestline Elementary Field from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Over the past two years, tension has risen nationally and locally. Conversations emerged from local churches that were deliberating on how the church body could step forward as a source of kindness, gentleness and respect in the Mountain

LEE BRANCH SHOPPING CENTER MON-SAT 10-6 / SUN 1-6

Organizers of the upcoming Family Fest include, from left: Scott Ward, John Scott, Shaun Byrne, Sharon Howard and Harrison Burkett.

Brook community. The outcome of that conversation was a fun, free gift to the community of Family Fest. “There are seven churches that are a part of this exciting opportunity in the community,” Director of Relationship Management Services for Johnson+Sterling, Scott Ward said. “It’s been fun to get to know a variety of different churches in our community.” According to Ward, each church representative who is helping to plan this event has taken on different responsibilities to keep the event well organized. “It’s been a lot of fun and very constructive,” Ward said. Supporting church officials said they were grateful for the hospitality from Crestline Elementary, including Principal Christy Christian and Assistant Principal Josh Watkins.

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Mayor Stewart Welch, along with city officials Shanda Williams and Janet Forbes, also provided support at intervals of the planning stages. “It really has been a delight to work with these various church representatives and to experience their enthusiasm for Family Fest and making a positive difference in our community,” Ward said. Ward gives a special thank you to Sharon Howard with Mountain Brook Baptist, Shaun Byrne with Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Harrison Burkett with Church of the Highlands, John Scott with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Ruth Grissom with Canterbury United Methodist Church, Blake Dempsey and Brian Pitts with Brookwood Baptist Church, and John Fountain, David Driskill and Daniel Sluis with Covenant Presbyterian Church.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 7

ABOUT TOWN

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Munch and Buy

Troop 97 Annual Garage Sale, Pancake Breakfast and Silent Auction Set for May 7 After two years of hibernation, the Troop 97 garage sale, pancake breakfast and silent auction is being held May 7. Guests are encouraged to bring moms along for the pancakes, take a chance in the auction and search for a new treasure during the garage sale. The event will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church from 7 a.m. to noon. The festivities are free to attend and open to the public. The pancake breakfast is $6 in advance and $7 at the door. Kids under 5 eat free. Troop 97 is still accepting new or gently used items for the silent auction, along with small appliances, furniture, lamps, sporting equipment, electronics and other items for the garage sale. Items can be dropped off May 5-6, at Trinity’s Clermont Drive entrance between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Donations are tax-deductible and forms are available. All proceeds from the event will benefit Troop 97, replacing the troop trailer and equipment that was stolen earlier this year in addition to helping pay general operating expenses.

Two Great Showrooms, Now Under One Roof!

Steve Mote & Family—Owners of Hollywood Pools Outdoor Furnishings & Spas are excited to announce the acquisition of Alabama Gaslight & Grill! Formerly located in Homewood and owned by long-time Vestavia Hills resident Mike Barnett, Alabama Gaslight & Grill offers a wide selection of gas grills & smokers, gas & electric lighting, and gas logs. Combined with Hollywood Pool’s outstanding inventory of pool, spa, and patio furnishings, 1441 Montgomery Hwy | Vestavia Hills the Vestavia Hills location is your one-stop shop for outdoor (205)979-7727 | www.hollywoodpoolandspa.com products from local families you know and trust.

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Dream Vacations On Sale!

GET UP TO

In Value Per Booking

On Select Pleasant Holidays Getaways When You Book By May 22, 2022

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 5 nights from $1,0984

LAND + ROUND TRIP AIRFARE FROM DALLAS, TX (DFW) TO (PUJ)

Cancun, Mexico 5 nights from $8605

LAND + ROUND TRIP AIRFARE FROM DALLAS, TX (DFW) TO (CUN)

O’ahu, Hawai’i 5 nights from $1,4676

LAND + ROUND TRIP AIRFARE FROM DALLAS, TX (DFW) TO (HNL)

YOUR VACATION MAY INCLUDE: Kids 17 & younger stay free7, daily breakfast for two8

ASK YOUR AAA TRAVEL ADVISOR ABOUT OTHER DESTINATIONS AND ADDED VALUES!

CALL: 205-978-7030 CLICK: AAA.com/PHSale VISIT: 2400 Acton Road Birmingham AL, 35243 Rates shown are per person, land and round trip economy-class airfare from the featured gateway (other gateways available, rates may vary), based on double occupancy. Rates include taxes, fees and surcharges collected by seller at time of booking using the AAA.com website. If booking with a AAA Travel Advisor, a $25 service fee will be collected at time of booking. Airfare is nonrefundable. Itinerary changes/cancellations are subject to Pleasant Holidays, airline and/or other supplier-imposed fees from $25 (for Canada or contiguous U.S. travel) or from $50 (for all other travel) per person, plus applicable fare differential (certain changes involve pre-notification deadlines). See General Disclaimer for additional information regarding air. 1The value listed is per booking and equals the total of the Dream Vacations offer2 plus the AAA Member Benefit3. 2Dream Vacations Offer: Valid on new Hawai‘i bookings made March 23, 2022 – May 22, 2022 for travel March 23, 2022 – December 14, 2022 and Mexico and Caribbean bookings made March 23, 2022 – May 22, 2022 for travel March 23, 2022 – October 31, 2022. Minimum five nights’ accommodations at a participating resort or hotel and round trip airfare required (excludes Hawai‘i inter-island flights). Savings of $200 is not reflected in rates shown and applies to Hawai‘i destinations with participating resorts. Savings of $100 is not reflected in rates shown and applies to Mexico and Caribbean destinations with participating resorts. 3AAA Member Benefit: Valid on new bookings made between March 23, 2022 – May 22, 2022 for travel March 23, 2022 – December 14, 2022. Minimum five nights’ accommodations at participating AAA Vacations® properties required. $50 activity voucher is nonrefundable, nontransferable, has no cash value and applies to the following destinations: Mexico, Hawai‘i, Central & South America and select Caribbean destinations. Savings not reflected in rates shown and applies to the following destinations: USA (excluding Hawai‘i), Canada – $25 savings; Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Asia, select Caribbean destinations (Anguilla, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Grand Cayman, Grenada, Martinique, St. Barts, St. Croix, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Martin and St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Turks & Caicos), Tahiti (French Polynesia), Fiji and Cook Islands – $50 savings. 4Rate is for check-in on September 7, 2022 in junior suite deluxe room accommodations at Bahia Principe Luxury Esmeralda All-Inclusive in Punta Cana. 5Rate is for check-in on August 29, 2022 in riviera suite room accommodations at Sandos Playacar Beach Resort All-Inclusive in Cancun. Environmental Sanitation Tax of $27 Pesos per room per night will be collected by the hotel at check-out. 6Rate is for check-in on September 19, 2022 in city view king room accommodations at Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa on O’ahu. 7Kids stay free in same room as adults using existing bedding at Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. Occupancy limits apply. 8Includes complimentary daily continental breakfast for two (2) registered guests at Kuhio Beach Grill at Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. Unused daily breakfasts are nonrefundable and have no cash value. AAA Travel Alert: Many travel destinations have implemented COVID-19-related restrictions. Before making travel plans, check to see if hotels, attractions, cruise lines, tour operators, restaurants and local authorities have issued health and safety-related restrictions or entry requirements. The local tourism board is a good resource for updated information. For all offers, unless otherwise indicated: Rates quoted are accurate at time of publication & are per person, based on double occupancy. Gratuities, transfers, excursions and, for non-air-inclusive offers, airfare, taxes, fees & surcharges, are additional. Advertised rates do not include any applicable daily resort or facility fees payable directly to the hotel at check-out; such fee amounts will be advised at the time of booking. Rates, terms, conditions, availability, itinerary, taxes, fees, surcharges, deposit, payment, cancellation terms/conditions & policies subject to change without notice at any time. Cruise rates capacitycontrolled. Advance reservations through AAA Travel required to obtain Member Benefits & savings which may vary based on departure date. Rates may be subject to increase after full payment for increases in government-imposed taxes or fees and, except for air-inclusive offers, for supplier-imposed fees. Blackout dates & other restrictions may apply. As to Air-Inclusive Offers Only: Other restrictions may apply, including, but not limited to, baggage limitations & charges for first & second checked bag, standby policies & fees, nonrefundable airfare/airline tickets, advance purchase requirements & supplier & airline-imposed change/cancellation fees up to & including the price of the fare plus any applicable fare differential (which may involve pre-notification deadlines). Air component of packaged offers may be nonrefundable; refunds are subject to supplier & airline terms & conditions. Supplier & airline fees & policies may vary. Contact your supplier & ticketing airline for more information; for baggage fees & other details, see iflybags.com. Rates involving round trip air transportation for travel dates or from gateways other than those advertised may differ. Not responsible for errors or omissions. Your local AAA Club acts as an agent for Pleasant Holidays®. To learn how we collect and use your information, visit the privacy link at AAA.com. Copyright © 2022 Auto Club Services, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

NEWS

8 • Thursday, May 5, 2022

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

STATE SENATE DISTRICT 15 PRIMARY

Roberts Seeking Second Term to Continue Working on Making the State Competitive By Rubin E. Grant

Courtesy

workforce. “We need to improve and educate the When Dan Roberts was elected to the Alabama workforce,” Roberts said. “This can Alabama state Senate four years ago, his pribe done by expanding vocational training in mary focus was on making the state competiour schools. The more skills our workforce has tive in business and education. the more growth our state will see. We need to That’s still his focus as he seeks re-election ensure that our workforce is the best prepared in the upcoming in the U.S.” Republican primary With that in mind, for state Senate Roberts believes District 15. Roberts, education is one of who lives in the most important Mountain Brook, will issues in the state. face challenger Brian “You look at testChristine, who also ing scores, and we’re lives in Mountain so far down,” he Brook, in the said. “If we don’t fix Republican primary this, we are so badly May 24. The winner hurt.” of the primary most Roberts said the likely will take the state needs to expand seat, unless an indevocational training Dan Roberts pendent or third-party in Alabama high candidate qualifies, schools so students because no Democrat is seeking it. can take advantage of job opportunities when “I want Alabama to be competitive when it they graduate. He pointed to the Smuckers comes to new jobs and industry,” Roberts said. plant that is expected to open by 2025 in “We also need to provide our children and Jefferson County as one such opportunity. The their teachers with the tools they need to sucplant is expected to bring 300-plus jobs to the ceed.” area as part of a $1.2 billion investment. Roberts believes the best way for that to Roberts also mentioned a plant that is on happen is through tax reform. He pointed to track to open by the end of 2022 in Selma that the tax credit bill he sponsored that Gov. Kay will produce surgical masks and N95 facial Ivey signed into law in February. The law will masks and could employ as many as 300 keep Alabama families from paying state taxes workers. on the federal child tax credit, the dependent Roberts, however, has questions about an care credit and the earned income tax credit, education lottery because he’s concerned about which were increased during the COVID-19 where the money eventually would go and pandemic. believes it could pave the way for more casi“If you have two nos throughout the state. children, this is probaChristine has critibly right around $200 cized Roberts for being ‘I speak to people every that they will not pay,” out of touch with day. I have kept track of Roberts said after the District 15 constituents, legislation became law. but Roberts said he reghow many hours since “They’ll get a tax credularly meets with mayNovember of 2021 I it on it and save them ors, city leaders and $200 in taxes.” school officials as well have spent meeting with Roberts said, business owners people and it comes to 82 as “Helping families has throughout the district. been a key component “I speak to people days and 23 hours. It’s a of my tenure.” every day,” he said. “I privilege to do what I do.’ have kept track of how Roberts has focused on tax issues since he many hours since DAN ROBERTS was elected in 2018 November of 2021 I have spent meeting with following a career in people and it comes to 82 days and 23 hours. real estate development, private equity and “It’s a privilege to do what I do.” international trade. Another bill he sponsored Roberts has been campaigning this spring changed the way the state taxes businesses, without his wife, Anne, who died at the age of which he said will make them more competi64 on March 4 of COVID-related symptoms. tive. They were college sweethearts and had been “This really helps the small businesses, married for 41 years with three sons and eight such as heating and cooling, roofing and even grandchildren. restaurants and convenience stores,” Roberts “It was the heartbreak of my life when she said. died,” Roberts said. “It’s very hard doing this Roberts serves on Lt. Gov. Will without my best friend, but I am going as hard Ainsworth’s workforce development commitI can go.” tee, which is studying how to improve the

The Challenger

Christine Wants to Lead From the Front Should He Be Elected By Rubin E. Grant

from the front,” Christine said. “If I am elected, I’m absolutely going to do that.” As a surgeon, Brian Christine is used to doing Christine considers the two biggest challengthings hands on. He hopes to take that same kind es facing the state as education and economic of approach to Montgomery if he is elected as a development. state senator. “With respect to state education, Alabama is Christine, a urologist with Urology Centers of ranked 52nd overall and that’s a huge problem,” Alabama in he said. “Children are Homewood, is chalour future. If we can’t lenging incumbent provide them with a Dan Roberts in the good education, then Republican primary they will lack the for state Senate foundation for finding District 15. The wina good job. So educatner of the primary ing our children is a most likely will take primary issue.” the seat, unless an On the issue of a independent or thirdlottery, Christine said party candidate qualiit could be a good fies, because no thing if the money Democrat is seeking goes to the right it. place, chiefly educaBrian Christine “I am blessed and tion. fortunate to be a surAs for economic geon, but I see all the division and strife in our development, Christine said, “Job growth is realstate concerning education and health care, and I ly important. I have been working hard the last want to make a difference the same way I do in four years to provide conservative solutions to the operating room with my patients,” Christine improve the business environment of our state.” said. For that reason, Christine said his campaign Christine spends plenty of time building relais mostly self-funded while claiming that Roberts tions with his patients, but he said many of the is beholden to political action committees or elected state legislators do not make an effort to other special interest groups. know the people they are supposed to serve, “He’s receiving hundreds of thousands of dolincluding Roberts. lars in PAC money,” Christine said. “As with any “When I go around and speak to groups in politician, they are not giving because the person the district and ask them who their state senator is such a nice guy but because they want someis from District 15, the vast majority of them thing in return.” don’t know,” Christine said. “There’s a tremenRoberts has received money from PACs such dous disconnect with the as the Forestry PAC, people. It’s not the peoMainstream PAC (a pro‘I am blessed and ple’s responsibility to business and industry know who their legislafortunate to be a surgeon, PAC), Wholesale PAC tor is, it’s the legislator’s and PACs representing but I see all the division responsibility. I want pharmacies, poultry, them to know me and I retailers and construction and strife in our state want to know them.” companies. concerning education and Christine lives in But Roberts said the Mountain Brook with his health care, and I want to support shows he’s makwife, Helena Christine, “positive change” in make a difference the same ing an attorney at UAB. District 15. They have a married Christine realizes he way I do in the operating daughter and a grandfaces an uphill battle to room with my patients.’ daughter. unseat Roberts. Christine considers “It’s always tough to BRIAN CHRISTINE himself a staunch conserrun against an incumbent,” Christine said. vative — as does Roberts “For one thing, he has immediate name recogni— and sees himself as a political outsider. He tion and the political powers that be don’t like grew up in a military family and his father sevsomeone bucking it. But in my practice, I try to ered in Vietnam and was severely injured. build relationships with people and make their Christine said he wants to take a fighting lives better. It’s just part of my personality. I spirit to Montgomery while being a voice for his want to build similar relationships with the peoconstituents as a “straight talk” public servant. ple in District 15.” “I think people want a leader who will lead Courtesy

The Incumbent

The winner of the primary most likely will take the seat, unless an independent or third-party candidate qualifies, because no Democrat is seeking it.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Photo courtesy Hoover High School

NEWS

Mission group activities included mudding an outdoor kitchen (above), reading to children to help them learn English and repairing the village’s water well.

of chalk teaching those children who don’t have access to an education,” Wilbanks said. “That kind of stuff makes everything real.” Wilbanks emphasizes the importance of serving the people of Uganda, stating the impact it has on students after coming home is tremendous. “I’ve never taken anybody that wasn’t profoundly impacted by what’s really important,” Wilbanks said. “It’s neat to be able to visit with other people from other cultures and realize we’re not that different. We all struggle with the same things at different degrees.”

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 9

Record-Breaking Museum Ball Fundraiser Set for Saturday The Birmingham Museum of Art will present the 65th Annual Museum Ball on May 7. Co-chairs Marion and Edgar Marx, Cate and Brian Boehm and the 2022 Museum Ball Committee raised nearly $1.3 million, a record-breaking sum, in advance of the event to support the museum’s education and outreach initiatives. The 2022 theme, Avant Garden: Let Fashion Bloom, will be brought

to life by renowned event designer Christopher Confero. Nearly 600 guests will be served cocktails on the museum’s outdoor plaza before being seated in the galleries for a three-course dinner prepared by chef Tyler Lyne of Tasting TBL in partnership with Kathy G and chef Jason Mezrano. After dessert, there will be music and dancing under the stars courtesy of Big Blast and the Party Masters.

LIFE CHANGING From Page One

Children’s Mission. According to its website, ACM provides Christ-centered support to people living in the Nakasongola District of Uganda and Meru County, Kenya, reaching out particularly to children in impoverished circumstances. African Children’s Mission partners with various churches and communities nationwide to support the people of East Africa through child sponsorships, education, school feeding programs, clean water and medical clinics. The mission group had 17 members, including Wes Wilbanks, operations supervisor for Hoover City Schools. After hearing about the mission trip and attending a meeting one Wednesday afternoon, Dymond and Fowler were excited to start packing their bags and preparing for their trip. “I was excited,” Fowler said. “It was a new place to get to go to and also share the word of God.”

13 Trips to Uganda

Wilbanks is no stranger to the ACM; he serves on the board and has dedicated a large portion of his life to feeding, clothing and ministering to the people of Uganda. “This was my 13th trip to Uganda to work with ACM,” Wilbanks said. “On every trip, the highlight is that I have the opportunity to introduce new people to ACM and the work they are doing in Uganda. I get to see the impact the mission work has on the lives of the ACM volunteers and the people in Uganda.” While Wilbanks has served on the board of the ACM since 2014 and has led many mission teams in Uganda, he said he is constantly amazed by the progress the organization is making. “There’s a dirt road about 70 miles north of the capital, and it’s about 13 miles long,” Wilbanks said. “We have to travel this road to get to our ranch. Traveling down that road from 2000 to 2022, I’ve seen the conditions people live in. “Every year going back down that road, I get to see what used to be a mud hut is now a brick house. You can really see the influence ACM has had on that entire community.”

“What’s cool about taking new people every year, they go down that same road that I do. I go down the road with a completely different perspective. I get to see it on their faces.” Mission group activities included reading to children to help them learn English, serving school lunches, mudding an outdoor kitchen and repairing the village’s water well.

Children Hungry to Learn

Dymond and Fowler were surprised at how eager the children were to learn. “It wasn’t until I read a book that the kids spoke back to me,” Dymond said. “In America, when you read a book to children, they just listen. But when I read the children a line, they would repeat it back to me to learn.” Fowler and Dymond explained the many things they learned about the culture while they were in Uganda. “Their culture revolves so much around dance,” Dymond said. “It was fun to get out of my comfort zone and learn their dances. I really liked it. One of the things that stuck out to me the most is that the God we worship here is the same God they worship, and they worship Him in a completely different way. They’re more active in their faith, and that touched me a lot.” “Their daily lives are much different from ours,” Fowler said. “They’re grateful for what they have. They don’t have a lot, but they are so grateful.” As the mission trip concluded, Dymond said, she was grateful to have had the experience. “It was definitely a different experience,” Dymond said. “We got to see how the local people live each day. We got to experience the food and culture and experienced how God works all around the world.” The impact of ACM goes far beyond mission trips, as the ACM also offers child sponsorships to provide a child with food, education, medical care and opportunities to learn about Jesus. “We go out and do home visits with the children we sponsor, and sometimes you’ll come to a house and a primary student that has been in school all day is at home with a piece

Join a clear cause — like one that’s removed 16 million pounds of waterway trash. Over the span of more than 20 years, Alabama Power’s Renew Our Rivers has grown into one of the nation’s largest river cleanup initiatives, removing over 16 million pounds of trash and debris from the Southeast’s waterways. Alabama Power is committed to protecting our river ecosystems for generations to come and invites you to join us in carrying out that mission. Contact mbclella@southernco.com for more information.

LIFE

10 • Thursday, May 5, 2022

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

It’s All About Community and Food

Levite Jewish Community Center Brings Jewish Food and Culture Festival to Food-Loving Birmingham

atie Hausman Grace, community engagement director of Levite Jewish Community Center, is excited to bring back the Jewish Food and Culture Festival after a two-year hiatus. Originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania, Hausman Grace moved to Highland Park to work for LJCC, where she has held various roles over the past eight years. The festival originates from the idea of hosting a community event and providing a food experience to the food-loving city of Birmingham. Hausman Grace said various aspects of LJCC changed during the two years since the pandemic began. “My role has changed a handful of times since I have been here, especially through COVID,” Hausman Grace said. “There were a lot of staff changes through COVID, filling holes wherever we needed. We really focused on community outreach during this time. Because the JCC was closed for so long, we started distributing food. We had a daily lunch service and weekly food drives with the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama.” Associate executive director of the JCC, Brooke Bowles, has been with the organization since November and explains that planning the festival has been a learning curve for her. “Being a non-Jewish person, I had no idea you couldn’t just pick a date and throw a Jewish festival,” Bowles said. “I didn’t know that you can’t get these kosher food items locally or that it takes days to prepare these food items. I had no idea that the kitchen has to be kashered by a Rabbi to make sure everything we do follows on specific dietary laws. It’s definitely a learning curve.” “To me, the deep respect for the dietary laws and Jewish customs that goes into throwing this event is what makes it so special,” Bowles said. Supervising the kitchen and food prep is none other than Josh Haynes, owner and chef of Alloy Thai. “Josh has been cooking for over 20 years,” Bowles said. “He’s done a lot of cooking for the

Courtesy

By Ally Morrison

Above, volunteers Marissa Grayson and Ellen Sokol prepare Kugel and Florina Newcomb, left, mixes topping for the upcoming Jewish Food and Cultural Festival set for May 15.

synagogues. He’s not Jewish but he knows all of the rules, and the rabbis trust him. We felt really fortunate that he chose to volunteer his time to oversee the cooking.” According to Bowles, this would have been the festival’s 20th anniversary had the pandemic not interfered. During the Food and Culture Fest, Levite staff expect about 2,000 guests to attend, so they prepared heavily with staff and volunteers. “It’s such a large event with so many moving pieces,” Hausman Grace said. “Since it’s a community event, it’s important to us that our community is involved in our planning process. We have about five non-staff leaders who have taken a large leadership role, and we will utilize about 120 volunteers.”

Unless U Got Talent

Courtesy

Students and faculty of Unless U are excited to host the second annual Unless U Got Talent May 14 at the Lyric Theatre. Students of Unless U are partnered with volunteers who are passionate about serving the community and helping the students of Unless U shine. Together, they will compete for the title of Unless U Got Talent Champions. “Our students partner with locals that share the same talent as them,

and a lot of them already have established relationships,” Marketing Director Marye Grace Sauermann said. “We have one student who will be doing a live painting with a local artist, and they have been painting together for years.” According to Sauermann, the competition was born from an idea to showcase the talents of students enrolled at Unless U. It was designed as a fun way to get the community involved and raise money and awareness of the operation that serves adults with disabilities.

Hausman Grace explained a lot of the volunteers are JCC members and some are Jewish community members. The event will also have different groups from the community providing support, such as the Junior League of Birmingham and local synagogues. Proceeds from the event will benefit LJCC’s Jewish programming, which includes everything from clubs to theater programs. “We haven’t been able to do our programming in the past two years, so we’re bringing a good bit of that back,” Bowles said. “The proceeds from this event directly benefit that piece of what we do.” “There are six sister Jewish nonprofit organizations here in Birmingham, and we all collabo-

rate closely. Levite’s arm in that sisterhood is bridging the community and bringing people together, Jewish and non-Jewish. This event is the single powerful effort that brings people together to celebrate all things Jewish.”

At the Festival

According to LJCC Communications Manager David Gonnerman, the event will feature fan favorites and recipes passed down for generations, including brisket, falafel, corned beef, matzah ball soup and rugelach. Being held May 15 at the Levite Field at The J, the festival will include live music, improv comedy from the Extemporaneous Theater Company, bounce houses, Tickled Pink Petting Zoo and the Alabama National Guard’s rock-climbing wall.

The Unless U Got Talent Show returns after having been postponed the last two years due to Covid.

Program Partners Participants, Artists and Performers in Competition

By Ally Morrison

Connecting With the Community

Some of the acts scheduled to perform include a band performance, a marionette show, a baton-twirling routine and a Disney sing-along. “There has been so much anticipation for this show,” Sauermann said. “Because we had to postpone it due to COVID, our students have been working extra hard and have had two years of practice. We have gained so many new students and new talents, and we’re so excited for the show.” The emcee of the show will be the Lochamy Brothers from Birmingham Mountain Radio, and the judging panel will feature author and founder of the nonprofit Hope Heals, Katherine Wolf; Pine Cove Camps Chief Growth Officer Zack Aspegren; podcast host Allie Woodside; and former pastor of Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Danny Wood.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 11

LIFE

For Mom,W ith Love Mother's Day is May 8th

It's time to spoil her with gifts she'll adore.

Leslie and Reggie Poe

‘Fun Fur All’

Tito and Ross Peterson

Ollie and Lindy Newman

12th Annual Mutt Strutt for ‘Pawsome’ Cause

Presented by Hand in Paw, the 12th annual Mutt Strutt 5K and 1-mile Fun Run took place April 23 at Homewood Central Park. The dog-friendly event raised funds for a “pawesome” cause, as Hand in Paw put it, with all proceeds benefiting the group’s animal-assisted therapy programs. Each contestant and their furry family members went home with race swag, including a Hand in Paw bandana for the dogs to represent their accomplishments. Guests were treated to live music, local vendors and food trucks after the race.

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The Blue Willow The To: Blue Willow From: Over The Mountain Journal, 205-823-9646 ph., Over The Mountain Journal, 205-823-9646 ph., 205-824-1246, fax The Blue Willow 205-824-1246, fax Date: April 2017 Over The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646 April 2018 April ThisPROOF is your AD PROOF fromTHE the MOUNTAIN OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL This is your AD from thethe OVER JOURNAL for thethe fo This is your AD PROOF from OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for May 4th 2017 issue. Please fax approval or changes to May 3th 2018 issue. Please fax5,approval or changes to 824-1246. 824-1246. May 2022 issue.

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initial and fax back 24 the hours. If wePlease have not heard byfrom 5 pmyou ofwithin the the press If we havefrom not you heard by 5Friday pm ofbefore Friday beforedate, the press date, If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will your run as We theWe paper adis. will runprint as is. printMonday. the paper Monday. your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.

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12 • Thursday, May 5, 2022

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

GIFT GUIDE

OTMJ Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2022: Shop Local!

Roberto Coin 18K gold cross pendant with diamonds is dainty yet dazzling set on an 18K gold chain. Available in yellow, white, and rose gold, $690. Bromberg’s, Mountain Brook 205-8713276; The Summit 205-969-1776

Toast to Mom with our Birmingham cityscape stemless wine glass, $13.99. Exclusively at Alabama Goods in Homewood and at alabamagoods .com. 205-803-3900

Brent Neale 18K alphabet studs. Available in 18K yellow gold with your choice of precious stone: diamonds, blue sapphires, pink sapphires, emeralds and turquoise, $750 each. Etc... 205-335-7912

Consuela Bags are known for durability, vibrancy and capacity. Printed, embroideered and leather handbags, totes and accessories with unexpected colors, textures and artisan made details, $38$325. Gus Mayer 205-870-3300

For the modern and classic Mom, detachable South Sea pearl earring jackets, $1,450 to $ 2,450. JB & Co 205-478-0455

Celebrate Mom with a bottle of Andre Clouet Champagne, $39.99, and don’t forget the flowers. Piggly Wiggly, thepigbham.com.

For your sweet Mom, Strawberry Teacake Stack, $24. Pre-order at cookiefix.com, order now or walk in. Cookie Fix Homewood, 205-582-2623; Cahaba Heights 205-848-8001.

Perfect pitcher for Mom. Fill with flowers or margaritas, depending on the kind of day she’s having, $45. The Cook Store, 205-879-5277

BOGG Beach bag carries it all. Lightweight and strong, easy clean, get the matching beach towel that sand just bounces off! Quick-Dry, XL-lots of colors! Bag, $79.95; towel, $27.95. The Blue Willow, 205-968-0909

A distinctive blend of shea butters and oils. This cream candle burns at two degrees above body temperature. Burn it, wear it and feel the difference. Made in USA. Christine’s on Canterbury, 205-871-8297

Make Mother’s Day sparkle with these bands, starting at $559. Shay’s Jewelers, 205-978-5880

Who says pajamas can’t be fun? The Cat’s Pajamas in Luxe Pima cotton look good on ladies of all ages, shapes, and sizes, $124.00. Baker Lamp & Linens, 205-981-3330

Tree of Life/Family Tree Necklaces. Hand drawn and hand sawn, made from up cycled sterling silver spoons, by Barbara / Barb’s Branches. Hanna Antiques, 205-323-6036

A fresh, modern take on a classic purse style, Rebecca Minkoff pale pink leather crossbody bag, $88. Second Hand Rose, 205-970-7997

Casual and classic elegance for Mom with Phillip Gavriel initials pendant with adjustable paperclip chain. Southeastern Jewelers, 205-980-9030.

Vintage frames, hand embroidered messages with meaning Mom will cherish, $18.00 Attic Antiques, 205-991-6887

Pinstripe Barbie is a must for the Mom who is a businesswoman. Mary Charles Doll House, 205-870-5544

Give Mom something to cherish! Framed one-of-a-kind artwork by Alabama artist Robin Greene, $65 as shown, gift wrapping included. Urban Home Market, 205-980-4663

Make Mom’s feet happy. Baby Foot, foot peel calluses and rough dry skin be gone, $25. Salon Summit, 205-518-0406

Help Mom capture time with La Paris Studios classic and elegant photograph frames. The Village Poodle, 205-423-5443

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

GIFT GUIDE

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 13

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8

Handcrafted in Italy, Alisa necklace in 18K gold Traversa circular tube on a double cable chain necklace with four 925 Sterling Silver .03ct diamond rondelles; .12ct tw & 17” Steeds Jewelers, 205-822-9173

Crown Candles by B. Prince are locally made virgin coconut soy candles. Fragrances are Gardenia/ Tuberose; Lavender/Driftwood; Wild Vetiver/Suede; and Iris/Ginger blossom, $58. B. Prince, 205-871-1965

Paintings by artist Susan Walker. Alabama Treasures, the Gallery at Tricia Treasures, 205-871-9779

Give Mom the gift of handyman services for those much needed projects around the house. Three hours, $250. TruBlue of Birmingham, 205-839-3818

Brighten Mom’s day with Sunflowers! Sunflower Clutch/Purse designed by Kent Stetson, $210. Wallace-Burke, Fine Jewelry & Art, 205-874-1044.

Frank Fleming Bisque pottery, starting at $500. Roman Brantley Art and Antiques, 205-460-1224

Give Mom stylish, fun, consciously crafted, deliciously indulgent sleepwear by the Cat’s Pajamas. Marguerite’s Conceits, 205-879-2730

For the decorative mom, Fire Balls, are an attractive alternative to traditional gas logs. Hollywood Pools/Alabama Gas Light and Grill, 205-979-7727

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14 • Thursday, May 5, 2022

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

PEOPLE

By Brianna Hoge Defying odds has become the anthem of Matthew Leong’s life, and his latest feat was crossing the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s stage during the 2022 spring commencement ceremony. Being born at 24 weeks’ gestation and weighing only 14 ounces, Leong had complications including retinopathy of prematurity, an abnormal blood vessel growth in the light-sensitive part of the eye that can lead to bleeding and scarring. This condition led to Leong’s being blind in his left eye, but he was not going to let this stop him from going to college. The Vestavia Hills native grew up knowing about UAB; but he became very familiar with the campus thanks to his mom, Tammy, who completed her residency at the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, and Dawn DeCarlo, O.D., professor in the

department of ophthalmology and visual sciences, who treated Leong at the UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation.

‘I think the key to his success lies with the fact that his father and I were asked very early on what our dreams for him were.’ MATHEW’S MOM DR. TAMMY LEONG

“We are so very proud of Matthew’s perseverance and accomplishments,” said Matthew’s mom, Dr. Tammy Leong. “I think the key to his success lies with the fact that his father and I were asked very early on what our dreams for him were. His entire

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educational plan was structured around those goals and it required us to plan for the future and stay ten steps ahead at all times. He could not have made it this far without the support of some amazing medical professionals, educators, and rehabilitation counselors, to whom we will be eternally grateful.” After he graduated from high school, UAB was one of Leong’s top choices and receiving a scholarship from the university helped secure his dream. Before starting his UAB journey in fall 2017, Leong was nervous about attending college due to his disabilities. Once he arrived on campus, he discovered that the UAB Office of Disability Support Services would be there to help him every step of the way. “The DSS office played a huge role during my time at UAB,” Leong said. “They were great to work with and have helped me receive accommodations for my classes, which allowed me to be successful.” During his time at UAB, the criminal justice major was involved in campus life and served as the assistant director of gaming advancement for the Good Games UAB club — a club that supports the UAB gaming community by hosting events centered on esports and tabletop gaming. One of the highlights of Leong’s college career has been completing an internship with a private security agen-

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 for the 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.

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Vestavia Native Defies All Odds to Graduate at UAB’s Spring Commencement

UAB graduate Matthew Leong, above with his mother Dr. Tammy Leong. Matthew was born at 24 weeks’ gestation and weighed only 14 ounces.

cy to gain valuable experience before heading out into the real world. “Security Engineers is one of the largest private security companies in the Southeast, and many of the employees and upper management are alumni of UAB,” said Martha Earwood, teaching assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Criminal Justice. “Their leadership worked with Matthew and provided a very determined student an experience that helped him make it to the finish line of his college degree.” Leong would like to pursue a

career in the private security field and eventually continue his higher education journey through a graduate program. “I am thankful to my family and friends, all of the professors in the College of Arts and Sciences, the DSS office and Joey Richey at the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services for their help and support in helping me in my journey to cross the UAB commencement stage.” Brianna Hoge is a public relations specialist with UAB.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Tierney Brothers Share Eagle Court of Honor Brothers Paul and Ben Tierney of Boy Scout Troop 96 shared their court of honor April 3 at Faith Presbyterian Church with family and friends. Paul officially earned the rank during the COVID shutdown but did not have the chance to celebrate his achievement. When Ben earned the rank in February, a joint celebration seemed in order. Both boys earned the Arrow of Light as Cub Scouts and went on to become members of the Order of the Arrow, with Paul becoming Ben Tierney a Brotherhood Member. The brothers both earned 30+ merit badges and held multiple leadership positions over the years. Paul received several special awards, including BSA Lifeguard, Polar Bear (2), Snorkeling BSA, 50-Miler (2), NOA Camping Paul Tierney Gold, Silver, Bronze and Gold Palm. Additionally, he was a NOAC Delegate in 2015. Ben also received several special awards, including Polar Bear (2), 50-miler and NOA Camping Gold, Bronze and Gold Palm. Both boys built structures for Camp Fletcher, a non-profit camp for underprivileged children in Bessemer. They both raised the money for the materials, had their plans approved and assembled fellow scouts to help build the structures. Paul constructed six, 6-foot-long picnic tables for the pavilion where the children could sit and eat. Ben constructed six, 6-foot-long benches and a portable gaga pit for games. Ben is a senior at Heritage Christian Academy and will be headed to join his brother and sister at Auburn University in the fall.

Gri Cashio Awarded Eagle Scout Rank Gri Cashio in March earned the highest rank awarded by the Boy Scouts and now is an Eagle Scout. Cashio comes from a strong scouting family. His Gri Cashio grandfather, three uncles and two cousins are all Eagle Scouts. Gri is a member of Troop 320

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 15

PEOPLE from Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church. Since joining Troop 320, Gri has held several leadership positions. He has been a patrol leader, an assistant patrol leader and a historian, and he was elected by his troop members to the Order of the Arrow.

While a Boy Scout, Gri hiked and backpacked 295 miles with 76 nights of camping, earning 74 merit badges. His most memorable camping trip was Philmont, where he was accompanied by fellow troop members and his father. For Gri’s Eagle project, he removed three outdoor bulletin boards at

Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church and replaced two of them. The bulletin boards sit along the nature trail that surrounds the church property. He enlisted the help of fellow Troop 320 members along with family and friends on the project. Gri is a junior at Mountain Brook High

School, where he plays varsity football and is on the track team. Gri is the son of Meredith and Greg Cashio. He and his family are members of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.

SEND PEOPLE NEWS TO: EDITORIAL@OTMJ.COM

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16 • Thursday, May 5, 2022

Shake, Rattle & Roll with the Gaieties

embers and guests of Gaieties Dance Club gathered April 28 for the “Shake, Rattle & Roll” cocktail dinner at Birmingham Country Club. Party chairwoman Jennifer Ard, along with Jimmy and Hannon Davidson, planned the old-time rock and roll theme, complete with records on each table. Guests were treated to drinks and a variety of cocktail foods before special guest Elvis, played by Stephen Freeman, took the stage. Enjoying the floor show were club officers Hettie Hall with Howard, Susan Dasher with Charles, Leah Hazzard with Robby, and Carolyn Reed as well as Ard and Hannon Davidson. Seen in the large crowd were Lucy and Dan Allison, Ann and John Baker, Susan and Phil Black, Patty Bromberg, Lisa Bruhn, Joy and Lee Cooper, Margie and Sidney Davis and Andrea Carmichael. Discussing summer plans were Kim Morgan Day, Martin Morgan, Patsy Dreher, Kendall and Tommy Eagan, Elizabeth and Mark Ezell, Judy and John Feagin, Louise and Sharp Gillespy, Betsy and Bill Gresham and Carolyn Featheringill. Others in the mix included Anne and Rest Heppenstall, Anne and Barrett Hicks, Sarah and Jerry Hodge, Susan Kidd, Constance Ladd Moore, Margaret and Mark King, Leslie and Jack Matheson, Leslie and John Moore, Joyce Lott, Sandra and Terry Oden, Elizabeth and James Outland,

Event Highlighted Rock and Roll Theme With Vinyl and Elvis

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 17

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Louise Abroms Jewelry TRUNK SHOW

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Thursday, May 5th and Friday, May 6th, 10-5

Ellen Blackmon, Allison Wear, Lindsey Blackman, Jill Rutherford and Ramie Wesley

All in for Breast Cancer Research

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The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama hosted the 14th annual Pink Palace Casino Night on April 23 at Soiree. During the event, guests were served heavy hors d’oeuvres by

BCRFA Hosts Pink Palace Casino Night Kathy G. & Co. and entertained with live music by Streetkar, Vegas-style casino gaming and a silent auction. Proceeds from the event fuel lifesaving breast cancer research across the state, aimed at finding new treat-

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ments and ultimately a cure for the disease. With community support, BCRFA has invested more than $12 million in research since its founding in 1996. ❖

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Bezshan Over The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646 April This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the May 5, 2022 issue.

Please make sure all information is correct, Including address and phone number! 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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18 • Thursday, May 5, 2022

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

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Each year, the Women’s Committee of 100 recognizes individuals and nonprofit organizations that make a difference. This year, the committee held its annual awards day April 12 at Birmingham Country Club. Awarded the title of Citizen of the Year was Bruce Andrews, executive director of the Shelby County Arts Council. Dr. Doreen Harper, Lisa Roberts, Carmen Morrow, Marjorie Forney, Anna Williams and Rebekah Taylor dean and director of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Center for International Nursing at UAB, received the Humanitarian of the Year Award. Recognized for the Alabama Historic Preservation Award was Dr. Carolyn Satterfield, founder of Alabama Governor’s School at Samford University. Special recognition awards were granted to Nicole Williams, interim director of the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, and Donna Dukes, founder and director of Well House. Awards Committee members include chair Bet Wright, Jeanie Box, Irene Collins, Dottie Hoover, Phillis Nancy Jones, Carla Roberson, Kate Millhouse and Stephanie Byrne De Piano, Becky Keys, Sonia Carrington, Kate Milhouse, Carla Roberson, Amy Scofield, Nan Teninbaum, Monique Witherspoon, Jeanna Westmoreland, Barbara Shepherd and Lisa Roberts. Also participating were members Marjorie Forney, Carolyn Drennen, Nancy Jones, Susan Kidd, Dorothy Naughton, Linda Stewart, Rebekah Taylor, Jean Liles, Kathy Miller, Gail Pugh, Ellen Staner, Elouise Williams, Molly Bee Bloetscher, Valerie Ramsbacher, Stephanie Byrne, Sandra Holley, Carolyn Reich, Carolyn Featheringill, Annie Green, Ethel King, Audrey Lindquist, Nelda Pugh, Nan Skier, Natasha Randolph, Jan Ellis, Carmen Morrow and Kirke Jeanna Westmoreland, Bruce Andrews, Anne Lamkin and Jeanie Cook Cater. The Women’s Committee was founded in 1964 to celebrate and enhance the Birmingham area through members’ leadership. ❖

Miss Alabama Lauren Bradford and Anna Williams

Felesia Bowen, Brandi Kellis, Rachel Fowler and June LaJune White

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Women’s Committee of 100 Presents Annual Awards

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Wine, Women & Shoes

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 19

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Women Put on Their Pearls and Heels for a Cause

Ally Damico and Ann Odom and Beth Odom

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Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Wine, Women & Shoes brought women together for fine wine, great shopping, auctions and a cause that matters on April 28 at The Club. Encouraging women to “put on your pearls for a purpose,” the event benefited the Baptist Health Foundation. The event included wine tastings, local and national vendors, silent and live auctions, and a seated program and dinner. Baptist Health Foundation supports the financial and emotional needs of its patients and employees through faith-driven care. ❖

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Homewood City Schools Foundation celebrated ‘all things Homewood’ April 29 during the annual Homewood Grown event at Patriot Park. The event highlighted many aspects of the city, particularly teachers and administrators of the Homewood City School System. The event included dinner provided by the Happy Catering Company and keynote speaker Debbie Fly, an award-winning educator who taught in the Homewood School System for more than 30 years. During the event, the Teacher Impact Award Winners were announced. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

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All Things Homewood

Homewood Grown Event Celebrates Schools, Other Aspects of the City

Mitch and Leigh Ellen Harring

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Lauren Calagaz, Amanda Bates, Lauren Lewis, Jessie Berry and April McKinney

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 21

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

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Corey and Rohaun Green

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Bill and Kimeran Stevens

Rhonda Orr, Paula Gossett, Julie Taylor and Sharon Smith

Star Turn

Legacy League Scholarship Celebration Features Broadway Vesteran Samford’s Legacy League hosted an evening with Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Liz Callaway on April 21 at Covenant Presbyterian Church. The event was held in recognition of 2022 scholarship recipients and featured a reception and seated dinner presented by Samford Dining by Sodexo, as well as a 90-minute concert from Callaway. All proceeds from the event provide scholarships for students with significant financial need and challenging circumstances. ❖

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22 • Thursday, May 5, 2022

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Denim and Dining

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Fundraiser Supports Academics in Hoover City Schools

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Aldridge Gardens’ outdoor pavilion was filled April 29 with attendees of Denim & Dining, an annual fundraiser organized by the Hoover City Schools Foundation. The casual event featured live and silent auctions, live music and a catered barbeque dinner from Jim ’N Nicks. All proceeds from the event are used to help fund enhanced academies in all 17 Hoover schools and their nearly 14,000 students, including college and career readiness, teacher grants, professional development, STEM and SeedLAB. The event also kicked off the Commit to 36 Campaign, an initiative of the foundation. ❖ Tommy Hudson, Cathy Pilcher, Kim Bullock and Mona and Jimmie Stephens

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Dining and Dancing 32nd Annual Guild Gala Benefits The Bell Center

This year’s Guild Gala, presented April 23 at The Club by The Service

Guild of Birmingham, was a blacktie event that included a cocktail

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 23

SOCIAL reception, silent and live auctions, and a formal seated dinner. After the live auction, guests headed to the Signature Room for dancing and live music. Proceeds from the gala benefit The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs, which are dedicated to maximizing the potential of children from birth to 3 years of age who are at risk for developmental delay. ❖

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Journal photos by Ally Morrison

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Phillip and Carol Powell with Buford and Marsha McCarty

Ode to Spring

Coronets Dance Club Welcomes Spring With Dinner and Dance

Lowell and Rodonda Broom

The Coronets Dance Club held its annual spring dinner and dance at Vestavia Country Club on April 22. After cocktails and heavy hors d’oeurves, members danced to music from the late 1900s and early 2000s played by the band Easy Street. Members in attendance included Edna and Ken Alderman, Drs. Catherine and John Amos, India and Bill Askew, Linda and Spencer Bachus, Nancy and Pat Boone, Redonda and Lowell Broom, P.A. and Beatty Carmichael, Ashley Carmichael, Bettie Davenport, Carolyn and Jim Delk, Tom Edmonds, Glenda and Roy Etheredge, Nelle Freeman, Linda and Mike Gooldrup, Pattie and Bob Hanna, Jean and David Hendrickson, Marsha and Don Hire, Dianne and Richard Horn, Gloria Hudson, Judy and David Long, Marsha and Buford McCarty, Dena and Wallace Parker, Carol and Phillip Powell, Tammy and Rick Towns, Rebecca Wingette and Greg Green, and Linda and David Wood. Catherine Amos, Bettie Davenport and Mary Jean Sanspree were in charge of all arrangements for the event, including the flower arrangements on each table. ❖

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Bushnel-Harless Mr. and Mrs. James Joseph Bushnell Jr. of Birmingham announce the engagement of their daughter, Mary Katherine Kimberl Bushnell, to Michael Shane Harless, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Hardy Harless, also of Birmingham. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Richard Theis Kimberl of Mobile and the late Dr. and Mrs. James Joseph Bushnell of Birmingham. Miss Bushnell attended Mountain Brook High School and graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts. She was a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Evansville, where she was awarded the Harlaxton College theater scholarship to study abroad in Lincolnshire, England. She attended the Vassar College

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 25

WEDDINGS & ENGAGEMENTS Powerhouse Theater in Poughkeepsie, New York, and Williams College Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Miss Bushnell is a member of the Birmingham Debutante Club and was presented at the BeauxArts Krewe Ball, the Ball of Roses, the Heritage Ball and the Redstone Ball. The prospective groom is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Edward Potter and the late Mr. and Mrs. Silas Short, all of Birmingham. Mr. Harless is a graduate of Homewood High School and received a Bachelor of Arts from Birmingham-Southern College. He

attended Vanderbilt University, where he received a master’s in theological studies, and Tulane University, where he received a Master of Arts in art history. He is currently a PhD candidate in art history at Rice University specializing in late Medieval Italian art and architecture. He was awarded the James T Wagoner ’29 Foreign Study Scholarship by Rice University, which allowed him to conduct extensive study for his dissertation in Assisi, Italy. The wedding is planned for May 21 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Mountain Brook. The couple will reside in Homewood.

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

FOODIE NEWS

Girlspring Executive Director Kristen Greenwood, second from left, with members of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, from left, Andrea Kirkland, Charbett Cauthen and Stefanie Maloney.

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

How to Cook Up a Cookbook Ashley McMakin’s Newest Venture Is a Formidable but Fun Project

Ashley McMakin began catering from her home in 2005 and opened her first restaurant in Bluff Park two years later. Now, you can find Ashley Mac’s locations in Cahaba Heights, Homewood, Inverness and Riverchase, plus her newest spot in downtown Birmingham at the Pizitz Food Hall.

By Donna Cornelius

shley McMakin has a deft hand at putting the right ingredients together. Since opening Ashley Mac’s 15 years ago, she’s come up with dishes that have made her business a real success story. Now, she’s cooking up a project that will give Ashley Mac’s fans a chance to re-create some of her favorite recipes in their own kitchens: a cookbook. The book, which will be published by Hoffman Media, isn’t due out until next spring. But McMakin has been hard at work for some time on all the components involved in such a daunting undertaking: recipe selection, multiple tastings and photo shoots. “My husband, Andy, encouraged me to do a cookbook, and customers often ask if I’ll share a recipe,” she said. “So this has been years in the making.” Although she’s always loved to cook, McMakin didn’t originally plan on a fulltime culinary career. After graduating from Briarwood Christian School, she went on to the University of Alabama. She and Andy met when both were students in UA’s Culverhouse College of Business, and she had set her sights on working in marketing.

She began catering from her home in 2005 and opened her first restaurant in Bluff Park two years later. Now, you can find Ashley Mac’s locations in Cahaba Heights, Homewood, Inverness and Riverchase, plus

‘The cookbook is about how I eat and cook in real life. The book will have homestyle dishes, family recipes, things I make for the kids and, of course, some Ashley Mac’s favorites.’ ASHLEY MCMAKIN

her newest spot in downtown Birmingham at the Pizitz Food Hall. “The cookbook is about how I eat and cook in real life,” McMakin said. “The book will have homestyle dishes, family recipes, things I make for the kids and, of course, some Ashley Mac’s favorites.” This isn’t McMakin’s first cookbook. “I made a little one in 2005 called ‘A Taste of Birmingham,’” she said. “I made 50

copies for friends and family. Those friends have always said it’s their most used cookbook, so I knew I had to do a more full-scale one in the future.” Putting together her new cookbook has been a tad more involved than that first homemade volume. She began meeting with Hoffman Media representatives to talk about the project about a year ago. McMakin said she already had a good relationship with the company; she had worked before with Southern Lady, one of Hoffman’s most popular magazines, and she and Brian Hoffman, president and chief creative officer of Hoffman Media, Popular choices for went to high school togeth- Ashley Mac’s salad trio: pimento cheese, er. “Brian was another per- chicken salad and son who really encouraged Baby Bleu salad with me to do a cookbook,” she poppyseed vinaigrette. said. Hoffman asked McMakin to bring about 200 recipes to the discussion table so that there would be plenSee ASHLEY, page 27

Wonder Women: Chef’s Edition Girlspring Showcases the Many Careers Available in the Food Industry

By Ally Morrison Girlspring invited chefs, caterers and other industry professionals from the Birmingham Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International to share information about culinary and hospitality careers with girls in fourth grade to high school. Guests of the April 30 event learned about the many ways to be involved in the culinary world, hearing from restaurant owners, dieticians and catering CEO’s at the Homewood Library. “Before COVID, we used to have these events called Wonder Women every month,” Executive Director Kristen Greenwood said. “We’re trying to get back into these careerfocused events to give girls an idea of the many different careers available to them.” Greenwood knew members of the Birmingham Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier and thought it would make for a fun event. Charbett Cauthen, vice president of programs for LDEI, chose a panel of speakers who reflected all aspects of the hospitality industry. Kristal Bryant, Crystal Peterson, Andrea Kirkland and Stefanie Maloney all brought interesting backgrounds to the event, ranging from food writers to restaurant owners. “I tried to show a different variation of all the different things we do and the diversity that we have,” Cauthen said. “I did this so that we might touch a few girls and spark an interest in them for the industry.” Participants had the chance to sample dishes and try exclusive recipes to take home and make for themselves or with their moms.

Cooking Up Fun

Jones Valley Teaching Farm to Offer Foodie Summer Camps Jones Valley Teaching Farm will present a plethora of educational and interactive summer camps during June and July to students curious

See CAMP, page 27

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 27

FOOD waiting for campers of all ages. * Plant To Plate, June 6-10, second to fifth grade. * Kitchen Champs, June 13-17, second to fifth grade. * Green Engineers, June 21-24, second to fifth grade. * Bug Detectives, June 27-July 1, second to fifth grade. * Community, Food and You, July 18-29, sixth to eighth grade. —Ally Morrison

Best Taco: Bare Hands’ Taco Fest Lets Guests Determine the Best Taco

Bare Hands Inc. will present Birmingham Taco Fest on May 21 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Sloss Furnaces. Taco Fest will feature Birmingham’s top taco vendors and food trucks, music, children’s activities and local art vendors. Attendees will be able to vote for the Best Taco and pair their taco selections

with locally crafted beverages. There will be more than 20 participating local food and beverage vendors and a multitude of participating artists. Bare Hands is a communitysupported arts organization dedicated to cultivating creativity and innovation in metro Birmingham and the surrounding region by creating opportunities for artists and audiences to play an active role in cultural dialogues.

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CAMP From page 26

about food, farming and the culinary arts. Campers will be able to explore the natural world through inquiry, experimentation and hands-on activities through a week-long camp held at Jones Valley Teaching Farm’s flagship Center for Food Education. “Camp Grow engages students with the natural world, food, and farming, exploring how it all connects and impacts their lives and communities,” Executive Director of Jones Valley Teaching Farm Amanda Storey

ASHLEY From page 26

ty to choose from. “First, I picked out some Ashley Mac’s recipes that I was comfortable sharing,” McMakin said. “I had to include our strawberry cake, and there’s a recipe for my spin on our chicken salad. Some of them are our archived recipes, like our spicy pimento cheese, egg salad and appletuna salad.” Many of the recipes that came from Ashley Mac’s had to be scaled down from commercial quantities to family-sized portions. “I had a good many of my original recipes, because I’d make them at home first,” McMakin said. “And there are so many things that I love to cook at home but not for Ashley Mac’s.”

Food for Occasions

The book doesn’t have a name yet, but it does have chapter titles: Comfort Food 101, Valentine’s Day, Spring Brunch, Summer Porch Parties, Beach Days, Kids’ Favorites, Tailgating, Friendsgiving and Deck the Halls. “The recipes are for things that people can easily make at home with ingredients that they won’t have trouble finding,” McMakin said. Hoffman’s involvement in the

Campers at Jones Valley Teaching Farm will be able to explore the natural world through inquiry, experimentation and hands-on activities.

said. “Students find joy in hands-on learning and leave passionate about growing and cooking their own food and empowered with life-long skills. Camp Grow bonds students to each other and the community through their shared experiences centered around food.” Whether it’s following the journey of a growing fruit or vegetable or discovering valuable gardening and culinary skills, a variety of options are book has meant that the massive workload hasn’t fallen entirely on McMakin’s shoulders. “They’re partnering with me to make the recipes for photos and for testing,” McMakin said. “Everything is being made and tasted multiple times.” She’s also got a built-in tasting panel at her Mountain Brook home. Andy and the couple’s three children haven’t been shy about sharing their opinions. “For the kids’ chapter in the cookbook, we sat around the dinner table one night and asked the kids about their favorites,” she said. Her daughter, Mally, who’s 9 years old, wanted Chinese dumplings and fried rice. Sons Ryder, 12, and Jackson, 10, chose pizzas and burgers. Andy got a vote, too. “My husband loves beef tenderloin, so that’s in our holiday chapter,” McMakin said. “We sell a lot of tenderloins during the holidays.” She’s not only a soon-to-be cookbook author but a cookbook fan. “I love, love, love to look at cookbooks,” McMakin said. “I get inspired seeing other people’s takes on food.” To keep up with and get a behindthe-scenes look at the book’s progress, follow McMakin’s personal Instagram account, ashley_mcmakin. For more about Ashley Mac’s, visit ashleymacs.com or follow the restaurant on social media.

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SCHOOLS

Miss Alabama Talks to Southminster Students About Unplugging

Miss Alabama 2021, Lauren Bradford, spoke to students from Southminster Day School in Vestavia Hills last month about the importance of unplugging and finding a healthy balance of technology in their lives. Bradford, of Gulf Shores, at the

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Homewood Schools Wins National Recognition for Music Education

The Homewood school system has once again been awarded for its efforts to provide music access and education to all students. This is Homewood’s 16th year to win the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation. NAMM gives the award to recognize outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education, according to a press release. Homewood was one of just four communities in the state to receive the award this year. This year’s awards program was designed to celebrate schools and districts adapting, innovating and persevering in the face of change.

with the Alabama State Department of Education to develop a curriculum that will be implemented in schools across the state teaching these habits. Bradford spoke with students from kindergarten through fifth grade gathered in the sanctuary of Southminster Presbyterian Church. An accomplished violinist, Bradford also regaled the students and faculty with her rendition of “Orange Blossom Special,” a favorite of hers that she played to honor her grandfather. Bradford competed in December in the 100th Anniversary Miss America competition, broadcast on NBC, and was named first runner up and winner of the Quality of Life Award and the STEM Scholarship Award. She returned home with more than $42,500 in cash scholarships.

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28 • Thursday, May 5, 2022

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Vestavia Hills BOE Names Dressback Principal at VHECH

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 29

SCHOOLS/SPORTS

The Vestavia Hills Board of in the Homewood and Mountain Education named alum Lauren Brook school systems before returnDressback principal for Vestavia Hills ing to her alma mater. Elementary Cahaba After graduating with a Heights during a meeting bachelor’s degree in history April 25. from Samford University, Dressback will begin to Dressback obtained her serve as principal during master’s degree in secondthe 2022-23 school year. ary education from the She has been serving as the University of Montevallo school’s interim principal and her educational leadersince January. ship certification from Dressback is a familiar Samford University. face to many Vestavia Hills According to a press Lauren Dressback release from Vestavia Hills families. She is a 1997 graduate of Vestavia Hills City Schools, Dressback is High School and has spent 20 years “humbled and thrilled” to remain at working in education. She brings Cahaba Heights. with her prior experience as an assis“This is a close-knit, special comtant principal at Liberty Park Middle munity where the students are investSchool and Vestavia Hills High ed and the teachers are truly amazing School. at what they do,” Dressback said to Dressback taught social studies the board. “I’m so honored to make for 11 years at VHHS before becomthis my home and continue working ing an administrator. She also taught with the Cahaba Heights family.”

VESTAVIA From page 32

The Vestavia Hills girls won their 12th state title overall but their first since 2016, scoring 57 points. Auburn was second with 42 points and Huntsville third with 37. It was just the second time both Vestavia Hills tennis teams won state championships in the same year, matching the 2013 season. “That’s pretty cool,” Aaron said. “The kids played well, representing Vestavia. This is an exciting time for our tennis programs.” Fisk was the girls coach in 2013, the first time both Rebels’ team won. “It’s really great to see both teams be successful and be there to push, encourage and provide off-court support for each other,” Fisk said. “That’s the best part.” The Vestavia Hills boys won three singles titles and finished as runnersup in another. The Rebels swept the three doubles championships. Ryan Pearlman won the No. 3 singles title for the Rebels, defeating Hoover’s Gavin Patton 6-4, 6-0. Kade Nelson won No. 4 singles, defeating Hoover’s Matthew Hajazin 6-4, 6-1. Luke Bedwell won No. 5 singles, defeating Auburn’s Davis Jackson 6-0, 6-3. The Rebels’ Drew Castleberry lost 4-6, 6-2, 10-6 to Auburn’s Kevin Yan in the No. 6 singles final. Hoover’s Isaac Hwangpo won No. 2 singles, defeating Huntsville’s Evan Williams 6-1, 6-3. The Bucs’ Samuel Sellers lost to Bob Jones’ Parker Free 6-1, 6-1 in the No. 1 singles final. In doubles, Pearlman and Jake Anthony defeated Hoover’s Hwangpo and Patton 6-3, 6-3 at No. 1. Nelson and John Michael Yanosky won No. 2, defeating Huntsville’s Logan Thomas and Jacob Corrigan 6-2, 6-1. Castleberry and Kyle Norris won No. 3, defeating Auburn’s Lenny Bankson

and Luis Jeong 6-2, 6-2. “We were very fortunate,” Aaron said. “Our kids were able to lock in and do what they needed to do.”

Digging Deep

Vestavia Hills girls had lost in a tiebreaker to Auburn in 2021 to finish as Class 7A runners-up, and although they won by a comfortable margin this year, Fisk said it was a battle. “I honestly couldn’t be more proud of our team, but it was not easy,” she said. “We had two tiebreakers in the third set in the championship singles and another one in the doubles semifinals. It was a mental struggle and we had to focus to get through it.” The Rebels girls won five of the six singles finals. At No. 2, freshman Ansley Cox defeated Huntsville’s Stella Stephens 6-2, 6-1. “I felt really good to be able to contribute,” Cox said. “I thought that was some of the best tennis I’ve played all season. It kind of all just clicked.” At No. 3, the Rebels’ Katherine Morros defeated Hoover’s Kristina Hwangpo 5-7, 6-4, 10-4; at No. 4, Madison Standifer defeated Auburn’s Shreya Ejantkar 6-2, 6-1; at No. 5, Kenley Outzen defeated Auburn’s Hanbi Youn 4-6, 7-5, 10-3; and at No. 6 Caroline Helms defeated Auburn’s Victoria Choo 6-4, 6-3. Vestavia Hills senior Cindy Jiang lost 6-2, 6-1 in No. 1 singles to Auburn’s Claire Bosman. The Rebels won two of the third doubles finals. At No. 2, Cox and Outzen defeated Auburn’s Ejantkar and Youn 6-1, 6-2 and at No. 3 Morros and Nancy Chen defeated Huntsville Hannah Bryant and Lydia Clark 6-0, 6-2. “This is the most fun I’ve had coaching a team,” Fisk said. “They were willing to dig deep and put forth effort and believe in each other to get it done. It was amazing to see them do that.”

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SPORTS

‘Extra Motivation’

By Rubin E. Grant

Vestavia Hills’ Girls Lacrosse Team Chasing State Title After Disappointing End in 2021 Season

Photo by Samuel Curfman

Mary Nelson Litty and her Vestavia Hills High School varsity teammates felt the sting of an upset loss in the 2021 Alabama Lacrosse playoffs. The Rebels were the No. 1 seed entering the playoffs but lost 11-10 to arch-rival Mountain Brook in the semifinals. The Spartans went on to capture the state championship. “Last year was not any fun for sure,” Litty said. “We all were sad by the way the season ended and we were disappointed with the way we played. We didn’t have our best game. That has given us extra motivation this season.” The inspired Rebels have been dominant this spring, posting a 17-2 record, including 12-0 in the Freelance Region of the Greater Birmingham Youth Lacrosse Association. Their only losses came in late February against two Tennessee schools, 12-11 to Briarcrest Christian and 15-3 to Hutchison from Memphis. Vestavia Hills again is the top seed in the state playoffs and carried a 12-game winning streak into their semifinal game against Auburn on Wednesday. The winner of that contest will face off against the winner of the Mountain Brook vs Oak Mountain matchup in the Alabama Lacrosse Championships Saturday at Hoover’s Buccaneer Stadium. The girls champi-

The Vestavia Hills High School girls lacrosse team is the top seed in the state playoffs

onship game will be played at 2:30 p.m. and the boys at 6 p.m. “We’ve had the best season so far,” said Litty, a senior attacker. “We’ve got 10 seniors and all of us have been working really hard. “We really want to win the state championship.” Litty is one of three captains on the team. The others are senior attack-

er Lydia Dabbs and junior midfielder Alex Rountree. The other seniors are attackers Anna Caroline Mormon, Caroline Britain and Mallory Pugh; midfielders Katy Lambert and Ella Schneider; defenders Blakely Berryhill and Catherine Whitcomb; and goalie Veronica Turner. “I love this team,” Vestavia Hills

coach Dennis Lipford said. “We’ve got a good group of girls who like being around each other and have a lot of fun playing together.” Vestavia Hills won consecutive state titles in 2018 and 2019, but the playoffs were canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the Rebels are eager to wipe away the disappointment of last year’s

STRIKE OUT

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

The second week of the Alabama High School Athletic Association state baseball playoffs wasn’t kind to Over the Mountain teams. Only the Vestavia Hills Rebels are still alive after sweeping eighthranked Tuscaloosa County 19-2 and 5-2 in the Class 7A first round last week. “We played really well,” Vestavia Hills coach Jamie Harris said. “Tuscaloosa County is a good team and we had to play well to beat them. “We pitched it well and for the most part we played well defensively, and we hit the ball really well. We had been waiting all year for our bats to come alive because coming into the season we thought we could swing it.” The Rebels (22-15) definitely came out swinging in Game 1. They scored six runs in the first inning en route to the blowout victory. Vestavia Hills received production up and down the lineup. Thomas Watson was 2 for 3 with a grand slam, triple, three runs and five RBI. John Paul Head was 1 for 2 with three RBI, Hudson Walburn was 1 for 3 with two RBI, Max Stewart was 2 for

4 with a double, two runs and RBI, and Jackson Harris was 2 for 3 with three runs. Caleb Shofner pitched a complete game, which was shortened to five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule. He allowed four hits and no earned runs while striking out four. In Game 2, the Rebels rallied for four runs in the fifth inning to overcome a 2-1 deficit and complete the sweep. Pierce Hanna’s sacrifice fly scored Harris to tie the score, then Watson delivered a two-run single to put the Rebels ahead. Stewart added a sacrifice fly to complete the rally. Aiden Black pitched six innings, allowing four hits with four walks and an earned run to pick up the win. Barrett Harper pitched a perfect seventh to earn a save. Vestavia Hills will play host to fourth-ranked Bob Jones (35-8) in the quarterfinals Friday and Saturday. Bob Jones swept Sparkman 9-0 and 3-1 to advance. “We haven’t seen them this season,” Harris said of the Patriots. “But when you get to the 7A quarterfinals, it doesn’t matter who you play. You’ve got to play well or you go home.”

semifinal loss to Mountain Brook. The Rebels and Spartans clashed two weeks ago with Vestavia Hills pulling out a 10-9 victory. Litty scored the winning goal in the final minute. “She is our No. 1 player and she’s really stepped up her game and embraced her role as a leader,” Lipford said. “She’s our point guard, our leading scorer and our leader in assists. Mountain Brook face guarded her everywhere and she still scored three of our 10 goals.” Litty said the victory against Mountain Brook was much-needed for the Rebels’ confidence. “Beating Mountain Brook was important because of the way last season ended,” Litty said. Scoring the winning goal has been a part of her “leave it all on the field” mentality throughout the season. “I think this season for me personally has gone well,” said Litty, who has been playing lacrosse since the fifth grade. “We, the seniors, have all been blessed and honored to play together for a long time and we’re playing our hardest. Here at the end of the season everything has been clicking and it’s been fun.” Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook might meet again for the championship on Saturday. The Spartans are the No. 2 seed. “We’re clearly the top two teams,” Lipford said, “so it could be us and Mountain Brook in the finals.”

Hoover Eliminated

Rebels Sole Survivors Among OTM Schools in State Baseball Playoffs By Rubin E. Grant

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Seventh-ranked Mountain Brook fell to top-ranked Hartselle at home last Friday. Above, Howell Polk pitching in the second game of the series.

Mountain Brook Swept

Seventh-ranked Mountain Brook had home-field advantage, but it didn’t matter against top-ranked Hartselle. The Tigers (35-4) swept the Spartans 6-2 and 5-1 in their best of 3 second-round Class 6A series. In Game 1, Elliott Bray hit a solo home run and Jo Williamson and Brodie Morrow drove in two runs each to lead Hartselle. John Robicheaux hit a solo home run for Mountain Brook (22-13). Gabe Young took the loss for the Spartans, allowing six earned runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out 10 and walked three. William Turner went the distance

for Hartselle to earn the win. He allowed six hits and two runs with 11 strikeouts and a walk. In the second game, the Tigers jumped out a 5-0 lead in the first five innings to complete the swept. Bray went 3 for 3 for Hartselle (35-4) with four RBI, and Morrow was 2 for 2 with three runs scored. Bray also was the winning pitcher, giving up one run and six hits with nine strikeouts while pitching a complete game. Mountain Brook scored its only run in the sixth run when Trent Wright knocked in James Graphos. Howell Polk took the loss for Mountain Brook, yielding five runs and nine hits with four strikeouts.

Hoover made a remarkable run to the Class 7A state championship series en route to a runner-up finish in 2021, but the Bucs won’t have a magical postseason journey this year. The top-ranked Hewitt-Trussville Huskies (26-3-1) swept the visiting seventh-ranked Bucs 8-6 and 6-3 in their first-round series. Lucas Steele, a Samford signee, had a productive day for the Bucs (28-16), going 3 for 7 with a solo home run and two-run single in the two games. Carter Milliron finished 2 of 6 with an RBI single and scored on an error. Colin Rengering was tagged with the Game 1 loss, allowing two runs on two hits, and Tyler Wilson took a complete-game loss in Game 2, allowing six runs on seven hits.

John Carroll Ousted

John Carroll Catholic (13-18) was eliminated in the Class 5A second round, getting swept at Alexandria, 5-1 and 10-7. The seventh-ranked Valley Cubs (24-13) won the first game behind sophomore right-hander Andrew Allen, who pitched a complete game four-hitter. In the second game, Alexandria took a 10-2 lead, then held off the Cavaliers’ late rally in the final two innings.

From page 32

Spartan Boys Fall Short

The Mountain Brook boys finished as Class 6A runners-up for the

second consecutive year. The Spartans were tied 62-62 with Northridge at the end of the second day of competition. But they had to wait another day before the final outcome because Northridge senior Braden Hannig was forced to delay his No. 1 singles championship match because of the AHSAA fourmatch limit in a single day. Hannig, the top-ranked senior in Alabama according to the USTA, defeated Montgomery Academy junior Whit Davis 6-3, 6-1 the next morning to win No. 1 singles. Hannig earned two points to give Northridge the team title, averting a mini-series playoff against Mountain Brook had he lost. Hannig had teamed with Ethan Wilson to win the No. 1 doubles final against Trinity Presbyterian’s James Treadwell and Samuel Treadwell 6-2, 6-2 to give the Cougars the needed points to tie the Spartans at the end of the second day. “We knew Hannig was a superstar player and he was going to win, so it was an anti-climactic end,” Farlow said. “But I am so proud of the way the boys played. We won five of the nine championship matches and Northridge won only two, but that’s how it goes.” Mountain Brook won four singles championships and one doubles title. The Spartans’ Luke Schwefler won No. 2 singles, defeating Homewood’s Ben Kovakas 6-0, 6-1; Thomas Austin won No. 3 singles, defeating

Northridge’s Jose Alcocer 6-3, 7-5; Max Gayden won No. 5 singles, defeating Northridge’s James Emery 6-3, 6-1; and Trey Stiles won No. 6 singles, defeating Montgomery Academy’s Gaines Freeman 6-2, 6-2. Mountain Brook’s Logan Woodall

lost in the No. 4 singles final, falling 7-6, 1-6, 11-9 to Spanish Fort’s Jake Miller. The Spartans’ team of Gayden and Luke Schwefler won No. 2 doubles, defeating Spanish Fort’s Miller and Jacob Thom 6-3, 6-2.

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With Roy leading the way, Mountain Brook captured its second consecutive Class 6A title in the Alabama High School Athletic Association Tennis Championships April 21-22 at the Mobile Tennis Center. They extended their AHSAA state title record to 31. Roy won her second straight Class 6A No. 1 singles and doubles championships. She defeated Montgomery Academy senior Gabby Barrera 6-0, 6-4 in the final. Roy teamed with Annie Lacey, who captured the No. 3 singles championship, to win the No. 1 doubles crown. The duo beat sisters Libbie Hamilton and Emma Jane Hamilton of St. Paul’s Episcopal 3-6, 6-1, 10-7 in the doubles championship match. “Pippa is so great,” Mountain Brook coach Susan Farlow said. “You don’t ever expect her to lose. Her mother was a great player and Pippa has picked up her game. She plays hard and takes it very seriously.” Roy was pleased with her performance but was more thrilled about how the Spartans played as a team. Mountain Brook won four singles and two doubles championships. “I think I played well,” Roy said. “All my shots were working and I tried as hard as I could. “As a team, we performed well.

Everybody played their best and gave it 100 percent.” The Spartans finished with 71 points, finishing comfortably ahead of second-place St. Paul’s Episcopal with 62 points and third-place Montgomery Academy with 45. Annie Lacey won her No. 3 singles match with a 6-3, 6-0 victory against St. Paul’s Emme Clement. Mountain Brook’s other two singles champions were Mae Lacey at No. 5 and Ann Royal Goodson at No. 6. Mae Lacey defeated Decatur’s Vivi Blakely 6-3, 6-0 and Goodson defeated Montgomery Academy’s Mary Lee Kelso 6-4, 6-2. Mae Lacey teamed with Ann Coleman to win No. 2 doubles, defeating St. Paul’s Clement and Maggie Sullivan 6-3, 6-2. Mountain Brook’s Lillian Still and Mary Neal Polk finished as runnersup in No. 3 doubles, falling to St. Paul’s Grace Swaim and Livy Ferguson 6-2, 7-6. “I am glad our girls were able to pull it out,” Farlow said. “They worked hard to win matches.” Mountain Brook has won girls state championships the past five times the AHSAA tournament has been held. The Spartans won three consecutive Class 7A titles from 2017-2019. The 2020 state tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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MOUNTAIN BROOK

Thursday, May 5, 2022 • 31

SPORTS

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

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SPORTS

Strike Out: Rebels sole survivors among OTM schools in state baseball playoffs PAGE 30

Thursday, May 5, 2022 ❖ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

‘Extra Motivation’ Vestavia Hills’ Girls lacrosse team chasing state title after disappointing end in 2021 season PAGE 30

DYNASTY

Photo by Marvin Gentry/AHSAAPHOTOS

Roy Leads Mountain Brook to Another Girls State Tennis Championship

By Rubin E. Grant The Mountain Brook girls tennis team might have lost three of their top six singles players from their 2021 Class 6A state championship squad, but the Spartans still had sophomore Pippa Roy.

See MOUNTAIN BROOK, page 31

COOL SWEEP

Photos by Marvin Gentry/AHSAAPHOTOS

Rebels Claim Boys and Girls Class 7A Tennis State Championships By Rubin E. Grant When Timarie Fisk took over for her second stint as Vestavia Hills’ girls tennis coach this spring, she approached first-year boys coach Oliver Aaron about the teams providing support for each other. “We wanted the boys and girls to just be ‘one’ Rebel,” Fisk said. “We wanted to rely on each other and be there to support each other.” The team’s camaraderie was certainly on display at the AHSAA Class 7A State Tennis Championships April 18-19 at the Mobile Tennis Center. With both squads cheering on each other, the Rebels swept the Class 7A state championships. Vestavia Hills’ boys claimed their seventh state title overall and their sixth since 2011, posting 53 points in the two-day tournament. Hoover was second with 32 points and Auburn was third with 26. The Rebels boys won four consecutive titles from 2011-2014 and won the Class 7A title in 2019.

See VESTAVIA, page 29

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