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SOCIAL
THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2022
Redmont Revisited
SPORTS
Living With Grace Positive Maturity Honors Vestavia Native Among Top 50 Over 50
A
By Anne Ruisi
t first, the Rev. Dr. Jane N. Geiger was shocked to be named one of Positive Maturity Inc.’s Top 50 Over 50. “I’m honored and surprised,” the Vestavia Hills native and founder of Grace Ministries Inc. said. “I am so thankful for the investment and partnership with so many individuals, couples, families, churches and companies throughout my long career in Birmingham and all over the United States.” She and the 49 others in Positive Maturity’s 2021-22 class of Top 50 Over 50 will be honored July 21 at The Club. Positive Maturity in Birmingham celebrates community members 50 and older “to recognize those individuals in our community who find opportunities to make a difference, become a catalyst in the world and leave it with no regrets. Our Top 50 know how to stay young through their dreams, laughter, contributions and achievements,” the organization’s website states. The ceremony last year was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. See TOP 50, page 11
ORIGINAL CHARM
Historic Redmont Home Crowns Red Mountain
Book Details History of the Redmont Community Stories begin on page 20
Courtesy
Journal photo by Maury Wald
‘WORTHY OF REMEMBRANCE’
The Rev. Dr. Jane N. Geiger and the 49 others in Positive Maturity’s 2021-22 class of Top 50 Over 50 will be honored July 21 at The Club.
2 • Thursday, July 14, 2022
Inside
Murphy’s Law
I LOCAL LEADERS RECOGNIZED Kiwanis Club to induct 6 into Birmingham Business Hall of Fame PAGE 8
BACK TOGETHER Southminster, Shades Valley Presbyterian churches merge PAGE 8
FOR THE LOVE OF THE GARDENS Meet 2022 Antiques at the Gardens Honorees Maggie and Will Brooke PAGE 10
THE ONE THAT DIDN’T GET AWAY Automatic Seafood’s Adam Evans reels in James Beard Award PAGE 24
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OPINION/CONTENTS
4 HOME 8 FOOD 10 SPORTS 12
am writing this on what I’m hopanother one of nature’s great ideas: ing will be the hottest day of the water. I may not feel thirsty quite yet, year. It seems wasteful to actually but apparently, the goal is to keep try to fry an egg on the sidewalk, but I ahead of that. While I am grateful for bet I could. the water, I will be even more grateful A sensible person would just stay for the vat of iced tea I will procure at inside, but alas, my constant Battle of the drive-thru once my trek is finished. the Pudge (gotta fit into my jeans) I will order the biggest glass they have overrides this directive, and I head with three pumps of classic syrup and outside to take a walk. It’s still early, ask them to hold the added water, and even though the temperature has which seems counterproductive for my not yet reached broiler status, the hydration plan, but I substitute lots of asphalt is radiating heat. Rather than ice, which is simply water that has had Sue Murphy retreating, I pick up my pace. The park a nice long rest in the freezer. is in sight. When I really start jones-ing for the I love our neighborhood park. drive-thru, I take a deep breath and It’s a quarter mile loop that winds go forth onto the scorching asphalt I think I have sung through alternating pockets of sun to do the half-mile home. and shade. Reaching my house, I fish my the praises of shade I think I have sung the praises of key out of my pocket, open the door in the past, but in shade in the past, but in this heat, it and step into the air conditioning. bears repeating. Even today, as the (Isn’t that the best thing ever?). It this heat, it bears sun beats down relentlessly, shade takes a minute for my eyes to adjust repeating. provides little patches of “Ahhhh.” to the dimmer light, but when they The temperature under its influence do, I look down to see my dog Dave is a good 10 degrees cooler, making wagging his tail in full body anticithe walk doable even on this hottest day of the year. pation. Now, it’s his turn to go to the park. The trek from my house to the park is a half-mile of Dave is not a delicate flower, but he has no shoes full sun, but with each sweat-drenched step, I remind and, like I said, the asphalt is myself that good health is a battle fought on multiple ablaze, so this time, we will fronts and the sun is at least infusing my body with drive and walk only far enough much-needed vitamin D. I say this, but when I round for Dave to scatter the squirrels the curve and see the park, I am not sorry that the hot and do a smell-check for dogs part is over. he has missed in passing. When my sneakers hit the park proper, I begin my If I take Dave through the series of laps, a number that is determined by a) the rest drive-thru, the baristas give him of my daily schedule, and b) how many carbs I had for a whipped cream puppucino, breakfast. Round and round, I pass through a large vari- and he is the happiest dog in ety of trees and a small creek where I once saw a large America. What could be better snake that I try not to think about. than that? We both have it made I have learned that, along the way, I must stop for in the shade.
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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.
Over the Mountain Views
OVER THE MOUNTAIN
July 14, 2022 JOU RNAL Publisher & Editor: Maury Wald Copy Editor: Virginia Martin Features Writer: Donna Cornelius Staff Writer: Anne Ruisi Photographer: Jordan Wald Sports Editor: Rubin E. Grant Contributors: Susan Murphy, June Mathews, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry, Lee Walls, Bryan Bunch Advertising Sales: Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald, Gail Kidd
Patriotic Light Post
Celebrating the Red, White and Blue
Journal photo by Jordan Wald
Vol. 32, No. 23
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.
Made In The Shade
There is no mistaking what Ann Thompson of Vestavia Hills feels for our country – the American flags and flowers decorating the light post at her Millbrook Road home say it all. White gardenias, dark red Lenten roses and blue artificial flowers are carefully arranged with the flags to create a patriotic scene. Thompson, a 39-year member of the Cahaba Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, has been decorating the light post in the Red, White and Blue year-round for the 58 years she’s lived in her home.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
ABOUT TOWN
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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
ABOUT TOWN
JULY 14 - JULY 28
July 22-Aug 7 Anatomy of Gray
July 14 - July 31
Join Birmingham Festival Theatre for Anatomy of Gray by award-winning author Jim Leonard Jr. When: Showtimes vary Where: Birmingham Festival Theatre
Sun., July 24
Journal file photo by Jordan Wald
gbhs.org
LE TOUR DE CAHABA
Amigo, above, is one of 91 pets currently available for adoption at GBHS as of July 8.
Empty the Shelters
Bissell Pet Foundation holds Summer National “Empty the Shelters” reduced-fee pet adoption event at the Greater Birmingham Human Society. When: Tues-Sat 12-5 p.m. Where: Greater Birmingham Humane Society
Fri., July 15 Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Alabama Theatre Summer Film Series continues with the 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. Doors open one hour before showtime, and begins with a sing-along with the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ. When: 7 p.m. Where: Alabama Theatre
MARKET DAY MOUNTAIN BROOK VILLAGE | SAT., JULY 16
Shop Mountain Brook merchants most anticipated sale of the year. When: Check with individual stores. Some will open earlier than normal. Where: Mountain Brook Village
July 15-16 Rummage Sale
The Episcopal Church of the Ascension will hold its popular rummage sale, with kitchen items, accessories, children’s clothing up to size 4T and other goods available. Proceeds will benefit the church’s outreach ministries. When: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Where: Ware Hall
Sat., July 16
ETC
Extemporaneous Theatre Company (ETC) will be bringing their hilarious brand of comedy to Homewood Theatre. Similar to the television show “Who’s Line is it Anyway,” they take ideas from the audience and turn them into funny sketches on the spot. When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Homewood Theatre
Otey’s Fest Shendig
Benefitting Phoenix Club of Birmingham, Otey’s 13th annual festival will feature food, music from Galactic, TUB and more. All inclusive tickets include admission, food, cocktails, and beer and wine. Rian or shine. When: 6 p.m. Where: Otey’s Crestline Village
Giving Our Best To Your Loved Ones Giving Our Best To Your Loved Ones ysical Therapy Services
oming, Housekeeping, Medication Reminders
Cahaba Cycles will host its annual race, including five route options: 65 miles, 45 miles, 34 miles, 10 miles and the Slow Your Roll Family Ride (less than 5 miles). A post-ride cookout will be hosted at the Homewood store. In addition, $3 from each $30/$40 registration will be donated to BUMP (Bicycle Urban Mountain Pedalers) When: 7 a.m. Where: Cahaba Cycles Homewood Location
Let us help your loved ones stay healthy, fit and happy in their home in 2022!
Tues., July 26 Summer Reading Finale Concert
Join O’Neal Library for a celebration to conclude summer reading. Enjoy pizza and live music from Roger Day.When: 6:30-7:45 p.m. Where: O’Neal Library
Water Play Day
Join Homewood Library for a water play day to end summer reading with a splash. Slides, kiddie pools, and snacks to keep you cool in the heat. When: 10:30-11:15 AM Where: Homewood Library
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ABOUT TOWN
A Reworked Classic
Red Mountain Theatre Presents Rodgers & Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella’ By Anne Rusi A fresh, modern take on the beloved fairy tale musical is how Red Mountain Theatre describes its summer production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.” “What I love about this version of ‘Cinderella’ is that Ella is the one who does the saving,” director Valerie Accetta said in a press release from the theater. “She opens Prince Topher’s eyes to the inequities in his kingdom and changes her whole village through her kindness and empathy. The idea that we each have the magic within us to make dreams come true and change our communities is a powerful message to take away.” The musical will run from July 15 to Aug. 7. Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” is one of the all-time classics in musical theater. While still using the original score, with songs such as “In My Own Little Corner” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” the script has been given a witty, modern makeover by Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane. Alec Hart Beiswenger of Hoover is making his professional debut in the show as a member of the ensemble. He and his fellow background actors play different roles, such as townspeople and those at the ball, which for him means six costume changes during the performance. He described the show as witty and not what people might expect from a Golden Age musical. “I think the pacing of the show and how it’s been reworked is incredible,” Beiswenger said, adding it is visually stunning. “I think it’s going to be awesome.” Matthew Westberry of Homewood, who also is a member of the ensemble, said he’s “very excited to work
with such amazing, talented people. I feel it’s a phenomenal show and can’t wait for people to see it.” Accetta said she is excited to be making her Red Mountain Theatre Mainstage directorial debut as a summer break from her role as head of musical theater at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “I am grateful to be working with
Summerfest performances. The show also features six young actors from the Red Mountain Theatre education programs. The cast will be choreographed by another Red Mountain Theatre favorite, Jamorris Rivers. “It’s going to be an enchanted performance,” said Red Mountain Theatre Managing Director Jennifer Jaquess. “I can’t spill the secrets of
Alec Hart Beiswenger of Hoover is making his professional debut in the show as a member of the ensemble.
Matthew Westberry of Homewood, said he’s “very excited to work with such amazing, talented people.”
a beautifully diverse cast that brings unique perspectives to this timeless story,” Accetta said. Up-and-comers Mariel Ardila, playing Ella, and Gabriel Bernal, playing Prince Topher, are stepping onto the Red Mountain Theatre stage for the first time. Many actors will be familiar faces to Birmingham theater fans, including Amy Johnson as the magical Marie, Dennis McLernon as the scheming adviser Sebastian and Myiesha J. Duff as spoiled stepsister Charlotte. Colleen Bates Lance, who plays self-centered stepmother Madame, has been a favorite in the Birmingham theater scene since starring in
how the fairy tale has transferred to the stage, but it’s just as spellbinding as any movie magic. Our production team is pulling out all the stops to wow the audience.” The opening night performance of “Cinderella” is July 15 at 8 p.m. Show times are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. There will be a sensory-friendly performance for patrons with special needs on July 20 at 2 p.m. and an ASL-interpreted evening performance at 8 p.m. on July 23.
JULY 15-AUG 7
Tickets start at $25 and are on sale online at redmountaintheatre.org.
RMT ARTS CAMPUS
Tickets at redmountaintheatre.org or call the Box Office at 205.383.1718
Thursday, July 14, 2022 • 5
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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
ABOUT TOWN
Market Day Mountain Brook Village’s 21st Annual
Saturday, July 16 Shop
MOUNTAIN BROOK VILLAGE and
LANE PARKE for Great Deals!
Check with individual merchants to see their sale operations.
Journal file photo by Jordan Wald
SAVE THE DATE
ART ON THE ROCKS | FRI., AUG. 5
Art On The Rocks is back. Join Birmingham Museum of Art for a night of entertainment featuring a concert by Grammywinning artist Eric Bellinger, DJs, an interactive mural, and more When: 7-11 p.m. Where: Birmingham Museum of Art
July 28-31 Sister Act Jr.
Virigina Samford Theatre tells the story of disco diva Deloris Van Cartier, who is put into protective custody after witnessing a murder. When: Showtimes vary Where: Shades Valley High School
Sat., Aug 13 Pancakes and Princesses Breakfast
At Art on the Rocks in 2019, from left, Gio Garcia, Joe Gamble, Austyn Martin, Garrett Gamble and Ethan Tibbs
Guests will enjoy a delectable breakfast and have the opportunity to meet and take photos with a multitude of royals, create regal crafts, and enjoy a fun day at the Zoo with ride wristbands. When: 8:30-10 a.m. Where: Birmingham Zoo
Fairy Tales & Frogs Day
Join the Birmingham Zoo in Henley Park for festivities. Guests, adults and children alike, are encouraged to dress up in costumes for this magical day and meet and take photos with a multitude of royals. When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Where: Birmingham Zoo
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Thursday, July 14, 2022 • 7
ABOUT TOWN
Join us for
IT'S HOT
Market Day
and that means
MARKET DAY IS HERE!
Saturday, July 16th
20 - 75% OFF
Saturday hours 8 to 5 with Early Bird Specials! (Shop Friday afternoon to get a head start!)
Join us July 16th, open at 8 a.m.
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14 , 15 & 16 Bezshan (some exclusions apply - see store for details) Over The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646, fax 205-824-1246 To: Jean SALES June From: Over The Mountain Journal, 205-823-9646 ph., GIVEAWAYS This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the Date: July 2022 July 15, 2021 issue. LOCAL POP-UPS This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the FLOWER TRUCK July 14, 2022 issue. Please make sure all information is correct, BRAID BAR EARLY BIRD SPECIAL Including address and phone number! Please make sure all information is correct, Get an additional 10% OFF & the best deals of the day! 8-10 am th
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NEWS
Back Together
“We discovered that we did similar things as it relates to Christian education, worship, outreach and the Session,” Bryson said. “We were so
much alike, but that shouldn’t have come as a surprise because Shades Valley actually planted Southminster with 50 or 60 families in Vestavia. So those families brought the DNA of Shades Valley with them.” Shades Valley was founded in 1947 and Southminster was established in 1957. “All the fingerprints of Shades Valley stayed with us,” Bryson said. “Everything in both churches were almost exactly the same, except the pulpit in our sanctuary was different.” During the summer of 2021, the two churches began exploring the idea of a merger. They formed a committee with representatives from both churches that met via Zoom, discussing the pros and cons and potential deal breakers. In December last year, they had worked out whatever differences there were, including maintaining staff from both churches, and decided
to merge, settling on June 5 as their first Sunday to worship together. In a church newsletter leading up to their first Sunday together, Reed wrote: “After many months of praying and planning, Shades Valley and Southminster take an important step in the process of becoming one church community. This summer will be a time of transition on our way toward “official” merger in the fall. We will share many aspects of community life, including worship, learning, fellowship, congregational care, and outreach. “In other areas, the congregations will remain distinct for now, with separate Sessions, operating budgets and finances. … For all of us, worship will seem a bit different in the coming weeks. We’ll see new faces and hear voices we haven’t heard before. We’ll use paraments and communion ware from both congregations. The bulletin will have a new look. At times, we might feel uncomfortable and think, “This isn’t what I’m used to!’ We hope that sharing in communion each week will serve as an important reminder for us: at the table, Christ makes us one body.” Shades Valley’s property has been sold and the contents, such as pews, baptismal font, hymnals and Bibles, distributed to other churches in the region. Some legal details still have to be ironed out before the merger is final. Bryson and Reed will share preaching duties. “We have very complementary gifts,” Bryson said. “Leanne is very detail-oriented, which I wish I was better at, and I have a large, broad stroke.” On their first Sunday worshiping together, the brass crosses from both churches were displayed and marched in, and members from both churches gathered in small groups in Southminster’s Grace Hall during the Sunday School hour prior to worship. “It resembled a long-delayed family reunion of cousins, aunts and uncles getting reacquainted once again,” said Kent Howard, a member. Sue Westfall, executive at Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley, delivered the sermon, recognizing the efforts of both congregations for creating the opportunity for the two churches to merge.
dean of the School of Medicine for the second time. He also will serve as interim chair of the Health Services Foundation board. He first served in these interim roles in 2013, when UAB President Ray L. Watts vacated them to become president. Agarwal also directed the Division of Nephrology from 2008 to 2021 and serves as the program director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases-funded O’Brien Center for Acute Kidney Injury Research while maintaining an active
role in clinical medicine, teaching, research and administration. Dawn Bulgarella will serve as interim CEO of the UAB Health System and continue to serve as president of the UAB Health System and CFO for the UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance. Bulgarella spent 15 years in operations before becoming the senior associate dean of finance and administration in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and ultimately the first president and CFO of the UAB Health System.
Reid Jones will continue his role as CEO of UAB Medicine and Jason Alexander, CEO of Ascension St. Vincent’s, also will continue as a key member of the senior leadership team in the UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance. UAB Medicine had almost 1.7 million patient visits last year and UAB Hospital, the eighth-largest hospital in the country, discharged more than 90,000 patients. UAB ranks among the top 3% of U.S. universities based on all federal research funding awarded.
Southminster, Shades Valley Presbyterian Churches Merge
By Rubin E. Grant
Two Named as Interim Leaders of UAB Medicine
Two University of Alabama at Birmingham leaders will head UAB Medicine when Senior Vice President and Dean Selwyn Vickers leaves to become president and CEO of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York on Sept. 12, the university announced. Anupam Agarwall, executive vice dean of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, will serve as interim senior vice president of Medicine and interim
Courtesy
God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. The opening line of William Cowper’s well-known poem that became a hymn could be applied to the recent merger of Shades Valley Presbyterian Church and Southminster Presbyterian Church. The merged congregations held their first service June 5, Pentecost Sunday, with the official merger taking place Oct. 2. Two unlikely things occurred, leading to the congregations becoming one church community. The first was a broken air conditioning unit and the other was a columbarium. According to the Rev. Tom Bryson, who will serve as co-pastor of the merged church along with the Rev. Leanne Pearce Reed, two years ago the air conditioner broke down on the main part of Shades Valley Presbyterian’s campus on Montevallo Road in Mountain Brook. Shades Valley Presbyterian initiated a capital campaign to raise funds for the needed repairs. “They raised the funds and were ready to go, but right before they accepted a bid for the repairs, they asked themselves if it was the most faithful thing to do with the resources,” said Bryson, who has been pastor of Southminster since 2018. “They did an honest assessment and decided they didn’t really want to spend a half-million dollars to replace an air conditioning unit, that the money could be put to better use.” At that point, Shades Valley Presbyterian leaders decided they could move to a new location and use the funds the church had raised for ministry. But there was one issue that needed be resolved: What to do about the columbarium in the church’s courtyard with 75 of its dear members interred? Reed, who had been pastor at Shades Valley Presbyterian since 2017, reached out to Southminster to
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
The merged congregations of Shades Valley Presbyterian Church and Southminster Presbyterian Church held their first service June 5, Pentecost Sunday, with the official merger taking place Oct. 2. Above, from left, Lucy Benoit, Molly Heisler, Thomas Reed, Adam Reed, Michael Bryson and Henry Bryson attended the service at Southminster on June. 5.
see if those members could be interred in their columbarium. As it turned out, Southminster was in the process of considering a new columbarium for the north end of its campus in Vestavia Hills. The project had been financed already and the church had just accepted a bid for it. Reed wanted to know if the columbarium could be expanded to hold its 75 members. “We were able to expand by one more tower,” Bryson said. “The tower on the east is almost completely filled with Shades Valley members.” With that issue resolved, the conversation turned to how each church conducted ministry, with four members from each congregation meeting to the discuss the matter.
The Same DNA
Kiwanis Club to Induct 6 Into Birmingham Business Hall of Fame By Anne Ruisi The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham will induct six business leaders into the Birmingham Business Hall of Fame on Aug. 25 at The Fennec. Claude B. Nielson, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United Inc., and David W. Wood II and John H. Wood of Wood Fruitticher Grocery Co. will be inducted, as will the late Kirkwood R. Balton, of Booker T. Washington Insurance, the late Thomas E. Jernigan of Marathon Corp. and the late Judy M. Merritt, former president of Jefferson State Community College.
Courtesy
8 • Thursday, July 14, 2022
‘I am honored to be recognized by Kiwanis and join the company of the other inductees who have had such an important impact on Birmingham and our greater community.’ CLAUDE B. NIELSON, COCA-COLA BOTTLING CO. UNITED INC.
The Birmingham club is the world’s largest Kiwanis Club with more than 540 members. The Birmingham Business Hall of Fame Committee since 1997 has annually selected business leaders to induct into the hall of fame who have shown strong leadership and made extraordinary contributions to the greater Birmingham area. Inductees can be living or deceased. It’s part of the 105-year-old club’s mission of building a stronger community. “It has been my good fortune to
See KIWANIS, page 9
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
From page 8
have a business career working with a team of exceptional people and benefiting from exceptional brands,” Nielsen said. “Any success I’ve enjoyed as a business leader must be shared with the thousands of associates within the Coca-Cola United family who made leading our business over the years such a joy. “I am honored to be recognized by Kiwanis and join the company of the other inductees who have had such an important impact on Birmingham and our greater community,” he continued. “It is particularly gratifying for me to join my wife, Kate Johnson Nielsen (2019), and my father-in-law, Crawford T. Johnson III (2004), in the Kiwanis Club Business Hall of Fame.” Nielsen, a Mountain Brook resident who joined Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United Inc. in 1979, rose to become CEO in 1991 and was named chairman in 2003. In 2013, the company embarked on a major territorial expansion that more than tripled its size and scope in terms of revenues, geography and the number of employees and facilities. He retired as CEO in 2016, while continuing to serve as chairman. He has served in leadership positions in the Coca-Cola system and beverage industry, including as chairman of the American Beverage Association and The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. He also served on the board of governors of the Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association. Nielsen’s numerous civic and charitable works includes the United Way of Central Alabama and the American Cancer Society, and he served on the Birmingham Airport
Authority Board. He is a member of the Birmingham Rotary Club and has served on the executive committee of the Birmingham Business Alliance. He was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 2016 and he and his wife, Kate, were recognized by the Greater Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts of America in 2017 with the Heart of an Eagle Award for their community service and were named Outstanding Civic Leaders by the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2021.
Courtesy
KIWANIS
Thursday, July 14, 2022 • 9
NEWS
Brothers David W. Wood II and John H. Wood of Wood Fruitticher took over leadership of their family business after their father died at an early age.
only 3% to 5% of family businesses achieve. This year’s event is sponsored by Alabama Power Company, CocaCola Bottling Co. United, Wood Fruitticher, Balch & Bingham, Bradley, Featheringill Capital, Milo’s Tea Company, The Piedmont Group, Protective Life Corporation and Starnes Media. To learn more about the event or to buy tickets, go to kcob.org/events/ bbhof. Tickets include dinner and complimentary valet parking sponsored by Alabama Power Company.
The Wood Brothers
Brothers David W. Wood II and John H. Wood of Wood Fruitticher took over leadership of their family business after their father died at an early age. Over 38 years until their retirement in 2017, they grew the company from $10 million in sales to $400 million. David Wood, a Birmingham resident, is a graduate of Leadership Birmingham and is in the current class of Leadership Alabama. He served on the Birmingham Airport Authority and in leadership positions with the Boy Scouts of America. He is on the board of the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama and has flown more than 60 flights for the Veterans Airlift Command, an organization that flies wounded veterans to and from hospitals around the country for treatment. John H. Wood, also a Birmingham resident, is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham and has served in many leadership positions in the Presbyterian Church of America. The company’s website notes that when the brothers retired, they handed the business to the fourth generation of the family – a milestone that
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LIFE
10 • Thursday, July 14, 2022
By Christiana Roussel
For the Love of the Gardens
I
Meet 2022 Antiques at the Gardens Honorees Maggie and Will Brooke
Photo courtesy Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens
f there is one consistent theme with Antiques at the Gardens show honorees, it is that each carries a deep-seated love for the beauty of the Gardens as well as for the important resource it is to the metro area. Conversations that begin with discussing annual plant sale treasures, favorite sections of the Gardens or memories of family photographs taken among the roses gradually unfold into something greater. Quite organically, talk turns to the important work the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens does with support from this annual event. As this year’s honorees, Maggie and Will Brooke exemplify this dedication to the enduring commitment of support. Over lunch at General in Forest Park, Maggie and Will each take a moment from their busy lives to talk about what Birmingham Botanical Gardens means to them and their family. Their faces light up when considering their earliest memories at this Birmingham landmark, recalling a time before the larger administration building was built and the lauded Conservatory was the welcome point for all visitors. Maggie confides that this building remains her personal favorite aspect of the Gardens. “My mother used to bring me here as a child. We would just marvel at everything thriving in this glorious space,” she says. Will has a similar childhood memory, in which entering the Conservatory was tantamount to visiting another world. “Just the banana plants alone were amazing to see,” Will says. They didn’t know then that the building would become their location of choice for hosting fundraising events, including the United Way’s Tocqueville Society gala years ago.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
As this year’s honorees, Maggie and Will Brooke, above, exemplify a dedication to the enduring commitment of support to the important work of the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens with support from the annual event.
Maggie notes, “We wanted the event held at the Gardens, putting up a tent in front of the Conservatory so that everyone could see how beautiful the space is, especially lit up at night.” Speaking of looking gorgeous at dark, the Brookes both note how much they look forward to the Thursday night gala that is the kickoff to the annual Antiques at the Gardens show. “It is always a fun party when you know everyone there,” Will says. “The food and music will be outstanding, and you get to check out the dealers.” They love visiting returning vendors, discovering something new that has been added to the schedule and taking home new-to-them treasures.
Each remarks on how special the show is – in size and scale, in the quality of vendors and those who
‘My mother used to bring me here as a child. We would just marvel at everything thriving in this glorious space.’ MAGGIE BROOK
return each year, and in the caliber of speakers the show draws to Birmingham. “I love the intimate size of our venue,” Maggie says. “You really
Visit bbgardens.org/antiques to explore speakers and dealers and to become a sponsor. Follow show announcements and reveals on Facebook and Instagram @antiquesgardensbham.
Backyard Bash
Art From the Heart
Exceptional Foundation Announces New Event
studiobythetracks.org
Auction Will Benefit Studio By The Tracks Studio By The Tracks will hold the 33rd annual Art From the Heart Auction on July 24 benefitting the nonprofit studio in Irondale that serves adults with autism spectrum disorders. The event begins at 6 p.m. at The Fennec in downtown Birmingham, said Mimi Carstens, the studio’s marketing assistant. This will be the first in-person Art From the Heart since 2019. More than 200 art works by Studio By The Tracks artists and donor artists from around the world, including local artist Keith Thomson’s untitled painting, right, will be available at the auction, including a cash and carry selection of artwork by the studio’s artists. An online auction will be held July 18-23 as a lead-in to the event.
have a chance to get to know the dealers, and with the variety of spaces used, each area is unique and makes for a beautiful show.” While this year’s speaker list is still a closely held secret, many showgoers have fond memories of the time they saw Richard Keith Langham, Charlotte Moss, Matthew Carter or Martha Stewart take the stage. “The speakers are always great,” Maggie says. “There are so many options, whether morning or afternoon, or panel discussions with an esteemed moderator versus single speaker. The committees go above and beyond, working to attract true design talent.” At this point in the conversation, it seems we could while away the afternoon, reminiscing about past shows
and the joy found in acquiring a collection-worthy piece. But the conversation goes deeper, and you can feel the connection the couple has to something far greater than the highly anticipated three-day event each fall. To Maggie and Will, each antique and vintage find serves not only as a symbol of their years of volunteerism at the Gardens, where both have served on boards and committees, but also of the opportunity the institution provides visitors. Maggie speaks affectionately about seeing the parking lot midweek filled with yellow school buses teeming with children, special educational opportunities made possible through donor support and the longtime partnership between the city of Birmingham and the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. She leans in to stress how this urban oasis functions as a place of connection and community for visitors. Hearing the Brookes speak, it is easy to see that this connection has come full circle. The dedication this couple has to supporting the Gardens is creating the same types of opportunities they had as children – to discover the larger world around them, one visit at a time. This year’s Antiques at the Gardens, presented by First Horizon Bank, will be Sept. 29-Oct. 2. Co-chairs Mark Thompson, Anna Cooper and Catherine Pringle invite home and garden enthusiasts, antiques lovers and loyal supporters from across the region to join them in celebrating Maggie and Will while benefiting the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Individual and corporate sponsorships are available. Tickets will go on sale Sept. 1.
The Exceptional Foundation junior board is holding its first summer event – the Backyard Bash – from noon to 5 p.m. July 23 at Avondale Brewing Company. The event will feature live music, food, beer and other activities. Kaydee Mulvehill, A.J. Beavers and the 93 Beaters, and Shaheed and DJ Supreme will take the stage during the fundraising event, which benefits programs and resources for adults and youth with intellectual disabilities. The Exceptional Foundation, in Homewood, provides year-round social and recreational services for adults and children. Tickets can be bought at the door or online for $20. Go to birmingham365.org and search for ‘Backyard Bash.’ Children 12 and younger get in free.
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TOP FIFTY From Page One
During her 31 years in the counseling field, Geiger, better known as Dr. Jane, has accomplished many business, nonprofit and personal goals. She is CEO of Grace Ministries, a nonprofit counseling and education platform with a global reach in counseling, consulting and publishing. It serves people throughout Alabama and the Southeast, across the country and even in Canada and Europe. She founded Grace Ministries on Valentine’s Day 1996 on the second floor of an old house on Birmingham’s Southside. The goal was to provide counseling with the gospel of Christian grace for people of all faiths or no faith. She said she wanted the word “grace” in the name of the nonprofit “because when people are going through trauma, they need grace.” In 2002, Grace Ministries moved to downtown Homewood in a space above Sikes Children’s Shoe Store. Geiger has been coming alongside her clients with encouraging support through business consulting, relationship counseling, personal coaching and family ministry while also writing her own book series along with writing for magazines, newspapers, churches and universities. As the years went by and some clients moved to Arizona, Florida and Chattanooga, she began supporting them by opening agencies in those places. Grace Ministries became international when Geiger had clients in Canada and the Czech Republic. Geiger would travel to reach those clients. For example, she’d go to Tampa for a week or 10 days and see clients, then return home to get her dog, Honey, and see clients in this area. Then it would be time to fly to Phoenix to see another set of clients. When the pandemic closed Grace Ministries’ office, Geiger responded like a circuit-riding minister but with the horses under a hood. “I’d get in my truck and go where my clients are – Chattanooga, Tuscaloosa, Selma. I just came back from a consulting job in North Carolina and came back through Georgia with a stop to consult with a nonprofit in Talladega,” she said. “Grace Ministries Mobile Unit – that’s how I answer the phone,” she said. When she gets home, she plays catch-up, writes and does laundry. Mindful of COVID-19, her sessions during the pandemic, whether in the area or out of town, are held in a variety of places, such as in clients’ garages and yards and in gazebos. She brings folding chairs and a picnic basket with apples and water. At times, counseling takes the form of what Geiger calls Healing Hiking Sessions in an outdoor setting, such as a state park or Moss Rock Preserve. “We get fit walking side-by-side. All we need is fresh air,” she said. “If it starts raining, you just go inside a restaurant and have a cup of coffee.”
Thursday, July 14, 2022 • 11
LIFE Even after the pandemic ends, Geiger said she doubts she will return to the office. “COVID has proven you don’t need to go to a physical location,” to work, she said.
Dancing to Multiple Beats
In her career, Geiger has conducted thousands of interviews, listening to business leaders, fellow ministers, struggling couples and challenged families and helping them as an executive coach to navigate the necessary steps to overcome challenges of the pandemic. This approach to overcoming chronic change, personal pain, business losses, career challenges and other obstacles related to the pandemic is documented in her newest book, “COVID Choreography.” “It is important to have emotional flexibility and positive resilience, the fluid ability to make chronic adjustments, and learn to dance to a nearly daily new beat as the manifestations of moving from simply surviving to thriving,” Geiger said. During her years as a counselor, Geiger has worked with a variety of people facing a range of problems and situations. Perhaps surprisingly, one of her favorites is divorce mediation. She said she got her doctorate to be a good biblical mediator, to perform weddings and funerals and be there for the important moments in people’s lives. Grace Ministries’ Team Grace/Dr. Jane also hosts marriage retreats several times a year. She is a frequent college and university consultant, military mentor, diversity coach and radio show call-in guest host, with an upcoming radio show and a call-in podcast titled, “See Jane Listen.” How does she get all of this done? “With the help of hundreds of volunteers in many cities over several decades,” Geiger said. “My colleagues are gifted coaches and several are ordained ministers. And, those behind the scenes, our ministry partners, are priceless.” The youngest of four children, Geiger moved from the Northeast to Vestavia Hills with her family when she was 7 years old. She attended Vestavia schools, where she had an outstanding school career, and was Miss Vestavia in 1984. After high school, she attended the University of Alabama, where she studied business marketing and counseling education, and received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, which is given to those “who have demonstrated noble character and acted as humble servants, placing service to others before self-interest,” according to the award’s website. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she was president of the Student Counseling Association and earned a master’s degree, summa cum laude, in counseling. She also has a doctor of ministry degree in spiritual formation from Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio. Grace Ministries can be found at WritersCupofGrace.com.
Members of Positive Maturity’s Top 50 Over 50 Class of 2021-22 to be honored July 21 at The Club Mark Beddingfield, Dr. Cecil Betros, Lisa Bright, Mayor Frank Brocato, The Rev. Cedric Brown, Jorge Castro, Mayor Buddy Choat, Tony Cooper, Tom Cosby, Lawrence “Larry” DeLucas, Ph.D., Doug DeMedicis, Kate DeWitt Darden, Alex Dudchock, Carolyn Fortner, Dr. Mona Fouad, Beth Franklin, The Rev. Jane N. Geiger, D.Min., Charles Ghigna, Gerald G. Ginwright, Jay Grogan, Dr. Karen R. Hammond, Barbara Y. Huntley, Ken Kirkes, Bobbie Knight, JD, Faye LaCagnina, Kathy Lovell, Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, Bethany Meadows, Patty Moon, Dr. Pattie Neill, Dr. Jean O’Neal, Melanie Perry, Chris Pfifferkorn, Dr. Patrick Pritchard, Jim Rotch, Josephine Rucker, Chorbishop Richard D. Saad, Sherriff John Samaniego, Dr. Jack Schaeffer, Vivian “Penny” Southward, Ralph Slate, Shirley Spain, Felicia Ayers Storey, Dr. Ashfaq Taufique, Leo Taylor, Edwina Taylor, Dr. Andy Westmoreland, Janice Williams, Dr. Mark Wilson, and Dr. James Michael Wyss.
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Journal photos by Jordan Wald
12 • Thursday, July 14, 2022
Sam and Missy Fontay, Will Abner and Lindsay and Patrick Williamson
Michelle Shunnarah, Whitney Phillips, CiCi Howell and Dana Cole
FUNKY MONKEY
T
Party at Regions Field Raises Money for Smile-A-Mile
he annual fundraiser for Smile-A-Mile’s fight against childhood cancer was held June 17 at Regions Field. The Funky Monkey event featured silent and live auctions, bingo, live music from The Divines and complimentary drinks. Smile-AMile’s junior board of directors hosted the event. Beer and wine raffles were sponsored by The Sheffield Group, a photo booth for selfies was sponsored by Burr & Forman and Avani Rupa had a “Ring Bling” raffle. Smile-A-Mile started more than 35 years ago with a single summer camp session for children in Alabama with cancer. Over the years, the organization has grown into a year-round program that serves children and their families from diagnosis and through the years beyond treatment. Smile-A-Mile’s mission is to provide hope, healing of the spirit and love for the whole family during the childhood cancer journey through year-round educational programming. ❖
Beth and Bruce Hooper
Matt and Chandler Meherg
Brittani Osborne and Clay Johnson
Sam Hayford and Lee McKinney
Jim Dodson and Breanna Meeks with Lucy Jane Bragsdale and Parker Bethea
Samantha and Ben Youngblood
Sierra Patterson and Cailtin Feeley
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A Century in Symphony
Thursday, July 14, 2022 • 13
LIFE
Alabama Symphony Orchestra Presents Concert to Celebrate Years of Music
43rd Anniversary Celebration Sale Ends Tuesday, July 31st!
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
Leslie and David Johnson
Music lovers of the Birmingham area gathered under the stars May 27 to kick off a weekend celebrating 100 years of music making. During Alabama Symphony Orchestra’s Symphonic Spectacular, works by American composers, including Birmingham-native Brian Raphael Nabors, were played, and a rendition of Dvorak’s 8th Symphony closed out the concert. Held at Railroad Park, the free event also featured music by Aaron Copland, William Grant Still and Morton Gould. ❖
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ROAR
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Annual Gala Raises $300K for Cancer Research The ROAR the Cure committee presented UAB’s Department of
Radiation Oncology a check for $300,000 during a June 1 meeting at
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Greystone Country Club. The money was raised during ROAR’s 2022 James Bond Gala to benefit the department’s cancer research. Dr. Andrew McDonald was the evening’s keynote speaker and gave a presentation about his research. Dr. James Bonner, chairman of the department, also spoke about the impact ROAR has had on the department’s research efforts and the achievements of the ROAR committee. Special recognition was given to the 2022 ROAR for Cure President Donna Conklin, Men’s Committee Chair Dennis O’Brien and gala chair Julie Kim. Richard Thompson as well as Joey Moore, Jimmie
Stephens, Dennis O’Brien, Frank Barefield, David Brasfield and Deanne Giles were present and
received recognition for their support of the ROAR Gala and fundraising efforts. ❖
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Celebrating 40+ Years of Friendship Mountain Brook’s Alpha Theta Delta Members Reunite at Cocktail Party
Thursday, July 14, 2022 • 15
Rehab Reality... by Judy Butler
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
We’re Proving Smaller is Better
Kim Rains Hardwick and Cacky Oztekin
Susan Busby Spielberger and Jane Newton
Susan Norton Ramsey, Betsy Norton Carey, Sue MacDonald Darby and Patsy Norton
Members of Mountain Brook High School’s Alpha Theta Delta sorority reunited during a June 18 cocktail party to celebrate 40+ years of friendships from the past. The party was at the home of Patsy Norton and hosted by Susan Norton Ramsey, Betsie Norton Carey and Sue MacDonald Darby. The house was decorated in the sorority colors of red and white, complemented with scrapbooks and other composites of memories that captured the great days of “ATD Best” in an atmosphere of ‘70s music. Guests attending the event included Valerie Cicio Dean, Melanie Long Gray, Stephanie Dawkins Hair, Kim Raines Hardwick, Lynn Hinkle, Adrienne Montgomery Miller, Jane Newton, Cacky Sullivan Oztekin, Susan Busby Spielberger, Paige Moreland Stevens and Karen Moss Wadley. ❖
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
Valerie Dean, Karen Wadley, Melanie Long Gray and Cacky Oztekin
Bryan Kitchens and Brandon Phillips
Justin Aldridge and Jason Whatley
Carolyn and Ricky Bruhn
Danny Carr and Charity Davis
Natalie LoCastro, Katelyn G. Bruhn and Michael B. Woolley
A Hole in One
Easterseals Golf Tournament Offers Sports, Prizes Easterseals of the Birmingham Area hosted the second annual Charity Golf Tournament at Highland Park Golf Course on May 21. Tournament guests and participants competed in raffles for a chance to win a hole-in-one cash or gift card prize. All proceeds from the event will support the mission of Easterseals, which serves children, teens and adults with disabilities and special needs across the state. It offers services such as therapy, skill training and job placement. ❖
How did Bayshore Retreat begin? It started with my son, Jeff, and his struggle with alcohol. He began with a trip to Bradford in his early 20’s then continued to struggle, until I found the answer for him in Destin. It was smaller. He worked there 4 years and then one day he asked me “mom, can we do this and do it right”. I said, “yes, Jeff, we can do this”. We looked at house after house, then the Bayshore house. It was a complete remodel, had never been lived in and was perfect. It’s as though it was made to be what it is. At Bayshore Retreat there’s a totally different approach. Empowering will sum up our philosophy. Empowering the body with health achieved by improved lifestyle to include exercise, freshly prepared meals, vitamins, sauna therapy, followed with deep tissue massages to remove the toxins and stress relieving yoga techniques. Next we empower the mind with various forms of counseling from individual with a mental health counselor at least twice a week, to life skills coaching which helps clients get a grip on ‘real life’ issues. And, not the least are the group meetings with different facilitators who can help our clients go beyond themselves to addiction from the scientific angle and research to the spiritual side. One final thought: Jeff passed away August 14, 2017. Since then I’ve had numerous calls me wanting to buy the house and make it a B and B. It’s as if Jeff is sending me a message. As long as I have the wonderful staff that helps me keep it going we’re going to continue to save lives.
16 • Thursday, July 14, 2022
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Streetfest 2022
Come See Our Mark Downs Tues.-Sat. 10-4:00 5620 Cahaba Valley Road
Eighth Annual Event Celebrates the West Homewood Neighborhood The eighth annual Streetfest returned to Patriot Park in Homewood on June 4. The free event organized by the West Homewood Neighborhood Association is held each spring to bring the community together. Guests of the event kicked off summer with inflatables, face painting, live music and food from local restaurants. ❖ Journal photos by Jordan Wald
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Thursday, July 14, 2022 • 17
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Hydrangeas Under the Stars Gala at Aldridge Gardens Features Food, Entertainment and Auctions
Doug and Patti Black
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
Hydrangeas Under the Stars took place June 11 at Aldridge Gardens. The premier annual fundraiser and garden gala featured an evening of food and entertainment with live and silent auctions. Proceeds from the event, along with other donations gathered throughout the year, allow Aldridge Gardens to continue providing educational offerings and venues for events, as well as maintaining a tranquil destination for visitors. ❖ Ann and Mark Davis
Debbie Rutherford and Tynette Lynch
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Patriotic Summer Celebrations Offered Music, Food and Fireworks Jenna, Eli, Mary Elizabeth and Lee Gantt
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Ashley, Malachi and Makenna Coba
Laura, Addie and AJ Bonds with Christopher Rodriguez
Katie and Ryan Grace and Brad and Heidi Carter
Madison Letson and Anderson Kate Reeves
HOMEWOOD FESTIVAL
Downtown Homewood was the setting for the Homewood Festival on July 4. Auto traffic was banned for the pedestrian-friendly event that covered two blocks of downtown, and rides and attractions drew participants to the festive event. A DJ provided music and interactive activities and the day ended with festivalgoers watching the Thunder on the Mountain fireworks show on Red Mountain. Vestavia Hills celebrated the 40th annual I Love America Night on June 23 at Wald Park. Free swimming at the Vestavia Hills Aquatic Complex at Wald Park was available, along with children’s activities sponsored by the Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. Musical performances included The Three Bobs and a Pops in the Park concert by the Shades Mountain Baptist Church Orchestra. Sponsor booths were open and a fireworks show capped the evening. ❖
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Leah Lee and Emily Dennis
I LOVE AMERICA NIGHT
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Jameson, Ayden, Ally, Audrey and Brianne Prater
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Above, Tommy, Baker and Rachel Maurer Right, Mike and Crystal Montana
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REDMONT REVISITED
‘Worthy of Remembrance’ Book Details History of the Redmont Community
By Anne Ruisi
Journal photos by Maury Wald
T
he introduction to the history of Redmont, “Worthy of Remembrance,” by Cathy Criss Adams, notes, “Redmont was born of a convergence of visionary developers and talented designers confronting the challenge of constructing on a mountain at a moment in time when extravagance was acceptable and affluence a granted.” The grand homes in a variety of architectural styles that characterize Redmont are as stunning now as they were when built for the wealthy on the summit of Red Mountain, away from the stink and smog of the industrial powerhouse that was early 20th century Birmingham. Cooling breezes blew across In the living room (above) and dining room, of the Adams’ Redmont home the oak floors are original, with not one nail to be seen. The builders the mountaintop landscape to offer relief from used pegs to set the wood in place. Below, the large entryway and front foyer are topped with a quoin vaulted ceiling. searing summer temperatures. Adams, who lives on Aberdeen Road in a 1923 home built for industrialist Charles DeBardeleben and his wife, Margaret, said the area was first called Milner Heights, after the family that developed that side of Redmont. Later, after real estate businessman Robert Jemison Jr., who developed Mountain Brook, developed the rest of the area, he Historic Redmont Home Crowns Red Mountain christened it In the more than 100 Redmont, Adams years since Redmont’s By Anne Ruisi along the side said. of the house The area’s hisbeginnings, a number of athy Criss Adams and her facing downtoric importance notable people have lived was recognized husband, Tom, seemed town and redodestined to move into the ing the master when The Redmont there. These include U.S. 1923 English Tudor house bath to make it Park Historic Supreme Court Justice nestled on the crest of Red larger and District was named Mountain when they were modern. to the National Hugo Black, who lived about to become empty “No one Register of Historic at 3325 Altamont Road nesters. wants 1923 Places. A marker It was 1997, and their son was a senior in plumbing,” she placed at Arlington in the 1920s and Paul college and their daughter a senior in high said. and “Bear” Bryant, who lived Avenue school. So why move into a 10-room house Adams’ Aberdeen Road for a time with his in-laws notes it’s the state’s when their children would soon be moving on home was built with their own lives? in 1923 by second-oldest garat 2615 Aberdeen Road. “We lived nine-tenths of a mile away and it Charles and den-landscaped was on my husband’s jogging route,” so he saw Margaret residential area. it every time he went out to run, Cathy Criss DeBardeleben when the area The historic district extends into a section of Adams said. was called Milner Heights, after Redmont that spills into Mountain Brook. Then, when they were cleaning out her the family that developed that The marker says Redmont was developed mother-in-law’s house they found a photo of the side of Redmont. from 1911 to 1935 by Jemison, Hill Ferguson Aberdeen Road house, which her husband recIndustrialist Charles and Henry Key Milner using landscape archiognized, with no idea why she had the picture. DeBardeleben was the son of tects C.W. Leavitt of New York City, George H. The couple like English-style architecture and Henry F. DeBardeleben, the Miller of Boston, Birmingham landscape archidecided to buy it. early Birmingham coal magnate tect William H. Kessler and engineer John Members of the DeBardeleben family had and pioneer industrialist. He was Glander. lived in the house for 70 years; there was only himself a prominent businessThe district contains “Alabama’s finest colone other owner, who made renovations to the from a phone booth in Cornwall, England,” man and served on the boards of a number of lection of residential architecture of that era and kitchen. So the house was going to need some when they were on vacation, Adams said. local companies. The two-story home he built includes the state’s best examples of the domesupdating. Renovations since they bought the house cost $76,000 at the time, which in today’s tic use of Tudor, Spanish Revival, Classical See ADAMS, page 21 See WORTHY, page 22 “We did the contract for the renovations included adding an outside terrace that runs
Original Charm
C
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
From page 20
money is equal to about $1.3 million. Prominent architectural firm Warren, Knight and Davis designed the house, which was one of the first three developed on the mountain’s crest. The firm later went on to design many of the structures built at Auburn University from the 1920s through the 1940s. While the house has four fireplaces designed to keep the early 20th century owners warm in the winter, it was constructed before the advent of air conditioning, so it was built above the city, not for the view, but to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and breezes Red Mountain offered. “In those days there was smog” hovering over Birmingham with factories spewing out pollution, Adams said. “Mrs. DeBardeleben had it built facing east. She didn’t want to look out (at) the dirty city.” In fact, the house was built “one room thick” to take advantage of the cooling breezes flowing over the top of Red Mountain, Adams said. The windows and French doors helped circulate that cooler air, which is about 10 degrees less than in the bowl-like valley that downtown and Southside sit in. Those same breezes helped keep the smog and air pollution off the mountain top.
Mostly Original Construction
The exquisite craftsmanship of the
era is expressed in the quality of construction, from the layout of the house to the fine details in every room. With the exception of the kitchen and the master bath, the house is as it was originally built. The large entryway and front foyer are topped with a quoin vaulted ceiling. The slender, crisscross dark seams on the ceiling look like polished wood but actually are painted plaster. Iron sconces on the walls designed for the house were made in England. Morning light streams into the sunroom, with a large Palladian window anchoring one end of the bright, pleasant space. The slate floor gleams and the dark gold walls have a lumpy
texture due to thumbprint plaster work. Adams explained this is original plaster work, made when the plasterer created the texture using his thumbs. A painting of their son, Jeff, when he was in high school, hangs opposite the Palladian window.
Journal photo by Maury Wald
ADAMS
Thursday, July 14, 2022 • 21
HOME
A Frank Flemming piece in the kitchen is special to Cathy Adams. The artist created it for Adams shortly before his passing and left instructions that it be given to her.
In the living room and dining room, the oak floors are original, with not one nail to be seen. The builders used pegs to set the wood in place. The couple’s love of English architecture is most recognizable in
See ADAMS, page 23
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HOME
WORTHY From page 20
Revival, English Cottage, Dutch
Revival, Chateauesque, and Renaissance Revival,” the marker states. In the more than 100 years since Redmont’s beginnings, a number of
notable people have lived there. These include U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, who lived at 3325 Altamont Road in the 1920s; Paul “Bear” Bryant, who lived for a
Journal photo by Maury Wald
ENTIRE MONTH OF JULY
Redmont was developed from 1911 to 1935 by Robert Jemison Jr., Hill Ferguson and Henry Key Milner using landscape architects C.W. Leavitt of New York City, George H. Miller of Boston, Birmingham landscape architect William H. Kessler and engineer John Glander.
time with his in-laws at 2615 Aberdeen Road; industrialist James McWane at 2845 Stratford Road; and Dr. Lloyd Noland at 3240 Sterling Road. Noland was a giant of early 20th century Birmingham sanitation, who went on to found the former Fairfield hospital that bore his name.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
ADAMS From page 21
the sunken living room, which is reached via a few polished wood stairs. The beamed ceiling, built-in bookcases, dark oak paneling below the chair rail and soft neutrals that color the ceiling and walls evoke a Tudor great hall. Personal touches, such as a painting of the Adams’ daughter, Jenny, in the living room, family photos and floral arrangements make the statement that this is a comfortable home. A bronze chandelier and a mirror, both from France, quickly catch the eye in the formal, Adam-style dining room, where a long, polished dining table sits on a dark blue and red oriental carpet. A dark oriental carpet lines the living room floor, too, a color tone the Adamses were advised to choose before they moved in since they have dogs. “I was told the rugs needed to be
Thursday, July 14, 2022 • 23
HOME was built before closets were a regular feature in homes, so the wardrobes were added. Originally, the home’s second floor had only one bedroom, so the last owner added extra bedrooms, creating new spaces that are now a bedroom, sitting room and a playroom for when the grandchildren come to visit.
Community Pride
Adams is thoroughly versed in the history of the community. She spent two years documenting the houses in Redmont, a community that sprawls across the top of Red Mountain from its edge in Birmingham southward into Mountain Brook. In her book, “Worthy of Remembrance,” which is a history of
the neighborhood and a street-bystreet look at its houses, she notes that the Redmont Park Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. The district primarily covers the streets developed by the Milner family and Robert Jemison. The Adams’ home is a house that has always been loved, in a neighborhood with a strong sense of communi-
ty and camaraderie, Adams said. Twice a year, for example, a Redmont neighborhood street party has been held, most recently in early June. The potluck gathering drew 180 people from 8 months to those in their 80s. “From Day One, it’s always been a great neighborhood, with parties, Christmas caroling,” Adams said. “We look out for each other.”
“every home is unique because every client is unique.”
‘From Day One, it’s always been a great neighborhood, with parties, Christmas caroling. We look out for each other.’ dark colors. There is a lot of red mud with iron ore on top of the mountain and it was not good for dogs tracking it in,” she said. Girandoles originally owned by the DeBardeleben family and given to the Adamses stand in two windows in the dining room. Angular crystals on the ornate candelabras catch light and the colors of the spectrum are revealed on the edges of the cut glass. DeBardeleben family members also gave the couple an album of photos of the house taken for a 1925 article on it in Country Living. The kitchen is light and airy and was renovated in 1996, the year before the couple bought the house. That owner modernized the room, including removing the big, triple cast iron sink. Modern white cabinets offer plenty of storage and the cabinet doors above the countertops are glass-fronted. A large island with a built-in wine rack on one end dominates the room, and French doors lead to the terrace, where the Adamses can dine while enjoying a panoramic view of Southside and downtown Birmingham. A portrait of Tom Adams’ greatgrandmother, Lizzie Manly, a Mobile native who lived in Birmingham from 1891 until her death in 1919, hangs in the long hallway, which is curved and helps create a boomerang shape to the house, while hall windows allow glimpses of a beautiful, courtyardlike garden. The master bedroom is spacious and comfortable, with two large wardrobes for storage. The house
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The One That Didn’t Get Away Automatic Seafood’s Adam Evans Reels in James Beard Award
Photo by Caleb Chauncey
Adam Evans
By Donna Cornelius
E
arly in his cooking career, chef Adam Evans learned about the James Beard Awards and hoped that one day he’d “get on a list” for consideration for the honor, one of the food industry’s most prestigious prizes. Evans did just that in 2020. His Birmingham restaurant, Automatic Seafood & Oysters, first made the long list of semifinalists and then the short list of finalists for a Best New Restaurant Beard award. But the awards weren’t presented because the program took a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other concerns. “We had planned to go to the ceremony, so we were really disappointed,” Evans said. This year, the awards returned, and the winners were announced June 13 in a glittering ceremony at Chicago’s Lyric Opera. And Evans, accompanied at the event by his wife, Suzanne Humphries Evans, heard his name announced as Best Chef: South. “I think I just sat there for about 30 seconds,” Evans said. “A guy sitting close to us said, ‘Oh my God, is that you? You’d better get up there.’” The chef said he doesn’t really remember what he said in his acceptance speech. But a video shows that his first word succinctly expressed his feelings: “Wow!” Evans’ food journey began in Muscle Shoals, where he grew up. “From a very young age, I cooked with my mom,” he said. “I had two brothers, and we all had chores. I always wanted to cook; I hated washing dishes.” In addition to his vivid memories of watching his mother cook, his grandfather’s garden made a lasting impression. “I got to see the whole process, from planting to cooking,” he said. Evans graduated from Auburn University with a psychology major but worked summers at Point Clear’s Grand Hotel. “I gained the skills to be able to move to New Orleans and cook there,” he said. In NOLA, Evans worked at Ralph and Cindy Brennan’s French Quarter restaurant, Bacco, and
other eateries. He landed a job in New York City at Tom Colicchio’s flagship restaurant, Craft, in 2004. “I worked for Tom for about seven years,” Evans said. “I learned a lot from him about cooking and running a restaurant.” Their association also led to Evans’ appearance on a guest panel in an episode of “Top Chef: Boston,” the Bravo TV show that stars Colicchio as its lead judge. “Tom had the opportunity to open Craft Atlanta and asked if I’d like to be the chef there, knowing I was from the South,” Evans said. “I took that job in 2010.” He later worked for Craft’s Los Angeles restaurant and then returned to Atlanta in 2012 to open The Optimist with Ford Fry. Atlanta Journal-Constitution food critic John Kessler wrote about the award-winning restaurant: “Ford Fry and chef Adam Evans got the tone exactly right for their Westside seafood restaurant. ... This is the best kind of restaurant – one that keeps getting better.” Evans opened Atlanta’s Brezza Cucina with another well-known chef, Jonathan Waxman, in 2015. “Jonathan is quite a character and a very intelligent chef,” Evans said.
Coming Home
Evans decided in 2017 that it was time to go home to Alabama. “We started looking for a spot in Birmingham,” he said. “It was the right time and the right place.” When he took a look at a building in Birmingham’s Lakeview neighborhood, he knew he’d found the location he was looking for. “I saw it before my wife, and I told her, this is it,” he said. “We fell in love with it.” Suzanne Evans is the restaurant’s co-owner and was its project designer, transforming the former home of Automatic Sprinkler Corp. into a welcoming, attractive space. Automatic Seafood & Oysters opened its doors in 2019, immediately making a splash not just in Birmingham but nationwide. It was named one of Esquire magazine’s and Thrillist’s Best New Restaurants in America.
Fresh Local Ingredients and Proper Technique
“One thing that defines our restaurant is using the whole fish,” Evans said. “There’s a lot of waste in the seafood world, a lot of fish parts that could be used but often aren’t. We don’t buy fish filets. We made a commitment early on to use as much of the fish as possible.” Automatic’s fish collar, for example, isn’t a cut that’s typically found on many seafood menus, but it’s one of Evans’ most notable and tasty dishes. Evans emphasizes top-quality ingredients and simple but vital cooking techniques. One preparation he likes is roasting “the freshest fish we have, such as snapper, grouper, triggerfish – nice flaky white fish – in a pan with olive oil and basting it with butter and thyme. It’s the technique of properly roasting it that makes the difference, of doing the little things right.” He’s an ardent supporter of Southern oyster farms and the Oyster South coalition, a nonprofit organization that connects communities and provides resources to foster the success of oyster farming in the southern United States. “I’m really proud of Southern oysters and how they taste,” Evans said. “We always have one East Coast oyster on our menu, and then the rest are Southern oysters.” The chef plans to use his voice as a James Beard Award winner to hopefully change people’s thinking about seafood and how it’s harvested. “I have a stronger platform now to look at how we consumers buy seafood from the Gulf of Mexico,” Evans said. “I want to do something bigger than just cook the food.” He’s a proponent of spear fishing, which he thinks is a harvesting method superior to hookand-line and net fishing. “It’s more humane and results in better quality,” Evans said. “Spear fishing is a common practice in Japan, where they have such highquality sushi. With the right practices, we can sell sushi-quality fish out of the Gulf of Mexico.”
Birmingham’s Food Legacy
Evans is the latest addition to an impressive roster of Birmingham restaurants and chefs recognized with Beard awards. Highlands Bar and Grill was named Best Restaurant in America in 2018. Highlands’ Frank Stitt and Dolester Miles and Hot and Hot Fish Club’s Chris Hastings also have won, as has the Bright Star in Bessemer. This year, Timothy Hontzas of Johnny’s Restaurant in Homewood was one of the five finalists for Best Chef: South. There was another Birmingham connection of sorts at the awards ceremony. Evans heard his name announced as the winner by chef Kwame Onwuachi, who early in his now-skyrocketing career was the featured chef at a Dinner Lab event in the Magic City in 2015. In his acceptance speech, Evans gave shoutouts to Colicchio, Waxman and others who have helped him along his culinary path: his family, including Suzanne and their son, Hank; the team at Automatic Seafood & Oysters; and to Birmingham for its support. “It was pretty unreal just to be nominated,” Evans said. “I’ll be excited about this for a long time.”
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
FOODIE NEWS
Hey Bartender!
Magic City Cocktail Challenge Set as Fundraiser for American Cancer Society The area’s best mixologists will compete for Best Cocktail in Birmingham on July 27 at the Magic City Cocktail Challenge, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The event, at The Fennec in Birmingham, features guests sampling signature drinks created by participating bartenders and voting on their favorites, according to an American Cancer Society news release. The top vote-getter in the interactive cocktail competition is awarded Best Cocktail in Birmingham.
Courtesy
FOOD
24 • Thursday, July 14, 2022
There will be live entertainment and activities, and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Participating mixologists and their establishments are Carla Irene, Helen; Quinton ChandlerGreen, The Kelly Hotel; Joe Phelps, Pilcrow Cocktail Cellar; Ryan Abrams, Paper Doll Bar; Jo Bennett, Marty’s PM; Dylan Lunsford, Galley and Garden; Rickey Slayton, Parkside on 5th; Neill Crook, Mayawell and Jess Welling, The Margaret Bar. The 2022 Shaker Honorees are Weathers Rollings, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz, PC; Reid Woodson, Arbour Valley Communities; Callie Waldrop, The Welch Group, LLC; John Russell Penick, UAB; Carlee Dawkins, Carlee & Co; Mary Harmon Muir-Taylor, Ray and Poynor Properties; Kyle Crew, Ironvest Partners; Emily Criswell, Southern Veterinary Partners; Kailee Hawkins, Alabama Oncology; Aubrey Bennett, Carver High School and Natalie Gravois, Meredith Corporation. The cancer society’s Central Alabama junior executive board, formed by Birmingham’s young business community to raise awareness and funds in the fight against cancer, is presenting the event. Money raised is used to fulfill the American Cancer Society’s mission to support local cancer education, advocacy, research and patient services. For more information, go to acsbirm. ejoinme.org/magiccitycocktailchallenge.
Take a Break, Dine Out
Hoover Restaurant Week Celebrates World Games The 2nd Annual Hoover Restaurant Week is underway through July 17, with more than 30 participating eateries. This year’s restaurant week celebrates The
See FOODIE, page 25
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Thursday, July 14, 2022 • 25
FOOD
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
GOOD FOOD, GOOD CAUSE
Ann Hardin and Wes, Alexandria, Grayson, Dana and Linn Lower Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church held its annual 4th of July Festival on its Homewood campus. The annual event featuring barbecue, a rummage sale and family-friendly activities is a popular draw in the community. Half of the funds raised are set to support OLS Catholic School and the rest for charity work under the auspices of the Knights of Columbus Council #4304, said Clark Tucker, festival chairman.
Melissa Starr and Julie Marix
Jesus Gutierrez, Warren Kyle, Clark Tucker, John Hardin, John Tighe and Chris Ragusa
FOODIE From page 24
World Games in Birmingham. More than 200,000 spectators are expected in the Birmingham area during the event and almost 20,000 are expected to visit Hoover to watch the international softball games at the Hoover Met, said Toni-Herrera Bast, president and CEO of the Hoover Area Chamber of
Commerce. Participating restaurants will offer restaurant week specials, such as prix fixe meals and discounts. Among the restaurants this year are Silver Coin, Clean Eatz, Casual Pint, Moe’s Original BBQ, Whole Scoop, Jake’s Soul Food, Saw’s BBQ and Teriyaki Madness. Last year, 35 restaurants participated and raised more than $3,000 for the local charity Hoover Helps, Herrera-Bast said.
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Bring on the Competition
Mountain Brook Croquet Club Inaugural Golf Croquet Event a ‘Huge Success’ By Rubin E. Grant
courtesy
Todd Russell didn’t win it, but he still considered the first United States Croquet Association-sanctioned tournament hosted by the Mountain Brook Croquet Club a total triumph. The Mountain Brook Croquet Club hosted its inaugural Golf Croquet event June 10-12. Arthur Bagby, the Alabama director of the U.S. Croquet Association, created the club, which features a full-size lawn adjacent to the back side of the Bagby home. During the three-day event, seven Mountain Brook croquet club members competed with visiting players from Georgia and Tennessee. Russell was among the players representing the MBCC. Also among the group were Michael Seale, Matthew Jackson, Robert Schoel, Lee Yeilding, Miller Connaway and Tom Shelton. Ying Benns traveled from Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, to complete and became the MBCC’s newest member. Jimmy Huff and Kent Lovvorn represented the Carroll County Croquet Club, based in Carrollton, Georgia. Huff and Lovvorn are seasoned
veterans on the croquet tournament scene and have participated in multiple Golf Croquet National Championships. Huff is currently ranked 26th nationally, and Lovvorn is reigning Southeast Regional Champ and ranked 23rd nationally. “I think it was a huge success overall,” Russell said. “Everyone had a great time and it was a diverse group that competed. We had two or three members from our club who moved up in the national rankings. Matthew Jackson came in unranked and was ranked 49th afterward. Seale and Yielding also moved up.” Russell reached the semifinals against Jackson, a lifelong friend, in a match that determined the MBCC club champion. Jackson won decisively, 7-5, 4-7, 7-5. “Yeah, he knocked me out,” Russell said. “We’ve been friends since the second or third grade, and we’re friendly competitors.” Jackson lost a tight match to Lovvorn in the final on a Sunday afternoon with the temperature hitting the mid-90s and high humidity. In game one, Jackson scored the first two hoops and held on for a 7-6 victory. Game two went to Lovvorn,
who fought back for a 7-4 win. Lovvorn prevailed 7-5 in the decisive third game to win the tournament title. Lovvorn had reached the final with a 7-4, 4-7, 7-5 victory against Huff in the semifinals. The event began with block play, during which players were divided into two separate blocks for a round robin competition. On the second day, block play completed, and the semifinals and Cup brackets were seeded, with Lovvorn, Russell, Jackson and Huff moving on to the semifinals. Later in the day, the remaining six competitors battled it out for the Cup championship. In the end, Schoel battled club stalwart Yeilding for the Cup, with Yielding sneaking by with a 7-6 victory. The Mountain Brook Croquet Club holds games most Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. “We’re planning to hold another sanctioned event in the fall,” Russell said. For more information or to join the Mountain Brook Croquet Club, contact Bagby at arthurbagby@gmail. com.
From page 28
Gatorade’s awards program, which recognizes state award winners in 12 sports, is in its 37th year. Heaps is the fourth Gatorade Alabama Boys Soccer Player of the Year from Mountain Brook, joining Charles Wood (2002-03), Austin McKee (2004-05), Nathan Diel (2009-10 and 2010-11). Smith is the second girls honoree from Mountain Brook, joining Leigh Haynes (2014-2015).
The Product of Soccer Families
Both Heaps and Smith come from soccer families. Heaps’ father, Jay, earned the 1994-
A Shot Over the Lake Young Mountain Brook Golfer Left in Disbelief After Making an Ace
By Rubin E. Grant Ryan Pugh has been playing competitive golf for only three years, but he can already check one thing off his lists of pursuits. The 13-year-old youngster sank a hole-in-one on the Par 4 16th hole on June 13 at the RTJ Grand National Lake Course in Auburn during the first round of the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour Grand National Junior Classic. Pugh astounded himself, his playing partners, his dad, other golfers and spectators with his feat. The pin was 350 yards from the tee, but the fairway doglegs around a lake. Going over the lake cuts the distance to 250 yards. Pugh decided to go for the green from the tee. “I did it in practice so I was confident I could get it over the lake,” Pugh said. Pugh grabbed a 3 wood and let his tee shot fly. “I heard it hit the pin, but I wasn’t sure it went in the hole,” Pugh said.
‘They were talking smack before my tee shot, saying I couldn’t hit it over the lake.’ “Then we heard people screaming and yelling.” “We couldn’t see it,” said Mark Pugh, Ryan’s dad, who introduced him to the game. “Then people started going nuts. We were yelling, ‘What happened, what happened.’ And they said it went in the hole.” Ryan Pugh’s immediate reaction? “I couldn’t believe it,” he said. Pugh’s playing partners Parker Trawick and Camden Yager also were in disbelief. “They were talking smack before my tee shot, saying I couldn’t hit it over the lake,” Pugh said. “They were amazed.” Pugh tried to hide his exhilaration. “I just ran up to the green and picked it out of the hole.” But then he had to regain his composure to finish the round. “Thankfully,
The Mountain Brook Croquet Club hosted its inaugural Golf Croquet event June 10-12.
GATORADE
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
1995 Gatorade award for Massachusetts, played collegiately at Duke and played professionally. He is now president and general manager of the Birmingham Legion FC USL club. Smith’s dad, Houston, played at Mountain Brook, where his number was retired after his senior year, and her mother, Stephanie, played at Grissom in Huntsville. Both also played collegiately at UAB, and that’s where they met. Both players also have brothers named Jude who play for Mountain Brook. The younger brothers will have to grow to match their older siblings’ accomplishments on the soccer field. “Jack Heaps is a very lethal attacking midfielder,” Homewood coach Julian Kersh said.
“He doesn’t look physically imposing, but he’s extremely athletic and his vertical lets him get headers over taller players. His leftfooted strike is just as powerful as his right, and he’s not afraid to put in a crunching tackle if he needs to.” “Isabel Smith is a tremendous person and leader and one of the best players this state has ever seen,” Hoover coach Will Partridge said. “Any time the ball touches her foot, you almost stop in your tracks in awe of what she could do with it.”
College-Bound
Smith will play in college at Indiana University. She reported to campus last week to begin training for the fall season.
courtesy
26 • Thursday, July 14, 2022
Ryan Pugh sank a hole-in-one on the Par 4 16th hole on June 13 at the RTJ Grand National Lake Course in Auburn during the first round of the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour Grand National Junior Classic.
I had only a couple more holes to play,” he said. Pugh, who will be an eighth-grader at Mountain Brook Junior High School in the fall, finished the two-day tournament in second place, shooting a 77 on the first day and a 2-under par 70 on the second day. Pugh trains with Jordan Dempsey at TPC Sawgrass Performance Center. He has been a member of the SJGT since last year. “We are extremely fortunate to have young players like Ryan and other junior golfers compete on our tour,” said Todd Thompson, president of the SJGT and tournament director of the RSM Classic, an official PGA Tour event held at Sea Island Golf Resort in southeast Georgia. “Our mission is to give junior golfers a chance to play competitive golf while building their resume for a potential collegiate golf career. I join our partners Mizuno and Onward Reserve in congratulating Ryan on this most spectacular accomplishment.” In the spring, Pugh won the firstever Bobby Plummer Cup as low medalist during the Metro Tournament, helping Mountain Brook to a secondplace finish. He and teammate Denton Brooks were named to the All-Metro team. Pugh will be competing in another SJGT event this week.
“I hope to get on the field as much as I can during the season,” Smith said. “I talked to the coach (Erwin van Bennekom) and he said nothing is guaranteed, that he’ll see how I perform.” Jack Heaps, who still has senior year remaining for the Spartans, recently committed to Georgetown. “I met the coaching staff and formed a great relationship with them,” Heaps said. “They have a top-five soccer program, plus I value a degree from Georgetown.” Next week Heaps will play in the AHSAA North-South All-Star soccer game in Montgomery. “I’m looking forward to it,” Heaps said. “It’s going to be cool to be on the same team with players I played against during the season.”
COUSINS
Rainer and Stephens grandfather Alvin Bresler, right, and his brother Milton, who both ran track for Auburn, had a similar photo-finish in the spring of 1971 in a meet against Georgia.
From page 28
Fully Committed
Rainer and Stephens didn’t fully commit to track until they reached high school. “In middle school, I did basketball and track,” Rainer said. “Once we got to high school, we started to take track more seriously. We competed against
On to College
Photo courtesy Kelly Rainer
the spring of 1971 in a meet against Georgia. “I actually beat Milton by 1/100th of a second, but the officials scored the race a tie, which is what we wanted,” Bresler recalled. Rainer’s and Stephens’ rich family track tradition extends beyond their granddad. Rainer’s mother is Kelly Bresler Rainer, who was a track star at Vestavia Hills when she was in high school and ran track at Auburn. Stephens’ mother, Tracy, is Alvin Bresler’s oldest daughter, but she wasn’t into track. His introduction to track actually started because of his older sister Margaret James Stephens, who was a hurdler at Vestavia Hills. Watching his sister persuaded Stephens to get involved in the family sport. “Since she did hurdles and my grandfather and aunt ran, I figured I might as well run, too,” Stephens said. “I started out in hurdles, but I wasn’t good at it, so the spring of my sophomore year I started running the 400 and 200.”
Thursday, July 14, 2022 • 27
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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
each other in practice and pushed each other to get better.” Kelly Rainer, who now coaches hurdles at Vestavia Hills, was thrilled to see both of them compete for the Rebels. “They were such a joy to watch,” Kelly Rainer said. “I would pinch myself to remind me how truly special it was to be a mama out on the track when your son trained and raced. Truly one of my greatest joys.” In addition to the 200 and 400, Matthew Rainer competed as a decathlete during his junior and senior seasons with strikingly difference results from one year to the next. “I competed last year and I didn’t do too well,” Rainer said. “I grew a lot in the last year. I had more experience, and in my training I got stronger.” Rainer finished third this year with 5,619 points. Hewitt-Trussville’s Ethan
Womack was first with 6,490 points and McGill-Toolen’s Anthony Eager was second with 5,631 points. “I did way better than I expected,” Rainer said. “If I had finished in the top 15, I would have been very pleased. After the first day, I was third, and I was like, ‘Wow!’ The second day there was a lot of technique stuff and I thought I’d probably slip. But I did well in the 1,500 and then my parents told me I got third (overall) and I was very happy.” During the 2022 state indoor meet, Stephens and Rainer were part of the Rebels’ 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams that claimed gold. In the state outdoor meet, Stephens finished second in the 200 (21.21) and Rainer was fourth (22.10). “They were both very consistent and strong runners,” retiring Vestavia Hills track coach Brett Huber said.
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This summer, the cousins have been training together to get ready for college. Both are headed to Auburn with Stephens on a partial scholarship and Rainer likely a preferred walk-on. “Samford offered me a scholarship,” Rainer said. “Auburn actually wasn’t originally among the schools I was considering. But my mom emailed coach (Ralph) Spry and me and John went down on an unofficial
visit, although neither one of us had broken 50 seconds in the 400 at the time. They showed us around and made us feel at home. We fell in love with the team and the campus and it’s a dream come true that we’ll be going there.” Spry recently retired after 25 years at the helm of the Auburn track and field program. He was replaced by Leroy Burrell, a former Olympic gold medalist who spent the previous 23 years as head coach at his alma mater, the University of Houston. Despite the change in coaches, Stephens is eager to attend Auburn. “Since my aunt and grandparents both went there, it’s the only place I wanted to be,” Stephens said.
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Mountain Brook Croquet Club inaugural golf croquet event a ‘huge success’ Page 26
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Young Mountain Brook golfer left in disbelief after making an ace Page 26
Thursday, July 14, 2022 ❖ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Close Connection Vestavia Hills Cousins Share Bond On and Off the Track
C Journal photos by Marvin Gentry
By Rubin E. Grant
Mountain Brook High School soccer players Jack Heaps and Isabel “Izzy” Smith were named the 2021-2022 Gatorade Player of the Year for boys and girls soccer in Alabama.
‘COOL’ ACHIEVEMENT
ousins John Stephens and Matthew Rainer are so close it would take something like a photo-finish to separate them. And that’s exactly what happened earlier this year during the Alabama High School Athletic Association state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex. The two just-graduated Vestavia Hills track athletes competed against each other in the 400meter dash. Stephens clipped the tape first to claim the gold in 49.42 seconds, edging Rainer, who crossed just 1/100th of a second later at 49.52. They went head-to-head again in the 400 in the state outdoor meet in May, but it wasn’t nearly as close. Stephens prevailed again, winning with a time of 48.55 seconds. Rainer was fifth, clocking 48.97. Their bond isn’t limited to the track. Both will turn 19 in August with their birthdays only 18 days apart. Rainer is the “older” of the two. “We’re very close, especially since we ran track for the same school,” Stephens said. “We do a lot of stuff with our grandparents so we see each other all the time.” Their grandfather is Alvin Bresler, who coached Homewood to its first state football championship in 1974 and was head coach at Vestavia Hills during the 1977 season. Bresler and his brother Milton, who both ran track for Auburn, had a similar photo-finish in
See COUSINS, page 27
By Rubin E. Grant
M
ountain Brook soccer players Isabel “Izzy” Smith and Jack Heaps trained together often before and after school in the spring. “It was super fun to get together to train,” Smith said. “Jack is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around.” The two challenged each other to see who would score the most goals during the 2022 season. Heaps, a 5-foot-9 junior midfielder, won the challenge. He finished with a school-record 33 goals and five assists to help the Mountain Brook boys win the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 6A state championship with a 25-2-2 record. It was the first title in school history. Smith, a 5-7 senior midfielder, scored 31 goals and had 13 assists, leading the Spartans girls to a 13-5-1 record and to the Class 6A quarterfinals.
The friendly duo were rewarded for their performances by being named the 2021-2022 Gatorade Player of the Year for boys and girls soccer in Alabama. It’s the first time in state his-
‘I am very happy for both of us. It’s an amazing achievement because it takes in not only what you do athletically, but also what you do academically and your community involvement.’ ISABEL “IZZY” SMITH
tory that both soccer award winners have been from the same school in the same year. “That’s really cool,” Heaps said. “Me and Izzy are very close. We push each other to get
better. I think it’s awesome we both received the Gatorade award.” The award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence and high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field. “I am very happy for both of us,” Smith said. “It’s an amazing achievement because it takes in not only what you do athletically, but also what you do academically and your community involvement.” Heaps is a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society and the Mu Alpha Theta math honor society. He has volunteered on behalf of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. The rising senior has maintained a weighted 4.32 GPA. Smith has volunteered locally on behalf of a food bank, a homeless shelter, youth soccer programs and the Night to Shine prom experience for special needs students. She maintained an A average in the classroom. See GATORADE, page 26
Photo courtesy Kelly Rainer
Mountain Brook’s Heaps, Smith Receive Gatorade Soccer Award
Cousins John Stephens and Matthew Rainer competed against each other in the 400-meter dash. Stephens clipped the tape first to claim the gold in 49.42 seconds, edging Rainer, who crossed just 1/100th of a second later at 49.52.
