May 16, 2013 Issue

The Suburban Newspaper for Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Hoover and North Shelby County

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

JOU RNAL otmj.com

th

ursd ay, may 16, 2013

V ol . 22 #10

inside

OTM libraries get ready for summer reading

about town page 4

A Soldier’s Story Bucket list: Doctor runs in five major marathons

life page 16

Dapper Derby party raises money for dancers

social page 18

Bob Arnwine holds a photo of himself and Vernon Pendergrass in Vietnam taken just weeks before Pendergrass was killed serving in the U.S. Marine Corps on March 4, 1968.

Bob Arnwine Remembers Fallen Friend on Memorial Day—and Every Day Story by Keysha Drexel • Photos by Lee Walls Jr.

W

hen Bob Arnwine celebrated his 65th birthday on May 9, the former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant said the day had special meaning because of the person who could not be there to blow out the candles with him.

And it is not just on the birthday he shared with Pfc. Vernon Pendergrass that brings the image of the courageous young Marine back to Arnwine’s mind, the Hoover man said.

“It’s not just the birthday we shared or times like Memorial Day that we’re coming up on that bring him to mind. I never

hear the national anthem without a chill going up and down my spine, and not a day goes by when I don’t think of Vernon,” he said.

Arnwine and Pendergrass served in Vietnam together for about eight months before Pendergrass was killed in a firefight near the demilitarized zone, or DMZ, in North Vietnam. Arnwine tells his friend’s story in a DVD called “Identifying Courage: The Stories of Alabama Veterans” by the Alabama Veterans Memorial Foundation.

The foundation is a nonprofit organiSee fallen friend, page 29

Memorial Day Remembrance Program May 26, 3 p.m.

Alabama Veterans Memorial Park The 2013 Memorial Day Remembrance Program presented by the Vulcan District Boy Scouts in partnership with the Alabama Veterans Memorial Foundation will be May 26 at 3 p.m. The Alabama Veterans Memorial Foundation will recognize and salute 42 veterans who have been honored this spring by their families, colleagues or friends with an engraved StepStone paver. The StepStones will be installed beneath the American flag in the Flag Plaza. For more information, visit www.alabamaveterans.org, call 912-2019 or email avstepstone@gmail.com.

Vestavia High fourth in national contest

school page 34

Summer Fashions•Fashion forward art teacher•Sunset Fashion Show in Homewood

fashion page 25

Sue murphy on good dog/bad dog P. 2 • Ballet guild to present ball of roses p. 12 • Oak mtn grad wins air force service award p .14

2 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

Opinion/Contents

a Night of Hope

murphy’s law

Good Dog/Bad Dog

I The planning committee for the 2013 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s A Night of Hope Gala were, from left: Lynn LaRussa, Pam Pritchard, Margaret Head, Shannon Smith and Susan Silverstein. Photo special to The Journal

In our May 2 story on the JDRF’s annual A Night of Hope Gala, the last name of Pam Pritchard, who was instrumental in planning the event, was incorrectly printed as Strickland.

On otmj.com Find more photos from the best parties in town and submit your news and event announcements online.

Coming May 30

We’ll talk to a new UAB grad from Mountain Brook who is using her design skills to launch a fresh family business and get a look inside the vacation homes of OTM residents.

in this issue About Town 4 News 10 people 12 Life 16 Social 18

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

likely that they will chew up the couch heard this quote in two different cushions or bite the head off the snailteledramas lately, so I took it paced checker at the Shop-a-Lot. as a cosmic nudge. Never doubt I don’t want to put my dogs in a the wisdom of primetime TV. position where the easiest thing to do “There are two dogs fighting inside is the wrong one, or they might end up of you, one good and one bad. Who as social dog park pariahs or inmates in will win? The one that you feed the some lockdown doggie detention facilmost.” ity. That would be disastrous, especially Dogs should never fight, and in because the other dogs would rag at the my world, every dog gets fed, but I offender for the rest of our collective understand the good/bad feeding anallives. What were you thinking? ogy. Garbage in, garbage out. You can’t I don’t want to go there. I don’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. have to. I have the leash…or so they (Forget that one. What’s up with all this tell me. Sometimes I wish I didn’t, and animal violence wisdom?) But, good I’m not alone. The other day, a friend dogs? Bad dogs?

Sue Murphy looked plaintively at me and sighed, “I Just like Cesar Millan the Dog don’t want to be a grownup today.” I Whisperer, I think all dogs are good. hear ya, sister. Grownup is a tiresome Their owners are the ones who are All the dogs are good job, but look around you. Do you see messed up, who through abuse or neglect or pure laziness let their dogs dogs. They may just anybody more qualified to lead your pack, anyone more committed to down. be tired or angry your well-being than you are? I don’t I try not to do that to my inner so, and if you do, sit yourself dogs. However, I think my psychic or sad. They might think right down because we need to talk. pack is a little more…well, packed need a little extra All the dogs are good dogs. They than most. There’s a change-themay just be tired or angry or sad. world dog and a dog that just wants TLC, an extra blan- They might need a little extra TLC, to chuck it all and move to Tahiti, an extra blanket, a chew toy, a little one dog that yearns to embrace the ket, a chew toy, a time at the dog park. That’s earth-mother-granola lifestyle and little more time at more okay. And know that every dog is another that loves microwave mac going to mess up from time to time. and cheese. I have a diligent dog, a the dog park.

You just have to get out the carpet lazy dog, a doggie who is kind and cleaner, make appropriate amends helpful and another who’s a passive and move on. aggressive genius. And there’s one We just have to hang in there and be the lead dog, dog, heaven help her, who always wants to be at Disney “we” being…oh, forget it. If we say yes to good things, World. no to bad, things will be easier in the long run. So, come But she can’t. None of them can have their way all on, Rover and Fido and Splotch (Spot’s untidy sister), we the time, so I have to step in and be the lead dog, “I” can do this. Pull together, gang, and there will be chocobeing…I’m not sure. There’s an ego/id dilemma for you. late chip biscuits at the end of the course for everyone!

Anyway, my job is to set rules and not confuse the poor Good dog. ❖ dears by feeding them things that will make it more

fashion 25 business 30 Weddings 32 schools 34 Sports 40

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

JOU RNAL

May 16, 2013

Publisher: Maury Wald Editor: Keysha Drexel Features Writer: Donna Cornelius Office Manager: Christy Wald Editorial Assistant: Stacie Galbraith Sports: Lee Davis Contributors: Susan Murphy, June Mathews, William C. Singleton III, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry, Lee Walls Jr., Bryan Bunch, Margaret Frymire Advertising Sales: Suzanne Wald, Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald Intern: Ivanna Ellis Vol. 22, No. 10

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 ads@otmj.com. Find us on the Web at otmj.com.

Copyright 2013 Over The Mountain Journal, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Journal is not responsible for return of photos, copy and other unsolicited materials submitted. To have materials returned, please specify when submitting and provide a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All materials submitted are subject to editorial review and may be edited or declined without notification.

over the Mountain Views

What are you most looking forward to this summer?

“I’m looking forward to fishing with my friends.

We fish all over, but my favorite place to go is Lay Lake.”

Matthew Bates Vestavia Hills

“I’m pretty excited about my lacrosse tournament this summer. It’s in Ohio.

My family and my friend, Joseph, are going on the trip, too. I’ve played lacrosse for about three or four years.”

Lucas Heslin Vestavia Hills

“I’m looking forward to going to the beach and to Disney World. I’m also excited about playing volleyball over the summer break.”

“I’m just looking forward to having fun, to partying on the beach. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m ready to party.”

Manon Burris Vestavia Hills

Will Hartsell Vestavia Hills

B:10.5 in

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

About Town T:10.25 in

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4 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Summer Reading Rundown OTM Libraries Get Ready to Dig Into Reading

By Keysha Drexel

O

Journal editor

ver the Mountain public libraries are getting ready to kick off their annual summer reading programs, and this year’s event offers activities that all ages will dig, organizers said.

This year’s summer reading program theme for 40 libraries in the Jefferson County Library Cooperative--which includes the public libraries in Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Hoover and North Shelby---is “Dig Into Reading.” Patrons are invited to log what they read over the summer and participate in several hands-on activities related to the theme.

Hoover

In the Over the Mountain area, the Hoover Public Library will be the first to kick off its summer reading program with an event called “Booklandia” on May 17. The library will also celebrate Children’s Book Week during the event.

From 7-9 p.m., the library’s children’s and teen’s departments will be transformed into scenes from beloved

books, said Wendy Geist, teen department librarian.

“They’ll get to meet characters from the Emerald City, from Narnia and Charlie’s Chocolate Factory and for teens, from the City of Bones,” Geist said.

The event will also include games, crafts and snacks, she said.

Children, teens and adults can register for the library’s summer reading program, which will include a presentation by Dinoman that features magic, mayhem and magnificent props to transport the audience back to the Mesozoic Era. There will also be life-sized games of Candyland and puppet shows.

For teens, the library will host the Zombie Ball in June where teens can come dressed as the undead to enjoy music, zombie games, food and more.

For details on the summer reading program at the Hoover Public Library, visit www.hooverlibrary.org or call 444-7800.

Mountain Brook

The Junior Women’s Committee of 100 will kick off the summer reading program at Mountain Brook’s Emmet O’Neal Library on May 19 from

2:30-5 p.m. with the Summer Reading Kickoff Carnival.

The annual Thomas Hughes Brinkley Memorial Fun Run will start the festivities at 2:30 p.m. with an outdoor carnival following from 3-5 p.m.

The carnival will feature games, craft booths, concessions and a train ride, said Carol Melton, head of the children’s department.

Librarians will be on hand to register children for the summer reading program. All summer reading programs and activities will begin on June 3.

The members of the Junior Women’s Committee of 100 help with the daily operations at the Emmet O’Neal Library and also plan and staff the annual summer reading program carnival by volunteering more than 200 hours.

This year’s carnival chairmen are Morgan Cook and Fluff Roberts.

Laura Canterbury is the fun run chairman, and Diana Browning is the group’s president.

The summer reading program at the library will include age-specific and family story times, two movieand-popcorn events each week and

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The Junior Women’s Committee of 100 is getting ready to kick off the summer reading program at the Emmet O’Neal Library. Front, from left: Abbotte Browning, Philip Cook, Braune Browning, Ava Canterbury and Sean Fredella.

Back: Patton Browning, Diana Browning, Morgan Cook, Fluff Roberts, Laura Canterbury and Annabel Canterbury. Photo special to The Journal

live music. There will also be theater performances, puppet shows, gaming days for rising third through sixthgraders and more.

“No matter what you dig, we have special things for you to take home from the library, because what fun is summer reading without prizes?”

Melton said.

The Emmet O’Neal Library will also this year have the Xtreme Summer Reading program for more advanced readers, Melton said.

For more information on the summer reading program at the Emmet O’Neal Library, visit www.eolib.org or call 879-0497.

Homewood

The Homewood Public Library will get its summer reading program started for the children’s department with a kickoff picnic at 6 p.m. on May 30.

The event will include hotdogs, chips, drinks, bounce houses, games and more, said Dona Smith, head of the children’s department.

Smith said if patrons register for the summer reading program before May 29, they will have their names entered into a drawing for two passes to the Tennessee Aquarium.

This year’s summer reading program will include presentations on environmental topics, Melton said, including a visit from the folks at Jones Valley Urban Farm and a canning class with the Auburn Extension Service.

“We’ll all be a little greener this summer,” Smith said. “By summer’s end, we hope you will grow to love reading and the library as much as a worm loves dirt.”

In June, there will be a visit from the Mobile Dairy Farm and a live milking demonstration and a program called Diggin’ Dinosaurs presented at the library by the McWane Science Center.

In July, the Homewood Fire Department will help summer reading program participants beat the summer heat by bringing out their hoses and hook ladders for a demonstration and possible dousing.

Smith said the summer reading program will once again receive support from Homewood businesses,

including Cahaba Cycle, which for the last nine years has donated bicycles as prize incentives.

And while summer reading program participants at the Homewood Public Library will get plenty of prizes for reading, Smith said that encouraging children and teens to read during the summer helps them in school.

“Also remember that children who use their public libraries in the summer are more likely to excel in school in the fall, and parents can always find something to do (at the library), too,” she said.

For more information on the summer reading program at the Homewood Public Library, visit www.homewoodpubliclibrary.org or call 332-6619.

North Shelby

On June 1, the North Shelby Library will hold a kickoff party to get a summer of fun started for children of all ages, said Cecilia Dean, youth department librarian.

The event will run from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the library and will feature inflatables, games, popcorn, drinks, face painting and more.

Almost every day of the week during the summer, the library will offer special programs, Dean said.

Mondays will be Toddler Tales and movie days, Tuesdays will be craft days, Wednesdays will include two story times with Mr. Mac and Thursdays will feature performances by magicians, jugglers, puppeteers and musicians, she said.

Registration for the summer reading program at the North Shelby Library begins May 20. A full summer reading calendar will be available at the end of the month, Dean said.

The library also offers a summer reading program for teens entering grades 6-12. Teen summer reading program events begin June 3.

The program encourages reading while providing educational and fun activities like cooking classes, car care demonstrations and a Wii tournament, Dean said.

Dean said she hopes the library has more summer reading program participants than ever this year

See Libraries, page 6

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 5

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

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6 • Thursday, May 16, 2013 Hoover

Harwell CD Release Party May 17, 7 p.m.

Moonlight on the Mountain James Harwell will have a release party of his latest CD, which includes songs he has written while battling cancer. The party starts at 7 p.m. on May 17. The event will be in Hoover’s Bluff Park community at Moonlight on the Mountain. For more information, visit www.moonlightonthemtn.com.

North Shelby

Tour de Cure May 18, 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

St. Vincent’s One Nineteen The Tour de Cure cycling event will

About Town start at 6:30 a.m. on May 18 in an effort to raise money for diabetes research, education and advocacy. The event to support the American Diabetes Association will be held at St. Vincent’s One Nineteen Health and Wellness, 7191 Cahaba Valley Road. Registration is $15. There is a $150 fundraising minimum. For more information, call 870-5172, ext. 3070.

Presented by the UAB Department of Pediatrics and Children’s of Alabama, the event will raise money to support the Center for Weight Management at Children’s of Alabama. Registration

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

is $25 and includes a race T-shirt and goody bag. A discount is available for Children’s of Alabama employees.

Online registration is open at www. springscramble.org. The deadline for

online registration is 8 p.m. on May 17.

On-site registration will begin at 7 a.m. on race day. For more information, email springscramble5k@gmail.com.

Holy Smokes!

Birmingham

When Pigs Fly! Kosher Barbecue Cook-off and Festival May 19, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Temple Beth-El Temple Beth-El Birmingham is holding the fourth annual When Pigs Fly! Kosher Barbecue Cook-off and Festival on May 19 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The event will feature 24 teams competing in several different categories with the food prepared under Kosher supervision. The event will include live music, children’s activities, a pickle-eating contest, a white elephant and estate sale and more. All proceeds will support Temple Beth-El Religious School and youth programs. The event will be at 2179 Highland Avenue. For more information, visit whenpigsflykosherbbq.com.

Homewood

Spring Scramble 5K May 18, 8 a.m.

Downtown Homewood The seventh annual Spring Scramble 5K and one-mile Fun Run will be May 18 at 8 a.m. in downtown Homewood.

Enjoying last year’s Kosher BBQ event at Temple Beth-El were, from left: Art Lewis, Gary Gordon and Vicki Lewis.

Libraries, from page 4

because not only is the program fun, it helps students retain reading skills they have learned.

“Children who do not participate in a summer reading program often exhibit signs of summer slide.

Summer slide happens when students lose some of the skills they learned in the school year over the summer,” she said. “Studies show that children who participate in summer reading programs have significantly increased academic achievement during the school year.”

There is also an adult program at the library that will include a performance by Dolores Hydock, Dean said.

Patrons can also participate in the North Shelby Library summer reading programs at its branch library in Mt Laurel, she said.

For more information on the summer reading program at the North Shelby Library, call 439-5504 or visit www.northshelbylibrary.org.

Vestavia Hills

The Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest kicks off its children’s summer reading program with the Dig Into Reading Explosion on June 2 from 2-4 p.m. at the library.

The event will include a performance by Dr. Magical Balloons, who will bring his unique brand of fantastical storytelling using balloon sculptures to those attending, said April Moon, children’s librarian.

“We’re really digging in at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest this year and we want everyone to come see why we are your first stop for summer fun,” Moon said.

Starshine Faces will be on hand for face painting, and the Egyptian Tomb Mystery activity will test young sleuths.

There will also be an excavation site where participants can pan for gold, real gemstones and minerals.

An ice cream truck will be at the celebration to offer treats for those signing up for the summer reading program. Summer reading program participants will also receive goody bags.

The kickoff event is just the beginning of a summer-long program with activities planned for specific ages, Moon said.

“Our big, all-age programs will be on Thursday mornings but we have lots of other activities planned for specific ages,” she said.

Those activities include outdoor

nature craft programs for those in grades 1-6, movies on Fridays and more.

The teen summer reading program will kick off with the Murder Mystery Masquerade on June 4 at 5:30 p.m.

Pizza will be served, and there will be door prizes.

For more information on the summer reading programs at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest, call 9780155 or visit vestavialibrary.org.

A complete list of summer reading activities for Jefferson County libraries is at www.jclc.org. ❖

OTM Libraries Offer Free Business Programs Most people go to the library to find good books. But several Over the Mountain libraries are offering programs for business-minded patrons.

In the coming weeks, the public libraries in Hoover, Mountain Brook and Homewood have programs planned that are aimed at helping patrons promote their businesses, manage their personal finances and research consumer markets.

On May 16, patrons at the Emmet O’Neal Library in Mountain Brook will have the opportunity to hear from an assistant professor of accounting and finance at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Andreas Rauterkus will lead a program called Let’s Talk Money at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s meeting room. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. A light meal will be served.

Last year, Rauterkus headed up the Smart Investing @ Your Library seminar series. This year’s seminars are held every other month on select Thursday evenings.

For more information on the seminar series at Emmet O’Neal Library, call 4451118.

On May 20, Homewood Library patrons can get some business tips during their lunch breaks.

Bryce Thornton, business librarian at the Hoover Public Library, will talk about creating business marketing plans, conducting competitive analysis, raising money and finding the right people through an online database. Thornton will lead patrons through the steps to accessing the ReferenceUSA database online using their library cards.

Patrons can bring their own brown bag lunches to the event, which runs from noon-1:30 p.m. in the library’s large auditorium. Drinks and dessert will be provided.

For more information, call 332-6620.

Next month, patrons at the Hoover Public Library have a chance to learn how to spread the word about their businesses.

A program called Eight Ways to Promote Your Business for Free will be held June 3 at 7 p.m.

Those attending will learn how small businesses can use social media to market their products and services.

The program is free, but reservations are required.

For more information or to make reservations, call 444-7816. ❖

Hoover

Cystic Fibrosis Walk May 18, 9 a.m.-noon Veterans Park The Alabama Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will hold the Great Strides walk on May 18 at Hoover’s Veterans Park on Valleydale Road.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m. The event is the foundation’s largest national fundraising event. More than 250,000 nationwide

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 7

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

come together each year to participate and help find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

The event will include kids’ activities, food and more. Fore more information, call Jennifer McEuen at 870-8565 or visit www.cff.org/chapters/alabama.

Birmingham

Do Dah Day May 18, 11:01 a.m.

Caldwell and Rhodes Parks The 2013 Do Dah Day is slated for

May 18. The South’s craziest parade kicks off at 11:01 a.m. on the streets of Highland Avenue in Birmingham’s Southside. At Caldwell and Rhodes Parks, there will be arts and crafts, children’s activities and a lineup of bands. The event will also feature food and beverages and collectible Do Dah Day T-shirts. All proceeds benefit local animal charities. The event is free. The festival will be held after the parade. Caldwell Park is at 26th Street

South and Highland Avenue. For more information, visit www.dodahday.org.

Birmingham

Breaking Ground May 18, 1-5 p.m.

Jones Valley Urban Farm Gardens of Park Place

Join the Jones Valley Teaching Farm Junior Board for cocktails on the farm from 1-5 p.m. on May 18. The Breaking Ground event will include food and drink pairings from local restaurants and guest bartenders. Jones Valley Teaching Farm is an urban farm in downtown Birmingham. Admission for the event

spring sing

Hoover

Birmingham Boys Choir Spring Concert May 19, 4 p.m.

Shades Crest Baptist Church The Birmingham Boys Choir will present its 35th annual Spring Concert on May 19 at Shades Crest

Baptist Church, 452 Park Avenue in Hoover. The choir is also preparing for an upcoming concert tour to Costa Rica and taking auditions for the 2013-14 concert season. For more information, call Music Director Ken Berg at 767-9219 or visit www.birminghamboyschoir. com.

To: From: Date:

James harwell snow flies white Cd release party

Friday, May 17th • 7:00 PM moonlight on the mountain moonlightonthemountain.com

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8 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

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Birmingham

Summer Teen Counselor Orientation May 18, 1-4 p.m.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens The Birmingham Botanical Gardens will hold a summer teen counselor orientation on May 18 from 1-4 p.m.

The program is open to teenagers 13 and older who are interested in being counselors for The Gardens’ children’s summer camps. The orientation session will be held in the Adventure classroom.

For more information, visit www. bbgardens.org.

Vestavia Hills

Arts on the Mountain May 19, 10-11 a.m. and 7-8 p.m.

Vestavia Hills Baptist Church Christian artist Ken Medema will perform during Sunday morning worship at 10 a.m. and again at 7 p.m. on May 19 at Vestavia Hills Baptist Church as part of the Arts on the Mountain festival.

Medema, who was born almost blind, has been playing piano since he was 5 years old. He has published 26 albums.

Admission is free. The church is at 2600 Vestavia Drive. For more information, call 979-5920.

Birmingham

22nd Annual Arty Party May 19, 3-6 p.m.

B&A Warehouse Birmingham AIDS Outreach will present the 22nd annual Arty Party at B&A Warehouse from 3-6 p.m. on May 19. Arty Party is an annual art auction benefiting the organization. Local, regional and national artists donate their art to BAO for the event. There are typically more than 200 pieces of art with 15 of those in a live auction. The 2013 honorary chairmen are Bill Mason and Bob Scharfenstein. The featured artist is Carol Misner. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be served, and wine will be available along with a cash bar.

Admission is $50. For more information, visit www.birminghamaidsoutreach.org.

Homewood

Bloggers, Authors and Poets Mixer May 19, 1:30-3 p.m.

Little Professor Book Center Liza Elliott will host a free mixer for bloggers, authors and poets at Homewood’s Little Professor Book Center from 1:30-3 p.m. on May 19.

The event will include a free brunch, door prizes and a discussion on how to get published. Elliot is a published author and teacher at the Sparkman Center for Global Health Liza Elliott at UAB. For more information, email Kaneisha Sims at kaneisha.sims@yahoo.com.

Most “Highly Recommended” Birmingham by the families, physicians, The Seasoned Performers Present Make ‘em Laugh and communities we serve.

May 19, 2-3 p.m.

Birmingham Festival Theatre May is Older Americans Month, and the Birmingham Festival Theatre is serving up some laughter in honor of Birmingham seniors. The Seasoned Performers, based in Hoover, will This is your aD pROOF from the OveR The MOunTain JOuRnal for the a 45-minute homage to perform May 2, 2013 issue. please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

Vaudeville called “Make ‘em Laugh” on May 19 at 2 p.m. The show is directed by Ellise Mayor. The Seasoned Performers are Alabama’s only senior adult theater company. Tickets are $15 with additional donations gratefully accepted. Tickets include a wine and cheese reception please initial and fax back within 24 hours. following the performance. The if we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, Birmingham Festival Theatre is at 1901 your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday. ½ 11th Ave. South. For more information, Thank you for your prompt attention. visit www.seasonedperformers.org.

Ken Rosenberger Over The Mountain Journal, 205-823-9646 ph., 205-824-1246, fax May 2013

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

(205)682-9996

(205)682-9996

please make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number!

Vestavia Hills

Friends of the Library Appreciation Luncheon May 23, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest The Friends of the Library at Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest will hold its appreciation luncheon and installation of officers ceremony on May 23 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the library. The nonprofit group works together to promote the

library’s services and needs. Admission is free. For more information call 9780155, option 8. The library is at 1221 Montgomery Highway.

Vestavia Hills

Drive Out Breast Cancer Golf Tournament May 20, 9:30 a.m.

Old Overton Club The 18th annual Drive Out Breast Cancer LPGA Pro-Am Golf Tournament will be May 20 at Old Overton Club. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama will host 25 LPGA pros paired with amateur foursomes in a scramble format to tee off at 9:30 a.m.

Amateur golfers will begin the day with breakfast at 8 a.m. in the clubhouse.

Box lunches will be delivered to each team that afternoon. After the tournament, there will be an awards ceremony and buffet. To kick off the tournament, the fifth annual Pink Palace Casino Night “Goes to the Caribbean” will be at Ted’s Garage from 7-11 p.m. on May 18. For more information on the tournament, call the BCRFA office at 996-5463. For more information about the May 18 kickoff event, visit www. pinkpalacecasinonight.com.

Vestavia Hills

Purses, Etc. Spring Luncheon May 22, 10 a.m.

Vestavia Country Club The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary will host its annual Purses, Etc. Spring Luncheon on May 22 at a Vestavia Hills country club. The event begins at 10 a.m. with a silent auction featuring purses of all sizes and types, restaurant gift cards, theater tickets, original artwork and more. The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. with entertainment

by Leah Faith. Table decorations will showcase a collection of Victorian jewelry boxes. The event will raise money to purchase school uniforms and supplies as well as to help provide summer activities for the children served by the Salvation Army Greater Birmingham Command. Reservations must be made by May 15. Tickets are $35. For more information, call Gail Wood at 591-1414.

once upon a time Homewood

Most “Highly Recommended” by the families, physicians, andShipment! communities we serve.

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thefor allnest (205)682-9996 you birds

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Most “Highly Recommended” by the families, physicians, and communities we serve.

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Hospice Services Over The Mountain Journal, 205-823-9646 ph., 205-824-1246, Please come infax and shop our large selection of May, 2013 dining room tables, just arrived from England!

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if we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the friday before the press date,

Steeple Arts Academy of Dance Gala Performance May 19, 3 p.m.

Wright Center Steeple Arts Academy of Dance will celebrate its 77th anniversary as a dance center in Mountain Brook by presenting students in a gala performance, “Once Upon a Time,” on May 19 at 3 p.m. at Samford University’s Wright Center.

The production will be dedicated to the memory of Lola Mae Coates, founding director of Steeple Arts. For complimentary tickets or more information, call 871-5893 or visit www.steepleartsdance.com.

Front, from left: Betsy Ankar, Mary Jane Bussian and Emmeline Green. Middle: Katie Ramsbacher, Julie Abele, Sally Bussian and Sophie Brint. Back: Helen Abele, Julia Bell Pope and Salley Rose Wilkerson. Photo special to The Journal

Birmingham

Photography as Art May 23, 6-7:30 p.m.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens The Birmingham Botanical Gardens will present The History of Photography: Photography as Art on May 23 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Ireland Room. This presentation traces the technological development of photography and how that technology influenced the art form that has evolved from sun powered “photo-etching” to today’s advanced digital imaging. This is a free event; wine and cheese will be served. Registration is required. For more information and to register, visit www.bbgardens.org.

and Birmingham. Tuition and fees vary by program level. The early summer session begins the week of June 3, and the late summer session begins the week of July 11. For more information or to register, call 888-201-2488.

Hoover

Hot Rod Power Tour Cruise Night June 5, noon-7 p.m.

Hoover Metropolitan Stadium Hoover Metropolitan Stadium will host the Holley Performance Products Cruise Night of the Hot Rod Power Tour from noon-7 p.m. on June 5. The event

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will feature more than 3,500 Power Tour participant vehicles. The event is free to spectators, but there is a cost for registering vehicles. Registration is open to any year, make or model of vehicle. Pre-registration is $80 plus a handling fee. Pre-registration is available through May 23. Registration is $90 on site. One-day registration is $30 and is available on site only. For more information, visit www.hotrod.com or call 877-413-6515. ❖ Email events for About Town to: kdrexel@otmj.com

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North Shelby

Night Hike May 26, 7:30 p.m.

Oak Mountain State Park Oak Mountain State Park will present a night hike beginning at 7:30 p.m. on May 26. The event is free after park admission, which ranges from $1-$3.

The park is at 200 Terrace Drive in Pelham. For more information, call 6202520.

North Shelby

Memorial Day Bug Races May 27, 10 a.m.

Oak Mountain State Park The third annual Memorial Day Bug Races will be held at Oak Mountain State Park beginning at 10 a.m. on May 27. The event is free after park admission, which ranges from $1-$3.

The park is at 200 Terrace Drive in Pelham. For more information, call 6202520.

Hoover and Birmingham

Summer Reading Skills Program June 3 Various locations The University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies will offer eight different reading skills programs for ages 4 and older this summer in Hoover

COLLIER’S Nursery

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Memorial Day Crafts May 25, 10 a.m.

Oak Mountain State Park Celebrate Memorial Day by making holiday-related crafts at Oak Mountain State Park. The free craft session will take place in the Campground Pavilion.

The park is at 200 Terrace Drive in Pelham. For more information, call 6202520.

Sterne Agee LJCC Triathlon May 26, 8 a.m.

Levite Jewish Community Center Team Magic and the Birmingham Area Levite Jewish Community Center are bringing back the Sterne Agee LJCC Triathlon for the fourth year on May 26.

The course is great for beginners and includes a short swim, an out-and-back bike course on mostly flat roads and a two-mile out-and-back run course.

This year’s event will also include the Kids’ Splash and Dash. Children 6 and younger will compete in a 50-yard swim and quarter-mile run, children ages 7-10 will compete in a 100-yard swim and half-mile run and ages 11-15 will compete in a 200-yard swim and onemile run. Registration is $80 per person, $145 for relay teams of two or three people and $25 for the Kids’ Splash and Dash. For more information, visit www. bhamjcc.org or call 879-0411.

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 9

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News

10 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

u Mountain Brook

Schools’ Success a Joint Effort, Superintendent Barlow Says

By Keysha Drexel

W

Journal editor

hile high test scores, graduation rates and sports championships are all hallmarks that make Mountain Brook schools great, what really sets the school system apart is how the community works together to help the schools succeed, Mountain Brook Schools Superintendent Dicky Barlow said.

Barlow was the featured speaker at the May 9 Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Park Lane.

About 200 business leaders and residents turned out for the event to hear Barlow speak on what is right with Mountain Brook schools.

“People always ask me if there’s a formula for successful schools, and there’s not one specific formula,” Barlow said. “What it takes is getting the whole community involved working toward a common goal, and that’s what we have here in Mountain Brook.”

What’s right with Mountain Brook schools, Barlow said, is that groups like the Mountain Brook Board of Education, Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation, PTO, principals, teachers and parents all work together.

“The thing that is great about our board (of education) is that they bring their status to the job and don’t come looking to the job to give them status.

They really want to improve the system rather than focusing on making a name for themselves,” he said.

In 2007, Barlow said, he was in a principals’ meeting with then-Superintendent Charles Mason during a discussion on the system’s mission.

“Everyone kept saying we want to be a world-class school system, and the more we talked about that, the more we realized that our goal is to be effective, challenging and engaging, and if we provided those opportunities to our students and our teachers, we would become a world-class school system,” he said.

The Mountain Brook business community’s support of the schools is also a very important part of what is right with Mountain Brook schools, Barlow said.

“We have a budget of about $47 million, and 58 percent of that comes from local revenue. That’s unheard of in other communities,” he said.

‘We have a budget of about $47 million, and 58 percent of that comes from local revenue. That’s unheard of in other communities.’

The highly-trained teachers in Mountain Brook also make the school system strong, he said.

“We have teachers that are phenomenal and sincerely care about educa-

u Hoover

Met Stadium Will Host Freedom Fest in July

By William C. Singleton III Journal contributor

The Birmingham Barons are no longer in Hoover, but that doesn’t mean fireworks won’t light up the sky over the Hoover Met this year.

Hoover city officials recently announced the first Freedom Fest celebration, to be held at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on July 4.

“We’re excited about it,” said Mayor Gary Ivey.

The Hoover Metropolitan Stadium previously sponsored fireworks displays at the conclusion of Barons games, especially if the team played at the stadium on July 4.

This year’s proposed firework display will be a 20-minute show after festivities--including live music--conclude at 9 p.m., Ivey said. The gates to the stadium will open at 5 p.m.

The event is free to the public.

However, those attending the festival will have to pay for food.

The event will also feature activities for children, an antique car show and performances by the band Three on a String.

The event will cost the city about $30,000, the mayor said.

Ivey said he anticipates the Fourth of July celebration becoming an annual event. He also said though the Barons have vacated the stadium, it

tion,” he said. “Our teachers this year have gone through 20,000 hours of professional development.”

The teachers attend several professional development programs each year, including a learning and literacy conference this summer.

“We can’t talk about what’s right with our schools without talking about the (Mountain Brook City Schools) Foundation,” Barlow said. “The foundation has provided $5 million for professional development, technology equipment and library materials.”

The PTO raised more than $250,000 for the school system last year, Barlow said, and makes countless other contributions to the students and teachers in Mountain Brook schools.

“If I ever start a business, I’m going to hire the ladies from the PTO. They know what they’re doing,” he said.

Barlow said the support from Mayor Terry Oden, the Mountain Brook City Council and other city officials also allows the school system to be great.

“When the tragedies (at Sandy Hook Elementary) happened, Chief Ted Cook was in my office within an hour, and he and the city council and mayor worked with us to make sure we could have police not just driving around in the parking lots of our schools but actually patrolling inside our schools.

The city knew it was the right thing to do and provided us with another SRO (School Resource Officer) this year,” he said.

Barlow said when most people think about measuring success in schools, they think about numbers. won’t be abandoned.

The SEC Baseball Tournament is scheduled for May 21-26 and has three more years on its current contract.

The Hoover Metropolitan Stadium also hosted the NCAA men’s soccer College Cup and produced the largest two-day crowd--21,316--since the tournament was held in 2004 in Carson, Calif., and drew 24,248 attendees.

After a two-year run in Hoover, city officials said they hope to woo the College Cup back to the stadium in 2014.

“We’re looking at the stadium for sporting events,” Ivey said. “We’ve got Hoover football back in the fall.

We’ve got a band competition in August. We’ve got two running events we’ve got booked.”

The Birmingham Barons ended their 25-year relationship with the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on Sept.

3 when they played their last game at the formerly named Regions Park. The Barons now play in Birmingham.

In January, the city changed the name of Regions Park back to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.❖

From left: Mountain Brook Junior High Principal Amanda Hood, Brookwood Forest Elementary Principal Nathan Pitner, Cherokee Bend Elementary Principal Betsy Bell and Superintendent Dicky Barlow. Journal photo by Keysha Drexel

“Sometimes we think we know how to measure success by looking at the numbers--test scores, graduation rates-but even when we don’t look at the numbers, we can still see what’s right with our schools,” he said.

But Barlow did give those at the luncheon a quick rundown of the school system’s numbers.

He said 96 percent of Mountain Brook students met or exceeded state literacy standards in kindergarten through the third grade, and 99 percent of the fifth through seventh-graders met or exceeded state science achievement standards.

At the national level, the school system had 29 students named National Merit Scholarship finalists this year, an average ACT test score of 26.7 and an average score of 1600 on the SAT, Barlow said. The national average score on the ACT is 21, and the national average score on the SAT is 1400, he said.

About 98 percent of Mountain Brook High School graduates go on to attend four-year colleges or universi-

ties, Barlow said.

But while academics are very important in Mountain Brook schools, Barlow said the system tried to “take care of the whole child” with diverse and successful arts, music, sports and other extracurricular programs.

“We’ve had 149 state sports championships, which is more than any other school in Alabama, and we’re very proud of that,” Barlow said.

The recent state championship win by the Mountain Brook High boys’ basketball team was also a proud moment for the school system, Barlow said.

“You’d think winning that state championship would have been the highlight, but for me, what made me the most proud was looking up in the stands and seeing 8,000 people decked out in neon,” he said. “It was much bigger than a ballgame. It was an athletic event that turned into a community event, and that’s what makes our schools great.” ❖

u Homewood

scholarship.

The Homewood Elementary Schools Percussion Ensemble will perform at the event. The Hall-Kent Elementary musicians will be directed by Ann-Bell Alford, Edgewood Elementary’s group will be directed by Theresa McKibben and the young musicians from Shades Cahaba Elementary will be directed by Hailey Pepper.

Tickets for the luncheon are $20.

To make reservations or for more information, call 871-5631 or visit www. homewoodchamber.org.

Royer to Speak on Education in Homewood News anchor Mike Royer will be the guest speaker at the Homewood Chamber of Commerce’s Ma y 21 luncheon.

The May 21 event is the chamber’s annual Excellence in Education Membership Luncheon. It will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at The Club.

For more than 12 years, the Homewood Chamber of Commerce has dedicated Mike Royer its May membership luncheon to education and to showcasing the Homewood school system.

The Chamber will honor one student from each Homewood school at the luncheon and will also award a Homewood senior with a college

u Birmingham

Superfortress Bomber to Land at Airport May 16 The only remaining flying example of the aircraft that dropped the atomic bombs on Japan to help bring an end to World War II will fly into the BirminghamShuttlesworth International Airport Thursday through Sunday, May 16-19.

The historic aircraft will be on display on the ramp at Kaiser Aircraft Industries, located at 1943 50th Street North.

Gates are open from 2-6:30 p.m. on Thursday and from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Friday through Sunday.❖

News

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

u Homewood

Police, Citizen Honored for Service to City

By William C. Singleton III Journal contributor

The Homewood Police Department honored 14 officers and a citizen for their exemplary service to the department and community during its ninth annual awards ceremony recently.

Sgt. Juan Rodriquez received the Chief’s Award for his investigation of a triple murder case in December. The case involved the brutal murders of 30-year-old Araceli Juarez-Montero and her sons, Uziel Jaurez, 5, and Hugo Juarez, 4.

“Utilizing excellent investigative techniques, Sgt. Rodriquez developed a suspect and began searching for her,” a press release from the Homewood Police Department stated.

“Sgt. Rodriquez with the invaluable assistance of many of our officers and members of other agencies tenaciously tracked the suspect until she was located and arrested.”

Police arrested Anna Patricia Dominguez, 29, and charged her with capital murder.

The Detective of the Year Award went to Officer Marti Abernathy. She “consistently handles more cases than any other detective, even though most of her cases are complex investigations which often require many hours to resolve,” the police department release states. “Her investigations delve into family relations and domestic abuse, which are often emotionally charged cases. Her ability to diffuse and manage the worst of these reflects credit upon herself and the Department.”

The Citizen Commendation Award was given to Benjamin Marshall, a security guard who observed a robbery on Nov. 30 at a Dollar Tree store. He pursued the robber toward a wooded area behind the business and contacted police who dispatched their K9 unit to apprehend the suspect.

Homewood Police Sgt. Andrew Didcoct said all of the receipents are worthy of their awards.

“The ceremony’s purpose is to identify and award citizens and employees of the Homewood Police Department in recognition of out-

standing achievements during the year,” he said.

Other winners included Chris Tant, who won the Community Service Award. The Award of Merit went to Sgt. Doug Finch and Sgt. Mike Godwin received the Exemplary Service Award.

The Criminal Investigation Division of the Homewood Police Department received the Unit Citation Award.

Officer Eric Marquard was honored as the Homewood Chamber of Commerce’s Officer of the Year and Donna Loebler was named Patrol Officer of the Year.

Dispatcher Ashley Phipps was recognized as the Communications Specialist of the Year and Sandra Scott was named the Correctional Specialist of the Year.

Pam Adkins was recognized as the Support Staff Person of the Year and the Tactical Officer of the Year award went to Kaitlyn Krawcyzk.

John Self was named the Special Operations Officer of the Year at the event. ❖

u Vestavia Hills

Officals Still Looking for New City Manager

By William C. Singleton III Journal contributor

Vestavia Hills city officials said they hope to narrow their field of city manager candidates to two and invite them back soon for another round of interviews.

They also said they hope to identify a final candidate by the end of this month.

“We have not identified those two at the present time,” Vestavia Hills Mayor Alberto “Butch” Zaragoza said May 10.

“But we will shortly.”

Vestavia Hills city leaders interviewed four candidates for its city manager position. Those candidates include: Kevin Cowper, assistant city manager for the city of Auburn and a former candidate from the city’s previous search to identify a city manager. The city chose Cowper, but he declined its invitation because of salary.

Jeff Downes, deputy mayor with the city of Montgomery.

Christopher Miller, deputy executive director for the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission.

Gregg Mims, city administrator for the city of Fairhope.

The candidates met with residents during a public reception and interviewed before elected officials and a panel of city employees.

Zaragoza said the city hopes to select a candidate by the end of the month and the process is moving along according to the plan.

“We’re not going to be in too big a hurry,” he said. “We want to make sure we’re getting the right individual. We’re pretty much on our timeline. I anticipate that hopefully within the month we should be able to name an individual.”

Vestavia Hills City Councilman Steve Ammons said city officials are

Vestavia Hills has pursued a city manager-council form of government since residents gave their approval in a citywide referendum Aug. 24, 2010. still working on background information after interviews with “four solid candidates.”

Ammons said the city decided not to use a search firm to find a new city manager so they “could be hands-on with the candidates” they chose to interview.

“Our choice not to go with a search firm proved to be a good decision not only financially but (also because of) the quality of candidates we found,”

Ammons said.

The city finds itself at this juncture after former city manager Randy Robertson resigned from his position in March, citing the health of his father-inlaw as the reason. However, it has since surfaced that Robertson received a lessthan-stellar performance review from city officials.

Vestavia Hills has pursued a city manager-council form of government since residents gave their approval in a citywide referendum Aug. 24, 2010.

City officials have said they prefer the manager-council government because it ensures that a professional manager will run the daily operations of government compared to an elected mayor who may not be qualified. ❖

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 11

12 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

people

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Ballet Guild to Present Ball of Roses in June Plans are underway for the 2013 Ball of Roses, where 49 young women will be presented on June 1.

The event will be at 9 p.m. in the East Room of the Country Club of Birmingham.

The Ball of Roses is sponsored by Lindsey Tomlinson Druhan, president

Barbara Carlisle Abele, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Matthew Karl Abele

Eleanor Heath Beauchamp, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Robert Davidson Slaughter

Helen Meredith Buckley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Joseph Buckley Jr.

Anna Claire Bullington, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. John C. Bullington III

Margaret Ashurst Ellard, daughter of Mrs. Susan Smith Ellard and Mr. Drury William Ellard III

of the Ballet Guild of Birmingham, and Grace Kipp, executive vice president.

Founded in 1959, the Ballet Guild is an invitational organization of young women dedicated to supporting the ballet in Birmingham through fundraising and other volunteer work. Since its inception, the Ballet Guild has raised

Jacqueline Caddell Bell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Chapman Rogers and Mr. and Mrs. David Bell III

more than $1 million for the Alabama Ballet.

The Ball of Roses celebrates its 53rd anniversary this year and continues to serve as a vital fundraiser for the Alabama Ballet.

Ball of Roses Chairman Ellen McCulley Faust and Co-chairman

Mary Bradley Hosch Anderson have collaborated with Carole Sullivan of Lagniappe Designs on a whimsical palette of pink and blush for the ball decor.

Faust is serving as the ball chairman exactly 30 years after her mother, Sheard Mason McCulley, was chairman of the Ball of Roses in 1983. â?–

Sara Thomas Black, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Edward Black

Julia Ling Blackerby, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt Vinson Blackerby

Hannah Evelyn Jane Bromberg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Brooks Bromberg

Caroline Brinson Brown, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Brown

Jessica Ann Bruno, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Bruno

Katheryn McCall Carmichael, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Donald Carmichael

Margaret Bradford Carmichael, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Winston Carmichael II

Jane Catherine Compton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Compton

Joy Elizabeth Barrilleux Cornay, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. W. J. Cornay III

Margaret Ellen Crawford, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roy J. Crawford

Caroline Crozier, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Archer Crozier Jr.

Grace Cotton Elledge, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. E. Scott Elledge

Mary Claire Estess, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Elton Estess

Caroline Sellers Fuller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alan Carl Fuller

Mary Elizabeth Gleason, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Brian P. Gleason

Mary Reagan Harvey, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Jimmie Huling Harvey Jr.

Alexandra Page Hawkins, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Stephen Hawkins

Taylor Gore Hiden, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Mudd Hiden

Margaret Livingston Hindman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brian Ward Hindman

Kathryn Hastings Holladay, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Edwin Holladay Jr.

Sylvia Gayden Holman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Hinton Holman

Christian Austin Linnea Israel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Byron Israel

Margaret Day Lacey, daughter of Mrs. Tina Day Lacey and Mr. and Mrs. John Anthony Lacey

Palmer Corinne Miller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mixson Miller Jr.

Virginia Shook Nelson, daughter of Mrs. Jere Brown Nelson and Mr. Gilmer Payton Nelson

Mary Riley Ogilvie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Oslin Ogilvie Jr.

Lauren Elizabeth Peeples, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Peeples

Elizabeth Emory Pitts, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Carpenter Pitts

Catherine Ruffin Prater, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harlan Irby Prater IV

Abigail Kathryn Rieger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Rieger

Mary Sellers Shaw, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Wesley Shaw

Callen Elizabeth Sherrod, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peyton Candler Sherrod

Elizabeth Forman Sparrow, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Callen Sparrow

Emily Frances Thomas, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Rowe Thomas Jr.

People

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

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Organizers, above, are making plans for the 2013 Ball of Roses. From left: Mary Cox Brown, Mary Bradley Anderson, Ellen McCulley Faust, Ball of Roses chairman, and Sarah Norville Peinhardt. Ellen is following in her mother Sheard Mason McCulley’s footsteps.

Pictured at right is Sheard when she served as the ball’s chairman in 1983.

Photos special to The Journal

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Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 13

14 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

Flying High

Oak Mountain Grad Wins Air Force Service Award

By Keysha Drexel

A

Journal editor

fter four deployments and more than 1,000 hours in combat flights over Iraq and Afghanistan, most people would think U.S. Air Force Capt. Jeffrey Burns has done his part to give back to the community.

But when he’s not teaching pilots as a flight commander with the 47th Student Squadron at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas, the 2002 Oak Mountain graduate is doing what he can to make the world a better place, one service project at a time.

In April, Burns received the Spirit of Hope Award for the entire air education and training command for his service to the Laughlin and Del Rio communities in Texas. He is now in the running to win the prestigious award for the entire service branch.

The award is named in honor of Bob Hope, the famous actor, comedian and author, who was an avid supporter of the military his entire life.

One member of each military service branch and one Department of Defense civilian are given the Spirit of Hope Award at the national level to remember Hope’s contributions to our military service members, Burns said.

“It’s a huge honor to have been nominated for this award,” he said. “I appreciate all of my mentors throughout my time here at Laughlin. This has been a humbling experience.”

Burns was given the Spirit of Hope Award for the execution of 23 different community service projects

and raising more than $50,000 for charities.

“When I showed up at Laughlin, I wanted to give back to the community,” he said. “I didn’t have any award in mind when volunteering because helping people out is intrinsically pleasing.”

Burns’ service includes everything from mentoring Civil Air Patrol cadets and local elementary school students to volunteering in disaster relief efforts and helping military families.

“From my first interaction with Capt. Burns, it was apparent that he was about more than himself,” said Lt. Col. Jason Mills, commander of the 47th Student Squadron.

Burns said instead of playing golf or “sitting around doing nothing” after work at the base, he decided to volunteer as much as he could.

“This is a small town of 30,000

The award is named in honor of Bob Hope, the famous actor, comedian and author, who was an avid supporter of the military his entire life. people, and I knew there was an opportunity to make a difference here,” he said.

Burns recruited other pilots to set up a food bank in the Del Rio and Laughlin communities. He also started a mentoring program for elementary school students.

People

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Capt. Jeff Burns in the T-6 “Texan 2” he flies with the U.S. Air Force. The North Shelby native is currently stationed at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas.

“I have a student that I talk to every week. He hasn’t had the easiest life, and I just try to do what I can to help him and encourage him,” he said.

Burns also works with older students at a local high school through a robotics program.

“There’s a robotics club at the high school, and it is so much fun to see these kids getting excited about learning to apply science and math, and who knows, some of these kids might go on to be great engineers and come up with something that helps our whole country,” he said.

Burns said it is rewarding to see the students he works with grow confident in their skills and enjoy learning.

“You see a direct impact working with the kids, and it makes you feel good if you have some small part in that,” he said.

Burns has also extended support to military families at Laughlin Air Force Base.

Burns’ father also served in the Air Force, and that meant a lot of moving around and long deployments.

“We ask a lot of our military families, not just our military members.

We move around our members every three years or so. I grew up in that, and it can be hard on families,” he said.

Because of his own experience, Burns said he knows firsthand how important it is to rally around military families when their loved ones are away serving their country.

“We have picnics and group activities and try to show the families that they have a whole network of support. When their family members are deployed, we just make sure we’re there to do anything we can to help them,” he said.

Burns said while being in a military family can sometimes be tough, he credits it with inspiring his life’s passion--aviation.

He said he remembers from a very young age being mesmerized by all things related to flight.

“I was just fascinated by the whole thing. I was this little kid with toy airplanes all over my room, and I just

never outgrew that fascination,” he said.

Burns was involved with the Civil Air Patrol while in high school. After graduating, he went to the University of Alabama to study business.

“I joined the ROTC at UA and decided to go for pilot training. My family was really supportive of my decision and they always have been.

They understand how much this means to me,” he said.

After graduating from college, Burns was commissioned throughout the ROTC program and then earned his pilot wings at Laughlin Air Force Base.

Burns was then assigned to Travis Air Force Base in California, from where he was deployed overseas four times. He flew 1,178 combat hours over Iraq and Afghanistan, refueling numerous U.S. and coalition aircraft.

Burns then returned to Laughlin Air Force Base, where he handles the task of managing and teaching student pilots in their first six weeks of pilot training.

“Of course, my family had rather I was back at home in Alabama, but they understand that I am doing my job and that I love my job,” he said.

Burns said he hopes this Memorial Day and every day, more people will think about the men and women currently serving overseas in the military.

“I think a lot of people forget that if we weren’t overseas fighting now, we’d be fighting in this conflict here at home,” he said. “It takes these men and women going far from home, going into harm’s way and fighting for our freedom so that it’s not happening here in our own backyards.”

That desire to keep the folks back home safe was always in his mind as he flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, Burns said.

And no matter what happened on those flights or on any other flight he’s piloted, Burns said he’s always felt he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

“Every time I’ve flown, even if it was a difficult mission or bad weather or whatever, I’ve enjoyed every single flight,” he said. “I’ve always had this feeling that I was born to fly.” ❖

People Notes Nalls Honored by Alumni Association The principal of Homewood Middle School was recently honored by the University of Montevallo.

Martin Nalls was presented with the 2013 Nathalie Molton Gibbons Alumni Achievement Award during UM’s recent homecoming activities.

Nalls earned a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Montevallo in1997 and then went on to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he received education Martin Nalls specialist and doctor of education degrees, both in educational leadership.

Nalls began his career in education in 1997 as a social sciences teacher at Pleasant Grove High School. In 2000, he became assistant principal at Fairfield High School but a year later went to the Hoover school system as assistant principal at Hoover High School.

When the new Hoover High School Freshman Campus opened in 2006, Nalls was instrumental in coordinating, implementing and facilitating that program.

In 2007, he was named Alabama Assistant Principal of the Year.

Nalls became principal at Homewood Middle School in 2008.

He helped design an intense ACT preparation course for a group of Birmingham inner-city high school students who were mentored through the I Am My Brother’s Keeper Leadership Institute, resulting in scholarship opportunities for a number of inner-city youth.

One person who nominated him for the UM award wrote that Nalls should be considered “for his unrelenting commitment and dedication to expanding learning outside of the classroom and for his focus on individual student success.”

Guistwhite Scholarship Recipient to be Recognized Deanna Pack of Shelby County has been awarded the prestigious $5,000 2013 Guistwhite Scholarship to continue her baccalaureate studies.

Pack, a student at Jefferson State Community College and a Phi Theta Kappa honor student, has been invited to be recognized at an honorary reception at Phi Theta Kappa’s annual convention Deanna Pack April 4-6 in San Jose, Calif.

Pack is one of 20 students in the U.S to be granted the scholarship out of

more than 1,800 applicants.

She was also named a 2013 CocaCola Community College Academic Team Gold Scholar.

She will receive a $1,500 scholarship and a commemorative gold medallion.

Guistwhite Scholars are chosen for their academic achievements, leadership and involvement in Phi Theta Kappa programs.

Game” and Meagan Fox’s father in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”

He was also in “Charlie’s Angels,” “Terminator: Salvation” and “The Bourne Legacy.” He played the carjacker who killed Uncle Ben in “Spider-Man.” His most recent ventures include

“Gangster Squad,” “The Tomb” and “Homefront.”

He also produces films and is currently in production of two documentaries.

Papajohn and his wife, Paula, live in Baton Rouge, La., with their son,

Miss Hoover Briana Kinsey gave Girl Scout Troop 208 a lesson on diabetes.

LSU Honors Vestavia Hills Native Michael Papajohn Vestavia Hills native Michael Papajohn will be inducted into the Louisiana State University Alumni Association Hall of Distinction at the Lod Cook Alumni Center.

Papajohn is a movie and television actor and founder of Action Actor Academy. The academy supports aspiring actors and helps stuntmen and women start their own careers.

Papajohn graduated from LSU in general studies in 1988. He was a starting centerfielder on the LSU baseball team during its first Michael Papajohn College World Series appearance in 1986.

He was Dennis Quaid’s stunt double in “Everybody’s All-American,” a stunt double for Adam Sandler in “The Waterboy,” the archrival of Kevin Costner in “For the Love of the

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Photo special to The Journal

Sean. The couple raised awareness for cystic fibrosis with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Los Angeles chapter. In 2009, they organized the Alfred Hitchcock Legacy Gala at Universal Studios.

Trevor Litsey

Homewood High Grad Wins Music Contest

The Neale-Silva Young Artists’ Competition recognizes exceptional aspiring classical music performers ages 17-26 who are from Wisconsin or attending a college or university in Wisconsin.

Litsey’s winning tuba performance won $400. He performed in a concert at Madison’s Chazen Museum of Art on April 7. ❖

Trevor Litsey of Homewood won first place at the 18th annual Neale-Silva Young Artists’ Competition March 24 in Madison, Wis. He is the son of Alan and Diane Litsey.

Litsey graduated from Homewood High School in 2010 and now attends Lawrence University.

RESPECT - DIGNITY - RESULTS

Miss Hoover Helps Girl Scouts with Science Lesson Miss Hoover Briana Kinsey gave Girl Scout Troop 208 a science lesson recently on the pancreas and the effects of insulin, glucose, osmosis and diffusion in the body.

To earn their Daring to Defeat Diabetes patch, troop members took part in the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama’s STEM--science, technology, engineering and mathematics--initiative. They participated in experiments to learn about the components that can potentially cause diabetes and prevent it.

“The Girl Scouts were so excited about being in the lab and learning all about the science of glucose. They were so engaged and did not want the program to end,” Kinsey said.

The STEM program strives to educate girls in STEM-related fields to give them a competitive edge in the increasingly STEM-related job market.

In the program, the girls improve their problem-solving, critical thinking and collaborative skills.

To learn more about the Girl Scouts’ advocacy efforts, visit girlscoutsnca.org/ advocacy. ❖

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Life

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Kicking the Bucket List Vestavia Doctor Completes Goal: Running in Five Major Marathons

By Keysha Drexel

W

Journal Editor

Chapman running in the Boston Marathon in 2012.

Photos special to The Journal

boston Marathon ‘I ran Boston again last year, and it was a big deal to me. It is one of the most historic, prestigious marathons there is. By mile five or six, I think I had tears running down my cheeks at the realization that I was actually running in the Boston Marathon.’

hen Dr. Greg Chapman of Vestavia Hills turned 50, the cardiologist did what a lot of people his age do--he started a bucket list.

And while most people’s list of things they want to do before they die might include running a half-marathon or one marathon, Chapman’s list was a little more ambitious.

“I had a patient who had just turned 50 and had completed his first marathon,” he said. “So I thought, why not aim to complete five major marathons instead of just one?”

Last month, Chapman checked the last major marathon off his bucket list when he completed the London Marathon.

“It was a good feeling when I crossed the finish line in London. I felt good about accomplishing the goal I set for myself eight years ago,” he said.

At that time, when he was making his plan to complete his bucket list, Chapman knew he would have to start out slowly and train hard to complete his first marathon.

“I got a colleague to run an EKG on me and made sure I was fit enough to start training,” he said. “I couldn’t afford to die yet.”

Chapman bought a book about training for your first marathon by Joe Henderson, a runner, running coach and former chief editor of Running World magazine.

“This was springtime, which is the ideal time to start running,” he said. “I started out slowly and gradually built up the distance I was running each day.”

Just a few months later, Chapman completed his first marathon, the San Francisco Marathon on July 31, 2005.

“And from there, I just got the marathon bug.

I ran in the Mercedes Marathon, the Music City Marathon and worked myself up to completing the first major marathon on my bucket list, the New York (City) Marathon, in 2006,” he said.

In 2008, he completed the Chicago Marathon and ran in the Boston Marathon for the first time in 2009.

“I ran Boston again last year, and it was a big deal to me. It is one of the most historic, prestigious marathons there is. By mile five or six, I think I had tears running down my cheeks at the realization that I was actually running in the Boston Marathon,” he said.

Chapman was in London when he heard the news about the bombings at this year’s Boston Marathon.

“I looked at the images of all the people gathered at the finish line, just in the same place my wife stood last year, and it was very sober-

ing,” he said.

During the London Marathon this year, participants and spectators wore black armbands to show their support for Boston after the bombings at the marathon.

“They put your name on your bib with your number, so the streets are full of people, and they are yelling your name and screaming support for Boston and America, and it was just very touching,” he said.

Chapman said it was difficult to choose which marathon has been his favorite, but he knows the Boston Marathon will always have a special place in his heart.

“There was something great about all of them. In Berlin, it’s not just a marathon, it’s a real pageant. The streets are just crammed full of people, and it’s like a big street party, but it was very well organized and just a great atmosphere,” he said. “In London, the marathon just takes such a historic route that it can be a little hard not to pause a bit as you’re running by Buckingham Palace.”

Chapman’s wife, Laura, and the couple’s three adult children--Ben, Luke and Leah--have all come out to support him at the marathons he’s completed around the world.

“My wife said to me more than one time during the last eight years, ‘You know, you can visit a place without running a marathon,’” he said.

Chapman said he’s gotten Laura involved with his running hobby.

“She completed her first marathon in December of 2009 in South Carolina, and she and my daughter have done several half marathons,” he said.

He’s also gotten his colleagues at HeartSouth Cardiovascular Group in Alabaster on the running path.

“We had six people on our staff do a half marathon in February, and I think a few of them have their eye on completing a full marathon next,” he said.

Chapman, who grew up playing four varsity sports in Hokes Bluff, said training for and running the marathons has given him back something he had missed since his college days at the University of Alabama, where he earned his undergraduate degree, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he earned his medical degree.

“I played intramural sports and tennis in college, and since that time, I had missed being part of organized sports,” he said.

It’s important, Chapman said, for adults to give themselves time not only to exercise but to play.

“I read this wonderful book by George Sheehan called ‘Running and Being’ and what really struck me about the book was what he said about the importance of play, even to adults,” Chapman said.

In the book, Sheehan, a doctor, philosopher and runner, recounts his midlife return to the world of exercise, play and competition and describes a program for finding joy through play and fitness activities.

“When we were 5, we played without inhibitions, and we lose that as adults. But as adults, we still need to play--whether that means going ballroom dancing, learning to square dance or run-

Berlin Marathon ‘In Berlin it’s not just a marathon, it’s a real pageant.

The streets are just crammed full of people, and it’s like a big street party ...’

London Marathon ‘In London, the marathon just takes such a historic route that it can be a little hard not to pause a bit as you’re running

by Buckingham Palace.’

ning a marathon,” Chapman said.

Chapman said training for and participating in marathons suits his personality well.

“I’m a very goal-oriented person, as most physicians are, I think,” he said. “So having that goal, making it something real and tangible to aim for and then reaching that goal was very rewarding on many levels.”

Running, or exercise in general, Chapman said, is a proven stressbuster.

“I’ve experienced it myself and so I know it works. Even if you’ve had the most stressful day, if you get out there and get moving, it helps,” he said.

And of course, Chapman said, the physical benefits of regular exercise cannot be overstated. He said not only does exercise help cardiac health, but it can also have a positive impact for those dealing with everything from arthritis to diabetes.

“Study after study after study confirms that as little as 30 minutes of continuous exercise a day has a positive impact on cardiac health,” he said.

“You don’t have to run a marathon to help your heart health.”

Chapman said he recommends those who haven’t exercised regularly in a while to get a check-up with their primary doctor before starting a new exercise program.

“It’s always a good idea just to get a basic check-up if it’s been a while since you ran or did strenuous exercise,” he said.

Chapman recommended pairing up with other novice runners, joining running clubs or enrolling in courses like the Couch to 5K program.

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“It helps, especially in the beginning when you are establishing a new routine, to have people there to back you and support you and yes, keep you motivated,” he said.

For more mature runners who are lacing up their sneakers for the first time in a while, Chapman advises taking the training regime slow and giving older bodies plenty of time to recover between sessions.

“Don’t overdo it when you first start out or get back into exercising or running. You have to gradually ‘Study after study after study confirms that as little as 30 minutes of continuous exercise a day has a positive impact on cardiac health.’

increase your distance,” he said.

Runners should also make sure they are taking recovery days, Chapman said.

“Don’t run every single day. When you’re an older runner, you need to run three or four days a week. You can do other, less strenuous exercises in between, but the point is to give your body time to recover,” he said.

Chapman also had advice for new or returning runners when it comes to footwear.

“I had four pairs of sneakers for each event, and while I was training, I

would switch them up so they were all worn in evenly. Most people say you need two pairs, but I break in four pairs at a time, just in case,” he said.

While getting back into exercise or training for a half marathon or marathon can be tough, Chapman said he finds that the toughest part for most people starting a new health regimen is sticking with it.

“That’s the really hard part. But nothing will motivate you like a deadline. Once you commit to the idea of running a half marathon or marathon and you actually register for it, you have a solid, concrete deadline and a time frame to meet your goal. You can’t complete a marathon or even a half marathon without training for it first, so that deadline becomes a huge motivator,” he said.

But for Chapman, the motivation to keep running is not all that complicated.

“It’s just fun to me--it’s that simple,” he said.

Now that he’s completed his marathon bucket list, Chapman said he plans to continue running in 5K and 10K events.

He said he still runs frequently at one of his favorite spots, the Lakeshore Trail in front of Samford University.

“Marathons are tough to me not during those first 20 miles. It’s the last 6.2 miles that get me,” Chapman said.

And he hasn’t ruled out running in another major marathon again.

“My friends are kidding me that I’ll eventually take on a marathon again, and I probably will,” he said. ❖

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18 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

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Gala Benefits Bell Center

he Service Guild of Birmingham’s black-tie event in March raised more than $220,000 for the Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs.

The 25th annual Gala Guild was held at The Club on March 9.

The 500 guests attending enjoyed cocktails, a silent auction, formal seated dinner and live auction conducted by Jack Granger of Granger Thagard & Associates, Inc. Music was provided by The Undergrounders.

Chairman Stacey Morales coordinated the event along with auction chairman Leighton DeBray. The gala was sponsored by Alabama Power.

Winning bidders left the auction with prizes including trips to Costa Rica and Scotland, a beach getaway in WaterColor, a diamond pendant from Bromberg’s and a private cooking class/dinner for 10 from GianMarco’s.

Those spotted at the event included Betty Bell, Jeff and Christie Mundy, Andy Rotenstreich and Susan Morris and Wayne and Molly Miller.

Others enjoying the evening of fun for a good cause were Tracy and Nancy Ferren, Dennis and Diane Goldsmith, Hal and Chris Newell, Justin and Anna Gilmore, Drs. Dowling and Liz Briggs and Matthew and Jen Dent.

Also at the event were Scott and Michelle Shunnarah, Rusty and Deana Hughes, Michael and Shelley Suco, Keith and Jennifer Andress, Colin and Guy Mitchell, Dr. Michelle and Paul Hill, Andrew and Lisa Stewart and Alex and Karyn McRea. Others attending were Dr. Justin and Ashley Moellinger, Jeb and Marissa Mitchell, Charles and Patti Wilkinson, William and Jennifer Kimbrough, Jason Thomas and Samantha Smith, Derek and Misty Wever and Drs. Jeff and Dominique Backus.

The Service Guild is dedicated to maximizing the potential of children from birth to 3 years old at risk for developmental delay through the professional services and therapy of the Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs. To learn more, visit www. theserviceguild.org. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Teresa and Bart Crain.

more photos at

OTMJ.COM

From left: Amanda Jones, Amy Benson and Jessica Parris.

Members of the Service Guild of Alabama gather at The Club for the 25th annual Guild Gala to benefit the Bell Center.

Photos special to The Journal

Dapper Derby Party Raises Money for Dancers

Luke Jacobs and John Jones.

Christie and Noah Hart.

Ladies donned their most fabulous hats and gentlemen were decked out in seersucker suits for the 2013 Ballet, Bourbon and Bowties fundraiser this month.

The Alabama Ballet Junior Board presented its signature Kentucky Derby-themed event on May 4 from 4-8 p.m. at the Alabama Ballet Center for Dance in Birmingham.

The is the second annual Ballet, Bourbon and Bowties fundraiser.

The event raises money for the Alabama Ballet’s CityDance program. CityDance is an outreach program modeled after the Boston Ballet program of the same name. It brings dance education into inner-city schools, providing underprivileged children with the opportu-

From left: Hilary and Stephen Hill and Mary Katherine and Josh Roberts.

Photos special to The Journal by Melissa Dooley

nity to learn about all aspects of the art form.

The children, taught by a member of the Alabama Ballet faculty, learn the basics of ballet and jazz and explore dance imaging concepts modeled after the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.

Since its inception, CityDance’s popularity has grown. The program has expanded to two eight-week programs which reach five elementary schools in the Birmingham area.

Approximately 150 new students participate

in this outreach program every year.

At the completion of the two eight-week programs, all participating schools come together for one special performance at the Alabama Ballet Center for Dance.

About 250 people turned out in their Derby best for this year’s fundraiser, organized

by Caroline Cronic, Mary Katherine Bently, Laura Ashley Missildine, Elizabeth Holman and Hillary Stephens Hill.

Unique Impressions served Derby-influenced food and drinks, including mint juleps.

The event featured an open bar, door prizes, pony rides and a big screen viewing of the Kentucky Derby. There were also activities for children.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Betting on Books

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 19

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From left: Kristin Martin, Jordan Bishop, Katie Lamaster, June Clark, Beth Martin, Amy Kirkpatrick, Megan Kincaid, Michele Morrow and Renie Moss.

Casino Event Raises Money for Vestavia Library

Those attending an April 13 event at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest placed their bets and gambled on a good cause.

The People Affecting Library Success transformed the library into a fun-filled casino for Casino Royale.

PALS raised more than $11,500 for the library’s children’s department at the annual casino night fundraiser and silent auction.

A record number of guests attended and enjoyed gourmet cuisine sponsored by IZ Catering with beverages compliments of International Wines.

Blackjack, roulette, poker and craps tables from Goodfellas Gaming set amidst the library’s stacks provided entertainment along with live music

by Rockstar.

Silent auction items included gift certificates to boutiques and restaurants, jewelry, art, gift baskets, football tickets and Duck Dynasty memorabilia. Guests cashed in their chips at the end of the evening to try for a number of raffle items.

Library Director Taneisha Young Tucker and Children’s Department Head April Moon offered thanks to PALS for the successful event.

“We are so glad the PALS love our children’s department and library,” Tucker said. “Their efforts have enabled us to provide quality programs and entertainment to our youngest patrons. Without PALS, we could not offer great programs and prizes to the thousands of children who frequent the library and participate in various activities.”

Event chairmen Beth Martin and Megan Kincaid planned the event with help from PALS board members Jordan Bishop, June Clark, Kristin Martin, Michele Morrow and Renie Moss and auction chairmen Katie Lamaster and Amy Kirkpatrick.

Visit librarypals.org for more information. ❖

Photos special to The Journal

We Believe

in the substance of beautiful thingsin the magnitude of finer detailsin the fact that good clients inevitably become good friendsin the Joy of Surprisein the fact that laughter is essential to a good nights sleepa little indulgence is good for the soul- and that a “true escape” does not have to involve travel. “it’s Good to be Home”...

Lynette Mantooth Michael and Tamara Sansbury.

Guitarist Gannon Love entertained the crowd throughout the evening.

Those attending the event included Amy Rizvi, Islara Vazquez, Stephen Hill, Mary Katherine Roberts, Josh Roberts, Andrew WheelerBerliner, Tamara Sansbury, Michael Sansbury, Christie Hart, Noah Hart, Mary Goodrich, Bart Goodrich, Lyndra Daniel, Jeff Dutton, Luke Jacobs, John Jones, Lindsey Sara Barber and Sam Samsil. ❖

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20 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Above: From left: Meg McCalley, Mary Pat Rodrigues, Sarah Hayden Logan, Anne Douglass Williams, Mary Keller Greene and Mary Lee Livingston. below: William Kiyak, Margaret Murray, William Dodson and Mary Rives Drake. Photos special to The Journal

Mountain Brook Debs Presented at Twilight Ball

Sophomore girls from Mountain Brook were presented at the 2013 Twilight Ball last month.

The event was held April 20 at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center.

A seated dinner preceded the presentation of the girls and their escorts.

The decor included tall glass vases filled with branches and glistening stars on tables set with midnight blue linens.

Lighted stars and shimmering blue letters spelling out “Twilight” formed an archway over the stage.

Following the presentation, honorees and their guests danced to the music of TwentyForSeven.

Co-chairmen of this year’s event were Carolyn Green, Susan Logan and Marcie Rodrigues.

Those presented at the 2013 Twilight Ball were Emma Ann Abele, Sidnie Corinne Adair, Hampton Leigh Adams, Mary Harper Alexander, Mary Callaway Anderson, Mary Seldon Andrews, Elinor Clay Anthony, Mary Lucile Baker, Anne Lacey Ballard, Caroline Grace Barber, Evalyn LeBlanc Bargeron, Chaise Taylor Belt, Kimberly Ann Bermudez, Ellen Hunter Berryhill, Anne Marie Birmingham, Sophie Helen Bluestein, Anne Marie Bonds, Caroline Edwards Boone, Caitlin Maria Bowen, Sarah Louise Bragg, Mary Katherine Bridges, Sally Kale Bussman, Elizabeth Coles Calvin, Catherine Frances Campbell, Carter Anne Cheatham, Mary Alice Corcoran, Kendall Elizabeth Crumbaugh, Mary Rives Drake, Caroline Gilchrist Dunn and Katherine Gail Durkee.

Others presented were Haley Michelle Fenn, Neely Ann Francis, Elizabeth Benton French, Lucy Elizabeth Gardner, Abigail Marie Garrett, Julia Grace Garrison, Anna Catherine Gillespy, Ellen Elizabeth deBerniere Given, Margaret Allyn Pratt Given, Gabrielle Tamar Goldfarb, Leigh Hampton Gorham, Chandler Suzanne Gory, Kara Nichole Gravlee, Margaret Ellison

Gray, Mary Keller Greene, Logan Ann Grill, Colee Ann Harkins, Catherine Brevard Harmon, Elizabeth Freret Harmon, Katherine Dryden Harris, Walters Leigh Haynes and Ella Cleland Hiott.

Also presented were Margaret Elizabeth Howell, Elizabeth Britton Hurley, Kathleen Ellen Jackson, Camille Elizabeth Jernigan, Caitlyn Jean Jones, Natalie Corkern Jones, Claudia Rose Keating, Caroline Frances Kennedy, Kaylor Elizabeth Kidd, Lillian Judith Kilgore, Lindsey Anne Kirk, True Alexandra Knowles, Anna Strong LaRussa, Chandler Thorogood Law, Julia Alexa Leonard, Sarah Grace Lindsey, Helen Oliver Little, Brooke Elyse Littleton, Kathryn Toy Littleton, Mary Lee Bard Livingston, Mary Clark Logan, Sarah Hayden Logan, Caroline Goodwyn Luckie, Baily Antoinette Martin, Bryna Adina Martinez, Anna Winfrey Matthews, Ella Stuart McAtee, Margaret Bell McCalley, Sallie Elizabeth McElroy, Courtney Cochran McKay, Emily Owen Nelson Mendelsohn, Sarah June Michel, Madeline Rebecca Mitchell, Jessica Kathleen Molloy, Mary Katherine Monson, Mary Katherine Moore, Isabelle Walet Mulkin and Margaret Phillips Murray.

Other sophomore girls presented at the ball were Joely Gillian Nadler,

Eleanor Elizabeth Naff, Margaret Lee Neal, Lowry Elizabeth Neil, Katherine Anne Oberman, Elizabeth Fairlie Outland, Mary Katherine Parrott, Hannah-Louise Perkinson, Anne Genevieve Pickering, Carlin Gayle Pittman, Kelsey Morgan Platt, Ashleigh Covington Pugh, Erin Suzanne Rector, Caroline Sanders Reed, Ann Wilson Reich, Katherine Anna Reiss, Mary Patton Rodrigues, Chancellor Taylor Rogers, Madalyn Michele Rosenthal, Stefanie Rose Saag, Alice Brantley Sanders and Catherine Marie Schultz.

Those presented also included Louise Searcy Shearer, Mary Findlay Shelfer, Anne Kinsman Simmons, Lillian Harris Simpson, Emily Dean Sink, Jessica Elizabeth Sirkin, Julia Wittichen Smith, Paley Robinson Smith, Anne Holloway Somerville, Katherine Lanning Speyer, Mary Evelyn Sprain, Mary Farley Stevens, Walton Leigh Stivender, Mildred Eugenia Stutts, Elizabeth Rowland Summers, Eleanor Katherine Sykes, Margaret Hanna Tew, Ann Frances Thomas, Catherine Sullivan Toomey, Brooke Frances Tucker, Catherine Claire Turner, Parker Drew Van Durand, Mimi Elizabeth Waggoner, Kristin Joanna Walton, Virginia Scott White, Anne Douglass Williams, Lucy Barrett Wolter, Antoinette Dunn Wyatt and Sarah Bailey Yarbro. ❖

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Cordani

Above: From left: David Oberma, Barbara Oberma, award-winning singer, movie, Broadway and emmynominated television actress Lainie Kazan and Keith Cromwell. below: Derry and Peter Bunting.

A veteran of show business recently made a stop in the Birmingham area to perform for a Red Mountain Theatre Company event.

Lainie Kazan, whose illustrious career has spanned decades and included Broadway’s “Funny Girl,” television’s “Modern Family” and movies like “Beaches” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” was brought to Birmingham by RMTC for an intimate cocktail party and salon concert on April 13.

Guests gathered in the home of David and Barbara Oberman, hosts of the event, for stories and songs from Kazan.

Kazan shared her versions of classic Broadway tunes like “The Trolley Song,” “The Music That Makes Me Dance” and “Somewhere Over the

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Rainbow.”

She also shared stories about her life in show business and talked about her experiences with Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland.

The event was catered by Kathy G and Company.

Those attending included Betty and John McMahon, Derry and OTBT Gee WaWa Peter Bunting, Kathryn Harbert and Dora and Sanjay Singh.

Others enjoying the HEAR * SPEAK * LISTEN * LEARN * LIVE intimate concert from To: Bezshan, fax 871-1966 Kazan were Jeff and please make sure all From: Over The Mountain 205-823-9646 ph., 205-824-1246, fax ValerieJournal, Collier, Carolyn including address a Date: March 2013 Feathergill, Carol Butler and Kathryn and Pete This is your aD prOOF from the Over The MOunTain JOurnal for the Horton. please initial and fax Alsoplease at the party March 7, 2013 issue. faxwere approval or changes to 824-1246. if we have not heard from you by 5 p Ronald and Glynnis your ad will run as is. W Levitt, Kathy and Louis Thank you for you Mezrano, Ginger and Lane Milam and Sara and Logan Taylor. ❖

The month of May is National BETTER HEARING AND SPEECH MONTH “Helping People Communicate” What better time to evaluate your hearing.

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22 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

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S

Left: From left: Ann Scott Lee, Audra Bean, Lacey Bacchus and Audrey Pannell. below: The Sirote & Permutt team won several awards at the Girls Inc. Cajun Cookoff in April.

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Cook Teams Show Cajun Cuisine Skills To Help Girls Inc.

Cook teams pulled out their best recipes for Cajun cuisine to raise more than $70,000 to help girls in central Alabama in April.

Presented by Robins & Morton, the third annual Girls Inc. Cajun Cook-off was held on April 13 at Linn Park in downtown Birmingham.

The Girls Inc. board of directors and Committee of 25 hosted the event.

More than 15 teams competed in the cooking competition. Trophies were awarded to the winners selected by Do you have MULTIPLE PETS? Like QUIET and both judges and attendees.

BUSy SchEDULE? PERSONAL ATTENTION? Celebrity and professional judges for the event were Want LESS STRESS for your PET? Rather be hOME vs. WAITING ROOM? Nariah Scott, a member of the Girls Inc. Teen Program; Brook Bell, Taste of the South editor and Louisiana AKA Girl Stuff OMJ Spring 13_Layout 1 5/7/13 2:26 PM Page 1 Cookin’ editorial director; Stephen Humphreys, president and publisher of Birmingham Weekly; Tiffany Denson, creator of T-Lish Marinades, Dressings and Sauces; Rebecca Gordon, contributing editor at Southern Living; and Isis Jones, a radio personality at 98.7 Kiss FM. The cook team from Sirote & Permutt won first place in the Judges’ Choice Amateur Gumbo/Jambalaya division.

The first-place winner in the Judges’ Choice Amateur Open Cajun category was the cook team from Oakstone Publishing.

The team from Crestwood Coffee won first place in both the Judges’ Choice Professional Gumbo/Jambalaya Dr. Washington division and the Judges’ Choice Professional Open Cajun Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 competition.

FAX: 205-824-1246 The first-place People’s Choice award went to The Jan. 2013 Who Dats team.

The first-place Team Spirit award was won by the This is your AD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTAiN JOurNAl for the Feb. 9, 2013 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

The Bienville Boys team above (with emcee Cherri Ellis) won first place at the inaugural Cahaba-Que Barbecue Cook-off to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama. Photos special to The Journal

Merrill Lynch team.

The event also included children’s activities and Zydeco music from the Swamp Poppas.

Event organizers included Monique Witherspoon, president and chief executive officer of Girls Inc. of Central Alabama; Erin Melaney, Girls Inc. development director; Dede Tynes, Girls Inc. Committee of 25 president; and Lacey Bacchus, event chairman.

More than 700 attended the third annual event.

Those spotted at the Cajun Cook-off included Yonti Anchrum, Kristen Shaw, Kristen Reid, Nina Diamintis, Sean Palmer, Amy Vineyard, Reed Ellis, Justin Kelly, Glenn Agnew, Sharon Yeldell, David Matthews, Niki and Justin Harris, Stan and Becca Huner, Corey Bush, Trey Schaeffer, Audra Bean, Nik Layman, April and Jono Mason, Caleb and Claire Chandler, Audrey Pannell, Alan Cohen, Ann Scott Lee and Michelle Amaral.

Girls Inc. of Central Alabama is a nonprofit organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart and bold through programs that encourage girls to take risks and master physical, intellectual and emotional challenges.

The Cajun Cook-off is the organization’s largest annual event. ❖ Proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, which since its inception in 1996 has raised almost $4 million to fund research, cuttingedge equipment and experimental therapies at the UAB Comprehensive Care Center.

All funds raised by the foundation stay in Alabama, but the research the foundation helps to fund has the potential for a global, life-saving impact.

Nine cooking teams participated in the barbecue cookoff. More than 400 attended the event.

The teams’ food was judged on taste and appearance.

The first place “Best CahaButt” winner was the Bienville Boys team. The team received a $250 cash prize.

Second place and $100 went to the Barbacutioners team.

The People’s Choice Award winner was selected by those attending the event. The winner was determined by the team that had the most donations in its team box, with $1 earning one vote.

The People’s Choice Award went to the Butts for Boobs team. The team donated its $50 cash prize to BCRF of Alabama.

Cherri Ellis, a foundation board member, was the emcee. Eric Meyer, head of Cahaba Brewing Company, was also on hand for the festivities. ❖

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Representatives of Episcopal Place and Alabama Gulf Seafood get together at the Episcopal Place Gumbo Gala. From left: Merrimon Epps, Chris Hastings, Tim Blanton, Chris Blankenship and Dan Price. Photos special to The Journal

Garage Cafe Team Cooks Up Another Win at Gumbo Gala Consistently great gumbo. That’s what the cook team from Garage Café dishes up year after year at the Episcopal Place Gumbo Gala.

And that’s why the team continues to add trophies to its collection of Gumbo Gala awards.

At the eighth annual event on April 20 at Sloss Furnaces, Garage Cafe won another Professional Division title along with an award for second place in the People’s Choice division.

The Professional title was the third the team had won in the eight years the event has been held.

The cook team from Starnes Davis Florie also has been a regular winner in the last few years, this year capturing the award for Best Alabama Gulf Seafood Gumbo. This award was sponsored by the Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission and judged by organization representatives Chris Hastings of Hot and Hot Fish Club, Chris Blankenship of the Alabama Department of Marine Resources, Jen Barnett of Freshfully and Lucy Buffett of Lulu’s Homeport Marina in Gulf Shores.

First place in the Backyard Chefs Division went to Butt Patrol, a team

Starnes Davis Florie won the award for Best Alabama Gulf Seafood Gumbo, sponsored by Alabama Gulf Seafood. From left: Jay Ezelle and Will Axon.

that often competes in local barbecue competitions.

The gumbo cook team from Church of the Ascension took top honors among Episcopal teams, winning the Most Divine Gumbo award.

The team from St. Francis of Assisi won the Chef’s Choice award for seafood gumbo, and the Holy

Apostles team won the Chef’s Choice award for chicken/sausage gumbo.

The cook team from Trinity Commons/Pelham Financial took home second place in the Backyard division with third place in that division going to the NOLA gumbo created by the Boylan family.

The Church of Ascension’s team won the third-place People’s Choice Award.

In the Spirit competition, first place went to the Greater Birmingham LSU Alumni Association, and second place was won by 2 Priests and a Pot, the team from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Third place in the Spirit division went to ShowTunes, sponsored

by Alacare Home Health and Hospice.

The Rt. Rev. Santosh K. Marray, assistant bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, joined celebrity presenter Lucy Buffett in handing out awards.

Alabama Gulf Seafood was the official seafood sponsor for the event, which was emceed by Rob Conrad and Jeannine Jersey of Magic 96.5FM’s morning show.

Merrimon Epps of St. Mary’s-onthe-Highlands chaired the planning committee.

More than 2,000 attended the event, which raised money to provide supportive services to the 148 residents at Episcopal Place. Proceeds will help provide van transportation to medical appointments, grocery stores, banks and shopping centers and help fund resident activities, subsidized noon meals and housekeeping, health screenings, worship services and pastoral care.

These services help residents live independently and for as long as possible in Episcopal Place’s affordable housing community.

Episcopal Place consists of 141 apartment homes in two HUDsubsidized facilities. The nonprofit’s mission is to provide affordable housing and support services for seniors and disabled adults living on restricted incomes.

The 2014 Gumbo Gala will be held on April 26, 2014 at Sloss Furnaces. ❖

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Above: From left: Bebe Galloway, Sgt. Noah Galloway, Mayor Butch Zaragoza, Diana Zaragoza, Cami Perry, Scott Perry and Karen Odle. below: Marilyn Gray, SGA president at Vestavia Hills High, gives a prayer for the youth at the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. Photos special to The Journal

Galloway Keynote Speaker at Prayer Breakfast Sgt. Noah Galloway (ret.) was the keynote speaker at the Vestavia Hills 23rd annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast.

The event was held in April.

Galloway, 31, enlisted in the U.S. Army in October 2001 and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky. As an infantry soldier, he fought in the initial strike against Iraq in 2003 and spent one year fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He was redeployed in 2005 and suffered a life-changing injury in December 2005 when he lost his left arm above the elbow and his left leg above the knee in an improvised explosive device attack in Yusafiah, Iraq.

New 5K a Hit at 15th Annual Lebanese Festival The Saint Elias Maronite Catholic Church’s Lebanese Food and Cultural Festival on April 12-13 gave thousands a taste of life in Lebanon, organizers said.

During the festival, the parish served more than 8,500 people, dishing up grilled chicken, kibbee, grape leaves, falafel sandwiches and spinach and meat pies.

The festival sold out of its famous sweets by closing time, running out of baklava, a festival best-seller, by around 7 p.m. on Saturday.

The Amin Sultan Band from Buffalo, N.Y., performed each night at the festival under a tent next to the parish hall. Each night the tent was filled with people of all ages dancing the traditional line dance of Lebanon to the festive music.

Children and young adults from the church performed dances on stage on Friday night and repeated their performance twice on Saturday.

New this year to the 15th annual festival was the inaugural Saint Elias Cedar 5K Run on April 13, which

Despite his injuries, Galloway has participated in the 2012 Marine Corps Marathon, three Warrior Dash events, multiple Tough Mudder events and a Barbarian Challenge.

He is also a member of TEAM X-TREME and has several events planned for this year.

He lives in Alabaster with his family.

Vestavia Hills High School SGA President Marilyn Gray gave a prayer for the youth at the event.

Others at the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast included Mayor Albert “Butch” Zaragoza and Diane Zaragoza, Cami Perry, Scott Perry, Karen Odle and Leighton Gilchrist. ❖ began and ended at the church. The run benefitted the SUKI (Spreading Unconditional Kindness Intentionally) Foundation, a nonprofit established to raise money and awareness for Rett Syndrome.

“St. Elias has shared 25 percent of proceeds from the annual event amounting to over $275,000 in the past 14 years with area charities as a way for St. Elias to give back and demonstrate, by example, the Christian value of giving to those in need,” said Paul

Bolus, festival co-chairman.

LaVonne Williamson was chairman of heritage and cultural information for the festival.

Hourly guided tours of the historic St. Elias Church with its renovated interior were available along with self-guided tours.

Two silent auctions included catered Lebanese dinners, vacation packages, collectors’ items and gift certificates to restaurants and events in the Birmingham area. ❖

From left: Jenniefer Smith, Abby Smith and Audrey Flemming.

Photo special to The Journal

Fashion

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 25

here comes the sun Warmer weather calls for a wardrobe adjustment. Once again we’ve asked some of our favorite boutiques to model the hottest looks for the season.

b summer fashion 2013

Pizitz Middle School teacher Larry Gibson had nine students from his advanced art class chosen to showcase their fashion skills in Birmingham Fashion Week’s Rising Design Star contest this year. From left: Odelia Huang, Gibson, Lana Chen, Bradford Billingsly and Susan Noble. Journal photo by Keysha Drexel

Journal photos by Lee Walls Jr.

Larry Gibson Loves Students’ Fashion Pizitz’sSuccess in Design Contest Forward L Art Teacher

By Keysha Drexel Journal editor

arry Gibson said he is the first to admit that he is a pretty unlikely person to be associated with cutting-edge fashion design. But as the art teacher who has guided several students to win accolades for their designs during Birmingham Fashion Week, that’s exactly where the Pizitz Middle School teacher finds himself these days.

Gibson, who has taught at Pizitz for 29 years, had nine students from his advanced art class chosen to showcase their fashion skills in Birmingham Fashion Week’s Rising Design Star contest this year. Ten were selected as finalists in the competition in 2012.

“I was kind of thrown into the fashion

world by the desire to expose my students to as many different types of artistic outlets as possible,” he said. “I didn’t know one fashion designer from another, but I’m learning.”

The Rising Design Star contest, which started in 2012 as part of Birmingham Fashion Week, requires students to make their fashion creations out of unconventional materials, such as cardboard, pop tabs, duct tape and plastic. No traditional cloth or sewing is allowed.

But Gibson did not know any of that when he told his students about the first Rising Design Contest last year.

“Honestly, at first, I thought it was a See Teacher, page 28

Miami Takes Birmingham Sunset Fashion Show Supports Miss Alabama’s P.A.W.S. for Autism

By Margaret Frymire Journal contributor

Miss Alabama is teaming up with Joelle Salon in Vestavia Hills to raise money for a program to help children with autism.

From left: Mandie Joelle Powell, Miss Alabama Anna Laura Bryan and Dona Bullock. Journal photo by Lee Walls Jr.

Miss Alabama and a Vestavia Hills salon owner are teaming up to bring a bit of the hot Miami fashion scene to the Over the Mountain area next week in an effort to help children with autism.

On May 21, the first-ever Sunset Fashion Show will be presented by Joelle Salon and will feature Miss Alabama. The event will be poolside at The Hill, a luxury apartment building in the heart of Homewood. It will benefit P.A.W.S. for Autism, a local nonprofit that promotes autism awareness and helps make service dogs See fashion show, page 26

Michael Brooks is looking sharp in this Whale Shirt Downbound Check in Shearwater, $98.50, men’s stretch belt stripe club in harbor cay, $45, and Oxford short in jelly bean, $69.50. Also looking her best is Allyson Irwin in this awning stripe skirt in pink tulip, $98, and eyelet top in white cap, $125.

Vineyard Vines, 970-9758.

26 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

fashion

Lindsey Yarbrough is making her best impression wearing this beautiful multi-colored dress with a swing style skirt, $85. She has finished her look with a coral infinity scarf. Jennifer Burrell is ready for any occasion in this flowy green tunic dress with embroidery detail, $55, layered over a cream lace trimmed slip, $42. The rustic rose necklace is the perfect accesory. The Pink Tulip, Homewood, 870-7258, Cahaba Village, Hwy. 280, 637-5390.

FASHION SHOW, From page 25

available to children and families dealing with autism.

Anna Laura Bryan, the reigning Miss Alabama, started P.A.W.S. (People and Animals Working Sideby-Side) for Autism five years ago.

She said she began the organization in an effort to promote autism awareness, educate the community on the use of autism service dogs and help make those dogs available to families in need.

“When I was in high school I started working with the Ellis family on autism awareness events. They were family friends who had a daughter diagnosed with autism. When I saw what the family went through on a daily basis living with a family member with autism, I was convicted,” Anna Laura said. “When I decided to compete in the Miss America System, there was no question what my platform would be--autism awareness.”

Anna Laura said she needed to narrow her topic within the autism spectrum. When the Ellis family got a service dog to assist with their daugh-

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Tracy Gory looks ready for summer in a great looking white sleeveless blouse by D. Exterior. It has a ruffled front and is longer in the front and shorter in the back, $86, (retails for $344). Her pants are by Creme Fraiche and are silk and viscose with a drawstring waist, bright multi-colored floral and geometric pattern with a wide leg, $40, (retails for $159). Her purse adds the perfect finishing touch in purple with leather discs by David & Scotti, $199, (retails for $350). Second Hand Rose, Pelham, 987-7027, Cahaba Heights, 970-7997.

ter Brayden, Anna Laura knew what she wanted to do.

“When I saw the miraculous work these service dogs did for their children, I knew autism service dogs were what I wanted to promote. Thus, P.A.W.S. for Autism was born,” Anna Laura said. Children with autism deal with a variety of symptoms. And while service dogs cannot help all families, they are a great fit for many, she said.

“Whatever the child does, the dog is trained to know it, prevent it, stop it or lessen the severity,” Anna Laura said. “For example, some children with autism experience pica, which is an appetite for inedible substances, such as clay, chalk, dirt or sand. If the child starts eating something it’s not supposed to, the dog may bark, alerting an adult, or start nuzzling him in an attempt to distract him or her.”

Anna Laura said these training dogs can cost families anywhere from $12,000 to $25,000.

After she competed in the Miss America pageant, the Evans family contacted Anna Laura asking for financial assistance from P.A.W.S. in purchasing Cooper, a $12,500 service dog, for their 3-year-old daughter, Ara,

who has epilepsy and autism.

Anna Laura knew she wanted to help, but with her schedule as Miss Alabama, she also knew fundraising would be difficult. That’s where Joelle Salon, the official hair sponsor of Miss Alabama, came into play.

“I was in Joelle’s Salon one day, my fabulous hair sponsors, and they were talking about wanting to do a Miami-style fashion show for charity, but they weren’t sure which one. I started telling them about my situation and it went from there,” said Anna Laura.

Dona Bullock and her daughters, Mandie Joelle Powell and Danielle Powell Wilson, own and operate the salon on Old Rocky Ridge Road, together making up Team Joelle.

Dona, an award-winning hairstylist who has competed in Paris and across the U.S., said that when she opened the salon with her daughters, she wanted it be different. She and her team of stylists set out to have a philanthropic salon.

“I wanted to teach the younger girls about giving back. My first salon was a lot about survival. I wanted this salon to be a giving salon,” said

Katherine Van Elkan is ready for warmer weather in this Barbara Lesser tie-dyed tank with tee, $108, and Sympli white narrow pant, long, $106. The Laurel Bassett silver and opal necklace, $128; leather cuff, $68; and silver and crystal earrings, $48, are the perfect accessories. Her outfit is finished off with a VanEli cork wedge, $134. Sloan Bashinsky looks so fresh and ready for summer in a Sympli aruba glimpse tunic, $108; black diva leggings, $114, and mini, $56. Laurel Bassett crystal and chain necklace, $108; copper and silver cuff, $128; and earrings, $26, add just the right touch. She has finished her outfit with Blossom footwear in a black wedge, $58. Town and Country Clothes, 871-7909.

Dona. “It’s been a beauty to watch these young girls learn what it means to be a giver.”

Dona, who lives in Homewood, said the vision for the Sunset in Miami event was born when she was watching TV one day and saw a poolside fashion show in Miami. She said she woke up the next morning, looked out her balcony and realized The Hill was the perfect venue for the fashion show.

“I didn’t know what to do with my the vision. I said, ‘Okay, God, what do I do with this?’” she said.

A week later, Anna Laura Bryan came in the salon, along with Megan LaRussa, creator of Southern Femme,, a styling service and blog. Dona said once the three of them started talking, she knew how her fashion show vision benefiting charity could become a reality.

“I called my ‘Ocean’s Thirteen.’

I called all the top people I know in town for my first meeting on a rainy, ugly Monday, and they all showed up,” she said.

Dona said she was thrilled to see what God had planned and kept thinking about the child that would benefit

from getting the service dog.

“I love givers. I love people that are strong and say I’m willing (to help),” Dona said.

With Miss Alabama and Joelle Salon collaborating with businesses from around the city, the Sunset in Miami fashion show details began to work themselves out, Dona said.

Twenty contestants from the Miss Alabama pageant will model Miamiesque clothing from Gus Mayer and The Clothes Tree. Joelle Salon will style the models’ hair, and Gus Mayer will complete the models’ look with expert makeup design.

Live entertainment, hors d’oeuvres and wine will be provided by UnitedJohnson Brothers of Alabama, and beer will be provided by Piggly Wiggly.

Dorothy McDaniel’s Flower Market is creating floral arrangements for the event. The night will be documented by Element of Photography.

Tickets are $28 in advance from Joelle Salon or $30 at the door.

For more information on next week’s fashion show in Homewood, call Joelle Salon at 639-1455 or visit www.joellesalon.com. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

fashion There is nothing more beautiful than a summer wedding and these brides look gorgeous. Lindsay Lancaster, right, of Pure Barre is wearing the “Anise” gown by Jenny Packham from Carriage House Weddings, $3,600. The silk chiffon cross back gown is adorned with a 1-inch opal encrusted belt. Lindsay’s headband is the Jenny Packham headdress “Rondelle” and her statement cuff is the “Cadeaux” cuff by Jenny Packham. Her stud earrings are

by Liz Legg jewelry. Bridal fashion through 2014 is heavily influenced by the roaring 1920’s and “The Great Gatsby”; headdresses, cuff bracelets, statement earrings and bib necklaces are all pieces you will see adorning 2014 brides. Summer/ fall and into spring 2014 is all about the backs as shown above! Liz Legg, owner designer of Liz Legg Jewelry is wearing the “Mimosa” gown by Jenny Packham, $8,600. Mimosa is one of Jenny Packham’s statement gowns. A combination of the worlds finest chantilly lace and hand embellished with Packham’s signature beading and embroidery. The gown has delicately ruched lace sleeves, a high front bateau neckline and a sculpted low V-back. Liz is wearing the “Onda” cuff bracelet and summer’s must-have headdress, the “Wonderland” by Jenny Packham.

Her earrings are studs from the Liz Legg Jewelry collection. Gowns and accessories are all available exclusively at Carriage House Weddings in Homewood.

Carriage House Weddings, 871-7759.

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 27 Nancy Ferren looks great in this flirty little dress by Papillon Blanc in Pucci Print with a handkerchief hem, $224. Jasmine Crow is ready for summer adventures in this striped tunic, $72; black basic leggings, $44; beaded stone and charm bracelets by Mary Harkins, $24, and Janie Mayer jewelry, $29. a.k.a. Girlstuff, 802-7735.

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Amelia Hendrick is ready for a night out on the town in this French Connection animal print dress, $178. Liz Palacios oval stone ring, $64; Private Gallery stackable bracelet, $18; Private Gallery blue stone earrings, $18; and a Michael Kors tortoise watch, $250, complete this fashionable look.

Pierre Dumas Nadine Heels in nude are the perfect finishing touch. Lindsey Kondritz is so pretty in this French Connection Trunk Show Dress in white, $228; natural stone necklace in pink, $66; and Michael Kors rose gold/white watch, $225.

Her Jessica Simpson Luxury Nappa heels in pale pink, $98, add just the right pop of color.

Private Gallery, 969-1559.

28 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

Teacher, From page 25

drawing contest. A former student of mine that was involved in Birmingham Fashion Week sent me an email about it, but I didn’t read the fine print,” he said.

Gibson said he told his advanced art students about the contest, thinking all they had to do was submit their design sketches.

“I didn’t realize that the designers who were selected as finalists had to also actually make their designs,” he said.

Just before the kickoff of Birmingham Fashion Week last year, Gibson said he received an email announcing that one of his students had been selected a top 40 finalist in the Rising Design Star competition.

“That’s when I read the part about the students having to make their designs. At that point, we had one week to bring this student’s design to life,” he said.

But the good news--and somewhat overwhelming realizations--didn’t stop there, Gibson said.

“The following day, we were informed that nine more students had been selected. We had one week to complete 10 dresses,” he said. “It was a little crazy, but we accepted the challenge.”

Gibson opened his classroom for the students to come in on a Saturday and a few afternoons after school to work on their projects.

“Believe it or not, the girls completed their dresses. Some worked on theirs at school and some did all of their work at home but they got it done,” he said.

And they got it done well, as evidenced by the students’ securing five spots among the top 20 finalists in the 2012 Rising Design Star contest.

This year, Gibson started telling students about the design contest early and even produced a video that was shown to the entire student body to get as many students involved as possible.

“I didn’t think it would be fair to withhold information on the contest from all the students, even if it could hurt the chances of some of my students who did a great job the previous year,” he said. “So I had students, some that I don’t even teach, come by my room and pick up the entry form.

I would guess that at least 30 students

fashion entered the contest from Pizitz,” he said.

From those who entered, nine were selected as top 40 finalists.

“And if you include a former (Pizitz Middle) student now at the high school--and I claim her--then we had 10 finalists again,” he said. “The connection between Pizitz and the high school and Birmingham Fashion Week is very strong,” he said.

And Gibson’s connection to the contest was even more far-reaching.

“Both years, the school with the second most semifinalists is the school where a former student of mine is the art teacher in Hayden City Schools,” he said.

The fashion design contest and others like it can open up a whole new side of the art world to his students, Gibson said.

“The contest is incredible because it brings authentic, real world skills to the students and shows them that they can be the next new design star in the fashion world,” he said.

Gibson said he has always tried to encourage his students to enter competitions.

“The point is to get them out there and involved in as many contests as possible. Not only does it build their confidence but it really helps them develop as artists,” Gibson said.

Helping his students prepare for those competitions is also something he enjoys, Gibson said.

“I guess it gives me that competitive outlet that I’ve always enjoyed,” he said.

Born in upstate New York, Gibson said his competitive nature was evident at a young age--and so was his love of art.

“I could probably draw before I could talk. I made a huge sculpture out of toothpicks when I was in the first grade, and the local paper did a story on it. I did art camps and art shows and competitions all throughout school,” he said.

But Gibson’s competitive nature didn’t stop in the art room during high school. He played baseball and tennis during high school and earned a tennis scholarship to Calhoun County Community College.

“I guess I was always the athletic artist,” he said.

Gibson thought he might be an architect when he first started college, but after taking an anatomy class and struggling through a few math classes,

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he set his sights on a new career.

“I did a whole set of drawings for my anatomy teacher and really got into the work of Da Vinci--my alltime favorite--and decided I wanted to be a medical illustrator,” he said.

After two years at Calhoun Community College, Gibson went on to play tennis on the last men’s tennis team at the University of Montevallo, where he rediscovered a passion that would lead him to his current career.

“I guess I have always loved teaching but didn’t really think about it as a career. My mother owned a daycare, and I always loved working with kids, taking them on field trips and teaching them things,” he said.

While earning his teaching degree at Montevallo, Gibson did his student teaching at Pizitz Middle School.

“The art teacher here was transferring to Texas, and I got the call that they needed an art teacher two weeks before school started. That was 29 years ago,” he said.

For the last six years, in addition to teaching all the art classes at the school, Gibson has taught the advanced art class. Students have to submit their artwork in order to be considered for placement in the class.

The advanced art class is not just a course where students learn everything from paper mache’ techniques to how to make an evening gown out of recycled materials, Gibson said.

“This class is also a service club.

We wanted to give the students the opportunity to create things and participate in programs that will make their community better. It’s an important component of the class,” he said.

This year, for the fourth year, students participated in the Empty Bowl Project sponsored by Magic City Harvest. They created 75 wheelthrown bowls for the May 2 event aimed at preventing hunger in the Birmingham metro area.

Gibson said watching his students go on to success is the most rewarding part of his job.

“A couple of students are going off to Savannah College of Art and Design this summer to explore the school and art programs. I got a call the other day from a former student who’s now at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, and she wanted me to come to the opening of her art show at the school. Those are the things that really make you feel good,” he said.

Gibson said above all else, he strives to make his art classes places where students feel encouraged to be creative and explore their interests.

“It’s all about giving them the opportunity to be great. You give them a few ideas and let them go with it. We have such a talented group of students, and I don’t want to do anything to stifle their creativity. Instead, I want to help them explore as many avenues of success as possible and help them achieve their goals,” he said.

Bradford Billingsly, a student in the class who won third place in this year’s Rising Design Star contest with a dress he made out of a roof tarp that featured delicate hand-painted hummingbirds, said his teacher excels at showing the students all the possibilities out there for aspiring artists.

“He gives you the freedom and space to be creative. He really encour-

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Photo special to The Journal

ages us to express ourselves and to go after our dreams,” he said.

And that’s just what Billingsly is doing. He said he is already working on his design sketches for next year’s Rising Design Star competition.

Even though Gibson was named the Alabama Art Educator of the Year by the National Art Education Association in March, the veteran teacher said he still feels like he has a lot to learn when it comes to the

world of high fashion.

“My wife was a manager of ladies’ dresses at Rich’s for many years, so she’s coaching me along.

And the students are giving me a real education on the fashion world. You might even see me thumbing through Vogue one of these days. Or better yet, hopefully you’ll see of my students’ fashion designs in Vogue one of these days.” ❖

Fallen Friend, From page 1

zation that constructed the 22-acre woodland Alabama Veterans Memorial Park adjacent to Interstate 459. The park includes stone pavers honoring veterans and holds two dedication ceremonies a year--on Veterans Day and on Memorial Day. This year’s Memorial Day dedication service will be at 3 p.m. on May 26.

“Vernon’s story is all about courage, and like so many other soldiers’ stories, I feel like it is important to let the young people today know what has been sacrificed for their freedom,” Arnwine said. “It hasn’t always been iPods and the internet and remote controls and air conditioning. It has been a great struggle, and we have lost so many people to enjoy these freedoms.”

Arnwine grew up in Edgewood and was an Eagle Scout before graduating from Shades Valley High School. He said being involved in the Boy Scouts set him on a path of serving his community and his country.

“I was really active in scouting from the time I was 11 until I was 18 years old, and that probably had a lot to do with my sense of patriotism,” he said. “I had known from a fairly early age that I was leaning toward joining the Marine Corps and had a desire to serve.”

Arnwine graduated from high school on May 31, 1966. He went on active duty that September with the Marines.

After completing boot camp at Parris Island, he completed infantry mortar training and spent a month at a base in California before he was deployed for his first tour in Vietnam in 1967.

“I don’t remember any particularly dramatic reaction from my family when I joined the Marines and got sent to Vietnam. I’m sure they were anxious, but they tried to downplay that just like I tried to downplay everything that was going on in Vietnam when I wrote letters to them,” he said.

Arnwine spent 13 months in Vietnam during that first tour, most of the time working as a radio operator and rifleman.

Arnwine said what he remembers most about that first tour of duty in Vietnam is how exhausting it was, both physically and mentally.

“You were on edge a lot. In the area I was in, there were a lot of land mines and booby traps and snipers. You never allowed yourself to get comfortable. All of your senses were keyed up and they stayed that way,” he said. “It seemed like you were always operating on the edge of exhaustion.”

On some nights, Arnwine and the other soldiers in his squad got to sleep in two to three-hour increments. Other nights they didn’t sleep at all, he said.

“It was a grind, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said.

The emotional aspects of combat also took their toll, Arnwine said.

“You were dealing with your friends getting wounded and some of them dying,” he said. “There were a number of moments when I just wanted to be back home.”

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 29

cover story

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

But Arnwine, like the other soldiers in Vietnam at that time, knew they had a job to do.

“We were focused on the day-today goings-on in Vietnam,” he said.

“We were focused on staying alive and keeping our buddies alive and at that time, we weren’t really aware of all the social upheaval going on back home.”

But after he finished his first deployment to Vietnam in 1968, Arnwine said he and the other soldiers got a rude awakening upon returning home.

“I was in Okinawa on my way back home the day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and they called us into formation and told us there was rioting in the States and told

Arnwine says he will never forget-Vernon Pendergrass.

Arnwine and Pendergrass met one rainy night on guard duty in a bunker shortly after Vernon arrived in Vietnam.

“He was the new guy, and I was one of the old salts at that point and normally, we tried not to form any friendships with the new guys because you didn’t want to be hurt if they got injured or killed,” he said.

“You learned to put up a wall to protect yourself, but Vernon got through that wall.”

After a few minutes of casual conversation, Arnwine and Pendergrass discovered they were both from the Birmingham area and were the same age--to the day.

Bob Arnwine at the wall memorializing fallen Alabama soldiers at the Alabama Veterans Memorial Park. Arnwine tells his friend’s story in a DVD called “Identifying Courage: The Stories of Alabama Veterans” by the Alabama Veterans Memorial Foundation. Journal photo by Lee Walls Jr.

us not to go home through Memphis,” he said. “We had watched some news while we were in Vietnam, but we didn’t know the scope of everything that was going on back home at that point.”

On the same hand, Arnwine said, much of the American public was disconnected to what was going on in Vietnam in 1968.

“The backlash against the war wasn’t really as bad as it got to be after Walter Cronkite announced the Tet Offensive to the world. Things in this country really changed a lot after that,” he said.

At the end of January 1968, the North Vietnamese and the Vietcong launched the Tet Offensive. Although it was a military failure for the communists in Vietnam, it ended up being a propaganda victory as the American public was shocked with the images from the war they were seeing on television.

Cronkite in February 1968 went on air to call for the United States’ honorable exit from Vietnam because he thought the war was lost. The public outrage led to the Americans entering into the Paris peace talks with North Vietnam.

The number of U.S. troops in Vietnam peaked in 1968 in what was one of the deadliest years of the Vietnam War for the U.S. and its allies.

The U.S. casualties in Vietnam in 1968 also included the soldier

“He was born on the same day I was--May 9, 1948, which happened to be a Mother’s Day the year we were born,” he said.

The two men hit it off immediately, and despite his initial reservations of starting a friendship with the new soldier, Arnwine said he felt like he and Pendergrass would be friends for life.

“We had a lot of the same values.

We both grew up in church and held fast to those values while we were in Vietnam. We just hit it off--there was something there,” he said. “We even talked about getting together when we got back to Alabama.”

A few months later on March 4, 1968, soldiers from Arnwine’s company were assigned to conduct a patrol right up to the DMZ across the river from North Vietnam.

“They ended up getting in a firefight with an enemy squad that had come up and tried to ambush them.

They had stopped beside a rice paddy field to call in that they were taking artillery fire. Vernon was the first person to spot the enemy and sound the alarm. He was running across the rice paddy when he sounded the alarm and was shot by machine gun fire in the abdomen,” he said.

The rest of Arnwine’s company loaded up to go and try to rescue their ambushed comrades fighting for their lives in the rice paddy.

“I was in the group that went out to rescue them, but by that time,

Vernon was already down. He lived for about 45 minutes. Another soldier crawled out there in the middle of the firefight to stay with him until he passed,” he said.

Pendergrass was awarded the Bronze Star for keeping his squad from being overwhelmed by an enemy that had snuck up on them, Arnwine said.

His friend’s death affected Arnwine immediately and deeply, he said.

“I cried the day Vernon was killed, and it doesn’t take much to make me cry when I think about it to this day,” he said.

Arnwine came home on leave for a short time the same month Pendergrass was killed and said his first priority was to track down Pendergrass’ wife and the five-monthold child he talked so fondly of to Arnwine in Vietnam.

“I had some photos of Vernon and myself that I wanted his wife to have, so I went out to see her. When she opened the door, I could tell she was in a kind of daze and hadn’t really been able to deal with what happened to Vernon. I didn’t see her again for a long time,” he said.

After returning home from leave to find Pendergrass’ family, Arnwine volunteered for another tour of duty in Vietnam. From June 1969 until June 1970, he was assigned to office administration work away from the combat zone.

Arnwine said things were markedly different during his second tour of duty in Vietnam.

“Even though I was in a rear area during that second tour, in some ways, it was tougher. More and more, the attitudes of the soldiers were bad.

Drug problems were evident. There were places on base where you knew not to go at night,” he said.

Arnwine saved enough money during his second tour of duty that he was able to pay for college after he was honorably discharged from the Marines Corps in 1970.

He enrolled at Auburn University and studied aviation management.

“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but I was very interested in aviation. I didn’t have the eyesight to fly but thought maybe I could get a job in airport management,” he said.

But the job market in aviation was flooded with retired military personnel who supplemented their retirement income by working at small airports.

Arnwine worked at the Red Cross in Birmingham and in banking before taking a job in data processing at what was South Central Bell. He worked in that capacity for 32 years until he retired about three years ago.

And as his life unfolded and he became a husband, father and grandfather, Arnwine said his thoughts were never far away from the soldier who shared his birthday but never had a chance to come back home from Vietnam to build a life.

“By the time I got out of the service, Jackie had remarried and moved, and I had no way of finding her or getting in touch with her, and Vernon didn’t have any other family here,” he said.

But a trip out of town provided an unlikely incident that put Arnwine in touch with his friend’s family.

“Years went by, and I was out of town somewhere and was looking through the newspapers and came across an article about Deisha Pendergrass and realized that was Vernon’s daughter,” he said.

Arnwine contacted the reporter who wrote the story on Deisha, and the reporter arranged a meeting between Deisha, Jackie and Arnwine.

“I think we were all a little nervous about meeting, but it was so important to me that I tell Deisha about her father and how he died a hero, serving his country,” he said.

Arnwine and Deisha have stayed in touch ever since, exchanging emails and Christmas cards.

Arnwine, who has been involved with the Alabama Veterans Memorial Foundation and park since its inception, was called on to tell Pendergrass’ story, along with Deisha, when the foundation produced the “Identifying Courage” DVD. Arnwine said although it was tough to recount his memories of Pendergrass, he felt it was important to share the story of his friend’s courage and sacrifice so that those visiting the Hall of Honor in the Memorial Plaza at the park know what they are looking at when they see the list of the 11,000 Alabamians who were killed in wars or military conflicts since 1900.

“These are not just names on a wall. These are fathers and brothers and uncles and nephews, and they are friends, like my friend, Vernon Pendergrass, who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” he said. “It’s not something we should ever forget.” ❖

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30 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

business

Trunk Show

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Business Briefs Greenbrier Furniture in Vestavia Hills Is Closing Greenbrier Furniture & Interiors, a furniture, bedding and home accents retailer, is closing its Vestavia Hills store.

Greenbrier has been in metro Birmingham and central Alabama for 56 years.

Its store at 1493 Montgomery Highway began a going-out-of-business sale May 2.

Greenbrier Furniture traces its roots to 1957, when John Hughes founded Town & Country Furniture in western Birmingham.

In 1965, Hughes decided to relocate his growing business to suburban Vestavia Hills

In Its 116th Year, Rosenberger’s Moves to Homewood

By Keysha Drexel Journal editor

A

fter more than a century in business, the Rosenberger family knows a thing or two about what it takes to make it in the retail world.

And ironically enough, the owners of Rosenberger’s Birmingham Trunk also know a few things about packing up and moving.

The 116-year-old retailer recently moved from its location at The Summit to Homewood-one of several moves the company has made in its long history, said Ken Rosenberger.

“I guess you could say we have trunks and will travel,” he said, laughing.

The family-owned retailer specializing in luggage, leather goods and travel items was started by his grandfather, J.D. Rosenberger, in Birmingham in 1897.

The company at first made only the luggage and trunks it would become known for at 315 19th St. North, but the business expanded and a showroom opened on Second Avenue North in the 1920s.

Rosenberger keeps framed photos of his grandfather at the original store hanging in his office as a reminder of the long history of the family business. And Rosenberger, ever the business man, said the photos delight him for another reason.

“What amazes me the most when I look at these old pictures of the inside of the original store is the sheer amount of inventory they had.

They had luggage and trunks stacked in every available space. And they built those trunks back then, so to see every section just filled with inventory is incredible,” he said.

Rosenberger’s father Melville ran the business after J.D. passed away, but his tenure at the helm of the family business was tragically short-lived.

“My father died at a very early age in 1971.

He was running the business with his brother and two sisters. My mother, Mae Rosenberger,

‘When Bear Bryant won his first national championship, instead of giving the boys championship rings, he gave them Hartmann cowhide suitcases from Rosenberger’s.’ had worked at the store, too, so she just continued with that,” he said.

Rosenberger said his mother and one of his aunts made a bold decision in the 1950s to take the family business to a new frontier--the emerg-

Above: Ken Rosenberger shows a newspaper article published in Texas last year that tells how his family business is connected with giving the Alabama football team its nickname. below: The family business was originally called Rosenberger’s Birmingham Trunk Factory and was only a manufacturer of trunks and luggage.

ing suburban areas around Birmingham.

“We were one of the first local stores to open a suburban store. I think it was something they kind of did on a whim at first, but it was really a smart move. They had a store that was open a few months out of the year in Homewood and then one in Crestline and then we had our first permanent suburban store in Mountain Brook where Harrison’s (Limited) is now,” he said.

Rosenberger grew up working in the family business after school and during the summers and learned about every facet of what it took to be successful in retail.

After a brief stint studying business at the University of Alabama, Uncle Sam came calling and Rosenberger was drafted.

“I was in school and I’m ashamed to say, not really applying myself and thought that I’d sit out a semester. I had applied to Air National Guard, and the day after I got a letter saying I was on the waiting list for the Air National Guard, I got a draft notice,” he said.

Rosenberger served in the Air Force for four years, including two tours in Vietnam and one tour in Korea.

When Brookwood Village opened, the store moved there in 1974, he said. After that, the business moved to what was the new Riverchase Galleria in the 1980s.

After 12 years at the Galleria, the store moved to The Summit where it has been for the last six or seven years, he said.

“We really had to go to those destination shopping places because we are a destination shopping place. Not a lot of people are just strolling by and decide they want to buy luggage,” Rosenberger said.

Now the company is back in Homewood in a space Rosenberger has used as a warehouse since 1981.

“It’s good to be back in Homewood, and although the space is a little smaller, we’re hoping to offer a boutique kind of experience to our customers. That’s what we’re known for, really, that personal attention,” he said.

Rosenberger said the business’ legacy of great customer service is something he is the most proud of.

“It makes me feel good that people know that they will get great service and that they can trust the products we sell them. That’s something that hasn’t changed since my grandfather started the business, and it’s something we’ve always felt was important to maintain,” he said.

Another thing in the history of the business that Rosenberger is most proud of is something he said not a lot of people know.

Rosenberger’s grandfather chose a red elephant with an upturned trunk as the company’s logo.

“So back in the 1920s we had these red elephant charms that we gave out for good luck, and so when the 1926 Alabama football team was getting ready to go to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl, my grandfather gave each player one of the charms for their luggage. It was a big deal, and the whole town came out to see them off at the train station,” he said.

Rosenberger said legend has it that when the team, composed of some pretty big guys, got off the train at Pasadena, sports reporters noticed their red elephant luggage charms. The reporters cleverly associated the red elephant image with the large football players from Alabama, saying something to the effect of “Here come the red elephants of Alabama.”

“And from there, I guess it just stuck,” Rosenberger said.

When the 1930 Alabama team returned to the Rose Bowl, the company gave each team member leather suitcases, he said.

The company’s luggage also got the Paul “Bear” Bryant stamp of approval, Rosenberger See Rosenberger’s, facing page

on what was then an undeveloped stretch of Montgomery Highway. He built a twostory, 30,000-square-foot showroom.

Everything in Greenbrier Furniture will be sold before the closing, according to company officials.

The store has oriental rugs, bedding products and furniture from brands such as Artistica, Bradington-Young, Bernhardt, Caracole, Century, Comfort Designs, Fairfield Chair, Habersham, Hammary, Hekman, Henredon, Hickory-White, Highland House, Hooker, Howard Miller, Kingsdown, Lee Industries, Lexington, Maitland-Smith, Massoud, Miles Talbott, Our House, Sam Moore, Schnadig, Serta, Stanley and Theodore Alexander.

“This sale event offers customers a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to buy top-brand furniture at going-out-of-business prices,” said Gary Hughes, John Hughes’ son and the company’s current owner. “We will have many one-of-a-kind designer items for sale, as well as a large selection of unique, handmade oriental rugs from around the world. Customers should come in early for the best selection.”

Products are being offered on a firstcome, first-served basis.

The Greenbrier building is now available for sale or lease.

For more information, visit www. greenbrierfurniture.com.

Homewood Store Expands to Tuscaloosa Gift givers in Tuscaloosa are now reaping the benefits that shoppers in Homewood have enjoyed for years.

Alabama Goods, based in Homewood, set up its first expansion location in Tuscaloosa on University Boulevard in April.

In 2008, owners Beth Williams and Sherry Hartley opened Alabama Goods on 18th Street in Homewood after they said they noticed a void in the marketplace for creative merchandise produced by Alabama

artists.

Passionate about buying local, the partners said they saw their concept as a way of keeping the communities they

F. Ogle, Kenneth O. Simon, Deborah Alley Smith, Richard E. Smith, Daniel D. Sparks, Sharon D. Stuart and Michael A. Vercher.

Those named Alabama Rising Stars 2013 were Bradley R. Hightower, John W. Johnson II, Abbott Marie Jones, William R. Pringle and R. Jordan Wood.

Edgewood Gets Moxii

serve unique while at the same time promoting job creation and providing customers with a highly-trained staff.

Hartley and Williams (above) said they consider exceptional customer service to be a hallmark of their business and is something they plan to extend to their new location in Tuscaloosa.

Shoppers on the Strip in Tuscaloosa and in downtown Homewood can find merchandise from across the state at Alabama Goods, including an extensive selection of oven-to-table pottery, handmade jewelry, soaps and lotions, soy candle lines and an array of packaged gourmet food items.

For more information, visit http://www. alabamagoods.com or Facebook.com/ alabamagoods.

Attorneys Named Super Lawyers, Rising Stars The law firm of Christian & Small had 15 attorneys selected for inclusion on the list of Alabama Super Lawyers 2013.

Five more attorneys from the firm were named Alabama Rising Stars 2013.

The recognitions come from Super Lawyers, a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

The selection process has multiple phases and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

The firm’s attorneys named Alabama Super Lawyers 2013 were LaBella S. Alvis, James B. Carlson, Thomas W. Christian, Robert E. Cooper, Edgar M. Elliott IV, James C. Huckaby Jr., Greer B. Mallette, Rick D. Norris Jr., Richard

Rosenberger’s, From previous page

said.

“When Bear Bryant won his first national championship, instead of giving the boys championship rings, he gave them Hartmann cowhide suitcases from Rosenberger’s,” he said.

A September 2012 story about the elephant charms in the Dallas Morning News was framed, along with one of the original red elephant luggage charms, and given to Rosenberger by his daughter-in-law.

“Once we get everything put together here at the new location, I’m going to hang this right next to the photos of my grandfather at the original store. It means a lot to me,” he said.

The business’ repeat customers

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 31

business

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

A store specializing in interior design, bedding, gifts for the home and dorm decor has opened in Edgewood.

Katherine Bailey (below) opened Moxii in Homewood in April.

Bailey started the business in 2008 in Auburn after earning a degree in interior design from Auburn University.

“It was an idea my mom had. We have six girls in our family, and she’s moved a lot of girls to college, and all of her friends were asking her about what their daughters needed in the dorms,” she said.

The business was online only its first year. Then Bailey and her mother

opened their first storefront in Auburn.

Bailey moved to Birmingham five years ago, and her mother runs the Auburn store.

Bailey said Moxii offers in-home or in-store interior design consultations and has everything discerning college students need for high-end dorm decor.

Moxii is at 111 Broadway Street in Homewood. For more information, visit www.moxii.com or call 637-1756.

Alfredo Frias, left, and Jim Sarris have teamed up to open Pazzo Calzone Bakery in Hoover.

The fast-casual eatery opened in late March and specializes in freshly-made overstuffed calzones, premium salads and simple Italian side dishes, Frias said.

Frias, a native of Argentina, said the emphasis is on using fresh ingredients and giving customers fast food that doesn’t taste like fast food.

“It’s all fresh, it’s all homemade. You get to customize the calzone any way you want it--any cheeses, any meats, any spices, any vegetables, and then it is cooked fresh for you and hot and ready in three minutes,” he said.

Sarris said he and his partners did a lot of research before opening Pazzo and wanted to bring something unique to the area for Over the Mountain diners.

“No one is really doing this anywhere, and that was our aim--to offer something unique,” he said.

For more information, visit www. pazzocalzonebakery.com or call 3833303.

Lakeshore Foundation Welcomes New Board

The team behind Formaggio’s Italian Bistro has added another partner to open a new restaurant in Hoover.

Alfredo Frias and Jim Sarris partnered with Frank Contaldo to open Pazzo Calzone Bakery on U.S. 31 at the intersection of Patton Chapel Road in a former Quizno’s location.

Jay Brandrup, Anne Marie Oberheu, Graham Sisson Jr. and Joel Welker have been nominated to serve four-year terms on the Lakeshore Foundation board of directors.

Lakeshore Foundation is a nonprofit organization that assists physically disabled people in physical activity, sport, recreation and research.

“We are pleased to welcome these new board members who will further strengthen our board of directors as we look toward continued success in pursuing Lakeshore’s mission,” said Jeff Underwood, Lakeshore Foundation president.

Brandrup is the founder and principal of Kinetic, a company that strives to

also mean a lot to him, Rosenberger said.

“I guess my favorite part of coming to work every day is when people say that they and their family have been shopping with us for years. They trust us to always give them our best, and that makes you feel good,” he said.

Rosenberger said a lot has changed in the retail business since his grandfather opened that first store in 1897.

“Retail in general is extremely difficult, but now with the competition from the internet, it can really be tough,” he said.

But Rosenberger said he counts on the hallmarks of his family’s business to give customers what they can’t find online.

“You can talk to a real person and you can touch the product. You don’t

know the quality. You don’t know the people you’re dealing with and if you can trust them,” he said.

Rosenberger said the store belongs to a leather goods association and imports goods directly from manufacturers around the world.

“That allows us to eliminate the middleman, so to speak, and be able to offer high quality pieces and excellent prices,” he said.

And that will continue to be the game plan as Rosenberger and his wife, Ann, settle into running the business from the location at 2712 19th St. South.

“We’re glad to be back in Homewood, and I think our customers will like shopping here,” he said.

For more information on Rosenberger’s Birmingham Trunk, call 870-0971. ❖

Calzone Bakery Opens on U.S. 31 in Hoover

bridge the gap between state-of-the-art technology and customary business models.

Oberheu is the associate medical director of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. She graduated from Northwestern McGaw’s Rehabilitation Institute in Chicago and came to Birmingham in 1988 to work at UAB’s Spain Rehabilitation Center.

Sisson, Alabama’s ADA coordinator and Assistant Attorney General with the state Department of Rehabilitation Services, is a professor at Auburn

University, where he teaches a disability law doctoral course, and an adjunct professor at Birmingham School of Law. Welker has been the president and publisher of the Birmingham Business Journal since 2008. He was advertising director for BBJ’s sister publications, the Atlanta Business Chronicle and the South Florida Business Journal. After moving from Miami to Birmingham, he became a board member for the Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB and the Birmingham Business Alliance. ❖

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Lucas-Armitage

Mr. and Mrs. Cary Gilbreth Beck of Birmingham announce the engagement of their daughter, Marguerite Lee Lucas, to Thomas Henry Armitage, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Jeffrey Armitage of Bainbridge Island, Wash.

Miss Lucas is the daughter of the

Dickinson-Plosser

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Robert Dickinson Jr. of Memphis, Tenn., announce the engagement of their daughter, Mary Taylor, to William McDonald Plosser, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Donald Plosser.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. John Martin Tully

Acres-Bradford

Mr. and Mrs. Louis Brian Long of Vestavia Hills announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Acres, to Thomas Sanger Bradford, son of Mr. and Mrs.

Weddings & Engagements late Mr. William Ray Lucas Jr. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Forest Smith Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn., and Dr. and Mrs. William Ray Lucas of Huntsville.

Miss Lucas graduated from Mountain Brook High School and the University of Virginia, where she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority. She was presented at the Ball of Roses. She is employed at Iberiabank in New Orleans.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Shane Allen of Kent, England, Mrs. Terry Stone of British Columbia, Canada, and the late Mr. Stone, Professor and Mrs. Peter Armitage of Oxford, England, and the late Mrs. Phyllis Armitage.

Mr. Armitage is a graduate of Bainbridge High School and the University of Oregon. He is pursuing a master’s of public health degree at Tulane University.

The wedding is planned for June 1 in Highlands, N.C. and the late Mr. John Martin Tully of Memphis and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Robert Dickinson, of Banner Elk, N.C. Miss Dickinson is a graduate of St. Mary’s Episcopal School in Memphis and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority. She has a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Memphis.

The prospective groom is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Gray Plosser of Birmingham and Mr. and Mrs. John William Straker of Zanesville, Ohio.

Mr. Plosser is a graduate of Mountain Brook High School and Rhodes College, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He is enrolled in the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. The wedding is planned for June 1 at Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis.

Thomas Robert Bradford of Holland, Mich.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of the late Col. Henry Mateny of Prattville and the late Mrs. Geraldine Powers Mateny Hyde of Birmingham.

Miss Acres is majoring in elementary education at the University of Alabama.

She is a member of Delta Zeta sorority and Phi Sigma Theta and Kappa Delta Epsilon honor societies.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Mr. Judson Bradford and Mrs. Catherine Bradford of Holland, Mich., and Mr. Stephen Sanger and the late Mrs. Delphine Sanger of Holland.

Mr. Bradford is a graduate of the University of Alabama, where he was a member of Delta Chi fraternity.

He is employed with Bradford Company The wedding will be May 18.

Send your Wedding and Engagement announcement to: editorial@otmj.com or visit www.otmj.com for forms and info.

Watson-Lukasiewicz

Mr. and Mrs. John DeForest Watson III of Birmingham announce the engagement of their daughter,

Donald-Wahl

Margaret Brooke Donald and Tyler Stephen Wahl were married Nov. 17, 2012 at 6 p.m. at Mountain Brook Community Church. The Rev. Timothy George Kallam and Pastor Jason Edwin Dees officiated the ceremony.

A reception followed at The Country Club of Birmingham.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Hamilton Donald Jr. of Mountain Brook. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Verlon Dale Wilson Sr. and Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Hamilton Donald Sr. of Birmingham.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Gene Wahl of Atlanta.

He is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Gillespie Grist of Kentucky and Mr. and Mrs. Marshall

Fuller-Battles

Mr. and Mrs. David E. Fuller of Winter Park, Fla. announce the engagement and forthcoming mar-

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Amy Elizabeth Watson, to Adam Macgregor Lukasiewicz, son of Ms. Kathleen MacDonald and Mr. Peter Lukasiewicz of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Dr. and Mrs. John B. Morris of Birmingham and Mr. John DeForest Watson Jr. and the late Mrs. Watson of Rainbow City.

Miss Watson is a 2006 graduate of Vestavia Hills High School and a summa cum laude graduate of Yale College. She was selected as a GatesCambridge Scholar and received a master’s degree in history wih honors from Jesus College at the University of Cambridge in England. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society. She is a graduate fellow pursuing a doctorate degree in history

at Yale University. Miss Watson is employed with Yale University.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Dr. Julius Lukasiewicz and the late Mrs. Lukasiewicz of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Alan MacDonald of Toronto.

Mr. Lukasiewicz is a 2006 graduate of Upper Canada College and a 2010 cum laude graduate of Yale College. He received a master’s degree with honors in epidemiology from Imperial College in London, England. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society and a fouryear letterman on the Yale University lightweight varsity crew team.

Mr. Lukasiewicz is attending Yale University School of Medicine.

The wedding will be May 18.

Delano Wahl of Indiana.

The bride was given in marriage by her father. Mallory Elizabeth Johnston of Birmingham served as maid of honor, and Blakely Barnett Barley of Birmingham served as matron of honor.

Bridesmaids were Sara Lynn Been and Meagan Steele Henry of Atlanta; Elizabeth Sumner Brown, Margaret Morrow Burge and Hanna Phillips Nall, all of Mountain Brook; Hannah Sheffield Brown of Lake Forest, Ill.; Claire Tyler Chapman of Fairhope; Sarah Elli Francis of San Diego; Leigh Ellen Landers of Florence; Anna Marie Wells of Jackson, Miss.; and Holly Brooke Williams of Auburn.

Junior bridesmaids were Anna Rose Alexander, Elise Louise Doss, Hannah Grace Doss and Sarah Randall Hydinger, all of Mountain Brook.

The groom’s father was his best man. Groomsmen were Glenn Hamilton Donald III, Jordan Wesley Donald and John Nicholas Grabowski, all of Mountain Brook; Andrew Stanford Dove and Foy Glenn Mann III of Dothan; Mitchell Dean Alvarez, Daniel Robert Dreher, Roland Frank Jackson III, all of Birmingham; Tyler Carlisle Murphy of Montgomery; Stephen Ross Stone O’Neil of Tuscaloosa; and Hunter Gene Wahl of Atlanta.

Ring bearer was Christopher Paul Alexander Jr. of Mountain Brook.

Scripture reader was Louise Saunders Price of Mountain Brook.

Program attendants were Hanna Heisey Been and Susannah Lee Sexton of Atlanta; Margaret Catherine Karras of Valdosta, Ga.; and Hannah Lee Walker of Knoxville, Tenn.

A duet was performed by William Wade Bramlett and Malcolm Wellman McRae of Mountain Brook. Music was by the New Hope Gospel Choir with Rev. Prince Yelder. Vera Britton was on the piano. Other musicians were Jeff Flaniken, first violin; Angie Flaniken, viola; Bonnie Furuto, second violin; and Patty Pilon, cello.

The bride is a graduate of Mountain Brook High School and Auburn University, where she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi, served on the SGA and was a member of several campus honors organizations. She was presented at the Ball of Roses.

The groom is a graduate of Saint James Academy of Montgomery and of Auburn University, where he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, served on the SGA and was a member of several campus honors organizations. He will graduate in May from the University of Alabama School of Medicine and then will begin his surgical residency at the University of Alabama.

The couple live in Homewood.

riage of their daughter, Emily Ann, to David C. “Duke” Battles Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. David C. Battles of Birmingham.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Graham Hildebrand and Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Hadik, all of Sarasota, Fla. and Mr. and Mrs. Bob Fuller of Altamonte Springs, Fla. Miss Fuller is a graduate of Providence Christian Academy in Lilburn, Ga. She will graduate summa cum laude in May from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, receiving both her bachelor’s of business administration degree in accounting and master of taxation.

She is a member of Delta Delta Delta, Beta Alpha Psi, Beta Gamma Sigma and Mortar Board Honor Society.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Wendell M. Jones of Chattanooga, Tenn., Mrs. Frances C. Battles and the late Mr. Olen M. Battles of Gardendale.

Mr. Battles is a 2008 graduate of The McCallie School in Chattanooga, where he was a member of Keo Kio. He will graduate cum laude from Baylor University in Waco in May when he will receive his bachelor’s of business administration degree in business fellows and accounting as well as master of taxation. He is a member of Phi Kappa Chi, Beta Alpha Psi, Mortar Board Honor Society and was selected for membership in the BEST Program.

A June wedding is planned at First Baptist Church in Dallas, after which the couple will begin work in the Dallas office of Ernst & Young.

Beene-Hudson

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Brantsford Beene of Mountain Brook announce the engagement of their daughter, Elizabeth Louisa, to Miles Hildebrand Hudson III, son of Mrs. Nancy Black Hudson of Birmingham and Mr. Miles Hildebrand Hudson Jr. of Claremont, N.C. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Howard Beene of Thomasville, Ga., and Mrs. Walker Owens Colvin and the late Mr. Walker Owens Colvin of

Kemp-Moore

Dr. and Mrs. Roger Williams Kemp of Montgomery announce the engagement of their daughter, Mary Margaret Harris Kemp, to Zachary Neil Moore, son of Mr. and Mrs. Neil Roger Moore Jr. of Meridian, Miss.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. William Monroe Harris Jr. and the late Dr. William Monroe Harris Jr. of Birmingham and Mrs. Franklin Lee Shearin of Montgomery and the late Mr. Richard Ridgely Kemp of Greenville, S.C. Miss Kemp is a graduate of

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 33

Weddings & Engagements

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Sandy Springs, Ga. Miss Beene is a graduate of Mountain Brook High School and the University of Alabama, where she received a bachelor’s degree in speech language pathology and was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority.

She is employed by the Mountain Brook Board of Education and is pursuing a master’s degree in special education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. Rachel Taylor Black and the late Mr. James Harold Black of Rome, Ga., and the late Dr. and Mrs. Miles Hildebrand Hudson Sr. of Valdese, N.C. Mr. Hudson attended Vestavia Hills High School and graduated with honors from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he received a bachelor’s degree in social work and was a founding member of the Eta Psi chapter of Theta Chi fraternity. He was also active in the Student Government Association, serving as a senator his senior year.

He is employed at Birmingham Aids Outreach.

The wedding is planned for June 14 at the Sonnet House in Leeds.

The Montgomery Academy and the University of Alabama, where she received a bachelor’s degree in early childhood special education and was a member of Kappa Delta sorority.

She received a master’s degree in early childhood special education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is employed at the Burkett Preschool Center in Birmingham as a special education teacher.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Dr. and Mrs. Vincent Peter Corbett Jr. of North Hampton, N.H., and the late Mr. and Mrs. Harold William Sawyer of Meridian and the late Mr. Neil Roger Moore Sr. of Meridian.

Mr. Moore is a graduate of Lamar School in Meridian and the University of Mississippi, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business management, played varsity football and was rush chairman of Sigma Chi fraternity. He is employed as an energy analyst and account executive with Southern LED Solutions, a Division of Mitchell Companies of Meridian.

A June 15 wedding is planned at the First United Methodist Church in Montgomery.

Recently engaged, married or celebrating an anniversary?

Let us help spread the word of your good news.

Send your announcement to: editorial@otmj.com or visit www.otmj.com for forms and info.

Hood-Brightwell

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Brian Hood of Birmingham announce the engage-

Hall-Mitchell

Annaclaire Presley Hall of Springdale, Ariz., and Jared Warren Mitchell of Birmingham were married on Jan. 5 at Provine Chapel on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss.

Pastor Tim Peabody officiated the 3 p.m. ceremony. A reception was held at Anderson Hall on the campus of Mississippi College.

The bride is the daughter of Jim and Nora Hall of Springdale. She is the granddaughter of Edward Dodson of Springdale, Jo and Uvalde Lindsey of Fayetteville, the late Lucille Hall of Springdale and the late Gilbert

ment of their daughter, Sara Marie Hood, to James Douglas Brightwell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pope Brightwell III of Montgomery.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Marvin Hood of Atlanta and the late Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Emmanuel Perry of Winter Park, Fla. Miss Hood is a graduate of John Carroll Catholic High School and received a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Alabama, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. She was presented at the 32nd Poinsettia Debutante Ball in 1999. She is a member of the Junior League of Birmingham, the Ballet Guild of Birmingham and 24FPS. She is employed as a development

manager at the Alabama Chapter for JDRF in Birmingham.

The prospective groom is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pope Brightwell Jr. and Mrs. Samuel Douglas Collier and the late Mr. Samuel Douglas Collier.

Mr. Brightwell is a graduate of Trinity Presbyterian School in Montgomery and received a bachelor’s degree in commerce and business administration from the University of Alabama, where he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity.

Mr. Brightwell is employed as a business development manager at Morrow Realty Company in Tuscaloosa.

The wedding is planned for June 8 in Clarkesville, Ga.

Hall of Springdale.

Mrs. Mitchell will graduate in May 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.

The groom is the son of Frank and Sherry Mitchell of Birmingham.

He is the grandson of Bobbie and Dan Johnson of Montevallo, the late Thurman Mitchell of Montevallo, the late D. Anne Patterson Boyd of Birmingham and the late Billy R. Wilson of Birmingham.

Mr. Mitchell will graduate in May 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Christian studies with a minor in psychology.

Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a formal white gown with a demi-sweetheart neckline and a fitted bodice of satin appliquéd in re-embroidered hand-beaded Alencon lace with a natural waist accented by rouched satin. Beaded Alencon lace flowers encrusted the satin spaghetti straps and fitted bodice, delicately gracing the skirt from the waist to the A-line skirt of French tulle into a semi-cathedral length train.

To complete the ensemble, the bride wore a two-tiered veil of soft white illusion, which extended from a bun circle encrusted in the matching lace. The longest layer of the veil flowed beyond the length of the train and was accented by a border of

beaded Alencon lace.

The bride carried a fabric flower and brooch bouquet designed by the bride and her grandmother with brooch gifts from special women in her family. Stems were wrapped with lace from the mother of the bride’s wedding dress.

Maid of honor was Arden Hall, sister of the bride, of Springdale.

Bridesmaids were Ryann Mitchell, sister-in-law of the groom, of Alabaster; Lyndi Tankersley of Madison, Miss.; Meagan Robinson of Kosciusko, Miss.; Kristen Fowler of Clinton, Miss.; and Rachel Reekers of Rock Springs, Wyo. The groom chose his father as his best man. Groomsmen were Jordan Mitchell, brother of the groom, of Birmingham; Will Mitchell, brother of the groom, of Alabaster; Aaron Ammon, Chase Butler and Jordan Middleton, all of Birmingham; and Kyle Carpenter of Sterrett.

Ushers were Ethan Mabie, cousin of the bride; Gray Hall, David Pressley and Cody Perry. Greeters were Britnee Long and Erin Haynes.

Musicians were Mitchell McGinnis, Ethan Helms and Kristie Allen.

After a wedding trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica, the couple live in Clinton.

1901 oxmoor rd homewood, al 35209 205.871.7759

We are excited to announce a new designer to our collection, RIVINI by Rita Vinieris exclusive to Carriage House!

Coming June 2013

34 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

Schools

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

The We the People team at Vestavia Hills High School celebrates a fourth place win in a national competition on the U.S. Constitution.

Journal photo by Keysha Drexel

Constitutional Connoisseurs Vestavia Hills High Team Places Fourth in National Contest

By Keysha Drexel

A

Journal editor

fter three days of simulated congressional hearings on Capitol Hill on the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, a group of students from Vestavia Hills High School was named one of the top We the People teams in the nation.

The Vestavia Hills students won fourth place in the 26th annual We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution National Finals.

The national finals competition was held April 26-29 in Washington, D.C., and was the culminating event of months of hard work by the Vestavia teens, said Amy Maddox, a government and history teacher at the school who teaches the We the People class.

“Winning fourth place at the national level was a huge accomplishment. I always knew these kids had the potential to do it, but if they hadn’t worked so hard, they would have never made it to fourth place,” she said.

We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is an instructional program on the principles of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights for elementary, middle and high school students across the country.

We the People started in 1987 and was developed by the Center for Civic Education.

The program aims to promote understanding of the principles and values on which the nation’s political institutions are based. Participating schools like Vestavia Hills High implement a curriculum that focuses on promoting citizenship education and increasing students’ understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

During the program, the students participate in simulated congressional hearings with community members as judges.

At Vestavia Hills High School, students must try out to be a part of the We the People class.

“It’s really like an audition process. You take a test and get an interview during your junior year to see if you make it in the class for your senior year,” said Brian Stahl, a student in the program.

Students start studying the Constitution and completing assignments for the We the People team even before their senior years begin with summer work required between their junior and senior years.

“It can be pretty intense, but even when it gets hectic, it’s still a lot of fun,” said Rachel Caskey, a student in the class.

There are 23 students in the We the People class, which is taught by Maddox and Jane Schaeffer.

The students earn an Advanced Placement government course credit after successfully completing the class and learn from a We the People textbook.

Throughout the school year, students prepare for competitions by participating in practice rounds, conducting research days and going through dress rehearsals, where they wear their We the People “uniform” of black suits and red dress shirts, Maddox said.

Class members are divided into teams that prepare testimony for a particular area of study related to the Constitution.

When they are preparing for a competition, the hard work and research doesn’t stop after the school day is over, said Kaustubh Udipi, another student in the class, “Between state and nationals, we probably worked to prepare for 20 or as many as 40 hours a week,” he said.

The team qualified to compete in the national finals by winning the state competition on Jan. 18 at Birmingham-Southern College. The annual competition included teams from each state congressional district.

The team won its ninth consecutive state title representing the Sixth Congressional District.

The Vestavia Hills team has finished in the top 10 in six out of the last seven years at the state level competition.

During the national finals, students made oral presentations before a panel of judges, testifying as constitutional experts before the judges, who act as the congressional committee.

During the first two days of the competition, the team competed at George Mason University.

On the second day, the top 10 teams in the nation were announced.

“We had set our goal to reach the top 10 at nationals, so when we made it that far, it was a huge relief,” Udipi said.

On the third day, the team competed in the championship round in the congressional hearing rooms on Capitol Hill.

“It was a great moment when we were announced as the fourth place winner,” Caskey said. “All our hard work had paid off.”

Maddox said while in the nation’s capital, the team was shown some true Southern hospitality by Rep. Spencer Bachus.

“Rep. Bachus and everyone in his office treated the team so well while we were in Washington,” she said. “He took them down and let them sit on the floor of the House of Representatives and during the competition, staffers from his office brought the students water.”

Bachus issued a statement on April 26 com-

mending the team for its accomplishment.

“It takes hard work and commitment to qualify for the We the People national finals,” he said.

Maddox, who also teaches U.S. history at the school, said winning the titles is really nice, but the most rewarding part for her is seeing her students blossom in their knowledge.

“I love to watch them apply what we’ve learned in U.S. history classes and everything they’ve learned as they’ve really immersed themselves in studying the Constitution,” she said.

For Schaeffer, seeing the students get excited about learning is the best part of being involved with We the People, she said.

“They get to take issues in-depth and really study them, and I love to see the kids get excited about what they are learning about the Constitution but also about current events,” she said.

Claskey said the class has not only increased her awareness of the nation’s history but has also made her pay more attention to what’s going on today.

“People ask why we are studying current events in this class, but what I’ve learned is that it’s all related and the Constitution is still so relevant.

We’re still dealing with some of the same issues we’ve studied about in history,” she said.

Stahl, too, said the class has helped make him a more informed citizen and to learn why being an informed citizen is so important.

“Thomas Jefferson believed that an informed citizen is at the heart of a dynamic democracy, and that’s still true today,” he said. “That’s why it’s important for young people, all people, really, to learn about the Constitution and how it works and affects our lives every day.”

Maddox said the students take Jefferson’s view of the importance of being informed very seriously.

“Part of what we really take to heart is the desire to turn out engaged and informed citizens and hopefully, the more engaged and informed they are, the better we will all be in the future,” she said.

Schaeffer said the students have had a positive effect on the rest of the school.

“They are a relatively small group, but I think they inspire their classmates to learn more, to understand more, and that’s powerful,” she said.

Other members of the 2012-13 We the People Team at Vestavia Hills High School are Christian Sitarz, Carrie Clower, Reagan Cline, Patrick Sipe, Aashka Patel, Anna Dennis, Enrico Camata, Daniel Moran, Ami Li, Sisi Zheng, Peter Adamo, Farhan Khan, Luis Jimenez, Hopson Nance, Hannah Skiellum, Botang Ma, Joseph Stahl, Molly Rhodes, Shannon Bewley and Marisa Pierluisi. ❖

School Notes Crestline Students Get Creative with Inventions Crestline Elementary School had its most successful Invention Convention this year, with 62 first through sixth-grade students submitting 39 inventions.

The inventions offered potential solutions for popular pet peeves.

Inventions included flip-flop golf shoes, a “Lazy Robot” that will bring drinks and snacks, and eggs containing the perfect amount of shampoo.

Through the convention, the students got to practice applying their creativity to their problem-solving skills and to practice marketing techniques.

The inventors, their inventions and the awards they received included: Noah Warren, second grade, Lego Math Set, the Ooh-Ahh award; Henry Stallcup, first grade, Lunch and School Wristband, best new application of current technology; Taylor Morris and Laurel Hand, fourth grade, the Spill Stopper, most practical; Cates Lyman and Carolyn Kelly, first grade, Tie Heels, most likely to be sold at Fashion Week; Woody Fipps, third grade, the Eraser Station, most thought-out presentation by a student; Jack Rousell, third grade, the Lego Building Hand, most likely to be produced; Isabella Maldia, fourth grade, the Chair Stopper, best contribution to safety; Wade Loveman and Thomas Renneker, fourth grade, the Lazy Robot, best design; Sally Bussian and Margo Belden, fourth grade, Margo & Sally’s Crackin’ Eggs, judges’ favorite; Alice Monk, Bebe Holloway and Davis Anne Adams, fifth grade, the NoNo Stink, most useful; Key Foster, Henry Skinner and Stephen Malone, fifth grade, the Secret Snacks and Stuff Sneaker, the invention kids want the most; Sanders Oliver, fourth grade, the Fun Box, most attractive design; Lily Knott, fourth grade, Candy Toothbrush and Toothpaste, the I Wish My Parents Would Let Me Have It award and most prolific inventor; Carey Hereford and Paul McMinn, fourth grade, Flipp Golfer, most likely to be seen at the Masters.

Perez Competes in State Geography Bee Saint Francis Xavier School student Jordan Perez earned a spot at the National Geography Bee state competition.

The bee was held at Samford University on April 5.

Perez, a seventhgrade Jordan Perez student, won first place at the geography bee for his school. He also scored high marks on an entrance exam to the state contest.

Schools

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Altamont Student Wins Writing Contest

Veterans who fought in World War II recently visited Homewood Middle School to share their experiences with the students. From left: Darby Wesson, Amanda Bates, Vincent Carnaggio and Marcus Reynolds.

Photo special to The Journal

WWII Vets Share Stories with Homewood Students Eugene Brabston, a U.S. Navy and Army veteran, visited Homewood Middle School on Feb. 20.

Brabston, whose grandchildren Mary Jane Rose and Campbell Brabston are both sixth-grade students at Homewood Middle, served in the Pacific Theater in Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Philippines.

He showed the class his uniform and a 1941 newspaper with articles about the Pearl Harbor attack.

Dr. Vincent Carnaggio, whose grandson Marcus Reynolds is also in the sixth grade at Homewood Middle, visited the school on Feb. 26.

He shared his experiences of enlisting in the U.S. Navy at age 15

and becoming a pediatric doctor after being honorably discharged. He told the students about his service at Leyte Gulf, the Battle at Tarawa and other Pacific battles.

Fourth-graders Delve into History at Deer Valley Students at Deer Valley Elementary School in Hoover have been studying the early history of the United States.

During their study of the Revolutionary War, Alicia Chiaramonte’s fourth-grade students wrote papers explaining why they would have been either a loyalist or a patriot during the war.

The students then stained their papers with tea to give them an aged look.

Inaara Rajpari, a freshman at the Altamont School, won first place in the Senior High Poetry Division of Jacksonville State University’s “Imagining the Holocaust” writing contest.

Rajpari’s poem, “Dreadful Times,” earned her a $100 savings bond and an invitation to read her poem during Inaara Rajpari JSU’s annual Holocaust Memorial Commemoration awards ceremony last month.

The contest, open to all Alabama junior high and high school students, was designed to educate students about the Holocaust’s history and its lingering influence.

Gwin Ambassadors Help Make Wishes Come True The Gwin Elementary School Ambassadors annually raise money on Valentine’s Day by selling Valentine’s grams.

This year, the ambassadors chose the Make-A-Wish Foundation as the recipient of their earnings. The students raised $696 for the foundation.

During the week of Valentine’s Day, the ambassadors sold the Valentine’s grams for 50 cents to be sent to friends,

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 35

36 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

Schools family, classmates and staff. Parents could purchase grams for their children.

The ambassadors gave up their recess time to fill and sort orders. The grams were delivered to classrooms on Valentine’s Day. The Make-A-Wish Foundation helps grant wishes for children with chronic or life-threatening medical conditions.

The Gwin Elementary School Ambassadors raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Front, from left: Abigail Ford, Holly Prince, Addie Knight, Emily Scarborough and Anna Kate Lyda. Middle: Mason Berg, Kaitlyn Hayes and Chloe Arnold.

Back: Sean Huffman, Sarah Corinne Holditch, Greyson Wilkins, Ramey Medders and Emma Burch.

Mountain Brook Team Heading to Nationals

The Mountain Brook High team built a wind-powered kinetic sculpture in the form of a 15-feet-tall giant and created a skit including their art and an invisible character. Their skit was a comic version of “Jack and the Beanstalk” that featured the creation of wind.

Four students who have been Mountain Brook residents for less than two years started the Mountain Brook Destination Imagination team in

January.

The team has seven members, is coached by Trina Feig and Cindy Schultz and is sponsored by Dr. Vic Wilson.

Alex and Catherine Shultz as well as Zach and Ricky Feig were familiar with the competition from their previous schools. They recruited Eddy Yu, James Pewitt and Anna Welden to the team.

--Ivanna Ellis

The Destination Imagination team at Mountain Brook High School will go to Knoxville, Tenn., May 22-25 to compete with other international teams at the Destination Imagination Global Finals.

To make it to the global competition, the team won first place at both the Central Alabama Regional Competition on Feb. 23 and the Alabama Affiliate Competition on April 6.

The Destination Imagination competition is based on creativity.

Teams of five to seven students develop innovative solutions to complex problems.

Photo special to The Journal

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Clockwise from top: Mountain Brook High School students James Pewitt, Ricky Feig, Zach Feig, Catherine Schultz, Anna Welden, Eddy Yu and Alex Schultz with their giant sculpture that they created for the Destination Imagination Global Finals on May 22-25 in Knoxville, Tenn. Photo special to The Journal

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Sports

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Capital Gains

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 37

Rebels, Lions Reach Softball Finals; Baseball Bucs Lose

By Lee Davis

Journal Sports Writer

The Vestavia Hills softball team is headed to Montgomery this week, but it’s not for a tour of the state capitol.

Coach Lissa Walker’s Lady Rebels defeated Hewitt-Trussville 4-1 in the Class 6A North Central Regionals Saturday. The victory sent Vestavia to the state tournament to be held at the Capital City’s Lagoon Park.

Caroline Hardy’s two-run homer in the first inning gave the Lady Rebels an advantage they never yielded.

“The home run got us going in the right direction,” Walker said. “We needed it.”

Earlier that day, Vestavia defeated Hueytown 3-2.

The news was just as good for the Briarwood Lady Lions, who overcame a bizarre loss to Shelby County earlier in the day to reach the Class 5A state tournament, also at Lagoon Park.

Briarwood stopped Valley 1-0 in the South Central Regionals at Troy to make its way to Lagoon Park. The Lady Lions’ Morgan Reed pitched a five-hitter for the winning cause.

The battle stretched into the 12th inning before Briarwood scored the winning run. After Rachel Walz earned a walk, Ashlyn Boyd executed a bunt that advanced Walz. As Walz went to third, a throwing error allowed her to score the game’s only run.

Earlier in the day Briarwood fell to Shelby County 4-3 in perhaps the

Jaguars Announce Athletic Intentions for College

Above: Hoover’s Major Haley (9) turns a double play as Hewitt-Trussville’s Quinn Jackson (7) slides into second. Below: Ian Kirk gets a hit in game one of the series with Hewitt-Trussville. Journal photos by Marvin Gentry

strangest way possible.

In the seventh inning, Reed connected on an apparent three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to give Briarwood the victory. As Reed ran the bases, she accidently missed home plate as she jumped into the arms of celebrating teammates.

Jaselyn Harrison, the Shelby County catcher, noticed that Reed didn’t touch the plate and appealed to

the umpire, who ruled Reed out.

“As the girls were running around the bases, I was watching the plate,” Harrison said. “She missed the plate just enough where you could tell it.”

So the game advanced to extra innings, where Brianna Buie’s solo home run gave the Lady Wildcats the victory.

Oak Mountain was eliminated in Class 6A South Regional play, falling to Thompson 6-2. The Lady Eagles finished with a 33-18 record.

Hoover’s hopes for its first 6A boys’ baseball title since 2008 ended Saturday when the Bucs fell 3-1 to Hewitt-Trussville in the deciding game of a three-game series.

The Bucs opened the series with a 4-0 victory on Friday as Hoover pitcher Geoffrey Bramblett hurled a three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts.

No Husky runner reached second base after the second inning.

Hewitt rallied in the second game, taking a 5-3 verdict that was helped by two Hoover errors and two wild pitches.

The Huskies nailed down the series with a 3-1 win on Saturday.

Hoover finished its season with a 42-18 record.

Several Spain Park High School student athletes were recognized by the school at a signing ceremony on May 1 Students at the signing were: Jordan Ames, swimming, BirminghamSouthern College; Amanda Ballew, softball, Birmingham-Southern College; Haven Eddy, track and field, Belmont University; Trey Hawker, baseball, Huntingdon College; Jalon Hollie, football, Birmingham-Southern College; Hannah Hudson, lacrosse, Birmingham-Southern College; Thomas Laney, golf, Limestone College; Will McDonald, baseball, Florida Gulf Coast University; Ben Olinger, football, Jacksonville State University and Grant Veteto, baseball, Huntingdon College.

Vestavia Hills High Has Five Sign Letters of Intent

From left, front: Calvin Robinson, Western Kentucky; Marcus Ward, Western Kentucky; Gabe Adkins, Samford University; Jamarus Buford, Miles College and Walker Hays, Virginia Military Institute. Back: Vestavia Hills High School football head coach Buddy Anderson.

Birmingham Volleyball Club Team Finishes Second in Tourney

BVC 14-1 team members are, from left, front: Emma Grace Harris, Olivia Portera, Caelis Wendel, Cameron Rueschenberg and Manon Burris.

Back: Shawn Matthews, assistant coach; Emmy Kilgore, Ellie Ritter, Mary Catherine Hart, Avery Kampwerth, Nora Webster and Tien Le, head coach.

The Birmingham Volleyball Club 14-1 Girls Power team finished second overall at the SRVA Southeast Region Volleyball Association’s season-concluding Regionals volleyball tournament at the BJCC last month.

Out of more than 130 teams in the SRVA 14 year-olds girls division, the BVC 14-1 girls finished the season third overall and won an exclusive invitation with first-place finishers A5 Mizuno 14-2 girls to Nationals in Dallas in July.

Mason Schoettlin celebrates his LSCC scholarship signing. From left: mother Karen Schoettlin, LSCC coach David Cook, Mason, father Carl Schoettlin and HHS coach Doug Gann.

Homewood’s Mason Schoettlin Signs with Lawson State Community College to Play Baseball

Homewood High School baseball player Mason Schoettlin signed a scholarship to play baseball at Lawson State Community College on April 10. Mason is coached by Doug Gann and Keith Brown at HHS. The signing was attended

by Mason’s parents Carl and Karen Schoettlin, brothers Kirby and Will Schoettlin, grandfather John Schoettlin and his wife Carolyn, LSCC coach David Cook, HHS faculty, teammates and friends. Mason said he is excited for the opportunity of playing for the Cougars next year.

38 • Thursday, May 16, 2013

Sports

soccer titles,

Oak Mountain’s Wes Sandlin (3) and Vestavia’s Ben Collins (18) compete for a header in the 6A boys’ soccer title match. Below: Vestavia goalkeeper Marvin Castellanos was named the Most Valuable Player.

From page 40

Westminster-Oak Mountain forced Collinsville to the limit before falling 5-1 in the boys’ championship final.

Jarrod Nieves’ penalty kick made the difference for the Rebels in their win over the Eagles.

His concentration was briefly interrupted when a teammate came onto the field just prior to his winning kick attempt.

“I thought maybe we’d already won,” Nieves said later. “But I had to hit that last penalty kick to put it away.”

Vestavia and Oak Mountain battled through regulation play and two overtime periods before penalty kicks made the difference. The Rebels connected on all four of their attempts, while the Eagles missed two.

Appropriately because of the low score, Vestavia goalkeeper Marvin Castellanos was named the Most Valuable Player. He had three saves in regulation action and one stop in the shootout.

“We felt like we had the better team,” Castellanos said. “We just had to prove it on the field.”

The Rebels finished the season 29-1-1. Oak Mountain ended the year 21-3-1.

In its victory over the Oak Mountain girls, Mountain Brook understood the importance of neutralizing Lady Eagle star Toni Payne. The Lady Spartans achieved their objective by earning a shutout.

“Oak Mountain is a good team, and Toni makes them very good,” said Mountain Brook coach Scott Flowers. “We knew if we could shut her down or at least limit their opportunities, we had a chance.”

Lady Spartan midfielder Laura Rice agreed with the strategy.

“We had to make sure Toni wasn’t a factor,” she said. “Our game plan was to play like a team and defend like a team.”

After a scoreless first half, Mountain Brook took the lead on a free kick from Rice. Kayla Dowler got the second goal after a serve from Olivia Lantz.

Payne was philosophical after the game ended.

“I think we all played our best,” she said. “We just didn’t come out on top.”

Mountain Brook finished its season with a 22-3-2 mark, while Oak Mountain ended the year with a 22-4-2 record.

The Lady Spartans’ championship was Mountain Brook’s 150th state title since the school opened its doors in 1966.

Grant Janich sparked Briarwood’s win over St. Paul’s by scoring two goals. His first goal came in the game’s 24th minute, with an assist

by Kyle Kimel. Kimel scored the Lions’ second goal late in the first half, aided by an assist from Conner Lee, to give Briarwood a 2-0 advantage.

Janich’s goal in the 66th minute put the game out of reach.

Lion coach Mark Wallace paid tribute to his 13 seniors after the game.

“The fact we have so many seniors makes this championship even more special,” he said.

The shutout victory earned Briarwood its fourth state 5A boys’ soccer crown. Kimel was named MVP as the Lions ended the season with a 20-5-3 worksheet.

Westminster-Oak Mountain’s Cinderella tale ended in the Class 1A-4A finals, as Garrett Smith scored the Knights’ only goal. Westminster had reached the finals with a stunning upset of UMSWright of Mobile the previous day.

“I couldn’t have asked for better players, a better situation or a better attitude,” said Knights coach Patrick Fitzgerald. “They’ve made history for our school. Our guys opened up a lot of eyes.”

Westminster-Oak Mountain finished the year with a 13-4-4 mark.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Above: Mountain Brook’s Laura Rice (20) dribbles past Oak Mountain’s Antionette Payne (10) in the 6A girls’ soccer championship last Saturday. Below: Oak Mountain’s Sydney Jeter (19) and Mountain Brook’s Nicole Strahl (16) fight for the ball. More photos at otmj.com. Journal photos by Marvin Gentry

Above: Briarwood’s Kyle Kimel was named MVP as the Lions ended their championship season with a 20-5-3 record. Left: Christian Candler looks for room to move.

Thursday, May 16, 2013 • 39

Sports

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

state track, From page 40

place with 126 points, with the Bucs following with 89.5 points. Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills finished third and fourth, respectively.

Not to be outdone, Brittley won the 100-meter and 300-meter runs to pace Hoover to the girls’ state title.

The Lady Bucs totaled 120 points, while Mountain Brook came home second with 96.50.

But the Humphreys weren’t the only Over the Mountain runners to claim victory in multiple events.

Vestavia’s Coy Macoy–who hails from a prominent family in Rebel track history–took wins in the 1600meter and 3200-meter runs.

Spain Park’s Simone Charley won the long jump and triple jump in Class 6A girls’ competition.

Not every area highlight was confined to Class 6A, as Homewood turned in perhaps its best-ever performance in the Class 5A meet.

The Patriots boys and girls both claimed third place finishes overall.

In boys’ competition, Andy Smith finished third in the 3200-meter run, and Logan Sadler was third in the 1600-meter run.

On the girls’ side, Kiara Williams was second in the long jump and triple jump, and Ann Mosely Whitsett was second in the 400-meter run and third in the 800-meter run.

Lady Patriot relay teams also took second place in the 4X100 meter relay and the 4X800 meter relay.

Other top individual finishers among Class 6A boys were Brian Smith, Mountain Brook, second in the discus; Alex May, Hoover, second in the triple jump; Chris Thrasher, Vestavia, first in the pole vault;

Davis,

From page 40

ished second in the 400-meter dash.

Teammate Maggie Hoagland won the 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs, while Morgan Reynolds and Camilla Lemons also turned in key performances.

The Westminster boys had a strong meet as well, finishing a respectable third overall.

Boone’s success in the girls’ events was hardly a surprise. She had dominated the state indoor meet last January at Birmingham’s Crossplex, winning her second consecutive 400-meter dash and 60-meter run titles, breaking her own state record in both events. In outdoor competition, Boone had won three consecutive 300-meter crowns prior to 2013.

“We had high expectations going into this year’s meet,” said Boone, when contacted last week. “But we always have high expectations. It’s just a matter of going out and doing it.”

Boone, whose parents both ran track at Auburn University in the 1970s, said the running experience was much different at the outdoor meet than at the indoor event.

“At the indoor event, it’s much more crowded because you’ve got all the runners from the larger schools

Above: Members of the boys’ and girls Hoover High School track team celebrate. The Lady Bucs claimed the 6A state championship while the boys finished second. Right: Hoover’s Marlon Humphrey took first place in the boys’ 400-meter run, 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles. Left: The Mountain Brook girls track team finished second in the state tournament in Gulf Shores.

Journal photos by Bryan Bunch

Joseph Lee, Vestavia, second in the pole vault; Payton Ballard, Mountain Brook, second in the 1600-meter run; Isiah Johnson, Hoover, third in the javelin throw; Jordan Jones, Hoover, first in the high jump; Payton Ballard, Mountain Brook, second in the 3200meter run; Jake Van Geffen, Oak Mountain, third in the 3200-meter run; Charlie Forbes, Mountain Brook, second in the 110-meter hurdles and

second in the 300-meter hurdles; and Payton Ballard, Mountain Brook, second in the 800-meter hurdles.

Among the top finishers in Class 6A girls were Julia Leonard, Mountain Brook, second in the high jump; Harper Dewine, Mountain Brook, third in the high jump; Emily Stevens, Oak Mountain, second in the 1600-meter run; Jessica Malloy, Mountain Brook, third in the 1600-

meter run; Sarah Sanford, Hoover, second in the 400-meter run; Mary Kathryn Chesebro, Mountain Brook, third in the pole vault; Chloe White, Hoover, first in the javelin throw; Mary Glen Waldrop, Mountain Brook, second in the javelin throw; Cayman Crowder, Vestavia, third in the javelin throw; Virginia Kennedy, Mountain Brook, second in the triple jump; Jessica Malloy, Mountain Brook, second in the 3200-meter run; Ann Sisson, Mountain Brook, third in the 3200-meter run; Anaya Baker, Hoover, third in the 100-meter run; Sarah Sanford, Hoover, third in the

there, too,” she said. “It’s pretty exciting to be there, because you see so many of the runners from Hoover and Mountain Brook and the other bigger programs. Everything is kind of closed in, so you feel the intensity.

“The outdoor meet is a little different. Selma is a small town, so it’s a more laidback atmosphere,” she said.

“So we’re competing with 1A schools and runners that we don’t know much about or see that often. There aren’t many schools in Shelby County as small as we are, so that means that in the outdoor meet, we see runners from schools in other parts of the state.

That’s a good experience, too.”

The success of the Westminster Oak Mountain track and field teams portended a good week for the Knights’ overall athletic program. A few days later, the Westminster Oak Mountain boys’ soccer team reached the Class 1A-4A finals before falling to Collinsville 5-1.

Boone thinks the success of the athletic programs has helped put her school on the map as far as recognition is concerned.

“To have this kind of success in track and soccer is helping people know who we are as a school and what we are all about,” she said. “Everything we do in athletics or anything else is to honor the glory of God and to seek His wisdom in all that we do.”

Despite her success, Boone isn’t taking much time to rest on her laurels.

This week she expected to compete in the state heptathlon at Hoover. In case you didn’t know, the heptathlon comprises the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200-meter dash, long jump, javelin and 800-meter run.

“It’s not totally my cup of tea, but I’m looking forward to competing in it,” Boone said. “My mother got a full ride to Auburn back in her day because

of the heptathlon, so I want to give it a shot. It’s going to be a fun bit of competition.”

Later this month, Boone will compete in the U.S. Elite Junior Stripes Classic in Orlando, Fla. “There’ll be some good competition down there,” she said. “That event’s been around forever, so I’m sure I’ll get a lot out of it looking toward my senior year.”

Boone is already setting goals for

300-meter hurdles; Emily Stevens, Oak Mountain, second in the 800meter run; and Presley Weems, Hoover, third in the 800-meter run.

Standouts in Class 5A boys included Griffin Lee of John Carroll Catholic, who won both the 1600meter and 3200-meter runs. Lee was also third in the 800-meter run.

Another winner in boys’ 5A was Sam Whorton of Briarwood, who took first place in the pole vault.

In girls’ Class 5A, Lauren Granier of John Carroll was second in the 1600-meter run.

In relay competition, Oak Mountain, Hoover and Mountain Brook ran first, second and third respectively in the girls’ 4X800 meter competition.

Vestavia took first in the boys’ 4X800 meter relay, with Mountain Brook finishing third.

Hoover won the girls’ 4X100 meter relay.

her last year at Westminster.

“I’m going to be one of the few seniors on our team, so I want to be a leader by example to the younger girls,” she said. “And I’d like to break some of my records at the state indoor meet.”

The goals are lofty, but Boone and her fellow Knight athletes have already accomplished a lot. They are putting their school in the state’s athletic consciousness.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Thursday, may 16, 2013

Sports

Triple Crowns Rebels, Spartans, Lions Take Soccer Titles; Westminster Falls Just Short

Rebels, Lions Reach Softball Finals; Baseball Bucs Lose P. 37 Signing Day for OTM Athletes P. 37

Humphreys Dominate as Hoover Wins Girls’ Title, Second in Boys’

By Lee Davis

Journal Sports Writer

Mountain Brook’s girls dethroned defending champion Oak Mountain 2-0 to win the Lady Spartans their fourth Class 6A soccer crown. Journal photos by Marvin Gentry

By Lee Davis

I

Journal Sports Writer

s there any doubt where the best soccer in Alabama is played?

Not after Saturday.

It’s as easy as one-two-three, as events at Huntsville’s John Hunt Park proved without a doubt.

Over the Mountain schools brought home three state championships from the state soccer finals, two of them defeating fellow area schools in the process.

And yet another area program

Above: Vestavia’s Jarrod Nieves celebrates the Rebels’ 1-0 win over Oak Mountain in 6A. Below: Briarwood’s Mario Butler rejoices over the Lions 3-0 win over St. Paul in 5A.

proved itself one to watch in the future.

Vestavia Hills defeated Oak Mountain 1-0 to claim its first boys’ Class 6A title since 1995.

Mountain Brook’s girls dethroned defending champion Oak Mountain 2-0 to win the Lady Spartans their fourth Class 6A soccer crown.

In Class 5A, Briarwood routed longtime rival St. Paul’s 3-0 to win its fourth boys’ championship.

And in Class 1A-4A competition, upstart program

The Hoover Bucs may have brought only one team title home from the state Class 6A track and field meet at Gulf Shores on May 4, but there’s no question what family dominated the weekend.

Maybe the Gulf Shores city fathers should rename their town Humphreyville, as Marlon Humphrey and his sister Brittley dominated key events to highlight an impressive weekend for the Buccaneer track team.

Marlon took first place in the boys’ 400-meter run, 110-meter hurdles and 300meter hurdles to lead Hoover to a second place finish.

Auburn claimed first

See soccer titles, page 38

H Hoover’s Brittley Humphrey won state titles in 100 and 300 hurdles

Vestavia’s Mac McCoy finished first in 1600 and 3200-meter runs.

Journal photos by Bryan Bunch

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Big Schools Weren’t Only Winners at State Meets

See state track, page 39

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Lee Davis

oover, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills–among others– had great success at the Class 6A state meet at Gulf Shores on the first weekend in May. But they aren’t the only track and field programs on the Over the Mountain map–not by any means.

And one of the most exciting young programs may be one you’ve never heard of, at least until now.

Westminster Oak Mountain is one of the smallest schools in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Class 1A, but David York it made a huge impression in the classification’s state championship meet at Selma’s Memorial Stadium May 3-4.

The school’s girls’ track team totaled 120 points to easily take the Class 1A championship over runnerup Cedar Bluff. Katie Brooks Boone, a junior, took first place in the 100meter dash, the 200-meter dash and the 300-meter hurdles. She also finSee Davis, page 39