May 30, 2013 by Over the Mountain Journal

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

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

JOU RNAL otmj.com

ursd ay, may 30, 2013

inside Outdoor jazz festival returns to Hoover about town Page 6

V ol . 22 #11

Easy Living on the

Lake

Shoal Creek set to welcome Tour of Champions

news page 10

It’s summertime—almost—and the living is easy. That’s especially true when you have a great getaway like two Over the Mountain families. Anna and Brian Barnes and son Jamison, left, love their minimal-maintenance cottage at Smith Lake. The Rickard family chose Lake Martin for their second home; the swing, in the photo below, is a favorite spot when they’re not on the water. Read more about both families’ retreats, page 20.

Night of Hope benefits diabetes research

social page 12

Journal photo by Lee Walls Jr.

Photo special to The Journal

Vine Arts Graphic Design Grad Starts Canning Business By Keysha Drexel

Journal editor

hile most new college graduates find themselves struggling to find their first jobs and get their careers off the ground, a Mountain Brook resident who graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham earlier this

Mountain Brook’s Amy Clark just graduated from UAB with a degree in graphic design. Now she’s combining those skills with her love for family traditions in a new canning business she’s launched with her sister. Photo special to The Journal

month has already used the skills she learned as an undergraduate to launch a business that has deep roots. As a UAB graduate with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, Amy OTM area has fresh crop of Clark can whip up a farmers markets. mean brochure. And as Page 10 the co-owner of a new farm-to-table canning business, the 38-year-old can also whip out some sweet strawberry preserves. Clark and her sister have started a canning business called Genevines, which means “coming from or off the vine” in French. The company’s products, complete with chic logos and labels designed by Clark, will soon be stocked on the shelves of Birmingham’s Freshfully Market in Avondale and at both the Homewood and Tuscaloosa locations of See vine arts, page 8

Tails in the Trails helps furry, feathered friends

social page 13

Spain Park High wins Scholars Bowl title

schools page 27

Former hoover high drama teacher takes the stage p. 4 • trinity 280 move gets green light p. 11 • All otm baseball/softball teams p. 32

2 • Thursday, May 30, 2013

Opinion/Contents

Young at Heart

murphy’s law

M The Seasoned Performers, the state’s only senior adult theater company, will hold an acting workshop for seniors in June. Photo special to The Journal

From an 83-year-old who still likes to live life in the fast lane to senior citizens who are taking the dramatic route to discovering their inner stage stars, Over the Mountain residents are proving that for many, age really is just a number. On page 24, you can read how Juanita Tant of Riverchase had a wish fulfilled when she took a spin in a Smart Car, and learn about an acting workshop for seniors being offered by The Seasoned Performers in Vestavia Hills.

On otmj.com Amy Clark, from the cover story, shares two canning recipes that offer creative ways to use the fresh produce offered at the farmers markets featured on page 10.

Coming JUne 13

We’ll talk to the Father of the Year and tell you about a special wedding date for an Over the Mountain family.

in this issue About Town 4 People 8 NEWS 10 Social 12

Home 20 weddings 26 schools 27 Sports 32

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

JOU RNAL

May 30, 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 Advertising Sales: Suzanne Wald, Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald Intern: Ivanna Ellis Vol. 22, No. 11

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 Journal

Snacks on a Plane

Now, some seatbacks are equipped y last flight was dry roastwith TV monitors so you can watch ed. I’d hoped for honey random movies in a six-inch format. A roasted, but these days, few airlines still come by mid-reel with you take what you get. complimentary juice and soft drinks In truth, I was lucky to get any kind and will toss you a pro bono packet of of snack. A friend of mine was recently peanuts (or pretzels if there are peanut on an eight-hour flight that only offered allergies looming), but some companies food for purchase, and the cart ran out make you pull out your credit card to at row 34. She was in row 40. Too bad. get anything at all. In the older Mad Men days, flying Frequent flyers have adapted by was a stylish, sophisticated adventure. bringing their own snacks. They pick You arrived at the airport wearing a suit up pre-packaged sandwiches in the and heels, your luggage was whisked airport, bring a tin of Snickerdoodles away by a uniformed skycap and your from home. Still, mealtime is not that companions waved their tearful goodenjoyable because less experienced pasbyes next to the plane. Once on board, Sue Murphy sengers (the gum and mint crowd) stare you were greeted by a smiling stewlongingly at your every mouthful. ardess (translation: flight attendant Strange as it may With a little more organization, also dressed in suit and heels) who the airlines could solve the problem later served you cocktails and a full seem, I’m one of by instituting a pre-flight signup course meal. those people who sheet: Flight 5340–bring a dish. Now flying is an entirely differ1-15, main dish, seats 16-30, ent adventure, where you arrive two liked having a meal Seats dessert, although I don’t know what hours early to get through security, schlep your own bag (or pay $25 to on the plane. I loved they could actually bring given the that it can’t be kept cold (no check it) simultaneously juggling a the little non-lethal fact refrigerator) or hot (no chafing dish $5 mega-cup of airport iced tea. I get the fact that the airline’s silverware, the tiny sterno), and you can’t have anything that needs to be cut with a knife or main job is to get you to your dessalt and pepper sharp-tined fork, so we’re down to tination safely, and I don’t know how many amenities passengers are shakers, the little room temperature finger foods or camping meals if the entitled to at 10,000 feet, but the fact dabs of butter and freeze-dried flight attendant would be so kind as that the perks of the past have been to boil some water in her bungeed ejected somewhere over El Paso jam. coffee pot. makes frequent flyers a little cranky. Freeze-dried beef stroganoff Strange as it may seem, I’m one and a glass of Airline Bordeaux? Not exactly dinner at of those people who liked having a meal on the plane. Sardi’s, but it would be something. I loved the little non-lethal silverware, the tiny salt and For a touch of class, you could add cloth napkins, a pepper shakers, the little dabs of butter and jam. The flameless candle to stick on your flip-down tray. food wasn’t terrific, but I didn’t expect it to be. The onBringing back the days of stylish flying won’t be flight kitchen is only two feet across. They have to strap easy, but it could be done. I’ll bring the Brie and crackin the coffeepot. Still, the little plate of…whatever…was ers, but if you want someone to wear a suit and heels, a nice diversion during those eight hours you were staryou’ll have to do it yourself. ❖ ing at the seatback in front of you.

over the Mountain Views

Where would be your dream location for a vacation home?

“I would have to say Hawaii. It looks like a beautiful place, and I’ve never been there.”

“It would definitely be in Jamaica. The vibe there is happy and free, and it’s just a beautiful place.”

“Morocco. That’s where I’m from originally, and it is the most beautiful place in the world.”

Barry Holcomb Hoover

Jessica Jorgenson Homewood

Mounir Khalid Mountain Brook

“I travel a lot, and I always enjoy traveling to Spain. The southern part of Spain would be a good place for a vacation home.” Youness Allali Hoover

AFTER

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Thursday, May 30, 2013 • 3

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

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Over the Mountain Journal - Full Page (10.375 x 12.5)

4 • Thursday, May 30, 2013

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

By Keysha Drexel

Journal editor

hen Sandra Taylor returns to the stage May 30 to lead a cast that represents a veritable who’s who of Birmingham-area actors, it will be a homecoming of sorts for the retired theater teacher. Taylor, who retired from Hoover High School in 2005 after teaching theater in the Birmingham area for 30 years, will join some of her former students when she treads the boards in City Equity Theatre’s production of the Tony Award-winning “August: Osage County” May 30-June 9. “Doing this production is like coming full circle,” the Homewood resident said. “I’m being reunited with some of my former students, and I’m taking on what is probably the most challenging role I’ve ever played.” In Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prizewinning dark comedy, Taylor plays the role of Violet Weston, a sharptongued woman who has several addictions and is dying of cancer. With a large cast of eccentric relatives, the play shows how a dysfunctional family must confront its present and its past. But unlike her character’s journey into the past, Taylor said the production has brought up some of her most cherished memories from her career as a theater teacher. “When I was teaching those kids, those were some of the best years of my life, and I had a ball doing it,” she said. “We did some wonderful theater, and it’s been such a blessing to watch them grow into professionals. I’ve got kids everywhere now.” One of those “kids” is City Equity co-founder Alan Gardner, who was Taylor’s theater student at W.A. Berry High School in Hoover. Hoover High School replaced Berry High School when it was built in 1994. “I remember it just like it was yesterday. Alan was this little tow-headed blonde boy in my class, and I called him up to my desk one day and told him that UAB was looking for drama students,” Taylor said. “Now he’s all grown up, a professional actor, and I’m acting in his theater company.” Gardner, the theater director at Vestavia Hills High School, said he is happy to be working with his former teacher. “It’s wonderful to work with her again. I’ve known her since I was 17 years old when I took her beginning acting class as a senior at Berry High School,” he said. After Gardner won a scholarship to UAB to study theater, he and Taylor worked together on his first college production in 1986. “I was a guest director in Alan’s first college production and was casting the show and in walks this dynamite young actress named Carolyn Messina,” Taylor said. Messina plays Taylor’s daughter in “August: Osage County” and said she feels privileged to be able to work with Taylor and Gardner again. Messina said a recent rehearsal of the play at UAB’s Bell Theatre gave her a pleasant feeling of deja vu. “To walk into Bell auditorium

Retired Hoover High School theater teacher Sandra Taylor returns to the stage in the lead role in City Equity Theatre’s production of “August: Osage County.” The cast includes several of Taylor’s former students. From left: Dane Peterson, Leah Luker, John McGinnis, Gracie Brazeal, Carolyn Messina, Ron Dauphinee, Taylor, Tam DeBolt, Edwin Booth, Jessica Clark, Julie Steward, Patrick Ian McCall and Brad Riegel. Photo special to The Journal

Coming Full Circle

Teacher, Students Reunite for Theater Production for our first reading of this play and there’s Alan and Sandra at the table on the stage where we really all first met all those years ago, it kind of felt like coming home,” Messina said. “It was like we just picked up where we left off, seamlessly.” And while Taylor was never Messina’s official teacher, the 45-year-old professional actress said she got the same feeling rehearsing with Taylor now as she did 27 years ago. “It was just like being 18 years old again and walking into an audition with Sandy Taylor where you know she means business but at the same time, she is so warm and welcoming,” Messina said. “It was like picking up right where we left off.” Messina, who after graduating from UAB worked with Taylor in a show at the Terrific New Theatre, said even those who had never been her students gravitated towards Taylor for advice and help. “She’s the consummate professional but also at the same time, she gives you this freedom to create, and no matter what age you are, she makes you feel like a valid person,” Messina said. “We used to quote her and mimic her, all out of pure love and respect and admiration.” “August: Osage County” has also provided the means for another special reunion for Taylor. The production’s set designer, Nicole Allen, was the technical director on the show Taylor directed starring Gardner and Messina at UAB back in 1986. Allen also worked with Taylor at Hoover High School as a technical director in the theater department. “I’ve known her since she was a child attending the Alabama School of Fine Arts, and it was so good to know she was designing this set because I’m blind in one eye and in one scene, I have to go down a long flight of stairs, and Nicole knows me well and designed those stairs to make it as easy as possible for me,” Taylor said. Taylor said she has also turned to her former students at City Equity to help her as she takes on the daunting task of bringing Violet Weston’s character to life.

“I was nervous about returning to the stage because it was two or three years ago the last time I did a production. Just the other day, I asked Alan to help me with a couple of scenes, and I’ve been bouncing ideas off of Carolyn, too,” she said. “This is not something I’m just tap-dancing through--it’s hard work.” But even though it is a challenging endeavor, Taylor said she believes she was supposed to play the role in the City Equity Theatre production.

August: Osage County

When: May 30 - June 9 Where: Virginia Samford Theatre Details: City Equity Theatre’s production of the Tony Awardwinning play. Tickets are $25-$30; student tickets are $5. Tickets can be purchased online at www. cityequitytheatre.org More info: www. virginiasamfordtheatre.org or 251-1206. “I don’t believe in coincidences, and it’s no coincidence that this show has brought so many people back together again,” she said. “Before I auditioned, I turned it over to God, and I really believe I’m supposed to be doing this.” And two or three years has been almost too long to be away from the stage, Taylor said. “It gets in your blood and it becomes your passion. You learn that you can take the printed work of a playwright and breathe life into their characters and then have someone sit and respond to what you’re doing. It’s the ultimate in communication, and it puts a fire in your belly,” she said. But growing up in Dadeville in rural Tallapoosa County, Taylor said she never dreamed that theater would be her life’s passion. “I was a country girl. I lived in a small town in the late 1940s and ’50s, and my school didn’t have a drama department,” she said. “At that point, a life in the theater was the furthest thing from my mind.” But Taylor did know she had a gift for gab and an outgoing personality.

“There are a lot people who will say that I came into this world acting-whether that was acting up or acting out,” she said. “I was very much the extrovert growing up and loved to be the center of attention.” After high school, Taylor went to Auburn University and took a public speaking class that changed the course of her life. “I sort of found myself at Auburn, and that was the class that started me off on this adventure,” she said. Taylor majored in speech and worked on campus radio and television shows with the goal to get into broadcasting after graduation. “I finished at Auburn in 1963 and back then, there weren’t a lot of women on television and it was a very competitive environment,” she said. So Taylor decided to answer an ad for a speech teacher at Jordan High School. During that interview, the principal asked Taylor a question that would lead her to a life in theater. “The principal said, ‘Yes, we need a speech teacher, but do you know anything about drama?’ and I remember telling him, ‘No, but I can learn,’ and the rest is history, my history, my life,” she said. “That was 1964, and I’ve been studying and learning about theater ever since.” To prepare for her new role as a drama teacher, Taylor traveled to what was then called Howard College for a summer workshop for theater teachers. “At that point, I was just trying to learn enough to stay one step ahead of the kids I was supposed to be teaching,” she said. Taylor threw herself wholeheartedly into learning everything she could about theater and spent school breaks and summer vacations working apprenticeships and taking on roles in community theater projects. “There was a lot of opportunity to learn by doing,” she said. After a few years teaching high school, Taylor said, she wanted to get more formal training in theater, so she starting pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Alabama with the goal of teaching theater at the college level.

But after getting her master’s degree and teaching at a college in South Carolina, Taylor said she realized being a university teacher wasn’t what she wanted to do after all. “And of course, there’s always a boy involved, isn’t there? In South Carolina, I had fallen in love with a man who wanted to be an actor, and I wanted to teach. We had different goals, and it didn’t work out. I was homesick and heartbroken, and so I came back home to Alabama,” she said. After returning to the Birmingham area, Taylor took a job as an English and speech teacher at Berry High School in Hoover, but she missed teaching drama and thought about quitting early. “I called the principal to resign and when he asked me why, I told him I wanted to teach theater, so they started out letting me teach one theater class a day in a hot school gym,” she said. “I ended up teaching theater all day long, and when they built the new school, they built a fabulous new theater.” And that theater was named in Taylor’s honor. “I have a great deal of respect for the Hoover school system and the excellent work they do there for the kids,” she said. “Hoover gave me a chance, and for that, I will always be grateful.” During her 20-year tenure in Hoover, Taylor also gave a lot of kids that same kind of chance to shine. “My main goal was always to help them believe in themselves,” she said. “When a teacher knows her subject matter and believes in a child and helps that child believe in themselves, anything is possible, the moon is possible.” Taylor said she taught her students about the risks and potential pitfalls of pursuing a life in the theater. “I always told them that if they could be happy doing anything else professionally to do that, because it can be such a hard, difficult life,” she said. “But if I knew that a child would be miserable doing anything else but theater, I told them to go for it, go for it, go for it,” she said. Gardner said that “go for it” mentality is among the most important lessons Taylor has taught him. “She taught me that the greater the risk, the greater the reward,” he said. “And there is never a substitute for simple, straightforward hard work.” But Taylor said it wasn’t just her students who were learning a lot during those years in the high school classroom. “I wouldn’t be who I am today without those kids and what they taught me,” she said. “In the same way that I saw potential in them and encouraged them to find themselves and live up to their potential, they helped me find myself and to find my purpose.” Taylor said as a teacher, she always felt a bit like a mama bird watching her young charges fly from the nest under their own power, worrying and wondering where they might land next. “And sometimes where they land surprises even me,” she said. See Taylor, facing page

Save the Date Homewood

Brookwood Live! May 30, 5-9 p.m. Colonial Brookwood Village Hear live music from the Fountain City Players during Brookwood Live! at Colonial Brookwood Village May 30. The show kicks off at 5 p.m. and wraps up at 9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 871-0406. Birmingham

The festival will run from 7-11 p.m. on Friday and 4-8 p.m. on Saturday. The event will feature more than 200 individual beers, including many rare, specialty and cask ales new to Alabama. Music will be provided by Red Mountain and The Old Paints on Friday and The Stop and India Ramey on Saturday. General admission tickets are $34.50 in advance or $40 on festival days. VIP tickets are available for $85 each. Sloss Furnaces is at 20 32nd St. North in Birmingham. For more information, visit www.magiccitybrewfest.com or call 531-5085.

Magic City Brewfest May 31-June 1 Sloss Furnaces Presented by Free the Hops, the seventh annual Magic City Brewfest will be May 31-June 1 at Sloss Furnaces.

Hoover

Taylor,

and less music, art, dance and theater classes in public schools. “We have to keep the arts in the schools,” she said. “There’s so much more to education than reading and writing and math.” As a theater teacher, Taylor said she saw arts education totally turn around more than a few troubled teens. “I’ve seen belligerent, lost kids with no self-esteem that are following the wrong path get involved with a play or learn to play an instrument or to paint, and they find a purpose and hear that applause and they feel good about themselves,” she said. “That alone shows the value of keeping the arts in our public schools.”❖

from previous page

A few years ago, Taylor went to see a Broadway play, and it was only after she got back to her hotel room and was looking at the playbill that she realized one of her former students was in the ensemble. “You never know where these talented students will end up, and it’s always wonderful to hear about them going on and working professionally,” she said. As someone who is passionate about both education and theater, she is worried that some schools are cutting back on fine arts and offering less

Thursday, May 30, 2013 • 5

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Free Friday Flicks May 31 Veterans Park After 19 years at Homewood Park, Free Friday Flicks is moving to a new

pianist and vocalist Frank McComb. McComb will give a special performance in support of the Rev. John T. Porter Minority Scholarship at Samford. The one-night performance will be a solo “living room-style” concert. Prelude tickets also include admission to The Preserve Jazz Festival on June 2. Reserved seats are $50 with a pre-show reception included for $75. Tickets are available online at www.samford.edu/ wvsu or by calling 726-2853.

home at Veterans Park on Valleydale Road in Hoover. Grab a blanket and come early for a picnic. The free movies start at dusk. For the rain schedule, follow @BYMovieParties on Twitter. On May 31, “Brave” will be the featured movie. “Ice Age Continental Drift” will be the free movie on June 7. Homewood

Preserve Jazz Prelude June 1, 7 p.m. Brock Recital Hall Organizers of The Preserve Jazz Festival, WVSU and Samford University will bring the third annual Preserve Jazz Prelude to Brock Recital Hall on June 1 at 7 p.m. for an intimate evening with

will exhibit their works of art at the 11th annual Art in the Gardens at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover June 1-2. Close to

HANNA

Hoover

Art in the Gardens June 1-2, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Aldridge Gardens Talented artists from all over the state

ANTiquEs MAll

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MONEY-SAVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IDEAS

GIVE YOUR ENERGY BILL A VACATION, TOO. To: From: Date:

323-6014 Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 May 2013

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if we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.

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6 • Thursday, May 30, 2013

About Town 60 participants will compete for category and best of show awards in this juried, open-air show. Off-site parking and shuttles will be available. Aldridge Gardens is at 3530 Lorna Road. For more information, visit aldridgegardens. com or call 682-8019. Birmingham

Elementary School Reunion June 1, 4 p.m. Home of Ken Bush Organizers are looking for those who were students at Central Park Elementary School from 1951-1959 for a reunion at 4 p.m. on June 1 at the home of Ken Bush. The reunion aims to bring together those who were part of the 1959 graduating class at the elementary school. For more information and to make reservations, call Ken Bush at 515-2125, Frank Haynie at 369-7359, Jenny York Roberts at 541-2494 or Vicki Wallace Dunn at 999-5208 or send an email message to Ken.bush@live.com. Hoover

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Ross Bridge Spring Market June 1, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Ross Bridge Village Green The Ross Bridge Spring Market on June 1 will offer a day of shopping with crafts, artwork, produce, handmade items, pet vendors and more. The event runs from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on the Ross Bridge Village Green. The event will also include kids’ activities and live music. Leashed, friendly pets are welcome. The Ross Bridge Welcome Center is at 2101 Grand Ave. in Hoover. For more information, call 951-0412.

Birmingham

Vulcan’s 109th Birthday Bash June 2, noon-4 p.m. Vulcan Park and Museum The Vulcan Park and Museum will host Vulcan’s 109th Birthday Bash from noon-4 p.m. on June 2. The event will celebrate the world’s largest cast iron statue with a festive outdoor community celebration with activities for the whole family. Admission is $3 for ages 5 and older; those 4 and younger and Vulcan members get in free. The price includes admission to the birthday party, Vulcan’s observation tower, the museum and a special exhibition in the Linn-Henley Gallery. For more information, visit www. visitvulcan.com or call 933-1409.

D prOOF from the Over The MOunTain JOurnal for the May 30, 2013 ssue. please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

ake sure all information is correct, including address and phone number! please initial and fax back within 24 hours.

rd from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.

Thank you for your prompt attention.

jazz man Hoover

The Preserve Jazz Festival June 2, 4 p.m. The Preserve Spyro Gyro is headlining the seventh annual Preserve Jazz Festival in Hoover June 2. The outdoor jazz festival is held each year on the weekend after Memorial Day. Doors open at 3 p.m., and performances begin at 4 p.m. Eric Essix, left, the Good Times Brass Band, Kim Scott, Alex Bugnon and others are scheduled to appear. General admission tickets are $40 and VIP tickets are $125, plus a small processing fee. An overnight jazz package is also available through the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa, which includes hotel accommodations, breakfast, parking and festival general admission tickets. Children 12 and younger are admitted free. For more information, visit www.preservejazz.com.

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 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. Birmingham

Babysitting Training Course June 4-5 Levite Jewish Community Center The American Red Cross will present a newly-revised babysitting training course at the LJCC June 4-5. The course is fun and fast-paced with handson activities and lively discussions. Participants learn how to make smart decisions and stay safe in babysitting situations. They will learn pediatric CPR and first aid and how to perform basic child care skills like diapering and feeding. The fee is $85 for the first day or $140 for both days. Participants should bring a lunch, snack and drinks. To register, visit www.redcross.org or call 800-733-2767. Hoover

tiques@bellsouth.net Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646, fax 205-824-1246 3

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Fred Spicer, executive director of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The day will end with a short tour of The Gardens, including the hydrangeas and three beehives. Registration Fred Spicer is $60 and includes the five lectures, a box lunch, a tour and door prizes. For more information or to register, visit www. alabamahydrangeasociety.org. Birmingham

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 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 ended on May 23. Registration is $90 on site. Oneday registration is $30 and is available on site only. For more information, visit www.hotrod.com or call 877-413-6515.

“Little Mermaid” June 6-16 Levite Jewish Community Center Theatre LJCC will present Disney’s “Little Mermaid” June 6-16. Adapted from Disney’s 2008 Broadway production, the musical will feature hit songs like “Part of Your World” and the Oscar-winning “Under the Sea” at the 3960 Montclair Road location. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on June 6 and 13, 8 p.m. on June 8 and 15 and 2 p.m. on June 9 and 16. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.bhamjcc.org or call 879-0411.

Birmingham

Alabama Hydrangea Society Symposium June 6, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens The Alabama Hydrangea Society will host a symposium on hydrangeas on June 6 from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Tallard Dillard, an Atlanta-based designer, speaker and author, will guide those attending in using hydrangeas in landscapes. Dr. Warner OrozcoObando from the University of Florida will also speak at the event, along with

Viva Health Starlight Gala June 6, 7 p.m. Alys Stephens Center The Viva Health Starlight Gala featuring Amy Grant and Vince Gill will be at 7 p.m. on June 6 at the Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South, Birmingham. Premium seating tickets for the performance and an elegant preshow reception are $125 each. Regular seating and the pre-show reception tickets are $85 each. For more information, visit http://alysstephens. uab.edu/events or call 975-2787.

Hoover

Battle of the Teen Bands June 7, 6-8:30 p.m. Hoover Public Library Hear the tunes of local bands as they compete for prizes in the 10th annual Battle of the Teen Bands at the Hoover Public Library. The event is June 7 from 6-8:30 p.m. in the Library Theatre. Admission is free. The library is at 200 Municipal Drive. For more information, visit www.hooverlibrary.org or call 4447826. Hoover

Conquer the Tower June 7, 6-8:30 p.m. Riverchase Galleria Tower Go over the edge for wellness in the Baptist Health Foundation’s Conquer the Tower fundraiser on June 7. A donation of $1,000 to benefit community health and wellness programs will allow participants to rappel down the Galleria Tower. Only a limited number of spots remain. Companies and organizations can band together to “Toss Your Boss” and have them rappel down the tower. For more information and to register, visit www.conquerthetower.com. To pay with check or cash, call Marcia Twitty at 243-2943. Homewood

Lakeshore’s Amazing Race June 8, 8 a.m.-noon Lakeshore Foundation Modeled after the popular television show, the Lakeshore Foundation’s Amazing Race will kick off at 8 a.m. on June 8 with teams of four racing throughout the foundation’s 45-acre campus completing interactive challenges and competing for the grand prize. For individual teams with four members, the entry fee is $500 a team or $125 per person. For corporate teams, the fee is $500 for a team of four. The event raises money for programs at the Lakeshore Foundation, 4000 Ridgeway Drive. For more information, visit www.lakeshore.org or call 313-7436.

bluegrass in the forest Vestavia Hills

Outdoor Summer Concert Series June 14, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest The Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest will kick off its Outdoor Summer Concert Series with a performance by Rollin’ in the Hay on June 14. The free event is from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Bring lawn chairs to enjoy the music of the band that has been described as high-octane renegade bluegrass. For more information, visit www.vestavialibrary.org or call 978-4678.

Christian Church, 4954 Valleydale Road. The event runs from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. each day and will include a covered dish lunch. The event will include three days of Southern hospitality, fellowship and shape note singing from the Sacred Harp Hymnal, originally published in Georgia in 1844. Buell Cobb and others will perform. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/dxjqcvq or call 8791909. North Shelby

Shades Valley High School Class of 1983 Reunion June 14-15 Fox and Hound Restaurant/Marriott Birmingham The Shades Valley High School Class of 1983 will have its 30th reunion June

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Thursday, May 30, 2013 • 7

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

learn italian and visit italy with a native italian!

after that. For more information, visit

www.bbgardens.org learn italian and visit italy with a native italian! or call 414-3950. June 8, 5- 8 p.m.

St. Vincent’s One Nineteen • Tailored Lessons for all ages North Shelby St. Vincent’s One Nineteen will host National Sacred Harp Singing Individual or Group Lessons a Block Party• and Health Festival from Convention 5-8 p.m. on• June 8. The family-friendly Flexible Scheduling and Pricing June 13-15, festival will feature the music of Back email: andrea.iltraino@gmail.com 9:30 a.m.-2:30 in Time, the sounds of the Double p.m. Cell phone: (305)876-3040 • www.learnitalianinalabama.com Feature Band with Cathy Palmer, a First Christian demonstration from the Flyball Dogs Church and free Zumba, spinning and hula The 34th hoop classes. There will also be free annual National chair massages, free health screenings Sacred Harp and information booths from local Singing organizations and physicians’ offices. Convention will The event will include a kids’ zone with be held June moonwalks and face painting. For more 13-15 at First Buell Cobb information, visit www.onenineteen.com or call 408-6000.

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Foods from Around the World June 10, 6 p.m. Homewood Public Library The first in a series of Foods from Around the World with Chef E will at 6 p.m. on June 10 in the To: be held Andrea Homewood PublicMountain Library’s large From: Over The Journal, 205-823-9646 ph., auditorium. This sessionfax will feature 205-824-1246, healthy Italian cuisine. Chef E will teach Date: May 2013 participants how to create delicious and hearty Italian including cooking from the Over The MOunTAin JOurnAl for the Thisfoods, is your AD prOOF techniques forMay diabetics. The event 30, 2013 issue. please fax approval or changes to 824-1246. will also include recipe giveaways and prizes. For more information, visit www. homewoodlibrary.org or call 332-6600.

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

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Mint Mixology please initial and fax back within 24 hours. June 13, 6-8 p.m. if we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, Birmingham your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday. Botanical Thank you for your prompt attention. Gardens Raise the bar For more information go to JamesHarwell.com on your cocktails and come and learn the secrets of a master 2011 Sales Associate bartender when of the Year the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Junior Board presents Mint Mixology from 6-8 p.m. on June 13. Participants will learn how to make a mojito. Over the Mountain Office 1220 Alford Avenue • 205.281.4731

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14-15. The June 14 event will be at the Fox and Hound Restaurant. The July 15 event is at the Marriott Birmingham on U.S. 280. The cost is $125 for a couple and $75 for a single for both nights. Leg warmers and other 1980s gear are optional. To sign up to attend, visit http://SVHS1983.reunionmanager.com. For more information, email David. bivin@pinpointinc.com. North Shelby

Attracting Wildlife to Your Backyard June 15, 10 a.m. Oak Mountain State Park

Head out to Oak Mountain State Park to learn how to attract wildlife to your yard. Learn the best way to attract the right kind of wildlife and make a bird feeder. Participants should meet at the Campground Pavilion. The program starts at 10 a.m. and is free after park admission, which ranges from $1-$3. Oak Mountain State Park is at 200 Terrace Drive in Pelham. For more information, call 620-2520. ❖ Send information for About Town to kdrexel@otmj.com

8 • Thursday, May 30, 2013

vine arts, From page 21

Alabama Goods. Genevines’ artisanal canned goods and screen-printed T-shirts, aprons and baby onesies will also be on sale at Pepper Place Saturday Market beginning in June. “To be able to combine what I learned in the fine arts program at UAB with trying to revive canning, which I think is a dying art, is something I feel so blessed to be able to do,” she said. “I feel incredibly lucky.” But it wasn’t just luck that led Clark to heading up her own business with a brand-new degree under her belt. The daughter of Tim Clark, the pastor at Brookwood Baptist Church, Clark graduated from high school and went to a community college in Kentucky for about a year. She didn’t finish because at that point, she said, she still hadn’t figured out what she wanted to do as a career. “I just didn’t know what I wanted to study or what career I wanted to pursue, so after about a year, I decided to quit because I felt like I was wasting time and money,” she said. After that, Clark tried beauty school and then worked in restaurant management for a while. “I’m literally a beauty school dropout. After about a year of that, I knew it wasn’t for me, so I spent a good while managing restaurants. I was still trying to figure out what my passion was,” she said. When her father was working as a pastor in Knoxville, Tenn., Clark worked as an administrative assistant at his church. That’s where she first got the idea

Tim Clark tends to the garden where the fruits and vegetables used for Genevines are grown. Photo special to The Journal

So the Clarks packed up and moved to Alabama, arriving at their new home on Jan. 1, 2009. “When we moved here, I finished my prerequisite classes at Jefferson State (Community College) and then enrolled at UAB,” she said. While studying at UAB, Clark and her sister, Abby Sellers, helped their mother and father in a garden they started on property they own near

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for a career in graphic design. “I wanted to make all these great flyers and programs for the church and for our programs there, but I just didn’t know how. I had zero skills that would let me do what I wanted, so I wanted to learn. That sparked my interest in graphic design,” she said. Around that time, Clark’s father got a job offer as pastor at Brookwood Baptist and said he’d accept the position if his whole family could come with him.

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Forestdale. The family has always grown vegetables and had farm animals no matter where they lived, Clark said. During the 11 years the family lived in rural Kentucky, they also kept sheep, Clark said. “My mother and father have always grown vegetables, and we always helped them. It was just part of our family life,” she said. “I remember one time in Kentucky, my dad came home with a herd of sheep. Neither of my parents knew a thing about raising sheep, but my father ended up producing and selling sheep’s milk cheese. They just dove into it and loved it.” Her father even went to Scotland to serve as an apprentice to a master cheese maker who gave him his treasured recipes and blessings to produce and sell sheep’s milk cheese in the United States, Clark said. Clark said she also has fond memories of working on her grandparents’ farm and learning canning from her parents and grandparents. “My granny and pawpaw spent many hours putting up garden goodness each year,” she said. “Every time I make and can a batch of half-runner green beans or some apple butter, it brings me closer to the practices of my ancestors.” Clark said she is deeply interested in the traditional practices that surround Southern families and rural cultures and wanted to use those influences to establish a personal connection to her art. That desire to connect with the domestic arts perfected by her family was something Clark first explored using the graphic design skills she was learning at UAB. For one of her school projects, Clark started a ‘zine, or small selfpublished magazine, on canning. The publication talked about the process of canning and offered helpful hints

for beginners, along with recipes. “Everybody kind of went crazy over it, and that made me start thinking about how I could combine those two things--canning and my design degree--to do something when I finished my degree,” she said. So in her sophomore year at UAB, Clark started brainstorming with her sister on how to blend those two talents into a tasty small business rich with family heritage. “We came up with the name of Genevines pretty early on,” Clark said. “It was my grandfather’s pet name for my grandmother, and then we found out that it means ‘coming from or off the vine’ in French, and it just all fit. The company’s name has several layers of deep meaning to me. It reminds me of my grandparents, where I come from and gives the connotation of passing something down from generation to generation.” Within the last month, things have started moving quickly for the new company, Clark said. Now, Clark and her sister, who is finishing up culinary school and works as a chef at Birmingham’s Todd English P.U.B., are working on setting up a kitchen at their family’s property in Forestdale. Clark said her family’s support has been phenomenal, and she knows she can continue to count on them as she moves forward with the company. “It’s a true family effort, from growing the produce to canning it to getting it ready for the store shelves,” she said. “I feel really blessed to be able to do this with the people I love.” For now, Clark said Genevines will specialize in small-batch artisanal foods, teaching canning classes and catering small events. “It took me a long time to get here, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is where God wants me to be and this is what he wants me to do,” she said.❖

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People Notes McCoy Earns Eagle Scout Rank with Troop 69 Ralph Roger McCoy III of Vestavia Hills has earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He was recognized by the Vulcan District Eagle Board on Feb. 21. A Court of Honor ceremony will also be held to congratulate him. McCoy is a member of Boy Scout Troop 69 led by Joel Black Ralph Roger McCoy III at Mountain Chapel United Methodist Church. As a troop member, McCoy has earned 21 merit badges, attended numerous campouts and has been an assistant, primary, and senior patrol leader. For his Eagle service project, McCoy, along with his family, friends and troop members, built waste receptacles for the Exceptional Foundation. McCoy spent more than 130 hours on the project and raised more than $2,000 to fund it. He donated the excess money to the foundation. McCoy is a student at Vestavia Hills High School. He is the son of Cheryl and Roger McCoy Jr. and the grandson of Sue Cranford of Vestavia and Dee and Roger McCoy Sr. of Tuscaloosa.

Hopkins Reaches Eagle Scout Rank in Troop 320 James Cole Hopkins, a member of Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church and Troop 320, has earned the Eagle Scout ranking at the Vulcan District Board of Review. Hopkins began in scouting in the first grade in Pack 63. He progressed through Cub Scouts and earned its highest award, the Arrow of Light, before James Cole Hopkins joining Troop 320. While in the troop, Hopkins was inducted into the scouts’ most esteemed honor society, the Order of the Arrow. He also earned the Triple Crown Award for taking part in all three scout high adventure trips to Sea Base, Bahamas; Philmont, N.M. and Northern Tier, Canada. For his Eagle Scout project, Hopkins renovated a LATH House at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, where his mother and grandmother are tour docents. His project gives plants a place to grow and acclimate to the outside environment before being planted in the Gardens. Hopkins recruited his family, friends, neighbors and fellow scouts to help fix the roof of the LATH House, replace sections of rotting wood, build a new wooden fence around the perimeter,

Thursday, May 30, 2013 • 9

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Cub Scout Pack 533 from North Shelby spent the night aboard the USS Alabama in Mobile.

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add new support beams, clear and level the floors, add gravel and new weed mats and install an overhead irrigation system. The project took 238 hours of work and was noted in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens annual staff meeting. Hopkins attends Mountain Brook High School. He is a special needs camp counselor for the Full Life Ahead Foundation and a counselor in training for Falling Creek Camp in Tuxedo, N.C. He also participates in Big Time

Ministries and his Senior High Episcopal Youth Bible Study and is a church acolyte for the Cathedral Church of the Advent. Hopkins follows in the footsteps of his great-uncle, Winning A. Currie, who has a chapel at Scout Camp Sequoya named in his honor, and his uncle who is a scout leader with Troop 63. Hopkins said he enjoys hunting and fishing. His parents are Marguerite and Peter Hopkins of Mountain Brook.

Cub Scouts Learn History Aboard USS Alabama On April 20, Cub Scout Pack 533 of North Shelby spent the night on the USS Alabama in Mobile. The group of 50 scouts, fathers and grandfathers toured the USS Alabama and USS Drum submarine along with many other military aircraft and ground combat vehicles. Cub Scout Pack 533 meets at Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church. For more information about the pack, call Cubmaster Carl Lund at 504-5200.

Daisy Troop Celebrates 101 Years of Girl Scouts

Daisy Girl Scout Troop 457 celebrated 101 years of Girl Scouts by visiting residents at St. Martin’s in the Pines. From left: St. Martin’s resident, Pearson Cosby, Sarah Dunlap, Armari Spencer, Arden Warner, St. Martin’s resident, Mackenzie Bridgwaters, Brooke Deuso and Anna Germano. Photo special to The Journal

Members of Vestavia Hills Daisy Girl Scout Troop 457 shared the celebration of 101 years of Girl Scouts with St. Martin’s in the Pines residents, some of whom were once Girl Scouts To: themselves. From: The event was on March 12. The scouts learned the valuable lesson to “Be a Sister to Every Girl Date: Scout,” organizers said. The first-grade troop recited the Girl Scout promise, ate Girl Scout cookies and played Girl Scout bingo with the residents. ❖

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Fresh From the Garden OTM Farmers Markets Open for the Summer By William C. Singleton III

Journal contributor

ver the Mountain residents looking for Alabama-grown fresh fruits and vegetables have a variety of choices beyond regional grocery chains. Several farmers markets have sprung up in recent years, giving local farmers a chance to sell their produce, smaller stores to expand their business offerings and churches to extend their ministries to the community. Urban Cookhouse has started two farmers markets now operating for the summer months. One is in Homewood, which it started three years ago. The other market is at The Summit, which it began last year. Urban Cookhouse has plans to open a store in July in Mountain Brook’s Crestline Village and subsequently sponsor a farmers market there by the summer of 2014, said Andrea Snyder, owner of Urban Cookhouse. “We plan to have a farmers market associated with all of our locations,” Snyder said. “We have farmers networks and have figured out how to manage these markets. It’s just something we like to do to support local farmers and encourage new entrepreneurs who are just trying to get started up.” The Homewood market meets every Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon and will run until Aug. 10. It is located behind City Hall in the SoHo parking lot in downtown Homewood. The Summit market is open Thursdays from 3-7 p.m. and will run until Aug. 8. Both markets feature a variety of vendors and growers as well as produce, breads and specialty meats. Snyder said the success of the markets follows a change in perception people have about

them. “People want fresh food. For a long time I think people thought it was more expensive to eat healthy,” Snyder said, explaining the popularity of farmers markets. “But our farmers pretty much price their things retail price just like you would see in a grocery store.” The West Homewood Farmers Market will open for its third season on June 1 and will continue throughout June and July with farmers, arts and crafts vendors, baked goods, a garden booth and a variety of other vendors. Live entertainment will also be featured at the West Homewood Farmers Market, which is sponsored by Shades Valley Community Church. Located at 160 West Oxmoor Road, the market will be open from 8 a.m.-noon June 1 through July 27. Following the summer market season, the West Homewood Farmers Market will hold a night market from 5-8 p.m. on Aug. 14, Sept. 19 and Oct. 17. The Pantry in Mountain Brook’s Crestline Village started a farmers market earlier this month on May 16. Deborah Stone, co-owner of The Pantry, said her market was born from a desire not to waste produce she was growing on her farm. “I have a farm in Harpersville, and The Pantry is just an extension of that,” she said. “But we produce more produce than we can use in The Pantry so it’s just an opportunity to make that produce available to our clients.” But Stone said it isn’t just her produce that’s on display. The Pantry’s market features produce from farms in Mt Laurel, Herron Hollow Farm in north Alabama and Owl’s Hollow Farm in Gadsden. The market also carries a vegetable soup, R and N soup, made by local farmers.

The Pantry in Mountain Brook is just one of the farmers markets where Over the Mountain residents can find fresh, locally grown produce this summer. Journal photo by Lee Walls Jr.

Stone said she tries to feature products one might not find in local grocery stores. “We’ll have a lot of the local, off-the-beaten path products I find along the way. We’ll also feature those and make those available at the farmers market,” she said. The Pantry’s market is open Monday through Wednesday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 7 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, noon-6 p.m. Riverchase United Methodist in Hoover starts up its annual farmers market today, May 30. The market, which the church has sponsored the past five years, will be held Thursdays from 1-5 p.m. until Aug. 29. Rev. John Ray, Riverchase United Methodist Church associate pastor, said the market continues to be popular with the community. “We’ve been tickled with the outreach and the response we get from farmers and especially from neighbors,” he said. Ray said neighbors will call as early as December to find out whether the church plans

u North shelby

Champions Tour Returns to Shoal Creek Over the Mountain residents will have a chance to watch some great golf and raise money for a good cause when the 2013 Champions Tour tees off at Shoal Creek on June 5. This year, spectators can watch a field of 81 players in a 72-hole strokeplay event, which runs through June 9 and raises money for Children’s of Alabama and other local organizations. “Children’s of Alabama is grate-

ful to Regions and the Champions Tour for designating Children’s of Alabama as the primary charity of the Regions Tradition,” said Mike Warren, president and chief executive officer of Children’s Health System of Alabama and Children’s Hospital. “Bringing the Regions Tradition to the Birmingham area underscores Regions’ commitment to communities throughout Alabama, and it will magnify the

Crowd favorite Fred Couples playing in last year’s Regions Tradition at Shoal Creek.

impact Children’s Hospital will make on the lives of children and families throughout our state.” Champions Tour attendees will also have a chance to help other organizations, like the Literacy Council of Central Alabama, through the Birdies for Charity program. Birdies for Charity is a pledgebased fundraising program designed for organizations to generate contributions based on the number of birdies made by Champion Tour players during the Regions Tradition. Any nonprofit can participate with participating charities receiving 100 percent of the collected donations. Last year, Birdies for Charity raised more than $324,000 for local charities. This year, the top 10 charities that raise the most money through Birdies for Charity will receive additional funds from Red Diamond on behalf of the Regions Tradition. The top fundraising charity could receive up to $10,000. Not only will the annual event help Children’s of Alabama and area nonprofit organizations, it will also

to sponsor the market the subsequent summer. According to Ray and other church leaders, the market is the church’s outreach mission to support local farmers. “Some Christians see hunger in theological terms–after all, the first job God gave to Adam and Eve was to garden so our goal is to help farmers and provide fresh produce for our neighbors in Hoover,” reads a church press release. “Our church mission state is ‘sharing the Joy of Christ’ and we think the farmers market fits perfectly into that responsibility. Helping local farms and growers builds community relationships as well as fulfilling Christ’s call to servanthood.” The Pepper Place Saturday Market at 2829 Second Ave. South in Birmingham will once again bring together local growers, food producers and artisans each Saturday morning this summer, rain or shine. The market at Pepper Place is open from 7 a.m. until noon on Saturdays. Along with guest musical acts, patrons at Pepper Place can also take in cooking demonstrations from local chefs at 9 a.m. each Saturday. The Pepper Place Saturday Market opened May 25 and will run through Dec. 14 this year. The Valleydale Farmers Market at 4601 Valleydale Road opened May 18 and will be open on from 8 a.m. until noon on Saturdays through Aug. 31. The Valleydale Farmers Market is also a Freshfully pickup location where pre-ordered boxes of fresh fruits and veggies can be delivered. Jones Valley Teaching Farm will be selling produce from a new on-site market stand from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Jones Valley Teaching Farm is located at 701 25th St. North in Birmingham. An extension of the Jones Valley Teaching Farm, the Mt Laurel Farm School will offer fresh produce from its 25-acre site daily from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Mt Laurel Farm School market is located at 1185 Dunnavant Valley Road. ❖

have an impact on the local economy, organizers say. Organizers estimate the Regions Tradition has an economic impact of more than $25 million to the greater Birmingham area. The Champions Tour is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older. Conceived in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour, it started with just four events and purses totaling $475,000. Regions became the title sponsor of The Tradition, as it is known by most, in 2011. It is one of the five major championships of senior golf and was designated a major at the time of its 1989 debut. For much of its history, the tournament was played in May but last year was moved to June on the Champions Tour schedule. Tickets are $20 per day or $80 for five days, plus processing fees. Those 18 and younger get in free with a ticketed adult. For more information, visit www. regionstradition.com. The Golf Channel will televise the event, estimating the tournament coverage will reach more than 115 million households in 185 countries and territories around the world. ❖

u Over The Mountain

Construction Project Begins on U.S. 280

Construction crews have started work on the project to modify traffic flow on U.S. 280. The Alabama Department of Transportation’s project got in gear on May 19. ALDOT officials said all work requiring lane closures will be done between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. each day, with all lanes reopening in time for morning commutes. Late last month, ALDOT awarded contracts for a construction project that will include changes to 27 intersections along U.S. 280 between Hollywood Boulevard and Doug Baker Boulevard. ALDOT awarded a $15.6 million contract for the U.S. 280 construction project to Dunn Construction Co. Inc. and Apac Mid-South Inc. The joint bid by the companies was the only one submitted for the project. Under the contract, the companies must complete construction on the project by Nov. 27. The contract also includes an agreement to help speed up the project. Contractors will receive a

See Construction, facing page

u hwy 280

Trinity 280 Move Gets Green Light By William C. Singleton III Journal contributor

Trinity Medical Center is ready to move to a new location off U.S. 280 now that the Alabama Supreme Court has ruled in its favor. The state high court has refused to hear arguments from Brookwood Medical Center and St. Vincent’s Health Systems on why Trinity shouldn’t be allowed to move to the unfinished HealthSouth digital hospital off U.S. 280 near Interstate 459. Brookwood and St. Vincent’s had sued Trinity to prevent its move to U.S. 280, saying Trinity’s relocation would cost them millions of dollars. Both appealed an Alabama Court of Civil Appeals ruling in November which backed Trinity’s efforts to move.

Construction, From previous page

bonus of $10,000 per day for each day improvements are made between Green Valley and Cherokee roads before Aug. 5. The contractors will be charged $10,000 per day for each day that segment of the project is delayed. For the entire project, contractors will receive $50,000 per day for each day construction is completed ahead of the November deadline. They will be charged that same amount for each day the project is delayed. The changes, which have stirred controversy among Over the Mountain

“This is the green light we have awaited for more than four years,” said Trinity Medical Center President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Granger. “We are absolutely elated with this outcome and look forward to bringing enhanced access to healthcare to our community–along with thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in economic impact.” Last week, Trinity officials selected Brasfield & Gorrie, in a strategic partnership with A.G. Gaston, as construction managers to complete the 12-story unfinished building. The hospital expects to spend $280 million to complete the project and install equipment. The facility was scheduled to serve as HealthSouth’s most technologically advanced hospital, but construction was interrupted after HealthSouth’s billion-dollar

residents and municipal officials, include creating indirect turns at some intersections that will mean that drivers must first turn right, travel along U.S. 280 and then make a U-turn to go left. The project also includes relocating or removing traffic signals at some intersections. Turn lanes will be changed at other intersections. In January, the Mountain Brook City Council passed a resolution rejecting plans that had been revised based on public comments. In March, a group of Mountain Brook city officials met with Gov. Robert Bentley to ask him to intervene. Bentley agreed at that time to go forward with ALDOT’s plans. ❖

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accounting scandal. Construction is set to begin in late summer and should take between 18 and 24 months to complete, officials said. In its new location, Trinity will serve as the anchor tenant of the Cahaba Center at Grandview campus, which is planned to include hotels, office buildings, parking decks and retail businesses. The entire development is expected to take 1-5 years to complete. Once finished, it is expected to create more than 9,000 jobs and add

$405 million annually to the region. The project’s first year of construction alone is expected to create 4,000 jobs, generate more than $125 million in job earnings and produce more than $3.1 million in city and county tax revenue. “Trinity’s completion of the hospital on 280 will move Birmingham rapidly ahead in job growth and new construction and will solidify our city’s role as a healthcare hub and center for excellence,” Birmingham Mayor William Bell said. ❖

To: From: Date:

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ANTiquEs MAll

2424 7th Ave. So. 323-6036

MON-SAT 10:00-5:00

323-6014 Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 May 2013

This is your AD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTAiN JOurNAl for th May 30, 2013 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

Please make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number! Please initial and fax back within 24 hours.

if we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.

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A Night of Hope Gala Raises Money for Diabetes Research

he Alabama Chapter for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation hosted its 12th annual Night of Hope Gala May 11 at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center. The event raised nearly $450,000 for diabetes research. It included a cocktail reception, silent and live auctions, a seated dinner and a special performance by the Red Mountain Theatre Company. The evening ended with music and dancing by DJ Professor Beatz. Gala chairmen were Margaret Head and Lynn LaRussa. JDRF honored the Dove Family Foundation of Dothan with the Living and Giving Award for its tireless vision and persistent efforts in the past and present. The Alabama Chapter also honored Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. Chief Administrative Officer Tim Vines accepted the award on behalf of the healthcare organization. In the last 12 years, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama has contributed more than $150,000 to JDRF. Jerry Tracey was the emcee for the evening. Flowers and decorations were provided by Bold American Events of Atlanta. Those attending the event included Rob and Nancy Burton, Stan and KoKo Mackin, Reid and Robin Dove, Benny and Lynn LaRussa Jr., Jon and Melina Goldfarb and Jake and Jennifer Skousen. Others there were Bob and Jeri Kyle, Steve and Aimee Serra, Scott and Stacy Pulliam, Holman and Margaret Head, Kelly Peace, Dr. Richard and Phyllis Russell, Dr. Anath Shalev, Tom and Marcia Twitty, Robert and Suzanne Dickinson, Drs. Stephen and Gretel Russell and Mark and Jamie Wilson. ❖

Left: From left: Holman and Margaret Head and Lynn and Benny LaRussa. ABOVE: Jake and Jenn Skousen. Photos special to The Journal

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Drs. Stephen and Gretel Russell.

Sarah Silverstein, David Silverstein and Susan Silverstein.

Palettes of Spring a (Brush)Stroke of Good Luck for Spring Valley School An inaugural fundraiser for Spring Valley School has far surpassed organizers’ expectations, they said. The first Palettes of Spring Art Show was held May 10 and 11 at the Mountain Brook home of Dr. and Mrs. Billy Cornay. The show featured works from some of the Southeast’s best artists. On hand to greet the art patrons at the event were Nall of France and Fairhope, Paul Flack of Atlanta and Thomas Andrew, Melanie Morris, Vicki Denaburg, Trés Taylor, Sally Powell, Eddie Powell, David Nichols, Linda Ellen Price, Shea Scully and Tena Payne, all of Birmingham. Proceeds from Palettes of Spring benefited Spring Valley School, the only school in central Alabama serving students with learning differences, such as dyslexia and ADHD. Guests at the spring event included Liz and Sam Johnson, Beth Rooney, Annie Boland, Sarah Hays, Susie and Joe Abbott, Kim Lallouche, Robert Pless and Michelle and Seth Wolnek. Enjoying the food from Corretti Catering were Rachel and Lane Estes, Marie and Mike Cole, Nell and Todd Fredella, Annette and Phillip Forstall, Tommy Angelillo, Judy Leesburg, Esther and Jack Levy, Caron Sandefur, Jenelle and Dewey Jones and Diane Litsey and her daughter, Rosalind. Spotted in the crowd were Susie Kissell, Theresa and Richard Sanders, Jayne Ness and her son, John, Liz Woods, Cece Martin, Paul DeMarco and Julia Glass. Guests were treated to a special tasting of the award-winning Le Chanceux Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Sue McNerney, owner of Belles Filles Vineyard in Napa Valley, poured three of her vintages. Bromberg’s premiered the Bellingrath Dinnerware Collection by Nall at the event. ❖

Above: Internationally renowned artist Nall, center with Tery and Marvin Young. left: Joanie Scott and Chris and Kim Devers. Photos special to The Journal

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Thursday, May 30, 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 13

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From left: Ann Mitchell, John Bullock, Sean Tuohy and Jeanna and Andy Westmoreland.

Tuohy Headlines Legacy League Gala The Legacy League, an auxiliary of Samford University, held its annual Scholarship Gala on May 2 at Vestavia Country Club. The featured speaker was Sean Tuohy, the adoptive father of Michael Oher. The family’s story is told in the movie “The Blind Side.” More than 225 guests turned out to hear Tuohy share his family’s story at the dinner. About half of those guests were able to meet and be photographed with him at a reception before dinner. The Tuohy family opened their home to Oher when he was a homeless teenager. With their love and support, Oher earned a football scholarship to the University of Mississippi. He became a first round NFL draft pick, and his team, the Baltimore Ravens, won the 2013 Super Bowl. Because the Tuohy family’s story is one of adoption and the Legacy League’s goal this year is to endow the new Legacy League Adoption Scholarship, Tuohy said he felt certain his audience could connect with his story. The gala capped the Legacy League’s fundraising efforts for 201213 by contributing more than $43,000 toward the total of nearly $64,000 raised from all events.

Events this year included the Sunset 5K for Scholarships, the Christmas Home Tour, the Scholarship Luncheon with Karen Kingsbury and the gala. At the time the gala was held, more than 240 Legacy League members and friends had already contributed toward the new scholarship. Tuohy said even though most people think of “The Blind Side” as a football movie, it is really a story about giving. “We gave Michael a house and hope. He gave us Christmas every day,” Tuohy said. He complimented Legacy League members for their giving and their commitment to scholarships for Samford students and reminded the audience, “If you don’t think you’re making a difference, you’re wrong, because you are.” John Bullock, the father of Sandra Bullock, who portrayed Leigh Anne Tuohy in the movie, was at the gala with his niece, a Legacy League member. Gold sponsors for the event were Alabama Power Co., Baptist Health Systems and Rite Way Service Inc. Silver sponsors were BBVA Compass, Brasfield & Gorrie LLC, Bennie and Sonja Bumpers, Campus Dining Inc., fi-Plan

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

Vestavia Country Club’s Ladies Golf Association This is your aD pROOF from the OveR The MOunTain JOuRnal for the May 2, 2013 issue. please fax approval or changes to 824-1246. Starts Season please make sure all information is correct, The Ladies Golf Association of Vestavia Country Club its 2013 season of golf March 19 with a round of including address and phone number! began golf followed by a luncheon and meeting. please initial and fax back within 24 hours.

if we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.

Thank you for your prompt attention.

Braving the breezy, cool spring morning for the first official round of golf of the 2013 season were Jean Archibald, Joy Clark, Brenda Dailey, Betty Margaret Elliot, Jean Guthrie, Leslie Kincaid, Nell Larson, Peggy Lowery, Cindy Mims, Patsy Norton, Sue Strozier and Patti Salmon. Following play was an Italian-themed luncheon featuring minestrone, a salad of cut greens, vegetable lasagna and assorted Italian cookies. Highlighting the event was a display of spring attire from the pro shop. Also enjoying the opening day event were Linda Allison, Barbie Arnold, Carolyn Crowe, Nita Cox, Cynthia Egan, Romaine Gaffney, Peggy Kelley, Jean

Partners, Marvin Mann and John Pittman. Bronze sponsors were Pat Archer, Bhate Geosciences Corporation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Hazel P. Boren, The E Group, John and Marsha Floyd, Mrs. A. Gerow Hodges, J. Thomas Holton, Timothy M. Howard M.D., Fay B. Ireland, John 3:16, Phil and Penny Kimrey, Motion Industries, Randy and Daina Pittman, Birmingham City Councilor Jay Roberson, Mazen and Monica Sahawneh, Lucille R. Thompson and Andy and Jeanna Westmoreland. In addition to hearing Tuohy speak, guests at dinner also enjoyed violin music provided by Layla Humphries, director of Dawson Music Academy, and remarks by scholarship recipient Brennen Febles. Febles, a sophomore accounting major from Franklin, Tenn., thanked Legacy League members and said he was at Samford only through their financial assistance. Legacy League Executive Director Jeanna Westmoreland closed the dinner with remarks thanking president Penny Kimrey for her two years of leadership, during which time the organization changed its name and added two new annual fundraising events. ❖

McCarley, Tricia McConnell, Betty McDaniel, Gloria Nelson, Heather Norris, Vicki Sanders, Helen Smalley, Cille Spader, Judy Tavakoli, Betty Tucker, Peggy West and Fran Williams. Officers for 2013 are Joy Clark, chairman; Brenda Dailey, co-chairman; Leslie Kincaid, secretary; and Nell Larson, treasurer. ❖

From left: Barbie Arnold, Carolyn Crowe and Fran Williams.

Gaieties Dance Club Elects New Officers Members of the Gaieties Dance Club met at the home of Mary Steiner for their annual Spring Coffee. Mary decorated the dining room table with an array of spring tulips in Meissen vases. Board members provided mini sandwiches, fruit and cheese, ham and biscuits, chocolate delights, ham and cheese spread and mini muffins. President Brownie Evans called the meeting to order. Tootie Fash read the minutes. Sandra Oden gave the treasurer’s report, followed by Vice President Jackie MacClary’s presentation on

From left: Mary Steiner, Brownie Evans and Janie Henderson.

the Club’s 64th annual spring dance, which will have a circus theme. A contribution was made to the YWCA in honor of Cheryl Williams, yearbook chairman, for her outstanding service to the club. Edith Medley presented the 2013-14 slate of officers. They include Jackie MacClary, president; Becky Bates, vice president; Joyce Lott, recording secretary; Carolyn Featheringill, corresponding secretary; Sandra Oden, treasurer; Bette Owen, assistant treasurer and Brownie Evans, parliamentarian. Barbara Sander presented the nominees for membership. Those voted in as new members were Dana McCarn, Katharine Patton and Rosalind Stroud. Before the meeting adjourned, corresponding secretary Janie Henderson presented outgoing president Brownie Evans with a book which will be presented to the Mountain Brook Library in her honor. Among those attending were Lucy Allison, Ann Baker, Becky Bates, Barbara Baird, Shelley Clark, Tootie Fash, Judy Feagin, Marjorie Forney, Louise Gillespy, Fay Hall, Janie Henderson, Lynne Hennessey, Joanie Hollinsworth, Susie Kissel, Jane Leslie, Marcia Little, Joyce Lott, Jackie MacClary, Anne Martin, Ann Massey, Edith Medley, Betsey Miller, Peggy Morgan, Jane Morris, Betty Northen, Sandra Oden, Betty Ratliff, Mary Russell, Carol Sandner, Gail Sharp, Elna Shugerman, Elaine Smith, Virginia Tucker, Margaret Whitaker, Doris White, Cheryl Williams and Janie Wilson. ❖

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From left: Bobby Humphrey, Victor Smith and Ray Perkins.

Bobby Humphrey Luncheon Benefits Firehouse Shelter Bobby Humphrey, former University of Alabama and NFL star, talked about overcoming obstacles at a March luncheon at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Homewood. The event raised nearly $1,500. All proceeds will benefit the Firehouse Shelter’s Safe Haven program, which serves 24 homeless men, each of whom has a diagnosed serious mental illness. Humphrey’s message encouraged listeners to look for opportunities to do what the Firehouse Shelter does every day: lift up others and encourage the broken, the hurting and the lost. Michael Daniel and Cleo Mallory gave testimonies about how the Safe Haven program has transformed their lives. The barbecue luncheon, catered by Joe Maluff of Full Moon Bar-B-Que, was sponsored by the Lettermen of the Iron Bowl. This new nonprofit organization has partnered with the Firehouse Shelter to positively impact the homeless in Birmingham. Darryl Fuhrman, Lettermen of the Iron Bowl executive director, said the event exceeded his expectations and

laid the groundwork for future speaker luncheons that will call attention to and raise awareness of the shelter’s needs. Former University of Alabama head football coach Ray Perkins traveled from Mississippi to support his former players who were at the luncheon. Perkins gave a short message inviting the crowd to make a difference in the lives of area homeless with a financial gift to the ministry. Other Iron Bowl alumni at the luncheon were Adlai Trone, Auburn University; Ray Bolden, Joe Dismuke, Kermit Kendrick and Bill Harrison, University of Alabama; and Jack Traffanstedt, former president of the University of Alabama’s A-Club. Among those helping with the event were shelter staff members Anita Jones, Kelly Wallace, Rob Davis, Anne Wright, Nicole Arlain and Clyde Chisholm. Marc Corsini of Corsini Consulting Group LLC was the emcee. Chuck Watkins of New Leaf Design videotaped the event for the Firehouse Shelter’s YouTube channel. ❖

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New Hoover Belles Presented in 30th Annual Event

With spring flowers creating a garden setting, 37 high school sophomores were recently presented as 2013 Hoover Belles. This new class of Belles will serve for two years as representatives for the city of Hoover. Each young woman will earn a minimum of 30 community service hours at civic and local charity events. The 30th annual event, held in the Wynfrey Hotel Ballroom, was presented by the Hoover Belle Committee, led by Chairman Laura Boyd. Enjoying the afternoon were Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey, committee icia members Kay Witt, Cathy Connor, ver The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646, fax 205-824-1246 Sandra Barnett, Jennie Alley, Jan y 2013 Pruitt, Pam Harris and Cathy Head This is your aD prOOF from the Over The MOunTain JOurnal for the and family and friends of the honorMay 30, 2013 issue. please fax approval or changes to 824-1246. ees. Each new Hoover Belle was please make sure all information is correct, assisted into the garden gazebo by Hoover Police Lt. Daniel Kane. The including address and phone number! girls received bouquets of spring flowers from their presenters as they were announced by Mistress of Ceremony please initial and fax back within 24 hours. Kim Garner, a 2002 Hoover Belle. if we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, She is currently the west Alabama your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday. bureau chief for CBS 42 News. Thank you for your prompt attention. After the Belles were presented, they enjoyed a special dance to the music of the Sonny Harris Group. A reception followed. The 2013 Hoover Belles are: Jade Ashton Ajlouny, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Niam Ajlouny; Lindsey Katherine Allred, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John David Allred; Caroline Lee Bearden, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Reid Bearden; Jillian Victoria Bridges, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sterling Randolph Bridges; DeJaNeal Jameaque Brown, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Wilson Brown III; Meagan Elizabeth Burgess, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Sykes Burgess; Leah Caroline Byerly, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Edward Byerly; MyChale Lenee Cooper, daughter of Ms. Kimberly Lenee Boyd Cooper and Mr. Ronald Darron Cooper; Jordan Elizabeth Cotney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Scott Cotney; Kathryn Diane Dease, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Gerald Dease Jr.; Elizabeth Julianne

Katelyn Howard, Tammie Howard, Ashley Pace, Debbie Pace, Penni Koch, Anna Gray Koch.

Dinsmore, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Newton Dinsmore; Abigail Lee Greer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Craig Greer; Kristin Hanley Gunderson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Douglas Gunderson; Layne Elizabeth Hoover, daughter of Ms. Mary Shearron Hoover and Mr. James Andrew Hoover; Sydney Allison James, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Wayne James; Claire Elizabeth Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Wayne Johnson; Hannah Lauren Jones, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hasty Jones; Karley Ann Kent, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Eugene Kent III; Rebecca Noelle Hall Leech, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Eugene Leech; Logan Brooke McCabe, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Bhrett Alan McCabe; Rebekah Katherine Odle, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Clement Odle; Magdalene Kate Ogletree, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy James Ogletree; Rachel Marie Ousley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Lee Ousley; McKenzie Lynn Paduch, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Andrew Paduch; Morgan Elizabeth Pate, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Kiley Pate; Paige Dianne Mae Pichel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Logan Murphy Pichel; Sarah Reed Pratt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Lawrence Pratt IV; Stephanie Danielle Presley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Dan Presley; Catherine Bryce Saab, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Ellis Saab; Madeline Nicole Salathe,

daughter of Ms. Pascha Moore Salathe and Dr. David Paul Salathe; Anne Lee Marcella Schneider, daughter of Ms. Renee Yeilding Schneider and Mr. David John Schneider; Cassidy Marie Sims, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brett Donly Hopping; Rebecca Delaney Townsend, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Edward Townsend; Lesley Ann Turner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Anthony Turner; Kinsey Sierra Varnell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brian Joseph Varnell; Rachel Denise Washington, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. William Hughey Washington; and Haley Victoria West, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard James West. The Hoover Belle Committee also honored the 2013 Belles for their two years of service at the annual MotherDaughter Senior Belle Luncheon. Favorite experiences as Hoover Belles were the main topics of conversation at the luncheon as graduating Belles and their mothers shared the special occasion together. Honored for their two years of service to the city of Hoover and charitable organizations, the class of civic-minded Senior Belles was congratulated for contributing 1,137 hours of community service. Katie Goodwin was presented an engraved silver tray as the graduating Hoover Belle who earned the most community service hours. In appreciation for their service, all Senior Belles received personalized certificates and engraved keepsake boxes. ❖

Thursday, May 30, 2013 • 19

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Starlight Debs Presented at Cotillion More than 300 guests attended the Starlight Debutante Cotillion on March 9. The event included the presentation of 15 young women, who were introduced in formal white ball gowns, pearls and white gloves. The girls carried tulip bouquets presented to them by their mothers. The event ended a year of activities that began with the “Mother of Debs” idea by Stacey Haynes. Mothers and debutantes participated in several service and personal development activities. They help set up the Sankofa Soiree at the Birmingham Museum of Art and had a mother/daughter luncheon at the Embassy Suites in Hoover with guest Marquita Davis, state director of finance. The girls were presented with bracelets with star charms. In December, the group attended cooking classes at the Culinard and went on an educational retreat in January. At the cotillion, the debs were joined by their fathers on the ballroom floor for their first ballroom dance. The debutantes presented were Melissa Danielle Matthews, a senior at Hoover High School and the daughter of Patrick and Dr. Susanne Matthews; Morgan Ryann Robinson, a senior at Oak Mountain High School and the daughter of Henry and Michelle Turner; Page Dominique Juzang, a senior at Oak Mountain High School and the daughter of Joseph and Sophia Juzang; Joy Rosa Adrianne Jackson, a senior at Oak Mountain High School and the daughter of Dr. Aldophus and Diann Jackson; DeOra Marie Simon, a junior at Briarwood Christian School and the daughter of Dr. Gerald and Joylene Simon; Hannah Kennedy Floyd, a junior at Spain Park High School and the daughter of Kevin and Cathy Floyd; Maya Jeanae Johnson, a junior at Oak Mountain High School and the daughter of Mark and LaTanya Johnson; Myrah Elizabeth Taylor, a junior at Oak Mountain High School and the daughter of Robert and Dr. Brenda Taylor; Janaya Ranice Nelson, a sophomore at John Carroll Catholic High School and the daughter of Drs. Artie and Stacey Nelson; Maya Alexandria Porter, a sophomore at Shades Valley High School and the daughter of Robert and Yvette Williams-Porter; Meghan Kristina Marks, a sophomore at Indian Springs School and the daughter of Dr. Robert and Frances Marks; Diarra LaShae Bender, a sophomore at John Carroll Catholic High School and the daughter of Maj. Wendell and Dr. Luvenia Bender; Lauren Alexis Juzang, a sophomore at Oak Mountain High School and the daughter of Joseph and Sophia Juzang; Ashley Christina Adams, a freshman at the Altamont School and daughter of Percy and Brenda Adams; and Maclaine Allister Fields, a freshman at the Hotchkiss School and daughter of David and Karla Fields. ❖

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20 • Thursday, May 30, 2013

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Easy Living on the Lake

The Barnes family, Anna and Brian Barnes with son Jamison. Anna loves the large aluminum-topped farm table, above right, which has plenty of seating for hungry family members and guests. Anna and Brian, both University of Alabama graduates, often spend autumn weekends in their lake house den, below right, watching Crimson Tide football games. Journal photos by Lee Walls Jr.

Anna and Brian Barnes Love Their Low-maintenance Second Home By Donna Cornelius

Journal features writer

hen Anna and Brian Barnes decided to buy a second home, they wanted a place for leisure—not labor. They found just what they were looking for at Silverock Cove on Lewis Smith Lake. The couple, who live in Greystone Legacy with 4-year-old son Jamison, lead busy lives. Brian is a dentist with an office in Homewood and also owns two

other businesses. Anna is the owner of the Blue Willow, a home décor and gift shop on Crosshaven Drive. “We had wanted a lake house for some time,” Anna said. “I’m from Hartselle and grew up on Smith Lake. But we didn’t want a place where we had to go and work every weekend. A buddy of Brian’s told him about Silverock Cove, and it turned out to be a perfect fit for us.” Silverock Cove is a gated community on 85 acres of wooded, lakeside property. Houses there include bedroom flats, row homes and cottages. “The exterior is maintained by Silverock, and there’s no

grass to mow,” Anna said. She especially loves the neighborhood’s boat concierge service and on-site boat storage. “If Jamison and I are going there by ourselves, all I have to do is send a text, and they have the boat unloaded and ready to go for us,” she said. The recreational opportunities at Smith Lake also appealed to the family, Anna said. “My husband is an avid golfer and likes to fish, and he can do both there,” she said. Another consideration in their selection of a second home

See Barnes, page 22

Rickards Expect New House to Continue Tradition of Family Fun By Keysha Drexel Journal editor

hen family and friends of Margaret and Jeff Rickard gather this summer at Lake Martin, they will be carrying on a long tradition of fun in the sun together. But this season, those visiting the Vestavia Hills family will be staying in a brand new lake house the couple designed to be the perfect place to relive old memories and build new ones. This will be the 14th summer the Rickard family has spent at Lake Martin, but it will be the

W The Rickard family finished their new lake home in Willow Glynn on Lake Martin in January. The house is situated on the lot to give almost every room in the house a view of the water.

first they will spend at their new Willow Glynn house that was completed in January. For more than a decade, the Rickards had a cabin on the southern banks of Pitchford Hollow, an area fed by the Parker and Oakachoy creeks and known for its beautiful sandy lake bottoms and spectacular blue waters. “We’ve stayed on this same slough since we started coming here, and when we decided to build, we knew we wanted to stay in this area,” Margaret said. Over the years, the couple and their children, 21-year-old Ashton and 19-year-old Davis, got to know the other families

Jeff and Margaret Rickard

See Rickard, facing page

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

“We knew we wanted one or more outdoor living spaces, and we knew we wanted the house to be situated on the lot so that we could take advantage of the beautiful views of the water in as many rooms as possible,” she said. “I wanted people to walk in the front door and, with the views, feel like they were walking right out onto the water.” The house also needed to be built on the lot so there was room for a yard, Margaret said. “It’s a nice, flat lot, and we wanted to make the best use of that to make sure we had plenty of room for a yard,” she said. “We love to play badminton and outdoor Jeff and Margaret Rickard said their house at games, so having that space Lake Martin is more like a second home. They on the property was imporget together there with their two college-age sons and extended family as often as possible. tant.” Margaret said the family also wanted a private, outdoor shower where their guests could rinse off in comfort after a dip in the lake. From previous page As far as her plans for the inside near Pitchford Hollow, Margaret said, of the new home, Margaret said she which influenced the decision to build wanted the main focus to be on the living areas on the upper and lower the new lake house in the same area. levels so the house would be a com“There are lots of families here, people we’ve seen year after year, and fortable size for the sometimes large crowds the Rickards host all year we felt like it was important to stay round. here,” she said. This summer, Margaret said, the Not only did the Rickards know house will be filled with family and exactly where they wanted to build friends during weekend getaways and their new lake house but Margaret said she immediately had a few things holiday breaks. “There’s a lot of love, good food, that she considered “must-haves” as fun and laughter filling the house they planned the construction.

Thursday, May 30, 2013 • 21

home most weekends, and our favorite time of year is the summer,” she said. But the fun at the lake house won’t stop on Labor Day for the Rickards. Their children both attend Auburn University. Ashton is a senior, and Davis just completed his freshman year, Margaret said. “We also love the fall--not only for the cool nights but because of Auburn football,” she said. “It’s a 40-minute drive to Auburn so the lake house will be the perfect place to come back to

area and kitchen on the main level and a media room downstairs. The large screened porch on the upper level has a fireplace perfect to cuddle by on cool evenings. An openair porch on the lower level features a swing bed, which is quickly becoming one of her favorite spots in the outdoor living area, Margaret said. When it came to ideas for the inside of the new lake house,

after the games.” The couple hired TCC Contractors out of Birmingham and Alexander City to build the new house and Mitchell Ginn out of Newnan, Ga. as the architect for the project. “Because it was a lake house, I didn’t feel the bedrooms needed to be huge. They are all a nice, cozy size,” she said. The house has five bedrooms and four and half bathrooms, an open living room with a rock fireplace, dining

See Rickard, page 23

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22 • Thursday, May 30, 2013

home

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Barnes,

Pine paneling helps give the bedrooms and other spaces at the Barnes family’s Smith Lake cottage its “refined rustic” look, Anna Barnes said.

From page 20

was travel time. “We looked at beach property versus lake property,” Anna said. “We can use our lake house more frequently because it’s only about an hour and 20 minutes door to door.” The Barnes family is looking forward to their second summer in the house, Anna said. “We started construction in the summer of 2011 and closed on the house in May of 2012,” she said. Silverock offered several home plans, Anna said. They chose an expansive three-level house with six bedrooms to have plenty of room for family and friends. “We didn’t want to have people sleeping on sofas or blow-up mattresses,” Anna said. One of the bedrooms is currently used as a playroom for Jamison, she said. “That’s really nice if it rains or is cold,” Anna said. The lake house is very different from the Barneses’ Greystone home, which is Tudor style and more traditional, she said. “I wouldn’t call our lake house contemporary, but it’s more streamlined,” Anna said. “You might call it ‘refined rustic.’ “We used natural fabrics and chose

furniture that would be durable. We have a leather sectional couch and a big kitchen table with an aluminum top that seats eight people.” Anna said she didn’t want to use hand-me-down furniture at the lake house. “You know, when you have a lake house, someone’s always saying, ‘Oh, I’ve got an old couch that you can have,’” she said, laughing. “I wanted a more pulled-together look. I wanted everything to be functional and useful.” To help her achieve that, Anna turned to Kelly Seibels, who owns Seibels, a camp and cottage outfitter in Homewood, for help with furnishings. “We got about 99 percent of our

furnishings from Kelly,” she said. She also enlisted decorator Heidi Core of Heidi Core Interior Design in Birmingham. The lake house’s main level walls are whitewashed pine paneling installed horizontally, Anna said. The paneling was one of the available upgrades that she chose for the house. Silverock exteriors have a “cohesive look, although the houses are painted differently,” Anna said. “It reminds me of Seaside in Florida, but here there are more earth tones,” she said. “We have a stackedstone foundation and a tin roof, which we love when it rains.” The family also loves the cottage’s setting, Anna said.

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“Smith Lake is a very hilly lake, and we didn’t want to have to go down 50 stairs to get to the water,” she said. “Our lot is so flat it’s almost like a beach. We only have four stairs to the lake.” Silverock Cove’s amenities were attractive, too, Anna said. “We’re very social people and have great neighbors,” she said. They’re looking forward to the neighborhood’s Dock on the Rock event in June with music and barbecue in Silverock’s amphitheater. Anna said she frequently uses the lighted walking trail that winds around the lake. There are several piers and docks near their house too, she said. The development also includes a clubhouse and two pools. “One is an infinity pool with a great view of the lake,” Anna said. “The other sits up high on a hilltop. It has a view of the lake, too, but is more shaded. It’s more popular during the dog days of summer. “Most private lake houses don’t have pools, so it’s nice to have access to these,” she said. When the weather’s fine, the family frequently spends the day on the water. Their Regal 2300 boat has room for 12 people, Anna said, and

their jet ski also gets plenty of use. “It takes us about an hour by boat to get to Big Bridge, which is a Smith Lake landmark,” she said. “Jamison loves to pack what he calls a picnic lunch, or we’ll stop at a little hamburger joint near the bridge.” One of their boating trips provided inspiration for a piece that will soon hang on the lake house walls. “I’ve been careful about hanging pictures, because once you put a hole in that pine paneling, it’s there to stay,” Anna said. But she’s already reserved a spot for a large painting by Lisa Opielinski, a well-known artist and Anna’s good friend. “We were out on the boat in a cove. The trees were reflected in the water, and it was such a beautiful scene that I took a picture with my iPhone,” Anna said. “Lisa is painting it on canvas.” Anna said she can already see a change in her family’s lifestyle since they bought their lake house. “Brian and I both graduated from the University of Alabama, and we used to travel to lots of the away games,” she said. “Now, we’ll just think how nice it is to go to the lake house and watch the game on TV there.” Jamison loves not only activities on the water but simple pleasures, like skipping stones across the surface of the lake, Anna said. “We’ve learned to just let the stress go when we drive in the gates,” she said. ❖

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Rickard, From page 21

Margaret’s starting point was what she didn’t want to see, she said. “Our place on the lake before this had that true cabin feel, so I wanted to get away from that camp, lake-y motif in the new house,” she said. Margaret kept a journal of all the ideas for the house that she collected from magazines, websites and friends. “I have several friends who are decorators, and they were a good sounding board. Mallory Smith (Mallory Smith Interiors) really helped me figure out how to make my ideas happen.” When she first started planning the interior design of the new lake house, Margaret said she kept coming back to one phrase--rustic elegance. The couple wanted the house to

Thursday, May 30, 2013 • 23

home

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

have a rustic, natural feel that would also work with luxury touches like marble, stone and antique furniture, Margaret said. “We’re empty nesters and plan to spend a lot of time here, so we wanted it to feel like a true second home, not just somewhere we come every once in a while,” she said. To create the rustic elegant feel they were going after, the couple used natural elements like rock for the fireplaces and reclaimed wood for the ceiling beams. “Instead of the classic tongueand-groove, we left a little separation between the boards on the ceilings and the walls so that it has the rustic look of individual planks,” she said. The house features hardwood floors throughout, Margaret said, tying all the spaces together and further giving the house an open, airy feeling. A spacious family area on the first The stove hood in the kitchen was custommade by an Atlanta company. The open kitchen boasts plenty of furniturelike storage places and a center island perfect for perching. Photo special to The Journal

floor opens to the kitchen and is perfect for cooking and talking to guests at the same time, Margaret said. “We wanted a medium-sized kitchen, nothing too large. It flows well to the family room, and that was the most important thing with the kitchen for us,” she said. The kitchen also has a custom stove hood that a company in Atlanta made for the house, Margaret said. “The stove hood, just like the iron chandelier a California company made for the bedroom, are little custom touches that I wanted to add to make each space one-of-a-kind. I didn’t want it to look like every other house on the lake,” she said. That desire to steer clear of cookiecutter design also led Margaret to some unusual choices in furnishing her new lake house, she said. “I have an old cattle watering trough that we used as a sink in the powder room. It sits on an iron stand and is just one of the quirky little things that I wanted to do to make the house different and interesting,” she said. Margaret said she kept the color scheme neutral throughout the house, with bits of soft sage and other earth tones added here and there for pops of color. “Everything is really clean and streamlined, and the goal is just to make people feel comfortable and at ease here,” she said. And that’s exactly how Margaret said she feels at the her new lake house. “I love my home and Vestavia, but it’s hard to leave when I’ve been out

here at the lake house for a few days and I’m so calm and relaxed,” she said. The Rickards are looking forward to a busy summer season hosting friends and family at their new lakeside retreat, Margaret said. And while the house they welcome guests to might be new, Margaret said the family’s attachment to Pitchford Hollow is deeply rooted in the memories they have made there over the last 14 years. “One piece of advice I would give

those who have a second home is to start a home journal and ask your guests to write in it when they visit,” she said. “We did this at our old lake house, and when we were moving into the new house, we started looking back over those and realized what precious memories we have from our time on the lake. We’re looking forward to making many more precious memories with the people we love here in the new house.” ❖

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seniors

24 • Thursday, May 30, 2013

Act,Too

Seasoned Performers Offers Acting Workshop Alabama’s only senior adult theater company and one of the longest running senior adult theater programs in the country wants to help Over the Mountain residents discover their inner stage stars. The founder of the Seasoned Performers will conduct a five-day acting workshop for seniors in Vestavia next month. Those interested in stepping onstage for the first time or who want to brush up their acting skills can participate in an acting workshop June 18-28 at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. Celebrating its 30th year this year, the theater company was founded by Martha Haarbauer. The program started out as a Jefferson County program for senior citizens where Haarbauer taught seniors about theater for about 20 hours a week, according to the organization’s executive director, Barbara Sloan. Haarbauer made the Seasoned Performers a volunteer troupe a few years after founding it. Now, there are about 75 people in the company. The actors in the troupe range in age from early 70s to mid-80s. The group welcomes anyone from “50 to 95,” Sloan said. Between 15 and 20 actors perform in the company’s touring play each year. The company tours with the play for two months in the spring and two months in the fall. The company also has a group of performers who work in teams of four and do theatrical readings all around the area at senior centers, libraries, schools and other places. Those performers have workshops

uanita Tant said she is living proof that you are never too old to dream-or to appreciate a cool car. The 83-year-old resident at Golden Living Center in Riverchase recently had a wish granted when she took a spin in a Smart Car, a mini-compact two-seater designed to zip all around town and still get 40 miles per gallon. “I think I probably left fingernail marks on the seat of the car, because they had to about drag me out of that car I loved it so much,” Tant said. Aubrey Pittman, a salesman at Crown Automotive in Hoover, took Tant for a ride earlier this month in a Smart Car from the dealership as part of the Golden Living Center’s new Golden Wishes program, said Jennifer Sinelnikov, a recreational therapist at the center who told Tant about the new program. Developed through the center’s activity

Reid Crotty Looks Back on 22 Years at Bluff Park UMC Journal editor

every week to write and rehearse scripts, practice diction and prepare the pieces to take out to the community. The company also includes a group of salon performers. They’re more experienced actors who still want to perform but don’t want to go to rehearsals every night for the six to eight weeks a play would require. The salon performers put on two or three big stage readings a year and also perform in homes and businesses for special events. Most recently, the Seasoned Performers

encourages them to continue dreaming, to continue working towards goals and having their wishes fulfilled,” Sinelnikov said. And while taking a ride in a very small car might seem like an odd wish to some people, Tant said there’s a reasonable explanation as to why she was so set on hitting the road in a Smart Car. “The whole thing started about two years ago,” Tant said. “My husband, Wallace, and I were backing out of the parking lot at our church, Saint Luke’s (Episcopal Church) in Mountain Brook, and this lady in the teensiest, tiniest car I’d ever seen was backing out at the same time. Since two cars can’t occupy the same space at the same time, we found ourselves involved in a fender bender. My little heart went pitter-patter when I first saw that little car.” But while her car bore no physical reminders of the event, Tant said she couldn’t stop thinking about that Smart Car. “I love teeny, tiny things, and I kept thinking about what it might be like to drive

When Reid Crotty became the senior pastor at Bluff Park United Methodist Church in Hoover in 1991, he hoped to lead the church for more than the usual three to eight years most United Methodist pastors stay at a church. But the Homewood resident said he had no idea the church would be where he spent more than 20 years and from where he would retire. Crotty will retire as senior pastor at Bluff Park UMC on June 12 after 22 years of service at the church and a ministering career that has spanned 44 years. “I always had my eye on this church and knew it was somewhere I wanted to be,” he said. “I have loved my time here.” During his more than two decades at Bluff Park UMC, Crotty estimates he’s officiated close to 600 funerals, married about 400 couples and baptized about 500 babies. “That’s a lot of interaction with people at so many different levels, and I think that is what I have loved the most about my time here--the people,” he said. All that interaction with people at many different stages of life, Crotty said, has given him a deep appreciation for his congregation. “You really come to appreciate people. These are people who are faithful and loyal and, like everyone, have coped with all sorts of difficulties in their lives and come out of those difficulties. You’re there with people in their happy times and in their sad times,” he said. Crotty grew up in East Lake, and although his family was at East Lake United Methodist Church “every time the doors were open,” the Banks High School graduate said he did not set out to become a preacher. “I thought about studying journalism or law, all kinds of stuff, because I really didn’t know what I wanted to do,” he said. “A teacher told me about this Liberty National scholarship, and I went and took the test and won the scholarship. They also gave you a summer job between your senior year in high school and freshman year in college, so I went to work that summer as an actuary.” But the more he worked as an actuary that summer, the more Crotty got the feeling that he was meant for something else. “I was so thankful to the Liberty National folks, but I just had a feeling in myself that it wasn’t what I was supposed to be doing,” he said. “So, I prayed about it.” And when he prayed, the answer Crotty received surprised even him. “I had never really thought about being a minister, but once I prayed about it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and thinking that it was exactly what I was supposed to do,” he said. Crotty was still a student at the University of Alabama when he got his first job as a circuit pastor at two small churches on the outskirts of rural Gordo. “I was 20 years old and didn’t know a thing,” he said. “But it was amazing, they accepted me as their preacher.” And with that acceptance came the responsi-

See golden wishes, facing page

See retirement, facing page

marked Older American Month with a special performance at Birmingham Festival Theatre. On May 19, the troupe presented “Make ‘em Laugh,” a 45-minute comedy homage to Vaudeville, directed by Ellise Mayor. The Seasoned Performers also offers creativity, writing and acting workshops at Artists on the Bluff, in the old Bluff Park Community School building. For more information, email martha@ seasonedperformers.org or call 978-5095. ❖

Juanita Tant Fulfills Her Wish: Riding in a Smart Car

Journal editor

Mission Statement By Keysha Drexel

Still Living Life in the Fast Lane By Keysha Drexel

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

department and the brainchild of administrator Tom Kent, the Golden Wishes program aims to get seniors to keep dreaming and setting goals, Sinelnikov said. “Part of having a dream is setting an end goal, and we think that this increases the quality of life for our seniors because it

Juanita Tant waves goodbye to her friends at Golden Living Center in Riverchase as she gets ready to take a ride in a Smart Car. Photo special to The Journal

Thursday, May 30, 2013 • 25

seniors

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Retirement, From previous page

bilities of leading a church that Crotty said he wasn’t sure he was quite ready for at the time. “I had been there for about two weeks when one of the parishioners passed away, and I was talking with the family and church leaders and I wondered out loud who was going to do the funeral,” he said. “They quickly told me I was going to do it because I was the preacher.” Crotty said at that time, his repertoire included about three simple sermons. “That was the most challenging part--coming up with a new sermon every week,” he said. “I look back on those sermons now and some of them were just awful. I was learning as I went and it was sink or swim.” Crotty said the congregations at the two small churches were very patient with him and offered him plenty of encouragement and support. “They made it seem easy,” he said. “They will always hold a special place in my heart.” While in seminary at Emory University in Atlanta, Crotty met his wife, Martha, while preaching at Union Grove United Methodist Church in Adamsville. “That church’s mission was to help young ministers get through school and to give people a place to start, and they certainly helped me get through school,” he said. After Union Grove, Crotty pastored at a church in a cotton mill village in Talladega and then became the associate pastor at Cahaba Heights United Methodist Church. From there, Crotty went to a church in Helena in 1977 and pastored there for seven years. After that, Crotty was a pastor at Forest Lake United Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa near the UA campus. Crotty, who will turn 64 in June, said he’s retiring a year early so that he and his wife of 39 years can get a head start on their retirement “to-do” list. “My wife’s a guidance counselor in Birmingham schools, and we’re both retiring

golden wishes, From previous page

one of those cars,” she said. So for two years, Tant’s eyes were drawn to every Smart Car she saw on the road, and the dream to ride in one someday persisted. “It became kind of like a game with whoever I was in the car with, and I could always spot the Smart Cars before anyone else,” Tant said. But before she got a chance to drive a Smart Car, Tant had an accident that took her out of the driver’s seat. By that time, Tant’s husband was in shortterm care at Golden Living Center.

The Golden Wishes program aims to get seniors to keep dreaming and setting goals “I would come visit him and so I knew about it, and then I came here for short-term care after I fell,” she said. About five months ago, Tant and her husband decided to become full-time residents at the center and now share a room there. “I can’t drive anymore, but that didn’t stop me from thinking about what it would be like to ride in a Smart Car,” Tant said. So when Sinelnikov told her about the Golden Wishes program, Tant put pen to paper and outlined her dream.

Reid Crotty will retire next month after serving as the senior pastor at Bluff Park United Methodist Church for 22 years. Journal photo by Keysha Drexel

at the same time,” he said. “We want to travel some, probably to Ireland and England. My grandparents came here from Ireland and I’m really interested in going there and seeing where they came from, and my wife taught English before she was a counselor and she loves Shakespeare and wants to go see all those places in England.” Along with missing the people in his congregation, Crotty said he will really miss choosing the hymns that are sung on Sunday mornings. “For 44 years, I’ve got to pick the hymns, and now I’ll have to sing the hymns that someone else chooses on Sunday mornings,” he said. Crotty said he doesn’t think about words like “legacy” as he looks back on his service at Bluff Park UMC. “I’ve never really considered that I would even have a legacy, but I guess one of the things that I’m most proud of is that this church is open to everybody. We welcome anybody and everybody,” he said. “When I came to this church, it was 100 percent white, and now we’ve become more diverse.” Crotty said that community outreach and a focus on welcoming everyone is something he thinks his successor will continue. Mike Holly, associate pastor of contemporary worship at Canterbury UMC, will be the new senior pastor at Bluff Park UMC. ❖ “I turned in my submission for my wish, and the next thing I know, Jennifer tells me that a man is going to bring a Smart Car up here and take me for a ride in it. I couldn’t believe it was really going to happen after so long,” she said. Pittman took Tant on a hour-long ride to downtown Birmingham, all around the city and back to Riverchase. “It was so much fun, and I loved every minute of it,” she said. “Those cars are surprisingly comfortable, and you don’t feel like you’re crammed in them or anything.” And Tant said she’s satisfied that if she could still drive, she’d be running the wheels off a Smart Car. “I truly believe that you are never, ever too old to have fun. Besides, I’m just a girl. We get to be girls until we’re 90, and then we’re ladies.” Tant said she also believes in the value of setting goals, dreaming and making wishes, no matter how many candles are on your birthday cake. “Never hesitate to have fun. When you stop dreaming, stop having fun, stop thinking about what is next, well, that’s when you get old and die,” she said. Tant said she sets new goals all the time and always looks for creative ways to accomplish them. “Listen, you have to keep broadening yourself. Otherwise you just shrivel up,” she said. “I think it’s important at my age to have goals, dreams, wishes and maybe, the occasional vendetta.” ❖

Danberry at Inverness Celebrates its Success of Offering Seniors the Distinctive Lifestyle They Desire. Not that many years ago, people considering their retirement living options had few distinctive choices. But today’s more sophisticated older adults and tomorrow’s retiring baby boomers demand a more stimulating and rewarding environment, where wellness opportunities abound and touches of elegance are around every corner. One such option that provides many of the extra services now in demand is Danberry at Inverness, a senior living community located in Hoover. Danberry is the vision of Daniel Corporation, whose goal was to introduce distinctive retirement living that goes beyond expected services and amenities. Danberry residents Pete Roth, Bill Morris, and Louise Price say the beauty of the community is beyond compare. Throughout the Danberry Clubhouse, nature seamlessly blends both indoors and out with fireplaces, the atrium lobby, English tea gardens and cascading waterfalls. “You walk in the front door and your jaws drop,”

says Pete Roth. “It’s just awesome.” Bill Morris says, “This is certainly not the retirement of olden days. You really have to see Danberry to believe it.” Louise Price says she believes Danberry is the finest she’s seen. “I’ve looked at several communities around the country, and nothing else compares. And it’s not only the beauty. Danberry has larger apartment residences, each with a full kitchen. The activities are superb. This is truly exceptional retirement living.” Residents at Danberry can access dynamic fitness opportunities all under one roof: A fully equipped fitness center, a heated indoor saltwater pool, classes including Tai Chi, aerobics, water yoga and Pilates, spa services, and a wellness clinic. Danberry at Inverness offers independent and assisted living apartment rental and cottage ownership. Call 205-443-9500 or visit DanberryAtInverness.com to learn more.

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26 • Thursday, May 30, 2013

Autry-Bell

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Craig Autry of Montgomery announce the engagement of their daughter, Anne Elizabeth Autry, to Brayden Wischmeyer Bell, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Wischmeyer Bell of Mountain Brook. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Waylon

Byars-Brown

Mr. and Mrs. Gary Alan Byars of Trussville announce the engagement of their daughter, Rebecca Diane Byars, to Kyle Jarvis Brown, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Jerome Brown of Homewood. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Carolyn Bishop of

Terch-Blank

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Wayne Terch of Birmingham announce the engagement of their daughter, Katherine Ann Terch, to Douglas Brian Blank II, son of Mr. Douglas Brian Blank and Mr. and Mrs. Kelly Everett Watson, all of Birmingham. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. William Merritt Burgin

Weddings & Engagements Autry and Mrs. William Laney Bellande and the late Dr. William Laney Bellande, all of Birmingham. Miss Autry is a 2005 graduate of Alabama Christian Academy and a 2010 graduate of the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood development. She received a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2013. She was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta and Kappa Delta Epsilon Honor Society. Miss Autry is a graduate student. The prospective groom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Alden Clement Stockinger of Baton Rouge, La., and the late Mr. and Mrs. James Ellingwood Bell of Dallas. Mr. Bell is a 2010 graduate of the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He received a master’s degree in marketing from the University of Alabama in 2011. He is employed with Regions Bank in Birmingham. The wedding will be July 13. Birmingham and the late Mr. Charles Bishop and Mrs. Alma Byars and the late Mr. Willie Byars of Birmingham. Miss Byars is a 2006 graduate of Hewitt-Trussville High School and a 2010 graduate of the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. She is employed locally with the Jefferson County School System. The prospective groom is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Turner of Tuscaloosa and Mrs. Barbara Brown and the late Mr. Edwin Covington Brown of Lincoln. Mr. Brown is a 2005 graduate of Homewood High School and a 2009 graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and a minor in Spanish. He was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He is employed locally with A588 & A572 Steel Company. The wedding is planned for July 13. and the late Mr. Burgin and Mrs. Edward Walter Terch and the late Mr. Terch, all of Birmingham. Miss Terch is a 2007 graduate of Mountain Brook High School and a 2011 elementary education graduate of the University of Alabama. She is employed by an elementary school in Birmingham. The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. John Charles Bruner Jr. and the late Mr. Bruner of Selma and Ms. Billy G. Hollowell and the late Mr. Howard William Blank of San Antonio. Mr. Blank is a 2006 graduate of Mountain Brook High School and a 2010 graduate of the University of Alabama. He is pursuing a doctorate of philosophy in finance degree at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn. The wedding will be June 22 at 3 p.m. at Brookwood Baptist Church in Mountain Brook. Following a honeymoon trip to the Dominican Republic, the couple will live in Knoxville.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Edward Johnson Jr. of Birmingham. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Jane Rucker Gunter of Birmingham, formerly of Russellville; the late Mr. James William Gunter of Rohrbach, Germany; and the late Mr. and Mrs. Carl Edward Johnson of Birmingham. The groom is the son of Mrs. Lucy Lott Strickland and Mr. William Bradley Strickland of Selma. He is the grandson of the Rev. William Calvin Strickland of Valley Grande and the late Mrs. Strickland and the late Mr. and Mrs. Edward Alfonso Lott of Burnsville. Escorted by her father, the bride wore an ecru gown of Venice lace with a semi-cathedral train. Her fingertip veil of silk tulle was edged in satin. She carried a bouquet of peonies and hydrangeas. Attending the bride were Julia Lonsdale Bevill, Martha Converse

King and Anne Goodwyn Kreider, all of Birmingham; Bevan Augusta Dowd of Berkeley, Calif.; Clare Carswell Easterlin of Atlanta; and Bea Jeffers Fowlkes of Athens, Ga. Groomsmen were the Hon. Robert Emerson Armstrong III and William Bradley Strickland, both of Selma, and James Barton Brown, Carl Reeves Burruss, Joshua Michael Cirulnick IV and Jason Paul Nichols, all of Birmingham. Judge Armstrong and Maeve Mary Sloane of Austin, Texas, were lay readers. Sarah Frances Andrews of Birmingham and Emily Clarendon Wright of Baltimore served as program attendants. Musicians were Saint Luke’s music director and organist Dr. James Dorroh and the parish choir. Following a honeymoon trip, the couple live in Birmingham.

Katherine Paige Benton and Dr. Scott Daniel Eckhart were married May 26, 2012 at Riverchase Baptist Church. The ceremony was officiated by Reverends Lucas Dorion and

Jeffery A. Greer. A reception at the Avon Theater followed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William David Benton of Birmingham and the granddaughter of Mrs. Bennett William Benton Jr. and the late Mr. Benton and Mrs. Joseph Avery Miller Jr. and the late Mr. Miller, all of Birmingham. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Lawrence Eckhart of Houston and the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Montgomery Eckhart and Mrs. Charles Daniel Moore and the late Mr. Moor, all of Niantic, Ill. Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a Galina shantung taffeta gown with a sweetheart neckline. The gown had a sweep train with a side bow at the waist, on which was pinned an antique cameo brooch. Her bouquet was wrapped in her maternal great-grandmother’s embroidered

handkerchief, and she carried a white Bible given to her maternal grandparents upon their March 10, 1951 wedding at Southside Baptist Church, as well as an embroidered handkerchief carried by the groom’s mother and his maternal grandmother in their respective weddings. The matron of honor was Sarah Elizabeth Benton Wagner, sister of the bride, of Enterprise. Bridesmaids were Laura Ward Murphy of Tuscaloosa, Heather Joy Harwood of Dallas and Emily Eckhart Mabry of Houston. Best men were Austin Charles Eckhart and Eric Montgomery Eckhart, brothers of the groom, both of Houston. Groomsmen were Dr. Jonathan Robert Oudin of Barrow, Alaska; Airman Jacob Eckhart of Goldsboro, N.C.; and Joshua David Benton, brother of the bride, of Baton Rouge, La.

Hays-Stone

Mr. and Mrs. John Scott Hays of Birmingham announce the engagement of their daughter, Anna Kathryn Hays, to Whitton Van Stone, son of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Dwaine Stone of Birmingham. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Douglas Hays of Birmingham and the late Mr. Hoyt Watson Driver and the late Ms. Kathryn Pippin Driver, both of Anniston. Miss Hays is a 2007 graduate of Vestavia Hills High School and a 2011 cum laude graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She was a member of Kappa Delta sorority. She is employed as a regis-

tered nurse in UAB’s Trauma Burn Intensive Care Unit. The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. Robert Earle Stone and the late Mr. Robert Earle Stone of St. Louis and the late Mr. and Mrs. Van Brittain Seelbinder of Birmingham. Mr. Stone is a 2006 graduate of Vestavia Hills High School and a 2010 graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He was a member of Kappa Alpha Order. He is employed with CenterState Bank as a junior fixed income analyst. The wedding is planned for June 29 at Reid Chapel at Samford University.

Johnson-Strickland

Sarah Jane Johnson and Bradley Lott Strickland were married May 18 at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church, with the Rev. Richmond Webster officiating. A wedding brunch followed the noon ceremony.

Benton-Eckhart

Recently engaged, married or celebrating an anniversary? Let us help spread the word of your good news. Send your announcement to editorial@otmj.com

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Bowl Champs

Thursday, May 30, 2013 • 27

Schools

Spain Park High School Team Wins Scholars Bowl Title

pain Park High School has a new state championship trophy after its top scholars won a recent competition. The school’s Scholars Bowl team won the 2013 Scholars Bowl state championship last month. Spain Park High competed with 23 other Alabama high school teams at the event, held at Jefferson State Community College’s Shelby-Hoover campus in April. “Students prepare for this tournament all year, and they are serious about this competition,” said Lucy Lewis, tournament director and

Jefferson State instructor. “These are the best scholar teams from around the state.” Spain Park won a sudden-death round against Huntsville’s Grissom High School for the state title. Randolph School placed third. Before the state-level competition, Spain Park had to win district-level and regional competitions. “The competition is very similar to a game show, where contestants compete to give the correct answer very quickly,” Lewis said. “It is easy to see the pressure increase as teams progress further into the tournament.”

In the tournament, teams of four students battle head-on as the moderator asks questions and individuals buzz in with a response. “The teams here definitely want to win,” Lewis said, “but this competition is also about celebrating our bright young leaders of tomorrow.” The team was coached by Todd Parker. Members of the 2013 state championship team from Spain Park High included Matt Schoeneman, Stefanie Schoeneman, Dion Hagan, Kevin Yang, Andrew Forsyth, Kyle Griffin and Jack Peters. ❖

From left: Matt Schoeneman, Stefanie Schoeneman, Dion Hagan, Kevin Yang, Andrew Forsyth, Kyle Griffin, Jack Peters and Coach Todd Parker. Photo special to The Journal

School Notes The seventh and eighth-grade participants on the Ireland team were Rachael Brooks, Chandler Clemmons, Bess Gordon, Nate Gordon and Ellie Wright. Those on the Thailand team were Caitlin Crane, Grayson Gale, Lauren Laughlin, Kanely Lemke and Alayna Priebe. Students on the Estonia team were Laurel Coomes, Emma Fox, Ella Guven, Samantha Jesse and Kaitlyn Munger. Students from Liberty Park Middle School participated in the 22nd Junior United Nations Assemby at Birmingham-Southern College. Photo special to The Journal

Liberty Park Students Tackle World Issues Liberty Park Middle School students took part in the 22nd Junior United Nations Assembly at BirminghamSouthern College. The sixth-grade teams represented Kenya and Colombia, covering the topics of Kenya’s global water and sanitation issue and Colombia’s problem of child soldiers. The seventh and eighth-grade teams represented Estonia, Thailand and Ireland. The topic they covered for Estonia was finding a solution to decrease school dropout rates. For Thailand, it was protecting the endangered Malayan tiger, and for

Ireland, the topic was worldwide child abuse. Team members wrote resolutions, influential speeches and 30-second summaries for their assigned topics. The students designed their own costumes, replicated their countries’ flags and created display boards for the subject matter. The sixth-grade participants on the Kenya team were Frances Fowler, Alison Levine, Elizabeth Meeks, Robyn Sanders, Arlana Spencer, Beth Studdard and Grace Uldrich. The sixth-graders on the Colombia team were Bryce Hutchinson, Whit McDaniel, Campbell Miller, Eric Schroeder and Ian Schultz.

Homewood Students Win in McWane Contest Edgewood Elementary School placed second in the Celebrate Science Exhibit Design Challenge. The fifth-grade enrichment students won a cash prize for their classroom. The contest, sponsored by the McWane Center, had 17 participating schools. The schools had to design a McWane Science Center exhibit as a class project. This creative task integrated skills from math, science, writing and technology. The Edgewood students created the model exhibit “Ex-CELL-ent Cells” to win the contest. Their model would allow visitors to learn about the parts, or organelles, of the cell and their individual roles. They

Edgewood students celebrate a second place win in the McWane Science Center’s Celebrate Science Exhibit Design Challenge. Photo special to The Journal could also learn what the organelles look like as well as compare and contrast plant and animal cells by matching the organelle puzzle piece to the correct position on the cell puzzle base. The third-grade enrichment class from Shades Cahaba Elementary School won the Participation Award in the challenge. Their model exhibit was “Bones of Birmingham,” which gave visitors the opportunity to learn about the human skeletal system by putting bones in the correct place on the Vulcan statue.

Mountain Brook Band Wins Awards in NYC

The Mountain Brook High School Band raised money to travel to New York City to participate in the Heritage Festival aimed at helping to feed starving children in Haiti. Before the trip, band members packaged and sent meals to be given to hungry children. The Mountain Brook High School Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble were the only Alabama bands at the festival. The symphonic band received high ratings and won second place in its classification. The jazz ensemble won third place in its classification. The band also received its second invitation to the Festival of Gold in Orchestra Hall in Chicago as well as invitations to other renowned concert halls. ❖

The Mountain Brook High School Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble won several awards at a musical festival in New York City. Photo special to The Journal

John Carroll Kicks Off Forevermore Campaign John Carroll Catholic High School had its first President’s Dinner on May 7, with class of 1957 graduate Barbara Dooley as the guest speaker. Her husband, Vince Dooley, former University of Georgia athletic director and head football coach, also attended to support the school’s campaign. Rev. Father John McDonald, John Carroll’s president, invited more than 350 sponsors and friends of the school to join him for the dinner, which launched the public phase of the school’s Forevermore Campaign. Organizers said the President’s Dinner accomplished its aim to bring together John Carroll supporters to share its future needs and highlight the school’s mission to educate and develop a student’s body, heart, mind, and soul to prepare them as responsible and capable leaders for the community, state, country, and world. The goal of the Forevermore Campaign is to raise funds for endowment, education and athletic programs and renovations to the school. So far, John Carroll has raised $2.3 million toward its $4 million goal. The school has already put some of the resources to good use, purchasing new desks and chairs and making renovations to the library, band room, theater and science laboratories. The school has also received new computers, wireless technology and new vans to transport students. John Carroll has also raised $1.2

28 • Thursday, May 30, 2013

Schools

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Tops in Math

Homewood High Teams Win State Championships

tudents on the math teams at Homewood High School have been named the top mathmaticians in the state. The school’s math teams are celebrating two state championships and a runner-up finish at the state level competition. Both the Comprehensive Team and the Algebra II Team won 2013 state titles. The Geometry Team was runner-up at the state tournament by one point. On the Comprehensive Team, 13 members were among the top 25 scoreres in the state.

Those students included Tyler Williams, first, Grant Smith, second; Chris Simpson, third; David Selden and Chris Myers, seventh; Aaron Stansell, 13th; Rebecca Riley, 14th; Sarah Grace McDuff, Josh Gardner, Chris Campbell and Aubrey Wallace, 21st; and Yevgeniy Gavrikov and Joey Crittenden, 24th. On the Algebra II Team, 13 members scored in the top 25 in the state. They included Houston Wingo, second; Hunter Kimbrell, third; Chase Kelly, fifth; Joy Korley, sixth; Taylor Lummis, seventh; Connor Biggio, 11th; Katie Gardner, 12th; Will Hunt,

Homewood High School students celebrate winning state championship titles in math. Both the Comprehensive Team and the Algebra II Team won 2013 state titles. Photo special to The Journal

13th; Jake Schiller, 14th; Dixon Simmons, 16th; Morgan Abney, 17th; Caroline Karson, 18th; and Wilson Smith, 19th. On the Geometry Team, 12 members scored in the top 20 in the state.

They included Duncan McDuff, second; Molly K. Richardson, third; Laughlin Ashe, fifth; Jeffrey Ji, eighth; Will Beaumont, ninth; Jacob Patton, 11th; Nick Dutton, 12th; William Jackson, 14th; Kennedy

Joe, 15th; Jonathan Cross and Hunter Poole, 17th; and Mary Chalmers, 20th. Tim Hurry and Mark Hellmers sponsor the math teams at Homewood High School. ❖

The sold-out event was at Mountain Brook High School’s Fine Arts Building. The event was hosted by Principal Betsy Bell, teacher Rick Hedrick and Assistant Principal Jennifer Galloway. Committee chairmen for the show were Amy Roberts and Amy Scofield. The variety of talent at the show included a comedic restaurant skit, athletic gymnastic routines, baton twirling, magic, a trumpet rendering of “When the Saints Go Marching In” and a piano rendition of the “Star Wars” theme played by “Darth Vader.” Many classes, including the school’s entire sixth-grade class, and the CBS staff performed as a group with entertaining themes. Musical acts included the Glo-Rida dancers, tap, hip-hop and jazz dancers, a rap artist, guitarists, duets and a musical theater. Winners in the kindergarten through third-grade category included Anna Bella Foster and Rachel Lebensburger’s dance, “Little Shop of Horrors,” Harrison Wood’s drum solo and Kathryn Huddleston’s “Lolli Lolli” gymnastics routine. In the fourth through sixthgrade category, winners were Chandler Vargas’ piano piece, “Great Smoky Mountains”; Carly Cole’s solo, “Beautiful”; and Aaron Weil’s rap song, “Ladi Dadi.” Kindergarteners Mary Jackson Darnall, Maddie Freeman, Catie Gasque, Libby Geisler, Annie Kerr, Courtney

Koleszar, Hannah Lebensburger, and Lilly Nomberg received the People’s Choice Award for their dance routine, “Party in the USA.” Proceeds benefited the CBS ParentTeacher Organization. For more about the event, visit www. thebendsgottalent.com. ❖

School Notes technology. John Carroll also plans to refurbish its stadium with a new all-weather track, a new press box, a weight room expansion, reconditioned bleachers, a new alumni area and a new stadium entrance.

million toward its endowment fund, which provides financial aid awards for qualifying students. Future plans for infrastructural renovations include expansion of the cafeteria, a new roof, security upgrades, renovations to the front office, new lighting, window replacements and up-to-date

Cherokee Bend Students Showcase Talents Students, teachers and family members joined together at Cherokee Bend Elementary School recently to celebrate the school’s second annual “The Bend’s Got Talent” show.

Mike A. Keller, DDS, PC Pediatric / Adolescent Dentistry Dr. Mike Keller, friends & staff are happy to recognize May members of the NO SUGAR BUG CLUB

William Abbot Margaret Anne Abele John Abele Grant Abele Noah Adams Rebecca Adams Chelsea Aldrich Ayden Allred Griselle Aquire Andrew Autrey Baynes Autrey Brooks Autrey James Axon Cate Axon Catherine Bamford Sarah Bamford Colin Bamford Sophie Barnes Arthur Barnes Julie Barnes Madeline Barron James Barron Jack Barron Karol Barrueta Holt Bashinsky Nelle Bashinsky Caroline Bates Coleman Bates Kathleen Beall Ashliegh Beam Ellie Beam Batch Bennett Sawyer Bennett Sydney Bennett Benjamin Bermudez Kileigh Blackwell Emily Bolvig Bickley Bowron Wheeler Bowron Justin Brouillette Jessica Brouillette John William Brouillette Jacob Brouillette Kaleb Bryant Michael Bunn Dylan Cagle Parker Campbell Cecila Cantaverspre Clay Carroll Ben Carroll Will Carroll Addison Clark Lily Close Luke Close Jaden Coats Grant Cole Jack Cole Anne Clayton Cole Miguel Colin

Mary Katherine Cook Carden Cooper Remy Cron Randi Cron Blair Cross Everett Cross Bennett Culver Maggie Bruce Culver Chandler Cushman JP Darnall Cody Davidson Cade Davidson Hunter Davis Liliy Davis Andrew Davis Nathan Davis Jake Davis John Daniel Day Jeremiah Day Hudson Diehl Kayla Diehl Landon Dill Connor Dill Lauren Dill Walt Dipiazza Aiden Dodson Jonah Downing Ella Downing Jacob Drake Lindsay Jane Drummond Ella Duvdevani Mia Duvdevani Adam Duvdevani Catherine Edwards Allison Ellard Brice England Robert Ezell Liam Falconer Frances Faulkner Avery Fletcher Whit Fletcher Flynn Fletcher Cole Fontenot Hartwell Forstman Henry Franklin Molly Franklin Henry Gaede Thomas Gaede Caroline Galloway Mary Frances Garner Carson Garrett Cole Garrett Max Gault Charlie Gault Fini Giattina Rob Gillespie Ethan Gilroy Tyler Glenn Xander Glenn

Elana Golding Austin Gonzalez Alden Gonzalez Aspen Gonzalez Aiden Gonzalez Emma Gordon Sarah Gordon Aedin Griffith Wood Hamilton Elizabeth Hamilton Mckinley Hamilton Elizabeth Hamn Emilyn Hamn Ibrahim Hamo Destiny Handley Shelby Handley Kacy Handley Sam Harmon Eliza Harmon Hartson Harmon Stuart Harmon Rebecca Harris Brant Hawkins Michael Hawkins David Helms Thomas Herron Jude Herron Ridley Herron Addy Herron Weston Holt Reagan Hoggle Colton Hoggle Logan Hoggle Emma Howard Garrett Howard Madalyn Howard Anna Howard Dayten Hughes Annie Hughes Mary Kate Hughes Mary Ryan Hughes Nicholas Hughes Sara Camille Irby Harrison Irby Gray Irby Will Jackson Cory Jackson Celie Jackson Emma Jenkins Forrest Jinks Keegan Johns Lydia Johnson Blake Johnson Christian Jones Cate Jones Mary Carlisle Jones Laura Keel Javier King Andres King

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Gwin Students Wins Arbor Day Essay Contest John Thomas Deery, a fourth-grade student at Gwin Elementary School, wrote an award-winning tree essay in celebration of Arbor Day. His essay was about his favorite oak tree at his grandparents’ house and why it is special to him. The ceremony for the award presentation was held at Aldridge Gardens on March 2. During the ceremony, Deery was recognized for the award and had photos made with Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey and Arbor Day chairman Michael Zarichnak. Deery received a wood-carved plaque award, a three-foot-tall Japanese maple tree, an oak tree, a book about trees and a membership to Aldridge Gardens. After the ceremony, he participated in planting an oak tree at Aldridge Gardens. The tree was one of six of the largest oak descendants of Auburn University’s Toomer’s Corner Oaks. Deery said it was one of the greatest honors of his life.

Students from Bluff Park Elementary School in Hoover took a tour at Vulcan Materials as part of their earth science studies. Photo special to The Journal

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Pizitz Middle School Band Garners National Award

The Pizitz Middle School Band recently won the Sadler Cup, a national award presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. The Sadler Cup is awarded annually to only one or two middle school bands that have repeatedly been rated superior at state, regional or national levels in concert activities. A number of the students must also participate in district and all-state honor bands. The award ceremony for the Sadler Cup was held on May 14 at Shades Mountain Baptist Church. The band

also performed for students on May 17 at the school. The school’s Symphonic Band was chosen with only three other bands nationwide to perform at the Music for All Festival in Indianapolis in March. About 240 students in grades 6-8 participate in the Pizitz music program, which includes the top ensemble Symphonic Band directed by Kim Bain, the Concert Band led by Assistant Director Leah Seng, a beginning band program and an auditionbased Jazz Band. ❖

School Notes Bluff Park Students Excavate Knowledge

Grammy Winner Performs at Indian Springs School

Bluff Park Elementary School’s thirdgrade students recently took a field trip to Vulcan Materials for their earth science studies lesson. In their class, the students have been learning about Earth’s many different rocks and minerals and what they are used for in everyday life. At Vulcan Materials, the students learned how rocks are unearthed and then crushed into smaller rocks to be used for construction and repairs on different infrastructures. The students’ hands-on lesson included crushing rocks in a small rockcrusher, picking out their favorite rocks to take home and riding down into the rock quarry. Teachers said the field trip allowed the students to actually see up close and feel the rocks they have been studying in the classroom as well as see first-hand how the rocks are excavated for human use.

Oteil Burbridge, the bass guitarist of the Allman Brothers and a twotime Grammy Award winning artist, performed at Indian Springs School’s 2013 D-Day celebration on April 26. D-Day, or Development Day, is Indian Springs’ semiannual day of service projects for students and faculty. Burbridge was invited by his close friend, Indian Springs music teacher Clint Jacobs. Burbridge, who has performed and recorded with many rock and jazz legends for more than three decades, played with the band for the students and answered questions for them. He left the students with an inspiring message. “We have more power to positively change our lives than we realize,” Burbridge said. --Ivanna Ellis

Veterans shared their stories with students at Homewood Middle School. From left: Darby Wesson, Mary Jane Rose, Eugene Brabston and Campbell Brabston. Photo special to The Journal

WWII Vets Share Stories with Homewood Students

Students at Homewood Middle School got to hear about historical events they have been studying from two veterans of World War II. Eugene Brabston, a U.S. Navy and Army veteran, visited Homewood Middle School to share his story with the students. 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, also visited the school. 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. ❖

Schools

The Pizitz Middle School Band was awarded the Sadler Cup on May 14.

Thursday, May 30, 2013 • 29

Photo special to The Journal

30 • Thursday, May 30, 2013

sports Members of the Mountain Brook High School girls golf team that represented the school at the state tournament. This is the third consecutive year the team has won 6A state chamionship. From left: Tatum Jackson, Carolyn McCalley, Lane Proctor, and Meg McCalley.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Mountain Brook Wins State Lacrosse Title

Photo special to The Journal

Spain Park Boys and Mtn. Brook Girls Earn Class 6A Golf Titles By Lee Davis

Journal Sports Writer

The playing venues may have been different, but the results in the Class 6A boys’ and girls’ golf championships last week had a familiar ring. Spain Park won its second consecutive boys’ title, and Mountain Brook won its third girls’ blue trophy in three years. The Jaguar golfers shot a two-day total of 600 to claim a nine-stroke victory over Auburn at the Fighting Joe Course at the Shoals. Hoover finished fifth at 625. Mountain Brook’s girls fired a two-day score of 461 to easily outdistance runner-up Auburn’s 475 at the Schoolmaster Course at the Shoals. Hoover was fourth with a score of 509, and Spain Park was fifth at 539. In the boys’ competition, Spain Park’s Connor Smith easily won the low medalist honors, shooting a two-day score of seven under par 137. Smith followed a first-day score of 70 with a sizzling round of 67. Teammate Vasili Kartos tied for third in individual scoring with a two-

round score of 145. Both Smith and Kartos are juniors. “Connor played great on both days, and Vasili helped a lot with a 70 on the last day,” said Jaguars coach Brian Carter. “But it’s really a team game. Every shot from every player helped us.” Hoover’s Taylor McCullum was tied for ninth with a score of 151. Steady and consistent scoring helped the Mountain Brook girls to their third straight title. Tatum Jackson tallied a 76 in the second round to give her a total of 149, putting her in a second-place tie for low medalist. Top medalist was Virginia Green of Fairhope, who carded a score of 140. Lady Spartan Carolyn McCalley finished at 154, while teammates Lane Proctor and Meg McCalley brought home two-day scores of 158 and 168 respectively. Hoover’s Mychal O’Berry finished seventh with a total of 156, and Spain Park’s Caroline Gurley finished tied for ninth at 161. The Lady Spartans are coached by Jackie Clayton.

Spain Park golfers are, from left: Sam Prater, Vasili Kartos, Thomas Laney, Patrick Martin, Connor Smith and Coach Brian Carter. Photo special to The Journal

Superstars Win Trussville Soccer Tournament

The Mountain Brook Superstars won the Under 9 Girls division of the Trussville United Classic Soccer Tournament April 27-28. The Superstars faced Argo, Lady Arsenal and Fusion 04 Elite. The team scored nine total goals in the tournament but had only three goals scored against it. Front, from left: Sarah Simon, Jenna Vandiver, Lila Banks Everette, Ellen Anderson and Elle Stokes. Second row: Grace Knight, Rayna Mastin, Kate Methvin, Katy Dykes and Maggie Windle. Third row: Coaches Toby Dykes and Bob Methvin. Photo special to The Journal

Mountain Brook Girls’ varsity lacrosse team members and coaches are, from left, front: Captains Libbie Faulconer and Lucy Neal. Middle row: Katie Jackson, Mary Kathryn Parrott, Elise Nesbitt, Maggie Miller, Meredith Stringfellow and Clara Williams. Back: Head Coach Michelle Patriquin, Hayden Griffin, Julia Bell Pope, Olivia Mannon, Michelle Wu, Sarah Michel, Mary Parker Wetzler, Lee Chapman, Laura Tovar and Hunter Faulconer, assistant coach. Photo special to The Journal by Chap Jackson

The Mountain Brook Girls’ varsity lacrosse team won the 2013 Greater Birmingham Youth Lacrosse Association state championship.

Mountain Brook defeated top-seeded Oak Mountain 12-11 to win the title on May 5.

OTM Players Named Brine Lacrosse All-Stars Lacrosse players from different Over the Mountain schools will find themselves playing on the same teams this summer. Students from Mountain Brook Junior High and Briarwood Christian School have been selected to play in the 2013 Brine National Lacrosse Classic June 30-July 3 in Boyds, Md. Mountain Brook Junior High School eighth-graders Zachary Carroll, Sterling DeRamus, John Annesley DeGaris and seventh-grader Sean Doud, along with Briarwood eighth-graders Will Hulsey, Wilson Hand, Grant Weldon and sixth-grader Mark Hand have been selected to represent the Southeast region in the Brine National All-Star Lacrosse Academy. The Brine National AllStar Lacrosse Academy and National Lacrosse Classic brings the top 400 middle school lacrosse players in the country to one venue, where 16 regional teams will compete to become the 2013 national champion. The event gives college lacrosse coaches from every division a chance to see potential NCAA recruits. Carroll, a defensive midfielder, plays for the Mountain Brook High School varsity lacrosse team, coached by Brent Yarborough and Matt Aiken and was also named a Brine National Lacrosse AllAmerican in 2012. Defenseman Doud plays for the Mountain Brook U13 Gold lacrosse team coached by Brian

Doud and Jack Sharman. Denfenseman DeRamus and midfielder DeGaris play for the Mountain Brook U15 lacrosse team coached by Tom Clark and Sam Henderson. The Briarwood players selected for the National Lacrosse Classic team all play in the Greater Birmingham Youth Lacrosse League. Hand plays for the U13 Lions lacrosse team coached by Rick Burgess.

Hulsey and Weldon play for the U15 Lions team coached by Frank Bemis and Bobby Cowen. Hand plays for the varsity Lions team coached by Mark Hand Sr. All four Briarwood students are also members of Bamalax, Alabama’s select travel lacrosse team. For more information on the Brine National Lacrosse Classic, visit www.nationalla-

Briawood lacrosse players selected, from left: Mark Hand Jr., Will Hulsey, Wilson Hand and Grant Weldon.

Mountain Brook lacrosse players selected, from left: Zachary Carroll, Sean Doud, Sterling DeRamus and John Annesley DeGaris Photo special to The Journal

Vestavia and Briarwood Fall In State Softball Tournament By Lee Davis

Journal Sports Writer

Vestavia Hills’ dream of a Class 6A state championship in softball fell victim to a red-hot pitcher Friday afternoon. Pelham’s Whitney Gillespie tossed a one-hitter to lead the Lady Panthers to a 5-0 victory over the Lady Rebels in an elimination game at Montgomery’s Lagoon Park. The defeat was Vestavia’s second loss in the double elimination tournament. Gillespie struck out six Vestavia batters and walked four. Taylor Coe’s double was the Lady Rebels’ only hit of the game. Vestavia’s Rebecca Hein allowed nine hits as her team completed the season with a 41-10-1 record. The Lady Rebels found themselves in deep water the previous day after losing a first-round game to Thompson 4-1. Abbie Miranda had two hits for Vestavia. Hein allowed

Thursday, May 30, 2013 • 31

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

two earned runs and struck out seven batters in the losing cause. Vestavia rebounded in the elimination game later that day by edging Dothan 1-0. Caroline Hardy’s RBI single brought in the winning run. Hein handcuffed the Dothan batters by yielding only two hits with 11 strikeouts. Hein’s hot streak continued in the next game when she gave up only a single hit as the Lady Rebels shelled Austin 12-0 in a game that ended in the fifth inning thanks to the 10-run mercy rule. Vestavia broke open a close game with nine runs in the decisive fifth inning, as Olivia Cooper and Miranda had two-run doubles for the winners. Hein also had two hits and two RBIs. Kristin Chapman, Katherine Hicks and Tristan Ziannis along with Hardy and Coe had RBIs for the Lady Rebels. Vestavia’s final win in Montgomery came in a 1-0 squeaker over Baker. Hein was again outstand-

ing, hurling a five-hit shutout with three strikeouts. Cooper’s single scored Miranda in the first inning for the game’s only run. Miranda had advanced to second after a single by Courtney Howze. The stage was then set for the Lady Rebels’ final game loss to Pelham. Briarwood’s hopes for a Class 5A title ended in two games over the weekend. The Lady Lions fell in the first game to Curry 11-3. Morgan Reed had three hits for Briarwood. Faith Academy ended the Lady Lions’ season with an 8-5 win in an elimination game in the double elimination format. Reed paced Briarwood with four hits, while Rachel Walz had a hit and an RBI. Hannah Hall also had a hit and an RBI, while Savannah Kolb contributed an RBI. Briarwood finished the year with a 27-16 record.

Alabama Pole Vault State Champion Signs with Samford

baseball, From back cover

and 10 doubles to help the Bucs to a 35-14 record and the brink of a state championship. “An honor like this is special because it comes from the coaches and because you’re measured with guys that you’ve competed with and against since we were all little kids,” said Powers, a senior. “It’s a nice way to end the season.” Six of Powers’ Hoover teammates joined him on the All-Over the Mountain team, also chosen by the coaches. They were Geoffrey

softball, From back cover

“It was a year of perseverance,” Briarwood coach Suzanne Serrano said. “To be so young, our team battled and put up a good fight. The Lord blessed us greatly. I’m already looking forward to next year.” But there’s still plenty to enjoy about this season. An exclusive poll of the head coaches of the eight Over the Mountain schools that compete in Classes 6A and 5A chose Serrano as the 2012-13 Coach of the Year. “It’s an honor,” Serrano said. “But it’s not about me. It’s about the work these girls put in during the season.” In addition, the coaches named Briarwood shortstop/pitcher Morgan Reed the 2012-13 Over the Mountain Player of the Year. Reed, a junior, hit .513 with 41 RBIs and eight home runs. Her slugging percentage was a stratospheric .983. A danger around the base paths as well, Reed stole 38 bases and scored 61 runs. She struck out a mere six times. Defensively, Reed stood out with a fielding percentage of .934. In the pitching circle, she compiled a 10-7 record with one save and an ERA of 1.40. Reed also fanned 88 batters.

Vestavia Hills High School athlete Christopher Thrasher is the men’s 6A State Champion in pole vaulting. Thrasher’s win came at the State Track Meet held in Gulf Shores on May 3, with a winning height of 15 feet. Thrasher excells in the classroom as well. He scored a 32 on his ACT and has been awarded an academic scholarship to help cover cost while at Samford. He also has been named to the Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society after working at the school paper.

Family members join Chris Thrasher, center, following his first-place finish in the 6A state championship in pole vaulting. From left: Austin and Casey Dennis, Alan Thrasher, Chris, Kay Thrasher, Jessica Thrasher, and Eva Aldridge. Photo special to The Journal

Davis,

loss to Hewitt-Trussville of reaching the Class 6A baseball finals.

rebounds in Hoover’s 66-55 championship win over Blount. She was named the Over the Mountain Player of the Year. Hoover and Mountain Brook commanded track and field, and the Bucs’ Marlon Humphrey may have been the area’s best all-around athlete. Vestavia and Homewood brought home state championships in boys’ cross country. As always, our area showed it could probably compete with most South American countries in soccer. Vestavia defeated Oak Mountain to win the boys’ Class 6A title, Mountain Brook edged Oak Mountain to claim the girls’ 6A title and the Briarwood boys annexed their fourth Class 5A crown. In baseball, Homewood captured the imagination of its entire community by putting together a long winning streak on the way to a 32-9 record. Hoover came within a tough

Members of the Mountain Brook High School girls soccer team, winners of the 6A state championship, are, from left, front: Liz Moore, Kayla Dowler, Maggie Dodson, Julia Grace Gillen, Anna Catherine Gillespy, Maggie Jeffords, Heitho Shipp, Laura Rice, Olivia Lantz, Marguerite Edmunds and Annabelle Friedman. Back: Assistant coach Angela Nardeccia, head coach Scott Flowers, Nicole Strahl, Jess Wilson, Katie Windle, Sarah Grace Lindsey, Lowry Neil, Elizabeth Clutton, Adelaide Kimberly, Ansley Joy Peacock, and Cate Armstrong. Photo special to The Journal

From back cover

Softball saw Vestavia win 44 games and make a serious run at the

Class 6A title. The year’s Cinderella story came from Briarwood, where

Bramblett, Major Haley, Ian Kirk, Josh Rich, Connor Short and Trace Turner. Four of Gann’s Patriots also qualified for the team: Brian Browning, Luke Porter, Connor Rivers and Mason Schoettlin. Other players making the team included Tanner Cunningham and Daniel Robert, Briarwood; Zach Poticny and Tristan Widra, John Carroll Catholic; Sam Centeno and Douglass Hubbard, Mountain Brook; Heath Quinn, Oak Mountain; Josh Close and Grant Veteto, Spain Park; and Schaefer Amos and Price Visintainer, Vestavia Hills.

“I’m honored to be named Player of the Year because there are so many great players in this area,” Reed said. “But like any award, it’s really a team honor.” Serrano may be Reed’s biggest fan. “What else can you say? Morgan had a great year,” she said. Reed, along with teammates Ashlyn Boyd and Rachel Walz, was selected for the 2012-13 All Over the Mountain softball team, which was also chosen by the area coaches. Vestavia Hills, which went deep into the Class 6A tournament on the way to posting a 44-10-1 record, had four selections on the squad: Olivia Cooper, Caroline Hardy, Rebecca Hein and Abbie Miranda. Mountain Brook also had four Lady Spartans qualify for the team. They were Rebecca Blitz, Taylor Harkins, Grace Morrissette and Courtney Shea. Other members of the team include Kay Holtzapfel, John Carroll Catholic; Katlin Hamilton, Homewood; Mary Catherine Nichols, Carly Sewell, and Kalee Sparks, Hoover; Madeline Porter, Caroline Seitz and Anne Thomaston, Oak Mountain; and Mary Kathryn Bonamy, Madi Gipson and Mary Beth Glass, Spain Park.

the Lady Lions went 27-16, won their area and reached the Class 5A tournament at Lagoon Park. Briarwood star Morgan Reed may have been involved in the year’s most bizarre play. Reed hit an apparent homerun in a playoff game against Shelby County but had the play nullified when the home plate umpire ruled that she had never touched the final base. The Wildcats won the game with a homer of their own in the ninth inning, but Reed and Briarwood rebounded strongly to earn the trip to Montgomery for the championship round. Reed went on to be named the Over the Mountain Softball Player of the Year. Of course, I’ve only touched on the many highlights that characterized the athletic year just ended. It would be easy to write another two or three columns just to list them all. Suffice it to say, 2012-13 was a year that won’t soon be forgotten. And the odds are that 2013-14 will be every bit as good.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Briarwood’s Reed and Serrano Earn Player, Coach Honors

Sports

Spain Park boys and Spartan girls earn Class 6A golf title P. 30 Mtn. Brook wins Lacrosse championship P. 30

Lee Davis

By Lee Davis

Memory Game

Journal Sports Writer

In preseason talk, when a coach describes his or her team as “young,” that means its fans can expect a lot of growing pains during the season. That wasn’t the case for Briarwood softball in 2012-13. Despite the fact that the Lady Lions roster was dominated by underclassmen, Briarwood turned in one of the finest seasons in school history, posting a 27-16 record, winning the Class 5A Area 7 title and earning a coveted berth in the state tournament at Lagoon Park in Montgomery. And while the Lady Lions’ trip to the capital city was brief, it didn’t take the glow off an incredible season. See softball team, page 31

2012-2013 Year Full Of Unforgettable Highlights

W Members of the 2012-13 All-Over the Mountain softball team include, from left, first row: Morgan Reed, Briarwood; Kay Holtzapfel, John Carroll Catholic; Mary Catherine Nichols, Hoover; Ann Thomaston, Oak Mountain; Madeline Porter, Oak Mountain. Second row: Coach Suzanne Serrano, Briarwood; Olivia Cooper, Vestavia Hills; Rebecca Hein, Vestavia Hills; Rebecca Blitz, Mountain Brook; Katlin Hamilton, Homewood; Carly Sewell, Hoover. Third row: Caroline Hardy, Vestavia Hills; Abbie Miranda, Vestavia Hills; Mary Kathryn Bonamy, Spain Park; Mary Beth Glass, Spain Park. Fourth row: Taylor Harkins, Mountain Brook; Grace Morrissette, Mountain Brook; Courtney Shea, Mountain Brook; Caroline Seitz, Oak Mountain; Madi Gipson, Spain Park; and Kalee Sparks, Hoover. Not pictured: Ashlyn Boyd, Briarwood, and Rachel Walz, Briarwood. Journal photos by Marvin Gentry

Members of the 2012-13 All-Over the Mountain baseball team include, from left, first row: Coach Doug Gann, Homewood; Tristan Widra, John Carroll Catholic; Grant Veteto, Spain Park; Ian Kirk, Hoover; Michael Powers, Hoover; Price Visintainer, Vestavia Hills; Connor Rivers, Homewood. Second row: Mason Schoettlin, Homewood; Josh Close, Spain Park; Luke Porter, Homewood; Sam Centeno, Mountain Brook; Major Haley, Hoover; Schaefer Amos, Vestavia Hills. Third row: Brian Browning, Homewood; Geoffrey Bramblett, Hoover; Douglass Hubbard, Mountain Brook; Connor Short, Hoover; and Trace Tanner, Hoover. Not pictured: Tanner Cunningham and Daniel Robert, Briarwood; Zach Poticny, John Carroll Catholic; Josh Rich, Hoover; and Heath Quinn, Oak Mountain.

Gann and Hoover Slugger Lead All-OTM Team

By Lee Davis

Journal Sports Writer

Doug Gann is no stranger to All-Over the Mountain teams. As a standout athlete at Homewood in the 1980s, Gann was a regular selectee for All-Over the Mountain teams in baseball and football. “That was a long, long time ago,” he said.

In 2012-13, Gann went back to the future. As baseball coach at his alma mater, Gann led the Patriots to a 32-9 record, the Class 5A Area 9 championship and a strong run in the state playoffs. The impressive mark apparently impressed his peers in the coaching profession. An exclusive poll of the eight Over the Mountain head coaches that compete in Classes 6A and 5A chose Gann as the 2012-13 Over the Mountain Coach of the Year.

“This all feels a little strange after all these years,” Gann said. “It’s a good feeling, but an honor like this really tells the story of what our kids accomplished this season. They are the ones that should get the credit.” The coaches also chose Michael Powers, Hoover’s hard-slugging outfielder, as the 2012-13 Over the Mountain Player of the Year. Powers hit for a .375 average with 54 runs See baseball team, page 31

e probably say it every year, but 2012-13 was truly a year for the books when it came to Over the Mountain athletics. Name the sport, and it’s easy to come up with a slew of highlights that featured drama and excitement. And programs that had flirted with championships for years finally brought some blue trophies home. In football, Hoover overcame two years of near-misses to win the state 6A championship in dominating fashion. Coach Josh Niblett earned his second crown as the Bucs’ mentor and hopefully silenced any remaining critics once and for all. Rookie coach Cris Bell brought new excitement–and a Class 6A playoff berth–to an Oak Mountain program that had struggled for years. Bell’s contagious enthusiasm means that Eagle fans could have many happy Friday nights in their future. Mountain Brook continued its run as one of Alabama’s most consistent programs, and veteran coaches such as Buddy Anderson at Vestavia Hills and Fred Yancey at Briarwood just kept on winning. And there wasn’t a more exciting passer anywhere than Spain Park’s Nick Mullens. But football didn’t have any edge on basketball when it came to big moments. Maybe the biggest story of the entire school year was Mountain Brook’s incredible run to the state 6A basketball title. Coach Bucky McMillan’s Spartans had been steady winners for years before finally snatching the blue trophy in 2013. Some old-time fans compared this year’s Mountain Brook team to the 1969 New York Mets, who came out of nowhere to win the World Series. Spartan supporters might have borrowed a well-known Mets slogan, “Ya Gotta Believe,” because in 2013, the entire city of Mountain Brook believed in its team. On the girls’ side, Hoover continued its amazing dominance as Coach Tiffany Frederick continued the Lady Bucs’ dynasty by winning the state title in her first season at the helm. And nobody could take over a game like Hoover’s Marqu’es Webb, who scored 29 points and bagged 22 See Davis, page 31