from left: Nancy Cost, Vivien Harmon and Helen Yarboro
Restoring Dreams Gala
With Age Comes Wisdom
have always enjoyed being around older people—hearing their stories and life lessons learned. For more than 20 years, I’ve volunteered as a Meal on Wheels driver, taking hot meals to homebound seniors in our community. First and foremost, a big shoutout to Meals on Wheels for providing this amazing service to thousands of people in our area! The relationships I’ve built with my clients throughout the years are ones that I treasure dearly. I delivered to Bill O’Neal, who for 50 years lived in the iconic Mill House on Mountain Brook Parkway. He gave candy to my son and regaled me with stories of early Mountain Brook and hosting Charles Lindbergh in his home. Another client, John O’Brien, who despite his blindness is a faithful member of the OLS choir, blesses me often with his kindness and wisdom. In this issue, we celebrate remarkable seniors who live vibrant lives and bring so much value to our communities. Evelyn Potwell has worked at the Piggly Wiggly River Run for almost 20 years (she worked at Western in Cahaba Heights for more than 31 years before that) and turns 92 in October (see story on page 16). And Viv Harmon and Bob Black are thriving in their senior living communities (see story on page 14). Now that I’m AARP eligible, I can only hope to follow in their fabulous footsteps!
–BARRY WISE SMITH
Designer: Claire Cormany
Contributors:
from left: Dale Shaffer joined Laine Poole and Jimmy Gauld playing their first gig together,
WISH NIGHT
Supporters of Make-a-Wish Alabama celebrated the nonprofit at Wish Night on March 7 at The Club. Jeh Jeh Pruitt of Fox 6 served as the evening’s host. The party began with cocktails and a silent auction, followed by dinner and a live auction. Wish Kids and Wish Families were in attendance, and 50 members of the Reeltown High School Band from Tallapoosa County marched and played for guests. The band received new uniforms thanks to the wish of schoolmate Melody Jackson, who was 16 when she died last year. The after-party featured dancing with music from Nacho Daddy.
THE DANCE FOUNDATION
Dance Foundation kicked off its 50th anniversary year with a celebration at Dread River Distilling Company on Feb. 23. The Dance Foundation Board of Directors hosted the party, which featured performances by students and guests, food and signature cocktails. Former Dance Foundation board, faculty and students were in attendance to share memories of the organization’s 50 years of dancing, teaching, learning, collaborating and creating. The Dance Foundation makes the art of dance available to as many as possible through three programs: StudioClasses, DancePartners and SpaceRentals. Learn more at thedancefoundation.org.
Dance Foundation Adult Tap Students who performed at the event: back row: Susan Nolen, Peggy Johnson, Karen Dorsett, Sherry Pruett and Patsy Steed front row: Carolyn Goodall, Jennifer Young and Alana Kirkley
Parker Williams and Ken Sobaski
Colton Bowen, Tiffany Bryan, Trina Rackard and Kevin Rackard
Hosts of the party, The Dance Foundation Board of Directors: back row:Mary Katzman, Whitney Williams and JT Ennis front row: Shannon Young, Amelia Ricks, Sharon Pitts, Cheryl Lloyd, Peggy Powell and Brian Collin
Matt and Brooke White Emily Gantt, Karissa Godzi and Lauren Walwer
Alex and Anna Margaret Ezelle
Sharon Pitts, Dance Foundation Board Member and Ms. Senior Alabama 2024, with her guest Kathy Paiml, Ms. Senior Alabama 2023.
Shannon and Alan Cook
Melissa Turnage (daughter of Dance Foundation Founder Jennie Robertson), Sylvia “Sycamore” Toffell, Germaul Barnes and Mary Horn
Valerie Cunningham-Trainer and Brooke White
Ethan and Chloe Lybrand
Sponsors Peggy and Greg Powell (Fi Plan Partners) with Dance Foundation Executive Director Diane Litsey
Hall and Virginia Eady
The
PRESCHOOL PARTNERS
PreSchool Partners, in partnership with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, recently transformed its building into a vibrant art gallery for its first-ever art show. The event created community among students, families and members of the St. Luke’s congregation. Food and fellowship were the themes of the night, thanks to a generous dinner provided by St. Luke’s. The show featured artwork created by PreSchool Partners students, ranging from class collaborative projects to individual student masterpieces.
BRIDAL LUNCHEON AT BCC
Back in the early ‘80s, a group of close friends decided that when each of their daughters became engaged, they would create a tradition of giving the bridesmaid’s luncheon. That tradition has now gone to the second generation! Bennett Searcy, the granddaughter of one of the original group, was honored along with bridesmaids on February 28th at the Country Club of Birmingham. Margaret Ireland was the maid of honor. Other bridesmaids were: Jenna Ali, Karelynn Shamblin Burns (sister of the groom), Jennie LaRussa, Cole Lowery, Haley Miller, MacKenzie Hammond Roberts and Nolen Moore Zarilli. Hostesses were: Sara Harris, Rose Ann Kendrick, Jackie MacClary, Helen Pittman and Mary Ross Searcy. The wedding was March 1st at The Club in the Gold Room followed by the reception in the Grand Ballroom.
Mackenzie Roberts, Haley Miller, Cole Lowery and Jennie LaRussa
PSP Students Lucy & Paris enjoying Taco Mama.
Bennett Searcy and Anna Lowery
Dolly, PSP Student
Jackie MacClary, Sara Harris, Rosanne Kendrick and Helen Mills Pittman
Lucy Hawkins, PSP Volunteer and St. Luke’s member and Johnailla Burke, St. Luke’s Staff serving up supper.
Mary Ross Searcy and Monique Gibson
PSP Student Kaiden proudly displaying his masterpiece.
Cole Lowery, Shawn Bonanno and Jill McClain
PSP Staff Members Shunnecia Thomas, Allison Swoger, Kita Roberts and Jimeka Hill
PINK PALACE CASINO NIGHT
An elegant evening of food and fun were featured at the 17th annual Pink Palace Casino Night at Soiree Event Gallery on March 1. The event was a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, with proceeds benefiting life-saving breast cancer research across the state. Guests enjoyed food by Kathy G. & Co., drinks, live music from II Da Maxx and bidding on items in the silent auction. They also received play money for Vegas-style casino gambling, such as blackjack, poker, roulette, craps and slot machines. “Winnings” from gaming could be “cashed in” for a chance to win prizes.
Riza Burch, Emily Grytz and Nancy Wolfe
Daniel and Kelsey Seehase, Julie Cattan and Micah Myricks
Harold and Marsha Pruitt
Charleigh Hager, Megan Carter and Hannah Sanford
Samantha Hager and Deena Agee
Vicky Crozier, Celya Caston and Ginger Hollingsworth
Deanna Danalevich and Rod Barner
Hannah and Cameron Marlin
EXCEPTIONAL FOUNDATION CHILI COOK-OFF
Chili, chili and more chili was on the menu at the 21st Annual Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-Off at Brookwood Village on March 1. Competing teams worked under open-air tents to make the best bowls of red, which were sampled by the thousands who attended the fundraiser. Live music set the rhythm for the day, and a kids’ zone provided fun for children. The Cook-Off is The Exceptional Foundation’s largest annual event, and all proceeds directly benefit its programs, which provide social and recreational services for adults and children with intellectual disabilities.
Rebekah Taylor, Emmie Smith, Jeannie Pate, Christian Herndon and Will Smith
Jacob Wendland, JC Smiley and Clay Herring
Lisa Kacker and Lee Strickland; Cooper Construction
Amy Buckley, Sue Yarbrough, Leslie Tomlin and Shasta Brock
Walker Sewell and Anne Matthews
Anna Franklin and Pandora Marlin
Virigina Howell, Ann Louise Morris and Shelby Mullins
John B. McCollum and Savanah Needham
Chase Smith, Ginger Rodenberry, Joe Miller, Christian Thompson and Diane Baird; Southern Power
Beverly Virciglio, Hadley Blackshear, Annie Tweedy, Eugene Mealing and Jewel Mealing; Thompson Cat
RESTORING DREAMS GALA
Blanket Fort Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring the lives of child trafficking survivors, held the Restoring Dreams Gala on Feb. 27 at The Club. The event marked the gala’s 10th anniversary and featured keynote speaker Jaco Booyens, a leading voice against human trafficking. Guests also got an exclusive look at the organization’s new Restoration Home, a safe haven for child trafficking survivors that will open this spring.
Stephen and Mandy Pearlstein
Hannah and Stephen Hicks
Macy Cates and Anna King
Alison Matthews, Amber Vaughn and Rachel Stricklin
Tyler Hill, Cole Czajkoski, AJ Walley and Courtney Callis
Will and Meredith Maxey and Alicia and Kirk Cuevas
Janice Rogers, Jaco Booyens and Cain Mashego
Lauren and Tyler Smith
Homeward Bound
An interview with Brady Strain about in-home pediatric therapy
BY LEE HURLEY
So much attention has been paid over the last two decades to the concept of aging in place. That is, rather than moving our seniors out of their homes into facilities, many new products and services have been created to help seniors age gracefully in the comfort of their own home. And yet, in-home care is not only relevant for our seniors, it’s also relevant for our young children.
Mountain Brook native Brady Strain saw an opportunity to bring her passion for pediatric therapy into the home, which she did by creating her own company last fall called S.T.E.P.S or Specialized Therapy for Everyday Pediatric Skills. The concept is quite simple, Strain comes to the home to work with infants and young children along with their families to
address physical, social, emotional, cognitive and sensory needs.
Brady graduated from the University of Alabama in 2015 concentrating on Food and Nutrition, later getting her Masters in Occupational Therapy (OT) from the University of South Alabama. She began her career at The Emerge School for Autism in Baton Rouge providing OT services in the clinic and the school. A career move for her husband Ben brought Brady to Mobile, where she provided OT for infants and children at South Alabama Children’s and Women’s Hospital. In 2022, the couple moved to Birmingham where Brady joined The Bell Center providing OT services for infants and children ages birth to three. And finally she became an entrepreneur moving to her current role. Brady and Ben have two boys, ages three and 18 months.
“My approach fosters the development of the whole child; physical, social, emotional, cognitive and sensory needs. ” –brady strain
OTMJ: When you go into the home are you dealing with children who have had a diagnosis of some kind?
BRADY STRAIN: Not necessarily. The majority of my cases are babies who just need a little boost. Of course I also work with children who have had diagnoses like autism and others.
What is the goal of occupational therapy?
The goal is to develop or improve the skills needed for someone to participate in their daily activities as independently as possible. We commonly focus on therapy that includes feeding, self-care skills, learning and play.
How does that work?
I breakdown the activity and address the underlying skills required for success. My
approach fosters the development of the whole child; physical, social, emotional, cognitive and sensory needs.
How does a parent know if they need therapy for their child?
If a child is having difficulties participating in any age-appropriate tasks, I can likely help.
What would a call coming in be like?
“I’m noticing my baby only looks one direction and is getting a flat spot on her head.” “My child is a very picky eater, and we’re trying to expand his food variety.” “We are having trouble with bottle feeds.” Or, “Our child is having trouble regulating emotions,” or “is having trouble participating in their class at daycare.” It’s really all over the map.
left: Brady Strain and her sister Maggie working on tummy time skills with a seven-month-old.
What ages do you deal with?
Basically birth to five years old, but I also offer parent coaching with school age families.
Your uniqueness is that you go into the home?
That’s true, and the feedback I get from my parents about this is not having to drag other children to sit in a waiting room while one child is at their OT appointment, and parents of new babies appreciate not having to leave the house and disrupt naps. Also, children are more comfortable at home in their natural environment.
Are you always in home or are there exceptions?
I can also provide OT in some daycares upon family request. And I offer telehealth throughout the state and phone coaching for parents throughout the U.S. Most recently, I decided to offer TummyTime! Method classes for babies and their parents at True40 Studio in Homewood.
How do people find out about you?
I get calls from parents saying that another discipline provider (physical therapist or speech therapist) referred them to me. And I also get referrals from pediatricians and lactation consultants. Many families have heard about my services from a friend who has used me.
Can you tell us some specific things that you do for children?
I look at what age appropriate tasks the child is struggling with and then assess
| HEALTH |
to find the root cause. For example a child using utensils requires postural control/ core strength to sit upright in a chair, arms strength to reach for the utensil, visual arm motor skills to scoop the food with the utensil, hand-eye coordination to bring a spoon to their mouth and grasping skills to hold the utensil. As an OT, if I determine a child’s decreased strength is affecting feeding skills, I am going to incorporate strengthening activities through play, which will then carryover to feeding success. OT should always be fun and look like play, not work.
What kinds of things do you ask parents about their children?
I try to get a complete picture of what the day looks like and areas that I may be able to provide support. I ask a wide variety of questions from “what foods does your child eat?” to “what is their favorite activity on the playground?” to “how does your child do on community outings?”
Do you collaborate with other healthcare professionals?
Absolutely I do, with physical or speech therapists for example, so we can carryover
each other’s goals and problem solve together. I also love working with teachers to provide child specific recommendations that can positively impact their participation in the classroom.
What’s been challenging about starting your own company?
Learning the marketing side has been new for me. I have a real appreciation for everyone in marketing as creating a website took me way too long!!! OTMJ
For more information, stepsbham.com.
MUSIC
Partners in Rhyme
Jimmy Gauld and Laine Poole share bonds of friendship and music.
BY BRENT THOMPSON
As with many musicians, the inception of Laine Poole and Jimmy Gauld’s musical journey involved a girl.
“We went to the same school. I didn’t know him, and he didn’t know me,” Poole, sitting in a local brewery, recalls. “We both knew the same girl that lived across the street from me. Per usual, I headed over to Molly’s, and there he was with a guitar making time with her. I said, ‘Let me see that guitar,’ and I started playing “The Needle and the Damage Done” by Neil Young. The first words out of Jimmy’s mouth were, ‘You’re not playing that right,’ and he was right. Ever since then, I’ve vowed to be sure that I know a song before I play it live.”
From there, a lasting musical partnership was forged. Eventually, the duo’s inevitable discussion about “making it” in the music business came to the forefront. “We had a conversation and said, ‘We need to decide. Are we going to do this, or are we not going to
do this?,” Poole says. “We were starting to get investors that were going to give us money to go into a recording studio, and I was seriously thinking, ‘Could we get signed?’ We decided we had to get out of Birmingham.” And they did a lot more than just leave the city.
“We went to Europe for a few months,” Poole recalls, “When we first got there, we sat by the [River] Thames, and a crowd gathered. We put the hat down, and they started putting money in the hat. We thought, ‘Maybe this is going to work.’”
From there, the pair embarked on a European trek that resulted in great life experiences but eventual weariness as well.
“We went to Brussels, Belgium, but couldn’t make any money. Munich, Germany, ended up being our hub because, with the Deutsche Mark, we were getting five to seven dollars at a time, and we were making $100 an hour apiece playing on the street. Then we’d go off to Greece and blow it,” Poole says with a laugh.
“When you play music, it’s a form of communication. There’s a special relationship within bands between bandmates.”
–laine poole
From there, Poole moved to Georgia and kept playing while Gauld moved to Mississippi and took a break from performing. The two eventually moved back to Birmingham at roughly the same time. “After I got married and had kids, I wasn’t playing at all” Gauld says. “It was a good break after playing for a decade.”
But the pandemic proved to be an unlikely catalyst for Gauld’s renewed interest in playing and performing. “What got me interested in playing again was Covid,” he says.“Everybody worked from home, and my desk sits next to a rack of 10 guitars. I played every day for hours. I learned about 120 new songs, and I told Laine, ‘I want to go out and play these for people.’ I went to Billy’s [Bar & Grill] and started playing on a night when they didn’t normally have music, and 100 percent of the money went to charity. From there, we were booked, and we still play at Billy’s.”
“We learned all these new songs during Covid, and we had a whole night of nothing
but new material. People said, ‘We want to hear the old stuff.’ When we got back together, we just fell right into it—we didn’t miss a lick,” Poole recounts.
“I think it’s easier now because my lifestyle is so much calmer. I don’t smoke, it’s easier to sing and we’ve got years of practice under our belts. And now that we aren’t doing it as a living, we don’t have to have the work—you don’t have to fill up your calendar to pay the rent. Also, as we’ve gotten older, playing from six to nine is better than when we played from 10 until two,” Gauld adds.
In addition to Poole and Gauld’s friendship of nearly 50 years, music has provided them with an unspoken connection. “When you play music, it’s a form of communication. He knows what I’m going to do before I do, and I know what he’s going to do before he does it because we’ve been playing so long together,” Gauld says. “There’s a special relationship within bands between bandmates,” Poole adds.
Unlike solo performers, the partnership provides Poole and Gauld a friendly face at every performance. “When you’re playing at
Jimmy Gauld and Laine Poole, 1985
a bar, you don’t know anybody who’s there,” Gauld says. “It’s nice to have a friend onstage with you.” Poole adds, “We play to each other when the crowd’s not into it. Those are some of the most enjoyable nights.”
Anyone who knows guitarists knows that collecting instruments is a common characteristic among them. Gauld and Poole are no exceptions to the rule. “It’s ironic because, back when I was doing it full time, I could never afford all the guitars that I have now. “When we did it for a living, I had a guitar and a mandolin,” Poole recalls, “Now, I have 40 guitars, six mandolins and two banjos.”
In addition to their personal relationship, Poole and Gauld are linked by a determination to continually hone their skills and uphold their respective ends of the partnership. “Knowing that the person is going to learn their part is not even a second thought of mine,” Poole says. “When we get together, I know he’s going to do what he said. He’s trustworthy, punctual, reliable—this guy is a rock. That’s been great for me because I’m a little flighty. I can go off on improvisations, and he lets me, but he’s always there when it’s time to come home or when I get lost.”
He continues, “You learn how to practice to make the show better. I practice those hard phrases and solos that I know I want to get right. I can’t rely on it to always be there—you have to practice. I want to be reliable and to know that when I come to the show, I’m prepared. I want to bring good musicianship to the table—it’s so important for me to do that. If you stop practicing, there is going to be a hole in your music, and people are going to hear it eventually. So I work at it. I learned to play fast and hot,
left: Daddy Rawshucks writer’s night, 1990 below: The Loveland Band after opening for Bob Dylan at the Oak Mountain Amphitheater in 1991. Rick Carter seated center with Loveland members clockwise from bottom: Jeff Sauls, Laine Poole, Alice Bargeron, Jimmy Gauld, Susan Sauls and Joe Breckenridge. From a Birmingham News article by Shawn Ryan, image by Jerry Ayres
and I can’t do that anymore, so I’ve found something that I wish I had learned in my teens, which is restraint. Silence is part of the music—you don’t have to play hot all the time. So it’s as important—or more important—to play something interesting. I thought I was doing that when I was younger, but I wasn’t. It was just hot and fast. I’m trying to be much more tasteful and more melodic. Less is so much more. Youth can’t grasp that, and I wasted my time. I could have been interesting all along.”
Gauld adds, “I enjoy practicing alone in my basement. For me, learning is like solving a puzzle. Some people do crossword puzzles or Sudoko, but for me learning a song is like solving a puzzle, and it’s the one thing I do where I completely lose track of time. I can go down there at seven o’clock and play for three hours, and it feels like I’ve been down there for 10 minutes. The music gives me a level of satisfaction that I just don’t get in anything else.”
And as if nearly 50 years of friendship and music isn’t enough, Poole even met his wife through Gauld. “Every good thing that’s happened to me has come from this relationship in some way,” Poole says.
As the conversation closes, one really pressing question has to be asked. Which one of them ended up with the girl across the street? The response comes quickly and in unison. “Neither of us.” OTMJ
Busking in Budapest, Hungary, 1989
SENIOR LIVING
Senior Living
Where life in the slow lane isn’t slow at all.
BY JUNE MATHEWS
Afew years ago, Vivien and Jim Harmon visited Kirkwood By the River with an eye toward moving there. They were not only bowled over by the beauty of its setting near the Cahaba River, but they also appreciated its amenities and activities.
“We fell in love with the place,” Mrs. Harmon says. “It was perfect for us.”
Their one misgiving was the prospect of leaving Point Clear, Alabama, where they had been enjoying retirement for 20-plus years.
“It was a great place to live,” she says. “We were on a golf course, so we played a lot of golf and a lot of bridge, and we spent time at our beach place in Destin. We had a great life.”
But once the Harmons factored in the need to live closer to their two sons and other family members, they realized moving to Birmingham was the wisest course. So, they packed up their belongings and their many fond memories of Point Clear and headed north.
Eight months later, Mrs. Harmon was grateful for the decision to make Kirkwood their home when, in early 2022, Mr. Harmon passed away. They had been married for 64 years.
If not for the nearness of her children and an outpouring of care and concern by the many friends the Harmons had made in their new senior living community, the difficulties inherent in the loss of a spouse would have been that much more difficlt for Mrs. Harmon.
“When Jim died, I had a lot of people here who helped give me the kind of support I needed at a time like that,” she says. “And it
was really nice for me to have our children here when that happened.”
As time went by, Mrs. Harmon settled into her life, often by leaning into the friendships she formed at Kirkwood and the activities available to the residents to help them learn, grow healthier and just enjoy.
“I’ve made a lot of friends here,” she says. “It’s a very warm and friendly place.”
To anyone unaccustomed to Kirkwood’s activities schedule, it might seem overwhelming.
But Mrs. Harmon keeps a steady pace with exercise classes, balance classes, programs featuring music and/or speakers and games.
“We play an awful lot of games,” she says.
“We have Bingo, Bunco, Mexican Train dominoes, Hand and Foot Canasta and Bridge. I was primarily a Bridge player, but I’ve learned to do a lot else since I got here. We’re also taking up Mahjong, and we have a library. It’s amazing how many books we have in there.”
Residents of Kirkwood additionally enjoy regular access to hairstylists, pedicurists, manicurists, podiatric care, audiological evaluations and transportation to shopping venues, doctor visits and dental appointments.
“I don’t know how all that compares with other places because I haven’t tried to compare it, but I feel like we’re pretty well covered with anything we want,” Mrs. Harmon says.
The mother of two and grandmother of six, with two great-grandchildren on the way, Mrs. Harmon will turn 89 in May.
“I can’t believe I’m about to be 90, but I’m in fairly good health, which is really good,” she says.
“We fell in love with the place. It was perfect for us.”
–vivien harmon
Longleaf Liberty Park resident Bob Black, age 92, is also in decent health. Unfortunately, however, his wife Martha is not, so Black needed help caring for her. That’s what led them to search for an assisted living facility.
“She’s got some problems with her strength,” says Black. “She has trouble standing up and walking. Since I push around her wheelchair all day, I’m still in pretty good shape physically, and I guess mentally. But she needs help getting dressed and things like that. They do a good job here at Longleaf taking care of all that.”
The staff at Longleaf, says Black, is incredible.
“That’s key to any senior living facility,” he says. “They take good care of us. As far as activities, there’s something going on here all the time.”
Some of the activities the Blacks particularly enjoy are concerts, Bingo twice a week and weekday happy hours, when they can go to the lounge and enjoy a glass or two of wine. They also enjoy the meals, since the food is what Black considers “excellent.”
“We also enjoy our suite, which has a big living area, a nice bedroom and a huge bath with a walk-in shower.”
The Blacks checked on about a half dozen other places before opting for Longleaf.
“They were all good, but Longleaf seemed special. We’ve made friends with everybody here and consider them family,” he says. Married for 70 years, the Blacks have four children, 10 grandchildren, and 11 greatgrandchildren. They keep “Bob and Martha” busy entertaining weekly.
“Longleaf is a wonderful place,” says Black. “We’ve thoroughly enjoyed being here, and we feel quite happy being in a community. We can’t recommend Longleaf any higher than that.” OTMJ
Kirkwood residents gather by the fire and enjoy the billiards room.
Martha and Bob Black (second and third from left), and fellow residents celebrating Mardi Gras at Longleaf.
Seniority
Evelyn Potwell sets the standard at Piggly Wiggly River Run.
BY BARRY WISE SMITH
PHOTO BY JORDAN WALD
Evelyn Potwell is a fixture on her stool in the checkout line at Piggly Wiggly River Run. Potwell, who turns 92 this October, has been at the store since opening day on November 15, 2006.
“Evelyn is an unbelievable worker,” says supervisor Saba Shunnarah. “She’s always on time and never calls out. You don’t see too many 91-year-olds driving to work four days a week. The customers love her. She’s a blessing; she’s family.”
Potwell—who has three children, four grandchildren, three great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren—got her start in the grocery game decades before she came to the Pig. She went to work at the Western in Cahaba Heights in 1974, where she stayed for 311/2 years until the store closed in 2005.
“When I worked at Western, I had a key to the store,” Potwell says proudly. “I got there earlier than almost everyone, except the Deli Department.”
When the Western announced its closing, it was one of Potwell’s regular customers who suggested she move to Piggly Wiggly.
“Mr. Stan’s sister (Stan Virciglio who owns the store) was one of my customers at the Western,” Potwell says. “When the store was closing, she told me I needed to go to work for the Pig. I talked to Mr. Stan, and he gave me a job. He came to the store on opening day and made a point of coming over to me to make sure I was settling in.”
These days, Potwell works four days a week from five to 11 a.m. Each workday, she makes the 22-mile drive from Odenville, where she lives in a house built for her on her son’s
“The best thing about continuing to work is the people. I have very good customers; I even have customers from the Western who followed me over here.”
–evelyn potwell
property. Potwell lived in Cahaba Heights with her husband, a carpenter, and her two sons and daughter until her husband passed away in 1981. “I’ve always worked,” Potwell says. “And after my husband passed, I had to support the kids.”
Potwell starts her days at three a.m. to get to the store by five. Her daily routine includes making herself a biscuit for breakfast, feeding someone’s cat (“he’s not mine, but I feed him every morning,” she laughs) and reading her Bible. “By the time I do that and get myself ready, it’s time to go,” she says. Potwell uses her drive time for prayer. “I do a lot of praying while I drive—for my family and my co-workers. They all mean so much to me.”
And while most folks take retirement before they turn 65, Potwell wants to keep going. “I
can’t stay home,” she says. “On the days I don’t work, I miss it. The weekends seem very long. I don’t like to be idle.” She also enjoys embroidery and has been known to stitch when work is slow. “I have half-finished pieces all over my house and sometimes at the store too,” she laughs. What most keeps her going is the people— customers and co-workers who she loves like family. “The best thing about continuing to work is the people,” Potwell says. “I have very good customers; I even have customers from the Western who followed me over here.”
And with her 92nd birthday on the horizon, does Potwell have any plans to retire and ride off into the sunset? The answer is a resounding no! “I will keep working as long as I can. I have no desire to quit,” she says. “I imagine I’ll work ‘til they ask me to leave.” OTMJ
Mountain Brook High School Dorians Win National Championship
The Mountain Brook High School Dorians dance team repeated as back-to-back National Champions in the Large Varsity High Kick division at the UDA National Dance Team Championship in Orlando, Fla., in February. The team also placed fifth in the nation in the Large Varsity Division 2 Gameday competition, which was the best finish in school history. Dorians head coach Anna Scofield says, “I’m in awe of the team’s talent but even more inspired by the friendship and sisterhood they have. We felt like we had a ton to live up to, and we decided early on we were not going to step down from that, we chose to build on top of what we did last year. I always knew they had the hunger, grit, dedication and a chance to do it again!” OTMJ
MOUNTAIN BROOK DORIANS
front row: Emily Anne Read, Ivey Patton, Marie Claire Kampakis and Amelia Fulton
second row: Anna Kate Russom, Katherine Dean, Lauren Hassig, Abby Norris and Polly Allbritton
third row: Faculty Sponsor Karen Svetlay, Frances Townsend, Marianna Avery, Maggie Simmons, Frances Scott, Katie Burn, Audrey Irby and Head Coach Anna Scofield
fourth row: Alice Kate Krawczyk, Mattie Graham, Serena Spencer, Sarah Katherine O’Dell, Sally Moore and Mary Graham
SPORTS
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Homewood Boys Soccer Team Seeking 8th State Championship
BY RUBIN E. GRANT PHOTOS BY SCOTT BUTLER
Homewood’s boys soccer team is not taking a step back this season.
Although the Patriots graduated their top two strikers from their 2024 Class 6A state championship team that finished 24-3-4, their goal is to increase their number of state titles to eight. Homewood’s previous state championships came in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2021 and 2024.
“I don’t see a world where one year you win it all and the next year when you have 14 seniors you don’t try to do it again,” Homewood head soccer coach Julian Kersh says. “We still have an experienced team, so our goal is to get back to Huntsville (site of the state tournament) and win it again.”
The Patriots lost leading goal scorers Will Jackson, the 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Alabama, who is now at Wake Forest, and Charlie Herring, who is at Rhodes College in Memphis. “When you graduate players like Will Jackson and Charlie Herring, who created so many scoring opportunities for us, you have to have other players stepping up,” Kersh says. “It’s exciting to see what the younger guys can do.
“We might not have the raw fire power we did last year, but we’ve got guys who play with a lot of energy and aggression and press the net. We’re different, but it doesn’t mean we lack the ability to score,” Kersh continues. “There’s not one or two guys. I knew we were going to need to be more balanced in all phases. It’s been a team effort so far. All of our
success this season is because of team effort.”
Homewood opened the season with an 8-1 record. The only blemish was a 2-0 loss to Hoover.
“We’re doing well,” Kersh says. “We’ve been battling the elements more than anything else.
We lost to Hoover, and they’re a quality team, but at that point we had played only two games, and they had played six. It would have been a struggle to beat them at any time, but at that point we weren’t ready to play a game like that.”
Playing a key role in the Patriots’ early success has been from their seasoned midfielders, including seniors Gid Malone, Charley Chewning and Haines Durkin, the team’s captains as chosen
by their teammates. Malone has committed to play for Centre College in Kentucky. “We returned almost our entire midfield, including our three captains who we depend on a lot,” Kersh says. “They’ve all started a lot of games, and all three give up a lot of leadership. Senior midfielder Andrew Harbin is a hard worker who presses the ball forward, and when there’s a moment of opportunity to score, he can still finish.”
One area of concern for Kersh entering the season was the Patriots’ defense. “People were paying attention to Will and Charlie graduating, but we graduated three of our four defenders, and that’s tough to replace,” Kersh says.
Homewood has had a few players rise to the occasion defensively. “One who has really stepped up is senior Allen Shanks at center back,” Kersh says. “He formerly played right back, but he has the physicality and poise to play there.”
“One of the main starters to return is junior Jeff Griffin,” Kersh continues. “He might not be the cleanest soccer player, and he would tell you that, but he’s fearless and plays so hard. He makes the other team’s attackers work hard to beat him.
Junior Brooks Harwell also returns from last year. When we get control of the ball, he does a good job of pushing it forward. He’s very technical and can create scoring opportunities.”
In net, 6-foot-1 senior Jacob Hill is one of the top goalkeepers in the state. He recorded four saves in the Patriots’ 3-1 victory against Spanish Fort in the
2024 Class 6A championship game. “I can’t speak any more highly of him than I already do,” Kersh says. “He came to us in the eighth grade, and he was much shorter and skinnier then. He had never played goalkeeper, but last year he was on the Class 6A All-State team. When you lose three starting defenders, it’s good to have someone in goal like him. He gives our team and our defenders so much confidence. He makes critical and difficult saves.”
“All of our success this season is because of team effort.”
–coach julian kersh
Despite Homewood’s solid start, Kersh believes the Patriots face a daunting challenge to repeat. He listed Briarwood, Chelsea, Pelham and Mountain Brook among the top contenders in the Birmingham area and said there are several good teams in south Alabama. “It’s not going to be easy,” he says. “6A boys is a buzzsaw, and there are a lot of teams with the talent to beat anyone. There’s not a single opportunity in 6A to take a night off.”
“We’re improving,” Kersh conitinues. “Early in the season, we had a couple performances that were not too good. Some of that goes back to the weather. We’re trying to stay focused on getting better.” OTMJ
far left: Gid Malone
above:
Charley Chewning left: Drew Giardina