Homewood Life, Fall 2021 by Shelby County Newsmedia, Inc.

BREAKFAST ‘N BBQ AT DEMETRI’S • WAYS TO REDISCOVER GATLINBURG • LJ ROUSE’S COACHING LEGACY

A BRIGHT LIGHT

REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF ROBYN NAFTEL HERRING

COMMUNITY INFLUENCERS BUSINESS LEADERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

meet the

BOOKSELLERS INSIDE THE NEW LIFE OF LITTLE PROFESSOR

FALL 2021 HomewoodLife.com Volume Five | Issue Four $4.95

HomewoodLife.com 1

HA N D - S E L E C TED FURNISHINGS, A C C E S S O R I ES & U N I Q U E G I FTS 2 Fall 2021

2921 18TH ST S H OM E WOO D 2 0 5 . 8 7 9 . 35 10 ATHOME-FURNISHINGS.COM

HomewoodLife.com 1

FEATURES

56 REMEMBERING ROBYN Here’s what some of Robyn Naftel Herring’s friends had to share about how her legacy as a mother, friend and nurse practitioner is living on.

64 HIT THE ROAD

REDISCOVER GATLINBURG This Sevier County town nestles up against the Great Smoky Mountains in a way that invites guests to leave the screens behind so they can relax, unwind and reconnect to the outdoors. Here’s our guide to what to see, where to stay and where to eat.

72 COMMUNITY INFLUENCERS 2021 It’s the people who make Homewood the community that it is! Here we recognize some of those making an impact on others around them through their businesses.

2 Fall 2021

PHOTO BY ELISE FERRER PHOTOGRAPHY

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PHOTO BY LAUREN USTAD

arts & culture

13 Community Hub: A Look Inside the New Life of Little Professor 22 Read This Book: The Lauren Denton Five

schools & sports

23 Hey Coach LJ: A Life Full of Color and Passion for Kids 32 Five Questions For: New HHS Principal Dr. Joel Henneke

food

& drink

33 Breakfast ‘N BBQ: A Downtown Homewood Mainstay Since 1973 42 Five Questions For: Meals by Misty’s Misty Westover

home

in every issue 4 Contributors 5 From the Editor 6 @HomewoodLife 8 The Question 9 The Guide 78 Chamber Connections 80 Out & About 86 Marketplace 88 My Homewood

& style

43 A Pop of Pink: Storytelling Décor Details on Lucerne Boulevard 54 In Style: Flirty for Fall

HomewoodLife.com 3

contributors EDITORIAL

Alec Etheredge Nathan Howell Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Scott Mims Emily Sparacino

CONTRIBUTORS

Lily Baker Gabby Bass-Butler Lindsey Culver Meredith Elder Elise Ferrer Amy Holditch Christiana Roussel Lauren Ustad Sid Warren

DESIGN

Jamie Dawkins Connor Martin-Lively Brittani Myers Kimberly Myers Briana Sansom

MARKETING

Darniqua Bowen Evann Campbell Jessica Caudill Kari George Zoe Hall Rachel Henderson Rhett McCreight Tori Montjoy Viridiana Romero Kerrie Thompson

ADMINISTRATION Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Daniel Holmes Kinley Johnson Stacey Meadows Tim Prince Brittany Schofield Savana Tarwater

Gabby Bass-Butler, Intern

Gabby was born and raised in Homewood and is currently studying journalism and mass communications at Samford University. Gabby has always had a passion for writing and telling stories, and she can often be found scrolling on Pinterest or sharing her love of books on her Bookstagram, @theliteraryvogue.

Amy Holditch, Writer

Amy is third generation Edgewoodian. She has danced onstage at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, climbed mountains in Costa Rica and driven an RV through New York City. If she isn’t on the road, she is most likely planning when she can get back on it. The southern writer and mama currently shares her home with her extraordinary 12-year-old son, two cats, two dogs and a fish named Waffle.

Christiana Roussel, Writer

Where should we have dinner? Where should we go on our next family vacation or couple’s getaway? What kind of shotgun should I buy? These are all queries writer Christiana Roussel has answered in recent months. While food writing is her original passion, she has really enjoyed expanding her repertoire to include travel and sporting activities that might involve an upland adventure. And no, it is not just because there might be a need for new clothes for the expedition.

Lauren Ustad, Photographer

Lauren lives in Homewood with her husband, Joe, their four children, and their 2-pound Yorkie they refer to as “Boobie.” She spends her professional time posing itty bitties and chasing little munchkins. In her free time you can probably find her slaving away at their most current renovation project or building Legos with her self-proclaimed super heroes.

Homewood Life is published quarterly by Shelby County Newspapers Inc., P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Homewood Life is a registered trademark. All contents herein are the sole property of Shelby County Newspapers Inc. [the Publisher]. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. Please address all correspondence (including but not limited to letters, story ideas and requests to reprint materials) to: Editor, Homewood Life, P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Homewood Life is mailed to select households throughout Homewood, and a limited number of free copies are available at local businesses. Please visit HomewoodLife.com for a list of those locations. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $14.95 plus tax for one year by visiting HomewoodLife.com or calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 532. Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing advertise@homewoodlife.com, or by calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 536.

4 Fall 2021

from the editor

ON THE COVER

Meet the Booksellers

Jonathan and Meredith Robinson became the new owners of Little Professor on 18th Street in early 2020. Photo by Elise Ferrer Photography Design by Kimberly Myers

“Acknowledge that you remember. Remember anniversaries. Grief is always in the background.” I wrote down these words as I heard author Nancy Guthrie speak about grief in the summer of 2017—just before we launched this magazine—and since then they have guided the most significant work I think we have done in this publication, telling the life stories of those our community has lost. In September/October 2018, we remembered the life of Edgewood Elementary teacher Shannon Burgess. In March/April 2020, we recounted the legacy of Fire Chief John Bresnan. Since October 2019, we’ve marked the life of Aniah Blanchard—who would have turned 21 on June 22—in a series of commemorative Instagram posts. In November/December 2019, Mary Michael Kelly shared her story of her love for and loss of two of her children. Along the way, I’ve been afforded the privilege to get to know each of these individuals in a unique way, talking to those who knew them best about their particular traits and shared memories and then writing a narrative to share with you, our readers. And that was very true of our stories in this issue about LJ Rouse, a youth sports coach who brought color, literally and figuratively, to fields and mentored countless players, and Robyn Naftell Herring, a devoted nurse practitioner, mother and friend who was a bright light in the lives of many. Over the past year, our community has mourned many things deeply, including both of these lives and that of Annie Montgomery, and in that heaviness it only felt right to honor their legacies in Homewood in this way. On a lighter note, we’ve got lots of new things to introduce to you in this issue! Homewood Life is now coming out in print once quarterly, or once every season: fall, winter, spring and summer. If you are a subscriber, you will still get the number of issues left in your subscription, and if you aren’t a subscriber, you can change that at homewoodlife.com any time. And as always you can find us sharing more timely updates on local happenings @homewoodlife on social media, and you can sign up for our monthly emails at homewoodlife. com. Also in this issue we are starting a new travel feature, Hit the Road, that spotlights destinations within driving distance or a direct flight from Homewood/BHM that you’ll find in each issue going forward, as well as a new annual advertorial section of Community Influencers that features local business leaders and others making a difference in our area. Be sure to check both of those out. Thanks for reading, and here’s to hoping fall weather arrives before this issue is too old!

madoline.markham@homewoodlife.com HomewoodLife.com 5

@homewoodlife

Tag us in your Homewood Life photos on Instagram, and we’ll pick our favorites to regram and publish on this page in each issue.

@u4icyoga Meet the yoga instructors behind the newly opened @u4icyoga on Central Avenue! Learn more about what they offer or book a class on their website. #yogastudio #u4icyoga #nowopen #finditoncentralavenue #homewoodlife

@sno_wood When New Orleans-style snoballs come to Homewood, it’s only fitting to call it @sno_wood! The snowball trailer’s grand opening is TODAY 12:30-7 pm outside Nina’s Cleaners (302 Columbiana Road), and they will be parked there serving up 15-20 flavors those hours through Sunday. Tag a friend you want to try it with! #snoball #snowood #homewoodlife #nowopen

@christophercollection @edgarsbakery We walked into the newly opened @edgarsbakery on 18th Street expecting cake of course. But we also found all kinds of seating in a bright, happy space inside and out and a spacious party room in the back—plus a really fun Homewood sketch on the back of the staff shirts! #edgarsbakery #homewoodlife #bakery #nowopen

6 Fall 2021

We got a sneak peek tonight of the new @christophercollection store curated by the team at @christopherai, and you’re going to want to check out all two floors of its decor collection when it opens on Thursday, July 1! Inside you’ll find vendors like Verellen, Janus et Cie, David Yarro, Matouk, Officine Gullo and even their very own line of custom furnishings. Find it at 2913 Linden Avenue next to @pebblehurst. Preliminary opening hours are 10 am-5 pm. #christophercollection #welcometohomewood #homefurnishings #homewoodlife

HomewoodLife.com 7

“ ” THE QUESTION

What do you think should top a list of must-try restaurant dishes in Homewood?

The Chicken Pot Pie at Johnny’s

O’Carr’s Chicken Salad and Fruit Plate

Pretzel with queso at Soho Social

The Los Valedores Al Pastor Torta, The Little London Fish ‘n’ Chips, The Ash Hot Chicken Sandwich, The Pizzeria GM Peach and Conecuh Pizza

-Amy Mezzell

-Mary Margaret McInish Vick

Fiocchi sage walnut pasta purses and prosciutto at Gianmarco’s! -Rachel Mobley

Ono Poke Crunch Bowl! Soooooo yummy. -Celia Deaton Castle

8 Fall 2021

-Erin Cornelison Elseroad

-Erik Henninger

Philly CheesesteakSalem’s, and Coconut or Caramel Pie- Oak Hill -Brad Martenson

Hamburgers at Sam’s Deli and Grill -Marilyn Morgan Henry

THE GUIDE

HOMEWOOD CHAMBER GOLF CLASSIC OCT. 28 Join the Homewood Chamber of Commerce for its largest annual fundraiser. All proceeds assist their economic development programs, provide scholarships for local students, and fund their efforts to promote our community. Find more information or register at homewoodchamber.org. Also be sure to save the date for the Chamber’s annual Holiday Open House in downtown Homewood shops on Nov. 4. HomewoodLife.com 9

THE GUIDE AROUND TOWN AUG. 3-8 Birmingham Barons vs. Mississippi Braves Regions Field AUG. 6-7 Secret Stages Music Discovery Festival Avondale AUG. 10-15 Birmingham Barons vs. Chattanooga Lookouts Regions Field AUG. 11 Birmingham Legion vs. Sporting Kansas City II BBVA Compass Field

OCT. 24

Homewood Witches Ride + Fall Festival Homewood Central Park

Witches will take on the streets of Homewood via bike, but don’t worry, they are good witches—candy-tossing witches, in fact. Find their route to catch some treats, or ladies, don your costume and

AUG. 12-29

Birmingham Restaurant Week

show up for the start to help raise money for the American Cancer Society. Plus, it all kicks off with inflatables, face painting and more as part of Homewood’s Fall Festival at the park that afternoon. Find times and additional details at homewoodparks.com.

AUG. 27-28

Lil’ Lambs Consignment Sale

Participating Restaurants

Trinity United Methodist Gym

Try a new restaurant or an old favorite with these lunch or dinner prix-fixe menus at varying price points—including some of your Homewood favorites. Find a full list of participating restaurants and menus at bhamrestaurantweek.com.

Stock your kids’ fall and winter wardrobe while supporting Trinity’s mission and outreach projects in the community, church and abroad. Better yet, volunteer or consign, and you get entrance to the preview party on Thursday. Many items are half-price on Saturday. Find more info at trinitybirmingham.com/kids/lil-lambs/.

10 Fall 2021

AUG. 21-29 Sidewalk Film Festival Downtown Birmingham Historic Theatre District AUG. 22 Birmingham Legion vs. FC Tulsa BBVA Compass Field AUG. 24-29 Birmingham Barons vs. Montgomery Biscuits Regions Field AUG. 28 R(un) for One 5K Presented by Lifeline Children’s Services Veteran’s Park – Hoover SEPT. 11 Fall Plant Sale Birmingham Botanical Gardens SEPT. 11 The Price Is Right Live! BJCC Concert Hall SEPT. 17 Black Jacket Symphony Presents: Pink Floyd’s The Wall BJCC Concert Hall

THE GUIDE SEPT. 23-25 St. George Middle Eastern Food Festival St. George Greek-Catholic Milkite Church SEPT. 25 Fiesta Linn Park SEPT. 30-OCT. 3 Antiques at the Gardens Birmingham Botanical Gardens OCT. 2 Bluff Park Art Show Bluff Park Community Center OCT. 2 Irondale Whistle Stop Festival Historic Downtown Irondale

OCT. 10

Handmade Art Show + Pickin’ in the Park 10 A.M.-5 P.M. Homewood Central Park

OCT. 5-6 Paw Patrol Live! The Great Pirate Adventure BJCC Concert Hall

All the arts come to the park in one day thanks to the Homewood Arts Council and City of Homewood, and it’s sure to be a

OCT. 8-10 Barber Vintage Motorcycle Festival Barber Motorsports Festival

OCT. 10

OCT. 13 L.O.L Surprise! Live Calling All B.B.s BJCC Concert Hall OCT. 14 Alice Cooper BJCC Concert Hall OCT. 14-16 Greek Food Festival Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral OCT. 15-17 Waitress Presented by Broadway In Birmingham BJCC Concert Hall OCT. 20-31 Shop Save Share Benefitting Junior League of Birmingham Community Projects OCT. 29 Magic City Music Fest BJCC Concert Hall

good time. Check out eclectic local art on display and on sale, hear acoustic performances by local musicians, and/or bring your own instrument to join in on the music-making. Find updates on handmadeartshowhomewood.com.

Back to School Bash Patriot Park The end of summer doesn’t have to mean the end of fun. Come out for rides, bounce houses, food and live music—and seeing the friends and neighbors you missed this summer. Find more event details at homewoodparks.com.

OCT. 9

Jimmie Hale Mission Rescue Run 5K, 10K & Fun Run Downtown Homewood

Start and finish this run on 29th Avenue South near Dave’s Pizza and stay afterward for live music, a kid’s zone, appearances by Big Al & Aubie, cornhole and a block party. Plus there’s a new 10K

option this year. A portion of purchases will go directly to the Jimmie Hale Mission. This race will honor the loving memory of Homewood native Douglas Benjamin Barnes to support those who are affected by homelessness. Register at runsignup.com.

HomewoodLife.com 11

[Newbor n + Child + Family Por traiture] info@apeppermintphoto.com + 205.807.6431 w w w . a p e p p e r m i n t p h o t o . c o m 12 Fall 2021

&CULTURE

ARTS

COMMUNITY HUB

Little Professor’s owners are creating a bookstore that is far more than just a transactional experience. BY GABBY BASS-BUTLER PHOTOS BY ELISE FERRER PHOTOGRAPHY HomewoodLife.com 13

PREVIOUS PAGE: Little Professor’s new owners Jonathan and Meredith Robinson

14 Fall 2021

Little Professor holds a story time led by a community member each Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.

When you walk into Little Professor, it feels as if you have stepped into a new world. The interior is bright yet serene, and you instantly feel right at home as you get a fresh brew of June Roasters coffee while you peruse or just chat with the employees. Just by spending a few moments in Little Professor, you can tell that this is not just a bookstore. “We want people to feel known and recognized when they come into the store,” co-owner Meredith Robinson says. “We want them to feel a connection and bond with our team.” Flashback to February 2020, and the store— which has been located right in the middle of 18th Street for the past three years—looked a little different. Meredith and her husband, Jonathan, had just bought the business from Paul Seitz, who started the book store in Homewood in 1973 and was looking to retire. They quickly refreshed the store layout and inventory, playing music and eating take-out at night as their kids ran around the store, “helping” their parents move shelves and envision a new look for the space. In these moments,

the Robinsons, avid readers who call Homewood home as well, were thinking if they could just stay open for at least 90 days, all would be well. Nothing could have prepared them, though, for a worldwide pandemic to hit just a few weeks after they opened shop. But lo and behold, their vision came to life in the year no one saw coming (and not just because they stocked puzzles), with Meredith leading the store’s rebrand and making the interior equally inviting and beautiful and Jonathan overseeing operational logistics. “We recognized an opportunity to take an underutilized space and use a love of reading to bring the community together more,” Jonathan says. “Our primary vision is we wanted to transition from a somewhat stale bookstore to a reimagined, enthusiastic community hub.” In some ways people were already craving “third places”—spaces to gather that are not home or work—but especially as we began to emerge from our homes when stores reopened last year. Fittingly, the Robinsons did not want their bookstore to be a HomewoodLife.com 15

16 Fall 2021

place where you just buy a book here and there, but rather become a part of your life and routines. “I have memories from my childhood of going to Barnes and Noble with my dad and sitting with coffee for hours to talk and read,” Meredith says. “I think those points of connection can get lost if there aren’t spaces for them to take place… We don’t want to just be a spot you come to buy a beach read but a place you revisit weekly, as well as where your kids have affection and emotional ties to a community hub.” To do so, they started inviting the community in very particular ways too. A community member reads to kids for a story time every Wednesday morning, and they host birthday parties and book clubs. They also offer an annual membership program, which saves members 20-40 percent off every purchase and keeps pricing competitive with Amazon. Jonathan and Meredith have also brought in a coffee brand started by their friend Jimmy Truong and, on Saturdays, pastries from Bandit Patisserie (“It doesn’t get better than their almond croissant,” Jonathan and Meredith say.). In many ways, the bookstore now feels like a coffee shop with local coffee and pastries, tables for lingering, and staff who are always ready to talk.

But of course, at the store’s core, it’s still about books. “I think people who read are the most interesting kind of people, because they start with that seed of curiosity and can chase it in a million different directions,” Jonathan says. “Talking about books is similar to the way people talk about what shows they like. People love to talk about the books they’re reading and why they liked them. Community and like-mindedness form in that little interaction.” Reaching out to younger families has been a big part of the vision at Little Professor too. “People are so excited to come in on Saturdays and make it part of their tradition to shop for their kids and stop by for coffee,” Meredith says. Meredith also believes

HomewoodLife.com 17

Kathleen has worked at Little Professor for 16 years.

MEREDITH AND JONATHAN’S TOP READS OF 2021 (SO FAR) Meredith’s Kid Picks

What the Road Said by Cleo Wade Trusting by Koby Yamada Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña Jonathan’s Fiction & Nonfiction Faves Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America by Alec MacGillis A Gentleman in Moscow by Amore Towles The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson 18 Fall 2021

the conversations and connections around books are crucial for kids as well since they enable kids to think how they would feel if they were the character. “It helps them build empathy and identify their own feelings and their own discovery in the circle of literature,” she says, noting the joy she’s felt watching their daughter finish a book on her own and recount the story. The couple is quick to recognize their competition in Amazon and that what sets their store apart from it are member discounts, paired with a local, human connection in the book-buying experience. Additionally, Little Professor partners with local organizations like Children’s of Alabama, Better Basics, K-12 teachers, and most recently, building a library of English language learner books at Shades Cahaba Elementary. They also want to make sure customers have the convenience they are used to. You can build wish lists on the Little Professor app or website, and order books for curbside pickup or free local delivery twice a week. “We want a seamless kind of customer experience whether people come in for story time or just need a book delivered to their house the Friday before they leave town for the weekend,” Jonathan says. “You have to catch customers through different channels based on how

Little Professor’s exterior is now a new darker hue.

The

Fall Edit

October 21st | 5:30-7:30 Don't miss live music, bubbles, brews, pop-ups, and more from our restaurants and shops.

L ANEPARKE .COM HomewoodLife.com 19

they want to engage with the store.” “We’re building relationships,” Meredith adds, “and it all feels like you’re growing some roots that are so much deeper than someone spending money.” At the same time, research shows that digital readership has plateaued and that print readership is up, as much as 8 percent in 2020. “I think we all get digital fatigue,” Jonathan notes. “Many of us want an analog experience when we are trying to read. We don’t want to get a Twitter notification in the middle of a chapter.” As they look toward the future, Jonathan is exploring a vision for Little Professor satellite locations across Birmingham while Meredith dreams up ways to continue to make the interiors and programming inviting. But for today, they are proud of the community growing inside their store and hope each person that visits Little Professor doesn’t see it as a place to only buy a book, but a place where you can come and stay a while, hopefully with coffee in hand. Find Little Professor at 2844 18th Street South, littleprofessorhomewood.com, and @littleprofhomewood on Instagram and Facebook.

20 Fall 2021

Little Professor partners with local organizations like Children’s of Alabama.

LEGACY PERSONAL INSURANCE Our Personal Insurance division works with affluent families from across the country. Our team of personal advocates are insurance professionals, committed to providing exceptional client service and customized solutions that are as simple to manage as possible. Our strong market relationships help us provide you solutions that fit your unique needs and budget.

PRIMARY COVERAGE AREAS AIRCRAFT

FLOOD/EXCESS FLOOD

AUTOMOBILE

HOMEOWNER’S (Primary & Secondary)

BUILDER’S RISK COLLECTIONS

INDIVIDUAL LIFE INSURANCE

EQUINE

WATERCRAFT / YACHT

EXCESS LIABILITY

Cobbs Allen. Always Out Front. MARGARET ANN PYBURN mpyburn@cobbsallen.com

THINGS TO DO @ LP (BESIDES BUY A BOOK!)

uGet coffee from June Roasters at their coffee cart. uJoin one of their book clubs. uAttend one of their author and community events. uCatch up with a friend at their bistro tables. uGrab pastries on Saturdays from Bandit. uHost a birthday party for your kid. uCome to story time with your kids on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m.

ARTS & CULTURE

READ THIS BOOK

The Lauren Denton Five Recommendations from

Lauren Denton Local Author

When I first started writing fiction, I was the mom of a 2-year-old and an infant. If I wasn’t carting my kids to the library or the park, I was jotting down notes for a story I hoped would one day be good enough to publish. Eight years later, my kids are in third- and sixth-grade, I’ve published five novels, and I still jot down notes and work on story ideas, mostly on my walks through the neighborhood. My latest novel, The One You’re With, just released in July, so here’s a recap of all five of them.

The Hideaway

After the death of her grandmother Mags, Sara goes home to the Hideaway, Mags’s ramshackle B&B in Sweet Bay, Alabama, intending to quickly tie up loose ends then return to her busy life and thriving antique shop in New Orleans. Instead, Sara learns Mags has willed her the B&B and charged her with renovating it, a task complicated by the motley crew of senior citizens living in the house, a handsome contractor and an underhanded land developer. After discovering a box in the attic, Sara begins to piece together her grandmother’s life, including choices that changed Mags’s destiny.

Hurricane Season

Betsy and Ty Franklin, owners of a south Alabama dairy farm, buried their desire for children a long time ago. While Ty manages the herd, Betsy takes care of day-to-day operations and tries to forget her dream of motherhood. When Betsy’s free-spirited sister, Jenna, drops off her two young children for “just two weeks,” Betsy and Ty learn to navigate the new additions in their world. Meanwhile at an art retreat 400 miles away, Jenna wonders how her rediscovered passion can fit with the life she’s made back home as a single mom.

Glory Road

Garden shop owner Jessie McBride lives contentedly with her fiery mother and her quiet, headstrong daughter, but the arrival of two men on Glory Road—a customer who asks her to arrange flowers for his daughter’s wedding, and her lingering what-could-have-been from high school—makes her question whether she’s happy with her status quo. Jessie’s daughter Evan is approaching high school and navigating new emotions and affections, while her mother Gus finds herself increasingly forgetful and faces an uncertain future.

The Summer House

Lily Bishop wakes up one morning to find a good-bye note and divorce papers from her husband on the kitchen counter. Forced to find a way forward, she takes a job as a hair stylist at a local retirement community, Safe Harbor Village, on Bon Secour Bay. Rose Carrigan, owner of Safe Harbor, runs a tight ship, making sure all the residents follow her strict rules. The two women form an unlikely friendship, and Lily’s salon soon becomes the place where residents share town gossip, as well as a few secrets.

The One You’re With

High-school sweethearts Mac and Edie Swan live a seemingly picture-perfect life in the sleepy-sweet community of Oak Hill, Alabama. Edie is a respected interior designer, Mac is a beloved pediatrician, and they have two great kids and a lovely home on tree-lined Linden Avenue. Life is good until a young woman walks into Mac’s office one day, bringing with her the past that Mac and Edie thought they left behind. For the first time, constants in their lives are called into question: their roles as parents, their reputation and the very foundations of their marriage.

22 Fall 2021

SCHOOL

&SPORTS

HEY COACH LJ

LJ Rouse’s life was equally full of color and passion for the kids he coached and mentored. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED HomewoodLife.com 23

No one ever forgot the first time they met LJ Rouse—especially if they saw him pull up in his canary yellow Corvette with its “LUSHUS J” license plate. Out stepped a 6-foot-4-inch man, with a mullet, mustache and a gold chain, in the era that many of his now-friends met him. “Who is this guy?” several recall thinking at first. “But right after you met him you loved him,” John Burdeshaw says. “There is not a soul that knows him that doesn’t love him.” Other times LJ made a memorable first impression talking smack with colorful language at the youth sports games he coached. But time and time again he proved that you best not judge a book by its cover. LJ certainly didn’t. “Once you got to know him, you figured out he was a big teddy bear,” Rick Baguley says. “He came off rough around the edges, and then you figured out he simply has a love and passion for helping and loving kids.” And there’s good reason kids of all ages around Homewood and in other areas of Birmingham would run up and say “Hey Coach LJ!” whenever they saw him. LJ, who grew up in Dora, Alabama, had played pool competitively and, ever the daredevil, was known to pop a wheelie going 80 mph on the interstate on his Yamaha motorcycle. But by his friend Brian Davis’s estimate, LJ spent about 90 percent of his free time coaching and otherwise investing in kids in the community, driving them to Boaz, Jemison, Calera and even Cooperstown, New York, for baseball games, and from Mountain Brook to Woodlawn to Tuscaloosa during basketball season. LJ had a unique ability to read kids well and know where they could need to improve, and then he pushed them to get there both in sports and in life. “Anyone can coach (athletically gifted) kids, but he coached the lesser talented kids really well and got more out of them than anyone else would,” Scott Dorough says. “He created this culture our boys thrived in. No one could do it like LJ could.” LJ made each and every athlete he coached feel like a champion. “He’d realize a kid couldn’t dribble or shoot but he was a great defender,” Tyler Vail says. “He would get them to do the best. He was all

24 Fall 2021

LJ Rouse, center, talks to one of his many baseball teams from over his years coaching.

HomewoodLife.com 25

about potential.” Tyler recalls one particular baseball game where a kid on the other team was struggling to hit the ball and was in tears. After the game ended, LJ walked up to that player’s parents and asked if he could spend a few minutes with him. So LJ took him to the batting cage for 30 more minutes to coach him, and by the end, he had the player crushing the ball. “He would give anything to any kid he coached,” Tyler says—and that applied to kids who weren’t on his team too. Younger siblings of players on his teams were always drawn to LJ too because he made them feel special and a part of the team. “He was always good about loving on my girls and always give them a hug and find out what they were doing at the time and how things were going,” Drew Binkley says. And LJ wasn’t the only one wearing the bright colors that were as loud as his personality either— always with shorts, never pants, even in the dead of winter. His teams were often clad in bright neon yellow or pink uniforms. “He wouldn’t break the rules, but he would push him,” John says. “Any time Homewood Parks and Rec would come out with a new rule like keeping up with playing time or jersey regulations or any clarification rule—it was dubbed the LJ Rule by the coaches (since it probably came

26 Fall 2021

from something LJ pushed).” Even after LJ’s younger son Kaman finished his last year of youth sports leagues, LJ came out of “retirement” to coach a fourth-grade OTM basketball team of younger siblings he knew this past season and had plans to coach them through sixth grade. Wherever LJ and his wife, Ginger, went, be it to youth league games or Samford or Homewood High School games, they always had “a herd of kids from different backgrounds” with them, Tyler says. Each Halloween LJ took out a group of kids to trick or

treat and then hosted a party at his house afterward, and he always made sure kids knew they could come over and watch football if they wanted to. “You always knew the door was open at LJ’s house,” Brian says. “It didn’t have to be a special event, and he’d play pick-up basketball or throw the ball with the kids.” Ginger, team mom extraordinaire, was by LJ’s side through all of it, always with a carload of kids in tow and keeping the books and setting out snacks at games. She is laid back and easy going and, like her husband, was always building up kids and doing

HomewoodLife.com 27

LJ’s teams often wore bright pink or neon green jerseys.

anything she could for them. In John’s words, she is “the glue that held it all together.” No matter how big or small a game was, the other son and both parents were always there to support whichever son was playing. They did things as a family, always. LJ’s influence didn’t end with kids though. UFC fighter Walt Harris says LJ showed him how to be a better coach, a better leader and a better father. After his first UFC fight years ago, Walt was discouraged when LJ reached out to him. “He gave me a swift kick in the butt when I needed it,” Walt said at LJ’s memorial service. “He told me to put on

28 Fall 2021

your big boy pants—you gotta do what you gotta do. For years LJ gave me insight after wins and losses and gave me something I could go back and work on. He watched it and paid attention to things that helped me.” The same went for the Homewood High School golf team once LJ’s oldest son Trey started playing on it. When he was at his sons’ tournaments, LJ was watching for other younger Homewood players to recommend to the coaches for the high school team, and he kept up with all players’ scores, not just his sons’. “Being a coach, you are around a lot of parents

who are all about their son or daughter, but LJ was concerned with all kids and wanted all kids to have an awesome experience,” HHS Golf Coach Jason Haithcock says. In fact that’s just what LJ was doing on the evening of Monday, March 29, texting Jason scores from the middle school tournament. He’d coached Kaman’s basketball team in a tournament in Hoover that weekend before and had plans to drive out to the Bradley Johnson Memorial Tournament with Kaman on Tuesday to watch the HHS golf team play.

Tragically, LJ passed away that Tuesday morning from a heart attack at age 47. John remembers being in disbelief when he heard the news. “I said, ‘There’s no way a heart attack can beat LJ,’” he says. “He is the guy who would reach inside his own chest for his heart and put it back. You felt like he was superman.” In the hours that followed the heavy news, the HHS golf coaches questioned whether the team should play that day. But “If LJ thought our kids lost an opportunity for us to play because of him, he wouldn’t be happy,” Jason reasoned. “He would

HomewoodLife.com 29

LJ with his sons and Ginger

want those kids to play.” So all the boys except Kaman—who was one of the top five players on the varsity team as an eighth grader this spring season—played on what was a tough day for everyone. Both the boys and girls golf teams cut ribbons in signature LJ colors—neon yellow with pink lettering—that they wore on their hats and golf bags for the rest of the season. At the first girls tournament after LJ’s passing, both the Homewood and Hewitt-Trussville teams wore pink shirts in his memory. Kaman went on to play in the state championship tournament this spring as his older brother Trey finished in the junior college national championship as a freshman at Jeff State. “Both of those boys feel their dad is with them on the golf course because he was always with them,” Jason says. LJ’s legacy lives on in those yellow ribbons, the pink so many people wore in place of black at his memorial service, and in his sons and their golf games. But that’s only part of the impact he left on his community and what those who knew him learned from him. “The beauty of LJ is he didn’t care 30 Fall 2021

what other people thought,” Rick says. “He did things his way, and he was very comfortable loving his kids and his family in his own ways. He didn’t worry about the trivial things in life that many of the rest of us worry about.” Scott echoes how knowing LJ made you a better person than you were before: “He taught me it was okay and actually healthy to disagree and be friends. Just as iron sharpens iron, two people who see things differently only offer more perspective to each other and make each other a better person as well… And this city would be a lot better off if we had more LJs in it.” Now any time anyone who knew LJ sees a canary yellow Camaro—which two trucks later, more equitably replaced his Corvette—they do a double take, thinking for a split second that LJ might be driving up in his pink polo and old khaki cargo shorts. Note from the Rouse Family: Ginger, Trey and Kaman would like to say “thank you” to everyone for all the support during this time. So many people did so much in this time that they wanted to say thank you this way in order to include everyone in the Homewood community as well as all the OTM families and Hooligan families especially.

LJ ROUSE SCHOLARSHIPS To keep LJ’s legacy of helping kids in sports and life alive, the LJ Rouse Foundation will provide scholarships to student athletes. If you would like to donate, you can mail a check made out to the Homewood Athletic Foundation addressed to The LJ Rouse Foundation, PO Box 190371, Birmingham, AL 35219. All donations will be tax-deductible.

HomewoodLife.com 31

SCHOOL & SPORTS

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Joel Henneke

New Homewood High School Principal PHOTO & TEXT BY GABBY BASS-BUTLER

It was on a fifth-grade field trip in Texas when Joel Henneke first knew. During the lunch break that day, he was watching his teacher grade papers when he thought, “How cool it would be to do that as an adult?” Pursuing a career in education always stayed in his mind, even when he was serving in the Marine Corps, and into his tenure teaching and in administration with Homewood City Schools. Now he’s transitioning from serving at the helm of Homewood Middle School to Homewood High School as principal this fall. We chatted with him to learn more about his past and what lies ahead. What are you looking forward to as you step into this new role as principal at Homewood High School? I’m most looking forward to getting back to normal and the way we traditionally did school. I’m very proud of how we were able to make the past school year work and thankful for the efforts of the faculty, staff, community, parents and students. You’ve worked with middle schoolers the past couple of years. What do you think makes them unique? I think middle schoolers are amazing because they are in a transition of leaving elementary school and not yet fully secondary, but also ready to step out into the world. Watching that transition and those years is remarkable. There’s still an eagerness to learn, and they do not seem quite as set in their ways. Middle schoolers want to be fully grown but recognize they are not full grown yet, although they are on their journey there. 32 Fall 2021

Before getting into education, you served in the U.S. Marine Corps. What principles did you learn in that time that you apply to how you view education? In the Marine Corps, they break it down into two main goals of mission accomplishment and troop welfare. My mission accomplishment is to provide a safe environment that is student-centered and student-focused. Troop welfare is taking care of people. It’s not enough to say I care about my students because if my students and faculty don’t feel like they’re cared for, then it’s just lip service. I want students and faculty to feel noticed, recognized, appreciated and supported. I believe that fits in well with Homewood because our mission is to empower every student to maximize their unique potential.

To think back a year ago on the conversations we were having in July and August with so much unknown and trying to figure things out, it was remarkable and surprising. I was impressed how our students responded to what we asked them to do—not only with wearing masks, but also in everything where we said, “This is what we have to do,” they just got on board. That’s not to say it was easy or simple, but I feel like everyone rose to the challenge. To me that was rewarding. The credit also goes to the community.

What is something that you enjoy outside of school? I love to plan a trip for my family. I enjoy family connectedness and that time away with them is special. Another thing, which is one of the things we stressed the importance of this year in light of the pandemic, is wellness and self-care. For What was the 2020-21 school year like me it could be something simple, like quiet time, since I’m a bit more introverted. in the midst of a pandemic?

&DRINK

FOOD

BREAKFAST ‘N BBQ

Demetri’s has been a downtown Homewood mainstay run by the Nakos family since 1973. BY AMY HOLDITCH PHOTOS BY LINDSEY CULVER HomewoodLife.com 33

Demetri’s is known for its French toast and other breakfast items as well as its barbecue.

34 Fall 2021

There are some places that just feel like home, no matter how much time you spend away. Demetri’s, in the same spot on 28th Avenue South since 1973, is one of them. You can see its history in the numerous photos posted throughout the establishment and in many customers, who have been regulars for 30 or more years, as they pat each other on the back as they head to their favorite table. You can see it in the staff and how much they admire each other. If you step outside anywhere in downtown Homewood, chances are the smell of barbecue will waft through the air and entice you to head that way for lunch. This place is so steeped in family history that Gov. Kay Ivey recently recognized the business as the oldest restaurant in Homewood that has been continuously operated by the same family. Sam Nakos, named after Uncle Sam, has been running the joint solo since his father, Demetri, passed in 2002. With COVID regulations lifted and

restaurants getting busier and busier, Demetri’s is coming in strong, he says. When COVID struck in March 2020 and forced many local businesses into survival mode, Sam and his crew made the best of a bad situation and started a renovation that had been long planned but hard to schedule because the restaurant is always packed full, with little downtime. “Believe it or not, COVID affected us in a good way,” Sam says. “We did a major renovation that includes a new patio area, a larger kitchen with added workspace and skylights. It was three-and-ahalf months of hard, hard work.” And now customers who hadn’t been around as much during the pandemic are returning to see it too. “One of my proudest moments ever happened recently when we reopened with our brand new kitchen and saw some of our dearest guests come back,” Sam notes. Up until the recent renovation, the interior had remained mostly unchanged since the early 1970s, when Homewood firefighters built Demetri’s HomewoodLife.com 35

36 Fall 2021

barbecue pit and a restaurant around it. It has been a Homewood staple ever since, and locals would be hard-pressed to find a restaurant with the loyalty and reputation that Demetri’s has cultivated throughout its six decades in business. In fact, Demetri’s earned a place in the new Alabama Barbecue Hall of Fame several years ago, along with other local barbecue restaurants. For those not savvy in barbecue speak: sauce and meat styles are regional. Demetri’s and other Birmingham-area legends make variations on this barbecue sauce— zesty, tomato-based and with vinegar. According to the experts, this sauce characterizes the Birmingham style. “My dad used to feed all of City Hall, the firemen, the police, you name it—he fed them,” Sam recalls. “We were Oakland ‘on the curve’ in Homewood in the 1950s, with El Rancho just around the corner in the 1960s and Demetri’s after that. People would knock asking if he served breakfast, so he started cooking eggs for them. He was there, cooking, 10 hours a day, so why not?” Sixty years later, Demetri’s is still known for that breakfast. From pancakes to French toast to hash browns to biscuits to Sam’s omelet—this is THE place for an old school, classic breakfast that will fill you up without breaking the bank. The parking lot is packed every morning, with a steady stream pouring in and out for the best breakfast in town. Then, at 11 HomewoodLife.com 37

38 Fall 2021

a.m., customers begin the lunchtime march until around 2. “My favorite thing about working at Demetri’s is without a doubt our guests,” says front of the house manager and longtime employee Rita Kalariotes. “We have so many wonderful guests that come in each day, some up to three times a day, even if just for a refill on tea. You get to know them, and when they have children and their children have children, you get to be there for that tradition of coming to Demetri’s. “I have been blessed with the opportunity to work for Sam for 18 years,” she continues. “It has been a very rewarding experience for me. Every day he teaches me something new. He has a very kind manner as to how he teaches us. Sometimes he will patiently let us make mistakes to learn, which is an important training method in some areas.” Rita went on to say more about Sam’s leadership of the operation and how he shares his experience and wisdom with others in a way that allows his staff to grow. “Part of running a very successful business is how you handle your staff,” she says. “Sam is very good about balancing his business as well as being attentive to his staff’s needs, and helping them reach their goals. It is amazing to be

Demetri’s has been in Sam Nakos’s family for six decades.

HomewoodLife.com 39

The restaurant building underwent a major renovation in 2020.

in an environment that is always moving forward. By this, I mean, Sam has a keen eye for knowing when we need to add new menu items (like when we started adding fresh veggies many years ago), or when we need to remodel, etc.” But, with eating habits changing and new restaurants popping up everywhere, Sam knows he has to keep up. “We’ve added Sunday brunch

40 Fall 2021

with beer, wine and mimosas to attract new customers and have been successful so far,” he says. “We are blessed that we have the best staff ever plus our same regulars, plus many more new customers,” he said. “Our brunch crowd is growing every week, and we hope to see many more positive turnouts. We are earning the business and are very pleased.”

BITS AND PIECES OF BBQ Cooking methods and cuts of meat are the primary characteristics of regional barbecue, but the secret is really in the sauce. From Texas and Kansas City, meandering up to the Carolinas, down to Alabama and back to the Florida panhandle, barbecue aficionados can trace its origins to the Eastern coastline. Each state and region has their own style and lovers of the ‘cue line up to defend their favorite, specific styles of sauces and dips. Alabama lies between the barbecue poles of Memphis and the Carolinas. In northern Alabama, vinegar-based sauces akin to those in eastern North Carolina are found, but they become scarce south of the Magic City. According to Wikipedia, the origins of American barbecue date back to colonial times, with the first recorded mention in 1672 when George Washington attended a “barbicue” in Virginia in 1769. As the country expanded westward, barbecue went with it. The word, barbecue, comes from a language of a Caribbean Indian tribe, called the Taino, but the word itself was derived from the Spanish word, barbacoa, which means to preserve meat by drying or slowly roasting on a raised, wooden grate. The word barbecue first appeared in print in a Spanish explorers account of the West Indies in 1526, according to Planet Barbecue. The largest barbecue ever was in Nuevo Leon, Mexico and a whopping 45,000 people attended. Alabama is also known for one unique creation: white sauce, a unique combination of mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt. The southern barbecue belt states are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky. Over the years, these six states’ barbecue style have influenced each other immensely too. HomewoodLife.com 41

FOOD & DRINK

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Misty Westover Meals by Misty Owner TEXT BY GABBY BASS-BUTLER PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

Looking for home-cooked meals that you do not have to prepare yourself? You’re going to want to check out Meals by Misty’s new storefront located at 2900 Crescent Avenue in downtown Homewood and its selection of entrees, sides and more. We chatted with owner Misty Westover to learn more about the space and vision of Meals by Misty. You can find a full menu of items like Shrimp and Grits, Grilled Flank Steak, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Whipped Feta Dip & Honey, Strawberry Feta Salad, Pesto Chicken Flatbread and White Chocolate Bread Pudding, to name a few that stood out to us, and more information at mealsbymisty.com. How did Meals by Misty come about? When I had my babies, I taught fifth grade and ran out of maternity days, so I decided to be a stay-at-home mom. After a while I needed a hobby, and cooking has been my therapy. Being an only child, I cooked for my parents and for friends in college, so I had a bright idea to cook a few meals to see if any of my neighbor friends wanted one. My neighbors were families where both the mom and dad worked. It started off like that, and rapidly grew from five meals to 10 to 20. Fast forward 100 meals later and I couldn’t get down my street because of all the cars, and I decided to open a storefront in Trussville.

after college. I later took a teaching job with Jefferson County, so I moved closer to Trussville because that’s where I was teaching. After not teaching anymore, this was a second home, the only home that I knew. Homewood is also where I met Katie Cornutt, of rolls., so I invited her to sell rolls out of our Trussville store.

You share a space with rolls. in Homewood. How did you come to know and partner with them? One night I was just playing on my phone, and I came across Katie’s Instagram page and thought she was so cool. She’s very similar, and we’re both moms with three kids and trying to turn What made you decide to open a our passion into something that would be a new career for us. We became location in Homewood? When I first moved to Birmingham friends. I called her out of the blue and before I finished graduate school, I asked her if she wanted to put her taught at a school called Early Art on cinnamon rolls in my store. Katie sold Crescent, and this was my area right the rolls out of our Trussville location and still does.

42 Fall 2021

What kind of dishes do you offer? The food I grew up on. We also have southern casseroles and lighter options: grilled meats, tenderloins and flank steaks. There are meals for one, and we can also cater huge events. Our signature meal is the Chicken Poppy (our version of Poppyseed Chicken), which was the first one we sold out of the house. We have six entrees that rotate monthly and sliders, salads and sides. What have been some memorable moments of running Meals by Misty? Some of my favorite customers are elderly people who come in because they need help with their meals. I love meeting them and helping them find meals that will cover them for the week. In the beginning, I thought about busy professionals, people my age, but there are empty nesters, widows or those who don’t have the energy to cook anymore.

&STYLE

HOME

A POP OF PINK

Each detail in the Luckianows’ home on Lucerne tells a story from their family’s travels, history and beyond. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD HomewoodLife.com 43

It was the pink walls in the kitchen of the house on Lucerne Boulevard that caught Lynn Luckianow’s eye 27 years ago. She and her husband, Brian, were looking for a home for their young family at the time, and the 1941 house—which originally had views of the 117-acre Edgewood Lake that stood where Lakeshore Drive is today—seemed just the right fit. It had a quaint exterior, a spacious backyard and a much larger interior than you might imagine from the road, with five bedrooms spread across its three floors. Three years ago, after she had inherited furniture and artwork from her parents, Lynn teamed up with interior designer Meg Wallace to bring more of her visions for her home to life. Lynn’s daughter was about to get married at the time, and she had some projects in mind. But even after the wedding, Meg— who also lives in Homewood—and Lynn had so much fun working together that they’ve designed their way through the house room by room. Meg is partial to using items with sentimental value and vintage pieces in her design work, and according to Lynn, one of the stronger qualities Meg brings to her design work is listening. She wants to understand the client and their family and integrate their personal history and preferences into the function of the home. And that’s just what she and Lynn did working with Lynn’s collection of family furnishings and sentimental pieces from trips and travels. Throughout the home you’ll find antique and midcentury pieces from Lynn’s parents’ home alongside paintings from Brian’s travels to Ukraine, cloths and baskets from a trip to Botswana, and dolls from mission trips to Belarus with Trinity United Methodist with a program called Children of Chernobyl. Lynn and Meg also added in antique finds from Tricia’s Treasures, Homewood Antiques, Hanna Antiques, 18th Street Orientals, Nordimere Antiques (which used to be located next to Gianmarco’s) and @parris.flea.market to rooms to complete looks. Although the walls of the kitchen are no longer pink, you’ll find a pop of it—Lynn’s favorite color— in practically every room in the house creating a cohesive feel throughout. And now that the Luckianow house is complete, Meg is having a lot of requests for pink in her other design projects too.

44 Fall 2021

Master Bedroom Lynn had seen a green and white toile fabric in a magazine years ago and knew she wanted it in her bedroom. Pink Euro shams and a velvet lumbar pillow atop a simple textured coverlet from Three Sheets complete the look in the room. A custom pink and white cut velvet Lee Industries bench adds a bit of whimsy at the end of the bed.

HomewoodLife.com 45

Downstairs Bedroom Lynn’s dad lived in their downstairs area the final two years of his life, so Lynn wanted to incorporate the blues and greens he’d long known where he lived in the Gulf coast of Texas and where Lynn had grown up. He was a chemical engineer and also an artist, and he painted the shrimp boats that now hang above the bed in this room. The midcentury bed, nightstand and dresser in the room came from his home as well.

Downstairs Den This whimsical space started with a calendar of blue dog art by George Rodrigue that Lynn bought from his New Orleans studio. In front of a Lee Industries loveseat sits an antique black card table from Tricia’s Treasures, which they had cut down to coffee table height, atop a colorful shag rug that is a nod to Lynn’s childhood in the 1970s. The bent wood rocker was a gift from Brian to Lynn before they were married, and outside the frame of this photo, an upholstered chair from Lynn’s childhood bedroom was reworked and covered in a hot pink fabric to complement the pink in the art. 46 Fall 2021

Hall Bathroom Meg and Lynn dressed up this classic white bathroom with an antique mirror from Tricia’s Treasures, antique cabinet from Hanna Antiques and a rug with a subtle pink from 18th Street Orientals.

Master Bathroom Pink pops most brightly in this small space and coordinates with the pink elements in the master bedroom.

HomewoodLife.com 47

Living Room This room’s design started with the tapestry above the couch that originally hung in Lynn’s parents’ dining room, and Meg worked with Lynn to select neutrals with pops of pink for the rest of the space. The round glass double-layer coffee table and painting above the fireplace were Lynn’s parents’ as well.

48 Fall 2021

HomewoodLife.com 49

Kitchen About five years ago, the Luckianows had the wall between their kitchen and dining room taken down and had Twin Construction bring to life Lynn’s ideas for a completely new white kitchen. The countertops are limestone, and white cabinetry panels the refrigerator so it seamlessly fits into the room. Meg and Lynn selected a new rug from 18th Street Orientals for the dining area and repeated pink in the dining chair upholstery.

China Hutch Meg and Lynn had the inside of the glass-paneled cabinets in the kitchen painted a dusty Farrow and Ball pink. They showcase Brian’s grandmother’s china, Lynn’s grandmother’s tea set, a tray that was a wedding present to Lynn’s parents, and other sentimental pieces. 50 Fall 2021

Gallery Wall This wall in the guest bedroom acts as memory central for the Luckianow family. It includes pictures of their children, grandchildren and parents in addition to wedding pictures from three generations. Among them are photos of Brian and Lynn’s weddings in both the Presbyterian and Russian Orthodox churches honoring both Christian traditions.

HomewoodLife.com 51

Guest Bedroom It wasn’t until after Meg had found a Japanese-inspired fabric for the pillows in this room and she asked Lynn about ideas for art that Lynn suggested an item sitting in the cedar chest in her upstairs bedroom. Her brother had given her a purple kimono from Japan when he was in the Marines more than 40 years ago, and they had it framed to go above the bed.

52 Fall 2021

House Portrait Lynn’s neighbor Kirsten Hutto painted this depiction of their home’s exterior.

BEHIND THE SCENES Interior Design: Meg Wallace Design

Kitchen, Bathroom & Downstairs Renovation: Twin Construction Drapery Workroom: Chris’ Creations by Chris Smith

HomewoodLife.com 53

IN STYLE

flirty for FALL

BY MEREDITH ELDER PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD

LOOK 1

1. CARMELA SATIN ONE SHOULDER TOP This flirty, flattering top is a must. Hemline | $62

2. AGOLDIE RILEY STRAIGHT LEG JEAN Now trending: high-rise, straight leg jeans Hemline | $188

3. BUTTERSCOTCH STRAPPY HEEL

This strappy heel is a great way to elevate any denim look. Hemline | $65

4. LIPS CROSSBODY CLUTCH A pop of color never hurt anybody. Hemline | $68

54 Fall 2021

LOOK 2

1. BELLA DAHL FLUTTER SLEEVE DRESS

There’s nothing we love more than a cute slip-on dress. Soca | $163

2. VINTAGE HAVANA SNEAKERS

Once you pair sneakers with a dress, you’ll never turn back. Soca | $130

3. ARIA YELLOW HANDBAG This ring handle is everything At Home Furnishings | $55

4. AVIATOR SUNGLASSES Aviators never go out of style. At Home Furnishings | $36

2 Meredith Elder is a local content creator sharing her west coast flair on southern style as a freelance stylist and social media specialist.

ACCESSORIES

1. OMALA LINEN NECKLACE

4. OMALA OPEN SQUARE BRACELET

At Home Furnishings | $40

At Home Furnishings | $26

2. TORTOISE OVAL EARRINGS

5. OMALA OVAL BRACELET

At Home Furnishings | $10

At Home Furnishings | $26

3. GREY LEATHER CUFF At Home Furnishings | $12

4 2

HomewoodLife.com 55

Here’s what some of Robyn Naftel Herring’s friends had to share about how her legacy as a mother, friend and nurse practitioner is living on. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED 56 Fall 2021

LEFT: Robyn Naftel Herring with her daughters Kate and Abby THIS PHOTO: Robyn with family members after her recent baptism

When Allison Haynes and her kids had to quarantine for COVID last year, her friend Robyn Naftel Herring dropped off toys and activities for her kids, flowers for Allison and snacks for everyone. That, in an act, was Robyn. Being thoughtful was second nature to her. “Sometimes little gestures make the biggest difference, and Robyn really knew that,” Allison says. “(After my husband passed away), she would bring me a coffee or bring her kids over to play with mine so we could have a glass of wine.” Anyone who knew Robyn will tell you she was an incredible mom, an incredible friend and an incredible nurse-turned-nurse practitioner. Always up for an adventure, she loved laughing, biking, hiking, running or just playing with her two daughters in the backyard, but more than anything she loved her people each and every day of her 42 years. She was a bright spot in countless lives. She was a fighter. And she’d move mountains for anyone

who needed them moved. A graduate of Auburn High School, Robyn studied animal and dairy sciences close to home at Auburn University with plans to become a veterinarian before deciding to go to nursing school, and she continued to pour out her love of animals to her yellow lab Riggs and her three cats more recently. Even as she moved to Birmingham and lived for many years in Homewood, she remained close with her parents John and Rita, twin sister Brandy, sister Shannon, sister Kelly, and nieces and nephews. Robyn’s friends will tell you she was the friend who after a rough day would text you to come over and sit around the fire and the friend who would invite her people out for a cheap margarita with all their kids. She’d reach out when she knew something hard had happened in your life, responding in a way that showed she truly saw what you were going through. Robyn was also a natural caregiver. Her friend HomewoodLife.com 57

and who I wanted to be as a co-parent and how to get back in the dating world,” Brierley says. As a fellow single parent, Brierley has a strong appreciation for all Robyn did for her daughters as well. “Her girls did music and dance and gymnastics and camps in the summer,” she says. “She somehow managed to wrangle it all. As a single mom, you are sometimes like, ‘This year Easter dresses don’t matter, or we will do gymnastics next year.’ She always pushed hard to make that happen for them.” The same went for Robyn’s patients at work, where she always went the extra mile. Sometimes that meant running to the parking lot to make sure a patient got their medications, and others it meant following up on a test result after hours or calling on the weekend to make sure they were feeling okay. All of those actions were second nature to her. And that’s just who she was as she cared for

Brierley Horton recalls a day right after the COVID-19 pandemic started when she quickly started feeling sick right after going to the bank with her daughters. Brierley pulled over and got out of the car in downtown Homewood right as Robyn happened to drive by—and quickly drove up to where Brierley was. Robyn took charge and helped get Brierley’s kids situated with their dad, and then she scooped up Brierley, carried her to her car, carried her inside her own house and stayed with her until she started to feel better. “That’s an amazing thing for a friend to do,” Brierley says. “I could have had COVID, but her big thing was safety and health and that was her priority.” Robyn also was there when Brierley was navigating a hard time in her own life, sharing what she had learned in going through her own divorce. “She helped me lay out a vision for what I wanted

e knockout

r with whit

Front cove

I strive to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am. r

Back cove

E • A TAST

OF CLA

• INSIDE

THOMAS

ANDREW

ART

SUBSCRIBE NOW! Your Stories. Your Community. Your Magazine.

H omewo od L ife . com

2021

W E D D IN ebruar y

2021 FEBRUARY JANUARY/ ife.com HomewoodL | Issue One Volume Five $4.95

L WEDDIN

TEN REA

J anuary /f 2021

58 Fall 2021

PREVIEW

LIFE

2810 19th Place South, Homewood, AL 35209 StandiferAnimalClinic.com

HOME WOOD

Animal Hospital, Veterinary Care, Boarding & Grooming

EY HOTEL

THE VALL

box

PANY

E COM SSIC WIN

STORIES IC LOVE S PANDEM HAIRSTYLE IC BRIDAL ROMANT

Visit HomewoodLife.com or call 205-669-3131 to subscribe for $14.94 plus tax (4 issues) a year.

Robyn with her parents and twin sister Brandy

HomewoodLife.com 59

For all your backyard playground needs!!

CALL

205-408-4386 for more info!

NOW ALSO SELLING AY COMMERCIAL PLAY EQUIPMENT! 86 CALL 205-408-4386 FOR MORE INFO!

3165 CCahaba h b VValley lle RRoadd Birmingham, AL 35124

www.backyardalabama.com

DYK? did you know? We maintain more than 4,800 manholes in Shelby County. If stacked on top of each other, they would reach the height of Mt. Everest, plus 31 football fields.

60 Fall 2021

patients in the COVID unit at UAB last year. “She wasn’t one to complain,” says Allison, who also worked with Robyn first in the ICU when they were fresh out of nursing school and again over the past year as transplant coordinators. “She would take on hard things and do it with grace and a smile on her face. She probably could have found a different job, but she knew she was needed. She never ran away from hard things.” Back when Robyn was pregnant with her second child Abby, who is now 8, she joined a prayer group that gathered every Friday morning. She quickly became the “nurse” of the group of eight Homewood moms with her calm presence and willingness to answer their medical questions. But all the more so she was deeply bonded in friendship with them. “She was 100 percent with you when she was with you and deeply cared about what was going on,” says Mary Gardner, another prayer group member. “She would walk through the door, and you gravitated toward her. And if you asked for prayer, I know she prayed for us.” Even as she walked through a divorce and then worked AND went to school as a single parent, Robyn was with these friends every Friday morning she could, and she was often the one who would text

HomewoodLife.com 61

Robyn with John Holley

everyone to get together for a birthday or just because. “She was a light,” Mary says. “I don’t know how she did it all.” Mary says she always knew Robyn “had a deep connection with God,” and she’d recently been baptized along with her 9-year-old daughter Kate. Her faith was all the more evidenced after her family and friends found Robyn’s journals and writing after she passed away. “Her journey was messy and ugly, but she wrote down some things about what God had taught her along the way and it was mind-blowing,” Mary recounts. “It was amazing and beautiful. Her wisdom was incredible.” John Holley quickly noticed those traits in Robyn

MAKE TIME FOR YOU

100 BROADWAY ST. THEPLACETOESCAPE.COM

62 Fall 2021

as well. Although he and Robyn dated for only three months, they got to know each other quickly and easily connected. When it came to dating, Robyn didn’t so much want to go out to dinner. She’d rather go on an adventure, wandering through woods or going to Red Mountain Park or down to the Cahaba River. In their short time together, she and John made memories working in the yard, going for runs and sitting around the fire pit listening to ‘90s country music—always exercising her love language of quality time. And in that time John got to know layer after layer of Robyn. “She was excited about life and excited about all

Ask a child what he dreams of doing in the future. His answer brings everything into focus for us. WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE CHILDREN HAVE DREAMS.

the things that she had going on work wise, house wise, and what was next to come,” John says. “She was healthy in mind, body and spirit, and she was conscious of those things but wasn’t obsessive about any of them.” And that’s just what she was on the evening April 26, 2021—fully engaged with her daughters and John, soaking up every moment without distraction. They’d all eaten breakfast for dinner at her house before deciding to go out for ice cream, and Robyn didn’t even grab her phone as they left. In his final memories of Robyn, John sees her listening to music with him and her girls, fully happy in the moment, not knowing that in a split second as their car was struck by another her time on earth would come to a close. A tree and memorial marker on Shades Road in her favorite color, purple, will soon pay tribute to Robyn’s life, but more than anything her memory will continue to live on in those who are forever marked by her presence in their lives. “When I think about how I can carry her legacy on, I want to be the best friend I can be and the best mom I can be because that’s what she was and would want us all to continue to do,” Mary says. “She’d want us to continue praying for each other, and to try our best to watch out for her girls and to pray for them too.”

1 6 0 0 7 T H AV E N U E S O U T H BIRMINGHAM, AL 35233 (205) 638-9100 | ChildrensAL.org

HomewoodLife.com 63

Rediscover Gatlinburg By Christiana Roussel | Photos Courtesy of Gatlinburg CVB & by Christiana Roussel

64 Fall 2021

Fall is the perfect time of year for a family road trip. Kids have settled back into school schedules so Mom feels a little less harried than in December or May-cember (as the frenetic end of the school year has been labeled). The summer heat has abated. so piling into the car for a stretch feels like a good idea. All that is left is to choose your destination. We suggest heading to the East Tennessee hamlet of Gatlinburg to rediscover what makes this part of the country so special. Neighboring towns in the Sevier County area might be better known for their – how shall we say this? – enthusiasm in advertising local attractions with neon signs or giant video screens with flashing messages of hot deals. Gatlinburg’s pride is a tad more subtle, and in recent years, has become even more intentionally so. After all, it nestles up against the Great Smoky Mountains in a way that invites guests to leave the screens behind so they can relax, unwind and reconnect to the outdoors.

HomewoodLife.com 65

HIT THE ROAD

HOW TO GET THERE The drive from Birmingham to East Tennessee is straight-forward and simple. Avoiding traffic in Chattanooga might be your only real obstacle, so plan accordingly. Exiting I-40 at exit 407 is where the highenergy marketing takes off and can be seriously distracting, so stay focused. Once you pass through Pigeon Forge, the parkway begins to get greener, and you can really feel the pull of the mountains.

Knoxville 40

4 hrs., 57 min. 298 Miles Athens

Tennesseee Cleveland Chattanooga

Alabama

Georgia Fort Payne 59

Gadsden

Trussville

Birmingham

66 Fall 2021

Gatlinburg

WHERE TO STAY Treehouse Grove

It is interesting to note that 2020 saw more visitors to this area than ever before. But when you learn that two-thirds of the U.S.-population east of the Mississippi River is within a one-day drive of Gatlinburg, you can begin to see why. In the midst of the pandemic, lots of families and groups of friends in self-selected pods, still elected to travel together, albeit in ways that were non-traditional for them. Glamping has been very popular in recent years and continues to be really big in this area.

Safari Tents + More

Locals and high school sweethearts Linzy and Ian Nicely opened their Camp LeConte Luxury Outdoor Campgrounds (campleconte.com) in 2013, and business has been roaring since day one. Guests can reserve RV parking pads at the campgrounds or choose to stay in one of the fully decked out refurbished campers (“The Ruby Slipper” or “Glamping at Tiffany’s” are both popular choices.) Other options include safari tents and cabins on site. A pool, playground and free wi-fi ensure you are never really roughing it and the free local trolley means you are not far from area attractions.

Camp LeConte

For Putt-Putt + Breakfast The Appy Lodge (theappylodge.com) is a motor lodge in the traditional sense but has been completely updated to be what the modern traveler desires. A pool, fireside conversation pits, a miniature putt-putt style course, ample parking and daily breakfast make hitting the easy button super simple. Minutes from Great Smoky Mountain trailheads, it is perfectly situated to explore all that the area has to offer.

Treehouses on Steroids

Regular HGTV viewers know what a big deal a Pete Nelson-designed treehouse is. Pete

and his Washington state-based design team worked with owners Carole and Joe Ayres to create an arboreal oasis at the Treehouse Grove (treehouse-grove.com) adjacent to Norton Creek. These eight custom homes from the “Treehouse Master” himself are exactly what you might have dreamed of as a kid, setting up lean-tos and forts for hours of creative play. But these are like treehouses on steroids for the amenities and thoughtful design they offer. Each two-bedroom, onebath home comes outfitted with a kitchen, sitting area, soft linens, covered decks and air-conditioning. These treehouses are anything but rustic.

HomewoodLife.com 67

HIT THE ROAD

WHAT TO DO Visitors come to Gatlinburg for a number of reasons, but exploring the Great Smoky Mountains tops the list. As one of the country’s most-visited national parks, the GSM offers miles of hiking trails— including part of the Appalachian Trail, waterfalls, wildflower walks, and the ever-popular black bear sighting. It is of note that there are species of plants and animal life still being discovered within the park. The Ice Age never made it this far south, which means that wildlife has been thriving here for millennia. Literally. Anakeesta's

Purposeful Art

Mountain

The Gatlinburg arts and crafts community has a rich history, and it is not uncommon to come upon makers who are still creating purposeful art, just as their ancestors did. Stop by the Cliff Dwellers Gallery (cliffdwellersgallery. com) to meet some of those makers, and you may find David Ogle creating brooms just as his family has been doing for close to a century. Fellow artisan Pat Thomas creates marbled papers and scarves. Louise Bales repurposes gourds while Becky Weaver makes baskets.

Coaster

Craft Class

Visitors looking to immerse themselves more fully in the arts and craft life should carve out more time for a visit to the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (arrowmont.org), where adults can make like kids and enroll in workshops that tap into their creative side. Throughout the summer and fall, more than 130 classes are offered at this school that has been in operation for over 100 years. Not feeling personally creative? Stop by the gallery to view modern work by many artists-in-residence and prepare to be moved by the caliber represented.

Treetop Exploration

It is no secret that kids of all ages love Gatlinburg for the variety of activities, chief among them Anakeesta (anakeesta.com). This mountaintop destination deserves to claim an entire afternoon and evening of any visit

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts

68 Fall 2021

to Gatlinburg. Pack your sense of adventure and curiosity to ride the Ridge Rambler to the very top of the mountaintop park. From there, explore via dueling ziplines, treetop skybridges and mountain coasters. Climb to the top of the observation tower for a truly breathtaking view of the mountains and town below. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for any black

bears that may be ambling below the tree line, far away from guests. Plan to have dinner atop the mountain at either the Smokehouse or Cliff Top restaurant. Menus feature everything from custom burgers and wings to shrimp-and-grits and bourbon-glazed salmon. Plan to take the chondola (chair/gondola) down the mountain—at sunset if possible—to really savor the experience. The lights below don’t dare glare but merely twinkle in a very hospitable way, welcoming you back to town.

Mountain Adventures

And if one mountaintop visit is not enough, there are two more you should explore: home to the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America, the Gatlinburg SkyLift Park (gatlinburgskylift.com) is accessible via chair lift and well-worth the ride, anytime of year. Guests wanting to channel their inner ski bum definitely need to check out Ober Gatlinburg (obergatlinburg.com), which offers skiing and snowboarding in the cooler months and ice skating, mountain coasters and an aerial tramway for much of the rest of the year. If you did not know you had taken a car to get here, you might think you had arrived in a Swiss ski village, for all the charm that abounds.

WHERE TO EAT Perhaps it is the mountain air or just all the outdoor activity, but whatever the reason, come hungry to Gatlinburg. The dress is typically “mountain casual,” and most every spot has something for even the pickiest eaters in your group. If you dine atop Anakeesta, allow extra time in between courses for all the oohs and ahs—the vistas are breathtaking.

Davy Crockett's Breakfast Camp

Craft Class Visitors looking to immerse themselves more fully in the arts and craft life should carve out more time for a visit to the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (arrowmont.org), where adults can

Pancakes + More Pancakes

It bears mentioning that Gatlinburg loves pancakes. Lots of pancakes. Lots and lots of pancakes. They love pancakes here so much that there are more than a half dozen restaurants that specialize in the breakfast fare. There are thick pancakes and thin griddle cakes. There are silver-dollar-sized versions and pancakes larger than your head. Stop by Pancake Pantry or Davy Crockett’s Breakfast Camp or Flapjack’s to find your own personal favorite.

make like kids and enroll in workshops that tap into their creative side. Throughout the summer and fall, more than 130 classes are offered at this school that has been in operation for over 100 years. Not feeling personally creative? Stop by the gallery to view modern work by many artists-in-residence and prepare to be moved by the caliber represented.

For Live Music

There are several dinner options in town, but Ole Red (olered.com/gatlinburg/) is a great choice for a variety of folks. This Blake Shelton-inspired venue not only serves good food and great drinks, but you are more than likely to catch some live music here as well. And you never know when Blake might make a video call in to the restaurant and broadcast via livestream on the big screen.

Wow-Worthy Cuisine

If you are looking for a quieter, more sophisticated spot for dinner, look no further (and call ahead for a reservation) than The Greenbrier (greenbrierrestaurant.com). With a world-class chef and trained sommelier in house, diners can expect to be wowed by dishes like seared duck breast, diver scallops, stuffed flounder and New York strip. The craft cocktail program at The Greenbrier is strong. You cannot go wrong with a single selection, but if you like a little fanfare with your bourbon, order the Dylan, which is served in a pecan smoke-washed snifter. Trust us on this one.

The Greenbriar Restaurant

Meet Your Travel Guide Proud to call Birmingham home, Christiana Roussel loves discovering every corner of the Magic City. But the road beckons often. She’s been known to make a wrong turn into the right choice, dig in with the locals and try to talk her way out of a speeding ticket or two. Curiosity drives her and finding connection is her passion.

HomewoodLife.com 69

HIT THE ROAD

21-SCP-3844_Birmingham_Metro_Area_Magazine_Half_Page_Print_Ad_v1.indd 1

No camera could do this justice. Are you the type that loves adventure? A vista hunter? With a dreamcatcher kinda eye? See what we see. Love what we love.

Be one of us.

V ISIT

70 Fall 2021

T TA CH A

NOO

G A .C

7/9/21 9:25 AM

HomewoodLife.com 71

Special Advertising Section

Homewood Life

COMMUNITY INFLUENCERS

2021 It’s the people who make Homewood the community that it is! Here we recognize some of those making an impact on others around them through their businesses.

72 Fall 2021

JR KING

STATE FARM INSURANCE AGENT 3499 Independence Drive, Suite141 • Homewood, AL 35209 205-783-5090 • insurewithking.com JR King State Farm has been providing insurance and financial services to the Homewood community and customers across Alabama since 2017. Before opening his agency, JR spent 11 years in military intelligence with United States Air Force Special Operations Command and is an Afghanistan veteran. Aside from his duties as a State Farm agent, JR currently is a member of Homewood Rotary and Homewood American Legion, and he is an ambassador for the Homewood Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the Executive Leadership Committee for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Birmingham, is an ambassador for Young Professionals of Birmingham, and is the president of the Advisory Council for the Firehouse Shelter. HomewoodLife.com 73

HOMEWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 7 Hollywood Blvd. • Homewood, AL 35209 205-871-5631 • homewoodchamber.org The Homewood Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit association of businesses whose goal is to build a stronger community. Through communication, hosting shopping events, providing networking opportunities and providing a platform for businesses to work with the City of Homewood, the Chamber is an active force and vital resource in maximizing the potential of both commerce and community in Homewood. It is led by executive director Meredith Drennen.

74 Fall 2021

Photo taken at Little Professor

RACHEL REYNOLDS 2910 Crescent Ave., Suite 120 • Homewood, AL 35209 205-414-0851 • edwardjones.com Bringing tailored retirement, estate and legacy strategies to clients in the Homewood community is the goal of Rachel Reynolds’ Edward Jones branch team. Rachel partners with her clients throughout their lives to grow, protect and pass on the wealth they have worked so hard to create. She placed her branch in the downtown area of Homewood in 2015 with an intentional focus on local community and bringing value to her neighbors. “I am honored to bring the knowledge, advice and technology of an almost 100-year-old investment firm right to my home community that my family and I have grown to love over the years we have lived here,” she says. HomewoodLife.com 75

WEST HOMEWOOD COMPANY info@westhomewood.com • 833-WESTHWD, Ext. 5 westhomewood.com What is good? This is the question a small group at Shades Valley Community Church sought to answer more than 12 years ago as they were in the process of conceiving what would become the West Homewood Farmer’s Market (westhomewood.com). Kenyon Ross, a founding member of the small group and market manager for the past 11 seasons, recently launched a new non-profit organization called the West Homewood Company. In addition to managing the market, the organization recently launched a “Turning Neighbors into Friends” initiative where writers help reveal stories of people who live, work and play in West Homewood. 76 Fall 2021

MEALS BY MISTY 2900 Crescent Avenue • Birmingham, AL 35209 205-490-1495 • mealsbymisty.com Meals by Misty specializes in homemade meals to-go, signature salads, appetizers, dips, sides, grilled meats and sweets. All of their meals come in multiple sizes and are packaged in disposable containers, making meal time a breeze. Whether you need help putting dinner on the table for your family, or you need the perfect tailgate treat for your next sporting event, Meals by Misty has you covered. If you are juggling back-to-school, sports and all the activities in between, let Meals by Misty simplify your life. From office luncheons, supper clubs and weddings, MbM also offers catering, so keep them in mind when holiday season rolls around. HomewoodLife.com 77

Homewood Chamber of Commerce C O N N E C T I O N S

Recent Events

Upcoming events

April 7th, 2021

Rolls Homewood & Meals by Misty Ribbon Cuttings

Save the Date! Homewood Chamber Golf Classic October 28th Holiday Open House November 4th

Gift Cards

Did you know you can purchase gift cards that can be redeemed at 44 participating Homewood merchants? Buy Local Homewood instantly available gift cards can be emailed as gifts and redeemed from your mobile phone. They look great, make great gifts and never expire! Purchase them at buylocalhomewood.instagift.com.

7 HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD 78 Fall 2021

April 9th, 2021

Cottage Basket Ribbon Cutting

April 13th, 2021

Valley Hotel Ribbon Cutting

HOMEWOOD, ALABAMA 35209

F i n d U s O n l i ne

Recent Events May 6th, 2021

Whataburger Groundbreaking

May 21st, 2021

Sikes/Jack-n-Jill Ribbon Cutting

New Members French and Towers Salon Co. Behavioral Health Immediate Care Community Food Bank of Central Alabama Rolls Homewood WaveTech Therapy Meals by Misty Club 4 Fitness Valley Hotel Homewood Birmingham, Curio Collection by Hilton GoRescue Brands, Inc Cottage Basket CPR Cell Phone Repair Birmingham Magic City Harvest Xcalibur Services ManduuHomewood Witt Chiropractic, LLC Solunatec LLC TailWinds Technologies ELM Construction LLC

Join the Chamber! Chamber membership could be just what your business needs for a boost this year! Work, live or do business in Homewood? Apply for membership at homewoodchamber.org and start taking advantage of the many benefits that come with membership!

205 - 871 - 5631

WWW.HOMEWOODCHAMBER.ORG HomewoodLife.com 79

OUT & ABOUT

WE LOVE HOMEWOOD DAY

PHOTOS BY SID WARREN

May 1 was full of love for Homewood with rides at Homewood Central Park, a parade and much more. 1. Troop 79 Boy Scouts 2. Zach White and Michael Thompson 3. Therese Bynum and Kathleen Langsdale 4. Amanda and Michael Johnson 5. Powell Pediatric Dentistry Team 6. Mathew Lindell, Xander Grabarczyk and Paige Lowery 7. Hollywood Hounds Team 8. Michelle Benefeild Smith, Leah Bishop and Casey Houston 9. The Bandwagon Family 10. Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics Team 11. Environmental Commission Members

80 Fall 2021

OUT & ABOUT

HomewoodLife.com 81

OUT & ABOUT

HOMEWOOD GROWN

PHOTOS BY LILY BAKER

The Homewood City Schools Foundation hosted its annual Homewood Grown fundraiser dinner at Patriot Park on April 30. 1. Amy Mitchell, Brad and Mandy Schwarting, and Mary Brocato 2. Betsy and Toni Crimi, and Paul Owen 3. Carley Dudgeon, Justin Hefner and Tom Bedics 4. Johnathan Fleisher, James Eastman and Keith Gile 5. Leah McClusky, Ashley McCullars and Raegan Ballenger 6. Sharon and Patrick Chappell, and Merrick Wilson 7. Lori Sills, and Abby and Ben Mebane 8. Homewood Grown Board 9. Byrom Family 10. Homewood Grown Events Team 11. Patriot Pride 12. Taryn Clawyer, Sarah Marcrom, Mari Anne Jenkins and Millie Minton

82 Fall 2021

OUT & ABOUT

HomewoodLife.com 83

OUT & ABOUT

WEST HOMEWOOD FARMER’S MARKET

PHOTOS BY GABBY BASS-BUTLER

The annual West Homewood Farmer’s Market showcased the wares of local farmers and vendors every Tuesday this summer from the first of June until the first week of August. 1. Addie Irving 2. Allana Pinkerton 3. April McClung 4. Denise Young 5. Gray Manly and Lindsey Rogers 6. Joanna Feldewerth 7. Kristen Johnson 8. Lynn Moton 9. Sarah Kate Emmerich and Caydee Grace Miller 10. Cynara Lucero and Candace White 11. Jennifer Kendall 12. Jada Nieves 13. Stephen and Mary Madison Himic

84 Fall 2021

OUT & ABOUT

WHAT WE TREAT

HomewoodLife.com 85

MARKETPLACE

Marketplace Homewood Life • 205.669.3131

Now hiring RN’s and LPN’s throughout Alabama! $250 community referral bonus for RN’s and LPN’s. Sign-on Bonuses available at select locations! For more information please contact: Paige Gandolfi Call/text: 724-691-7474 pgandolfi@ wexfordhealth.com

Automation Personnel Services Hiring IMMEDIATELY For: Automotive Assembly, General Labor, Production, Clerical, Machine Operator, Quality, Carpentry, Welder, Foundry. Positions In: Calera, Clanton, Pelham, Bessemer, McCalla. Walk-in applications accepted. Clanton (205)2800002. Pelham (205)444-9774. Bama Concrete Now Hiring: Diesel Mechanic 4 Years Minimum Experience. CDL Preferred. Competitive Pay. Great Benefits. Apply in person: 2180 Hwy 87 Alabaster, 35007 Lancaster Place Apartments. Location, community & quality living in Calera, AL. 1, 2, & 3 bedroom apartments available. Call today for specials!! 205-668-6871. Or visit hpilancasterplace.com Marble Valley Manor. Affordable 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments for Elderly & Disabled. Many on-site services! 2115 Motes Rd, Sylacauga. 256-245-6500 •TDD#s: 800-548-2547(V) •800-548-2546(T/A). Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm. Equal Opportunity Provider/ Employer LAND FOR SALE 180 acres, located on Walnut Creek. Will not divide property. Call for more information: 205-369-5641

86 Fall 2021

CLOCK REPAIR SVS. * Setup * Repair * Maintenance. I can fix your Mother’s clock. Alabaster/Pelham. Call Stephen (205)663-2822

HIRING EXPERIENCED FULL CASE ORDER SELECTORS $19.03 per hour plus production $$$ incentives. Grocery order selection using electric pallet jacks & voice activated headsets. Great benefits including Blue Cross health & dental insurance & matching 401k. Pre-employment drug test required. Apply Online: WWW.AGSOUTH.COM GENERAL LAWN CARE •Grass Cutting •Limb Trimming •Storm Cleanup •Debris Removal •Serving Shelby, Chilton, Coosa & many more areas. •Decks •Porches •Stairs •Demolition Call Alex today for details: 1-205-955-3439 Military & Senior Discounts $2000 SIGN ON BONUS NEW PAY SCALE TO QUALIFYING DRIVERS EVERGREEN TRANSPORT, is accepting applications for local drivers in the Calera and Leeds, AL, area. Must have Class A CDL, good driving record, 1 yr verifiable tractor trailer experience. Good pay and benefits. Apply in person at 8278 Hwy 25 South, Calera, AL, or call for info 205-668-3316. Electrician - FT Supreme Electric, local-based company in Pelham. Must be willing to learn & work hard. Go to: supremeelectrical.com Print employment application under Contact Us. Mail to: Supreme Electric 231 Commerce Pkwy Pelham, AL 35124 or call 205-453-9327.

HomewoodLife.com

Become a Dental Assistant in ONLY 8 WEEKS! Please visit our website capstonedentalassisting.com or call (205)561-8118 and get your career started!

Boise Cascade Now Hiring for Utility Positions. Starting pay $14/hour. Must be able to pass background screen. Please apply at www.bc.com WELDER NEEDED MIG & TIG •Light gauge stainless, aluminized, galvanized Manufacturing and Assembly Helpers Needed •Paid Holidays •Typical Shifts 6:00am-2:30pm Call RICK: 205-761-3975 Oxford Healthcare in Montgomery currently hiring certified CNA’s and/or Home Health aides in the Clanton, Marbury and Maplesville areas. Must be able to pass complete background check, have reliable transportation and have a strong work ethic. Serious inquiries only. Call 334-409-0035 or apply on-line at www.Oxfordhealthcare.com South Haven Health & Rehab NOW HIRING!!! •LPN’s & RN’s -$5,000 Signon Bonus for Full-Time shift •CNA’s Apply in person: 3141 Old Columbiana Rd Birmingham,AL-35266 Earth Angels In-HomeCare LLC. BBB Accredited, licensed, bonded, following CDC guidelines to keep out clients safe. 205-881-4034 or 205-484-1301. earthangelshcare@gmail.com 1365 A Hueytown Rd. Hueytown, AL Acceptance Loan Company, Inc. Personal loans! Let us pay off your title loans! 224 Cahaba Valley Rd, Pelham 205-663-5821

Experienced Termite Technician or someone experienced in route-service work and wants to learn new profession. Workvehicle/equipment provided. Must drive straight-shift, have clean driving record/ be 21/pass background/ drug test. Training provided. Insurance/401K offered. M-F 7:00-4:30 + 1 Saturday/ month. Pay $13hr. Send resume to facsmith@charter.net Eastern Tree Service • 24Hour Storm Service • www.ETSTree.org • Experienced Professionals • Quick Response • Free Estimates • Call Us Today: 205-856-2078

Inernational Assoication of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers BIRMINGHAM AREA INSULATORS LOCAL 78 Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee Accepting applications for 4-year Apprenticeship Program. Applications will be accepted July 1–July 31, 2021 in person at 2653 Ruffner Road Birmingham, Al 35210 8:30am-2pm Monday-Friday 205-956-2866 205-956-8101 etx.3 craig@insulators78.org Check us out at www.insulators.org Applicants must be 18+, drug free, have dependable transportation, ID & proof of age, high school diploma/ GED. Applicants will be required to take math test & English comprehension test.The Asbestos Workers Local 78 Apprenticeship Training Trust will not discriminate against apprenticeship applicants or apprentices based on, RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, SEX (INCLUDING PREGNANCY AND GENDER INDENITIY),

SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENTIC INFORMATION, OR BECAUSE THEY ARE AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABLILITY OR A PERSON 40 YEARS OLD OR OLDER. The Asbestos Workers Local 78 Apprenticeship Training Trust will take affirmative action to provide equal opportunity in apprenticeship and will operate the apprenticeship program as required under Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 30. Tru Acupressure Clinic LLC. Licensed Therapist. Services Available: •Deep Tissue •Swedish •Acupressure •Hot Stone. Same-Day Appointments. Walk-Ins Available. *$50 SPECIAL!* 1 Hour Foot/Back Massage when you bring in this ad! 844 Highway 31 Suite I, Alabaster. OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! 9:30am-9:30pm 205-624-211 AL License #E-3013 Golden Rule BBQ Pelham and Helena Now Hiring outgoing, reliable, team oriented, energetic Cashiers, Cooks, Servers Apply @ 309 Huntley Parkway, Pelham(Publix Center) Or 4290 Hwy 52 West Helena Or apply on Facebook at Golden Rule BBQ Pelham Or Golden Rule BBQ Helena HunnyBee’s Health Shoppe NOW OPEN Family Owned Business We sell supplements and other general merchandise! Elliotsville Plaza Suite 101 Hwy 119, Alabaster hunnybeestore.com 205-6243364 High Expectations Cleaning 205-728-8854 highexpertcleaning.com

HomewoodLife.com 87

MY HOMEWOOD JUSTIN HEFNER

Homewood City Schools Superintendent

Books + Smiles

Little Professor’s Story Time I love the authors, community members, book enthusiasts and other local business owners taking time out of their busy days to read to invest into the literacy interest of children during these story times. I guess I’m partial since it feels like a classroom! Little Professor is also my favorite place to grab a cup of coffee or a latte.

Stand-Out Evening

Homewood Grown I love Patriot Park’s greenspace, the pool area, the walkability and access to local eateries like Pizzeria GM, Ash, and Neighbors Ice Cream, but I especially love Patriot Park when it hosts the Homewood City Schools Foundation’s event, Homewood Grown. The evening supports Homewood City Schools honors Teacher Impact Award winners and has amazing keynote speakers. It makes for a pretty incredible evening!

Friday Night Lights

Homewood High School Football Games I love sports, but I particularly love Homewood sports. Friday nights at Waldrop Stadium are among my favorite nights of the year. I love the community coming together to cheer on our student-athletes, the atmosphere, the band, the football team, the Spangles, letterman, color guard and cheerleaders. What an experience that shares the spirit of Homewood so well!

The Best Day

We Love Homewood Day This is truly my favorite day of the year in Homewood! I love the parade, the 5K run, rides, games, Rotary Club chalk art, inflatables at Central Park and the street dance. How many cities have a dedicated day to celebrating the shared love of the city?

On the Field

Homewood Athletic Complex We are so fortunate to have incredible youth athletic facilities. I love the Megafield flag football games and the T-ball, coach-pitch and kid-pitch baseball games at the baseball fields. I love how many families come to cheer on their friends as they play games on our beautiful fields. The springtime at the ballpark is among my favorite times of the year!

88 Fall 2021

THE

RIDGE

Whether you’re looking to build your own custom designs or would rather choose from our portfolio of popular house plans, The Ridge is the perfect place to start creating lake memories. With The Ridge Marina and The Ridge Club, a 10-acre recreation complex with swimming, fitness, and much more, The Ridge is where lake and life truly meet.

Final Waterfront Homesites Just Released

RussellLands.com

HomewoodLife.com 89

90 Fall 2021

Homewood Life, Fall 2021

Articles inside

My Homewood

Marketplace

From the Editor

Contributors