MOULTRIE GAME CHANGER • BIG SKY BREAD COMPANY’S NEW HOME • ALL ABOUT POPPYSEED PAPER
DREAMING
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A STUDENT'S VISION FOR CITY CONNECTION
ABOUT THOSE BELLES
A BRIEF HISTORY
MARY WYATT’S MESSAGE OF HOPE VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 1
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FEATURES 52
BELLES IN THE HILLS Don’t be mistaken. It’s not all about the dress.
62
IN THE FIELD How Dan Moultrie’s idea for a game feeder changed the hunting industry.
70
RISING FROM THE WRECKAGE
PHOTO BY JENNIVER JONES
Since losing her husband in a plane crash, Mary Wyatt has turned her grief into a message of hope and resilience.
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52
31
PHOTO BY MARY FEHR
arts & culture
17 Love What You Do: Shannon Stewart’s PoppySeed Paper
schools & sports
23 Making Her Mark: The Visionary Behind City Youth Connection 30 Five Questions For: Vestavia Vulcans Mom Cheryl Clabaugh
food
& drink
31 The Bread is Back: Big Sky’s New Liberty Park Home 39 Five Questions For: El ZunZun’s Becky Satterfield 40 Cocktail: Fresco’s Paloma Rosa
home
in every issue 6 Contributors 7 From the Editor 8 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 9 #VestaviaHillsMag 10 The Question 11 The Guide 78 Out & About 86 Marketplace 88 My Vestavia Hills
& style
41 Light & Bright: The Mayhall Home’s Neutral Palette 50 In Style: Festive in Floral
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 7
contributors EDITORIAL
Graham Brooks Stephen Dawkins Alec Etheredge Briana Harris Amalia Kortright Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Emily Sparacino Neal Wagner
Amy Ferguson, Writer
Amy is a healthcare marketing professional, an avid Mexican food enthusiast and native of Vestavia Hills where she lives with her husband, Eric, and their love-able chocolate labradoodle. She earned her undergraduate degree from Auburn University and her master’s from the University of Alabama, but faithfully cheers for the Tigers (much to her husband’s disdain). When she isn’t watching a documentary, reading a biography or sniffing around local antique stores, she is helping her husband transform his love for woodworking into a small side business.
CONTRIBUTORS Mallory Barry Angie Brown Kayley Coggins Lindsey Culver Mary Fehr Amy Ferguson Dawn Harrison Jennifer Jones Patrick McGough Elizabeth Nance Emma Simmons Lauren Ustad
DESIGN
Connor Bucy Jamie Dawkins Kate Sullivan
MARKETING
Kristy Brown Matthew Gibson Kari George Rachel Henderson Daniel Holmes Katie Krouse Rhett McCreight Kim McCulla Ashley Murphy Ashley Petrus Viridiana Romero Kerrie Thompson
ADMINISTRATION Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Katie McDowell Stacey Meadows Tim Prince
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Dawn Harrison, Photographer
Dawn Harrison is a freelance photographer out of Birmingham. She grew up in Vestavia Hills, proud alumni of the class of ’97, and put down roots off of 280, where she lives with her wonderful husband and five kids. When she isn’t taking pictures, you can find her burning up 280 getting to various school and sporting events, or hanging out in carpool lines. She feels extremely blessed to be a part of the publication and to continue to meet such inspiring members of our community.
Patrick McGough, Photographer
Patrick has had a passion for photography from when he bought his first cardboard box camera in a flea market at the age of 12. That passion has taken him all over the South and abroad on many assignments and projects. Every shoot creates an opportunity to meet new people and to explore ideas and locations. Whether shooting businesses, families, or individuals, he strives to capture the most fun, genuine and unique images for his clients.
Emily Sparacino, Writer
Emily is the editor of Vestavia Hills Magazine’s sister publications, Shelby Living and Hoover’s Magazine. She majored in journalism at Auburn University and moved to the Birmingham area seven years ago, turning the exit signs she passed on I-65 driving to and from college into familiar landmarks in the place she’s proud to call home now. She loves discovering new coffee shops, taking her dog Wrigley on walks, catching up with her husband over a good pizza and marking books off of her toread list.
Vestavia Hills Magazine is published bimonthly by Shelby County Newspapers Inc., P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Vestavia Hills Magazine 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, Vestavia Hills Magazine, P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Vestavia Hills Magazine is mailed to select households throughout Vestavia Hills, and a limited number of free copies are available at local businesses. Please visit VestaviaHillsMagazine.com for a list of those locations. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $16.30 for one year by visiting VestaviaHillsMagazine.com or calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 532. Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing advertise@vestaviahillsmagazine.com, or by calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 536.
from the editor
O ON THE COVER
City Youth Connection Founder Kendall Carter VHHS student Kendall Carter didn’t just start a club about leadership. She demonstrates it herself. Design by Connor Bucy Photo by Mary Fehr
On vacation this winter, a cousin who particularly enjoys well thoughtout questions (just as I do) posed this hypothetical one to me: “If you were to get offered an exceptional professional opportunity in, say, Dallas, would you take it?” My response was something to the effect of: “Well, it would depend on the offer, but overall it would have to be amazing to make me even consider it. After being in a city for eight years of adulthood, I have built eight years’ worth of relationships, and it would be really hard to start over.” Because I think that’s been the biggest thing I have learned in adulthood—that relationships are really what matter in life, and that the longer you share in day-to-day life with someone, the more irreplaceable that bond becomes. And as we put together this issue, relational ties seemed to be the theme that knit everything together. I drove up to Dan Moultrie’s farm, Summerfield, expecting to learn about game feeders only to discover the heart of his business was more about managing game and all the more so hospitality that fostered countless relationships on his land. For Vestavia Belle presentation season, our story ended up focusing on the motherdaughter ties born of this now generations-deep tradition, which does in fact often include the antebellum dress. And let’s just say our story on Mary Wyatt’s loss of her husband, followed by her picking up the helm at his construction company, quickly brought me to tears. I always say that no matter what story we write, be it about food or music or a club or whatnot, it’s really about the people. And fittingly, the heart of City Youth Connection is about students getting to know city leadership through events they volunteer for more than it is about another line for college applications. Add to that that the reason Jeff and Patti Pierce brought Big Sky Bakery to Liberty Park was because Dr. Christopher Harmon asked them—and because of how he envisioned it tying into the patient experience. And that’s not even mentioning our stories on Shannon Stewart’s paper business, the Mayhalls’ rustic-elegant and bright home renovation, floral fashions (hooray for springtime, y’all!), and my personal favorite, a preview of Becky Satterfield’s new El ZunZun concept coming to Cahaba Heights next to the new Crestline Bagel. More than anything I hope the pages of this issue deepen your own ties to this place and its people, both the ones in these pages and the ones you cultivate as you share in life from day to day to day. Thanks for reading,
madoline.markham@vestaviahillsmagazine.com
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 9
VOTE TODAY! VOTING OPEN APRIL 1-15
VESTAVIA HILLS’
BEST VE
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2018
IAH
ILLSMAGAZ
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Winners will be announced in the June/July 2018 issue of VESTAVIA HILLS MAGAZINE.
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first LEED-certified hospital building in Alabama
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Russell Campus
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of the only pediatric kidney dialysis program in the state — one of the largest in the country
1600 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233
l Home
Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children Lowder Building McWane Building Children’s on Third Outpatient Center Children’s Park Place
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1601 5th Avenue South 1600 7th Avenue South 1600 7th Avenue South 1208 3rd Avenue South 1600 5th Avenue South
to one of the largest burn units in the Southeast
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205.638.4800
1940 Elmer J. Bissell Road, Birmingham, AL 35243 Outpatient surgery services, Pediatric Imaging Center, laboratory services and specialty care clinics
Vestavia Pediatrics
205.978.3200
1936 Old Orchard Road, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216
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www.ChildrensAL.org
#VestaviaHillsMag
Tag @VestaviaHillsMag in your Vestavia photos on Instagram, and we’ll pick our favorites to regram and publish on this page in each issue.
@andyscreekside We have beautiful white, pink and blue florist hydrangeas. #valentines #hostessgift #landscapenursery #greenhouseplants #houseplants #hydrangea
@jhaglerphotography
So proud of these girls!!! Gameday National champs!!!
@shelby_doodle
hey Crestline Bagel, Cahaba Heights looks good on you! #foodislife #foodlover #eatlocal #shelbydavidsonfood #eatbham #bagel #breakfast #crestline
@vhhs_rockettes
@collinsmcmurray JUST WON MISS ALABAMA OUTSTANDING TEEN!!!!!!! But who’s surprised?? We are soooooo proud of you
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 11
“ ” THE QUESTION
Where’s the best place to be in Vestavia on a sunny spring or summer day? Sagewood Trail. A sweet Vestavia neighborhood with neighbors outside catching up on life with kids riding bikes, playing in the creek and playing a pick-up game of basketball. It’s the BEST!
On the patio outside Snapper Grabber’s Land & Sea Cafe drinking sangria.
Park at Central Field and hike to the library. Enjoy the view and even relax in a new Eno (you can check them out) and enjoy a great book!
McCallum Park! We enjoy hiking up through the trails trying to find the hidden painted rocks. Throwing rocks or splashing in the creek is a must, too!
- Suzanne Bradley
- Jocelyn Manning Martin
- Monica Vercher
We love the dog park off of Loch Haven. There’s space for everyone and super convenient. - Jessica Prescott
- Jennifer Murdock Langston
Doodles in Cahaba Heights! Enjoy a scrumptious ice or sorbet, visit with neighbors while the kids run around and play in the open grass field. You can even bring the dogs along! - Margaret Gunnels Jacob
The new park and walking trails at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex are awesome! - Kellie Sandlin Taylor
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Wald Park. That playground has seen generations of children on its swings. I can’t wait to take my little boy when he’s a bit older and show him where Mommy used to play! - Erin Labrato
THE GUIDE
SUMMER READING KICKOFF MAY 31 6 P.M. LIBRARY IN THE FOREST There will be acrobats. There will be jugglers. There will be silk performers. Come out to the library to see Global Movement’s circus-style performance as they kick off summer reading. Get hotdogs at 6 p.m. and catch the show at 6:30 p.m. Plus, Grammy nominee musician Zak Morgan and Kona Ice Truck will be at the library at 10:30 a.m. that morning to start the party. One more thing: Teens can take their turn kicking off summer reading at a special event on June 5, so save the date for that too. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 13
THE GUIDE WHAT TO DO IN VESTAVIA APRIL 6 First Friday Reception Artists Incorporated 4:30-7:30 p.m. APRIL 8 2018 Belle Presentation Vestavia Country Club APRIL 10 Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Vestavia Hills Country Club 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. APRIL 12 Alabama Mature Moves-Dealing with Your Stuff Dogwood Room Vestavia Civic Center 10-11 a.m.
APRIL 24
Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast
7 A.M. BUFFET, 7:30 A.M. PROGRAM hear it live at this favorite city event. City VESTAVIA COUNTRY CLUB Burn victim Christian Cooper has a powerful story to tell, and you’ll want to
APRIL 26
Storyteller Dolores Hydock 10 A.M LIBRARY IN THE FOREST COMMUNITY ROOM Storyteller Dolores Hydock takes you on a journey back from the Arctic Sea to Singapore exploring five little things that changed history in unexpected ways. Be sure to join the Friends of the Library for this event.
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officials and neighbors alike will come together to offer prayers for our world, country, state and city. Visit vestaviahills. org for tickets.
APRIL 12 Intro to 3D Printing Library in the Forest 4 p.m. APRIL 14 Personal Safety and Awareness Workshop for Women Fee and Registration Required Library in the Forest 3 p.m. APRIL 14 Relay for Life Vestavia Hills High School 2 p.m.-Midnight APRIL 15 -17 Rise Against Hunger Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church APRIL 17 Schaeffer Eye Center Family Pancakes and PJs Library in the Forest Kids 6 p.m. APRIL 17 Make Bee Houses Library in the Forest Teens 4 p.m.
THE GUIDE APRIL 20 Upcycle City: Coasters Adults, Registration Required Library in the Forest 7 p.m. APRIL 24 Southbend Subdivision Ribbon Cutting 866 South Bend Lane 5 p.m. MAY 2 Pocket Size Pixel Art Library in the Forest Teens 4 p.m. MAY 3 The Sound of Music Pizitz Middle School Spring Play 7 p.m. MAY 4 First Friday Reception Artists Incorporated 4:30-7:30 p.m. MAY 5 Alabama Mature MovesDeclutter Sale Dogwood Room Vestavia Civic Center 10-11 a.m. MAY 8 Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Vestavia Hills Country Club 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. MAY 15-17 Exam Study Breaks 3, 5, and 7 p.m. Library Open ‘Til 9 p.m. Library in the Forest MAY 19-30 No Children’s Programming Library in the Forest MAY 24 Last Day of School Vestavia City Schools MAY 28 Memorial Day
APRIL 5
Dogwood Luncheon VESTAVIA COUNTRY CLUB 11:30 A.M. It’s dogwood season. Join the Beautification Board to hear Rosemarie Reinhard Musso, a Holocaust survivor, share her compelling story of survival, love and forgiveness. She is the author of FATHER Forgive Them-The Four Laws of Forgiveness. Tickets are $25 and must be purchased in advance. For more information or tickets, which are $25 each, visit vestaviabeautiful.com or contact Gina Henley at ghenley401@charter.net.
APRIL 17
Taste of the Heights VESTAVIA ELEMENTARY CAHABA HEIGHTS GYM 5:30-7 P.M. Sample treats from favorite Cahaba Heights restaurants and peruse framed student art, silent auction items and a Scholastic book fair. All proceeds benefit VHECH. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 15
THE GUIDE AROUND TOWN APRIL 3 Chrissy Metz: This Is Me Tour Lyric Theatre APRIL 6 Taylor Hicks – Night Moves – Playing the Hits of Bob Seger Lyric Theatre APRIL 6-8 Alabama Ballet Presents: La Fille Mal Gardée BJCC Concert Hall APRIL 11-15 Birmingham Barons vs. Montgomery Biscuits Regions Field
MAY 20
Opera Birmingham 40th Annual Vocal Competition
VESTAVIA COUNTRY CLUB 6 P.M.
An elegant evening of wine and song is coming to Vestavia Country Club. Five
finalists will take the stage to compete for more than $10,000 in cash prizes and a chance to star in an Opera Birmingham production. All reservations are required by May 11 for this black tie optional event.
Hit the Books Looking to learn something new? Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of Greater Birmingham (OLLI) provides mature adults 50+ with social, education and travel opportunities—including many courses taught just down the street. Save the date to join them for a Summer Open House Friday, May 11, from 1-3:30 p.m. at Homewood Public Library for entertainment by Natyananda: Dance of India and more, and check out the courses listed below. To learn more, visit olli.ua.edu or call 205-348-6482.
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APRIL 13-22 13 The Musical Red Mountain Cabaret Theatre APRIL 13-14 Lebanese Food and Culture Festival St. Elias Maronite Church APRIL 20-22 Motown The Musical BJCC Concert Hall
EDUCATION
Wednesdays in April Explorations 1:30 – 3 p.m. • Vestavia Hills Civic Center • April 4: Historic Birmingham Mineral Railroad • April 11: Ice Age Tar Pit Excavations (La Brea) • April 18: Antarctica – Continental Ice
APRIL 12-15 2018 Alabama Auto Show BJCC Exhibition Halls
Wednesdays in May All Things Political • 10:30 a.m. – noon • Vestavia Hills Civic Center • This audience-participation conversation will cover the 2018 primaries, elections, polls and predictions.
APRIL 19-29 Ain’t Misbehavin’ Virginia Samford Theatre APRIL 20-22 Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Barber Motorsports Park APRIL 22 Hollywood Home Tour 1-4 p.m. APRIL 26-30 Birmingham Barons vs. Biloxi Shuckers Regions Field APRIL 27-29 Magic City Art Connection Linn Park
THE GUIDE APRIL 28 Urban Purpose Challenge J19 Fitness, Hoover APRIL 28-MAY 13 2018 Decorators’ ShowHouse Shuttle from Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church MAY 3-6 Grand Boutique BJCC Exhibition Halls MAY 4 Live at the Lyric: Brian Culbertson Lyric Theatre MAY 7-11 Birmingham Barons vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos Regions Field MAY 11 An Acoustic Evening with Travis Tritt Alabama Theatre MAY 11-27 Smokey Joe’s Café Red Mountain Theatre Company Cabaret Theatre MAY 16-20 Regions Tradition Greystone Golf & Country Club MAY 17-21 Birmingham Barons vs. Montgomery Biscuits Regions Field MAY 19 Do Dah Day Caldwell and Rhodes Parks MAY 19 Willie Nelson & Family and Alison Krauss Oak Mountain Amphitheatre MAY 19-21 Great Southern Gun & Knife Show BJCC Exhibition Halls MAY 29-JUNE 2 Birmingham Barons vs. Chattanooga Lookouts
APRIL 24
6th Annual Paul Meyers Golf Tournament HIGHLAND PARK GOLF COURSE
3 P.M. REGISTRATION, 4:30 P.M. TEE OFF, 6:30 P.M. BBQ DINNER & SILENT AUCTION This glow-in-the-dark golf game often appeals to young professionals who sometimes take the “Best Dressed Award” more seriously than the golf
scores. Plus, non-golfers are invited to join the party for a barbecue dinner, silent auction and live music. It’s all held in memory of Vestavia native Paul Meyers and honors some of the many issues that he deemed important. All proceeds benefit the Paul Meyers Medical Mission Trip to Haiti that annually serves more than 3,000 patients.
APRIL 27-28
Into the Woods VESTAVIA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL
FRIDAY 7 P.M., SATURDAY 2 P.M. & 7 P.M. Once upon a time in a far-off kingdom, there lay a small village at the edge of the woods… and so begins this beloved
Stephen Sondheim musical, coming to the VHHS stage. A modern twist on Brothers Grimm fairy tales, this musical format follows Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel, tied together with an original story of a baker, his wife and a witch who has put a curse on them.
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 17
You’re the type of parent who wants your children to spend their summers outdoors, exploring their surrounds, making lifelong friendships, and having a blast. Unlike other summer day camps, Regional Outdoor Day Camp at Hargis Retreat is real camp situated on more than 200 wooded acres in Chelsea!
There is no place like Y Day Camp. A home away from home where your children laugh, learn, explore and grow in the outdoors while creating memories and friendships that last a lifetime.
&CULTURE
ARTS
LOVE WHAT YOU DO Shannon Stewart’s passions come in paper form. BY ANGIE BROWN PHOTOS BY JENNIFER JONES
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 19
V
Visit Shannon Stewart at her home office, and you’ll more often than not find her surrounded by a plethora of paper. There from invitations for baby showers and weddings, alongside personal stationery and gift stickers. Her eye for creativity and design in paper form is nothing new. “After college, when friends were having girls’ night out or wedding showers, I was the go-to person to help with the invitations,” she says. “I love pretty bows and wrapping paper, and I think a pretty invitation can set the tone for a party or event…I like to take an idea and make it happen.” Shannon, a Vestavia Hills native and VHHS grad, has worked in recruiting for 20 years, but when the opportunity emerged in May 2015 to buy PoppySeed Paper, which was then co-owned by one of her former sorority sisters and fellow alum of BirminghamSouthern College, she jumped at the chance. “‘Love what you do, do what you love. This is what I’m doing,”
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Shannon recounts. “About four years ago, my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After he passed away, I reevaluated what I wanted to do.” Soon after this, the aforementioned possibility to follow her passion for paper arose. “Sometimes it’s a God thing,” she says. Today Shannon continues to work part-time at a local Vestavia recruiting firm but spends many of the remaining hours of the day with her paper passion. Although she’s not a graphic designer by trade, she instead utilizes her creativity and vision to help her customers decide on just the right save-the-date card, holiday greeting or baby announcement. “There’s several different sources where I can purchase designs…I have contracted with a friend of mine who is an artist here in town to have original watercolors of Birmingham landmarks, including the Vestavia Temple, and have expanded throughout the state,” she says. “They are at Alabama Goods and
“
There’s something to be said about having that physical paper in your hands. It just means you’ve spent a little bit more time and given it a little more thought. I think people appreciate that. -Shannon Stewart
”
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 21
PRETTY PAPER Two Vestavia Hills Customers on Why They are Fans of PoppySeed
MISSY ARMSTRONG What I Ordered: Shannon has done custom Christmas cards for me the past two years, and she’s done many other stationery items like calling cards, stationery for me and my daughters, and stickers for gifts. Why PoppySeed: Shannon is a friend of mine, and I love her products! She is also so easy to work with and does a fantastic job with a quick turn-around time Why Paper: I have always loved stationery and written notes, so, yes, I feel that paper is still important in 2018. I want to teach my girls that a written note shows how much you value that person whether it is a thank you note or letter from camp. My oldest daughter has learned calligraphy and lettering, so she really loves cards and even designed our Christmas card this year.
LYDIA HOLLETT What I Ordered: When hosting an engagement party or baby shower, I always like to give as a gift stationery that goes with the theme/invitation for the occasion. Once I chose an adorable sample invitation from the website, and Shannon worked to create coordinating notecards. Another time both the invitation and notecards were custom. Why PoppySeed: Shannon is a Vestavia Hills resident who is a master at her craft! I love her work. She delivers a quality product on time, and prices are reasonable. It’s really important to support small business owners in our own community! Moreover, Shannon is a valuable member of the Vestavia Hills and Birmingham community. She volunteers with Leadership Vestavia and The Junior League of Birmingham. And those are just the organizations that I know about. 22 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com
continue to be really good sellers.” Customers can peruse all her products on both the website and PoppySeed Paper’s Etsy page, and custom orders are always encouraged. “If it involves paper, whether invitations or agendas or business cards, we can do it,” says Shannon. But does paper still have a place in 2018 despite the convenience of technology? Of course. “I think while text messages and emails are great…I love to go back and look at old notes and cards from friends and family,” Shannon says. “There’s something to be said about having that physical paper in your hands. It just means you’ve spent a little bit more time and given it a little more thought. I think people appreciate that.” The community seems to agree. PoppySeed Paper was voted Runner-Up Finalist in the Best Invitation category of Birmingham Magazine’s Best in Family and Kids both in 2017 and 2018. And the love is mutual. “Even though my business is online through my website and Etsy, I work out of my home in Vestavia Hills,” says Shannon. “I have a business license and pay Vestavia taxes through my business. I’m a big supporter of local businesses and owners here. I like to help support a community I grew up in and love. I walked to school to East from first through
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 23
Helping parents Character in kids CULTIVATE
FIND OUT HOW
www.ccslion.com/character
Birmingham Locations
Greystone • Homewood • Pelham Trace Crossings • Valleydale ®
covenant classical ® schools & daycare 24 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com
fifth grade. I graduated high school here.” Her ties to the community spurs Shannon to give back through her business and support local fundraisers by being a sponsor or donating auction items, and also to give of her own time by participating in Leadership Vestavia Hills and serving on the Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation Board. “I’m proud of our community. I think it’s important to learn more and get involved,” she says. Shop online at poppyseedpaper.com and etsy.com/shop/ PoppySeedPaper.
SCHOOL
&SPORTS
MAKING HER MARK
How a VHHS senior is connecting her peers to their city through City Youth Connection. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY MARY FEHR AND CONTRIBUTED VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 25
City Youth Connection members Victoria Morrison, Joey Compton, Kendall Carter, Holly Britain, Salem Khalaf and Cole McPheeters stand in front of a mural near the Alabama Theatre downtown.
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I
PHOTO BY MALLORY BARRY
It’s colorful. It’s long-lasting. And it’s bigger than themselves. It’s what the students involved in the inaugural class of City Youth Connection have been dreaming up for their own city. Yes, it’s a mural, inspired by the ones they have seen in downtown Birmingham. But those descriptors fit just as well with the program as a whole that Vestavia Hills High School senior Kendall Carter has dreamed up and brought to life. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s talk about the mural. “I love downtown Birmingham and it’s filled with different murals,” Kendall explains. “I really like to take pictures, and when you take them in front of murals, more people can see that part of your city and want to participate in it more.” So that’s what she and her peers involved in CYC have cast vision for: a piece of Vestavia artwork that the community can celebrate. Right now it’s still in the idea phase, but they know if they move forward with the mural, it will encompass all of Vestavia Hills, including
Cahaba Heights, Liberty Park and the Highway 31 corridor. And they’ve already figured out the steps they would need to get it approved by city council and find sponsors to fund it. Kendall has talked to a city council member about the mural idea and printed out different ordinance for signs for the city, discovering along the way that if it’s over a certain size they would have to present their proposal to the city council and get it approved. “Now they see that when you go to the drawing table you really have to get your hands dirty,” CYC sponsor and VHHS teacher Pauline Parker says. And this gets to the heart of what CYC is about. To paint that picture, let’s rewind the story back to 2016. Kendall was finishing her sophomore year and looking into volunteer opportunities. She saw there were lots of ways for VHHS students to plug into volunteering within the school, but not a strong connection to the city of Vestavia Hills itself and the chamber of commerce. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 27
WHY CYC? A Chat with Victoria Morrison & Salem Khalaf On Events That Stand Out VM: In the past I’ve worked the Christmas Tree Lighting as a Belle in the dress, and obviously the kids run up to you. But this year with CYC we got to have more conversations with community members who I wouldn’t necessarily talk to. SK: This is what has gotten me involved in coming to these events. Now because I am a part of it, I have seen it’s a fun thing. The entire community attends, so even after I finish high school, I’ll want to come back. VM: A lot of the times the city feels separated, but it’s cool to see Cahaba Heights Elementary and Liberty Park Elementary and West Elementary all singing at the Christmas Tree Lighting. On Being With Other Leaders SK: It’s really motivational. You are always pushing each other to do more. VM: Since we are so involved, we have to manage our time so we can take time in the afternoon to come do things like this. On City Connections VM: This club involves a lot of time outside of school. It’s worth it because you get to participate in these events that make the city what it is. Otherwise you’d be removed from that. SK: Being 11 miles away from the high school [in Liberty Park], I didn’t know anything about Vestavia before I got to the high school. Joining organizations like this meant I got to get involved in the city. On What They Have Learned VM: Programs like this teach you life skills that go beyond the books: serving your neighbors, time management. It makes it so much more awesome because it’s applicable past high school. We also had to talk to community members. I think it also instills some sort of confidence in you.
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And that’s when the idea came to fill that void. By the time she talked to teacher Pauline Parker about sponsoring it, it had fully come into being. “She had everything laid out, so that made it very easy to digest and want to be a part of because I could see her vision,” Parker says. Kendall’s vision for CYC came into being last fall—getting high school students presenting to city council, attending chamber board meetings, learning how the community works. With a keen interest in politics, it’s no surprise that taking notes from people ahead of her in their life journeys was also a key component of Kendall’s idea. “We have grown up in this community, and it’s helpful to us to learn from community leaders,” she explains. “If we have an issue, we can learn how to work through it. We can get exposed to aspects of city government that ordinarily you wouldn’t be exposed to.” Along the way, CYC has been hands-on helping with city and chamber events: serving concessions at Wing Ding, painting faces at I Love America Day, meeting vendors and helping with the chamber table at the Back to School Bash, and helping with hot chocolate and the photo booth at Holiday in the Hills. They have also attended chamber meetings and luncheons. In all of it the heart of the group is about connecting students who have already arisen as leaders in the school to the city. “It’s good for everyone to converse and share their ideas with like-minded people,” Kendall says. “But we all have different ideas too, so it’s good for us to feed off each other and use our different characteristics to share in our other organizations.”
CYC opportunities also allow different students’ strengths to shine and find real world application. Last fall, for example, when they helped Southminster Presbyterian Church with social media, it was Joey Compton’s tech skills that came into play. “He showed the head pastor how to promote a photo and create an alumni group,” Kendall recounts. “It was cool to see Joey work with different people in the community.” As the visionary of the group, Kendall has embraced the ideas she speaks of. “Kimberly Cook helped me get this idea off the ground,” Kendall says of the Vestavia Hills City Council member. “I emailed her and had coffee with her. She’s been my go-to for different rules and for events they need help with. Your elected officials are there to help you.” She and other CYC students have also gotten to meet State Senator Jabo Waggoner and Mayor Ashley Curry and talk to them at events—enabling for the connection the group’s name alludes to. “I think it has taken away a fear of reaching out to the city,” Parker says. “[The students] are now often in places where [these leaders] are.” As the first year of CYC wraps up, Kendall and Parker are interviewing students for next year’s class. They look at candidates’ GPAs and ask them questions, but they are also looking to see that they have shown leadership skills in other organizations. “Most importantly we want to know how they will contribute to CYC and make it perpetuate, make sure it stays strong and viable at Vestavia Hills High School,” Parker says. Speaking of perpetuating the club, they’ve found a new leader to take Kendall’s spot at the helm of CYC: Kennedy Crane. “I could see her leadership skills throughout the year,” Kendall says. “She was always willing to help and texting me to offer to do things.” It’s one thing to be a leader yourself, but VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 29
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Keep on pushing for it and share with others what your passion is and hope they’ll join along. Keep on trying. It will happen. - Kendall Carter
quite another to train up one. Kendall seems to be on top of all of that too though. She’s had Kennedy shadow her and shown her how to send emails and introduce herself at events. “I am a camp counselor, so it’s always been what I do to lead and show,” Kendall says. Kendall’s binder of notes and GroupMe messaging system with the CYC crew make her administrative skills more than obvious, and she notes the importance of communication and organization. But what does it really mean to be a leader, we asked her. “I think the number one thing is to be optimistic and to not give up,” 30 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com
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she responds. “Keep on pushing for it and share with others what your passion is and hope they’ll join along. Keep on trying. It will happen.” Kendall is one determined individual, that’s for sure. And now as she prepares to graduate, it’s time to leave the spirit that she trained others with as a part of CYC. “That vision still lies with her,” Parker says. “She’s such a visionary. Next year I know she will still be cheering this on because it’s her baby. The concept and idea all came from her, so I think she will forever have a very deep hold on what is going to happen.”
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SCHOOLS & SPORTS
5
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR
Cheryl Clabaugh Vestavia Vulcans Mom PHOTO BY MADOLINE MARKHAM
The Clabaugh family has logged countless hours at ball parks since Jack, now age 10, started T-ball at age 3. He plays baseball, basketball and football, and this is his second year on the Vestavia Vulcans post-season baseball team. To get a better feel for the Vulcans, which have 9U, 10U, 11U and 12U teams, we chatted with his mom, Cheryl. Play ball! The Vulcans are a post-season team. What makes that distinct? With rec you never know who will be on the team. The Vulcans are usually the same group of kids. It’s the same moms, the same dads, the same siblings. It’s also more of a cohesive group. We are playing other communities, so it gives our team more of a sense of representing their community, a sense of pride, and opens the boys’ eyes to other communities.
and nurture their strengths. At practice this week they played an inspirational video about working hard, about work ethics and going for your goals.
Is there a particular moment or game that stands out from last season? There was a tournament we played in Boaz one weekend. The weather was really bad. It rained. There was a thunderstorm. We had rain delays. We ended up finally finishing the tournament, and I can’t remember if we won or lost. But the kids What’s it like to be a Vulcans player? It’s a lot of fun for them. They practice had so much fun. They played their hardest together, they play together, they have fun even though it ended up being like a mud together. The teams get together on social bath. They got dirty and had a lot of fun occasions. It’s nurturing. It’s about doing it. I remember photos of the boys all winning, but it’s also about teaching and muddy with big smiles on their faces. developing them into young men. Most of There was a lot of comradery. these kids may not make it to high school baseball, so it’s more about making sure You spend a lot of time at the ball field. they have a good experience and grow What’s that like? We have a great group of parents that along the way. They encourage the kids 32 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com
cheer the kids on. We all have Vulcan shirts and hats. I know moms from other communities, so to see them at the field is a lot of fun. The ball field is a great place. You can hear cheers from other fields off in the distance. There’s siblings playing. There’s dads, moms, grandparents. My daughter doesn’t necessarily watch the game, but she loves playing with other children and going to the concession stand. Are there any other Vulcans distinctives you’d like to note? We get to play other communities but don’t have to travel very far. The coaches have been great, very instructional. They have high expectations but coach in a positive way. They also develop everyone at different positions, so there’s not just one pitcher or catcher or first baseman. Last year Jack played mostly centerfield, he pitched some and played third. Most have two or three positions they play.
&DRINK
FOOD
THE BREAD IS BACK
Big Sky broadens its horizons with a new home at Liberty Park’s SmoothRock Center. BY EMMA SIMMONS PHOTOS BY MARY FEHR VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 33
Patti and Jeff Pierce, left, statrted Big Sky Bread Company 24 years ago.
I
In the six years after Big Sky Bread’s whole wheat bakery closed, Jeff and Patti Pierce received over a thousand emails with the same urgent inquiry: “Are y’all gonna make the cookies again?” You asked, and they answered. The cookies are back, y’all. While the adventurous duo enjoyed developing their wholesale business and dabbling in restaurant ownership (anyone remember Cahaba Heights’ Steel Drum Grill?), they felt like something was missing without a retail location. “We really loved talking to customers and getting feedback. So when we closed the retail bakery, we felt like the enjoyment wasn’t quite there where it used to be,” Jeff admits. The Vestavia Hills couple first opened Big Sky Bread in
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November of 1994, next to Bromberg’s in Mountain Brook. “The day we opened, we had people lined around the building, so we knew that what we loved, other people loved too,” Jeff recalls. Before opening the shop, Jeff, a self-proclaimed ‘allnatural fanatic,’ couldn’t get his whole grain fix in town. He’d have to stock up on the essentials when visiting a bakery near his parents’ home in Louisville. “Every time we went to Louisville, Patti already knew the first place I was headed. I loved it so much I’d get bags of loaves to bring home.” After years of shuttling back whole grain goodies from the Louisville bakery, the couple decided it was time for Birmingham to stop loafing around. “What was wild about the whole thing was doing whole
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What was wild about the whole thing, was doing whole grain, allnatural back then, 24 years ago. It was 15 years before it became cool, so it was a risky venture, but we felt so confident. -Jeff Pierce
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These loaves have cinnamon and raisins added to the five-ingredient Big Sky base bread dough.
There are only five ingredients in Big Sky bread: Montana wheat, water, salt, yeast, and Southeast wildflower honey. The Pierces’ mixing process takes six hours, and they’re not cutting corners. That’s what sets them apart. “It’s such a simple thing, and it’s so easy for people to copy. But nobody wants to invest in doing it the right way,” Jeff says. For the Pierces, using cheap flour, corn syrup or preBEHIND THE BREAD made mix is out of the question. Jeff won’t touch processed Big Sky Bread borrows its name—and sources its whole- ingredients. He’s committed to crafting an all-natural wheat flour—from an area in northern Montana known as product. So yes, that savory richness in Big Sky Bread’s the Golden Triangle. According to Jeff, there’s nothing else “soon-to-be world famous” cookies is exactly what you think like it in the U.S. The local farmers don’t use fertilizers or it is: fresh cream butter. “If you’re gonna be bad, be good pesticides, as the cold winters take care of any insects. It’s a with the ingredients,” Patti advises. perfect climate for producing plump, protein-packed wheat. grain, all-natural back then, 24 years ago. It was 15 years before it became cool, so it was a risky venture, but we felt so confident.” Patti, however, says she was scared to death.“It was a step out on faith that this might work, but he loved it so much and it was his passion.”
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BIG SKY BEST BUYS Three-Seed Wheat Bread Wheat with sesame, sunflower and poppy seeds makes up about 50 percent of sales. Cinnamon Raisin Bread Each slice is studded with SunMaid raisins and a hint of cinnamon, with 24 grams of whole grain. Honey Wheat Bread Kids will love the hint of sweet mixed in with whole grain goodness in this loaf. You can buy Big Sky products at Piggly Wiggly, Western Supermarkets and Organic Harvest. Publix carries their granola.
wind down to the Cahaba River, pray with chaplains before their procedures, and enjoy wholesome meals with freshly Hardly resembling their former grab-and-go Mountain made Big Sky bread in the downstairs café run by Shindigs Brook bakery, Big Sky Bread’s new location is intended as Catering. Designed with patients’ emotional and spiritual states in an oasis within Liberty Park’s SmoothRock Center. “We didn’t have any sit-down at the Mountain Brook location,” mind, SmoothRock emanates a calming, inviting aura. Jeff says. “Here, people will hang out for a bit to be a part “That was part of why Dr. Harmon wanted us here. He believed the art of baking, the rolling out of the bread, of the experience.” This sophisticated tree house is the brainchild of the would be a distraction from the reasons many come here,” Pierces’ good friend and skin cancer surgeon Dr. Patti says. Unlike a tenant in a building, Big Sky Bread serves a Christopher Harmon. Patients can roam the trails that THE SMOOTHROCK EXPERIENCE
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ART ON A PLATE purposeful, integral role in SmoothRock’s philosophy on transformation from the inside out. “We knew this wasn’t the best retail location in Birmingham, but we foresee organic growth from people becoming familiar with SmoothRock,” Jeff says. Jeff jokingly refers to Big Sky’s new digs as the “Internet Fulfillment Center” because a large portion of their sales comes through online orders. In the years after they closed the retail bakery, the Pierces’ maintained a healthy wholesale and online business, which has catered to customers across the nation, including at Modica Market in Seaside, Florida. “People loved the bread and supported it, even when we didn’t have a storefront. It’s a tribute to the product that people continued to love and buy it,” Patti says. ‘Breadheads’ who have been purchasing Big Sky Bread at local grocery stores have no need to worry. It’s not going anywhere. For those who prefer to order online, local shipping takes only a day—and the pick-up option is worth the trip.
Corks & Chefs: A Taste of Birmingham Tickets: corksandchefs.com or 205-595-6306 April 28 & 29, 2018 12:00pm - 3:00pm Linn Park
Food & Wine Tasting Event
Art by Lisa Krannichfeld
www.magiccityart.com VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 39
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FOOD & DRINK
5
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR
Becky Satterfield El ZunZun Owner PHOTO BY MARY FEHR
Get ready, Cahaba Heights. Satterfield’s mastermind Becky Satterfield has been dreaming up a more casual Latin American concept for the new development on Crosshaven Drive with Crestline Bagel and Leaf ‘N Petal. She’s predicting an early June opening date, but we couldn’t wait to get the details on just what we’ll find inside.
Where did the idea for El ZunZun come from? Most people know that I am a birder, have been for most of my life. Since hummingbirds migrate to the United States and back to Mexico and Central America, I have always pondered what it was like to make that 600-mile journey across the Gulf of Mexico and where the stops were made along the way. When did they stop to rest, drink nectar or eat spiders from someone’s backyard? My curiosity was also in wonder about what kind of food was being consumed at the homestead where the hummer landed. I envisioned fresh tortillas being made outside on a comal over an open fire, fresh corn taste right there in the middle of nature. There is such a connection to our country and to Mexico due to the dual citizenship of the hummingbirds. They come to America to breed and then migrate back to Mexico to breed again. As for the name, I chose this name because it is such a playful name for this particular variety of hummer,
so I decided to adopt the name for my restaurant. So many hummers in Latin America are referred to as El Colibri, but this one is the smallest bird on the planet, the bee hummingbird in Cuba. This bird is intensely active and zooms around very quickly, which correlates to the name, ZunZun. What will the ambiance be like? Our ambiance will reflect a lot of the casual style of decor we encountered in Mexico. Since Angela Schmidt, my good friend and executive chef, and I have travelled extensively over the past year and a half, we are trying to bring back so many of our experiences. I am buying art from the artisans we met during our travels. Some of the other art will be produced by one of my close artist friends who is Puerto Rican. The building is a wooden structure with a tin roof, in line with the other two buildings in our village. Very rustic. We will have indoor and outdoor seating.
Can you give us any menu previews? We will offer Mexican soft drinks, tequilas and mezcals, cocktails and wine. We will be making fresh corn tortillas daily with our factory that will be in the kitchen, visible for viewing through our kitchen window from our path outside in the gardens. The rest is a surprise. Our price point will be from $12-$24. How will it be similar to or different from Satterfield’s? It will be a lot different from Satterfield’s because it is a different cuisine. The only similarity will be that our service will be as friendly and attentive as Satterfield’s. Why did you choose this location? Because Cahaba Heights is a community I already love. I wanted to be further involved in putting a long stretch of sidewalks on the ground with my husband, Tommy, and with Jamie Pursell of Leaf ‘N Petal, so a village lifestyle can begin on foot or on a bicycle. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 41
FOOD & DRINK
PALOMA ROSA The most renowned of mainland Mexico’s cocktails is the Paloma, or the Dove. Nobody really knows the origin of this cocktail or its peaceful name, but my guess is it’s because this signature grapefruit margarita will make your thirst fly away. In Mexico, there’s no better way to celebrate the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over the French empire, or Cinco de Mayo, than with a scratch-made Paloma Rosa. Vive la rèvolution! Or as I say, Happy “Drinko de Mayo!”
WHAT’S IN IT • • • • •
1 1/2 ounces Tequila Corralejo Reposado 1 1/2 ounces fresh squeezed grapefruit juice 1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice ½ ounce agave nectar ½ ounce hibiscus syrup
HOW TO MAKE IT Add all of the ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for a few seconds. Strain the contents into a Collins glass filled with ice. If desired, add salt to the rim before straining. Garnish with a grapefruit peel. Top off with Topo Chico mineral water.
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FRESCO’S, CAHABA HEIGHTS BY DEMIAN CAMACHO SANTA ANA PHOTO BY EMMA SIMMONS
&STYLE
HOME
LIGHT & BRIGHT
A neutral palette and rustic details freshen up the Mayhalls’ 1980s home. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 43
T
This house story starts with floral wallpaper, red walls and brass fixtures. After all, it started in 1987 with a classic Vestavia red brick house of that time period. But when Frances and John Mayhall bought it from the original owner in 2006, they had something a little different in mind. There began Operation Light, Bright and Neutral. Perhaps most notably, the Mayhalls had the brick exterior painted an off white and added blue stone to the front porch steps and walkway, along with grey shutters and a grey door. “[Paint] can make the biggest difference, and it did,” Frances says. Inside, doorways were opened up, and rustic accents were added with antique beams in the living room and a barn door to close off the office. The kitchen and master bathroom were gutted. The shiny hardwoods were sanded down and took on a new dark stain. They replaced the ’80s-style staircase spindles with blocky craftsman-style ones, painted, and changed out light fixtures and carpet—all with the assistance of the Mayhalls’ friend Rusty Luccasen of R&R Construction. Frances calls their home “elegant with rustic accents.”
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A fashion stylist for Etcetera Collection and an artist who specializes in abstract pieces and figure studies, her style is at once eclectic and traditional. “I like a neutral palette with pops of color—things that are meaningful, that I have inherited, mixed with fun things, things we buy when we travel,” she says. It was the quiet wooded spot on a circle next to a creek that drew the Mayhalls to buy the home, not too far from the Hickory Ridge home where John spent his teenage years. The Mayhalls had lived off Panorama Drive in Vestavia before but were looking for more space for their family of five. “We saw it had good bones, and we liked the open floor plan and the 9-foot ceilings,” Frances says. “We wanted it to look more like a newer built house.” Today their kids, now in sixth and fourth grades and kindergarten, love having the woods and creek just a few steps outside their back door, and Frances and John enjoy having rustic, modern touches to accent the traditional bones and heirloom pieces they mix them with. No matter what room you are in, it’s light, bright and neutral.
Living Room Pops of green accent the neutral furnishings in this space, with antique barn beams adding a rustic element to the ceiling. Frances did some research on the silver sofa in the back for this article and found it was the first piece of furniture her grandparents bought when her granddaddy returned from World War II. It’s been recovered at least four times. The clock on the chest was one her parents bought on Royal Street in New Orleans on their honeymoon.
Fireplace Below the new reclaimed wood mantle on the shiplap fireplace John hung his horse brass collection from England.
Portrait John and their boys like to turkey hunt and be outside. Booth Malone of Columbus, Georgia—a fraternity brother of Frances’ dad— created this portrait of them at their family farm in Union Springs, south of Montgomery. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 45
Breakfast Room Frances’ mom loves French country antiques including this breakfast table they sat around when Frances was growing up. Above it hangs one of many light fixtures Frances picked out during the renovation.
Dining Room Frances’ grandmother’s table anchors this room, with her mom’s piano on one side and artwork from her mother-in-law’s former shop Everything Under the Sun, formerly located where ShoeFly is now in Homewood, on the walls.
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Kitchen Frances had envisioned a light, bright, clean kitchen, and that’s what she got with her Swiss Coffee cabinets and semi-polished (read: easy-toclean) marble countertops, accented with stainless steel appliances.
Bar Area The bar in the kitchen boasts a more bold, glamorous flair. Frances added antiquated mirror, almost like a mercury glass, an idea she borrowed from her parents’ house in Fairhope. The backsplash here is a sea green glass, whereas the rest of the kitchen is a more classic white subway tile herringbone pattern with grey grout.
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Study The rustic vibe inside this barn door-enclosed room is perfect for when John works from home selling timberland and hunting land. Fittingly, the bookshelves are filled with his hunting books and other memorabilia, and the walls showcase his deer heads. A vintage Oushak rug adds color and warms up the space.
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Girl’s Room The Mayhalls’ only daughter wanted a purple room, so Frances picked out a light hue for the wall and bolder girly bedding. The art behind her bed graduated from her nursery to her big girl room.
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“
I like a neutral palette with pops of color—things that are meaningful, that I have inherited, mixed with fun things, things we buy when we travel. -Frances Mayhall
Master Bedroom Frances grew up seeing a painting her grandmother had bought in Greece, and today it hangs in her master bedroom, adjacent to her “claim to fame,” a piece of her own that won an award her senior year of high school and hung in the capital building in Washington, DC. 50 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com
”
Master Bathroom Wanting this space to feel like a retreat, Frances picked out a glamorous light fixture and added a soaking tub. The cabinets and countertops echo those in her kitchen, but with their own distinct door pulls.
MEET THE TEAM Remodeler: Rusty Luccasen,
F RIENDS
OF
BIRMINGHA M
BOTANICAL GARDENS
SPRING
PL A N T SA LE AT BROOKWOOD VILLAGE
R&R Construction
Interior Design: Laura Merrill Interiors Kitchen & Master Bath Cabinets: Tommy Bishop, Bishop Cabinets
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Countertops: Bianco Rhino Marble, Pacific Shores Stones
Cabinet & Door Hardware: Brandino Brass Photo Styling: Jennifer Reese, Reese Interiors
Floral Design: Flowerbuds
Select Furnishings, Lamps & Accessories: Defining Home
Antique Wood Beams: Southern Accents, Cullman
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Festive in Floral IN STYLE
By Kayley Coggins Photos by Lindsey Culver 1
LOOK 1 1. HAT BY JANESSA LEONE This neutral hat was made for the outdoor sunshine, so bring it along to outdoor concerts and events. MANHATTAN SOUTH | $290
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2. BLACK CROCHET BRALETTE BY FREE PEOPLE Adding a bralette under a light shirt or dress brings a delicate detail to an outfit. MIA MODA BOUTIQUE | $38
3. FLORAL BLOUSE BY PROMESA Take your look flirty and fun with the perfect top for hot days, or pair with jeans and a wedge for nights out. GIGI’S TEEN | $48
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4. BLUE SHORTS BY PS THE LABEL Lightweight shorts bring comfort and wearability to any summer outfit. Pair them with espadrilles for a night out or sandals for everyday. MANHATTAN SOUTH | $130
5. BLACK FLORAL SNEAKERS BY MOLLY BRACKEN Floral meets dark tones for this must-have for exploring in the sunshine. MIA MODA BOUTIQUE | $89
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1. PINK MOTO JACKET BY NICOLE MILLER
LOOK 2
Layer with this lightweight jacket for summer nights—with a flirty and fun summer color. THE CLOTHES TREE BY DEBORAH | $385
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2. GOLD FEATHER EARRING BY IT’S SENSE Add pizzazz to any outfit with these statement earrings that come with an affordable price tag. GIGI’S TEEN | $14
3. FLORAL TANK BY VERONICA M
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Throw in this top with easy-to-wear fabric in a suitcase and pull it out for a comfortable fun wear. MIA MODA BOUTIQUE | $59
4. GREEN SHORTS BY VERY J Olive green is a great color in every season and makes for a neutral staple. GIGI’S TEEN | $48
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5. LIGHT PINK SANDALS BY VOLATILE Throwing on these sandals with a dress or shorts keeps any outfit looking trendy while you are on-thego this summer. LITTLE SOLES | $60
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Kayley Coggins is a wardrobe consultant and stylist who believes that fashion is a tool to help you feel beautiful in every season.
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ACCESSORIZE 1. BUTTERSCOTCH SUNGLASSES BY KREWE
Krewe Eyewear is durable, lightweight and effortlessly chic. Get a pair to beat the summer sun! MANHATTAN SOUTH | $235
2. NAVY CLUTCH This purse has two different attachments to wear as a clutch or a crossbody bag—perfect for music festivals and events. GIGI’S TEEN | $28
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Belles Hills in the
Don’t be mistaken. It’s not all about the dress. BY AMY FERGUSON PHOTOS BY JENNIFER JONES & CONTRIBUTED
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Ashley Nance, left, passed on her Vestavia Belle dress to her daughter, Elizabeth, a VHHS senior.
It all started at her neighbor’s Christmas party in the early ’80s. As a young girl, Ashley Nance (formerly Ashley Lowe) looked forward to this gathering every year. Families joined together to celebrate the season, put in their lastminute gift requests with Santa Claus and ate as many candy canes as physically possible. But for Nance, it was the meet and greet with the Vestavia Belles, a group of local high-school girls dressed in beautiful, antebellumstyle gowns, she cherished the most. “Every year at that Christmas party, I just remember thinking, ‘I really want to be one of those girls,’” Nance recalls. Fast-forward a few years to 1988, a year Nance will not ever forget—the year she was selected to serve her community as part of the Vestavia Belle organization, the city’s official group of junior hostesses who are chosen based on character, personality and sense of
civic responsibility. It was finally her turn after so many years of dreaming. Her first assignment? Find the perfect, over-the-top, Civil War-era ball gown, a wardrobe requirement for all girls who are chosen as a Belle. “I wanted the dress from the opening scene in Gone with the Wind, the Scarlett O’Hara dress with the five bajillion tiers on it,” Nance says with a laugh. “I wanted all of the poof.” One local seamstress was up for the challenge, and she did not disappoint. The skirt on the dress alone contained 22 yards of fabric and weighed about 5 pounds. “It was beautiful,” Nance beams. Nance, a wife and mother of four, passed on her passion for “Belleing” (which within the Vestavia Hills city limits is defined as “serving as a Vestavia Belle”) to VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 57
Belle Dress Guidelines Each Belle is responsible for the cost of her own antebellum dresses and accessories. The color/design of the dress and shoes must be approved by the Belle chairman prior to the dress being made.
Length – A Belle’s dress should be full enough to accommodate a hoop. Recommended length of dress and hoop with shoes on should be 2.5 -3 inches from the floor. Colors – Dark colors are not allowed including brown, navy, black, grey and red. Style – Strapless, one shoulder or off-theshoulder dresses are not allowed. Printed or floral fabrics are not allowed. Jewelry – Jewelry will consist of pearl stud earrings (6-8mm) and a pearl necklace. No dangle style, rhinestones or extra-large pearl studs are allowed. Shoes - Comfortable, low-heeled leather shoes are recommended as events may call for standing as much as 2.5 hours. Avoid satin shoes. Flip-flops, sandals and tennis shoes are not allowed. Hats – Wide brim hats are needed. Hats are available in horsehair (either with or without crown) or in straw. White, natural or a color to complement your dress is acceptable. Gloves – Gloves should be white and wrist length. They may be decorated with ribbon, lace or pearls. Solid, woven materials or crochet style are acceptable. No elbow or three-quarters-length gloves are allowed. Pantaloons – Pantaloons must be worn. They may be white or a color to complement your dress and should be loose and ankle length. 58 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com
her one and only daughter, Elizabeth, a senior at Vestavia Hills High School, who currently serves in her mother’s beloved dress. “I remember watching Gone with the Wind one night when I was younger, and my mom asked me if I wanted to try on her dress,” Elizabeth says. “I will never forget sitting on the floor, surrounded by the fabric and dreaming of wearing it as a Belle one day.” Like the Nances, Ashley Moss, a Belle who also served in the late ’80s, is overcome with sentiment when describing her dress. “My grandmother and mother were very involved in the making of the dress,” Moss says. “The development of the dress took months upon months, and [when it was complete], it was incredible.” While the dress is an instrumental component, Rita Greene, Vestavia Belle chairman and mother of two previous Belles, emphasizes to all participating young ladies that the dress is just an added bonus of the gig. “We strive for community service,” stresses Greene. “Whether it be in the Belle dress or in other aspects of the area.” In that same light, Nance always emphasized with her daughter the fundamentals of this particular type of service. “She knows that every time
Hannah Moss (above right) and Chandler Moss (below right) wore their mom Ashley’s Belle dress from the ‘80s.
she puts on the dress, she doesn’t belong to herself,” Nance says. “She belongs to the city of Vestavia Hills. It’s not about her, and it’s not about the dress. It’s about serving this wonderful city.” The Vestavia Belles would not exist today had it not been for the efforts of the late Grace Gravlee. Gravlee sat as the head of the Vestavia Hills Beautification Board in the late 1970s and identified a need for volunteers in the community. By 1979, the Vestavia Belles organization was officially established, where young ladies from across the area served at a variety of civic and cultural events. Since that time, they have evolved into an active and integral part of the community. Moss can attest to the evolution of the Vestavia Belles, particularly the interview process. “My interview was in someone’s living room in a house off of Gay Way,” Moss remembers. “But, over the years, the interview process has definitely developed into a more formal affair.”
Today, girls who want to be a Belle are questioned by a variety of officials at City Hall and should be ready to bring their A-game. Both of Moss’s daughters, who followed in their mother’s footsteps, (Hannah, 23, served from 2011-2013 and Chandler, 20, served from 2014-2016) recommend that girls enter their Belle interview equipped with plenty of Vestavia knowledge, have sharp writing skills and be ready to answer just about anything. (For example, “How does social media have a positive impact on local school systems?”) “To this day, it was one of the hardest interviews I’ve ever had,” Chandler admits. “It was very intimidating.” Perhaps the biggest distinction between the earlier generation of Belles and those who serve today is the key role the Belles play at the local library. “When the Library in the Forest opened in 2010, the need for community volunteers rose tremendously,” Rita Greene explains. “I saw an opportunity for the Belles to really VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 59
The Belles serve as hostesses at city events like Community Night Out. PHOTO BY JACKSON ROSS
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be productive [at the library], and to drive home the fact that being a Belle isn’t really about the dress.” Today, thanks to Greene’s endeavors, every Belle is required to serve eight hours each summer at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Summer Reading Program. “It’s a win-win situation,” says Anne Boston, chairman of the Beautification Board. “The girls learn a lot, and the library gets the help.” And with more than 2,000 students coming through the library doors every summer for the reading program, the library can use all the help they can get. Like many other organizations, the Belles have evolved and transformed over the years, but there is one fact that remains and will probably never change. “It will never be easy to operate a vehicle while wearing a Belle dress,” Hannah Moss says, laughing. “The hoop [of the dress] has to go up and over the seat of the car.” Nodding in agreement, her younger sister admits she received her fair share of stares as she traveled to Belle events throughout high school. “My dress was always bunched to the ceiling of my poor Toyota Corolla,” Chandler says, chuckling. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 61
While the agility of a Vestavia Belle dress might still be cumbersome, from the sound of it, this struggle never detracted from anyone’s overall experience serving as a Vestavia Belle. “If I could still fit in that dress, I would wear it everyday,” Nance admits. “I had a blast in that dress. And it’s been so fun watching [my daughter Elizabeth] share in this experience as well. Now that she’s getting older, it’s helped us start that transition from a strict mother/daughter relationship to a ‘Hey, I’m your mom, but we can also share in more adult-ish
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things too’ type of relationship.” Each spring, all Vestavia Hills Belles (regardless of it being their first, second or third year to serve) are presented at the Belle Presentation & Garden Party with an escort, which, according to the Vestavia Hills Belles Guidelines, can be either a father, step-father, grandfather, brother or uncle. To learn more about the Vestavia Belles, how to apply or to request the Belles to serve at your next event, visit vestaviabeautiful.com.
PHOTO BY JACKSON ROSS
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IN THE FIELD 64 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com
How Dan Moultrie’s idea for a game feeder changed the hunting industry.
BY MADOLINE MARKHAM | PHOTOS BY PATRICK MCGOUGH & CONTRIBUTED
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The deer show up each afternoon around 3:00. Fifteen or so stand on a peninsula jutting out into a small lake, posing as if they knew a magazine was coming out to photograph them. They know what time the corn is coming, sputtering out of a dark cylindrical feeder. What they don’t know (as far as we can tell) is that the man who invented the device is often watching them from the lodge up on the hill. Dan Moultrie knows all 2,000 acres of this land, known as Summerfield, like the back of his hand. For most of his 40-year career in the hunting industry, he led industry executives into its woods to hunt and fish. He always let customers take the first shot and take down the bigger animals, but that didn’t stop him from filling the lodge with the heads of mule deer, white tail, moose from Alaska, caribou, zebras and nilgai, an animal released originally 66 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com
from India in 1905 that Dan calls the “best wild game meat in the world”—and let’s just say it would take a long time to count them all. Framed photos throughout the lodge tell countless stories, of visits from country music singer Randy Owen, talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, Auburn Coach Pat Dye, Alabama Coach Gene Stallings and even former Vestavia City Schools Superintendent Jamie Blair. To Dan they’re all buddies. But the most frequent visitors-turned-friends he and his wife Patti hosted over the years were officially here on business: Walmart executives (“everyone but Sam Walton”), Cabela’s board of directors and Academy Sports heads.
THIS PHOTO: Longtime Vestavia resident Dan Moultrie stands with a Moultrie Feeder design at Summerfield, his farm near Clanton. LEFT: The lodge at Summerfield marks the memories of countless hunts over the years with a board of Polaroids.
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One of Dan’s most prized possessions is a photo of him with his daughter, Ashley, who now works in marketing for Moultrie Feeders as a part of Pradco Outdoor Brands. The photo originally ran in an industry magazine article about the “next generation of Moultrie.”
“
It was all because of a hobby. It seemed like I never had to work a day in my life because it was all what I wanted to be doing anyway. -Dan Moultrie
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”
AN IDEA SPARKS
Along with the Moultrie brand of feeders came a new concept in the hunting industry: game stewardship. The way Dan describes it, since World War II hunting had been a “happenstance sport.” ”If you happened to run into animals, so be it,” he explains. “There was not money spent on attracting and holding wildlife.” But with the introduction of feeders, devices set on timers distributed corn at regular times, and they’d plant alfalfa and other plants that attract and hold wildlife. From there they managed the size of herds, ensuring that animals lived until a mature age and were not overharvested. “It’s a stewardship of knowing which animals to take, which not to take, and how big to let the herd get,” Dan says. Today organizations like Ducks Unlimited and Quality Deer Management are based on this concept. “I had seen it on our farms over in Georgia, and then when we brought those farms over here [to Alabama],” Dan says. “Our method worked. There were more animals on the farm. There were more animals that were taken care of. That was the concept we were selling. It wasn’t the concept of the machine. It was the management technique that we taught and sold.”
Hunting and fishing run in Moultrie blood. Dan grew up in Vestavia Hills and graduated from VHHS in 1975, but his dad taught him and his brother to hunt and fish at their farm that bordered Callaway Gardens property in Harris County, Georgia. The older gentlemen in the area would ask Dan if he was “buuurd” hunting (referring to quail with their Southern drawl), but he was usually looking for deer. And it was on that property where Dan got the idea for a feeder. In the late 1970s Dan’s brother owned a company that designed electronics, and at Christmas one year Dan shared his idea to create something that kicked out corn to feed deer and other animals. “He drew out a schematic on a napkin and said, ‘Pick out these parts and we’ll build 10,’” Dan recalls. “Before I ever got the first 10 built, all my buddies were saying, ‘I’ll take one, I’ll take one, I’ll take one.’” At the time Dan, who has a business degree from Auburn, was working for Southern Company in employee benefits, but soon he’d been in the feeder business. “People would say, ‘I want 10 of those, I want 10 of those,’” Dan says. “Every year until this point has always been a greater year [of sales].” Before long, you could buy a Moultrie SUMMERFIELD DAYS, SUMMERFIELD NIGHTS game feeder at Sam’s, Walmart, Kmart, and every major And the showplace of this concept was (and is) merchant in the U.S. and then overseas. Today Moultrie Feeders is the number one feeder-selling company in the Summerfield, a farm near Clanton that Dan purchased industry and a leader in game cameras and game from George Barber years ago. With spring comes a month-long turkey season, but their biggest season is the management technology.
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Dan and Patti Moultrie’s children Daniel and Ashley pose with family dogs at Summerfield.
hunt for the white tail deer. They never shoot the young gobblers called jakes and never take more than four turkeys a year. Deer are regulated to six to 10 a year, whereas in years past many farms would kill 20 to 30— way too many. “I’d rather have quality than quantity any time,” Dan says. Over the years in the industry, Dan travelled to countless different farms to advise them on game stewardship, and he’d pick up one good idea here and another there. He’d bring them all back to Summerfield to create the “ultimate stewardship of wildlife” over his 40-year career. When Moultrie became the category captain in sporting goods for Walmart, Dan wanted to do something different. “I told them if we want to grow the category, I have got to be able to get them to an outdoor setting where they understand hunting and fishing and the outdoors, and to do that we need to get them to our lodge,” Dan says. “I don’t think it had ever been done.” Other hunting companies would send products, and teams would come down to Summerfield for days and weeks of hunting and fishing. Thirty minutes was allotted mid-day for business meetings. “But every morning and afternoon I had them in the field, seeing how the products were used, and that more than anything allowed the category to grow,” Dan says. “We showed them they could trust us—we took care of the vendors and that allowed us to grow.” At Summerfield, the cooking started before daylight, 70 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com
with everyone waking up to the smell of big old fashioned country breakfast cooking and pulling out coffee cups— followed by great lunches and great dinners, always with wild game. “I told them that while they were here I wanted them to overindulge,” Dan recounts. “I wanted them to eat too much. I wanted them to relax and have a great time. And that prescription worked.” A LIFE OF GAME MANAGEMENT The idea for Moultrie’s next flagship product came on a bear hunt in the 1990s. Black bears come in different colors, and hunters always want to know the color bear they were hunting. So Dan had a camera hooked with a trip switch. Voila, the game camera was born, and they quickly got a trademark on “Game Cam.” Today it’s the No. 1 game accessory out there—and of course has always been marketed with the stewardship concept. As Moultrie Feeders continued to grow, a lot of companies were interested in purchasing the business. Then in 2004, EBSCO Industries’ Jim Stephens came to Summerfield. “I liked the idea that they were family owned, they were here in Birmingham, they had long-term goals,” Dan says. Today Moultrie is the starship line of Pradco, EBSCO’s outdoors division. Dan’s business card now reads “founder and chief advisor,” and he still advises the company on its growth and new products as well as customer relationships. But most of this time is spent out of the office, and his Tuesday mornings
ON THE FARM While he’s travelled all over the world on hunts, Dan’s greatest keeper of memories is Summerfield, although it should be noted that he has been called upon to advise on coyote trappings in Vestavia too. Ask him about Christmas mornings there, and he’ll tell you about breakfasts of fried quail, cheese grits, homemade biscuits and gravy, fig preserves—“Oh me!” Dan says listing off that menu. While they were students at VHHS, Dan and Patti’s kids would bring countless friends to the farm for New Year’s and after prom, filling the lodge with sleeping bags. They’d hire Vestavia students to do farm work in the summers and “help make men out of them.” While Ashley lettered in softball for five years, younger brother Daniel opted to start a new team at VHHS—a fishing team that would win state. Dan at first questioned Daniel choosing fishing, not hunting. “That’s brand extension, Dad,” Daniel informed him. And Dan had to smile. Daniel is a senior at Auburn now. Chances are he’ll end up at Pradco too. And maybe at the end of his career he will be able to say it was “a heck of a ride” like his dad. “It was all because of a hobby. It seemed like I never had to work a day in my life because it was all what I wanted to be doing anyway.”
FINDART
are always on air with Rick and Bubba. While Dan’s desk days have ended, his daughter Ashley, who grew up hunting and seeing Moultrie productions in action, has stepped into the business and now is the assistant manager of marketing for Pradco. Moultrie has been featured in numerous national hunting magazines over the years, but Dan’s favorite page was a recent photo of him and Ashley with a narrative on “The Next Generation of Moultrie.” After selling to EBSCO, Dan’s game management career took on a new form. He accepted an appointment under Governor Bob Riley as chairman of the Department of Conservation Advisory Board and held it for two terms. At the time he stepped into the position, each hunter in the state was allowed to kill 117 bucks a year. In most states that number was one or two. “We got reports from biologists showing it needed to be reduced and established a three buck rule,” Dan says. “We estimated it saved 50,000 buck deer a year. They thought it that time [before the new rule] there was a ratio of 16 does to one buck.” Now the population is closer to one to one, as it should be, ushering in what Dan calls the “heyday of hunting Alabama especially for wildlife watchers.” (Side note: Moultrie feeders are commonly purchased by wildlife watchers and those who simply want to attract deer to their backyard in Over the Mountain communities.) In this phase of life, Dan also helped run the Governor’s One Shot Turkey Hunt at Summerfield and grew it to the biggest hunting event in the United States. One year in particular stands out—the one where the wife of the head of Academy Sports, who had never before hunted, won.
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g n i is
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Since losing her husband in a plane crash, Mary Wyatt has turned her grief into a message of hope and resilience. BY EMILY SPARACINO PHOTOS BY DAWN HARRISON
High heels and steel-toe boots share space on the floor in Mary Wyatt’s house. The difference between the pairs of shoes is like the difference between a suit jacket and a raincoat; one is formal, while the other is utilitarian. Mary wears both pairs of shoes, often in the same day. Two years ago, that wasn’t the case. “It’s so funny to see that contrast now,” she says. “Those pairs of shoes tell the story of my life.” By day, Mary, who turns 40 in May, is the CEO and owner of Birmingham-based Wyatt General Contractor, LLC, trading her high heels at the office for work boots at her company’s construction sites. When she pulls up to her
Vestavia Hills home at night, she is back to being a single mother of two young girls (shoes optional). Her story—reflected in the shine of her high heels, and embedded in the dust on her work boots—carries a powerful message of hope in the dark depths of tragedy and resilience in the heaviness of grief. TIME STANDS STILL Mary’s life is divided into two categories now: pre-tragedy and post-tragedy. Prior to August 27, 2015, “Life was moving along just as planned.” Mary and her husband, John, met on a blind
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Rose Wyatt kisses a picture of her dad, John, in front of a plane
date when she was 28. “My grandmother told me often that she prayed I would marry someone who owned a family business, and lo and behold, God led me to a man who worked for his father’s construction company,” she says. “The construction industry was booming at the time, and John was flying his private plane all over the Southeast, visiting job sites and learning about the construction business from his father.” Mary and John married in 2007, settled in Vestavia Hills and, before long, welcomed two daughters into the world. Mary was a stay-at-home mom raising Mary Evelyn and Rose, and John was running the construction company. Then, one August night in 2015, the family’s world turned upside down. John had called Mary to tell her he was going to the Shelby County Airport after work to practice some touch-and-go maneuvers in his single-engine airplane. Mary told him dinner would be waiting for him in the oven at home. But he never made it home. 74 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com
John’s plane crashed in a field just south of the airport’s runway. When he didn’t answer his cell phone, Mary started searching the internet for the airport’s phone number. That’s when images of the fiery crash filled her computer screen. Her instincts told her it was John’s plane before the police notified her that he had died. “Nothing would ever be the same, and in a brief moment—the longest in the world—my life changed forever,” she says. “My husband of nearly eight years was gone, and my girls had lost their father. In an instant I became a grieving widow, a single parent and the owner of a construction company with a major, highly visible project underway downtown, and another project breaking ground in a matter of weeks.” That August night is frozen in time for Mary, as if the hands on a clock stopped moving. She remembers sitting in her living room with the TV paused, dinner warming in the oven and her girls asleep in their beds.
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Rose Wyatt holds a photo—and a treasured memory—of her and her sister, Mary Evelyn, with their dad.
fortunate to make a key hire in the first few months, so with an amazing team already in place and a new VP of Operations, we were ready to begin moving forward.” Mary immersed herself in learning the ins and outs of the construction business, from bonding to insurance to financials to job site visits. During her first visit, she learned how to tighten a hard hat, and she climbed a tall ladder to the second story of the hotel structure. “While FIGHT, NOT FLIGHT all of that was happening, I was trying to process Despite feeling overwhelmed, ill-equipped, whether I had enough fortitude to keep this company unqualified and scared out of her mind, Mary says an open and if that was a risk I was willing to take, inner resilience caused her fight response to kick in, and considering my lack of industry expertise. My team put she felt the urge to protect what had been so important up with me trying to figure out my place, vacillating between wanting and needing help, and simultaneously to her husband. “Fortunately, John already had an amazing team in trying not to ask for help.” The company spent a year bidding work, coming in a place who never let anything fall through the cracks and kept everything running smoothly. Not one single close second on multiple jobs. The current jobs were person left after John died,” she says. “We were wrapping up, and Wyatt hadn’t secured any new Days later, she remembers walking behind John’s casket and marking the subsequent days merely by meals and bedtimes. As she dealt with her grief, Mary also had to face hard decisions about how to keep the construction company going without John.
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“
When we are grateful, bitterness is not allowed in. - Mary Wyatt
”
projects. In January 2016, Wyatt landed the police station job at UAB. “That was just incredible,” Mary says. “Leading up to that job, I was going to do everything I could and let the Lord do the rest. I knew then we were going to make it.” Mary says everything started coming together for her, and she decided she wanted to keep moving forward with Wyatt. She started introducing herself to as many architects and subcontractors as she could, letting them know who she was and what was going on at the company. With new stainless steel Wyatt cups and her new business cards, Mary made her rounds to different offices. “Building these relationships I knew would be the foundation of future success, but I also recognized this as an amazing opportunity to learn…to ask questions, become familiar with vocabulary and shake hands with people we wanted to do business with.” Even as “a widow with no construction experience,” she was received by others in the industry with open arms. “I remember our bonding agent telling me in those very early days when I was processing all that happened and trying to grasp owning
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this company that ‘construction is a people business,’ and that was the most important thing to remember. That statement has rung true time and time again, and is the reason I knew I could make a go of this.” She trusted her talented team to handle the issues she couldn’t, and she focused on business development and marketing—and making sure people knew Wyatt was there to stay. “Everybody pulled together and did their job and excelled,” she says. “If anything, people pulled together and worked harder than they ever have, and really supported me and rallied and encouraged me.” NEW PROJECTS Shortly after John’s death, Mary did a complete renovation of her house, Vestavia’s historic Gwin House built in 1938. She worked with fellow Vestavia Hills resident Alan Simpson with Ruff Reams Building Company. “He made the process so enjoyable and seamless,” she says. “It really transferred over to how I wanted to do business at Wyatt. I chose a great builder with great character and integrity. I thought, ‘That is what we want to exude and exemplify in commercial construction.’” 78 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com
In addition to picking up another project at UAB, Wyatt is building the new cafeteria and kitchen at Vestavia Hills Elementary West. Last July, the Wyatt office relocated to downtown Birmingham from Riverchase, a move Mary says was on a list of goals she found on John’s computer after he died. The company also underwent a rebranding process and launched a new logo and website, WyattBuilds.com. Another milestone for Mary and the company was becoming a WBENC-Certified Women’s Business Enterprise. “Maybe it’s just me, but I think women have to work so much harder to be confident and pat ourselves on the back, and even more so in a male-dominated industry,” she says. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into a room full of men and wondered what in the world I was doing. But I do it anyway, and I leave with more knowledge and relationships in our industry.” In January, nearly 30 women in construction gathered at the new Wyatt office and listened as Mary shared her story. It was one of many times she has spoken to groups about her experiences, and it’s likely not the last. In September, she spoke at the 2017 aTeam Ministries Handbags and Heroes Luncheon presented by Oakworth Capital Bank. Many of the women in the audience were mothers of pediatric cancer fighters and
survivors. Mary is a survivor, too. She has survived every day since the night she learned John wasn’t coming home to her and their two girls. She knows what it means to love, to lose and to carry on anyway. “Over the past two years, I have prayed my grief would not be wasted,” she says. “We are capable of so much more than we can ever realize. We must choose to be resilient.” In the weeks after John’s death, Mary says she prayed aloud as she drove her girls to school each morning that God would show them signs of His goodness each day. She made a “Jubilation Jar” to fill with notes about good things the family could read the next year. “When we are grateful, bitterness is not allowed in,” she says. “Certainly, there are times when it takes more effort to give thanks. I’ve experienced great loss, but now, I will choose to live. I pray that God will fill in the gaps.” Filling in the gaps is precisely what Mary’s neighbors have done since August 2015. Whether it was a lastminute babysitter, a warm meal or a quick bicycle repair, someone has stepped up to help the family at
every turn. “My neighbors have poured into our family,” she says. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else. It’s always been hard for me to rely on other people, but I’ve had to do that, and they’ve made it easy for me to do that. Leaning into such a dark story, they were never afraid.” She admits juggling single parenthood and a business isn’t always easy, but every day is a new opportunity to learn, grow and be a strong role model for her daughters, who could someday don hard hats like their mother and help run the family business. “The way I look at this is I have been through so much tragedy, but now, I can look and see before me a won opportunity and a very bright future,” she says. “I look at it as a blessing from the Lord to have this amazing gift. “And so, for me, it all came together one night when I looked over to see a pair of black high heels beside dirtcovered work boots,” she says. “I have experienced great loss, but I’ve also gained extraordinary perspective, opportunity and new relationships. I am blessed to be a woman in construction, building herself back up, building strong girls and helping build our community.”
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OUT & ABOUT
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FAMILY NIGHT WITH DR. MAGICAL BALLOONS
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PHOTOS BY JACKSON ROSS
Balloon artist and storyteller DeWayne Reynolds delivered a magical experience to kids at Library in the Forest on Feb. 20. 1. Harry, Amy and Sahiba Chhabra 2. Elliott and Carmen Ainsworth 3. Xavie and Neci Aparicio Lopez 4. Jamie, Audrey and Mason Smith 5. Loneyn Mickens and Sanaya Robinson 6. Heather and Sterling Jewell 7. Ian Waine, Whitney Waine, Morgan Beard and Jayden Waine 8. Anderson Reid 9. Xolani, Osumare and Tracey Chan 10. Meridith and Henry Verhine 11. Bruce, Eric and Aijun Quao 12. Amelia, Charlie, Oscar and Eric Peterson
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OUT & ABOUT
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OUT & ABOUT
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DINNER & DIAMONDS
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PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH NANCE
The Vestavia City Schools Foundation held a night of dinner, entertainment and auctions on Feb. 24 at Regions Field. 1. Michelle Weaver, Cinnamon McCulley, Stephanie Smith and Jason Smith 2. Dr. Tyler Burgess and Kim Cochran 3. Gina and John Henley 4. Lisa and Pat Boland 5. Mary Catherine Kew, Vicki Tuggle and James Decker 6. Kevin and Cindy Tyus 7. Jenny and Brooks Ballentine, and Carroll and Jeremy Stephens 8. David and Mary Meyers, and Shannon and Troy Marek 9. Lee and Dory Baker, Amanda and Matt Ennis, and Louise Walsky 10. Mary Alice and Adam Kline 11. Phillip Wedgeworth and Brooke Brown 12. Katherine Taylor and Michele Morrow
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Visit VestaviaHillsMagazine.com or call 205-669-3131 to subscribe for $16.30 (6 issues) a year. D eceMbe r 2017/ J anuary 2018
R 2017/ DECEMBE 2018 JANUARY m sMagazine.co VestaviaHill | Issue Three Volume One $4.95
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OUT & ABOUT
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MARKET ON THE MOUNTAIN
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PHOTOS BY MALLORY BARRY
Mountaintop Community Church held its consignment sale in February. 1. Ofelia, Richard, and Julie Albarec 2. David, Michael, Lizzy and Zach Simmons 3. Daniel, Chris and Juanita Shuts 4. Kathy Rowell and Ty Kelley 5. Lydia Cromey and Amanda Wheeler
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FIRST FRIDAY FIBER ARTS
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PHOTOS BY MADOLINE MARKHAM
A group gathers at the Library in the Forest’s Treehouse for knitting and more the first Friday of the month at 10 a.m. 1. Tad Goldthwaite 2. Kathleen Ryan 3. Linda James
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4. Nancy Williams 5. Martha Anderton 6. Anne Siple 7. Sarah Seifert 8. Kathryn Seifert
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OUT & ABOUT
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NEW SUPERINTENDENT RECEPTION
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PHOTOS BY MADOLINE MARKHAM
School system leaders and other city organizations welcomed new Vestavia Hills City Schools Superintendent Todd Freeman and his wife, Rachel, at a reception on March 14 at Library in the Forest. 1. Stacy Hurst, Cindy Cherry and Lea Dutton 2. Amy Fuqua and Michelle Carney 3. Jeffrey Florio and David Wheeler 4. Tracy Lemak and Kym Prewitt 5. Todd and Rachel Freeman 6. David Powell 7. Butch Zaragoza, Ann Hamiter and Chris Eckroates 8. Richard and Lynn O’Neal 9. Kimberly Clark, Shane Ware, Lisa Greer and Steve Bendall 10. Kim Hauser, Meredith Manson, Christine Osborne and David Powell 11. Libbi Isbell and Kristin Tunnell
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MARKETPLACE
Marketplace Vestavia Hills Magazine • 205.669.3131
INDUSTRIAL ATHLETES $17.68 hour + production & safety $$$ incentives. Grocery order selection using electric pallet jacks & voice activated headsets. PART-TIME TRUCK DRIVERCLASS A Average $0.53 per mile deliver palletized loads to grocery stores within 300 mile radius. Work available 7 days/week. Can lead to full-time employment. Clean MVR and 2 years minimum tractor-trailer experience required. Paid vacation & holidays. Blue Cross health & dental insurance. Matching 401k plan. Apply online at AGSOUTH.COM or call Charlie Seagle at (205) 8084833 Pre-employment drug test required.
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. B & J Metal Fabricators Offering more than roofing! •Metal roofing •Portable metal buildings •Custom sizes available Customize your own!! Montevallo (205)6654687 (205)296-9988 Bama Concrete Now Hiring: Diesel Mechanic 4 Years Minimum Experience. CDL Preferred. Competitive Pay. Great Benefits. Apply in person: 2180 Hwy 87 Alabaster, 35007 Bent Creek Apartments. Affordable 1 and 2 Bedroom. On-site Manager. On-site Maintenance. 3001 7th Street. North Clanton, AL 35045. TDD#s: 800-548-2547(V) 800548-2546(T/A) bentcreek@ morrowapts.com Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm. Equal Opportunity Provider/ Employer
BEST CARS, INC in Clanton, AL. Double your Tax Refund • Up to $1,000 on purchase of select vehicles. Offer good through February 28, 2018. 1674 7th Street South, Clanton AL 35045 205-7553737 **Bring in this ad to qualify for Tax Refund offer!**
Class-A CDL Truck Driver needed. Great pay with health benefits, holiday and vacation pay. Home every night. Contact Cahaba Veneer office at 205-926-9797. Birmingham Hide & Tallow Immediate position for CLASS-B ROUTE DRIVERS FOR LOCAL ROUTE. WELLESTABLISHED 100+ YEAR COMPANY NOW HIRING ROUTE DRIVERS. HOME NIGHTS/WEEKENDS. LOOKING FOR HARD WORKING DRIVERS TO JOIN OUR TEAM. CLEAN MVR/BG CHECK REQUIRED. COMPETITIVE PAY & BENEFITS: BCBC, 401K, PAID HOLIDAYS/VACATION, COMPANY FURNISHED UNIFORMS. CALL 205-425-1711 OR EMAIL: adria.lupien@bhtonline.com Boise Cascade Now Hiring for Utility Positions. Starting pay $13/hour. Must be able to pass background screen. Please apply at www.bc.com BRIARWOOD APARTMENTS Now Leasing! Beautiful 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments. Mon & Wed 8:30am-4pm. 535-A Hicks St. Montevallo • 205665-2257 • TDD #’s: (V)1800-548-2547 • (T/A)1-800548-2546. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Carroll Fulmer Now Hiring Class-A CDL Drivers. Overthe-road positions available. Dry vans. No hazmat. Must have one year over-the-road. Experience and a clean MVR. Competitive pay and bonus package. Good home time. Call 800-633-9710 ext. 2
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Chase Learning Center & Day Care is Pelham is Now Hiring • PT Nursery • PT After-school. $8/hr. 5 days/ week. Great for college students! 205-620-1616
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Seeking two qualified individuals to fill two part time driver vacancies for Chilton County Transit. Applicants must meet the following qualifications: must possess a valid Alabama driver’s license, a high school diploma, extensive knowledge of Chilton County Roads, clean driving record, and good math skills. No phone calls, please. Applications are available at the Transit office at 508 Enterprise Road, Clanton between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm. Applicants should send application or resume to: Employment Opportunity P. O. Box 1245 Clanton, AL 35046 Coosa Valley Medical Center NOW HIRING! •RN Med/Surg, 7am-7pm •RN Labor & Delivery, 11pm-7am 7-on/7-off •LPN CVMC Nursing Home, 3pm-11pm, 11pm-7am •RN ICU, 7am-7pm Email resume to: Blaine.Green@cvhealth.net or to apply, go to www.cvhealth.net Full Time and Part Time RN’s Needed for home health in Bibb, Shelby and Chilton counties. Excellent Salary and Benefits. Please send resumes to jobs@rubic.com or call 866-273-3984 DCH Health System Caring. For Life. $5,000 *Sign-on Bonus for full time RNs *For More Info Contact Annie. Miller@dchsystem.com. Apply online at: www.dchsystem.com
Homewood Area Package Store. Day Shift (10am-6pm) Clerk/Stocker. Must be 21, have retail experience, be able to multi-task, able to work any shift. Good pay. Call (205)585-8900
Edgar’s Bakery Interviewing candidates for cake decorators, front counter associates, bakery production workers, packagers, and drivers. Apply online: edgarsbakery.com or at your nearest Edgar’s location. Job Posting: Human Resource Manager FullTime File Clerk/Data Entry Clerk Part-Time Please email resume: Oacinc5@yahoo.com Or mail to: Post Office Drawer 559 Clanton, Alabama 35045 Certified Welders & Tank Fitters needed for field erected tanks. Work done in Southeast. Good pay and benefits. Call 800-728-8265 ext 224 Email resume to c.bradley@esptank.com ERP Compliant Coke is now accepting applications for experienced BOILER / POWER PLANT OPERATOR $20.56/hr +excellent benefits Apply at local Career Center or email resume to pmay@ erpcoke.com EOE/M/F/VET/ DIS Welder Training. Short Term Licensing . Call for Details . 866-432-0430 ESDschool.com $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.
Evergreen Transport, LLC has immediate openings in the Maintenance Department at its Calera Terminal for the following positions: Diesel Mechanics (Both day and night shifts): Repairing, maintaining, overhauling of heavy duty fleet trucks and any other duties as requested. Tire Technician: Repairing/ replacing flat, leaking, mismatched or damaged tires. Finding and replacing missing lugs and damaged rims and any other duties requested. If interested, please call Jason Bentley @ 205-668-3316 or apply in person at 8278 Hwy 25, Calera, AL 35040. Taking applications for experienced part-time bartender for growing business in Clanton. Call Teresa: 334-235-0228 or call the restaurant between 4-10pm: 205-280-4949 ONLINE AUCTIONS www.GTAOnlineAuctions.com 205-326-0833 Granger, Thagard & Assoc. Jack F. Granger #873 DRIVERS Hanna Truck Lines is seeking Professional Flatbed Drivers. 53 cpm No surprises: Starting pay (all miles): 51 cpm, 52 cpm at 6 months, 53 cpm at 1 year. 100% Outbounds loads Pre-loaded & Tarped. 75% Inbound No Tarp. Late Model Peterbilt Trucks. Air Ride Trailers. Home weekends. Low cost BCBS Health & Dental Ins. Matching 401K. Qualifications: 18 months Class A CDL driving experience with 6 months flatbed; Applicants must meet all D.O.T. requirements. Contact recruiting at 1-800634-7315 or come by HTL office at 1700 Boone Blvd, Northport. EOE
MARKETPLACE LPN’s, RN’s, CNA’s Full-time & part-time • 2nd & 3rd Shift Apply in person: Hatley Health Care 300 Medical Ctr Dr Clanton, AL 35045 Looking for a wonderful place to live? NEW Meadow View Village Apartments. Columbiana, AL. Now Preleasing 2&3 Bedrooms. Great Amenities Provided. Call 256-560-0821. 99 Eagle Lane. info@hollyhand.com. Equal Housing Opportunity. CDL TRUCK DRIVER For Tree Service. Also hiring for other full-time and part-time jobs. Drug Test Required. 205-836-2038 or 205-229-7144 Kelly Educational Staffing® We’re hiring! •Substitute teachers •Aides •Cafeteria •Clerical •Custodial positions Shelby County School District & Alabaster City Schools. Please call 205-870-7154 -Equal Opportunity EmployerOwner Operators Wanting Dedicated Year Round Anniston, AL www.pull4klb.com M&D Mechanical Contractors Inc. • Hiring Craft Professionals: •Commercial Plumbers •Sheet Metal Workers •Helpers Hours: MondayThursday (4/10s) Apply Now: mdmechanical.com/careers Location: Birmingham, AL. Competitive Pay, Robust Benefits, Pre-Employment Drug Screen Required. Questions? Call HR @ 256.350.6568 Service Technician. Top Pay, Benefits & Commission! Mainline Heating & Air. 400 Hillwood Park S, Alabaster, AL. Or email resume to: ashley@mainlineheating.com (205)664-4751 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
Are you a motivated professional? Are you looking for a dynamic career? Are you ready to control your own level of success? See why McKinnons’ is an exciting place to work and grow. Now accepting applications for Sales, Service, and Detail Shop. Apply with the receptionist. 205-755-3430 Shake up your career!!! Are you looking for something new and FUN? Milo’s is always looking for great managers to come join our growing and dynamic team. Apply online at miloshamburgers.com Move in Special! 3/2 Garden Home w/garage. Dishwasher, Fenced backyard, Great Room w/vaulted Ceiling. Calera Schools. Rent $1150. FLAT SCREEN TV!! (205)433-9811 Montgomery Stockyard Drop Station at Gray & Son’s in Clanton. Call Lane at 205389-4530. For other hauling arrangements, contact Wes in Harpersville 205-965-8657 Production Jobs. Willing to Train. AAM in Columbiana is HIRING for multiple shifts. Email resume to dcurtis@ grede.com or apply in person: 130 Industrial Pkwy, Columbiana, AL 35051 NOW HIRING Class-A CDL Driver Must have clean driving record, two years experience Will train drivers on tank Drivers home nightly Contact Keith at: 205-438-4959 INDUSTRIAL CLEANING IN VANCE Requirements: •18 Years Old •HS Diploma/GED •Able to work variable shifts/ weekends/holidays •Able to lift up to 50lbs constantly, stand on your feet for 8hrs •Able to pass drug screen/ background check Complete your application on line at www.naonsite.com Production / Manufacturing Vance, Alabama Starting pay: $12.00 – $14.50 /hr. • Have 2 years+ Production/ Manufacturing experience. • Have Recently Lived in Alabama at least 2 years. • Have A High School Diploma or GED. • Are at least 18 years old. Complete your application on line at www.naonsite.com
Odyssey Early Schools. Birmingham’s Best Daycare/ Preschool is Seeking Experienced Teachers. 4 Year Degree Preferred. Full-Time. BEST Pay. FULL Benefits (Insurance, Leave, Holidays). Call Annie Fine 205-991-0039. 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 inquires only. Call 334-409-0035 or apply on-line at www.Oxfordhealthcare.com Class A CDL Drivers Needed Immediately for Dump Trailer Hauling • $2000 Retention Bonus • Local Hauling • Home Nights APPLY ONLINE: www.perdidotrucking.com Perdido Trucking Service, LLC 251-470-0355 280 Location Opening Now Hiring 3 shift Managers. Pay Rate $9-$11. 20-25 Employees. Pay Rate $7.75-$8.50. Must have own transportation and flexible schedule. Apply at recruiting. talentreef.com/mommagoldbergs-deli (205)503-6190 The Salvation Army, Alabaster, is hiring (Seasonal) Angel Tree Coordinator • Kettle Coordinator • Required Skills: Driver, databases, computer, physical abilities. Email resumes to: Rufus. McDowell@uss.salvationarmy. org 205-663-7105 Soon the Mark of the Beast Will Be Enforced. Free Book & Bible Study. PO Box 171 • Samantha, AL 35482 205-339-4837 Order Selectors Food Dist. Center in Pelham Day-Shift: Mon-Fri. 40+ hours/week 10:00AM until finished (varies). Salary: $16-20/hr after training. Benefits: Medical, vision, dental, vacation & 401k. Requirements: •Reading & math skills •Lift 40 lbs. repetitively •Work in -10 Temperature Apply in person: 8:30AM-5:00PM Southeastern Food 201 Parker Drive Pelham, Alabama 35124 resume@southeasternfood. com
CLOCK REPAIR SVS. * Setup * Repair * Maintenance. I can fix your Mother’s clock. Alabaster/Pelham. Call Stephen (205)663-2822
WCA • Roll Off Drivers needed for our Alpine, AL location. Class A or B CDL is required along with one (1) year of verifiable equivalent commercial truck driving experience. Must have a valid and safe driving record. We offer competitive wages & a comprehensive benefits package which includes: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k, Life Insurance, Short & Long Term Disability, Paid Holidays and PTO. Please apply through our website at www.wcawaste.com EOE M/F/D/V
Electrician - FT Supreme Electric, local-based company in Pelham. Must be willing to learn & work hard. Go to: supremeelectric-al.com Print employment application under Contact Us. Mail to: Supreme Electric 231 Commerce Pkwy Pelham, AL 35124 or call 205-453-9327.
WARRIOR MET COAL NOW HIRING Located in Brookwood, AL Immediate need for experienced: •Underground Miners •Electricians •Maintenance Foreman •Supervisors Apply online: www.warriormetcoal.com
TARGET AUCTION Advanced Real Estate Marketing 800-476-3939 www.targetauction.com TaylorMade Transportation Hiring CDL Drivers for Flatbed Regional Division! BCBS Insurance After 30 Days. To apply call: (334)366-2269 or email: s.smith@taylormadeinc.com
Tree Nursery Worker Needed Responsible w/ mechanical skills, to operate forklift/farm tractors/ equipment/welding/ ground maintenance/service equipment/check fluid levels/ clean after use. Maintain safe/ clean area. Requires valid-DL/ reliable transportation. 334-365-2488
Learn a Skill & Begin your Career! Earn $50,000 & More First Year. Hiring Hard Working Insulation & Afterpaint Installers! •Immediate Openings •We Train you to Succeed. Requirements: •Valid DL •Drug Test •MVR •Background Check. www.truteam.com/careers or 205.428.9381
Wiley Sanders Truck Lines Inc $1,000 SIGN-ONBONUS DRIVER PAY RAISE EFFECTIVE JUNE 2017! Longevity-Bonus. Quarterly Safe-Driving AWARD. Competitive Pay Package. PAID Orientation. NEW Fleet of Trucks. Call 1-855777-9785 & ask for Dale or Brandy. Nights/weekends, call Jeffrey: 334-372-5049 Ron: 1-850-454-4276 Richard: 334492-0803
Immediate Positions!!!! Positions needed: Warehouse • Sales Reps • Assistant Manager • Delivery Drivers • Customer Service. Laid back atmosphere, good pay, plenty of hours available! Company vehicles to qualified individuals! Call Andrew 9am7pm • Mon-Sat at (205)490-1003 or (205)243-6337
The Painting Company of Birmingham Immediate openings for professional residential and commercial painters. Must be able to speak English. Call 205-995-5559 Become a Dental Assistant in ONLY 8 WEEKS! Please visit our website capstonedentalassisting.com or call (205)561-8118 and get your career started!
Wiregrass Construction Company is seeking experienced asphalt CDL TRUCK DRIVERS. Must be dependable. Excellent benefits. Interested applicants may apply: 951 Dow Street. Pelham, AL 35124.(205)6204132 or 151 Piper Lane. Alabaster, AL 35007 (205)6050753. 8AM to 5PM, M-F. WCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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MY VESTAVIA HILLS BROOKE TARRANT
Distinguished Young Woman of Alabama + Vestavia Hills High School Student
Diplomat Deli Specialty
The Muffuletta The first muffuletta I ever tried was at Diplomat, and I absolutely fell in love! Diplomat has been in Vestavia for as long as I have been alive, so to me it is an integral part of the city.
Goodbye, Cancer
Relay for Life It is one of my favorite days of the year, and it makes me so proud of the wonderful and generous community we live in to support the American Cancer Society. We have been one of the top youth fundraising events in the nation for multiple years running. Last year, Vestavia raised $280,007 so we are hoping to raise at least that much again!
Sweet Treats
Doodle’s Homemade Sorbets and Ices Easily my favorite spot in Cahaba Heights, Doodle’s is such a fun place to go with friends after we see a movie or hang out at The Summit. I adore the Cappuccino Chip ice, which I get every single time I go.
Rebel Excitement
VHHS Basketball Games Basketball season is my favorite part of the school year. Getting to dance during half-time of many of the games as a Rebelette is an added perk. I just love the energy and excitement that fills the gym as almost all the student body files into the bleachers to watch the games.
Remember When
The Wald Park Playground At West Elementary, we got to play on the playground everyday, so hundreds of my favorite childhood memories were formed in those twisty slides and hidden passageways. Now that I’m older, I always feel such nostalgia over my time in elementary school. I miss being a care-free kindergartener!
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