INSIDE EVELYN’S SOUTHERN FARE • AT HOME WITH HOME WITH HECHART • POST-PANDEMIC STYLE TRENDS
VIGNETTES OF CRESTLINE FROM PASTORAL LAND TO BUSTLING VILLAGE
MOUNTAIN BROOK’S BEST SEE THE 2021 WINNERS YOU VOTED FOR
cake
MAY/JUNE 2021 MountainBrookMagazine.com Volume Five | Issue Three $4.95
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THE QUARANTINE-TO-CRAFT STORIES OF ELLA KAMPAKIS + TWO OTHERS MountainBrookMagazine.com 1
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FEATURES
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VIGNETTES OF CRESTLINE Tales of the village’s history from pastoral land to bustling village as told by those who lived it.
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POST-PANDEMIC STYLE TRENDS TO WATCH FOR The mother-daughter duo behind The Style That Binds Us shares the latest in the fashion world as we start to come out of a long hibernation into spring and summer.
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You voted. We tallied. See just who Mountain Brook’s favorites are in the winners of our annual vote.
4 May/June 2021
PHOTO BY MARY FEHR
MOUNTAIN BROOK’S BEST 2021
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41
PHOTO BY MARY MARGARET SMITH
arts & culture
15 Their Own Designs: Meet Three Student Artisan Entrepreneurs 22 Read This Book: Literary Historical Fiction
schools & sports
23 A Wider Perspective: A Look at MBS’s Diversity Committee 30 Five Questions For: MBJH Teacher Michael Posey
food
& drink
31 A Second Helping: A New Name for Evelyn’s Southern Fare
home
& style
in every issue 6 Contributors 7 From the Editor 8 @mountainbrookmag 9 The Question 11 The Guide 82 Chamber Connections 84 Out & About 86 Marketplace 88 My Mountain Brook
41 A Fresh Start: At Home with Home with Hechart
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MOUNTAIN BROOK
contributors
MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL
Alec Etheredge Nathan Howell Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Scott Mims Emily Sparacino
CONTRIBUTORS
Mary Fehr Rick Lewis Libby Malcolm Christiana Roussel Mary Margaret Smith Ellie Thomas
DESIGN
Jamie Dawkins Connor Martin-Lively Brittani Myers Kimberly Myers Briana Sansom
MARKETING
Darniqua Bowen Evann Campbell Jessica Caudill Kari George Rachel Henderson Rhett McCreight Viridiana Romero Kerrie Thompson
Mary Fehr, Photographer
Mary is a wedding and portrait photographer based out of Birmingham. She studied art and art history at University of Montevallo. She likes to teach and plans on getting her MFA in order to do so. Mary also loves to travel and has a goal of photographing a wedding in every state! She enjoys reading non-fiction, going to concerts and spending time with her family.
Rick Lewis, Writer
A native of Mountain Brook, Rick studied English literature at the University of Alabama and was a 2019 Fulbright grantee in Malaysia. When not talking tea-sweetness particulars, he’s likely podcasting or reading secondhand short story anthologies.
Christiana Roussel, Writer
Where should we have dinner? Where should we go on our next family vacation or couple’s getaway? What kind of shotgun should I buy? These are all queries writer Christiana Roussel has answered in recent months. While food writing is her original passion, she has really enjoyed expanding her repertoire to include travel and sporting activities that might involve an upland adventure. And no, it is not just because there might be a need for new clothes for the expedition.
ADMINISTRATION Kristy Brown Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Kinley Johnson Daniel Holmes Stacey Meadows Tim Prince Brittany Schofield Savana Tarwater
Ellie Thomas, Intern
Ellie is a senior at Mountain Brook High School who has always had a passion for writing and plans to pursue journalism in college. She enjoys all things artistic and will take up any opportunity to express her creativity. Outside of school, Ellie loves spending time with her friends, attending youth groups and driving around town listening to her favorite songs.
Mountain Brook Magazine is published bimonthly by Shelby County Newspapers Inc., P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Mountain Brook 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, Mountain Brook Magazine, P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Mountain Brook Magazine is mailed to select households throughout Mountain Brook, and a limited number of free copies are available at local businesses. Please visit MountainBookMagazine.com for a list of those locations. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $16.30 for one year by visiting MountainBrookMagazine.com or calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 532. Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing advertise@mountainbrookmagazine.com, or by calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 536.
6 May/June 2021
from the editor
A
ON THE COVER
Cake Art
Mountain Brook High School senior Ella Kampakis started baking cakes and piping icing into artistic creations during the COVID-19 quarantine last spring. Photo by Mary Fehr Design by Kimberly Myers
As I was copyediting the pages in this issue, a theme kept popping up: stories with roots in the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we were staying home and stressing out (or at least I sure was!), it didn’t seem like anything was happening in a lot of ways. But little did we know what that time would give birth to. Ellie Thomas, a MBHS senior who worked for our magazine as part of the school’s coop program in the fall, came up with the idea to write about her classmates who had started businesses baking cakes and creating clothing designs. What I didn’t realize when Ellie pitched the idea on my front porch was that all three of these students’ crafty hobbies-turnedbusinesses started and soon blossomed during all that time staying at home last spring. Then take Christiana Roussel’s story of Evelyn’s Southern Fare (formerly Bobby Carl’s Table) and its survival as a fledgling restaurant in unprecedented times, starting with delivering comfort curbside. As Christiana’s interviews show, the pandemic didn’t change the heart of the restaurant, but it might have helped more of us see it. Next up there’s a new home décor business calling English Village home that got its start when its founder Alex Hechart found herself with time on her hands as the quarantine began. She couldn’t sell copiers as she’d been doing, and her husband asked her, “Why don’t you do something you love?” And so she did, teaming up with her mom and a then-acquaintance from her Auburn University days. Pandemic ties are perhaps most obvious in our feature where we asked Delia Folk and Alison Bruhn of The Style That Binds Us about fashion trends they are seeing as it looked like, as far as we could see this spring, that it was time to trade our leggings and sweat pants for “real clothes.” What you won’t read about in Rick Lewis’s vignettes about historic Crestline is how many months in the making that story was, as we were hesitant for him to try to interview people who had memories from decades ago based on their age and the pandemic. But after a while we decided to move forward anyway, thanks to the help of the “What’s Happening in Mountain Brook?” group on Facebook and video and phone call technology. I’m running out of space to talk about our Mountain Brook’s Best winners this year and our coverage of the Diversity Committee at Mountain Brook Schools, but check those parts of this issue out too. Here’s to the bright blossoms of late spring and the blossoms of pandemic times!
madoline.markham@mountainbrookmagazine.com
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@MountainBrookMagazine
Tag us in your Mountain Brook photos on Instagram, and we’ll pick our favorites to regram and publish on this page in each issue.
@focusbham Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
@mtnbrookschools Round Two of coronavirus vaccinations is in the books for our employees who attended today’s vaccine clinic at Cahaba Heights Elementary. Thank you again to @vhcschools, @coosavalleymed, and Alabama Immunization Partners for making this opportunity possible. We are grateful to team up with you in the fight against COVID-19.
8 May/June 2021
“ ” THE QUESTION
What’s the best part of summer in Mountain Brook? The gorgeous trees bending over the streets to shade your drive past the lush golf courses and beautiful landscapes. -Kelly Sorrells
Dinner in the front yard with all the neighbors. When my kids were younger, everyone pitched in for pizza and brought drinks and snacks to tables in someone’s front yard. -Kristi Bacher Walters
Yoga in Overton Park offered by Villager Yoga! -Ashley McDuff Clarke
Spending time with my husband while my twin boys are at camp having the best time of their lives! It’s a win win situation! -Sara Denbo James
Limeaids & chocolate shakes from Gilchrist
-Callie Wallace Funderburg
Hearing the laughter from all the neighborhood kids playing together. -Sally Heusser Burroughs
Children laughing and running in the fire hose water (thank you, Mountain Brook Fire Department) at the Library Summer Reading Kickoff. It signals that summer is officially here! -Caroline Turner Ezelle
Walking down the street to the farmer’s market at Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church on Saturday morning. -Rhea Hill Pelekis
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Charity Partner
F r i d ay
June
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mb o c l o ILVER llie H
+ E N & Q UIC K S Drew O E L AWS D OYL LABOIX
Sa t u r d a y
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taxi n o o m PARO ANGIESA CRIB ED SOUL IN
S u n d ay
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ler e v a r ues t
Bl R HAZEL SISTE TREET HAW TH
ORN S
Learn More & Purchase Passes
EuphONious.ai 10 May/June 2021
THE GUIDE
DRIVE-THRU POPSICLE SUMMER READING KICK-OFF MAY 25 5-6:30 P.M. O’Neal Library It’s time to kick off summer and summer reading with a drivethru popsicle pick-up in lieu of the annual O’Neal Library Summer Reading Carnival. The library asks that patrons remain in their vehicle, and proceed through the drive-thru to receive free Steel City Pops popsicles and a summer reading prize bag. MountainBrookMagazine.com 11
THE GUIDE AROUND TOWN NOW THROUGH JANUARY 2022 All Things Bright and Beautiful Exhibit Birmingham Museum of Art TUESDAYS IN JUNE West Homewood Market 160 Oxmoor Road MAY 4-9 Birmingham Barons vs. Biloxi Shuckers Regions Field MAY 5-9 Regions Tradition Greystone Golf and Country Club
RESTAURANT
A CUP OF JOE As April 24, there is now a new coffee shop at a familiar spot in English Village! The Coffee Shoppe at Vino serves up Amavida Coffee, Rishi tea, smoothies, parfaits, daily sweet treats and paninis. Stop by to try it yourself Monday to Saturday 6 to 11 a.m. Brunch is also being served on Saturday mornings with a separate menu of breakfast options, and independent yoga instructors will hold classes on the patio on select days too.
MAY 8 Mother’s Day Market Cahaba Brewing Company MAY 8 Motherwalk & Run 5K Homewood Central Park MAY 9-15 Sozo Children’s Run for a Reason Virtual 5K MAY 12 Rain- A Tribute To The Beatles Presented By Broadway in Birmingham BJCC Concert Hall MAY 15 Do Dah Day Highland Avenue
JUNE 18-20
Euphonious Birmingham Zoo
Moon Taxi, Blues Traveler (pictured above) and Drew & Ellie Holcomb are headlining a new music festival with a tech edge on Father’s Day weekend. For Euphonious—which means “pleasing to the ear”—the concert lawn will be divided into 10-foot-by-10-foot socially-distanced squares, where up to eight people can sit together. A portion of Euphonious proceeds, along with the revenue from a 12 May/June 2021
special Euphonious after-party to take place in downtown Birmingham, will go to its charity partner, United Ability. For more information visit euphonious.ai. Here’s the lineup: Friday: Drew & Ellie Holcomb, Lawson & Quicksilver, Laboix Saturday: Moon Taxi, Angie Aparao, Soul Inscribed Sunday: Blues Traveler, Sister Hazel, Hawthorn Street
MAY 18-23 Birmingham Barons vs. Montgomery Biscuits Regions Field MAY 23 Zach Williams The Rescue Story Tour The Alabama Theatre MAY 31 Memorial Day
THE GUIDE JUNE 1-6 Birmingham Barons vs. Tennessee Smokies Regions Field JUNE 6 Vulcan’s 117th Birthday Bash Vulcan Park & Museum JUNE 12 2021 Birmingham Heart Walk Digital Experience JUNE 18-20 I’m With Mike Virtual 5K Presented by The Mike Slive Foundation for Prostate Cancer Research JUNE 22-27 Birmingham Barons vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos Regions Field JUNE 29-JULY 4 Birmingham Barons vs. Chattanooga Lookouts Regions Field
JUNE 23
Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce Luncheon 11:30 A.M. Via Zoom For Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist John Archibald, everything he knows and believes about life is “refracted through the stained glass of the Southern church. It had everything to do with people. And fairness. And compassion.” Now in his new book Shaking the Gates of Hell, Archibald asks: Can a good person remain silent in the face of discrimination and horror, and still be a good person? In it Archibald writes of his complex search, and of the conspiracy of silence his father faced in the South, in the Methodist Church and in the greater Christian church. Now the author will discuss the book at this virtual luncheon hosted by the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce. Register for free at mtnbrookchamber.org.
205-879-3433
205-879-7681
MountainBrookMagazine.com 13
RETAIL
COMING SOON 47,000 square feet of new retail space is coming soon to the second phase of Lane Parke that’s now under construction. Grand opening festivities will be planned for spring 2022. Two businesses have been announced for it with more to come: uJeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has a selection of artisanal flavors like Brambleberry Crisp, Salty Caramel and Brown Butter Almond Brittle. uIgnite Cycle offers high-energy cycling classes that burn calories while moving to the beat of the music.
14 May/June 2021
TV
A FAMILIAR FACE
Look for Kate Edmonds, a 2018 MBHS graduate, in two upcoming Lifetime movies! Kate plays Brittney, the best friend of main character April who finds herself fighting for her life after attending a party, in A Party Gone Wrong, which is set to air on Memorial Day, May 31. She also plays Quinn in Secrets on Sorority Row, currently scheduled for late summer (exact date TBD). Go Kate!
&CULTURE
ARTS
THEIR OWN DESIGNS Last year’s quarantine gave rise to creative skillsets and enterprises for these student artisans. BY ELLIE THOMAS PHOTOS BY MARY FEHR & CONTRIBUTED MountainBrookMagazine.com 15
16 May/June 2021
Margo Belden
I
THE EMBROIDERER
It’s easy to walk past embroidered items in clothing stores with no thought about the process behind them and simply admire the intricacy of the design. Zooming in on these items, you see each individual stitch woven through the fabric. The process behind it involves needling step by step and inch by inch without going over the lines or undoing the design’s precision. And that’s just what Margo Belden does. The fashion and art connoisseur and senior at Mountain Brook High School creates embroidered clothing, following the latest trends by her top tier favorite designer brands. Her newfound passion began in March 2020 during the COVID-19 quarantine. “Growing up, I have had many entrepreneurial adventures starting with sewing and selling recorder cases in fourth grade,” she says. “I saw the quarantine as a perfect opportunity to launch a new business that combines my love for design and sewing.” But the embroidery she began selling was not entirely unfamiliar to her, as she learned to sew at a young age. Margo says her grandmother “made me passionate about sewing and led me to doing my
own thing.” The women around her also inspire her designs. “I love building them up and contributing to women empowerment,” she says. Margo’s embroidery Instagram account @xomargo showcases crewnecks with bright stars in practically every color of the rainbow, hoodies uniquely stitched with red hearts or lively yellow smiley faces, and even special designs with college logos, which happen to be Margo’s favorite of the items she has made. Each piece of clothing takes her around three hours to complete without interruption, and she reserves an hour or two each night to work on them. She’s gotten creative beyond basic embroidery too by tie-dying shirts and blouses with the similar pastels of her other sweatshirts, and she wants to learn how to sew more and create her own patterns. Down the road she also would like to start her own website with clothes she has created from scratch. To anyone thinking about turning their passion into a business, Margo says to go for it. “Don’t worry about others and do what you think is right because if you have confidence in it, there will be a market for it,” she says. MountainBrookMagazine.com 17
Ella Kampakis
U
THE BAKER
Upon first inspection, it is simply a butterfly cake. Look closer, though, and you’ll see thousands of microdots piped by hand, ranging in shades of blue that come together to make an alluring creation. On another cake, unique combinations of pastel shapes are outlined by shimmering gold icing. These details appeal equally to eyes and taste buds, and the mastermind behind them is Ella Kampakis, a senior at Mountain Brook High School. On her Instagram feed @bakingwithellak you’ll find vibrant colors of pink, red, orange and different shades of blue catch your eye. “It’s super fun, and you are able to make it your own with no guidelines,” she says. For Ella, her cake journey all started during the quarantine in March of 2020 too when her love of baking prompted her to make a cake for her grandmother’s birthday, and then one for her friend who had jaw surgery. From there more friends started asking for cakes, and eventually people began offering to pay for her creations. And quarantine gave her extra time to learn to put her own twist on her designs—like one of a silhouette of a woman’s face, highlighted with pops of colorful flowers intricately woven together. Another cake close to Ella’s heart is one that reflects her Greek heritage. It’s detailed with the ocean-blue colors commonly found in Santorini and a yellow sun setting into a subdued sky.
18 May/June 2021
Her ideas for these cakes come from a variety of sources, including other Instagram accounts, YouTube, TikTok and her imagination. “Whenever I’m bored or can’t sleep, I am always brainstorming about which cake I should make next,” Ella says. Many of them end up in a binder where she keeps her design ideas. Often designs take “an embarrassingly long time to decorate,” Ella says. For instance the butterfly cake described at the top of this page took close to eight hours. Now that she has to plan around her school schedule, Ella typically bakes her cakes three days in advance and decorates them the night before they are needed. For the most complex of cakes, she has learned to pipe details with smaller icing bags and the importance of smoothing a cake over using a turntable. She’s also learned by trial and error not to, say, leave a cake in front of window too long lest it collapse. “I definitely don’t recommend placing your cake by heat overnight,” she says. Ella emphasizes that her community and beyond has been extremely supportive of her creations, and she knows that others will be encouraging with whatever design she produces. Ella is not sure what the future holds for her, but getting to explore her creativity through her cake business makes her sure that artistry will definitely be part of whatever lies ahead.
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W
THE CLOTHING PRINT DESIGNER
When Lily Cochrane’s brother came home with a handful of T-shirts and transfer paper last in March 2020, she had no idea it would lead into her very own dive into the world of artistic business. She ended up taking her brother’s transfer paper when curiosity got the best of her and creating clothing prints. The Wofford College freshman didn’t have starting a business in mind; she simply loved printing clothing designs as a hobby. But then her friends started asking her to make items for them and encouraged her to create an Instagram account. Today her Instagram @lilymadethese is filled with pastel tie-dye combinations, hot pink lightning bolts and bright yellow smiley faces. Some of Lily’s favorite pieces are her skull T-shirts filled with the bright colors of magenta, neon yellow or red. Another distinctive design of hers is a hot pink sweatshirt featuring a teal eye patch embossed with texturized sequins, and still another a tie-dye shirt with a pink skull surrounded by multicolored pastel butterflies. As to the process behind them “Finding the design definitely takes the longest,” Lily says. “I look around on Pinterest, and if there is something I can draw myself, I will do that because it makes the creation much more unique.” After finding her design, Lily
I strive to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am. Animal Hospital, Veterinary Care, Boarding & Grooming 2810 19th Place South, Homewood, AL 35209 StandiferAnimalClinic.com 20 May/June 2021
uses a special kind of paper and printer for the design and makes her items in bulk, about seven pieces at a time, which can take over two hours. When she first started college last fall, she decided not to bring her supplies with all the transitions, but she soon came to realize that she needed this form of creativity in her life, especially with the stress of meeting new people at a new school and encountering a change of pace. As to the future, Lily has thought about opening an online store to allow for certain items to be available for a prolonged period of time instead of just selling them once. “At first it was just a hobby, and then I realized that one day I wanted to have my own store, consisting of items I have made and items made by others,” she says. Through all her work, Lily emphasizes the importance of venturing out of your comfort zone and exploring your creative side. For her that not only happens through clothing designs but also through the paintings she has begun creating. These range in boldness—giant silhouettes of hearts to fiery quotes— all proving that expressiveness is unlimited. “Just find something you like—it doesn’t really matter what it is—and go for it,” she says of her advice to others. “Who cares what people think? If you like it, then that’s good enough.”
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Lily Cochrane wears one her @lilymadethese sweatshirt designs.
MountainBrookMagazine.com 21
ARTS & CULTURE
READ THIS BOOK
Literary Historical Fiction Recommendations from
Charlotte Getz
Author & Director of Publishing Projects at Rooted Ministry
As a writer, my roots are in fiction. But 10 years ago, I took a class in creative nonfiction, and I’ve never looked back. As a contributor at Mockingbird Ministries (mbird.com), I’ve been writing creative nonfiction ever since, and I cowrote with Stephanie Phillips Unmapped: The (Mostly) True Story of How Two Women Lost at Sea Found Their Way Home (Mockingbird), a memoir that plays with genre. My favorite books to read also tend to blend fiction and non-fiction.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
by Jonathan Safran Foer The backstory of this novel is 9/11 and the attacks on the World Trade Center. Only with the quirky first-person narration of 9-year-old Oskar Schell are we able to dive headlong into this tender, beautiful, tragic and wondrous story without being completely re-traumatized by the memory of these terrible events. As far as I can tell, this book will forever hold a spot on my top five list of all-time favorite books. It is strikingly well-written, imaginative and surprisingly humorous given the subject matter.
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah This haunting and epic story is set in German-occupied France during World War II, and it follows the stories of two sisters. The plot sets off like a cannon in the first few pages and then does not quit until you turn the last page with an actual ache in your heart. Like so many of Kristin Hannah’s books, you will read The Nightingale beginning to end in a matter of days. Your friends and husband and children will be exasperated by your physical and spiritual single-mindedness.
The Things They Carried
by Tim O’Brien There is a good reason this book is often read in classrooms across the country (or at least it was back when I was a student). As a lover of words and sentences and beautiful things, Tim O’Brien’s writing is utterly breathtaking. The Things They Carried is a cut-to-the-quick collection of semiautobiographical short stories about the Vietnam War, written by an author who himself is a veteran of said war. If your teacher didn’t already make you, then please go read this book.
The Great Santini
by Pat Conroy While The Great Santini isn’t technically historical fiction, the story is deeply rooted in Conroy’s own autobiography. He captures his family, and the narrative’s time and place—the late 1960s in the American South— with the grace and grittiness of Faulkner. Most notably, this book will introduce you to the explosive Bull Meecham—an enigmatic madman of a marine who you will both love and hate in equal measure. He is, in my opinion, one of the most complex characters I’ve ever come across in literature.
The Great Alone
by Kristin Hannah The setting of The Great Alone is the howling wilderness of rural Alaska in the 1970s. The protagonist is Leni Allbright, whose father Ernt is a returned POW from the Vietnam War. He comes home from the war changed, volatile, forever marked by the trauma of the war. The author gorgeously weaves this parallel between Ernt’s mental health and the harsh and unforgiving winter of Alaska. Once again, I apologize in advance to those who typically require your attention, because the richness of this story will not let you go.
22 May/June 2021
SCHOOL
&SPORTS
A WIDER PERSPECTIVE How a school district-wide diversity committee is working to increase respect for differences. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED MountainBrookMagazine.com 23
Mountain Brook High School partnered with Carver High School for a joint production of Hairspray in 2019.
O
Oftentimes people fear what they don’t know. For Carla Dudley that was one reason to join Mountain Brook Schools’ Diversity Committee when it formed last summer. For her it was an opportunity to define the school system’s beliefs and for the system to become more aware of experiences within its schools that they might not be aware of. Dudley, the assistant principal at Cherokee Bend Elementary, was one of 17 people whose own experiences were represented when the committee gathered for the first time last June following an anti-Semitic incident involving MBS students in May and a wave of injustices experienced across the country by religious communities and communities of color. Seated around the room and on video screens were parents, students, teachers and administrators representing populations within the school system as well as representatives from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Birmingham Holocaust Education Center and other local groups. That meeting began with each person present sharing why they said yes to being on the committee. Crestline Elementary Principal Christy Christian, who co-leads the committee with parent Dr. Al Cohn, says the exercise took about 30 to 45 minutes. “One thing we heard is people asking how we can grow understanding for differences,” notes MBS Director of Student Services Amanda Hood, who serves as a liaison between the committee and the
24 May/June 2021
school system. “If I have a child that is a certain ethnicity or religious background and they are in class with kids who don’t identify that same way, how do we build and grow respect and understanding and levels of comfort?” The roots of the committee began five years ago during the school system’s strategic planning process that gave rise to four goals, one of which was to help students learn to honor and respect diversity. “That goal was born out of students (who were in college) saying to us, ‘We are from a very non-diverse community, and we are engaging on college campuses with really diverse groups of people,’” Hood explains. “’We don’t want to do it wrong. It would help our comfort level if we expanded our knowledge about it.’” Over and over again as the committee met five times over the past year, the question of how to define diversity kept coming up, and it is still an ongoing discussion. Diversity is not just about race; it is multifaceted, Hood and Christian say. It’s about religion, learning differences and other elements that make a person unique. “Our conversation has really labored around honoring, respecting and celebrating differences,” Hood says. “It’s about taking the time to think about what someone else’s perspective is and what that perspective is rooted in. It doesn’t mean you have to agree with people all the time. It’s really about being a good listener and
Mountain Brook High School students engaged with the story of Emmet Till—an African-American teenager from Chicago whose murder in Mississippi in 1955 brought national attention to racial violence and injustice—through a travelling exhibit that was set up in the school’s library.
being able to converse with people in a respectful way.” In meetings over the course of 2020, the committee sought to give structure and direction regarding these issues to the school system, but they were also building on diversity-related programs that were already happening in each school. For example, Mountain Brook Junior High’s student council participated in joint leadership training with Huffman Middle School’s student council in November 2019. Currently, some MBJH students are working with students from all over Birmingham as a part of their involvement with the NewGen Birmingham Peacebuilders project through Rotary International’s Rotary Action Group for Peace. “It really helps our students gain a global perspective,” MBJH Principal and Diversity Committee member Donald Clayton says. “I think anytime you get an opportunity to learn about others in different situations, it develops empathy, and that’s a big thing for a junior high student.” Additionally, Crestline Elementary has a partnership with Brookville Elementary, a Jefferson County school located northwest of Birmingham. “That partnership started out where we served a lot and collected medical supplies and canned goods and snacks for their after-school program, but it grew into so much more,” Christian says. “We started going to their school with our students. We went to their wax museum and (our students) learned about historical figures (the Brookville students had) studied and then we invited them to
Crestline Elementary students prepare food donations as a part of their partnership with Brookville Elementary.
come to our plays.” Over at Mountain Brook High School, students partnered with Carver High School for a spring musical production of Hairspray with actors from both schools in 2018. Additionally, MBHS partnered with Wenonah High School through the YWCA for groups of students to spend time in one another’s school during a typical day. “It was about stereotypes, cultures and how every community and school faces their own stereotypes,” Hood says. “It was interesting to hear the Wenonah kids talk about the stereotypes they feel are placed upon them and MountainBrookMagazine.com 25
ROLL CALL
MOUNTAIN BROOK SCHOOLS DIVERSITY COMMITTEE MEMBERS Jenny Argo: Teacher, Mountain Brook Junior High
Hannah Halpern: Student, Mountain Brook High School
Christy Christian: Principal, Crestline Elementary
Birmingham Holocaust Education Center
Stephen Bridgers: MBS Parent
Ann Mollengarden: Education Coordinator,
Donald Clayton: Principal, Mountain Brook Junior High
Sandy Ritchey: Principal, Cherokee Bend Elementary
Danny Cohn: Chief Professional Executive Officer,
Ben Wei, M.D.: MBS Parent
Al Cohn, M.D.: MBS Parent
Birmingham Jewish Federation Cameron Cole: MBS Parent
Brock Rotter: Teacher, Mountain Brook High School Adam Williamson: Student,
Mountain Brook High School
Carla Dudley: Assistant Principal,
Adam Wright: Rabbi, Temple Emanu-El
Christi Elias: Teacher/Coach, Mountain Brook High School
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Cherokee Bend Elementary
the Mountain Brook kids to talk about the stereotypes that are placed upon them. It was powerful, and there were friendships born out of that. The way kids grow is through authentic experiences.” To help further those authentic experiences, the committee’s second meeting invited representatives from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, YWCA, Birmingham Holocaust Education Center and the Anti-Defamation League to share about resources available to the schools for educational support. For the third meeting the committee broke into subcommittees to discuss specific next steps that were later presented to the committee. By December they presented five recommendations to the Board of Education (see sidebar on page 28). 26 May/June 2021
Charles Woods: Outreach Coordinator,
One of those recommendations came directly from feedback from a group of MBJH and MBHS students representing sectors of the student body and led by MBHS seniors and committee members Adam Williamson and Hannah Halpern. “I see what goes on every day at the high school, and there are some things that go on that I think we need to take a look at,” Williamson says. The current MBHS code of conduct addresses bullying and harassment, but the students suggested that hate speech and symbols be named and defined separately from bullying and harassment within the code. That change will likely occur over the summer. “The school system will recommend the school board approve a designated discipline code assigned specifically to the use of hate speech and symbols,”
Superintendent Dicky Barlow says. “We are very proud of the work of our students and their thoughtful recommendation on how to emphasize the importance of these issues.” As to the committee’s other recommendations now moving into action, each Mountain Brook school has formed its own diversity programming committee made up of students, parents and faculty that will continue this work. At Cherokee Bend, for example, the committee is looking at more diverse literature to help remove biases at an early age. The school is also looking to partner with a sister school in Birmingham to build ongoing trust between the two schools through service projects they would engage in together and book studies where students can hear how others might take in the same information differently from themselves. In addition to the school committees, by the end of this summer every faculty and staff member in the system will have gone through anti-bias training through the Anti-Defamation League. “You have to start there before you start with the kids because we are all coming with a lens, and you don’t realize it,” Christian explains. “We are shaped by our experiences, and that shapes how we act and respond and make decisions.”
Dudley echoes the power of this training she’s seen at Cherokee Bend. “It’s been amazing to watch the entire team have those ouch moments and amen moments,” she says. “If you can’t face who you are, then you can’t teach the children. The adults have to have some form of their identity exposed as well, and that affects how we approach everything we do.” Christian is open abut her bias as well. She was the first African American teacher at Brookwood Forest Elementary when she started teaching second grade there in 2001, but she says she didn’t realize that until another staff member pointed it out to her. And everyone on the committee has their own set of stories like that that connect them to this work. For parent Stephen Bridgers, his is tied through his youngest two children, who are adopted from the Republic of Congo. “So everyone in the neighborhood knows us,” he says. “We have had zero negative interactions, but they are known because of that.” For him, diversity involves religious and learning differences, but the issue that speaks loudest to him is race—something he’d like to see more diversity of in Mountain Brook classrooms. “Programming is
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CHANGE IN ACTION The MBS Diversity Committee presented these five recommendations to the Board of Education in December, and they are all now in the process of being implemented. 1. Effectively develop diversity programming committees at each Mountain Brook School to develop programming that will enhance students’ experiences and opportunities to interact and partner with diverse communities and people. 2. Define hate speech and symbols as a separate actionable offense in the Mountain Brook Schools Code of Conduct. 3. Develop methods of communication with the broader Mountain Brook community about diversity opportunities and experiences to support students, families, and community members. 4. Develop partnerships with local and national organizations as a resource for professional learning, student training, and parent support, including the Anti-Defamation League, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center. 5. Exploration and development of authentic experiences through which schools experience positive interactions with more diverse communities in an effort to develop understanding, collaboration, and growth. 28 May/June 2021
Images from the joint Mountain Brook-Carver production of Hairspray in 2019
wonderful and so are opportunities to visit and interact with communities that are different from us, but the most life-altering thing is to see diversity in the classroom,” he says. “I think Mountain Brook would be a stronger community when we have that.” While the committee and the evolution of their work is a story still to be written, one thing is certain. The committee’s work is not over. They plan to continue to meet and make recommendations to the Board of Education in the months and years to
come. Committee co-chair Dr. Al Cohn, whose three kids attend or have graduated from the Mountain Brook Schools and whose family is Jewish, notes that the committee’s recommendations are being acted on, not just passively heard, and that it is an ongoing conversation. “We have a long way to go,” Christian says. “This exposed work we needed to do. I am glad district wide we are tackling this.”
MountainBrookMagazine.com 29
SCHOOL & SPORTS
5
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR
Michael Posey MBJH Latin Teacher PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
The world has long been Michael Posey’s classroom, and now, 20 years into his teaching career, he’s learning innovative ways to bring the world into his Latin teaching at Mountain Brook Junior High School through the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program. As for Michael himself, the pandemic inspired him to move from Baton Rouge to Birmingham last summer to be closer to family in Gadsden. As we chatted with him for this article, he had gotten his second COVID-19 vaccine and was plotting trips to Mexico and Morocco while bringing ancient Rome to life too. Speaking of the Fulbright, how has your study of global education best practices influenced what you do in the classroom? I have done some exchanges over Zoom. I talked to a colleague who had written a mythology book, and she was a guest in my classroom through Zoom. We also did an exchange with a writer and illustrator in New York City, and he will be back in April. Through collaboration with global education we investigate the world, investigate others, gain perspective outside your own and communicate ideas. It also improves collaboration and digital literacy. It gets perspectives that are different than mine in the classroom, especially in this year where you can’t go out and experience Where will you be travelling as a part the world. I thought, “Let’s bring the world into us.” of your Fulbright program? I was matched with a cohort going to France to meet with French teachers. For Why teach Latin? Latin is so foundational. It is the basis one to three weeks I will be in France teaching and working on a project. It will for the Romance languages which probably be in the fall of 2021, and three includes opportunities to study and years of Fulbright scholars will be experience Spanish, French Portuguese, travelling next year since the others were Italian and Catalan. Through studying pushed back. Others are going to South it you learn history and architecture and find connections with government Korea and Germany. You have taught Spanish, French and Latin. How did you learn these languages yourself? I had a great Latin teacher who opened up that world to me, and I went to Dartmouth and took some courses in it. I was on the newspaper staff, and I interviewed a French teacher who told me to come on a trip to France. I went to Lyon for a semester and caught the bug to travel. The next year I went to Buenos Aires and then changed my major to Romance Languages with a focus on French and Spanish—and still got a Classics degree too. That has led me on adventures that have been great personal experiences and learning and teaching experiences.
30 May/June 2021
and law and medicine. I tell my students I am not jealous if they don’t go on to be a classics scholar. I am here to broaden their areas of interest, so they can appreciate the culture and its contributions to society, whether that means they go into medicine or law or writing. It’s not just my discipline I am trying to promote, but it’s global education and making sure our students can be global leaders. It promotes student agency when they can choose things they want to pursue. They can also see things haven’t really changed in 3,000 years—we still deal with things like war and how the government works and literature and arts. What else is on the horizon for you? I was just selected for a National Endowment for the Humanities summer seminar for teachers that will be three weeks on Patronius, an ancient author, and looking at the voices of marginalized communities that don’t have speaking parts in the literature, like slaves and women. Rome was a very cosmopolitan and diverse city but often we don’t hear those voices. There are others there.
&DRINK
FOOD
A SECOND HELPING
Evelyn’s Southern Fare in English Village has taken on a new name but is still serving up fresh takes on comfort food. BY CHRISTIANA ROUSSEL PHOTOS BY MARY FEHR MountainBrookMagazine.com 31
32 May/June 2021
S
Sit with Christie Lowe at her English Village restaurant for more than a minute, and the conversation is likely to stop and start a half-dozen times. Her smile is wide and bright as she greets regulars and new customers at the former Bobby Carl’s Table eatery. As the co-owner and manager of the revamped and rebranded dining spot, you can feel that her heart and soul call this place home. Evelyn’s Southern Fare is the new name for the restaurant tucked in at the corner of Cahaba Road and Fairway Drive, behind the iconic Civitas statue. The moniker may have changed, but the food and service that have made this spot a local’s go-to is quite the same. The way Christie tells it, their time as Bobby Carl’s Table was a mere prelude to what they have become–staff-wise, menu-wise and
Christie Lowe
hospitality-wise. Christie, along with her husband, Tim, and one of his childhood friends, Trey McLemore, opened Bobby Carl’s Table in October 2019. Restaurant experience was scant between the three, but they divided duties and obligations in a way that made sense at the time. Christie is a natural organizer and task master, so she oversaw the daily operations. Tim had a full-time job already and was more of an investor. Kitchen operations fell to Trey. The menu evolved naturally, from the ways the three of them had been raised at grandmothers’ tables in Columbiana and Vincent, Alabama: lots of comfort food, meat-and-three specials, a commitment to local ingredients. Neighborhood residents found themselves dining in several times MountainBrookMagazine.com 33
a week—the environment being easy and approachable. As Christie notes, “this community really supports local.” When the pandemic began in early 2020, Bobby Carl’s Table was just beginning to hit its stride. Even with overwhelming community support, it felt like a complete sucker punch to this trio who had invested all they had into the venture. “The pandemic hit and changed the landscape of a lot of things,” Christie says. “It became clear that there were differences of opinion, about how we should move forward with this venture.” An agreement was reached where Tim and Christie became the sole owners of the restaurant, and part of this deal required a name change. The family ties that bind remained strong, with grandmothers’ influences still evident. “Evelyn was my husband’s grandmother,” Christie explains. “She epitomized Southern graciousness and hospitality. At the center of our conversations on who we are and who we’ve become, Evelyn’s spirit was at the heart of that: gracious, loving, hospitable.” Evelyn’s Southern Fare is the natural next step in the life of this restaurant. As Christie says, “The way we were pre-pandemic was embryonic in our growth.” Reopening was scary, when no one knew what this virus was exactly, how it traveled, and what was safe to do and what was not. Add to that, food shortages and supply chain issues, and Christie says her faith was tested. “I am strong in my faith and lean into it and trust in God. I truly believe it was God’s hand that kept us going, the timing was just so good.” She adds, “To see how, even in the hardest of times, you actually come out better. Where you end up, is so much better than where you were. We have such tunnel-vision and get stuck in wanting control, or listening to external opinions and expectations. It is so counterintuitive, but when you let go, everything is right there for you to have. We whiteknuckle things, but when we can release, it is so good.” She credits the city of Mountain Brook, her neighbors and the indomitable sense of community here with their success. “You want to talk about being in the right place and the right time? This city, this community really takes care of you.” Resuming service was done with a skeleton crew at first, offering curbside meals. As time went on, customers began to request more hot meals, like the meat-and-three options they had come to crave. Everyone wanted comfort, and finding it nearby, in the form of delicious food, was something people clung to. “Our challenge then—and since— 34 May/June 2021
Chef Chris Melville worked at Dyron's Lowcountry before coming to the kitchen at Evelyn's Southern Fare.
MountainBrookMagazine.com 35
36 May/June 2021
has been to adapt and overcome,” Christie says. “When we started offering curbside meals, it was at a time when the most comfort was needed. Adam Alfano was absolutely instrumental in getting us through those initial months of pandemic, but he was also working another job and I knew I needed a chef in the kitchen full-time.” Enter Chris Melville, who has been cooking in the area for about 30 years. Christie’s face lights up even more when talking
about the good fortune and divine timing of connecting with Chris: “He had been (working) at Dyron’s Lowcountry in Crestline, but with their staffing changes, he was looking for a new opportunity. Hiring him was the best decision I have ever made for this restaurant. What he brings to the table—no pun intended!—is absolutely stellar, conceiving and crafting dishes that blow us away. That breadth and depth of experience is something we didn’t even know we were missing
MountainBrookMagazine.com 37
French & Towers Salon Co.
PIMIENTO CHEESE RECIPE At the restaurant, this pimiento cheese is served with pepper jelly and toasted sourdough. u1/2 cup cream cheese u4 cups shredded Tillamook cheddar u1/2 cup shredded Tillamook smoked cheddar u3 red bell peppers fire roasted, peeled and seeded u2 serrano peppers, fire roasted and chopped
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38 May/June 2021
until Chris showed up.” Open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday-Saturday, the menu features updated versions of Southern favorites like fried catfish with McEwen & Sons grits, collards, squash casserole, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and gravy. The Prime hand-cut ribeye is served with crisp potatoes, kale, truffle butter and a red-wine jus that is both sophisticated and familiar. Salads can be enjoyed with grilled chicken and feature house-made dressings. Be sure to save room for dessert, where homemade rum cake, white chocolate macadamia nut bread pudding and apple spice hushpuppies
reign supreme. The next chapter in the life of this English Village restaurant promises to be even better than the last. As Christie puts it, “We are exactly who you have always known us as, we are just changing our name. COVID changed a lot of things but for us, it didn’t change the heart of who we are and the caliber of food we put on the table. It is really hard work but it is the kind of work that when you lay your head down on your pillow at night, you can say, ‘I did something today.’ It could be connecting with a person, or meeting a specific goal, but we do it all with integrity.” MountainBrookMagazine.com 39
A TASTE OF EVELYN’S SOUTHERN FARE While the name of the English Village restaurant has changed, the heart and soul remain the same – gracious, approachable, Southern comfort food crafted with local ingredients when possible and made with love. Customer favorites include the Conecuh Corn Dogs, Fried Green Tomatoes, Alabama Collard Melt served on Breadworks Pumpernickel, and Sautéed Sunburst Trout with Gulf Shrimp & Andouille Étouffée. Sauces like honey Dijon, Dill Ranch and Classic Hot sauce are all made in-house.
40 May/June 2021
&STYLE
HOME
A FRESH START
A new décor business’ original (home) office doubles as a showcase for its cozy, bright style. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY MARY MARGARET SMITH & LIBBY MALCOLM MountainBrookMagazine.com 41
I
Donna Woodfin, Alex Hechart and Mary Clay Holtkamp
In March of 2020, Alex Hechart was selling copiers when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Suddenly she had all kinds of time on her hands as the demand for office equipment dropped overnight. “Why don’t you do something that you love?” her husband asked her. And that’s when the idea dawned on her. She and her mom, Donna Woodfin, have always loved home design, so Alex told her she wanted to open an online home décor and furnishings company that could offer design services for people not just here in Birmingham but all over the country. “Plus with the virus consultations became easier to do remote,” Alex says. And with that Home with Hechart (pronounced “heck-art”) was born out of the back bedroom of Donna’s Crestline home and officially opened for business on July 11 of last year. Alex brought her mom into the business as well as a college acquaintance, Mary Clay Holtkamp, who had been working in interior design in Auburn and had just moved to Birmingham. “We’ve always been close, so it’s been fun to be together and do something we love,” Donna says of working with her daughter. “Mary Clay is like another child to me now.” And their first project? Donna’s home. She’d moved to Crestline from Anniston in early 2020 to be near Alex’s home in Crestline Park. There she bought a
42 May/June 2021
new build that was literally a white blank canvas that the Home with Hechart team quickly started to warm up with furnishings. Before long the house had become a showcase for the designers’ penchants for traditional style with a modern flair, and for clean lines layered with fabrics and textures to create spaces that are equally cozy and bright. While decorating Donna’s house, the trio also combined their expertise—Alex with a marketing degree, Donna with a background in real estate and Mary Clay with a background in business and art—to help people all over the country design rooms using Facetime and other technologies. Home with Hechart also offers selection of furnishings for sale on their website and now is offering in-person consulting from their new English Village storefront that is scheduled to open in late May above Relfe-Welden Real Estate in the same strip of offices as The Scribbler. The team says moving their office out of Donna’s home has helped them reclaim a better work-life balance, but at the same time their décor minds never really turn off. And just like when Alex was growing up, she, her mom and Mary Clay are always rearranging furniture at home and bouncing ideas off each other for whatever project is at hand.
Entryway Nook It’s easy to overlook a small nook in a house, but the Home with Hechart team chose not to with this space right inside the home’s front door. They remind their clients that antique chests aren’t just for bedrooms, and here they dressed one up with modern touches in the white lamp and intaglios hanging on the wall above them, plus a pop of green to bring freshness to the space.
MountainBrookMagazine.com 43
Dining Room For this room, the Home with Hechart team designed around oil paintings of Donna’s two daughters, Alex and Anna Marie, she wanted to use. They then selected a more modern square glass table to make the small space feel more airy beneath the coffer ceiling, and next added more traditional wood-framed chairs. Donna also selected a more traditional handpainted sideboard for one wall and placed more modern geometric lamps and a mirror on top of it.
Kitchen Display Cabinet This casual cabinet right off the kitchen displays glassware, plates and gold pieces that play off the antique gold hardware in the kitchen, and the Home with Hechart team recommends adding photos in a piece like this to make it more personal. 44 May/June 2021
Home Office Like many folks who moved their offices home when the COVID-19 pandemic began, Home with Hechart’s first office was in a bedroom. To create an office space in a home, they recommend starting with a beautiful desk, decluttering the space, and adding a rug, drapes, art and photos. “People underestimate how much the environment of a space can inspire you,” Mary Clay says.
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MountainBrookMagazine.com 45
Entertaining Tray Alex put together this tray for a spring gathering outdoors with guests, complete with fresh flowers and speckled glassware for margaritas.
46 May/June 2021
Living Room The design of this space began with two facing couches for a symmetrical look, and then they added a chest on either side to add more dimension as well as storage. A drink table nests up on each couch to create a resting place for a drink, snack or laptop.
MountainBrookMagazine.com 47
Upstairs Living Room Donna wanted this family space to feel more homey and casual than her downstairs living room. On its main wall they placed framed family photos around the TV to draw attention away from the screen itself.
Hallway Table The Home with Hechart team recommends a long table like this to fill empty space in an entryway or hallway or at the top of a staircase, and like other tables in this article, they have topped it with two lamps and a piece of greenery.
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Accent Table Two lamps bring balance and fullness to this antique table, which also provides a space to display books and a photo you might already have on hand.
HOME WITH HECHART RETAIL SPACE Opening in Late May 2102 Cahaba Road, Unit D English Village Find updates and more information and shop their collection at homewithhechart.com or @homewithhechart on Instagram. MountainBrookMagazine.com 49
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52 May/June 2021
Tales of the village’s history from pastoral land to bustling village as told by those who lived it. By Rick Lewis | Photos Contributed
Before the many metamorphoses of Crestline that would come in rapid succession through the late 19th century and over the course of the 20th, there was forest. Thick oaks and pines communed with birdsong and deer. American Indians of the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee or Creek tribes traversed the spinal ridge along the high side of Euclid Avenue and the well-trodden trails where Montevallo Road now lies. Streams and creeks ran wild and untamed through Shades Valley, carving their serpentine tracks into the landscape. It is almost too easy to separate this image of untouched Crestline from the beehive of activity that it is today, especially considering that this transformation seemed to happen overnight. Once the fledgling industrial-escape community was founded on the southern slope of Red Mountain, it took off like a sapling in fertile soil, but for many people that still remember the early days of Crestline, or “Club Village,” there exists a certain charm to what it was before, to its period of lankiness and knobby knees, still deciding what it would be when it got older. Here we share the stories of Crestline residents both older and younger, to capture some images and musings of what Crestline looked like and felt like, and also how it grew over the course of the last century. Of course, it will be imperfect in telling anything approaching a robust history of this place, but is it not fun to reminisce?
MountainBrookMagazine.com 53
The McCullough family's cows Joan McCullough Scott's siblings with their pony Prince
The McCullough family
54 May/June 2021
At 88, Joan McCullough Scott can intimately recall a Crestline of time past that many of us are unfamiliar with. “We were newcomers in 1915,” she says. “There were many, many unpainted, waterless, electricity-less cabins all over the area…[people] just sort of lived off the land.” In the early days of Crestline, referred to for a time as Club Village after the construction of Birmingham Club, many of these cabin-residents were of a hardier ilk. Case in point, sometimes on walks with her father, they would come across stills operating in the woods: “My father would say, ‘Do not touch anything. Don’t bother anything, and we’re gonna move on fast!’” Indeed, today’s spacious homes on postagestamp lots and bustling commercial strip belie what was largely pastoral farmland, peppered with swaths of old growth forest, when Joan’s family moved to a farmhouse on a 50-acre plot of land off Montevallo Road. And while Joan, the youngest of seven, wouldn’t be born until 1932, for a period, the area stayed relatively stuck in time. As a little girl, Joan remembers briefly attending what was then known as Crestline Heights Elementary School, “a two-story wooden building” for grades first through eighth. A county school at the time, Joan remarks that they “hardly ever got through the whole year without the taxes running out,” the children being let loose on parents as early as April. But an even more alien idea might be that of Crestline as a milk-producing powerhouse. “When my parents moved in, there were five dairies in the area. One was now the Birmingham Country Club golf course,” Joan explains. During the Great Depression, one of the dairies, White’s, even distributed free pails of milk to families in need. As for the McCulloughs, they kept their own cows, horses (including a pony, Laddie, that she would ride in and around town), pigs and chickens on their land. “We had milk cows. I’d have to go … every morning and get the milk, which made my car very, very ‘fragrant,’” Joan recalls. “We kept [the milk] in the family. We had a blue pitcher, and when all of us were home, they would fill the pitcher with milk, and we could have all the milk we wanted.”
CRASH LANDING Henry Mellen, 72, still lives in the same house
“When we got there the plane was upside down on
he grew up in on Country Club Road. Like many
its back, and if there was anybody hurt it wasn't bad.
of Crestline’s older residents, he never really
Nobody was killed,” Henry says. In the meantime, a
considered living anywhere else. Aside from
small crowd of onlookers young and old gathered
memories of smaller, younger Crestline, Henry also
around to make sure everyone got out safely.
holds claim to one of the more outrageous stories of a deathless plane crash captured in an early photograph near his home. “It was on a Thursday,” he explains. “[My friend John] and I were walking back from grade school and we saw this plane, and it sounded like the engine was cutting out. We looked up, and even at that age we could see that plane looked like it might be in trouble...We didn’t see it hit the ground, but we saw it heading towards the ground. So, we took off running.” The small, propeller-engine craft had headed for a crash landing over the Birmingham Country Club, arching downwards.
MountainBrookMagazine.com 55
It was mainly after World War II, with its influx of young, returning soldiers looking to stake a spot for themselves and their new families that Crestline and its surrounding areas would see a blossoming of buildings. Seemingly overnight, forested land was cleared, creeks were tamed, and little bungalow homes popped up like so many dandelions. The quaint, over-the-mountain community was seen as both affordable and clean—separated by a literal wall of trees and rock from the pollution of the city and its smoking foundries. 56 May/June 2021
It was also around this time that Crestline would lean into a modernization of its infrastructure. Kaydee Erdreich-Bremen’s family moved into the area in the 1940s, and she remembers when many of the streets seemed like throwbacks to another era. “The Tot Lot alley was not paved, and the street across from the Crestline playground was not paved,” she says. “There were certain streets that were just still dirt roads.” Even Montevallo Road, busy by-way that it is now, wasn’t asphalt covered until after the war, shaping the way for more
Kaydee Erdreich-Bremen's Girl Scout troop
development. Kids like Kaydee played in the streams and fields, explored the hills for arrowheads, and took pocketsful of change down to the five and dime store. But perhaps one of the more striking observations during this time of settling in and establishment is that everyone was seemingly common or at least on similar playing fields. “Nobody had a washer-dryer...We all wore the same saddle oxfords or brown lace-up shoes,” Kaydee says. “I laughed that I had no idea whose family had money and whose family didn’t. We were all in the same boat.” There were presidents of industry and firefighters on the same block, and they were all there for what Kaydee’s father described as “an area that never lost its value” with all of the conveniences of a small town close at hand: a grocery store, pharmacy, library and post office all within a short walk of each other.
MountainBrookMagazine.com 57
Lanier Isom, 55, is intimately familiar with what it means to inhabit a piece of history. As the daughter of Joan McCullough Scott (featured on page 54), she lived in the home of her grandparents and parents throughout her childhood, only to purchase the home from her mother and live there as an adult with her family. They finally sold the home in 2017, at which point it had been in the family for just about 100 years. The sense of history attached to the place was at once immutable and yet different. Just like the sense of the larger community around it, it had changed and yet, in many ways, was the same. Lanier grew up with the Crestline of the ’70s and ’80s, a more in-focus vision of the village in terms of today’s lens. However, the quintessential memories she has of her childhood ring differently, filled with an element of nostalgia for days gone past: “We roamed the neighborhood. We rode our bikes for hours. We didn’t come home ‘til dark. We played kickball. We rode big wheels. We had pinecone battles. We built forts. We played badminton. We were outside all the time.” It’s a litany of things not unfamiliar to the kids of current Crestline, but, in Lanier’s telling, there’s a natural element of lingering woods, a sense of unadulterated freedom free from technology and modern worries, and the intoxicating spirit of the last mysteries of an almost-fully-developed neighborhood still left to discover that might not be entirety replicable today. For all of the change that Crestline has undergone over the decades: the carving and pavement of roads, the felling of timberland, the ushering in and out of cows, the explosive expansion of post-war construction, the changing of businesses and filling out of the town’s space; there still lives a very palpable sense of constancy there, a feeling of familial intimacy, of closeness and a sense that things can remain the same no matter who comes and goes. Editor’s Note: Writer Rick Lewis used the following resources for research for this article in addition to interviews with the people he quoted: Images of America: Mountain Brook 58 May/June 2021
The McCullough home stayed in the family for over 100 years.
by Catherine Pittman Smith, A History of Mountain Brook Alabama & Incidentally of Shades Valley by Marilyn Davis Barefield and Crestline: A Timeless Neighborhood by Helen Pitman Snell. If you or family members have stories of historic Crestline to share, we are considering writing a Part II of this article; email mm@mountainbrookmagazine.com for more information.
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If you speak with anyone that grew up in Crestline in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, you’ll hear common reminiscing of the stores of old. There was Ariail’s drugstore with the soda fountain, Taylor’s store for everyday goods and a choice candy selection, and the A&P grocery. But talk long enough, and you’ll also hear an almost inexplicable economic mystery: the tale of the many service stations. While modern-day Crestline might seem like a mecca for someone in need of a place to cash a check, with its seven banks and all, the opposite was true of the area in the mid-1900s. There was a Gulf station, a Pure, a Sinclair, a Standard, a Shell and others—at one point there were at least seven places to get gas in the tiny village. Fred Renneker, who grew up off Pine Crest Road, remembers this fact with an intensity that can only be aided by poetry. Fred’s father made up a little rhyme for the surplus: “Hush little vacant lot, don’t you cry. You’ll be a filling station by and by.” What the community needed with so many gas stations is anyone’s guess.
MountainBrookMagazine.com 59
The mother-daughter duo behind The Style That Binds Us shares the latest in the fashion world as we start to come out of a long pandemic hibernation this spring and summer. Hint: There will be plenty of pink. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED 60 May/June 2021
Alison Bruhn and Delia Folk are the mother-daughter team behind The Style That Binds Us.
MountainBrookMagazine.com 61
Every spring feels like an emergence from hibernation, but this one is all the more extreme after a long year, and long winter, with most people staying at home far more than normal during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we start to dream of and plan vacations and travel again, fun colors and spring florals are all over—the manifestations of our dreams of a post-pandemic world. As that process was beginning this spring, Delia Folk and Alison Bruhn of The Style That Binds Us talked with us about what to look for this spring and summer and the story behind their mother-daughter brand.
Watch for colors this spring and summer emanating a joyful, hopeful feeling metaphorical to starting to emerge from the COVID pandemic era. Clothes are always most optimistic and bright for summer anyway, but this year’s supercharged hues are all the more so likely to put a smile on your face. You’ll also be certain to see lots of bright pink.
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The flip side of the bright colors and florals emerging this season is seeing is earth notes this season following a pandemic era where people got more in touch with nature and sustainability. In addition to the prevalence of natural fibers and earth tones, there are also increasing trends related to conscious consumerism and paying more attention to what you are buying and where it is sourced. For instance, Hermès has developed a new sustainable mushroom-derived leather.
Alison stayed busy this spring helping clients prepare for weddings and more weddings. Last year few if any parties were happening, and people were mostly just sending gifts. This year parties and receptions are back, especially if they are happening outdoors. And with them comes a reason to get dressed up to celebrate again.
Looking ahead to fall, we’ll see the fruit of designers’ season of isolation, when they had the time to be creative and create what they wanted versus just following trends. Pre-pandemic designers had to come up with so many collections that they were exhausted, and the pandemic gave them time to think about why they are here and ask what makes this brand what it is. And the result is more than fun, with extreme party dresses and colors and designs that are bigger than life.
TREND REPORT from thestylethatbindsus.com Attention to the Shoulder
Cut-outs here, one-shoulder and off-the-shoulder styles are an ageless, timeless look. Denim
Over-sized, faded, distressed is in, moving away from skinny, cut-offs or retro ‘70s style flare. Knits
Look for tops, lightweight sweaters, tanks and bralettes in natural fabrics that feel luxurious next to the skin. Showing More Skin
From cutouts to micro mini skirts, skin-baring styles continue to be big. Attention to the Waist
Whether it’s a belt or a tie, showing off your waist is definitely a look this season. MountainBrookMagazine.com 63
Some days Delia Folk sports a leather jacket and mini skirt. Others you’ll find her in a floral dress with fluffy sleeves. Her mom Alison Bruhn’s style is generally more tailored, but some days they flip flop and Delia wears a pants suit and Alison is in a leather jacket and jeans. “You might be more Delia’s age but connect more with how I am wearing it,” Alison notes of how they both showcase different styles different ways. No matter the day, both mom and daughter’s creativity and passion for expressing herself in style
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is more than evident, from their shopping days when Delia was growing up in Mountain Brook to their work around New York City through The Style That Binds Us. Their media company that explores the intersection of style and culture has its roots back when Delia decided she wanted to work in fashion and was interviewing for internships in New York City toward the end of college. Alison helped Delia research for all her prospective employers and was by Delia’s side for her seven interviews that spring break. “Through that process Mom rediscovered that she really loves beautiful things and the joy of dressing,” Delia recounts. As Delia was interning for Versace in Men’s Wholesale, Alison, who had been a stay-at-home mom since Delia was young, got an image consulting certificate from the Fashion Institute of Technology and started answering questions women were asking about how to dress in their 50s when they don’t want to dress like their mothers or their daughters. To answer some of those questions, Alison started a blog around the same time that
THE SCIENCE OF SWEATS Wearing your sweats affects you mentally, and there’s psychological research behind it. It’s called enclothed cognition, and to put it Delia—who had by then worked on the buying team for Barneys New York—started one telling the stories of brands and their founders before they became mainstream. And that’s when the question arose. They didn’t see any mother-daughter team in the fashion space—why not try it? And so they did. The Style That Binds Us was born in 2018, with Alison working on personal styling with a home base in Mountain Brook, Delia consulting with emerging brands from New York City, and both of them creating blog and podcast content. “I feel protective of these brands and of my clients and the women we are trying to empower the same way I feel about Delia and want her to be treated kindly, the way most mothers would feel,” Alison says. Indeed, it’s style that binds them. Follow their blog and podcasts thestylethatbindsus.com, and follow them on Instagram @thestylethatbindsus, @alisonbruhn and @deliafolk.
succinctly, how you dress affects how you act and think. As Delia explains it, the reason why you started wearing comfy clothes when the pandemic began was it was a safety cocoon for you, kind of like when you are sick and get you get under a blanket. When you aren’t feeling well or have a hard day, there are certain pieces of clothing you can’t wait to get in, like a robe, to be comforted. Looking at the bigger picture, there’s a lot more to clothing than just a cute outfit, like, as another kind of protection, you wear styles that make you feel strong when you go do hard things.
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MountainBrookMagazine.com 65
Ask a child what he dreams of doing in the future. His answer brings everything into focus for us. WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE CHILDREN HAVE DREAMS.
THE RE-ENTRY ZONE After a long season of staying home, Alison and Delia note that this season is going to be bizarre but also sweet as we start to return to social functions—and a reason to dress up again. Two years ago, you might have been tired of attending events, but now they will take on new meaning. “I think about all the things that have happening to friends this (past) year—people lost parents, people had grandbabies,” Alison says. “Good things happened, horrible things happened and we only knew through group text. It will be such a meaningful thing (to see people again) and appreciate doing the small things.” But how do you dress? It’s almost like we have forgotten. Alison says she thinks it will be like riding a bike. After the first event, you’ll be back in the groove. For Delia, it’s a time to go big on what you wear. “I feel like it will be to the nines,” she says. “I want to have the most fabulous outfits and heels because we haven’t had to wear outfits for so long.”
Delia & Alison’s Tips for Re-Entry
1. Make sure you have your go-to outfit you can throw on and go to coffee. Practice and play so you have outfits at the ready when occasions come up. 1 6 0 0 7 T H AV E N U E S O U T H BIRMINGHAM, AL 35233 (205) 638-9100 | ChildrensAL.org
2. Make sure that shoe or other wardrobe staple you wore two years ago is still in good shape since you didn’t wear it last year. The good news is anything you bought last year will be like new.
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MOUNTAIN BROOK’S BEST WINNERS 2021 You voted. We tallied. See just who Mountain Brook’s favorites are.
Photos by Keith McCoy & Contributed
MountainBrookMagazine.com 67
BEST DATE NIGHT RESTAURANT Porch 2 Dexter Avenue English Village 205-739-2083 porchmb.com Runners Up: Dyron’s Lowcountry, Evelyn's Southern Fare (formerly Bobby Carl's Table) BEST LUNCH SPOT Brick & Tin 2901 Cahaba Road Mountain Brook Village 205-502-7971 brickandtin.com Runners Up: Porch, Evelyn's Southern Fare (formerly Bobby Carl's Table) BEST PIZZA Davenport’s Pizza Palace
FOOD & DRINK
BEST FRIENDLY DINING Evelyn’s Southern Fare (formerly Bobby Carl’s Table) 2031 Cahaba Road English Village 205-202-4760 bobbycarlstable.com Runners Up: Porch, Taco Mama BEST KID FRIENDLY DINING Taco Mama 63 Church Street Crestline Village 205-414-9314 tacomamaonline.com Runners Up: Porch, Davenport’s Pizza Palace BEST CASUAL DINING Porch 2 Dexter Avenue English Village 205-739-2083 porchmb.com Runners Up: Evelyn's Southern Fare (formerly Bobby Carl's Table), Brick & Tin 68 May/June 2021
BEST COFFEE Church Street Coffee & Books 81 Church Street Crestline Village 205-870-1117 churchstreetshop.com Runners Up: Revelator Coffee Company Mountain Brook, Crestline Bagel Company BEST SWEET TREATS Mountain Brook Creamery 2715 Cahaba Road Mountain Brook Village 205-870-0092 bhamcreameries.com Runners Up: Olexa’s Catering, Cafe and Cakes, Continental Bakery BEST PIZZA Davenport’s Pizza Palace 2837 Cahaba Road Mountain Brook Village 205-879-8603 davenportspizza.com Runners Up: Post Office Pies, Bongiorno
BEST DRINKS/ COCKTAILS Church Street Coffee & Books 81 Church Street Crestline Village 205-870-1117 churchstreetshop.com Runners Up: Evelyn's Southern Fare (formerly Bobby Carl's Table), Carrigan’s Public House BEST CHEF Chris Melville/Evelyn’s Southern Fare (formerly Bobby Carl’s Table) 2031 Cahaba Road English Village 205-202-4760 bobbycarlstable.com Runners Up: Randall Baldwin, Jorge Castro BEST CASUAL DINING Porch
MOUNTAI N BROOK ’S
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BEST ETHNIC DINING Surin of Thailand 64 Church Street Crestline Village 205-871-4531 surinofthailand.com Runners Up: Sol y Luna, La Paz
COMMUNITY
BEST COMMUNITY EVENT Mystics of Mountain Brook Halloween Parade Runners Up: Taste of Mountain Brook, Crestline Christmas Parade BEST VILLAGE Crestline Village Runners Up: Mountain Brook Village, English Village BEST KID FRIENDLY DINING Taco Mama
GUIDING YOU HOME
Ray & Poynor is a trusted real estate firm serving the Birmingham metro area since 2010. With an average of 17 years in the industry, our residential real estate experts guide our clients through the buying, selling and relocation process. As a locally owned and operated company, we know the market and are invested in our clients and in our community. Whether you're looking to buy
raypoynor.com | 205.879.3036
70 May/June 2021
or sell, we'll guide you home.
BEST LOCAL CAUSE O’Neal Library
BEST LOCAL CAUSE O’Neal Library 50 Oak Street 205-879-0459 oneallibrary.org
BEST OUTDOOR SPOT Jemison Park 2615 Mountain Brook Parkway mtnbrook.org/parksrec/page/jemisonpark
BEST CHURCH St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 3736 Montrose Road 205-871-3583 saint-lukes.com
Runners Up: Junior League of Birmingham, All-In Mountain Brook
Runners Up: Irondale Furnace Trail, Cahaba River Walk
Runners Up: Canterbury United Methodist Church, Mountain Brook Baptist Church
MountainBrookMagazine.com 71
BEST PERSONALITY Micah Mumford Micah On The Move Auto Detail facebook.com/Micah-On-The-Move-AutoDetail-113317813877097 Runners Up: George Jones, Laura Vogtle
HEALTH & BEAUTY
BEST DENTAL PRACTICE Over the Mountain Dentistry 2850 Cahaba Road, Suite 140 Mountain Brook Village 205-968-1296 otmdentistry.com Runners Up: Mountain Brook Smiles, Alexander Dentistry
BEST OUTDOOR SPOT Jemison Park
BEST PHARMACY Crestline Pharmacy 60 Church Street Crestline Village 205-871-0317 facebook.com/crestlinepharmacy Runners Up: Ritch’s Pharmacy, Harbin Discount Pharmacy
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BEST HAIR SALON LinFox Salon 26 Dexter Avenue Crestline Village 205-518-6116 facebook.com/LinFoxSalon Runners Up: Oak Street Hair Group Inc., Tonya Jones SalonSpa BEST NAIL SALON Jimmy’s Nails 81 Church Street, #103 Crestline Village 205-879-1077 facebook.com/jimmysnailscrestline/ Runners Up: Nail Tek, Speed Spa Mountain Brook
BEST PERSONALITY Micah Mumford
MountainBrookMagazine.com 73
BEST CHURCH St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
BEST SPA Village Dermatology Aesthetic and Laser Center 2900 Cahaba Road Mountain Brook Village 205-877-9773 villagedermatology.net/aesthetic-dermatology/
BEST FITNESS CENTER MPower Pilates + Cycle Studio 2419 Canterbury Road Mountain Brook Village/ 2008 Cahaba Road English Village mpowerbhm.com
Runners Up: Dermatology & Laser of Alabama, Gunn Dermatology
Runners Up: Country Club of Birmingham, Total Fitness Consultants Inc.
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BEST ORTHODONTICS Hufham Orthodontics
Thank you to those who voted for her and Cobbs Allen! - Voted Best Insurance Agent -
BEST ORTHODONTICS Hufham Orthodontics 120 Euclid Avenue Crestline Village 205-871-8881 hufhamortho.com Runners Up: Great Smiles Orthodontics Crestline BEST PERSONAL TRAINER David Thomas/Total Fitness Consultants totalfit.org 2833 Culver Road Mountain Brook Village/ 204 Country Club Park Crestline Village totalfit.org Runners Up: Michael Brooks, Jennifer McElroy BEST DERMATOLOGY Village Dermatology 2900 Cahaba Road Mountain Brook Village 205-877-9773 villagedermatology.net/aesthetic-dermatology/ Runners Up: Gunn Dermatology, Dermatology & Laser of Alabama
Margaret Ann Pyburn Margaret Ann Pyburn was recently selected as the Best Insurance Agent in Mountain Brook by Mountain Brook Magazine readers. Cobbs Allen was also selected as the Best Insurance Office in Mountain Brook by Mountain Brook Magazine readers.
Cobbs Allen is a national independent agency focused on risk management in niche practice groups. We deliver commercial insurance, employee benefits, personal insurance, and alternative risk financing services to our clients.
Birmingham, AL | Columbus, OH | Gadsden, AL Houston, TX | Kansas City, KS | Mobile, AL New Orleans, LA | Tulsa, OK www.cobbsallen.com © 2021 Cobbs Allen | All Rights Reserved MountainBrookMagazine.com 75
BEST VILLAGE Crestline Village
SHOPPING & SERVICES BEST NEW BUSINESS The BlueRoot Company 2822 Petticoat Lane Mountain Brook Village 205-224-9000 bluerootco.com
Runners Up: Gunn Dermatology, Porch BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE B. Prince 271 Rele Street Lane Parke 205-871-1965 shopbprince.com Runners Up: Village Dermatology, The Cook Store of Mountain Brook BEST BOUTIQUE B. Prince 271 Rele Street Lane Parke 205-871-1965 shopbprince.com Runners Up: Skin for Life Boutique at Village Dermatology, Dukes Clothier 76 May/June 2021
BEST GIFT SHOP A’Mano 281 Rele Street Lane Parke 205-871-9093 amanogifts.com Runners Up: ALKMY, Smith’s Variety BEST STORE FOR KIDS Snoozy’s Kids 228 Country Club Park Crestline Village 205-871-2662 snoozyskids.net Runners Up: Smith’s Variety, Mon Ami BEST STORE FOR HOME FURNISHINGS/ DÉCOR/KITCHENS ALKMY 17 Dexter Avenue Crestline Village 205-332-1302 facebook.com/shopalkmy Runners Up: The Cook Store of Mountain Brook, A’mano
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BEST GARDEN SHOP Leaf & Petal
BEST FLORIST Mountain Brook Flower Shop 2407 Montevallo Road Mountain Brook Village 205-870-1666 Runners Up: Marigold Design, Buffy Hargett BEST ANIMAL CARE/ CLINIC Pet Vet Express 253 Country Club Park Crestline Village 205-518-0606 alpetvetexpress.com Runners Up: Village Pet Care P.C., Liberty Animal Clinic BEST GARDEN SHOP Leaf & Petal 2817 Cahaba Road Mountain Brook Village 205-871-3832 leafnpetal.com Runner Up: Oak Street Garden Shop
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BEST COFFEE Church Street Coffee & Books
BEST SPECIALTY STORE Skin for Life Boutique at Village Dermatology 2900 Cahaba Road Mountain Brook Village 205-877-9773 villagedermatology.net Runners Up: The Cook Store of Mountain Brook, Smith’s Variety
HOME, FINANCE & AUTO
BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT Ashley Fierman Lewis/RealtySouth Mountain Brook-Crestline 205-879-6330 ashleylewis.realtysouth.com Runners Up: Kathryn Dorlon, Amy Ager BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY Ray & Poynor 2629 Cahaba Road Mountain Brook Village 205-870-3036 raypoynor.com Runners Up: LAH Real Estate, Inc., RealtySouth BEST INSURANCE AGENT Margaret Ann Pyburn Cobbs Allen 115 Office Park Drive, Suite 200 205-414-8100 cobbsallen.com Runner Up: Drew Carter/State Farm MountainBrookMagazine.com 79
BEST INSURANCE AGENCY Cobbs Allen 115 Office Park Drive, Suite 200 205-414-8100 cobbsallen.com Runners Up: Iron City Insurance Brokers, Allstate Insurance - Jalona Patton BEST BANK/CREDIT UNION Oakworth Capital Bank 850 Shades Creek Parkway 205-263-4700 oakworth.com Runners Up: Iron City Insurance Brokers IBERIABANK, Bryant Bank BEST FINANCIAL ADVISOR Fritze Financial 2700 US 280 20-877-8788 Runners Up: Iron City Insurance Brokers Somerset Advisory - Lauren Pearson, Somerset Advisory
BEST LUNCH SPOT Brick & Tin
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Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce C O N N E C T I O N S
2021 Alabama Retailer of the Year Nominees Seth Adams Village Sportswear Billy Angell Oak Street Garden Shop and Local Market
Chamber Virtual Luncheon Featuring John Archibald Wednesday, June 23rd 11:30-12:30 via Zoom Grab your lunch from one of our delicious Mountain Brook restaurants and join us virtually as we hear from John Archibald on his recently released book, “Shaking the Gates of Hell”. Register for free at mtnbrookchamber.org.
John and Michael Gee Pants Store George Jones Snoozy’s Kids Meg Margjeka Etc… Brenda Meadows The Lingerie Shoppe Chris and Anna Newsome Ollie Irene Jennifer Ryan Blue Root Co. Brad Simpson Smith’s Variety Ralph Sorrell Ritch’s Pharmacy Amanda Thames and Yates Norris Davenport’s Pizza Palace Andy Virciglio Piggly Wiggly of Jefferson County Karla Woodruff and Katie Keller Yandell Mila
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Cope Private Wealth Bryant Bank, Crestline
Over the Mountain Family & Cosmetic Dentistry
Help us CONTINUE to help our Merchants! Thank you, Mountain Brook, for supporting local this past year, but the challenges are not over! The Merchant Relief Fund is still awarding money to deserving merchants, and still accepting donations from our generous community. Donations can be made at https://onemb.swell.gives.
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OUT & ABOUT
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PHOTOS BY ELLIE THOMAS
Lane Parke hosted live music by Pioneer Chicken Stand, complimentary beverages, extended store hours, as well as local pop-ups on Rele Street on April 1. 1. Mary Margaret Gullage and Raines Manley 2. Sue Register and Kirby Whitehead 3. Jony and Rick Hayes 4. Suzanne Wald 5. Allison Ingram and Mary Swanson 6. Emma Wells and Will Strait 7. Bezshan Dolatabadi 8. Katie Campbell 9. Carolyn Jones 10. Barbara Turner, Michelle Fleming and Chad Grimsly 11. Gina Harris, Alice Womack and Cathy Catalano 12. Kristen Hayes and DeLee Benton 13. Calie Blankenship and Jonathan Holloway
84 May/June 2021
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Now hiring RN's and LPN's throughout Alabama! $250 community referral bonus for RN's and LPN's. Signon Bonuses available at select locations! For more information please contact: Paige Gandolfi Call/text: 724-691-7474 pgandolfi@wexfordhealth.com Automation Personnel Services Hiring IMMEDIATELY For: Automotive Assembly, General Labor, Production, Clerical, Machine Operator, Quality, Carpentry, Welder, Foundry. Positions In: Calera, Clanton, Pelham, Bessemer, McCalla. Walk-in applications accepted. Clanton (205)280-0002. Pelham (205)444-9774. Bama Concrete Now Hiring: Diesel Mechanic 4 Years Minimum Experience. CDL Preferred. Competitive Pay. Great Benefits. Apply in person: 2180 Hwy 87 Alabaster, 35007 Lancaster Place Apartments. Location, community & quality living in Calera, AL. 1, 2, & 3 bedroom apartments available. Call today for specials!! 205-668-6871. Or visit hpilancasterplace.com Marble Valley Manor. Affordable 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments for Elderly & Disabled. Many on-site services! 2115 Motes Rd, Sylacauga. 256-245-6500 •TDD#s: 800-548-2547(V) •800-548-2546(T/A). Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm. Equal Opportunity Provider/ Employer LAND FOR SALE 180 acres, located on Walnut Creek. Will not divide property. Call for more information: 205-369-5641 CLOCK REPAIR SVS. * Setup * Repair * Maintenance. I can fix your Mother's clock. Alabaster/Pelham. Call Stephen (205)663-2822
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Pre-employment drug test required. Apply Online: WWW.AGSOUTH.COM GENERAL LAWN CARE •Grass Cutting •Limb Trimming •Storm Cleanup •Debris Removal •Serving Shelby, Chilton, Coosa & many more areas. •Decks •Porches •Stairs •Demolition Call Alex today for details: 1-205-955-3439 Military & Senior Discounts General Cleaner Needed -Daytime shift, office building, downtown Clanton. Approximately 4-6 hours work, Monday–Friday. Tasks include dusting, sweeping/mopping, removing trash, cleaning restrooms. Call 205-365-8414 or 205-424-5252 $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. SEPCO Sealing Equipment Products Co. Inc. JOIN OUR TEAM! •Braiding Operator •Parts Finisher •Grafoil/ Ring Press Operator •CNC Machinist If you are looking for a fantastic company to work for, with competitive pay & benefits, submit resume at: www.sepco.com/careers EOE 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. Become a Dental Assistant in ONLY 8 WEEKS! Please visit our website capstonedental assisting.com or call (205)561-8118 and get your career started! Boise Cascade Now Hiring for Utility Positions. Starting pay $14/hour. Must be able to pass background screen. Please apply at www.bc.com
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Popeyes Seeking friendly, motivated, dependable Crew Members. OPEN INTERVIEWS DAILY 2:00pm5:00pm 3300 Pelham Parkway. Immediate Openings! Start work this week! Apply online: work4popeyeskitchen.com WELDER NEEDED MIG & TIG • Light gauge stainless, aluminized, galvanized Manufacturing and Assembly Helpers Needed •Paid Holidays •Typical Shifts 6:00am-2:30pm Call RICK: 205-761-3975 MacLean Power Systems NOW HIRING 3098 Pelham Pkwy, Pelham, AL 35124 We are actively hiring for production operations Apply at: www.macleanfogg.com/ careers
Oxford Healthcare in Montgomery currently hiring certified CNA’s and/or Home Health aides in the Clanton, Marbury and Maplesville areas. Must be able to pass complete background check, have reliable transportation and have a strong work ethic. Serious inquiries only. Call 334-409-0035 or apply on-line at www.Oxfordhealthcare.com South Haven Health & Rehab NOW HIRING!!! •LPN’s & RN’s -$5,000 Sign-on Bonus for Full-Time shift •CNA’s Apply in person: 3141 Old Columbiana Rd Birmingham, AL-35266 Acceptance Loan Company, Inc. Personal loans! Let us pay off your title loans! 224 Cahaba Valley Rd, Pelham 205-663-5821 Experienced Termite Technician or someone experienced in route-service work and wants to learn new profession. Work-vehicle/ equipment provided. Must drive straight-shift, have clean driving record/be 21/pass background/drug test. Training provided. Insurance/401K offered. M-F 7:00-4:30 + 1 Saturday/month. Pay $13hr. Send resume to facsmith@charter.net Maintenance Technician 11p-7a, Some weekends. Aluminum smelting manufacturer seeking multicraft maintenance technicians to perform Machine Repair,
Machine Installation, Pipefitting, Basic Machining, Metalwork/Fabrication and Welding Qualified. Email resumes: jkendall@bermco.com
HELP WANTED PLUMBERS & GAS FITTERS Great pay. Must have drivers license. Journeyman is a plus. Please call Tommy: 205-296-0294 or office: 205-624-2418
Maintenance Supervisor Days Shift- Some nights and weekends Aluminum smelting manufacturer seeking qualified candidates to delegate maintenance workand PM’s as required to maintain daily operations of production. Manage project scheduling and completion dates. Email resumes:jkendall@bermco.com
Eastern Tree Service • 24-Hour Storm Service • www.ETSTree.org • Experienced Professionals • Quick Response • Free Estimates • Call Us Today: 205-856-2078
Accounts Payable Clerk Aluminum smelting manufacturer seeking qualified candidates to perform accounting and clerical duties related to the efficient maintenance and processing of accounts payable transactions. Experience using RIMAS a plus. Email resumes: jkendall@bermco.com Purchasing Agent Aluminum smelting manufacturer seeking qualified candidates to identifying suppliers, researching goods and services, processing purchase orders, verifying items received & managing inventory. Email resumes: jkendall@bermco.com Front End Loader / Rotary Operator 3pm-11pm, 11pm7am Overtime & weekends may be required. Aluminum smelting manufacturer seeking qualified FELOs to charge furnace, take samples from furnace & dross off furnace. Must have front end loader and forklift experience. Email resumes: jkendall@bermco.com Air Conditioning Installer Experience preferred, (not required). Must be drug-free! Call 205-663-2199 Gables Crossing Apartments 1, 2 & 3 BR UNITS $385 to $485 (205) 225-0055 gablescrossingpro@gmail.com Maintenance Worker Needed for Apartments. Part-Time. Experience Preferred. Call 205-225-0055
SPRING LAWNCARE SPECIAL Let us clean up those leaves for you! FULL SERVICE LAWN CARE includes planting, trimming, flower beds, cleaning fence rows, and work other don’t want to do! Ensure your lawn is beautiful, regardless of the season AND have the BEST lawn in the neighborhood! Free Estimates! Discounts available for Military & Seniors Affordable Lawncare 1 (205) 461-3671 Alabama Air Power Inc Now Hiring Industrial Air Compressor Technician Will cross train person with mechanical skills, Electrical and/or HVAC knowledge Blue Cross Health and Dental Paid Vacation Paid Holidays Apply In Person 1293 Hwy 87, Alabaster DSLD Land Management is actively seeking: •Tree Surgeon •Gas Plumber •Carpenter •Landscape Technician •CDL Driver •Office Administrators •Registered Landscape Architect 205-437-1012 dsldland.com Earth Angels In-HomeCare LLC. BBB Accredited, licensed, bonded, following CDC guidelines to keep out clients safe. 205-881-4034 or 205-484-1301. earthangelshcare@gmail.com 1365 A Hueytown Rd. Hueytown, AL
lahrealestate.com | (205) 870-8580
Your neighbor + Realtor in mountain brook since 1992
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MY MOUNTAIN BROOK
KRISTI TINGLE HIGGINBOTHAM Singer, Actress & Pilates Instructor
Beauty in Bloom Martha’s Garden Martha was a lovely lady when I was growing up at Canterbury United Methodist. Any time a baby was born, she would take a rose to that family, and she did it until she could barely walk. The church dedicated this garden in her memory. I went to visit the other day and thought, “This is truly a beautiful place!”
Where It All Started
MBHS Performing Arts Center The stage at Mountain Brook High School is where the bug bit me for musical theatre, and we did performances on the gym stage, which is nothing like the beautiful auditorium we have now. I have been asked back and performed on that stage, and then for the 50th anniversary of the school they asked former Miss Olympian pageant winners to come back. Here I am pictured that night with other former Miss Olympians Susanne Berry Thomas, Lisa Paden Gaines and Leigh Ann Friday Strickland.
A Village Mainstay Crestline Pharmacy The main two pharmacists there have just retired, and they were so caring and knew so much about my family, not to mention I love the shop up front. I have bought so many things there and at the Christmas Shoppe, and I see everyone I know when I am there.
A Family Favorite Bongiorno Italian Restaurant When the Magnolia family first opened Bongiorno, it was my parents’ favorite place, and we have so many memories there. They would send food when my mother was ill too. I like a fish piccata dish and the cheese ravioli there, and my parents loved their martinis and hospitality.
The Ballroom Tradition Steeple Arts I have such fond memories of the awkwardness of the boys asking you to dance during ballroom lessons, and Ms. Coates would walk around and try to teach us all etiquette. Afterward we would walk to a pizza place called Pasquale’s. Now some nights the Central Alabama Theatre uses the stage there, and I have been asked to do a show there and have gone to many musical shows there.
88 May/June 2021
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90 May/June 2021
