ALSO INSIDE: THE TOWER FALL FASHION KOZY’S IS BACK THE LOCKER ROOM OZAN WINERY BAMA DINING + MUCH MORE!
Croyle TRADITION Carrying on the
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SIBLINGS BRODIE AND REAGAN TAKE THE REINS AT BIG OAK RANCH
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Publisher James W. Rainey
editor’s letter
Editor Robert Sutton Design Editor Janet Sudnik Director of Photography Robert Sutton Photographers Michelle Lepianka Carter Erin Nelson Copy Editors Amy Robinson Wayne Snow Keli Goodson Ernie Shipe Operations Director Paul Hass Marketing Director Sam Kirkwood Prepress Manager Chuck Jones Circulation Manager Tony Heaps Published by The Tuscaloosa News 315 28th Avenue Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 Executive Editor Michael James Controller Steve Hopper Magazine 205-722-0234 To advertise 205-722-0173 To subscribe 205-722-0102
Halifa M E D I A
G R O U P
T
ABOVE AND RIGHT: In 2010, we featured John Croyle on our cover at Big Oak Ranch. It seemed fitting that we re-create the cover with his children as they take up his cause.
he number 40 has a lot of significance, especially for Christians. In the Bible, it is often used as a time of testing or probation. The rains fell on Noah’s Ark for 40 days and 40 nights; Moses wandered the desert for 40 years; Jesus was tempted for 40 days. This year, 40 takes on a new meaning, as Big Oak Ranch celebrates four decades of providing homes to children in need. John Croyle’s decision to leave football behind and start the ranch in 1974 has impacted thousands of lives, including those closest to John and his wife, Tee. In fall 2010, Tuscaloosa featured John Croyle and Big Oak Ranch on the cover. Now we’re returning to the ranch, this time to get to know Croyle’s children, Reagan Croyle Phillips and Brodie Croyle. We learned about growing up at Big Oak, their days at the University of Alabama, and their decision to follow in their father’s footsteps, dedicating their lives to helping kids in need (Page 54). While we’re on the subject of returns, Kozy’s restaurant is back (Page 8). Under new management, the local favorite has a fresh take on the business, while maintaining the class and charm customers have come to love. We also visit Rama Jama’s (Page 33), Jalapeños (Page 14), Taco Mama (Page 17) and meet the folks behind Bama Dining (Page 20). Donna Cornelius, our resident Snooty Foodie, offers a look at local food trends, tailgating ideas and fun appetizers (Page 34). If you’ve ever taken advantage of Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority facilities, then you’ve seen the work of Jerry Belk, who has dedicated his life to the betterment of our community. His latest passion is Veterans Memorial Park on McFarland Boulevard (Page 62). With Halloween approaching, many people begin to turn their thoughts to scary movies, trick-or-treating and jack-’o-lanterns, but one Tuscaloosa couple has made a hobby of ghost hunting. Casey and Laura Lineberry share a few of their spooky adventures with us, including a trip to the Stanley Hotel, where Stephen King got the inspiration to write “The Shining” (Page 70). The weather has not cooled down yet, and the leaves are still a ways from turning, but at least football has arrived. We hope you have a great fall, and we look forward to seeing you in the winter issue.
Reach Robert Sutton at Robert.Sutton@ tuscaloosanews. com.
Follow us online on Facebook and Twitter!
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FALL 2014
VOLUME 12, NO. 3
CONTENTS
14
80
66
08 DINING OUT
26 LOCAL FLAVOR
34 FOODIE NEWS
14 DINING OUT
28 SPIRITS
40 AT HOME
20 DINING OUT
33 A LA CARTE
46 TRAVEL
Kozy’s returns with some old favorites and new creations.
Taco Mama and Jalapeños bring a fresh twist to Mexican cuisine.
Bama Dining ups its game with a new place and winning food.
West Alabama Food and Wine Festival features sips and bites.
Scott Jones shares his knowledge of wines with you in your home.
Rama Jama’s BLT: The more Bama wins, the bigger it gets.
The latest in local food, trends, recipes and epicurean events.
The Tower apartments give new life to a beloved landmark.
Take a day trip to Ozan Vineyard for wine tasting and a train ride.
ON THE COVER Forty years ago, John Croyle started a project that would touch the lives of thousands. Big Oak Ranch is well known in these parts for its mission to reach out to children in need and give them the home they deserve. Now, his own children, Brodie and Reagan, are carrying on their father’s legacy. Photo by: Robert Sutton See story: Page 54
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SOUTHERN STYLE True Southern gentlemen know where to go in Tuscaloosa to look their best. The Locker Room has been keeping the men of this town looking sharp for 50 years, whether for work, leisure or game day. Page 76.
76 LOOKING GOOD
The Locker Room celebrates 50 years of style on The Strip.
80 FASHION
Fall styles are softer, with a breezy, Bohemian look.
50 INDULGENCES
62 PERSONALITY
92 GOOD DEEDS
54 COVER STORY
66 OUTDOORS
97 6 INTRIGUING PEOPLE
60 NEW IN TOWN
70 ROADS LESS TRAVELED
110 ON THE SCENE
40
46
08
Going to market: See where local boutiques find their wares.
Brodie Croyle and Reagan Croyle Phillips return to Big Oak Ranch.
Steve Diorio joins the the WVUA news and sports team.
Jerry Belk is known for a lifetime of serving the Tuscaloosa community.
Stephen Rockarts designs and builds his own skateboards.
Casey and Laura Lineberry travel the country hunting ghosts.
Singer/songwriter Hope Cassity uses her music to help others.
Meet six folks who are making a difference in our community.
The best bashes, parties and charity events of the season.
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makes a
COMEBACK NEW OWNERS AND A NEW CHEF MAKE FRESH INGREDIENTS THE STARS OF THE SHOW
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BY DONNA CORNELIUS PHOTOS BY ROBERT SUTTON
P
hotos of celebrities cover every wall at Kozy’s, just as they’ve done since the restaurant opened in
1986. But even movie icons like Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne can’t compete with the real star of the show: the Loop Road restaurant’s food. After being closed for several months, the Tuscaloosa restaurant is back in business. Its new owners and chef have kept some of the dishes that have become favorites over the years while introducing new items to the menu. Tim Killion, owner and general manager, said he heard last June that the Kozy’s building was available for leasing. “I’d always wanted to have my own restaurant,” he said. The Chicago native, who is also a Lutheran minister, said he worked in the food busi-
ness to help put himself through college at Auburn University. He was a general manager for Ariccia Italian Trattoria & Bar at the Hotel at Auburn University and for Golden Corral. He most recently spent seven years as the front-of-the-house manager at Epiphany in downtown Tuscaloosa. “I’ve seen food from all its angles,” Killion said. Killion teamed up with co-owner Susan Walmsley, who’s from Tuscaloosa and graduated from Holy Spirit Catholic School. Brandon Smith is also a co-owner. “Tim has been my pastor since I was 5 or 6 years old, and his parents and mine are best friends,” said Walmsley, the niece of Donna Coussment, the original owner of Kozy’s. “Susan is the front-of-the-house manager and is in charge of customer relations and everything that’s not the kitchen,” Killion said. Walmsley also handles all the restaurant’s social media outlets. Once financing was in place, the next key step was finding a chef.
The Duroc pork chop is a grilled bone-in chop with pinto beans, Chilton County peaches, Vidalia onions, and cumin and cilantro crema.
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“We advertised, and Beau Burroughs was one of the people who applied,” Killion said. “He’s a local guy. He’d been in the California wine country and got to work with a lot of fresh stuff. Also, his wife was coming to school at the University (of Alabama).” Killion said he and Burroughs had similar ideas about the menu. “We want fine dining — but we don’t want it to be pretentious,” he said. Kozy’s reopened last year on Dec. 6. Returning customers won’t find many changes in the dining room decor. The restaurant still has a classic yet contemporary look, with the celebrity photos, black-and-white color scheme and a piano. The menu still includes the restaurant’s signature dish, Filet Oscar. It’s a Hereford filet with lump crabmeat, grilled asparagus and bearnaise sauce. “The filet sells more than anything else,” Killion said. “It’s my baby.” The Kozy Kreamer, too, is a permanent fixture. Billed as the “ultimate finisher” to a meal at Kozy’s, the drink combines brandy, Kahlua, crème de cocoa and Bailey’s with half-and-half, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and a little nutmeg. “The Kreamer is probably our cleanest, most direct tie” to the restaurant’s past, Killion said. Other offerings change seasonally. “We want to be true to what Donna established here but in a modern setting,” Killion said. “I try not to limit Beau any more than I have to.” Diners are likely to find elevated versions of familiar dishes. Take the pork chop on a recent menu. Burroughs teamed a grilled, bone-in Duroc pork chop with pinto beans, grilled Chilton County peaches, Vidalia onions, and cumin and cilantro crema. Even a humble chicken breast got glamorized when Burroughs pan-roasted it and paired it with fava bean and purple hull succotash, pork belly and chicken jus.
ABOVE: Tim Killion and Susan Walmsley are co-owners of Kozy’s. TOP: The decor at Kozy’s hasn’t changed, featuring hundreds of framed photos of Hollywood legends.
KOZY’S IS AT 3510 LOOP ROAD. VISIT KOZYSFINEDINING.COM, CALL 205-5564112 OR CHECK OUT THE RESTAURANT ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER + INSTAGRAM.
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ABOVE: A Vieux Carré is poured over an ice sphere. RIGHT: The Filet Oscar features a Hereford filet with lump crabmeat, grilled asparagus and bearnaise sauce.
“We buy fresh fish at least twice a week,” Killion said. “We have seven different purveyors.” Kozy’s runs specials when the restaurant is able to get items like Alaskan halibut or blue marlin, which Killion said is mild and flaky but meaty. “We had a 25-pound golden snapper come in from Hawaii, and we all were so excited to go back to the kitchen and see it,” he said. Fish and steaks are cut in-house, Killion said. That gives the restaurant the ability to use tenderloin trimmings to stuff mushrooms or make sliders and to create rich stock from fish heads and tails, he said. The restaurant buys from local farmers whenever possible, Killion said.
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Tuscaloosa area suppliers include Katie Farms and Snow’s Bend Farm. Killion and Burroughs also are working with a new source: Old Cypress Farms, a quail farm in Moundville. “It all comes down to the ingredients,” Killion said. Burroughs, who was born in Tuscaloosa, worked at Bottega, one of Chef Frank Stitt’s Birmingham restaurants, as well as in California. His father is a butcher, he said. “We work with the seasons,” Burroughs said. “We try to source locally as much as we can. We try to take an ingredient and make it taste as it should. We want to make the ingredient shine.” Burroughs said he loves rustic Italian and
French cooking. He’ll get a chance to show off some of his Italian dishes when Kozy’s hosts its next wine dinner in November. The restaurant hosts five-course wine dinners several times a year, Killion said. Usually, the events center around wines provided by distributors. “I like to have the winemakers at the dinners,” Killion said. “But the one in November won’t be winery-based. Beau and I will establish the menu first, and John McCulley at Carpe Vino will provide the wines.” Killion is the restaurant’s wine expert. The wine list at Kozy’s includes 187 labels, with 38 wines available by the glass. The restaurant still has an extensive beer
TOP LEFT: The decor of Kozy’s is dim and intimate, giving guests the full fine-dining atmosphere. TOP RIGHT: Did you miss the Kozy Kreamer? This signature dessert is still on the menu. LEFT: Diver scallops are served on a bed of corn, heirloom tomatoes and okra topped with a ginger and lemongrass beurre fondue. ABOVE: Bartender Devon Miller shakes up a cocktail.
selection, and Walmsley said Kozy’s is also creating “classic cocktails with a twist.” Some of the specialty drinks were created based on the favorite drinks of some of the stars whose photos hang at Kozy’s, she said. If you’ve never been to Kozy’s, it’s easy to drive right past the restaurant. It’s an unassuming little building that, except for the sign on the front, looks much like the houses in nearby neighborhoods. But once you’ve visited the new incarnation of Kozy’s, you’re not likely to pass it by again. 13
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HOT NUMBERS
MEXICAN RESTAURANTS SPICE UP THEIR MENUS WITH CREATIVE DISHES AND UNIQUE FLAVORS 14
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BY DONNA CORNELIUS PHOTOS BY MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER AND ROBERT SUTTON
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hen it comes to ethnic food, South of the Border cuisine is a hot choice. Just because Mexican food is familiar to us doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Two Tuscaloosa restaurants have spiced up their menus with fresh new combinations.
JALAPEÑO’S MEXICAN GRILL ABOVE: Jalapeño’s Mexican Grill is known for its specialty dish, Fajita Gumbo, featuring steak, chicken, shrimp, pico de gallo and cheese sauce. Jalapeño’s has three locations, one near Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport, one on New Watermelon Road near Lake Tuscaloosa and its newest at Five Points in Cottondale. RIGHT: A mask on the wall at Jalapeño’s adds to the restaurant’s authentic appeal.
The name of Jalapeño’s signature dish comes from two very different food cultures — Cajun and Mexican — and from a customer. In fact, the restaurant’s Fajita Gumbo ended up on the menu by accident, said Wayne Grimball, who owns Jalapeño’s with his son, Justin Grimball, and Jheovanny Gomez. “It was a dish our chef used to prepare for himself,” Wayne Grimball said. “He was eating it out at the bar, and we had a customer who asked what it was. Then he asked if the chef would fix it for him. “Pretty soon, everybody was asking for it.” Fajita Gumbo is a thick stew-like concoction of marinated chicken, steak and shrimp with Jalapeño’s own pico de gallo (peppers, onions and tomatoes)
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DINING OUT with cheese sauce blended in. Diners often put their own twist on the dish, Gomez said. “People eat it with rice or with chips on top, like a dip with tortillas or just with a spoon,” he said. Grimball said his friend Jimmy Nance came up with the name, a tribute to the dish’s Mexican flavors and Grimball’s roots. Grimball came to Tuscaloosa from Louisiana in 1970, he said. “I’d been in the food business a long time when we opened Jalapeño’s on Temerson Square 10 years ago,” he said. “Jheovanny came in in 2001 and Justin in 2007 after he graduated from the University of Alabama. We brought in a lot of Mexican and Colombian dishes and some of our own.” In 2007, the group moved to a new building in Northport. Next came a Jalapeño’s on New Watermelon Road near Lake Tuscaloosa. The third location in Cottondale is a few months old. Jheovanny Gomez is from Colombia. “I came to the United States in 1999 and went to school and learned English,” he said. “Wayne gave me the chance to be a manager and then a partner.” Gomez worked at his family’s restaurants in Colombia during summers and vacations, he said. Justin Grimball said he didn’t grow up with the goal of joining the family business. He handles the restaurant’s social media outlets and does its computer design, he said. Besides Fajita Gumbo, several other dishes are customer favorites, the owners said. Pechugas Monterey is a thin-sliced chicken filet topped with pico de gallo, jalapeños and melted cheese. “It’s baked in the oven and comes out in a skillet. It has a little purée — a mushroom sauce,” Gomez said. Gomez has brought some Colombian favorites to Jalapeño’s, including empanadas.
GRAPHIC PRINTS IN VIBRANT HUES
COZY WRAP COATS
FLIRTY MINI DRESSES
CHUNKY KNIT CARDIGANS
A Mango Passion Fruit Margarita is one of the specialty drinks at Jalapeños Mexican Grill.
ANIMAL ACCENTS
STATEMENT MAKING SNEAKERS
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“They’re beef and potato turnovers with a deep-fried corn shell,” he said. “Colombian dishes don’t use jalapeños or hot spices. With Mexican, everything is hot.” Margaritas can come with a twist at Jalapeño’s. “People create their own margaritas with two or even three flavors,” Gomez said. “You could combine banana, strawberry, mango, raspberry or watermelon.” Jalapeño’s Sinless Margarita, sweetened with Stevia instead of sugar, making it a lower calorie option. It’s a smart choice for the calorie-conscious — or for those who don’t want to feel guilty about eating a big old bowl of Fajita Gumbo.
TACO MAMA One of Tuscaloosa’s newest restaurants owes its existence to its owner’s travels. Will Haver of Birmingham opened Taco Mama downtown on University Boulevard in March. It’s the restaurant’s second location; the other is in Mountain Brook’s Crestline Village. “Why Mexican? I think it’s because I’d go to Seaside, Fla., and eat at Bud and Alley’s, and they started a taco place. And in my early 20s, I went to California and would eat at Mexican places there,” said Haver, 38. Haver said he studied small-business management at the University of Alabama and began working for Joe and Pam Ezell at Ezell’s Catfish Cabin while he was in school. “I’ve always loved pleasing and serving people,” he said. “We always
ABOVE: A burrito bowl topped with sour cream, cilantro and cheese at Taco Mama on University Boulevard in downtown Tuscaloosa. TOP: Adrian “AD” Holley makes up a drink behind the bar at Taco Mama.
had family nights and would watch movies on Saturdays, and I’d be worried if everybody could see the TV, if they had enough to eat and drink.”
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DINING OUT Haver’s goal for Taco Mama was to come up with healthy Mexican food while still packing in flavor, he said. “We don’t even have a freezer,” he said. At Taco Mama, you can build your own tacos, burritos and burrito bowls, quesadillas and nachos. You pick your main ingredient — grilled shrimp, chorizo or even a veggie mix — and then add all the toppings you want. “I knew I wanted a build-your-own board, with lots of choices,” Haver said. “I wanted to have the best fish taco, so we have grouper, which people don’t expect. Our chicken is done differently, too. It’s pulled and extremely juicy. And our steak is tenderloin.” Those who aren’t in a creative mood can choose a burrito like the Big Client with braised beef called barbacoa plus refried beans, queso, cheddar cheese, tomatoes and mild salsa ranchero. A taco dubbed the Alabama Redneck has roasted pulled pork, ancho chile slaw, avocados, tomatoes and roasted poblano tartar. Taco Mama’s red salsa appeals to kids as well as adults, Haver said. “Our salsa isn’t too hot. There are so many families who come in. Our tomatillo salsa is hotter,” Haver said. The restaurant’s chips are light and crispy with no oily taste. “A Hispanic man and his son opened a company in Atlanta and do
Will Haver, left, owner of Taco Mama, shown with Harry Long, who does public relations and marketing for the restaurant, opened the Tuscaloosa location in March. The first location is in Mountain Brook.
nothing but make tortillas and tortilla chips,” Haver said. “When we opened, they came in and showed us how to cook the best chips. He’s our source.” Like the menu, the building itself is funky and fun. The former auto
2625 University Boulevard. | 205.342.0055 18
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TACO MAMA TOMATILLO SALSA 7½ pounds tomatillos, peeled, rinsed and chopped 10 whole habaneros, stemmed and puréed 1½ tablespoons garlic purée 3 tablespoons kosher salt ½ bunch of cilantro, chopped ½ yellow onion, peeled and chopped ½ cup apple cider vinegar 1 ⁄4 cup honey 1 ⁄4 cup lime juice Blend all ingredients together. Serve with tortilla chips or on top of tacos. Makes 3 quarts.
ABOVE: A colorful menu stands out against the industrial feel of the former auto parts warehouse where Taco Mama is located. Owner Will Haver kept the integrity of the original building. RIGHT: Choose from the menu or select the build-your-own taco option and create a meal with a large selection of toppings and sauces.
parts warehouse has exposed brick walls and a ceiling strung with colorful lights. Glasspaned garage doors can be rolled up when the weather’s nice. Haver said he wanted to bring Taco Mama to Tuscaloosa because the city is “a small community, somewhat like Crestline. You get to know customers’ names.” He has Tuscaloosa roots. His father, Bill Haver, was headmaster at Tuscaloosa Academy before taking the same position at Birmingham’s Altamont School. “My parents and my wife went to UA, too,” he said. His wife, Leigh Kraselsky Haver, was president of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority when she was a student. Harry Long of 81 Shop helps with marketing and public relations. He came up with a Taco Mama character who appears on the restaurant’s Facebook page. “Mama” evidently has a ton of personality. “The Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce wanted to know if Mama could ride in their Christmas parade. I said, ‘You do realize she’s not a real person,’ ” Haver said, smiling. 19
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The Fresh Food Co. on the University of Alabama campus offers a variety of choices, including a pizza and pasta bar.
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campus CUISINE
BAMA DINING GIVES STUDENTS A FULL MENU OF MEALTIME OPTIONS BY DONNA CORNELIUS | PHOTOS BY ERIN NELSON
M
ost people’s favorite college memories include the friends they made, the football games they attended and even favorite professors and classes. But if it’s been awhile since you graduated, chances are campus food didn’t make your “What I Loved about College” list. Today’s University of Alabama students may have a different — and more delicious — experience. Instead of standing in line for slabs of meatloaf and globs of mashed potatoes, students can opt for pizza, Chinese food, chicken wings or fresh salads. They can try international flavors and holiday-themed dishes. This year, student diners can even see chefs at work at UA’s new Fresh Food Co., an edgy new eatery where every station will offer a different dining experience, said A.J. DeFalco, Bama Dining district manager. “Fresh Food Co. has been designed so that even though it’s a large facility, you’ll feel like you’re in an individual restaurant when you sit down,” DeFalco said. “For example, there’s a mural of the Roman Colosseum in the pizza station, and in the salad bar area, you’ll see bright greens and blues.” Bama Dining operates the university’s residential dining halls, retail restaurants and campus convenience stores. Since 1997, UA has contracted with Aramark Corp., a company that provides services not only to
colleges and K-12 schools but also to health care institutions, stadiums, arenas and businesses. UA requires all freshmen to buy Bama Dining meal plans, said Rachel Gnemi, Bama Dining marketing coordinator. But just because Bama Dining has somewhat of a captive audience doesn’t mean the people who run it don’t try to make the menus appealing. “We try to bring fun into the food,” said Chef James Rose, Lakeside Dining Hall location manager. Rose, who lived in Europe for a time while he was growing up, injects international
Head chef Shirley Miles, left, lead prep chef Kimberly Gordon, and R.J. Lepianka at the Fresh Food Co. dining hall on the University of Alabama campus.
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Mixing the Old with the New!
Showroom 3710 Resource Drive Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 205.345.4800 • www.RemmertCompany.com TM_091914_022.indd 22
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flavors into his food. “At Lakeside, I do a tour of the world with food from different countries. We have special days on Thursdays,” he said. Thai, Greek and Italian dishes have been hits with the students, Rose said. And he’s not shy about encouraging timid eaters to branch out. “I get on the mic and try to influence the kids to try new things,” he said. Sharon Mack, Burke Dining Hall location manager, helped a hospitality student plan a special celebration for St. Patrick’s Day. “Ninety percent of the food we served was green — spinach pasta, green eggs and ham,” said Mack, who good-naturedly donned a green tutu for the event. Mack will be location manager for Fresh Food Co. The new two-story facility on Margaret Drive seats 550 people. It has fresh pasta, house-made peanut butter, freshly squeezed orange juice and a 33-item salad bar. The building has indoor and outdoor fireplaces, a brick pizza oven and two walls of garage-style doors that can open to the outside. The nationally known restaurants on campus draw student diners, too. “Students identify with national brands,” said Ken Lamica, Bama Dining retail food ser-
vice director. “They know that whether they order a Wendy’s Single here or in Duluth, Ga., it will taste the same.” The old food service area at UA’s Ferguson Center has been gutted, Lamica said. “The new setup will be more like freestanding restaurants,” he said. At Ferguson and at other dining spots around campus are Chick-fil-A Express, Pizza Hut Express, Subway, Boar’s Head Deli, and Fuel, which has healthy smoothies. Coffee options can be found at Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and Java City. New this year is the installation of Starbucks iCup brewing machines at the Shelby Hall Provisions on Demand facility — called a POD in Bama Dining-speak. “They’re like Keurigs except that they use whole beans that are ground fresh when you get a cup,” Lamica said. Other newcomers to the UA food scene are Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, a fast-food chain founded in Baton Rouge, La., and Panda Express, a Chinese restaurant with another location on Tuscaloosa’s 15th Street. Wendy’s is now at UA, too, and so is Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. “Our Auntie Anne’s is the first on a college
ABOVE: Pamela Sanford uses the Citrocasa machine at the Fresh Food Co. dining hall on the University of Alabama campus to make a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. TOP: The Fresh Food Co. offers a variety of choices for students and faculty, including a salad bar.
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DINING OUT campus,” Lamica said. Another retail construction in the university’s new Presidential Village sector will be called Presidential Terrace. Lamica said Presidential Terrace should open in late September. “It will have an upscale deli, Starbucks, Fuel and a convenience store,” he said. DeFalco, who is also an Aramark regional district manager, said Bama Dining has quadrupled its business in the past seven years. “We had even more opportunities for expansions this summer, and those expansions will take us to about 200 more employees,” DeFalco said. “We’re now in the range of more than 700 employees, including full time, part time and students.” Moving the Fresh Food Co. out of Ferguson and into its own building “opened up about 500 more seats” in the Ferguson dining area, he said. Karen Varieur, Bama Dining food service director and district safety leader, said national restaurants train Aramark employees. “All national brands require training sessions. We sent some employees to
Plano, Texas, for the Raising Cane’s training program and to Wendy’s in Atlanta for eight weeks. Auntie Anne’s trainees go to Lancaster, Pa.,” she said. Bama Dining has a third division: Crimson Catering. Emilyn Freeman is the catering sales director, and Dale Parker is the chef de cuisine. “We do events involving students, faculty and off-campus clients,” Freeman said. “We do most of the events at the President’s Mansion and have done events for trustees and weddings of graduates.” The catering division has “a lot of freedom to customize,” she said. “We keep up with emerging trends. Everything has to have visual interest. We’ve done cotton candy in martini glasses. You pour in fluid, and it dissolves the cotton candy,” Freeman said. Other wow factors at catering events have included crabcake bites on individual serving spoons, macaron towers, hummus in martini glasses, and kids’ stations with sliders and other child-friendly food served on low tables for easy access. Chef Rose said Bama Dining has
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DINING OUT “PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW THAT ANYBODY CAN EAT AT ANY OF THE LOCATIONS. WE HAVE BRUNCH ON SUNDAYS, AND WE’RE OPEN ON GAME DAYS — AND WE HAVE TVS.” — CHEF JAMES ROSE been called “the best-kept secret in Tuscaloosa.” “People may not know that anybody can eat at any of the locations,” he said. “We have brunch on Sundays, and we’re open on game days — and we have TVs. We take cash and credit cards.” Bama Dining’s residential division serves about 50,000 meals per week, Varieur said. “That number will increase when Fresh Foods opens because it will have an additional meal period,” she said. “Lunch is the largest service.” Gnemi said Bama Dining conducts an annual survey that originates from the Aramark corporate office. “We poll students, faculty and staff” about Bama Dining’s food and service, she said. Chef Rose and Parker said they love being able to use their talents to make food flavorful as well as healthy and affordable. “It can be tempting to take the easy way out,” said Parker, who comes from a food family. His grandfather was a sous chef in New York’s Waldorf Hotel, and his grandmother was a pastry assistant there, he said. “But without creativity, food would become boring,” Rose added. While the university’s academics — and of course its athletics — are largely responsible for UA’s increasing enrollment, Bama Dining gets credit for attracting at least one new student. “The father of one girl at orientation said one reason she picked Alabama is because it would have a Panda Express on campus,” Gnemi said. TOP: Southern favorites are always popular, like fried chicken with greens, macaroni and cheese and a cheddar biscuit. RIGHT: The Fresh Food Co. features a large indoor seating area as well as an open window section.
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LOCAL FLAVOR
BY DONNA CORNELIUS PHOTOS BY ERIN NELSON
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GOOD
Taste
GUESTS DINE AND LOCAL CHEFS SHINE AT THE SECOND WEST ALABAMA FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL
TOP: Hotel Capstone featured duck confit crostini with an onion jam and bleu cheese. RIGHT: Tasting glasses bear the logo of the festival.
hen it comes to favorite foods, very rarely does a salad appear on Molly Lusian’s “best of” list. Lusian, who lives in Tuscaloosa, said that changed when she attended the West Alabama Food and Wine Festival on May 8. The second edition of the festival, which benefits the West Alabama chapter of the American Red Cross, was a showcase for local food and drinks. Restaurants, brewers and wine distributors set up at the Cypress Inn Pavilion to offer samples to more than 300 guests. Some chefs presented their trademark dishes, while others came up with bold new creations. Every station had an eager line of diners, and many guests made return trips to go a second round with their favorite foods. For Lusian, Evangeline’s and Epiphany were standouts, she said. “Evangeline’s offered beautiful scallops that were perfect in every way. I had a hard time stepping away from their table,” Lusian said. “Their chef, Brock Hartley, was there serving it up with his signature smile and charm.” The seared scallops were blackened and teamed with avocado, coconut and mango coulis, and a Parmesan crisp. Evangeline’s also had white chocolate and raspberry bread puddings. The salad Lusian liked so much came from Epiphany. “Epiphany showcased their commitment to sustainability with their farmfresh salad with prawns,” she said. “Chef Tres Jackson really knows how to deliver his farm-to-fork menu.” The salad was made with Bon Secour prawns, brown butter, lemongrass, chives and yellow turnip green flowers served on chard, beet tops and other greens. Rob and Mary Finney of Northport highly recommended Southern Ale House’s strawberry shortcake biscuits,
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LOCAL FLAVOR and Mary Johnson Rhodes of Tuscaloosa said she was a fan of Taziki’s pasta salad. “This is the first festival I’ve attended. I love food,” Rhodes said. She and fellow food and drink lovers found plenty to like at the event. Fourteen restaurants, five wine distributors and Druid City Brewing Co. participated this year, an increase over the first festival, said Peter Schmidt, who led the development of the event. Schmidt, Hotel Capstone’s food and beverage director, said participants are free to choose what they serve. “We leave it up to them. We do ask them to give us an outline and tell us whether they’ll be serving something sweet or savory,” he said. Hotel Capstone gave festivalgoers duck confit crostini with onion jam and bleu cheese, while Walnut Hill Designs, a Pickens County-based catering company, dished up shrimp ceviche with okra, mushrooms, olives, and pepperjack, Swiss and cheddar cheeses. There was shrimp étouffée and white chocolate bread pudding from Tin Top, and smoked hot links with pimento cheese topped with sliced serrano peppers from Jim ’N Nick’s. Cypress Inn had catfish po’boys and Oscar filet bites with beef, crab, asparagus and bearnaise sauce. Kozy’s sliders were made with braised Duroc pork belly, chayote slaw, sweet pickles and house-made white barbecue sauce. Wintzell’s cooked up gumbo and rice, La Casa Crimson from Brookwood served shredded chicken quesadillas with chips and salsa, and DePalma’s Italian Cafe had Italian meatballs and white chocolate bread pudding. More sweets came from Mary’s Cakes & Pastries, which handed out cake pops. Dustin Battle, an assistant brewer at Druid City Brewing, was at the festival to offer guests two different beers. “We have a Belgian-style saison, Riverside, that’s tart and fruity, and our signature brew, the Lamplighter IPA. It’s hoppy, citrusy and tropi-
Five wine distributors and Druid City Brewing Co. kept glasses full at the event.
Jim ’N Nick’s served hot links and pimento cheese topped with Serrano peppers served on saltine crackers.
The event was held at the Cypress Inn Pavilion.
cal,” Battle said. Spirits Wine Cellar provided wine pairings. “We had five wine distributors this year and about 70 different wines to try,” Spirits’ Jennifer Bologna said. “The wine offerings included mostly red and white wines. There were a few sparkling wines and a small selection of sweet wines such as Moscato and Riesling. Distributors at the event were Alabama Crown Distributing Co., Grassroots Wine Wholesalers, International Wines & Craft Beer, UnitedJohnson Brothers of Alabama and Pinnacle Imports. Bologna said she liked the festival’s new home, the Cypress Inn Pavilion. “The venue was very nice, particularly the spacious layout allowing patrons and vendors to be both inside and outside, and the event was well-attended,” she said. Schmidt said this year’s festival had an increase not only in attendance and participation but also in the money it raised for the Red Cross. “Last year, we raised about $8,250. This year, we raised more than $10,000,” he said. The festival committee is already getting inquiries about and commitments for next year’s event, Schmidt said. Bev Leigh, the former executive director of the West Alabama chapter of the Red Cross and a festival board member, said plans are already well under way for the 2015 festival. It’s set for May 6 and will again be held at the Cypress Inn Pavilion, which Leigh said was a “great venue.” “Drew Henson from the Cypress Inn has really gotten on board with this, and he’d like for us to have more food and wine vendors along the river next year,” he said. “We want to find ways to make the festival bigger and better and be able to support the Red Cross even more.” 27
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SPIRITS
JONES SCOTT JONES TAKES A NO-SNOBBERY APPROACH TO WINE EDUCATION
... knows wine BY DONNA CORNELIUS PHOTOS BY MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
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Scott Jones, owner of Jones Is Thirsty, puts on wine tastings for gatherings of all sizes.
hether you’re already a wine lover or want to be one, Scott Jones is a good person to know. Jones, a food and wine professional who lives in Hoover, shares his knowledge and enthusiasm for wine through his company, Jones Is Thirsty. He puts on tasting sessions for groups of all sizes. But whether he’s talking to small gatherings of friends or at large corporate events, his mantra is “no snobbery.” “The tastings are a way for folks to have fun and ask questions,” Jones said. “You get experience without intimidation.” Jones knows wine — and food, too. He’s an author, journalist, chef and the former executive food editor of Southern Living. He’s been writing and talking about wine for more than 10 years. “Tasting sessions can be from six to 200 people,” Jones said. “It’s up to the person’s imagination. I can work with any budget and any location, whether it’s a kitchen in someone’s home, a hunting camp or on the Quad during a big football weekend.” His corporate customers find the tastings a good way to put employees or clients at ease, he said. “Business people may go in thinking ‘I hope this event allows me to impress my clients’ and come away saying ‘I really had fun and learned a lot.’ ” Jones recently was in Tuscaloosa to put on a wine tasting at Jack and Louise Gambrell’s house in The Townes of North River. The Gambrells invited their neighbors, Pattie and Frank Bonner, and Jack’s sister, Donna Lushington, to share in the experience.
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SPIRITS
The hosts and their guests brought food for the event (see our Foodie News section in this issue for photos and recipes), which Jones said isn’t uncommon for in-home events. He likes for guests to feel free to eat — as well as drink and be merry — while he’s pouring samples and talking about wine, he said. At the tasting for the Gambrells’ group, Jones started with a sparkling wine. “All champagne is sparkling wine, but all sparkling wine is not champagne,” he told the group. “With sparkling wine, you really want it cold. If it froths when you open it, it’s not chilled properly.” Next up was a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile followed by two red wines. As he poured, Jones talked about each wine and answered questions. “We tend to serve our white wines too cold and our red wines too warm,” he told the tasters. “When white wine is served too cold, the flavors are muted. You don’t want to see condensation on the
glass.” He advised putting red wine in the refrigerator for a few minutes before serving it. “Feel the bottle — it should feel cool,” he said. He also gave suggestions for good food pairings. “The context of my company is to think about wine with food,” he said. “White burgundy is so good in the summertime with grilled salmon or roasted pork.” La Tribu, a red wine that’s a blend of syrah, Grenache and monastrell, is “a great food wine,” Jones said. “I love this wine with Dreamland ribs, a pulled pork sandwich or fajitas.” The Gambler, a Malbec from Argentina, “would be the one I’d serve with a bigger piece of meat — lamb or beef,” he said. He put his guests at ease when he asked them to describe the flavors in the wines they tasted. “You might hear people say a wine tastes like gooseberries. I’ve don’t think I’ve ever had a gooseberry, so I don’t know what that tastes like,” he said, smiling. “Use your own taste memory.” Jones also talked about the regions where the wines were made, ways to identify different wines — a classic flavor component of a syrah, he said, is cracked black pepper — and winemaking methods. “Do you ever have people say they buy wines by the labels?” Louise Gambrell wanted to know. “Only about 75 percent,” Jones said, laughing. “Marketing is a big part of the wine industry today. Who doesn’t want to buy a wine with a cute name like Cupcake?” Jones finished with glasses of Malvaxia Passito, an awardwinning dessert wine made by Virginia’s Barboursville Vineyards. “The rule with dessert wine is this: It has to be sweeter than the dessert,” he said. “How many times have you been to a family reunion and had sweet iced tea with your fried chicken and TOP: Scott Jones fills tasting glasses with a sparkling wine, one butterbeans? Then you eat of several choices for the evening. a very rich dessert, and sudABOVE: From left, Pattie Bonner, denly that sweet tea doesn’t Louise Gambrell, Frank Bonner, Jones, Jack Gambrell and Donna have a sweet taste anymore. Lushington toast at the tasting. It’s the same with wine.” Lushington said she liked that kind of practical advice from Jones.
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SPIRITS
“It’s nice to learn about finding the best wine for your meals,” Lushington said. “Scott was so knowledgeable — and entertaining, too.” Pattie Bonner said she appreciated Jones’ wine wisdom and his approach. “He’s such a nice person, and he shares what he knows without being pretentious,” Bonner said. Jones recently partnered with Neverthirst, a Birmingham-based charitable agency that provides clean water to the poor through local churches. The goal of Jones Is Thirsty is to build a well for a Cambodian village, Jones said. “I think it’s important for my company to have a role in helping to alleviate real thirst in the world,” he said.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.JONESISTHIRSTY.COM. YOU CAN ALSO DONATE TO NEVERTHIRST ON THE WEBSITE. TWO DONORS WILL WIN A TASTING FOR SIX PEOPLE, SCOTT JONES SAID.
ABOVE AND RIGHT: Guests sample a Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc from Chile as Scott Jones gives advice on food pairings and answers questions about the featured wines.
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A LA CARTE
bringing home the
BACON RAMA JAMA’S MONSTER BLT TOASTS THE TIDE’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS BY DONNA CORNELIUS PHOTO BY ROBERT SUTTON
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hen the University of Alabama played Georgia State University last fall, it wasn’t much of a fight — on the field. On the sidelines, however, a battle of a different kind was taking place. An ESPN reporter took on a sandwich. The sandwich won. This wasn’t some tame and easily eatable PB&J but Rama Jama’s 15-strip National Championship BLT. Gary Lewis, the restaurant’s owner, said he first cooked up the sandwich as a tribute to the Tide’s 13th national title. Since then, UA has won two other championships, so the bacon count is climbing. “ESPN wanted me to eat it on the field at the Georgia State game,” Lewis said. “I refused.” The reason? The BLT is messy as well as massive, and Lewis said he didn’t want to wind up covered in bacon debris and mayonnaise on national television. “The reporter didn’t come close to finishing it,” Lewis said. Besides a heaping helping of
crispy bacon, the National Championship BLT has double the usual amounts of tomatoes and lettuce piled between three slices of Texas toast — plus dollops of mayo. It takes a pretty hefty appetite to eat the whole thing. “I tell people who order it that there are no to-go boxes,” Lewis said. “That’s added pressure.” When an intrepid soul orders the BLT, fellow customers usually turn to gawk. “People will say, ‘What in the world is that?’ ” Lewis said. Some take photos of the sandwich to post on Facebook or Instagram. There’s even a
YouTube video that shows a diner facing off with the BLT. “Everybody eats it differently,” Lewis said. “Some take it apart and spread it out, and some just dive right in.” This fall, Rama Jama’s is celebrating its 19th birthday — or, as Lewis said, its 19th season. “We say ‘season’ because of what’s right across the street,” he said, referring to Bryant-Denny Stadium. Fans will be thrilled if the Tide brings home the bacon again this year. And Lewis won’t mind at all if he has to toss another strip on what’s already a pile of pork. 33
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FOODIE NEWS BY DONNA CORNELIUS, THE SNOOTY FOODIE | PHOTOS BY MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
POP ART As long as there are room mothers planning class parties, cupcakes will never go out of style. But the fab flavor of the moment is a French meringuebased confection that looks like a posh little sandwich cookie. The treats, made with finely ground almonds or almond flour, are dyed with pastel food coloring and have matching or complementary fillings. They’re called — well, that’s a raging debate. The old “you say potato, I say potahto” thing (who the heck says “potahto,” anyway?) pales in comparison to the great macaroon/macaron controversy. In case you have somehow missed this battle, each term has its backer. In desperation, I turned to the friendly folks at Bon Appetit magazine. Here’s their answer: “Macaron! Macaroons are made with coconut.” So to all you folks who are still calling macarons macaroons: Hey-O! If you have successfully made macarons, you have my admiration. I toyed with the idea until my son began to read me the recipe. By the time he got to “and this step is really, really crucial” for the third time, I decided the process involved at least two too many crucial steps for me. Luckily, you can find picture-perfect macarons at Mary’s Cakes & Pastries in Northport. Buy them in lemon, strawberry, chocolate and other variations — or ask Mary to mix them up. They’re almost too pretty to eat. But force yourself.
GAME-DAY GEAR Self-respecting foodies give as much thought to their tailgating tables as they do to their game-day outfits. Toss those foil containers and grab good-looking gear for your get-togethers on the Quad. Transport your crowd-pleasing creations in a red and white chevron-striped casserole carrier ($31.50). For tasteful little spreads, you’ll need the houndstooth picnic cooler that comes with plates, forks, napkins, glasses, a wine bottle opener and a cheese spreader ($68). Both are available at Bow Regards on McFarland Boulevard.
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FOODIE NEWS
OIL IN THE FAMILY HITTING THE SAUCE There’s nothing wrong with serving the usual suspects — hamburgers and hot dogs — at game-day affairs. But there’s no excuse for trotting out the same old condiments. With all due respect to Heinz, a fellow named Sir Kensington, whoever he may be, has the edge when it comes to ketchup. Made with pressed tomatoes, raw cane sugar and lime juice, Sir Kensington’s Gourmet Ketchup has a taste that’s rich yet lively. Try the classic or spiced versions — as well as Sir K’s Spicy Brown Mustard. At Manna Grocery. Sometimes store brands have one good quality: They’re cheap. But I’ve found Target’s in-house line much better than average. Its Archer Farms Ketchup with Habanero Pepper and Mango combines heat and sweet as does its Archer Farms Cranberry Horseradish Mustard. I’m the first to admit that as mayonnaise goes, Hellman’s is hard to beat. But to switch things up, give Lee’s Tokyo Sauce a try. It’s mayonnaisebased, but it’s also got vinegar, lemon juice and spices. At Publix. Jerry Seinfeld claims he’s never had a really good pickle. I’ll bet he’s never tried cornichons, small, tart pickles made from tiny cucumbers called gherkins. I read that no cheese or charcuterie platter is complete without them. That may be; I’m happy just to eat them out of the jar. At Publix.
My mom learns all kinds of interesting things at her bridge games, one of which is the benefits of avocado oil. I did some research and found that avocado oil does indeed have a ton of healthy qualities, which I will not bore you with here, and also has a high smoke point, making it ideal for frying. Best of all, it tastes better than most supermarket-brand olive oils. Combine it with some nice balsamic vinegar to dress a salad. At Manna Grocery.
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FOODIE NEWS
TIPS FOR TAILGATERS Louise Gambrell and Pattie Bonner came up with some tasty appetizers for the wine tasting Gambrell hosted in July — but these dishes are equally good for game-day gatherings. Gambrell said she found her recipes at Taste of Home’s website. For the antipasto kabobs, you can follow the directions below or add your own ingredients, like cheese cubes, mushrooms or cherry tomatoes. Make the mozzarella and tomato salad while tomatoes are in season for an even fresher taste. Bonner brought stuffed mushrooms, which are likely to disappear in record time. Don’t expect her blue cheese-and-pear-topped toast and her colorful shrimp and avocado salad to last long among hungry football fans, either.
SHRIMP AND AVOCADO SALAD WITH FRESH LIME CILANTRO DRESSING 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice 3 tablespoons olive oil ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped Pinch of salt Dash of fresh cracked pepper 1½ tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar glaze 2 pounds medium-size shrimp, boiled, peeled and deveined 2-3 avocados Make cilantro dressing: Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar glaze. Pour cilantro dressing over cooked shrimp. Marinate shrimp in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Peel avocados and chop into large chunks. Toss avocado in bowl with marinated shrimp and serve.
ANTIPASTO KABOBS 1 9-ounce package refrigerated cheese tortellini 40 pimento-stuffed olives 40 large pitted ripe olives ¾ cup Italian salad dressing 40 thin slices pepperoni 20 thin slices hard salami, halved Fresh parsley sprigs, optional Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine tortellini, olives and salad dressing. Seal bag and turn to coat ingredients. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Drain and discard marinade. For each appetizer, thread a stuffed olive, folded pepperoni slice, tortellini, folded salami piece, ripe olive and parsley sprig if desired on a toothpick or short skewer. Makes 40 appetizers.
STUFFED MUSHROOMS 1 pound pork sausage, browned and drained 8-ounce package of fat-free cream cheese 1 ⁄4 cup panko bread crumbs (any bread crumbs will do) 1 teaspoon of Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning 1 dash of Tabasco 2 containers white mushrooms, washed and stems removed Freshly grated Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 375-400 degrees. While sausage is warm, mix it with cream cheese, bread crumbs, Creole seasoning and Tabasco. Generously stuff each mushroom with sausage mixture. Place mushrooms on a baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes or until sausage mixture slightly bubbles and mushrooms are cooked. Remove from oven, sprinkle grated cheese on each and serve.
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FOODIE NEWS
FOOD ON THE TUBE
STILL A WINNER
JUNIOR LEAGUE COOKBOOK:
When it comes to cookbooks, you can in fact judge a book by its cover — and by the numbers of pages splattered with cake batter or spotted with tomato sauce. The shabbier a recipe book’s appearance, the more likely it is to be a favorite. Copies of “Winning Seasons,” a collection of favorite dishes published by the Junior League of Tuscaloosa, are likely to be downright ratty. That’s because since the book was first published in 1978, it’s been the go-to source for many a West Alabama cook. The pages of “Winning Seasons” offer lots of fun as well as delicious recipes. Just leafing through the book makes you remember the days when women were referred to by their husbands’ names (“Mrs. John Jones” rather than “Mary Jones”) and when many products weren’t readily available at the supermarket (a recipe for eggnog ice cream advises you to call the “plant or store and place order early”). A footnote to the instructions for making nonalcoholic Presbyterian Punch says “A fifth of rum may be added with the ginger ale. But in that case, change the name!” If you don’t have “Winning Seasons,” or if your copy is positively worn out, call the Junior League office, 205-345-7416. You can often find the book at Amazon and other online booksellers, too.
The Cornelius household suffered a crisis recently when our TV receiver bit the dust. Although we soon had our service back, all my carefully recorded DVR’d shows vanished into cyberspace. While I was devastated to lose my recording of Mark Ingram’s Heisman Trophy acceptance speech, which never failed to bring a tear to my eye, and the Disney classic movies I’d painstakingly accumulated for my granddaughter, I was most upset to lose my food shows. Gone were episodes of Alton Brown’s now-defunct “Good Eats” and inspirational shows like “Best Thing I Ever Made.” These tragic losses made me realize one unfortunate truth: I’m addicted to food TV, especially when it involves cooking competitions. My favorite no-knives-barred rivalries are Bravo’s “Top Chef,” which pits up-and-coming chefs against each other, and its spinoff, “Top Chef Masters,” mostly because its host, Curtis Stone, is, in culinary lingo, a hunk. I like “MasterChef,” too, but prefer the U.K. version over its American cousin because the British folks behave in a much more civilized manner. And they’re funny, too. Host Gregg Wallace told one would-be winner: “Ah, mate. That’s the sort of thing I would dip my head in” (thankfully, Gregg is bald) and advised judge John Torode, who’d evidently had his fill of contestants’ desserts, to “get your pudding spoon out and man up.” Gordon Ramsay, co-host of Fox’s “MasterChef,” doesn’t use very gentlemanly language. Neither do the contestants on another Ramsay show, “Hell’s Kitchen.” It seems when they’re are on camera, half of what they say is bleeped out. I’m thinking, do you people not have mothers? And are these mothers not watching the show? I can’t stay away from “Food Network Star,” although I’ve held a grudge since Birmingham’s Martie Duncan didn’t win in Season 8. And then there’s everybody’s fave food fray: “Chopped,” the Food Network contest that presents four chefs with baskets full of improbable fixings and then expects these poor souls to come up with dishes that are tasty and attractively presented. Chefs have been faced such unlikely plate-fellows as root beer schnapps and ostrich tenderloin, string cheese and soba noodles, and Thai basil and marinated cippolini onions. Curtis Stone
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FOODIE NEWS
EPICUREAN EVENTS BREAKIN’ BREAD LOCAL FLAVOR FESTIVAL
NATIONAL SHRIMP FESTIVAL
BIRMINGHAM, OCT. 5
Autumn is one of the best times to head to the beach — particularly when you can go to a fun foodie event like the annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores. The free festival has art, crafts, a retail marketplace, music, a children’s activity village — and shrimp, of course. Special events include a restaurant challenge and sand sculpture contest For more information, visit myshrimpfest.com.
The Birmingham Originals’ Breakin’ Bread Local Flavor Festival features more than 40 independent Birmingham restaurants, breweries and wine samplings. The Birmingham Originals is a group of locally owned, independent restaurants in the Birmingham area. Among its members are Hot and Hot Fish Club, Vittoria and Bottega. This year’s event is set for Oct. 5 from 1-5 p.m. at Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham. All tickets include unlimited food and age-appropriate drink tastings, activities and live musical entertainment. General admission tickets for adults 21 and older are $50. Special tickets are available for $20 for ages 12-20. Children younger than 12 get in free. A limited number of VIP tickets are available. VIP tickets, $100, include access to the VIP area featuring covered seating, wait service and special drink selections. For tickets, visit www.birminghamoriginals.org. The festival benefits Birmingham area charities.
GULF SHORES, OCT. 9-12
Alton Brown
The National Shrimp Festival
ALTON BROWN TOUR BIRMINGHAM, OCT. 23 If you know Food Network, you know Alton Brown from “Good Eats,” “Food Network Star,” “Cutthroat Kitchen” and “Iron Chef.” He’s taking his show on the road with Alton Brown Live: The Edible Inevitable Tour, and he’s stopping at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. The two-hour show is billed as a blend of comedy, food experimentation and even music. Brown will choose culinary assistants from the audience, too. Tickets are $33.25 and $76.55 and available through Ticketmaster and the BJCC Central Ticket Office. For more information, visit www. altonbrowntour.com.
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AT HOME
ROOMS WITH A
VIEW
A DOWNTOWN LANDMARK GETS NEW LIFE AS THE TOWER LUXURY APARTMENTS BY DONNA CORNELIUS PHOTOS BY ROBERT SUTTON
Designer Trisha Conyers created a serene colorscape inside one of the new luxury lofts at The Tower.
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AT HOME
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uscaloosa’s first office tower has a new lease on life. The PNC Bank building at the corner of University Boulevard and Greensboro Avenue now has uptown style as well as a downtown location. The Tower apartments, with 106 units, should be open by Christmas, said Will Yandell, one of the owners. Yandell and John Glassell are partners in Heritage Land and Development Co. LLC, based in Memphis, Tenn. The company recently completed a similar project in Memphis, turning the former National Cotton Council headquarters into an apartment building. Yandell said he was in Tuscaloosa to visit his son, then a University of Alabama student, when the PNC Bank building caught his eye. “We were having dinner at Chuck’s Fish, and I was looking for a building,” Yandell said. “I decided to see if that one was available.” The Tower will offer studio and one-, two- and probably threebedroom apartments, storage units in the basement and a gym/workout area, he said. PNC Bank will remain on the building’s first floor, and a law office also will stay in the building, Yandell said. The apartments will be on floors 2-11. Distinctive design isn’t something most rental units can claim. But at The Tower, residents won’t live in identical spaces, said designer Trisha Conyers, who was brought on board a few months ago. “Each floor has its eccentricities and peculiarities,” she said. Conyers said the project inspired a design philosophy. “My new motto is: ‘It is what it is, and we need to embrace it,’ ” said Conyers, who owns Trisha Conyers Interior Design in Tuscaloosa. “This is an iconic building built in 1925. If we try to make it look like anything other than what it is, it’s a mistake.” To that end, she and the owners decided not just to retain many of
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TOP AND ABOVE: PNC Bank, which formerly housed Merchants, First National and AmSouth banks, is being remodeled and converted into apartments. The Tower Apartments name references the tower that Coach Paul W. “Bear” Bryant used to watch practice. These “before photos” were shot on April 30, 2014.
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FROM THIS ...
the building’s original elements but to make them selling points. Floors, for example, combine heart pine, concrete and mosaic tile, some hexagonal and some postage stampsized. “You’ll see concrete bands running through the hardwood. That’s where walls used to be,” Conyers said. On the upper parts of apartment walls and on the ceilings is original terra-cotta tile. Ceiling ductwork was left exposed, and track lights were installed for an industrial vibe. “The 11th floor has 20-foot-tall ceilings, but the floors that have 10-feet ceilings are still fantastic,” Conyers said. Each apartment is an exterior unit, she said, with at least four — and sometimes six or eight — tall, deep windows. “The windows are one of the building’s biggest assets,” Conyers said. The windows also offer residents a variety of views: University Boulevard, Greensboro Avenue, the Black Warrior River, the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater and even Bryant-Denny Stadium. “At night, you can see the city lights popping like fireworks,” Conyers said. Yandell said his company worked with the National Register of Historic Places to make the fourth and seventh floors “historic floors.” “We kept the original hallways, original tile and took up the carpeting. We have the original marble on the walls,” he said. “We also kept glass panels that were in the walls. We’ll put Sheetrock behind them to fireproof them. We saved the original doors whenever possible. Some will be faux; others will be working doors.”
... TO THIS
The Tower is offering hard hat tours of the building, with several model apartments open, Conyers said. She designed the model units with a contemporary style that may make some visitors feel they’ve stumbled into an episode of “Million Dollar Listing New York.” “Vintage is more powerful when it’s juxtaposed against modern,” she said. Conyers chose Silestone quartz countertops, Kenmore stainless steel appliances, Delta Cassidy Collection fixtures and understated colors for all the apartments. “We have sophisticated finishes and fixtures,” she said. “We wanted clean, light, serene colors. The feeling is vibe-y but serene and luxurious, too.” In the one-bedroom model apartment on the 11th floor, a charcoal sectional sofa can seat five people comfortably, Conyers said. She found the sofa and much of the furniture for the model units at Havertys in Tuscaloosa. “When you get home, you’ll want to get a glass of wine, stretch out on the sofa, put your feet up and watch a movie,” she said. Three cube-shaped ottomans can be used for seating or as tables. A tall mirror with black button details “accentuates and exaggerates the ceiling height,” Conyers said. Kitchen cabinets are painted gray. “I had the painters paint the walls that same color above the cabinets up to 120 inches, the same height as the ledge above the windows. It’s an inexpensive way to draw the eye up,” Conyers said. She put vintage Ralph Lauren bar stools at the kitchen bar, which has a 10-inch overhang to accommodate diners, she said. The apartment’s almost-sheer white
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AT HOME
curtains are simple but were a challenge to find, she said. “I needed 24 panels for 120-inch curtains. No one had them, so I went to Google and found halfprice drapes.com. I got these for $40 a panel for white linen curtains with pole pockets. If you put your curtains on poles, you can smush them together and make an impact,” Conyers said. The gauzy curtains blow in the breeze when the windows are open, she said. “Where else in Tuscaloosa can you have curtains that billow like in your grandmother’s house?” she asked.
Conyers also installed the curtains on a bedroom wall behind the bed. The bed’s entire frame is covered in gray velvet. “We downplayed the look with a tufted vintagelook coverlet in white cotton. Folded at the foot of the bed is a curtain that’s used as a band of color. I added a white duvet for softness,” she said. In the model studio apartment, Conyers crafted end tables from white wooden columns topped with upside-down travertine squares. An Amalfi sofa converts to a bed. Ivory slipper chairs and pewter ottomans add other seating options. The two-bedroom model unit has a tufted
ABOVE: Designer Trisha Conyers crafted end tables from white wooden columns topped with upside-down travertine squares. An Amalfi sofa converts to a bed. Ivory slipper chairs and pewter ottomans add other seating options. OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP LEFT: One of the new apartments in the process of renovation. BELOW RIGHT: This artist’s rendering shows what the foyer on each floor will look like.
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Š 2014 Alabama Power Company
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AT HOME
RESOURCES DESIGNER
Trisha Conyers trishaconyersinteriordesign. com 205-496-2166
JUST ADD SHUTTERS INC. 205-752-3476
HAVERTYS
Chet Deacon, sales associate 205-556-2100
KEN HARRIS
Professional installer: draperies, art and mirrors 205-792-3588
COUNTERTOPS INC. Ken and Tess Jones 205-333-1032
TOP LEFT: Making an impact on the wall is a pair of oversized contemporarystyle paintings in brown and cream. TOP RIGHT: Some original elements of the building remain intact such as the mailboxes and locks. ABOVE: The bed frame is covered in gray velvet, and bedding is crisp and white. CENTER: Conyers’ inspiration pieces for the design.
hemp-colored sofa and side chair. Making an impact on the wall is an oversized contemporary-style painting in brown and cream. The Tower’s common areas didn’t get pedestrian treatment. In the elevator lobbies, oversized floor numbers will be painted or hung on the walls. In each hallway, a gray horizontal stripe will intersect with each door. “The doors turn to white, and they’ll have very graphic apartment numbers on the bottom,” Conyers said. Black and white artwork of Tuscaloosa scenes will hang in the hallways, she said. Yandell said The Tower may offer some furnished apartments. “We want to attract alumni, graduate students, young professionals and college professors,” he said. Yandell said he’d like to have a restaurant in the building’s basement and also hopes to add an indoor gathering place for residents. In the meantime, a courtyard in back of the building can be used for parties, he said. The project is an approximately $15 million investment, Yandell said. The apartment building’s name comes in part from its history. Designed by architect D.O. Whilldin, who designed about 60 other buildings in the Tuscaloosa area, the structure was the city’s first high-rise office tower. Conyers said the owners also wanted to pay tribute to the tower that football coach Paul W. “Bear” Bryant used on the UA practice field. “The owners are very sensitive to Tuscaloosa history,” she said. Rental prices will range from $875 to $1,795, according to Tammy Wyble, property management president of Arlington Properties, which will handle leasing for The Tower.
CINDY AND LARRY HEAD Flooring contractors 601-487-8351
PAINT
Walls: Olympic Whispering Wind; accent color: Valspar Rocky Bluffs; ceiling: Valspar National Trust for Historic Preservation Homestead Resort Parlor Taupe
COUNTERTOPS:
Silestone in Lagoon
OWNERS:
John Glassell and Will Yandell III, Heritage Land and Development Co. LLC 901-763-3333
PROJECT SUPERINTENDENT:
Brian D. DuBose Standard Builders Inc. 901-508-2816
ELECTRICAL:
Steven Bailey Bailey Electrical Contracting 601-487-8351
ARLINGTON PROPERTIES: Kara S. Harton Tuscaloosa leasing agent 205-349-2200 Tammy M. Wyble President, property management 205-397-6837 Andrea M. Ollinger Director of operations 205-328-9600
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TRAVEL
bgrape
escape TAKE A WEEKEND GETAWAY TO THE OZAN VINEYARD FOR TOURS, TASTINGS — AND TRAIN RIDES, TOO BY DONNA CORNELIUS PHOTOS BY ROBERT SUTTON
O
Jim Owens of Birmingham samples a glass of wine at Ozan Vineyard.
n a warm June day, three University of Alabama sorority sisters said they were a little surprised to find themselves sipping wine in Shelby County. The young women, sisters Kayla and Molly Lisenby from Tuscaloosa and Caitlin Corsetti, who lives in New York, had stumbled across Ozan Vineyard and Wine Cellars in Calera. A fellow Alpha Omicron Pi member was getting married in Wilsonville, and the three were looking for a place to eat lunch before the wedding. “We saw the signs for the wine trail,” Kayla Lisenby said. “We didn’t even know there were vineyards in Alabama.” Ozan, with a winery that sits atop a gentle hill overlooking the vineyards, is a nice surprise — not just for visitors but also for its owner, Burt Patrick. He started the enterprise with his father, Roger Patrick. “We didn’t know we could grow grapes in Alabama, we didn’t know we could make wine from them, and we didn’t know people would want to buy the wine and come to visit,” Burt Patrick said. The Patrick family came to Alabama from South Carolina in the 1850s, he said. “They got this property through land
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TRAVEL
IF YOU GO WHERE: OZAN IS IN CALERA, ABOUT A MILE OFF INTERSTATE 65. CALL: 205-668-6926. WEB: WWW.OZAN WINE.COM, OR CHECK OUT THE OZAN FACEBOOK PAGE
grants,” he said. “My ancestors sold fruit trees from a wagon in the late 1800s, probably grapes.” The Patricks opened the winery about eight years ago. Now, it’s one of four on the Shelby County Wine Trail. Others are Bryant Vineyard in Talladega, Morgan Creek Vineyards in Harpersville and Vizzini Farms Winery in Calera. On the day the sorority sisters were sampling wine in the tasting room, another group of young couples from Prattville had signed up for a tour, which started in the winery’s cellar room. “We have a crush pad to crush peaches and grapes,” Patrick told the group. “A fruit slurry comes into large tanks and ferments there.” Then, he said, the wine is “racked off” — a process that gets rid of sediment — and put into barrels. Out in the vineyards, Patrick showed his visitors a grape cluster. Ozan grows and makes wine from Norton red wine grapes, not muscadine grapes, Patrick said. “They’re disease- and pest-resistant,” he said. “They make a decent dry red wine. We have about 25 acres, five planted in grapes.” Ozan makes wines from other fruits, such as Chilton County’s famous peaches. Wine tastings include white, red, specialty and dessert wines. Staff members Paige Blake, who also handles special events and catering at Ozan, and Kimberly Thomas bring out samples of wines such as Ozan de Peche, a classically barrelaged white wine; the semisweet Peach, made with Chilton County peaches, or Magenta, a prickly pear wine; and the 11 Cabernet Sauvignon, a barrel-aged dry reserve red wine. Kayla Lisenby said she and her friends had done “the whole tasting.” “The semisweets are pretty amazing,” she said. Denise Lawson and Walker Payne from Tuscaloosa also
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TOP LEFT: Norton grapes hang on the vine at Ozan Vineyard and Wine Cellars. TOP RIGHT: Custom corks with the vineyard’s logo. CENTER: Guests enjoy the covered deck, which is available for weddings and other gatherings. LEFT: Molly Lisenby, left, Kayla Lisenby, center, and Caitlin Corsetti, right, enjoy a glass of wine.
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TRAVEL traveled to Ozan to spend the day. “I had been here before and wanted him to see the process,” Lawson said. “I love wine.” Visitors can bring their own food or buy picnic plates at the winery and then eat and drink on the covered porch. Fans spin lazily overhead, and ceiling beams are strung with white fairy lights. Wine barrels are used as tables, and rosemary and olive trees in pots give the outdoor area a Mediterranean atmosphere. Ozan also hosts weddings and other private events. While it’s not unusual for vineyards to offer tours and tastings, not many offer train rides. Guests can catch a ride on a Heart of Dixie Railroad steam train. The tracks run through the Ozan property. The area’s railroads, in fact, gave the vineyard its name. “Ozan is a spot on the map that was a water stop for the railroad about 100 years ago,” Patrick said. “The steam engines would stop here to get water.” Riders make their way through the arbors and down to the tracks. Usually, there are already passengers on board who got on at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera. As the train approaches the Ozan stop, it’s like a scene from the past as a bell rings and the whistle blows. Nattily dressed engineers usher passengers into open-air and closed cars. “It’s about a 45-minute ride on a real train,” Patrick said. “We’ve been working with the Heart of Dixie Railroad so that guests can get on and ride. We don’t have tastings on the train right now but hope to have them in the future.” Other plans include finding a good white wine grape that’s not a muscadine, Patrick said. That’s a challenge because most white wine grapes “bloom too early for Alabama,” he said. Ozan will soon be producing a bourbon barrel-aged apple wine, too, once the bourbon barrels Patrick has ordered arrive. “That wine should be ready in October,” he said. Patrick, an Auburn University graduate, said he’s a self-taught winemaker. “I live in Atlanta. We sell wine in Mississippi and Alabama, so I’m traveling a lot. We’re in ABC stores and at Carpe Vino in Tuscaloosa,” he said. Patrick is frequently at the winery, as are his parents, who live right next door to the vineyards. “My mom, Shelby, has the best taste buds,” he said. Our Shelby Blanc is named for her and for Shelby County.”
ABOVE: From left, Paige Blake, Ozan Winery co-owner Burt Patrick and Kimberly Thomas. TOP: In addition to wine tastings and other events, guests at the winery can take a ride on a Heart of Dixie Railroad steam train that runs through the Ozan property.
THE OZAN MAGENTARITA Ozan Magenta wine, made from prickly pear fruit, is great on its own and in this recipe from the winery’s tasting room. It’s a tasty riff on Budweiser’s popular Lime-a-Rita. One 12-ounce can of limeade concentrate 2 cups of orange juice 3 bottles of Ozan Magenta wine Mix and pour into glasses that have been rimmed with salt. Makes 2 quarts. 49
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INDULGENCES
GOING
to MARKET
Take the ultimate shopping trip to the place where your favorite local boutiques find your new favorite things
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
H
ave you ever fallen in love with an item at a boutique and asked where they found such a great piece, only to be told they found it at market? What is this magical “market” where so many boutiques and larger stores do their shopping? Recently, I was invited to join Christy White, owner of Christy’s Boutique in Northport, for a shopping trip much larger than anyone could ever prepare me for. Don’t get me wrong, I like to shop, but imagine a place with floors upon floors
loaded with aisle after aisle of merchandise. This is a real place, located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, called AmericasMart. AmericasMart, founded in January 1957 by architect and developer John C. Portman, occupies four buildings connected by walkways. Buyers can travel the 7.7 million square feet of facilities without going outside. A variety of products are available including gifts, home furnishings, apparel and accessories. More than 548,000 people participate in the 15 markets held at AmericasMart each year, and they can visit more than 1,400 permanent showrooms as well as more
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INDULGENCES LEFT: A model shows off a look during The Daily Strut featuring Basically Me inside Atlanta’s Apparel Mart. BELOW: Racks of apparel by Sigal Levi from 2tee Couture and Noa Elle. CENTER: Christy White shops inside L&B Creations for wholesale accessories. BOTTOM: Jina Han, White and her mother, Eloise Wilson, look at new fashions by Joy Han.
than 2,500 temporary exhibits. In the food chain of retail, this is the start of the shopping process for many stores, including boutiques in the Tuscaloosa area. Stepping inside AmericasMart feels like entering a city within the city. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, like a shopping mall wonderland. The Mart is closed to the general public. Buyers, as well as guests and media, must register in advance and check in upon arrival. Christy navigated us through the stacked floors of the Atlanta Apparel Mart, in AmericasMart Building 3, with confidence and ease. The Apparel Mart opened in 1979. It features just enough floors of apparel and accessories to make your head spin and heart race with excitement. Christy opened her self-named boutique about five years ago. She said her first time coming to market was overwhelming but that she now knows where to go. She usually spends about two to three exhausting days at market. Her first day is spent shopping a handful of her regular vendors. Our first stop was at Joy Han. Han offers three lines, Voom by Joy Han, VaVa by Joy Han, and James & Joy. Jina Han, chief operating officer, gave a glimpse into what their part, as a vendor, is like. Every other month they take merchandise to markets around the country, such as Atlanta, Las Vegas, Dallas, New York and Los Angeles. Sellers with Joy Han’s business attend the Atlanta market for four days. Jina said the more vendors there are at a show, the more buyers it brings. With the thousands of options at Atlanta’s market, buyers are traveling from all over the country to get the goods. Over the next two to three days, Christy continues her shopping and checks out what’s new. Her goal is to find different pieces that will be not be found at every other Tuscaloosa boutique. She usually buys a small amount of each item, “so you don’t see yourself everywhere you go.” Christy shops at AmericasMart at least six times a year and, like most buyers, is always shopping a season ahead. Another vendor we visited with is owner and designer of
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WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT TUSCALOOSA WITH BUFFALO ROCK'S 20 PLUS YEAR EMPLOYEES. WE WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND SERVICE.
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK TM_091914_052.indd 52
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INDULGENCES
ABOVE: Tanya Kim, with 2tee Couture and Noa Elle, helps Christy White shop for new fashion. White says she tries to go to market with a focused approach to get what she wants and see what is new among the brands she carries. RIGHT: Atlanta’s Apparel Mart features multiple floors of permanent and temporary vendors. More than 548,000 people participate in the 15 markets held at AmericasMart each year. FAR RIGHT: Apparel by Sigal Levi from 2tee Couture and Noa Elle hang inside the brand’s shop at the market.
2tee Couture and Noa Elle. Sigal Levi founded 2tee Couture in 2011 and Noa Elle, named about a year ago after her son. She has been working in fashion and coming to market for the past 30 years and said that becoming a mother inspired her to open her own company. She visits the Atlanta and Dallas markets five times a year each. “I make clothes for the real woman, clothes for every woman,” Sigal said of her styles, which she described as “Boho Chic.” Her line is a regular on the racks in Christy’s Boutique. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by market. Coleman Krusmark has been a buyer for Perfect Touch since February 2008. She goes to the Atlanta Apparel Mart about five times a year, and two more times for shoes with Perfect Touch owners Kayte Randall and Amelia Quinney. She said she
shared the same overwhelmed feeling Christy described during her first time buying at market. “A lot of people who have never bought for a store dream of it as a fun shopping trip, but it is actually a lot of work,” she said. The three go as early as possible and try not to stay too long. They buy based on what they need and how the brand performed during the same season last year. Buyers have to purchase a minimum amount to remain a member of market. Pressure mounts when you are hunting for trends, buying a season ahead and trying to decide what customers really want and will purchase. Even though it is stressful, Krusmark said it is still awesome. She said it gives her an inside look at what’s up and coming and that when customers come in asking for something, she has a better idea of what to look for, even if it doesn’t hit the shelves for a few more months. “Going to market” is so much more than just a large-scale shopping trip. It is about business and the bottom line. Whether you’re there as a buyer or vendor, you have to think ahead and figure out what the customer wants, because ultimately that’s the key to making a profit. It’s always a gamble, but if you choose correctly, the customers will clear the racks and it will pay off in the end. “It’s just what I love,” Christy said. “In anything you do, if you love it, you’ll be successful.” 53
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COVER STORY
Brodie Croyle and his sister, Reagan Croyle Phillips, carry on their father’s work at Big Oak Ranch.
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COVER STORY
FOR JOHN CROYLE’S CHILDREN, THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME BY DONNA CORNELIUS | PHOTOS BY ROBERT SUTTON
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COVER STORY
S
ince Big Oak Ranch opened in 1974, nearly 2,000 children have called it home for a short time or for much of their childhoods. But the kids with the closest ties to the ranch lived there from the time they were born until they left for college. And now, ranch founder John Croyle’s daughter and son have come home to stay. While their father remains Big Oak’s executive director, his children, Brodie Croyle and Reagan Croyle Phillips, have key positions in the organization. Phillips, who joined Big Oak 11 years ago, is child care team director. Her brother, who returned two years ago, is associate executive director. John Croyle, a defensive end on the University of Alabama’s 1973 national championship football team, opened Big Oak Ranch in 1974, the same year he graduated from college. He and his wife, Tee, started the ranch with five boys. Since then, Big Oak Ranch has grown to include a boys’ ranch near Gadsden, a girls’ ranch in Springville and Westbrook Christian School, which all ranch kids attend, in Rainbow City. Big Oak Ranch is for children who have been abused in some way and who come from dysfunctional backgrounds. They’re “hurting children needing a chance,” as Croyle likes to say. “People ask what it was like growing up here,” Reagan Phillips said. “We didn’t know that we had a weird childhood. Looking back, I remember going outside to shoot basketball with my dad or my brother — and then there’d be 15 people out there. “It was like this super neighborhood.” Her brother, Brodie Croyle, said he was never enthusiastic when friends asked him to stay overnight at their houses. “I’d say, let’s just spend the night at my house. We had 200 acres, two lakes, cows and horses — and I had 60 brothers to play with,” he said.
TOP: John Croyle looks at his son, Brodie, at the ranch. CENTER LEFT: Brodie Croyle balances signing autographs for fans and answering questions for the media in 2006. CENTER RIGHT: Croyle throws during the second quarter of the Tide’s game against Arkansas in 2003. BOTTOM LEFT: Reagan played basketball during her college career at the University of Alabama. BOTTOM RIGHT: Reagan Croyle was crowned homecoming queen in 1999, with her father by her side.
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LEFT: Kelli Croyle, Brodie’s wife, holds their son, Luke, while laughing with Reagan at the annual Big Oak Ranch beach trip. ABOVE: Brodie gets a high-five from Caleb during a beach football game. CENTER: John Croyle emcees bingo night. BOTTOM: John Croyle holds Reagan’s hand as she says the closing prayer after bingo night.
But even though the siblings have good childhood memories, it took them awhile to decide to become part of the family enterprise.
COMEBACK STORIES At the University of Alabama, Phillips played basketball, was the 1999 homecoming queen and was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She met her future husband, former UA quarterback John David Phillips, there. After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, she moved to Europe. “I did some modeling, but I realized that wasn’t my life’s calling,” she said. “I knew I wanted to work with kids.” Phillips returned to UA to attend graduate school and got a master’s degree in counseling. “I worked at Brewer Porch Children’s Center in Tuscaloosa County and at Head Start in Pickens County, observing children with behavior problems,” she said. “J.D. and I were living in Tuscaloosa. I loved living there. What’s not a good memory in Tuscaloosa?” One day, she said, her husband called and asked her to meet him for lunch. “He said, ‘I feel the Lord is calling us back to Big Oak.’ I said, ‘No, he’s not,’ ” Phillips said, smiling. “We agreed to pray about it. I knew the answer, but I knew it was going to be hard.” Eventually, Phillips said, she knew the time was right to return to Big Oak — this time as a staff member. “I had a moment of surrender early, early one morning,” she said. On the night before Easter in 2012, Brodie Croyle told his parents that he, too, wanted to return to the ranch. He’d already shared the news with his sister, who wasn’t a bit surprised, he said. “When I told Reagan, she said, ‘Oh, yeah. I knew,’ ” he said. After graduating from Westbrook Christian as a highly recruited quarterback, Croyle chose to attend UA — but not at first. He intended to sign with Florida State University, he said.
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COVER STORY
ABOVE: The Big Oak family takes a group photo each year on its beach trip. FAR LEFT: Reagan helps Virginia fly a kite on the beach. LEFT: Sawyer Croyle rides on the shoulders of his dad, Brodie, while Reagan and her son, Gibbs, play at at a waterpark.
“When I was coming out of high school, Alabama was not the cool place to go that it is now. Coach (Mike) DuBose had just been fired, and I knew we were going to go on probation. I was planning to go to FSU.” The night before he was scheduled to commit to the Seminoles, a simple statement helped change his mind. The words were from an unlikely source: Bobby Bowden, then the head football coach at FSU. “Coach Bowden told me, you don’t go to a
university because of the head coach. You go to the university because it’s something you believe in and something you want your name attached to,” Brodie Croyle said. “My dad had played at Alabama; my sister had been the homecoming queen.” He decided that he, too, belonged at UA, he said. Croyle went on to be the Tide’s quarterback from 2002 to 2005. “I enjoyed playing at Alabama,” he said. “People say, ‘Wouldn’t you love to be there now?’ I wouldn’t trade my experience. Who’s to say that without it I’d be where I am right now?” Brodie Croyle was drafted in 2006 by the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. Dogged by the injuries that had plagued him in college, he retired from professional football in May 2012. “Once the book is closed, you don’t look back,” he said. “I had a lot of injuries and surgeries. I had a little boy and a wife. I said, let’s start life after football now.” Croyle became partners in a land and timber real estate business in Tuscaloosa. “I did that for a year and a half, and we were
enjoying our life,” he said. “One day, I was talking with my partner, and he asked what I saw myself doing in 10 years. I told him I wanted to live in north Alabama and I wanted to be involved with kids. “I felt God saying, what are you waiting on?” Croyle and his wife, Kelli, were living in Tuscaloosa at the time. He said he prayed about returning to Big Oak Ranch. “I talked to my wife about it over dinner. She said, ‘I’ve been waiting for you to say that for five years,’ ” he said. The decision brought him peace, Croyle said. “Before, there was never any contentment,” he said. “It was, what’s the next deal, the next dollar?” Reagan Croyle Phillips and her husband have three boys, Cade, 10; Will, 7; and Gibbs, 3. Brodie and Kelli Croyle also have sons: 3-yearold Sawyer and Luke, born Jan. 15. “Of course there’s no pressure from my mom to have a girl,” Brodie Croyle said, laughing. John David Phillips and Kelli Croyle “unofficially work for Big Oak, too,” Reagan Phillips said.
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COVER STORY
ABOVE: From left, Reagan, Gibbs, Will, John David and Cade Phillips at Panama City Beach. ABOVE RIGHT: From left, Luke, Brodie, Kelli and Sawyer Croyle. RIGHT: John Croyle goofs around with his grandson, Gibbs, at Big Oak Ranch.
FATHER STILL KNOWS BEST When the three Croyles gathered recently to talk about their family and Big Oak Ranch, John Croyle admitted it’s hard for him to understand why it took his children awhile to join the Big Oak staff. “I’m unusual. I knew at 19 what I wanted to do,” he said. His daughter was quick with an answer. “Dad, you raised us to be incredibly independent. There was a lot to surrender. We were taught to accomplish and do our own things,” Phillips said. She and her brother said they have no plans to institute major changes at Big Oak. “It would be a mistake to say that we plan to take the ranch to the next level,” Brodie Croyle said. “What we want to do is continue the work our parents have done. “People ask, ‘Is your dad retiring?’ Absolutely not. He’s dedicated 40 years of his life to this. The day before dad dies, he’ll be at Big Oak Ranch.”
Phillips said she sees herself and her brother “following in our parents’ footsteps.” “There’s nothing about this that’s glory for us. It’s that God may be glorified. That’s the weight we feel,” she said. John Croyle has a playful term for his current role at the ranch. “I’m the show pony,” he said. “We made the mistake of calling him that, and now he says it all the time,” his son said, laughing. Brodie Croyle said he and his sister have distinct responsibilities at Big Oak. “Any decision that concerns a child goes through Reagan as Dad and I move through the day-the-day operations for the ranches and school,” he said. “We all have our roles.” The family also has fun together. Brodie Croyle jokingly compared himself and his dad to Willie and Phil Robertson, the colorful father-son pair on television’s “Duck
Dynasty.” “Who does that make me?” Phillips asked. “Uncle Si?” her brother asked. While they often turn to their father for advice, the siblings said growing up at Big Oak has given them some insights even their experienced dad doesn’t have. “You see the absolute worst of humanity here, and you see the best,” Phillips said. “My mom and dad never sheltered us from either. Now we can tell the kids, anything you do or try, we’ve seen 100 times.” John Croyle said he feels sure the future of his life’s work is in the right hands. “My wife and I think to ourselves every day that we’ve given another 40 years to this ranch,” he said. “These are the two people I trust the most. “I’ve given my baby to my babies.” 59
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NEW IN TOWN
FRESH AIR TV STATION WVUA’S NEW ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF NEWS AND SPORTS HOPES TO INSPIRE AND TEACH THE NEXT GENERATION OF JOURNALISTS BY JENNIFER BRADY PHOTOS BY MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
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hio native Steve Diorio never saw himself working in the broadcast industry in Alabama, but that’s where circumstances landed him. The new associate director of news and sports at WVUA on the University of Alabama campus said living here has been quite the positive change. “The people here are super nice, and it’s been great,” he said. “It’s been a really good adjustment.” Diorio has been in his new position since Dec. 9, 2013, after spending his 25-year career at the same television station in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio. He said moving south was unexpected but has been good. “It is a little bit of a culture shock, but not too bad,” he said. “It’s a different pace here, and that’s not a bad thing. ... “We weren’t looking to leave Ohio, but I started looking and this one came up, I applied and came down for the interview, and here we are.” Diorio said he’s not the only one adjusting to the change. He said his wife, Pam, is still learning where places are. “I’ve been a quick study in learning the area and overall becoming adjusted. I have a knack for being directional,” he said.
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NEW IN TOWN
“MY GOAL FOR THE STATION IS THAT WE BE RESPECTED IN THE COMMUNITY, BE AGGRESSIVE IN GETTING THE NEWS FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THAT WE STAY COMPETITIVE. I WANT TO KEEP OUR VIEWERS TUNED IN.” One of his daughters, Julia, is a sophomore at American Christian Academy, while the other, Erica, is a sophomore at Ohio State. “(Julia has) been a real trouper, because I know it’s hard to leave her city and her friends and start somewhere new,” he said. Diorio, who said he’d never been to Alabama before interviewing for this job, said he was interested in what WVUA has to offer. “One of the main things that intrigued me when I came down to interview is getting to work with students,” he said. “This is a student-teaching environment, and I want to be able to hold them accountable for their work, just like in the real world.” Diorio said he plans to use the students in the College of Communication and Information Sciences to help grow the station. “We’re going to have a journalism class over here, and they’ll be writing for our website,” he said. “If we have the students, why not use them? “We have to teach them the correct way, because when they go out into the world, that reflects on us as a university and not just them.” Diorio was involved with students at his previous television station but not to the same extent the position at UA allows. “I hope to add a little more academic crossover,” he said. “In Ohio, I was over the student interns, but they were in different areas of the station over the course of their internships. Some of those students I was able to help find jobs, but this will be much more hands-on.” Diorio said he hopes to show University of Alabama students how fortunate they are to have the new facility and the rare type of learning environment WVUA
offers. “We have one of only two university-commercial television stations in the country. The other one is at Missouri,” he said. “Of course, we’re in the Birmingham market, but we cover from Georgia to Mississippi.” Diorio said he’s excited about the station. “I’m looking forward to meeting with local business and community leaders as well as the academic side of the station,” he said. “My goal for the station is that we be respected in the community, be aggressive in getting the news for our community and that we stay competitive. I want to keep our viewers tuned in.”
Diorio holds a meeting at the TV station. He says he had never been to Alabama before deciding to go on an interview for this job but liked the fact that Tuscaloosa is a college town where he could create an academic crossover to teach young journalists.
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PERSONALITY
COMMUNITY
CHAMPION FOR DECADES, JERRY BELK HAS DEDICATED HIS TIME, LIFE’S WORK AND EVEN HIS NAME TOWARD MAKING TUSCALOOSA A BETTER PLACE TO WORK AND PLAY BY MARK HUGHES COBB PHOTOS BY ROBERT SUTTON
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herever in the vicinity of Tuscaloosa you walk or play, it’d be hard to find a green space, walking trail or athletic field not touched by the lifelong work and commitment of Jerry Belk. Belk, the original director of Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority, played baseball from American Legion to Tuscaloosa High School to his years at the University of Alabama, where he lettered three years. He later coached and taught at Holt High School, directing the Tuscaloosa Post 34 team to its first American Legion National Championship in 1967. So maybe it’s not surprising that decades before the movie “Field of Dreams,” the Tuscaloosa native was sowing playing spaces, building parks so the people would come. “He has been completely dedicated to recreational facilities and civic growth in general in Tuscaloosa County,” said Mary Ann Phelps of the PARA Foundation Board. “His complete dedication to the community impresses me most, in everything he does.” Belk was there when PARA had just two employees and continued working for more than 30 years, leading the way for a domain that today includes 36 parks and boat landings, a community center, an 18-hole golf course and five activity centers — including gyms, pools, aerobics rooms, patios and meeting places — out of which PARA runs numerous programs and services utilized by tens of thousands. In its history, PARA has had just three directors: Belk, then Don Kelly, who served under him, and current boss
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PERSONALITY
Belk, who is now retired, is still very active with Tuscaloosa Park and Recreation Authority, focusing much of his attention on Veterans Memorial Park located in front of University Mall on McFarland Boulevard. He says monuments like this one serve to remind us of the price of freedom.
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PERSONALITY
ABOVE: Jerry Belk was hired as the director of Tuscaloosa’s City Recreation Department in 1966. The department was later renamed the Tuscaloosa Park and Recreation Authority. In 1997, the Belk Activity Center was opened in his honor. RIGHT: Belk at Veterans Memorial Park, one of the many projects around town created thanks to his efforts.
Gary Minor. That stability is a credit to the foundation Belk laid, Phelps said. Longtime friend Leroy McAbee said Belk set the system on the path to the exemplary product it is today. “He’s one of the finest, most honest, sharing public servants that the taxpayers could ever want,” McAbee said. “If all our employees in the government were as honest and caring as he is, we wouldn’t have to worry about where our tax money is going.” When he retired in the late 1990s, PARA named the Jerry Belk Activity Center at Bowers Park in his honor. Of course that was merely retirement from PARA, not public service, for Belk. He’s served with, among others, the Tuscaloosa Public Library Board, Tuscaloosa County Department of Human Resources Board, Salvation Army, Tuscaloosa County Heart Association, Veterans Memorial Park Board, First Baptist Church, the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama and as chair for several terms of the Tuscaloosa County Civic Hall of Fame, to which he was elected in 2006. Belk is also a past president of the Exchange Club, Alabama Recreation and Parks Association, “A” Club Alumni Association of the University of Alabama, and other civic and service organizations. One of his chief focuses now is maintenance and upkeep of Veterans Memorial Park on McFarland Boulevard, which Belk, a U.S. Army veteran, calls a “sacred piece of land.” It was built on the site of Northington General Army Hospital, one of the largest military hospitals in the world at the end of World War II, and dedicated in 1978 as a memorial for vet-
erans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. “The memorial is about knowing the price of freedom. I want this park to be here 200 years from now and be better than it is today, so everyone knows what the price of freedom really is,” Belk said at this summer’s restoration of a 1960s Huey Helicopter to the park. Belk has been singled out for his leadership many times, receiving the 2009 Distinguished Service Award from PARA, among others. But he’s always quick to note that he couldn’t have done it alone, that the collective will and work of the citizens shapes the community. On his election to the Civic Hall of Fame in 2006, Belk said: “I was a strong believer in ‘help yourself, and then everybody will help you.’ It’s the people who have been around me who deserve this award.” 65
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OUTDOORS
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OUTDOORS
FULL DECK STEPHEN ROCKARTS’ PASSION IS CREATING CUSTOM RIDES FOR HIS COMPANY, SOSCA SKATEBOARDS
BY ASHLIE BOWMAN PHOTOS BY JONATHAN HEFFLIN
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uscaloosa native Stephen Rockarts is a man of many passions and professions. At 25, he holds an associate’s degree in science from Shelton State Community College and will start classes in Jefferson State Community College’s physical therapy program this summer. He’s bounced from job to job, doing everything from building houses to working at a fuel and environmental company to managing Jimmy John’s on the Strip. He even makes his own fishing lures. But there is one hobby that he says he will pursue for the rest of his life: making skateboards. “I’ll always do it,” he said. “It’s a passion, 100 percent.” His company, Sosca Skateboards, is a small operation, with every board handmade in Rockarts’ workshop next to his father’s house in Tuscaloosa. Production has halted temporarily while his business partner, David Dokter, is in China teaching English, but Rockarts said he thinks all that may soon change thanks to the new skate park being planned at Palmore Park. “It’s going to blow up,” he said. “It’s going to be popular. We need (a skate park), especially with all the students that are here that do skateboard.” And all those skaters won’t be bad for business. Rockarts said he’s already got several people on a waiting list for his custom boards, which cost anywhere from $20 to $45 less than the average manufactured board. In fact, the lower cost was one of the main reasons he be-
ABOVE: One of Stephen Rockarts’ custom skateboards costs less than a traditional board, and customers say they last longer. OPPOSITE PAGE: Rockarts jumps a set of stairs on one of his boards.
gan making his own equipment in 2010. “I wanted to stop paying $60 for a skateboard,” he said. “I didn’t feel it was worth it considering they broke every two weeks.” Getting started was not an easy process. A few years after graduating from high school, Rockarts began researching board-making techniques online. When he tried calling companies for information or advice, he said they refused to
help him for fear of giving away fiercely guarded trade secrets. As a result, everything Rockarts knows about making skateboards has been self-taught through trial and error and Internet research. He said he made about 20 boards — which he and his brother tested on their homemade half-pipe — before he got it right. “I did a whole lot of research, found out how to go through the entire process
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OUTDOORS and just kind of went from there,” he said. “It’s expensive to get started because of the lack of suppliers, the lack of information and the lack of education.” Rockarts refused to go into too much detail about his process in order to protect the integrity of his craft, but the basics are simple enough. To make a skateboard, thin sheets of wood are glued together and then compressed to seal the hold. The board is then left to cure for one or two weeks, essentially allowing the glue to dry completely, ensuring that it will hold its shape. Then, the board is cut with the guidance of a mold or template, which varies based on the size and type of board being made. Rockarts made all of Sosca Skateboards’ manufacturing equipment, including his press and molds. This means that the shape and quality of his boards are unique, and his customers have noticed. “They’re great boards — longest-lasting boards I’ve ever had,” said Jon McCugh, a friend and regular customer. “He takes his time on them. He doesn’t try to mass-produce. They just come out better.” McCugh said he met Rockarts at a skate park in Greensboro a few years ago and remembers seeing his boards there for the first time. He said it only took one visit to Rockarts’ skate shop before he bought his first Sosca board, which he said he keeps as a “wall-hanger.” “I normally go through a board a month, and I skated (Sosca’s) for six months,” he said. “They’re cheaper (than manufactured boards), and they last three times as long.” Stephen Rockarts builds his skateboards in a workshop next to his father’s home in Tuscaloosa.
• Landscape • Hardscape • Irrigation • Annual Maintenance 205.752.0281 68
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OUTDOORS McCugh, who has been skating for about 10 years, said he likes that he can order a board that’s not only durable, but also customized to the way he skates. And he’s not the only one who has taken notice of Sosca. Rockarts said his company has been getting more attention in recent months since it was featured in a short documentary called “Born In A Tin Shed: Sosca Skateboards,” which was made by University of Alabama student Jonathan Hefflin. The film, which is just over nine minutes long, has been posted to theberrics.com, a popular skating website run by professional skateboarders Steve Berra and Eric Koston. Rockarts said he was excited that his company was highlighted on such a wellknown site and that he hopes the exposure will help him toward his dream of owning a local skate shop and eventually expanding production to the national level. “That’s the dream, anyway. It is Alabama,” Rockarts joked. “The demand is there; there’s just not enough people (yet).” Still, he said he believes demand will pick up, especially once his business partner, Dokter, returns to the U.S. Until then, Rockarts said he is going to his shop three or four times a week and making skateboards for himself and his friends. Although he has
come a long way from the trial-and-error process he began with, he said crafting a board is still exciting and that there’s always something to be discovered. “No matter what, you’re going to constantly improve, you’re going to constantly progress,” he said. “I always learn something new, I always learn something different, and I don’t think that will ever change. I think that will be a lifetime.”
Rockarts smooths down the edges on a skateboard he is building. You can keep up with Sosca Skateboards on Facebook, or check out the short documentary created by a University of Alabama student, “Born In A Tin Shed: Sosca Skateboards,” online at theberrics.com.
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ROADS LESS TRAVELED
paranormal
activity GHOST HUNTING IS A HAUNTED HOBBY FOR TUSCALOOSA COUPLE CASEY AND LAURA LINEBERRY BY BECKY HOPF PHOTOS BY ROBERT SUTTON + COURTESY OF THE LINEBERRYS
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hen things go bump in the night, these two don’t hide — they seek. Tuscaloosa’s Casey and Laura Lineberry have made a hobby of ghost hunting, most notably by participating in group hunts led by the Syfy channel’s hosts of its reality show “Ghost Hunters.” “We’ve had the pleasure of being around the ghost hunters from the Syfy channel enough that we can call them friends,” Laura said. The Lineberrys, married for 20 years, have participated in investigations at the nearly twocenturies-old Missouri State Penitentiary, the 1870s Rose Island Lighthouse off Narragansett Bay near Newport, R.I., and, perhaps the mother of all haunted houses, the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo. That’s the hotel best known as the inspirational setting of Stephen King’s novel “The Shining.” “I’ve always had experiences for as long as I can remember,” Laura said, “and I think what makes this hobby of ours so interesting is that
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Casey and Laura Lineberry share an unusual hobby — ghost hunting. They travel all over to different haunted locations.
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ROADS LESS TRAVELED Casey is a skeptic. A couple of the experiences have swayed him a little bit. He’s had a couple of personal experiences, but he remains a skeptic. He’s always looking for what else it could be.” Laura, too, goes into each adventure with an open, yet leery, mind. “I’ve said to my friends that if you meet a ghost at every haunted place, they’re not a true ghost hunter. That’s a little too coincidental. It’s not something that happens too easily. There’s a lot of sitting around for hours and hours doing nothing but listening and taking in the environment. And then, after you finish the hunt, there’s hours and hours of listening to audiotape, watching videos. It can be very boring and very disappointing, especially if it’s a place that has a lot of claims by a lot of people.” heir association with the Syfy network’s tours was a result of Casey going online and visiting the “Ghost Hunters” official website. A fan of the show, he went online looking for a logo sweatshirt and found something far more enticing. “I saw that ‘Ghost Hunters’ was going to Rose Island,” Casey said. He asked Laura if she wanted to go, and the answer was an overwhelming yes. That was in 2012. Long before she officially became a ghost hunter, Laura experienced events that made her a believer that a spirit world existed and could be quite active. When she was a student at
t
Equipment for a ghost hunt: a laser grid, infrared camera, K2 meter, infrared thermometer, flashlight, voice recorder and camera.
Florida State University, she and her roommates witnessed the unexplainable in a house they were renting, including one event that left Laura running out of the house. “My very first experience was when I was in college, when I felt something sit beside me on the bed. I sat down, something
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sat down beside me, there was an impression on the bed, and I ran out of the house like an idiot. My roommates at the time had also experienced a couple of things,” said Laura, an instructor of graphic design at the University of Alabama. “That’s the first experience that left an impression on me and, no pun intended, it also left an impression on the bed.” ot long after, she was working as a nanny for a family that lived in an old Victorian home in Troy known to be haunted by a friendly spirit, a woman named Elizabeth. In the week Laura worked and lived there, several things happened, events she describes as pranks. The home’s kitchen ceiling, she said, was about three stories high, some cabinets unreachable. One night, wanting to get a jump on the chaos of a morning of getting kids ready and to school, she got out and organized all the items she’d need to quickly put together the children’s lunches: bread, peanut butter and the like. But when she went to the kitchen the next morning to make the sandwiches, the bread was missing. She accused the 6-and 8-year-old boys. They denied hiding it. She searched throughout the house to see where they might have hidden the bread to no avail. That afternoon, when the boys were in the
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ABOVE: In April, the Lineberrys stayed at the Stanley Hotel, the inn that inspired author Stephen King to write “The Shining.” Legend has it that a friendly ghost named Elizabeth Wilson takes special care of people who stay in Room 217. Sometimes guests staying in that room encounter extra housekeeping services, including having their things put away or unpacked. LEFT: The Syfy channel hosts Ghost Hunt Weekends, which the Lineberrys have taken part in. This one took place just up the highway at Birmingham’s Sloss Furnaces.
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ROADS LESS TRAVELED kitchen having an afternoon snack, one looked up and said, “There’s the bread.” It was hanging high, far out of reach and plausibility that either child could have thrown it up there. “When the parents came home, I told them there was only one problem, and I told them about the bread.” Nonchalantly, the parents answered, “Oh, that’s just Elizabeth.” Apparently, Elizabeth was a prankster who delighted in hiding or moving things around. Casey, a systems architect, has invested in cameras, recorders and equipment, including an electromagnetic field reader that measures fluctuations. His approach has been scientific, though science can’t explain what he experienced at Rose Island. “We were walking to another area and, clear as a bell, I hear men’s voices coming out of a room,” Casey said. “And it’s locked. And dark. It was padlocked from the outside. There was a starshaped hole in the door and I shined the flashlight in there. There was stuff piled up, but no one in there. But I knew I had heard guys having a conversation. I couldn‘t explain that.” Having that equipment revealed their most thrilling — and chilling — experience, an encounter at the Stanley. Casey had surprised Laura with a gift of a hunt at the Stanley Hotel. Originally booked for another room, while they were there, they bid on a silent auction and won one night in the hotel’s most haunted spot, Room 217. According to the hotel’s website, in 1911, during an electrical storm, a housekeeper was in the room trying to light a lantern, and there was an explosion. She was injured but lived,
ABOVE: A Ghost Hunters tour at Sloss Furnaces, believed to be haunted by workers who died there. FAR LEFT: The Lineberrys at Sloss. LEFT: Casey with Amy Bruni of the Syfy show.
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and ever since, all sorts of unnatural things have happened in that room, including something the Lineberrys experienced. With Casey soundly sleeping beside her, Laura was startled awake by a presence, something physically attacking her. She immediately woke her husband, who had set up cameras and the sound recorders as soon as they went in the room, the very same room King stayed in to write “The Shining.” They replayed the video, saw Laura’s reactions while Casey slept, but nothing else. But when Casey put on headphones and started listening to the audio, they were shocked by what they heard. It was a little girl’s voice asking, “Who is that?” Because it was with his own recorders and own equipment, Casey said he knows what they experienced and heard was real. “Just because I don’t experience something or I can’t experience the same thing doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” Casey said. host hunting has allowed the couple to travel to fun places and to make friends from all over the country, all the while approaching it with a positive outlook. “There’s a difference between ghosts and spirits,” Laura said. “Casey and I are both avid Christians. We do nothing to delve into anything evil. We don’t invite that. We don’t participate in that. We don’t think that’s a healthy thing to do. But we do believe once a loved one has passed they have the ability to come back and visit.”
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TOP LEFT: Casey at the Missouri State Penitentiary, known for its bloodshed and violence. Time Magazine once proclaimed it “America’s bloodiest 47 acres.” TOP RIGHT: A prison cell at the penitentiary. CENTER: Laura with The Atlantic Paranormal Society investigators Britt Griffith, Jason Hawes and Amy Bruni. LEFT: A TAPS hat signed by a number of Syfy’s Ghost Hunters crew. 75
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LOOKING GOOD
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LOOKING GOOD
EAR W S MEN TRIP, O -T S GO N THE M, IS F E H T O OO EARS O E R R R Y STO OCKE 50 L G THE BRATIN E CEL
CLASSIC GOOD LOOKS BY DONNA CORNELIUS PHOTOS BY ROBERT SUTTON
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he section of University Boulevard between the University of Alabama campus and downtown Tuscaloosa has changed in the past 50 years. It now has a nickname: the Strip. It’s seen traffic flow accelerate and businesses come and go. But one constant has been a store that for half a century has helped men dress for success — and in recent years, for game days, too. Alex Gatewood opened the Locker Room, which specializes in men’s clothes, on Nov. 1, 1964. For all but two of its 50 years, the store has been housed in a red wooden house at 1218 University Blvd. The Locker Room’s first home was two blocks away in the building that’s now Surin of Thailand. “We were in one-fourth of that building — about 700 square feet,” Gatewood said. “We went to Penney’s and bought picnic tables to put clothes on. Those were our store fixtures.” Most customers have stayed loyal to the store over the years, Gatewood said. “Right now, we’ve got not just the children but the grandchildren of customers coming in,” he said. Gatewood didn’t come from a high-fashion fam-
ily. He grew up on a 120-acre farm in the Mississippi Delta, he said. “Where we lived wasn’t even a town. It was in the middle of a cotton field,” he said. When Gatewood was 6 years old, his father, who also owned a grocery store, gave him his first job. “My dad put me on an ice cream box and said, ‘Don’t let anybody steal anything,’ ” he said. “When I was 12, he put me on a tractor and told me to harrow some land. It was about 98 degrees that day, and I decided right then that I didn’t want
ABOVE AND OPPOSITE PAGE: Clothing and accessories fill the shelves and racks at the Locker Room, which is especially popular for game-day apparel.
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LEFT: Alex Gatewood, owner of The Locker Room, started the business in 1964 and has seen it grow into one of the most well-known menswear shops in Tuscaloosa. BELOW: The Locker Room specializes in fine menswear, and part of that job entails proper measuring and tailoring.
to spend my life farming.” Gatewood played football and baseball at Millsaps College. He later transferred to Mississippi State University and studied retailing. Gatewood came to Tuscaloosa to attend graduate school at UA. During that time, he was interviewed by Don Davenport, the personnel director at Pizitz, a large department store based in Birmingham. Davenport hired Gatewood to participate in the store’s management training program. “I had a hard time convincing him I wanted to leave graduate school and go to work for Pizitz,” Gatewood said. “I learned a lot in the year and a half I was there.” In 1964, Gatewood returned to Tuscaloosa and opened his store. He borrowed $5,000 to start it, and his father had to co-sign the bank loan, he said. “I originally had a partner who had a store in Anniston, which was also called the Locker Room,” Gatewood said. “I ended up buying him out.” In 1966, another menswear store came to Tuscaloosa and opened just down the street from the Locker Room. “I thought they might run me out of business, but instead they ended up going out,” Gatewood said. He bought the unsuccessful store’s building — the house at 1218 University Blvd.
Gatewood opened other Locker Room stores in Mississippi but eventually closed those to concentrate on the Tuscaloosa Locker Room, he said. He also opened a store in Montgomery “because we had so many customers from there,” Gatewood said. “I had a manager here, George Wilder, and I sent him to Montgomery and let him be a partner,” he said. “After a while, I let him buy me out, and he’s still there today.” The Locker Room became known for its traditional business clothing for men, with tailored suits and conservative ties and shoes. But the store has changed with the times. “In the last 10 years, game-day wear has taken off,” Gatewood said. “I’m glad it happened — I’m just not sure how. Now, it accounts for about 40 percent of our sales.” While the store still carries time-honored brands like Samuelsohn, Cole Haan, Robert Talbott and Polo, Gatewood has attracted young customers with lines like Southern Proper, Southern Tide and State Traditions. “I’d never have thought that our No. 1 item would be baseball caps and our No. 2 would be T-shirts,” he said. Gatewood said two periods put a dent in his store’s sales. “The Vietnam War years were a struggle. People were wearing old overalls and torn-up blue jeans. And then we had the polyester suit era,” he said, shaking his head. Gatewood trademarked his store’s green-eyed elephant logo about 13 years ago, he said. The Locker Room also operates a thriving Internet business. “I fought having a website, but now, every day, we send merchandise all over the world,” he said. “At Christmastime, some days we’ll send 100 packages out.” Gatewood’s wife, Carol, helps with buying, invoices and accounts receivable, he said. His son, Mark Gatewood, owns Black Warrior Outdoor in Tuscaloosa. His daughter, Tracy Gatewood, is a Tuscaloosa Realtor. His stepchildren are Jimmy Tanara and Julie Hutchens. The Locker Room family includes manager Rush Crawford, who started there as a UA freshman in 2002, and Tom Hammond, whom Gatewood called “a store fixture.” “Over the years, we’ve employed 80-something University of Alabama students,” Gatewood said. “They either work here for two weeks or four years.” One current student employee is Williams Hayes of Muscle Shoals. Hayes, who is now a UA senior, said he has been working at the Locker Room since his freshman year. “Before I came in and interviewed, my brother had introduced me to the Locker Room. He told me this was the coolest place,” Hayes said. Gatewood is hosting a reunion for Locker Room employees Nov. 14. Appropriately enough considering his own history, the event will be during the weekend when Alabama plays Mississippi State. 79
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Blue lace dress by Free People, $98; Belk. Gold and bead circle earrings, $12.95; Christy’s Boutique. Bead and tassel necklace by Kristalize, $56; Lucca. Headband by Art by Amy, $239; The Gypsy Spur.
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FASHION
BOHEMIAN
RHAPSODY TRANSITION TO FALL WITH BEAUTIFUL, BREEZY LOOKS WHERE DETAILS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE STYLED BY MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER PHOTOS BY ROBERT SUTTON
Ivory dress by Ark & Co., $74.50; Lucca. Navy velvet kimono with fringe by 4 Love and Liberty, $252; Blue bead arrowhead necklace by Gypsy Junkies, $152; The Gypsy Spur. Burlap headband by Cat’s Carpetbags, $56.95; Christy’s Boutique. Earrings, $21; Perfect Touch.
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FASHION
Plum skinny pants by Jessica Simpson, $49; Belk. Teal tank top by Umgee, $42; Private Gallery. Kimono by Karlie, $73; orange and gold earrings, $32; beaded necklace by Julio, $109; Perfect Touch. Cuff, $18.95; Christy’s elephant necklace by Art by Amy, $69; beaded necklace by Louiz Jewelry, $68; The Gypsy Spur.
Ivory romper by Dance & Marvel, $39; feather earrings, $76; Private Gallery. velvet kimono by Johnny Was, $270; leather necklace by GawdyBobbles, $80; The Gypsy Spur. Belt by Johnny Was, $73; Perfect Touch. Olive green round stone necklace by Baubles by Brooke, $38; Vintage Vibe.
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FASHION
Lace dress by Biya, $352; beaded headband by Gypsy Junkies, $78; bracelet by Gypsy Junkies, $38; black slip by Surrealist, $70; The Gypsy Spur. Black lace bandeau by Sugar Lips, $15; Lucca.
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FASHION
Black dress with lace by Free People, $68; Belk. Gold rose Brooke necklace, $44; Vintage Vibe. Baby shoe necklace by Art by Amy, $134; red cowboy boots by Old Gringo, $450; tassel necklace (worn as a bracelet) by Louiz Jewelry, $30; red bead necklace (worn as a bracelet) by GawdyBobbles, $52; gold hoops by Ronda Smith, $60; The Gypsy Spur.
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FASHION
Aztec maxi dress by Uncle Frank Apparel, $173; Vintage Vibe. Ivory and gold beaded cuff, $34; Perfect Touch. Gold feather earrings by Betsy Pittard Designs, $44; Lucca. Alaska headband by Art by Amy, $249; The Gypsy Spur.
Green distressed jean shorts by Free People, $68; cream jacket by Free People, $148; Belk. Blue tank top by Johnny Was, $170; raccoon fur boot covers by Patricia Wolf, $138; brown leather necklace by Haley Baker (Tuscaloosa native), $32; stone ring by Alex Carol Designs, $66; The Gypsy Spur. Silver Heal necklace, $16.95; Pearl Cross necklace, $32; Christy’s Boutique.
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FASHION
Lavender lace dress by Free People, $168; Belk. Jean and lace jacket by RYU, $86.95; Christy’s Boutique. Gold headband, $18; Perfect Touch. Cord and leather bracelet by Baubles by Brook, $12; Vintage Vibe.
Mustard-colored bandeau by Free People, $38; Aztec pants by Tasha Polzzi, $110; Child’s Play necklace by Art by Amy, $259; The Gypsy Spur. Navy crochet top by YA Los Angeles, $34; Perfect Touch. Jean jacket by Kut, $79; Vintage Vibe.
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FASHION
Romper by Gara, $58; Private Gallery. Pistol necklace (worn as a belt) by Art by Amy, $329; tan floppy hat by 2Chic $44; American flag jacket by Spellbound Collections, $155; The Gypsy Spur. Silver peace necklace, $21.90; Christy’s Boutique.
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A rural hideaway with a vibrant city just a stone’s throw away. Each lot is perfect for a large house and mini-farm with a barn, horse stable, riding arena, garden and other amenities. Also included: red foxes, deer, hawks and neighbors who share your love of COUNTRY LIVING. What more could you want in a homesite?
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FASHION
Blue dress with embroidered sleeves by VaVa, $108.90; gold necklace $39.95; Christy’s Boutique. Black cowboy boots by Old Gringo, $699; fur backpack by Totem, $702; leather necklace (worn as a headband) by Haley Baker (Tuscaloosa native), $32; Pray bracelet by Johnny Loves June, $134; The Gypsy Spur.
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FASHION
Chartreuse skirt by Free People, $88; Belk. Black lace crop tank by Mink Pink by Christina Perri, $48; horn necklace by Kristalize, $44; Lucca. Southern Pride cuff, $31.95; Christy’s Boutique. Red ring by Alex Carol Designs, $110; The Gypsy Spur.
Beaded and embroidered hi-low skirt dress by Free People, $248; red floppy hat by 2Chic, $44; The Gypsy Spur. Distressed jean shorts by Free People, $68; Belk. Tassel earrings, $14; Perfect Touch. Live, Love, Laugh bracelet, $24.95; Christy’s Boutique. Blue stone Brook necklace (worn as a bracelet) by Baubles by Brook, $44; Vintage Vibe.
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SPECIAL THANKS: NIKA MCCOOL, PAST HORIZONS LLC, AND KATHERINE RICHTER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TUSCALOOSA COUNTY PRESERVATION SOCIETY. THE PHOTOS WERE SHOT AT THE HISTORIC DRISH HOUSE DOWNTOWN. RIGHT: Crochet tank by Origami, $52.90; Christy’s Boutique. Navy layering tank by Surrealist, $70; cuff by Gypsy Junkies, $60; The Gypsy Spur. Tie dye corduroys by Free People, $88; Belk. Gold hoop earrings, $34; Perfect Touch.
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GOOD DEEDS
LEFT: Singer/songwriter Hope Cassity started Tips for Tuscaloosa to support the Humane Society of West Alabama, and now the event supports many charities. OPPOSITE PAGE: A canine patron enjoys the show.
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GOOD DEEDS
LOCAL SONGWRITERS OFFERING
TIPS for
TUSCALOOSA
BY ANGEL COKER PHOTOS BY ERIN NELSON
T
he strings on the acoustic guitar vibrate with sound under his fingertips, complementing the voice singing a country tune along with it. The sound drifts into the ears of patrons who fill the seats from wall to wall. It urges people to unfold what cash they have and drop one or two green bills into the bucket being passed from table to table. It works kind of like a street musician with a guitar case open, playing for free, but accepting whatever is given. The money given at Songwriters Night at Billy’s Sports Grill in downtown Northport, however, doesn’t go into the performers’ pockets. It goes to charity. Songwriters Night brings songwriters together one Wednesday night a month at 6 p.m. to play original
music for the patrons eating at the restaurant. In May, the event morphed into Tips for Tuscaloosa, taking donations to give to a local charity in need. The event was created by Hope Cassity, a singer/ songwriter from Alabama who lives in Nashville, Tenn. She said she had been hosting Songwriters Night at Billy’s for almost a year and that its growth brought her to the realization that she could be earning money for charity while bringing songwriters together. “What I wanted to do was be able to educate people about original music and the need for the community to support it and at the same time, help a charity out,” Cassity said. Since the pilot show, money raised has helped fund projects at Arts ’n Autism, Nick’s Kids, the Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society, the Humane Society of West Alabama and The Miracle League of Tuscaloosa.
>> 93
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GOOD DEEDS
Billy’s Sports Grill in Northport hosts the live music/ charity event one Wednesday a month.
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GOOD DEEDS
Pooches are welcome on the porch at Billy’s for the monthly concerts. The event has raised money for the Humane Society of West Alabama, among other local charities.
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email at tips4tuscaloosa@gmail.com. It is how she chooses the songwriters who perform at the event as well. She said she books local songwriters from all genres who are pursuing a career in the music industry as well as songwriters from Nashville so they can mingle and learn from each other. She said she wants to create an environment like that of the Bluebird Café, a venue in Nashville where songwriters of hit music perform and talk about the meaning behind the songs, she said. Cassity said this type of event allows fans to hear songs stripped to their rawest form before it is produced or ever graces the speakers of a radio. “You get to hear the tales behind the songs. You can go in any bar and listen to a song you can sing along to all day long, but you have no idea where that song came from or what the birth of that song or creative side of it was,” Cassity said. “We bring in the songwriters that wrote the song that can share their stories with you.” Two of these performers are Sean Gasaway, vice president of Nashville’s Verastar Records, whose song was picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and singer/songwriter Craig Wilson, who has played alongside singer Taylor Swift. “It’s a great chance to bring songwriters from all over the place together, and it’s a great chance to get your music out there, meet new people and meet new fans,” Wilson said. Cassity said Tips for Tuscaloosa is about the songwriter community supporting people of the community and vice versa. “I want to educate the community about original music and songwriters, expose them to it, allow the opportunity to raise money for different charities in the community and make a difference in the community through original music,” Cassity said.
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6
INTRIGUING
PEOPLE
Meet six folks who make a difference in our communities
KEYONTE’ DOUGHTY Accelerated Reader
BART MARSHALL Northport Fire Chief
LAURIE PRENTICEDUNN
West Alabama Quilters Guild
RYAN LEACH
U.S. Marine and Toys for Tots Organizer
JUDI HALLI
Former principal and teacher at Holy Spirit Catholic School
JESSICA ESCAMILLA Miss Alabama United States 2014
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ACCELERATED READER
Keyonte’ Doughty
SIX INTRIGUING PEOPLE BY ANNA PARRISH PHOTO BY MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
K
eyonte’ Doughty’s love for reading began at home and at a young age. At 11 years old, when he was in fifth grade, Keyonte’ set the school record for receiving the most “accelerated reader” points ever reached within a school year at Verner Elementary School. He read 145 books and received a total of 938 points. “I like to read for pleasure,” he said. At Verner Elementary, teachers set individual goals with their students based on their reading abilities and use a reward system to help promote reading. “If the student meets their goal, then they are eligible to attend the reward party,” school principal Beth Curtis said. The accelerated reader system is also used to test and keep track of the children’s comprehension on the material they have read. Students who do well in the AR testing and meet their goals for the year are rewarded with different in-class prizes, and thirdthrough fifth-graders can receive a reward party if they meet all their goals. “I went to all of the parties this year,” Keyonte’ said. “We got to do limbo, play games and had a cookie cake.” Each year’s reward party goes along with the school’s reading theme for that year. This year’s theme was Camp Read-A-Lot, so students would receive prizes associated with camping, such as a canteen and sunglasses, Curtis said. Verner librarian Alice Russell said 200 to 300 points in a year is a good, respectable number but that some students go above and beyond. Keyonte’ has set the record for not only the most points earned in a year but also for the most points earned within the six-year
span at Verner Elementary, which is kindergarten through fifth grade. He received a total of 2,610 AR points while attending Verner Elementary School. “Keyonte’ is such a stupendous reader,” Russell said. Russell first met Keyonte’ when he was in second grade. She said he has always read constantly and
really has a love for reading. “He’s a great reader, a fast reader, and has great comprehension,” Russell said. “He is exceptional in every way.” Keyonte’ said he enjoys reading e-books along with physical books. But outside of school, Keyonte’ said he enjoys spending time with friends as well as
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Name: Keyonte’ Doughty Age: 12 Personal: Siblings, Darundre’, 17; Christopher, 15; Isaac, 14; Daizauhn, 13; Isaac Jr., 10; Victur, 7; I’Yana, 7 Hometown: Tuscaloosa The people who have influenced my life: My mom, dad, uncle Larry, teachers, my godmother and the rest of my family. Something people don’t know about me: I’m willing to try new things, I like to run and I love to meet new people. My proudest achievement: I have friends who like me for who I am and my ability to read so good. playing on his tablet. Although Keyonte’ says he doesn’t have an all-time favorite book, he enjoys scifi and fantasy books. “They give you more to picture with because they use more descriptive words,” he said. Reading is a big part of the Doughty family lifestyle. So Keyonte’s love for reading began at home at a young age. His mother, ShaDonna Doughty, says he has been reading since kindergarten. Both his mother and brother were big influences on his reading capability. Keyonte’s mother was a great motivator in getting her family to read. “I would encourage them to read every day for 30 minutes or to read leisurely,” she said. She also reads a lot and always promoted reading to others in the household. Keyonte’s older brother, Daizauhn Doughty, also loves to read and Keyonte’ looked up to him, so his desire to read came naturally. Keyonte’ is in sixth grade and has the aspiration to become a marine biologist when he gets older. He was excited to begin junior high and said his goals for the year include staying on the honor roll.
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NORTHPORT FIRE CHIEF
Bart Marshall
SIX INTRIGUING PEOPLE BY STEPHANIE TAYLOR PHOTO BY ROBERT SUTTON
B
art Marshall wasn’t very good at being retired. Marshall left the Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service in 2008 after a 20-year career. In the weeks and months following, he found himself dropping by the city’s fire stations to visit and hear what his former colleagues were up to. “I thought I was done. I had made my mark on the fire service, and I was going to go on and do something else with my life,” he said. “But it drove me crazy.” The retirement lasted nine months. At the encouragement of Northport Fire Chief Glynn Wheat, Marshall applied for a rookie position and spent the next five years working his way through the ranks again. He was named chief of the department earlier this year. “I think this is the greatest profession in the world. I can’t think of anything else that I would be doing,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’ve worked a day in my life.” Marshall knew when he was a teenager that he wanted to be a firefighter like his father. He tried to join the Tuscaloosa Fire Department when he was 19, but the city moved the age requirement to 21. He attended Shelton State Community College for two years until he was old enough to be hired in 1988. “I’ve always been a people person, so I always knew that I was going to do something to help people,” he said. As a rookie, Marshall thought he’d know everything he needed to know once he learned how to extinguish fires. He quickly learned that working in fire and rescue is much more. It’s a profession that has evolved over the past several decades. In the 1960s, firefighters focused more on fire prevention. Regular fire prevention parades through downtown
were common, well-attended events. In the 1970s, emergency medicine was a new focus, with the return of military-trained medics from Vietnam and the popularity of television shows like “Emergency!” that featured paramedics.
Hazardous materials and disaster response became a new focus in the 1980s, Marshall said, highlighted by the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Technical rescue techniques, such as high-angle rope rescues and confined space and trench rescues, became a
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“I AM A SERVER BY NATURE, AND I WANT TO HELP PEOPLE. IT IS AN HONEST FEELING THAT REALLY SEEMS TO COME NATURALLY. MY PREFERRED WAY TO HELP IS BY PREVENTION, WHETHER IT’S FIRE- OR EMS-RELATED, BUT I KNOW THAT EMERGENCY SERVICE WILL ALWAYS BE NEEDED, AND I WANT OUR DEPARTMENT TO BE THE BEST.” Name: Samuel Bart Marshall Age: 48 Personal: Wife, Janet Marshall; son, Cole Marshall, 20; daughter, Bailey Marshall, 17; stepsons, Alex Hipps, 22, and Andrew Hipps, 24 Hometown: Tuscaloosa The people who have influenced my life: In my personal life, I’d first have to say my parents. They raised me, loved me, challenged me, prayed for me and have supported me unconditionally throughout my life. I have learned in my adult life that my grandparents have influenced me more than anyone else. Though I ignored or didn’t recognize it as a child, my grandparents have probably had the most positive influence on my life than anybody else. I believe the way they lived was the example. My maternal grandmother’s faith, my maternal grandfather’s hard work ethic, my paternal grandmother’s selflessness, and my paternal grandfather’s patience are a few characteristics they taught me. The life they lived is the model my children and, Lord willing, my grandchildren will choose. Besides the numerous instructors, coworkers and peers, the most influence I have received in my professional life has come from the victims of emergency incidents. As a firefighter and paramedic, I have seen people that are hurt, sick, victims of trauma, have lost their belongings or any of these affecting their family or friends. I learned that people react different to trauma and it influenced
focus in the 1990s, followed by terrorism response in the first decade of the 21st century. “In my opinion, we’re back to the way it was in the ’60s, with the focus on prevention. But we’re trying to prevent things from all of those disciplines, not just fires,” Marshall said. “That really is the backbone of what we do.” Marshall believes so strongly in fire service’s duty that he started a campaign called “Out of the Station, Into the Community.” The department regularly hosts demonstrations for the public, including tutorials about the proper way to fry a turkey at Thanksgiving and a demon-
me early on to treat every emergency victim like they were a part of my family. I credit my compassion from this practice and from the realization that what may not appear to be an emergency to me regardless is a real emergency to those that we respond to. Something most people don’t know about me: That I’m actually a private person. On the job and in the fire service, I enjoy the camaraderie, public relations, education, speaking and all that comes with my position. But when I go home, I like to do my own thing or with family. My proudest achievement: Has to be the Lord blessing me with the opportunity and honor of being a father to my kids. Though I can’t take the credit, they are intelligent, honest, loving and compassionate young adults. I guess I like to kid myself in thinking I might have something to do with giving them that foundation. Why I do what I do: The reason is simple. I am a server by nature, and I want to help people. It is an honest feeling that really seems to come naturally. My preferred way to help is by prevention, whether it’s fire- or EMS-related, but I know that emergency service will always be needed, and I want our department to be the best. I sincerely consider this the greatest profession in the world, and it doesn’t feel like “work” at all.
stration about how hot cars can become in the summer. Firefighters eat meals with children in schools and with seniors at the city’s many retirement homes. Firefighters are told to keep hats on their fire trucks that they can stop and give to children they might see while out on their rounds. “If they reach one child, then think of how many adults they’re reaching,” he said. “This is just what we’re supposed to do. We want to get out and tell people, ‘We’re your neighbors and we’re going to be good neighbors.’ We’re going to get out there and find out what they need and then work on how we can meet those needs. “It’s just what we’re supposed to do. I think our potential is limitless.” 101
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WEST ALABAMA QUILTERS GUILD
Laurie Prentice-Dunn
SIX INTRIGUING PEOPLE BY JENNIFER BRADY PHOTO BY ROBERT SUTTON
W
hat started as a simple hobby for Laurie Prentice-Dunn 30 years ago has become a consuming passion. Her affinity for quilting keeps her busy and has helped her earn a spot as the featured artist at the West Alabama Quilters Guild. “I really started quilting when I was expecting our first child,” she said. “I had learned to sew from my mother and did other needlework but had never quilted.” Prentice-Dunn says she heard about a class on quilting and decided to give it a shot. In that class, she learned how to make a valance and a wall hanging, both of which hung in her son’s nursery. She still has both quilting projects today. “Our second child came right along, so I didn’t really have a chance to make anything for her room,” she said. Prentice-Dunn spent more than 22 years working at Indian Rivers Mental Health Center and worked at Partlow before that. Two young children, a husband and a full-time job didn’t leave much time for her to quilt, but in the past 15 years, she’s been able to change that. “Before (retirement), I had time to make one quilt a year,” she said. “Since then, I’ve been able to make quilting a more serious hobby.” She has her own home studio, a perk that helps foster her creativity. “My studio was once a bedroom, and since my kids are grown and gone, the room is now mine,” she said. “I can make a mess and leave it.” Some of that so-called mess is a variety of fabrics Prentice-Dunn said she enjoys finding just about anywhere. “I love to find unique fabrics. I like to incorporate corduroy, silks and the regular cotton into my
quilts,” she said. “I’m always on the lookout for unique fabrics. Even if I don’t use them right away, I like to have them in case the inspiration hits me.” Prentice-Dunn’s designs can vary as much as the fabrics that form her quilts. “I enjoy making traditional patchwork, but I also love to create free-form and art quilts,” she said. “I really like making clothing and original designs. I love being able to be creative, but I enjoy the exact detail that comes with making a patchwork quilt.” Inspiration comes from many sources. Prentice-Dunn said she was moved to design a quilt after hearing singer-songwriter Paul Simon talk about making his album “Graceland.” “I had listened to his album and heard him explain his process
of working on it and how he took his sound engineer to South Africa,” she said. “I really identified with the process he went through.” Prentice-Dunn remembered she had some fabric from South Africa, and she would go on to create a quilt she calls “Diamonds in the Soles of Our Shoes.” She normally has several projects in the works simultaneously and is working on a quilt inspired by the origins of Easter. Prentice-Dunn said that since she retired and joined the quilting guild, she has plenty of projects to keep her busy when not brainstorming her own creations. “I had heard of the guild but didn’t have time to become involved until I officially retired,” she said. “We always have community service projects going on,
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Name: Laurie Prentice-Dunn Age: 62 Personal: Husband, Steven PrenticeDunn; children, Jesse Prentice-Dunn, 29, and Hannah Prentice-Dunn, 28 Hometown: Middletown, Conn. The people who have influenced my life: My folks — Fred and Sigrid Prentice. Something most people don’t know about me: I’m an avid University of Alabama softball fan. My proudest achievement: Steven and I have two healthy, happy children who have partners and gainful employment. Why I do what I do: I love quilting and have just always loved it, and the challenge of learning more about techniques and working with other local quilters.
and right now we’re working on quilts for foster kids in the community.” She said the guild also does fun projects such as the “crayon quilt,” where participants pick a color and have to incorporate that color as the main focus of a quilting project. The guild also does two shows a year and has a booth at the Kentuck Festival of the Arts each fall. Quilting is something Prentice-Dunn could enjoy for 30 more years. “It is something I love and continue to love because it’s a great creative outlet, and I certainly enjoy the challenge of continuing to learn more about it and working with our other local quilters.” 103
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UNITED STATES MARINE AND TOYS FOR TOTS ORGANIZER
Ryan Leach
SIX INTRIGUING PEOPLE BY JENNIFER BRADY PHOTO BY ERIN NELSON
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oys for Tots, the iconic Christmas toy drive sponsored by the United States Marine Corps, is near and dear to the heart of Ryan Leach. Leach, a Marine master sergeant, has been involved with the Toys for Tots organization nearly all of his 21-year career in the Marines, including the last seven years in Tuscaloosa. “I have been involved with Toys for Tots since 1994 in other locations, but in 2007 we started a Tuscaloosa Toys for Tots campaign, and my involvement has grown exponentially since then,” he said. Leach said he wears many hats for the organization, but he’s not alone in that. “I have served in various administrative capacities with Toys for Tots, but every year I help coordinate the toy collections around town and handle all of the public appearances that require Marines in dress blues,” he said. “We have some really great Marines here in town who volunteer year in and year out to spend countless hours in full uniform helping collect toys. I simply organize and lead them.” The goal is to make sure children in the Tuscaloosa area have a great Christmas and that they have something to open under the tree. Leach said the Tuscaloosa community makes that a much easier task. “Toys for Tots is run by the Marine Corps, but we wouldn’t accomplish our mission without the support of Tuscaloosa. The community donates the toys and money, and the Marines just collect, organize and distribute the toys,” he said. “We are fortunate to live in an extremely generous town.” When not juggling his duties as a Marine and as a business development representative for Alagasco, he enjoys family time
and other things that make the Tuscaloosa community home. “I enjoy spending time with my family and friends,” he said. “My wife, Heather, and I have
three girls under 10 years of age, so we spend lots of time at Sokol Park for soccer games and going to PARA (Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority) parks
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ALABAMA BARIATRIC & WELLNESS
Name: Master Sgt. Ryan C. Leach, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Age: 49 Personal: Wife, Heather; daughters, Anna Marie, 9, Landry, 3, and Emilie, 3. Hometown: New Orleans The people who have influenced your life: My mother and father back home. They instilled in me discipline and determination at a young age, and I’m thankful for those gifts. Something most people don’t know about you: I have an agriculture degree from LSU and I know quite a bit about livestock. Your proudest achievement: Leading Marines in combat. Why you do what you do: I enjoy helping the community and working with great people across Tuscaloosa.
around town.” His involvement with Toys for Tots is just a small part of Leach’s love of being a Marine. He said that in many ways, the Marines formed the man he has become. “I have been in the Marines for 21 years, serving on both active and reserve duty,” he said. “I joined right out of high school because I always respected Marines as the epitome of soldierly virtue. I grew up with some great role models, and quite a few of them were former Marines.” The Toys for Tots organization also has a website where monetary donations can be accepted year-round. You an also find out how to host your own Toys for Tots event by visiting www.toysfortots.org.
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FORMER PRINCIPAL, AND TEACHER AT HOLY SPIRIT CATHOLIC SCHOOL FOR 42 YEARS
Judy Halli
SIX INTRIGUING PEOPLE BY ROOTS WOODRUFF PHOTO BY MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
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or Judy Halli, a lifetime devoted to teaching and to the students of Holy Spirit Catholic School began with a long summer drive followed by a short walk through a field. “I got here on a Saturday, and I had an appointment to meet with the principal of the school that afternoon,” Halli said. “So I walked across the field, walked into the school and walked out with a bunch of books, and I’ve been here ever since.” She came to town equipped with a bachelor’s degree in French, English, theology and secondary education from St. Joseph College and a master’s degree in French from the University of Virginia. More importantly, she brought a love of both teaching and learning with her on that walk across the field. That was in 1972. Since that time, Holy Spirit, both as a school and community, has grown by leaps and bounds, and Halli has been there every step of the way. She started teaching in the middle school — sixth, seventh and eighth grade — in the years before Holy Spirit had a high school. “I taught on a variety of subjects, including English and religion,” Halli said. “In those early days I even taught math, although I don’t admit to that much, and science, which consisted of me reading the book one chapter ahead.” She opened her first science class by asking if there were any questions. One young man’s hand shot up, asking if they were going to get to the end of the book during the school year. Halli answered in the affirmative, much to his delight. That student, Dr. Jim Rice, would go on to work for NASA as part of the Mars Rover project. Rice came back to Tuscaloosa
and stopped by Holy Spirit to see Halli and speak to some of the students. Rice told the students that he owed his career in part to Halli, because she got the class all the way through the book, to the section on space. “I told him I knew that we would finish the book that year because I had no science background, and we were going to read the book out loud,” Halli said with a laugh. Those are the interactions that Halli treasures, when she comes across a former pupil and sees what they’ve done since their
tenure in her classroom. After four decades in one school, she finds herself surrounded by familiar faces, teaching her second and sometimes third generation of the same family. And while her students may think she has always been there, she wasn’t at Holy Spirit when the school opened in its current location just off McFarland Boulevard in 1962 with four classrooms. She has been there, however, for all the growth and expansion that has come since. She was there when the gymnasium and cafeteria were added
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Name: Judy Halli Age: 67 Personal: Son, Joe; daughter, Anne; grandchildren Erin, 4, and Callen, 22 months. Hometown: Baltimore, Md. The people who have influenced my life: My parents, Audrey and Joseph Hoffmann. I’m an only child, and they taught me so much about how we’re called to give to others and help others. Also, my children, because I’ve seen them and the things that they’ve done, the friends that they’ve made, the careers they’ve chosen — they’ve really impressed upon me the fact that they call me to a higher level of service and concern for others. Also, working in this environment — there are so many people who have passed through here — co-workers, teachers, administrators, students and parents — this environment is really a fruitful environment if you are willing to listen and grow here. Something most people don’t know about me: I’m a Field & Stream award winner for catching the largest small-mouth bass on a 2-pound test-line. I got a little certificate and a little pin. My proudest achievement: My family, I think. Having watched my children grow up and seeing the influence that they have on other people really fills me with a lot of joy. Why I do what I do: Because I love it. Anyone who teaches does it for the love teaching, for the love of children, and for the love of learning and imparting that learning. Teaching in a Catholic school, it goes beyond the profession of teaching into the ministry of teaching. Everybody here views it as a ministry. We’re called, we feel, not only to help children to learn the knowledge that will make them good citizens, but also to help them realize their call to be the best people that God wants them to be. We get to do that here, and that’s what makes this place special.
in 1979. She was there in the fall of 1995, when the first class of ninth-graders was added, and she was there when the first class of seniors graduated in 1999. She took over as principal of the high school in 2005. That same year she started as an adjunct professor for the University of Alabama Honors College. This year, she is back in the Holy Spirit classrooms, teaching theology after stepping down as principal of the high school at the end of last year after more than a decade in that role. “Somebody asked me if I was going back to teach English, and I said the way I look at it, it’s been 10 years since I’ve taught it, and English has changed in 10 years,” Halli said with the big smile that comes any time she’s talking about teaching. “So I will teach theology, because it goes back 2,000 years and is pretty constant.” Through 43 years as an educator at Holy Spirit and more recently at Alabama, the one thing that is evident about Judy Halli is her love of teaching. “It’s fun to get excited about it,” Halli said of her profession. “I think that’s what good teaching is, being excited about what you’re doing.”
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MISS ALABAMA UNITED STATES 2014
Jessica Escamilla
SIX INTRIGUING PEOPLE
BY JESSIE PATTERSON JONES PHOTO BY MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
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essica Escamilla never saw herself as a pageant queen. She spent her early years playing soccer and eventually added cheerleading. Her senior year of high school, she captained both squads. After attending college, she decided to take a year off and move to Tuscaloosa, where she found herself making the city home. Escamilla began working as a personal trainer at the University of Alabama and Northridge Fitness as well as serving as a hostess in skyboxes at Bryant-Denny Stadium. “Tuscaloosa immediately felt like home because of all the wonderful people,” she said. “Everyone is so genuine, kind and loving.”
In the midst of that, she found herself tagging along to help a friend get ready for a Mrs. America pageant. While she had many friends involved in pageants, Escamilla never thought it was for her. She enjoyed helping her friend look at dresses and shop for her attire, and along the way, she decided to take part. Escamilla found herself with less than two months to prepare for the Miss Alabama United States pageant. “I’d never done anything like this before, not even a beauty walk,” Escamilla said. “I was always into sports and academics. When I first started being coached, they would say you have to practice walking. I thought, ‘Every girl wears heels every now and then,’ but I was horrible the first time I walked in pageant shoes. “It wasn’t easy, but I’ve never quit anything, so I was determined to keep going.” That determination — and a large dose of fun — led Escamilla
into her first pageant in April 2014. She headed into it not knowing what to expect or how to prepare. “I have nothing else to compare it to, so that’s a good thing. A lot of pageant girls have that stigma that they aren’t nice. I have never experienced that, and our rehearsals were fun and outgoing.” At the end of the night, Escamilla was crowned Miss Alabama United States 2014, donning a glittering crown and earning a spot in the Miss United States pageant in Washington, D.C., in July. Escamilla said she realized that heading to the national pageant was a different ballgame. There would be a week of competition and intense preparation when she was running on an average of five hours of sleep in D.C. “It was exhausting, but your adrenaline was constantly pumping,” she said. “A lot of girls have been training for years, and this was a lifelong dream. I was just in
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“FOR THE YEARS TO COME, I ALWAYS HAVE GOALS TO REACH, AND I’M NEVER AFRAID TO START SOMETHING NEW.” my own little world having fun. But as the week went on, you could tell girls were getting more and more serious.” Escamilla said she was shocked when she was announced as a top-10 finalist at Miss United States. “I was confident in my abilities after preliminaries. I thought I did really well,” she said. “I loved the interviews. I’m a people person. I’d rather be a people person than just an idol on a page or a person in a picture.” Escamilla still has time to enjoy her reign as Miss Alabama United States, which continues until her successor is crowned in April 2015, and plans to keep working toward her goals. “For the years to come, I always have goals to reach, and I’m never afraid to start something new,” she said. “For now, I want to continue doing personal training. Regardless of if it’s for spring break or a pageant, I want to help young ladies become the best version of themselves.” When it’s time to hand over her title, she has plans for taking on a new role. Escamilla is engaged and is unable to get married while she holds her title. “We like to say I’m going to trade in my sash and crown for a wedding gown when this is all over,” she said.
Name: Jessica Escamilla Age: 22 Family: Parents, Roger and Jennifer Beck Hometown: Columbus, Ga. The people who have influenced my life: Many people have influenced my life, but the one who was the most influential during my decision to do pageantry was my coach, Terri Bolen. She sent me a quote that said, “The question isn’t ‘Who is going to let me?’ It’s ‘Who’s going to stop me?’ ” She taught me how to walk with a purpose and was ultimately a guide to my success. Of course, I did the hard work, but she believed in my ability. My ability to win my first pageant ever. Something most people don’t know about me: That would be my hidden talent — I can vibrate my eyes! My proudest achievement: My proudest achievement would be when I won my state title, which was my very first pageant ever. I have always given my best in any competition, but I never suspected that I would have actually won. I remember praying backstage with another young lady, Bailey. It was the best moment of my life. Why I do what I do: Why I do what I do, simply because I love it. I’ve always been a people person. From personal training to being a queen, I love meeting, mingling and motivating others to their success. Whatever dreams they have are obtainable, and I want to be the one that can help them in any way possible. I am a people’s queen, and that’s what the (Miss) United States Organization is all about. Life.
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ON THE SCENE
PRESIDENTIAL RECEPTION AUGUST 11, 2014 UA PRESIDENT’S MANSION PHOTOS | ERIN NELSON
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BENEFITING THE DCH FOUNDATION
MAY 17, 2014 L&N TRAIN STATION PHOTOS | MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
ON THE SCENE
BBQ & BLUE JEANS
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ON THE SCENE
CAMP HORNE REUNION MAY 31, 2014 CAMP HORNE
PHOTOS | MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
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JUNE 10, 2014 SPIRITS WINE CELLAR
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ALABAMA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WINE TASTING PHOTOS | ERIN NELSON
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ON THE SCENE
BARK IN THE PARK BENEFITING THE WILL MAY MEMORIAL DOG PARK
MAY 17, 2014 MUNNY SOKOL PARK
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1. Becca Able, Ralphie and Christina Espie 2. Nancy Swirsky, Keebler and Cindy Lucas 3. Halley Keys, Jambi, Daniel Bridgemon, Amanda Jamison and Lexie 4. Annalee Hargett, Brad Hargett, Pixie and Phyllis Olive 5. Alyson Freeman, Gracie, Andy and Nickolas Freeman 6. Andrea Falls, J.D., Sam Falls and Murphy 7. Sheila Lee, Larell Wells, Breezer, Marley and Willeane Cameron 8. Lee Loftin, Pepper and Renee Loftin 9. Cheryl Taback, Murphy and Renee McCullers 10. Bettina Hoster, Hercules and Martin Hoster
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JUNIOR LEAGUE 85TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
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ON THE SCENE
SHELTON STATE PRESIDENT’S RECEPTION JULY 31, 2014 SHELTON STATE PHOTOS | ERIN NELSON
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ON THE SCENE
DRUID CITY BUSINESS LEAGUE JUNE 28, 2014 TOWNES OF NORTH RIVER
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AUGUST 5, 2014 NORTHRIVER YACHT CLUB
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PHOTOS | MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
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ON THE SCENE
NATIONAL DAY OF DANCE JULY 26, 2014 NORTHRIDGE CENTER PHOTOS | MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
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ON THE SCENE
BAMBOO BUZZ
BENEFIT FOR KENTUCK BAMBOO PARK
AUGUST 16, 2014 DRUID CITY BREWING COMPANY
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MR. PIG GOES TO MARKET JULY 11, 2014 TUSCALOOSA RIVER MARKET PHOTOS | ERIN NELSON
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ON THE SCENE
ARTS ’N AUTISM APPRECIATION RECEPTION
AUGUST 1, 2014 ARTS ‘N AUTISM PHOTOS | ERIN NELSON
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ON THE SCENE
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA ALUMNI PARTY
AUGUST 14, 2014 THE ZONE AT BRYANT-DENNY PHOTOS | ERIN NELSON
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1. Anna Claire Toxey and Ashlyn Toxey 2. Earl Tilford and Sharon Randolph 3. David Welborn, Megan Welborn, David Courington and Jackie Courington 4. Harriette Crunk, Donna Boles, Anne Trawick and Ginnye Capps 5. Matthew Huffman, Danny Huffman and Jerry Logan 6. Al Spencer, Leanne Spencer and Janee Bonner 7. Ali Hubbard and Alan Hubbard 8. Martha Cooper, Walt James and Debbie Crutchfield 9. Meagan Mims, Whitney Bolen and Crawford Barnes 10. Beth Whinery and Todd Whinery 11. Reid Douglas and Cathi Douglas 12. Sabrina Keating, Brett Jones and Judy Brown
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9/4/2014 5:08:33 PM
AUGUST 14, 2014 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
ON THE SCENE
FIRST NATIONAL BANK REUNION PHOTOS | ERIN NELSON
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Tommy Hester and Marietta Juliano Benny Quimby and John Lollar Tommy Hester and Don Higgins Kaye Owen, Hershel Owen, Connie Harris and Ricky Harris George Miles, Mitzi Miles and Gene Reynolds Delores Cook, Terry Meggs and Beverly Meggs Harriett Lawler, Pat Gooden and Mike Hickman Judy Walker, Marie Shirley and Kay Thompson Martha Dyer, Zora Ballard and Drucilla Tucker Dot Elliot, Jimmy Lankford and Geneva Lankford Barbara Jones, Nancy Atkins and Carol Talerico Stanley Duncan and Bill Austin
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9/7/2014 6:49:38 PM
LAST LOOK
FAIR WEATHER PHOTO BY ROBERT SUTTON
Rides at the West Alabama State Fair are silhouetted against a golden summer sunset.
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9/8/2014 8:53:00 PM
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1 1 1 1 G R E E N S B O R O AV E N U E , T U S C A LO O S A , A L 3 5 4 0 1 . T E L : ( 2 0 5 ) 7 5 2 5 5 3 5
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9/8/14 1:40 PM