Homewood Star March 2024

REAL ESTATE SPOTLIGHT

Realtors bullish on Homewood housing market, interest rates expected to drop

By JON ANDERSON

The year 2023 was another slow one for the housing market in Homewood, as rising interest rates kept people out of the market. However, home values stayed strong, and Realtors are expecting activity to pick up this year.

The number of home closings in Homewood declined 21% from 381 in 2022 to 300 in 2023, according to data from the Greater Alabama Multiple Listing Service. That’s also down 39% from a peak of 495 home closings in 2019.

Average sale prices in Homewood declined by 3% from $534,542 in 2022 to $518,359 in 2023. But prices still were 30% higher than in 2019, when the average price was $399,913, MLS data shows.

“It is a seller’s market still,” said Reba Myer, a Realtor with LAH Sotheby’s International Realty’s office in Homewood for 15 years.

Crime continues downward trend

By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR.

Crime in Homewood was down 12% from 2022 to 2023 and down 18% compared to the 10-year average, police officials say.

Robberies and auto thefts were up, but there were decreases in homicides, assaults, burglaries and thefts, according to statistics from the Homewood Police Department.

Changes in scheduling and new policies have given police more visibility in the community, and new technology, social media and proactive policing have helped

reduce crime, police Chief Tim Ross said.

Here are some highlights from the 2023 crime stats shared by Sgt. John Carr, the department’s public information officer:

There were 75 burglaries in 2023, down 30% from 108 burglaries in 2022 and down 41% from the 10-year average of 144.

There were 35 robberies in 2022, up 52% from 23 robberies in 2023 and up 9% from the 10-year average of 34.

See CRIME | page 26

Reba Myer stages one of the new townhomes for sale on 18th Street South. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

Homewood Police vehicles during a traffic stop in West Homewood. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

Homewood Parks & Recreation

Classes & Activities

Central Barre

Tuesday 6:15am

Wednesday 5:15pm

Saturday 8:15am

Homewood Community Center

Central Barre is a small group fitness class incorporating barre, core, cardio, balance, strength training and stretch to give you a complete workout in 55 minutes.  We use a variety of small equipment such as weights, resistance bands, balls and sliding discs to increase variety and provide real results.  ellyngagnon@gmail.com

Dance Trance

Saturday 9:30am-10:30am

Homewood Community Center Dance Trance is a high-cardio, high-energy dance fitness experience that leaves participants soaking wet!  It is a non-stop workout that feels more like a party than an exercise class. www.dancetrancefitness.com

Fun For All Line Dancing

Beginner and Beyond Beginner line dance instruction encompassing a variety of music genres, e.g., pop, country and R&B. You will learn line dance terminology, line dance steps, and, of course, line dances to specific music.

Homewood Community Center, Fitness Studio 2

Tuesday 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM

$5.00 per person per visit funforalllinedancing@gmail.com

North Star Martial Arts

North Star Martial Arts primary focus is to make a life lasting impact on our students, and their families. Classes range from beginners to adults. For detailed class listings and times please visit the park’s website or www.northstarma.com. 205-966-4244 • info@northstarma.com

Bench Aerobics Step & Line Dance

Tuesday: 4:15pm – 5:15pm (Step Aerobics)

Thursday: 4:15pm – 5:15pm (Cardio Line Dance)

Homewood Community Center Fitness Studio 2

Cost: Classes are FREE (with donations) For more information contact Rosa at 205-253-9344 or benchaerobics@bellsouth.net

Royce Head Personal Training

Affordable personal training available to members in the Fitness Center at the Homewood Community Center. Workouts are fast, fun, safe, and effective and each person is started with a program to fit their fitness level.

Call Royce for more information: (205) 945-1665

YoLimber

Vinyasa yoga classes in an energetic environment using upbeat music at Homewood Community Center. All levels welcome.

Friday: 8:00am-9:00am - Basics Class

Friday: 9:30am-10:30am - Regular Class Contact Marla: 205-223-8564 • mac@yolimber.com

Confi.Dance

Confi.Dance is a dance class in a small group setting to teach you the secrets of looking good on the dance floor and having more fun than you thought possible.

Class Meets: Wednesday 3:00pm – 4:00pm

Homewood Community Center For more information: jgtally@aol.com

Fast Track Line Dance

We learn the current and classic intermediateadvanced line dances. This class is not for beginners.

Saturday 11:00am-1:00pm Homewood Community Center, Fitness Studio 2 Jackie Tally jgtally@aol.com (or) Helen Woods aquafool@aol.com

FIT4MOM

FIT4MOM Birmingham provides fitness classes and a network of local moms to support every stage of motherhood. From pregnancy, through postpartum and beyond, we serve our community by offering our fitness and wellness programs to help keep moms strong in body, mind and spirit. View our website for Membership Plans, Passes and Schedule. https://birmingham.fit4mom.com/

Senior Center

Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention

Wednesdays at 1:30pm

Tai Chi is an ancient mind-body marshal art exercise that with regular practice improves health and wellbeing. It is a moving meditation in the form of fluid, graceful, circular and slow exercises. This class is suitable for anyone, easy on the joints, helps to calm the mind, improves balance and coordination. The program of Tai Chi for Health Institute. For additional information about Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention, contact Galina at: galinawaites@gmail.com

Tai Chi, Sun Style

Mondays at 1:30pm

Tai Chi is an ancient mind-body marshal art exercise that with regular practice improves health and wellbeing. It is a moving meditation in the form of fluid, graceful, circular and slow exercises. During this class participants will learn in more depth about Tai Chi history, principals and styles, will learn and practice Sun Style 73 forms. This class is suitable for anyone who is willing to take the time learning beautiful, liberating and empowering set of movements(forms). For additional information about Sun Style Tai Chi, contact Galina at: galinawaites@gmail.com

Dance Fusion with Galina

Thursdays at 1:30pm

Dance Fusion is an easy low impact aerobic exercise, where we learn the basics of many dances around the world while having a lot of fun in the process. Linear movements and occasional turns are simple enough to remember and perform, while energizing music of the program helps with cardio elements and a positive emotional effect. For additional information about Dance Fusion, contact Galina at: galinawaites@gmail.com

About Us

If you are reading this column, I know that you care about Homewood. And since you do, I don’t mind asking a favor from you.

We’re looking for a new community editor for The Homewood Star.

Maybe it’s you or someone you know.

There is some flexibility in how the role would work, depending on the candidate. It can be a contract or a full-time role. It can include writing, or not. You might also work on one of our company’s other publications, but that is not required. The pay and time required will vary depending on the number of responsibilities assumed.

The role does require systematic

planning, strong organizational and communication skills, comfort with technology, connection with the

Homewood community and a drive to publish impactful community stories and contribute to the company’s vision.

I don’t have enough space to publish the full job description here. If this sounds like you or someone you know, please send an email to me at dan@starnesmedia.com and let’s talk.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

Palmer, Sewell face competition for congressional district seats

By JON ANDERSON

The two members of Congress who represent parts of Homewood both have challengers in their respective primary elections on March 5.

U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, a Hoover resident who is nearing the end of his fifth two-year term in Congressional District 6, has two battling him in the Republican primary: Gerrick Wilkins of Vestavia Hills and Ken McFeeters of the Indian Lake subdivision in north Shelby County.

Each Congressional district covers different parts of Homewood. District 6 covers the eastern part of Homewood, including Hollywood, Brookwood, Shades Cliff, Rosedale, Overton Park, portions of Mayfair and Edgewood south of Oxmoor Road. District 7 includes all parts of Homewood west of Interstate 65, plus areas on the east side such as Green Springs, Valley Avenue, Grove Park, downtown Homewood and the portions of Edgewood roughly north of Oxmoor Road and west of Edgewood Boulevard, Forest Drive South and Rockaway Road.

District 6 also includes Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Trussville, Clay, parts of Hoover, the northeastern part of Jefferson County, a small part of Talladega County and all of Shelby, Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Autauga and Elmore counties. District 7 also includes most of Birmingham, parts of Hoover and western Jefferson County, parts of Clarke, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa counties and all of Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Pickens, Perry, Sumter and Wilcox counties.

DISTRICT 6

The Republican race for District 6 has shaped up to be a battle about term limits and who can better advance a conservative agenda.

Palmer broke an earlier promise not to seek more than 10 years in office and decided to run again, and Wilkins and McFeeters have crit icized that decision. Wilkins said Palmer has done more talk than action and made poor decisions that do not adequately represent conservative Alabama values.

Palmer said he makes his decisions based on the right thing to do and doesn’t check to see how groups score politicians before he votes, but he said he has maintained a 95% rating from the American Conservative Union.

District 6 Candidates

KEN McFEETERS

► Party: Republican

► Age: 63

► Residence: Indian Lake in north Shelby County

► Political experience: Unsuccessful bid to replace David Wheeler in Alabama House District 47 in 2022; former president of Mid-Alabama Republican Club

► Professional experience: Has owned and run PAC Insurance Agency for 42 years (offices in Hoover, Bessemer and Roebuck)

► Civic experience: Legislative chairman for Alabama Independent Insurance Agents for 10 of last 20 years

► Education: Berry High School graduate, 1979

► Main issues: Redirect payments going to Federal Reserve to replenish Social Security; abolish the U.S. Department of Education; eliminate mRNA shots for infants and children; defund and withdraw from the United Nations and World Health Organization; change leadership in federal agencies; end U.S. involvement in Russia-Ukraine war

► Website/social media: Ken4America.com; X: @Ken35216; Facebook: Ken Abe McFeeters

GARY PALMER (INCUMBENT)

► Party: Republican

► Age: 69

► Residence: Hoover

► Political experience: Elected to U.S. Congress in 2014 representing Alabama’s 6th District; now in his fifth two-year term

► Professional experience: President of the Alabama Policy Institute for 24 years; worked in engineering, as well as with Focus on the Family

► Civic experience: Rotary Club of Birmingham; member of Briarwood Presbyterian Church

► Education: Bachelor’s degree in operations management from University of Alabama in 1977

► Main issues: Better secure the U.S. border with Mexico; get control of inflation; open access to energy resources such as natural gas, critical minerals and Canadian oil

► Website/social media: palmerforalabama.com; X: @Palmer4Alabama; Facebook: Gary Palmer for Alabama

Palmer said he struggled with the decision to run for a sixth term but was encouraged by others to do so and felt God leading him in that direction. He said the country has been headed in the wrong direction, and if Donald Trump is elected, “we’ve got a chance to really fix some things.”

Palmer said there has been a huge turnover among Republicans in Congress in recent years, and “we’re hemorrhaging in experience and institutional knowledge.”

As chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a former member of the House Budget Committee, he believes his experience and background in policy matters, the budget and Congressional procedure will be needed.

Wilkins and McFeeters have criticized Palmer for advocating for

GERRICK WILKINS

Party: Republican Age: 46

Residence: Vestavia Hills

Political experience: First run for public office

Professional experience: Has worked in automotive industry more than 24 years; now is broker in sale of dealerships for Dealer Support Network

Civic experience: Advisory board for Samford University Brock School of Business; on board for Mission Increase Alabama, which provides free counseling to nonprofits on a Biblical approach to fundraising; member of The Gideons International

► Education: Master’s degree in business administration from Samford University in 2016; bachelor’s degree in religion from Liberty University

► Main issues: Conservative representation; secure U.S. borders; safeguard the unborn; counter child exploitation and human trafficking; be fiscally responsible in Congress; balance the budget; support term limits; dismantle the U.S. Department of Education

► Website/social media: WilkinsforAL.com; X:@WilkinsforAL; Facebook: Gerrick Wilkins for Congress

spending billions of dollars to aid Ukraine in its war with Russia while the United States faces an “invasion” at its southern border. Palmer said he voted against more recent bills to provide financial support to Ukraine. Wilkins also faulted Palmer for voting to kill the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act in 2018.

Palmer said he voted against that act because it was a bad bill that would have increased the number of illegal immigrants coming into the country and given amnesty to too many already here.

Palmer said the most important issues to him right now are border security, the cost of living and

District 7 Candidates

CHRIS DAVIS

► Party: Democratic

► Age: 50

► Residence: Birmingham

► Political experience: Ran unsuccessfully for Alabama House District 59 in 2014 and Birmingham City Council in 2017

► Professional experience: Director of government affairs for BHM Law Group; previously worked as director of business development for attorney Barry Walker and in Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty’s Office on Community Relations; worked on Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings’s staff in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.; worked in Capitol Hill whip organization for then-Sen. Barack Obama; was head of outreach for press, clergy and elected officials for the Obama campaign in Maryland

► Civic experience: Vulcan Kiwanis Club member; Anytown camp counselor for high school students for two years

► Education: Law degree, Birmingham School of Law, 2020; bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2005

► Main issues: Improve life expectancy in Seventh Congressional District; provide environmental justice by improving environment in distressed areas or helping people move; provide quality health care to underserved areas; reduce gun violence; reinstate assault weapons ban; bring federal projects to the district to provide jobs

► Website/social media: chrisdavis4congress.com; Facebook: Chris Davis for Congress

TERRI SEWELL (INCUMBENT)

► Party: Democratic

► Age: 59

► Residence: Birmingham

► Political experience: Elected in 2011 to U.S. Congress to represent Alabama’s 7th Congressional District; now in her seventh two-year term

► Professional experience: More than 15 years as a securities and public finance attorney; worked for Davis, Polk & Wardwell in New York City and Maynard, Cooper & Gale in Birmingham

► Civic experience: Silver Star and life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; has served as chairwoman and treasurer of St. Vincent’s Foundation’s board, board member of the Girl Scouts of Cahaba Council, Alabama chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, community advisory board for the UAB Minority Health and Research Center, governing board of the Alabama Council on Economic Education and corporate council for the Birmingham Art Museum

► Education: Law degree, Harvard Law School, 1992; master’s degree, Oxford University, 1988; bachelor’s degree, Princeton University, 1986

► Main issues: Create jobs; improve infrastructure (roads, bridges, water, sewer, broadband); improve access to affordable and quality health care and affordable housing; reduce gun violence; battle opioid addiction and substance abuse

► Website/social media: sewellforcongress.com;

X: @Sewell4Congress; Facebook: Rep. Terri Sewell

opening up access to natural resources such as natural gas, critical minerals and Canadian oil.

Nearly 7 million people have entered the country illegally since Biden came into office, and there have been 345 U.S. Border Patrol encounters with known or suspected terrorists or potential threats between U.S. ports of entry since that time, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It’s a threat to national security when you don’t know who is crossing the borders, Palmer said.

Trump’s “return to Mexico” policy needs to be reinstated as a law, as well as a requirement that people not be allowed in the country until it is

verified they are not carrying viruses, Palmer said.

Pressure must be put on Mexico through trade agreements, and the United States must build a wall on its southern border and pay for better surveillance technology, including technology that better detects fentanyl, he said.

The government also has to get control of inflation, Palmer said. Under the Biden administration, inflation soared over 9%, and the cumulative impact of inflation was as high as 17%, based on the Consumer Price Index, he said. A family with a median household income had $12,000 less buying power because

of the high inflation, and 64% of the increase in fuel costs in the last two years was due to higher energy costs, Palmer said.

Wilkins said government cannot overlook the pressing moral issues of the day.

“Our society faces an urgent call to safeguard the unborn, to counter child exploitation and eradicate the scourge of human trafficking that is pervading our country,” Wilkins said. “My commitment to the intrinsic value of everyone from conception to natural end remains steadfast and unwavering. I pledge to spearhead policies that nurture and protect life and confront the menace of human trafficking at its roots.”

Wilkins also said he will fight for fiscal responsibility in Congress, support a balanced budget amendment and push for significant cuts to the federal bureaucracy. The current national debt is $34.2 trillion, up from $31.7 trillion in 2020, according to the U.S. Treasury.

McFeeters said he was drawn into

this race because of the crazy government overreach during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war and the false narratives being spun related to the Jan. 6, 2021, protests in Washington, D.C.

McFeeters said he opposes the Federal Reserve banking system and doesn’t believe the U.S. government should owe money to a private entity like that. The U.S. government owed $5.4 trillion to the Federal Reserve as of the end of the third quarter of 2023, according to the Fed. McFeeters said it would be better to use that money to replenish the Social Security fund.

McFeeters also wants to do away with required mRNA vaccinations for infants and children, saying medical decisions should be left up to individuals.

The winner of the March 5 Republican primary will face Democrat Elizabeth Anderson in the Nov. 5 general election.

DISTRICT 7

In Congressional District 7, Davis

said he was motivated to run against Sewell in part because of the horrible condition of some parts of the district and what he considers to be inaction on Sewell’s part.

The Seventh Congressional District has the worst life expectancy of any of the 435 Congressional districts in the country, according to data from Harvard University. “There’s no crime in that statistic,” Davis said. “The crime is that nobody is doing anything about that.” There has been no significant effort to get the Seventh Congressional District off the bottom of that list, he said.

The district faces a host of environmental justice problems, where predominantly minority communities get stuck with environmental waste sites that need cleaning up, from Collegeville and North Birmingham to the train cars full of waste in Sumter County or open sewer problems in Selma and Tuscaloosa, Davis said.

There is air, water and soil pollution in some neighborhoods and other areas where trains block the roads and

U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, R-District 6, left and challenger Gerrick Wilkins of Vestavia Hills listen to challenger Ken McFeeters of north Shelby County talk during a Mid-Alabama Republican Club forum for Congressional District 6 at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest on Jan. 13. Photo by Jon Anderson.

make it difficult for residents to travel, he said.

“The federal government has to have a hand in providing these families with environmental justice,” Davis said. The government either needs to improve the areas where these people live or help them move to safer environments, he said.

The district also is suffering from rural hospital closures, and people are dying trying to get hospitals in Birmingham or Tuscaloosa and don’t have access to preventative care, Davis said. A member of Congress should pull together resources to remedy that, he said.

Davis also said Sewell has failed to bring significant federal projects to District 7, like the FBI office for Huntsville (expected to grow to 5,000 jobs) or modernized docks in Mobile.

Sewell said she has a proven track record of working to bring jobs to the district, saying she worked with other federal and state officials to bring a $150 million Golden Dragon Copper of China plant to Wilcox County.

There have been other significant economic development projects in the district, including the Amazon fulfillment center and Dollar General distribution center in Bessemer, she said. Just this past fall, the Birmingham metro area was designated as one of 31 federal technology hubs, putting the region in the running for significant federal investment dollars, she added.

Sewell also said she has a proven record of working to improve the quality of life for people in the district. She said she has secured more than $11.5 billion in federal grants since taking office in 2011, including $62.6 million for water and sewer improvements in the Black Belt, $50 million for affordable housing projects in Birmingham, $38 million to fight crime and make communities safer, $30 million for public transportation in Birmingham, $13 million to preserve historic civil rights sites, $8.8 million for a program to provide nurse practitioners to underserved areas and $4.1 million for a Rails to Trails project along Valley Creek.

Sewell said she was the only member of Congress from Alabama to vote in favor of a 2021 $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that will provide $1.4 billion to expand broadband in Alabama, which she said is critical for commerce, education and health care delivery. She also will continue working to stop gun violence and provide access to quality health care, she said.

She said she is eager to get to know people who have been added to her district in the latest Congressional redistricting.

The winner of the Democratic primary in District 7 should face Republican Robin Litaker of Homewood in the Nov. 5 general election. The other Republican who qualified, Christian Horn, announced in February he was withdrawing from the race.

City clerk, finance director bid farewell

By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR.

Melody Salter has never lived in Homewood, but the recently retired city clerk has long loved Homewood.

“I've joked and said they ought to make me pay property tax because there are times I spent the night in the office, more than once, and many years spent more time here than I did at my own house, especially when I first started in 2010,” Salter said. “But

I've always cared about the residents and about the employees and about keeping the city viable.”

Salter’s time in Homewood came to an end on Jan. 31, and City Finance Director Robert Burgett is following close behind, planning to retire March 31. Each is taking advantage of an opportunity offered by the City Council, one where city employees who retire prior to April 1 will receive a health insurance stipend in retirement.

Burgett and Salter each worked 13 years for Homewood, but Salter’s time came in two stints, the first for about eight years and the second for about five years.

Salter’s experience in municipal government begins with finance.

That was her responsibility when she worked in Fairfield, Vestavia Hills, Tarrant, Trussville and Homewood.

She was initially city clerk and finance director in Homewood before leaving to start the Finance Department in Trussville. She returned to Homewood as city clerk but has kept her hand in finance.

In recent years, Salter and Burgett have been the backups for one another. She was assistant finance director, and he was assistant city clerk. The two worked closely together, especially at

budget time.

Salter defined her departure as an "early retirement."

“In the Retirement Systems of Alabama, which is our pension, as long as you do 25 years, you can retire at any age,” she said. “If you don't do 25 years, you have to be 60. I'm not 60, but I've done 25 years between all the cities I've worked in.”

While Salter has left her job at Homewood, she’s not abandoning her skills. She has taken a job as a software consultant, helping government staffers set up their financial system software.

“It's one thing just to know the software, but it's a whole other thing to know what I need the software to do in order to do my job,” she said. “It gives the mayor and council what they need as far as financial analysis.”

Salter said she’ll have a unique perspective in her new job because she

has sat in the seat of the people who will be using the software and can help them maximize how to do their jobs effectively.

Salter also hopes to teach accounting. “I'm teaching the next generation all the things that I've been able to gather in my career,” she said. “It's not like I'm just walking out and taking all this knowledge with me. I'm able to pay it forward.”

ROBERT BURGETT

Burgett, 63, was born in Alabaster, and his family moved to southern California when he was a year old. The family returned to Alabama when he was 14 because of his terminally ill mother.

Back then, Burgett dreamed of playing football at the University of Alabama. He played offensive and defensive tackle at Hueytown High School, but he would not play football

for the Crimson Tide.

He worked full-time from age 18 and ultimately went to college as an evening student at Birmingham-Southern College, earning a bachelor’s degree with a double major in business administration and accounting.

Burgett said his time working for Homewood has been a series of teaching moments, and he was the student.

“Never having been involved in government finance, it was a learning experience and gave me a completely different perspective of how government functions differently than private business,” he said. “I guess the biggest issue that I dealt with would be in private business, especially when you're a sole proprietor, you have to make decisions instantly on the fly. In government, they're [decisions are] more calculated and more time-consuming to get to the resolution of a problem.”

Burgett said recently that he had “survived” another payroll period. “It’s always fun and interesting,” he said, joking that, “I'm a little twisted, I think, sometimes.”

Burgett said that, in retirement, he plans to take a detour away from finance issues. He is a licensed commercial roofer in Florida and has an Alabama residential home builder’s license.

“My son is currently operating a construction company using myself as the qualifier,” he said. “When I leave here, I’m just gonna go and take my own company over again, if he’ll let me. I may just be assisting him, but he's been very successful and has grown tremendously in the last five or six years.

“When [the] council offered this health insurance stipend, he [my son] said, ‘Dad, Dad, I need your help,’ and I said, ‘OK.'"

Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow.

City Clerk Melody Salter, left, and Finance Director Robert Burgett are retiring from their roles with the City of Homewood this year. Photos by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Business Happenings

COMING SOON

Several new tenants have leased space at The Edge, an upcoming mixed-use development located on Green Springs Highway scheduled to open this spring. Corbeau Wine Bar, The Standard, Cookie Plug, The Que’bicle by Porky’s Pride and Shin Ramen Noodles Asian Cuisine join previously signed Baba Java and Popbar. theedgehomewood.com

NOW OPEN

The Cantina Tortilla Grill is now open at 162 Oxmoor Road in West Homewood. The Homewood Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting event for the business to make the grand opening official. Cantina will continue to serve the Latin American dishes it is known for, such as the Cuban sandwich, shrimp quesadilla and fish tacos.

205-834-8557, cantinabirmingham.com

Webb Building Essentials recently opened a new showroom at 1716 28th Ave. S. The business carries everything for building and remodeling from door and window samples to paint colors and flooring.

205-864-8226, webbbuildingessentials.com

RELOCATIONS AND RENOVATIONS

Hero Doughnuts recently moved to a new location at 1726 28th Ave. S. The Homewood Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting honoring this relocation on Feb. 6. Hero Doughnuts serves house-made doughnuts with creative toppings, along with breakfast plates, sandwiches and salads.

205-623-1017, herodoughnuts.com

NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Slice Pizza & Brew, 1010 Oxmoor Road, was recently named the winner of two prestigious categories in Pizza Today’s inaugural 2023 Pizza Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards, earning accolades for “Most Interesting Menu” and “Pizza Company of the Year by Region – Southeast.” The PIE Awards aim to spotlight the achievements of pizzeria operators nationwide. Independent and chain pizza establishments across the country vied for recognition in 24 categories, judged by a panel of leading pizzeria owners and culinary experts.

205-557-5423, slicebirmingham.com

Several Homewood businesses are represented on the 2024 board of directors of the Alabama Retail Association. Those are: Alabama Goods, represented by Beth Staula; CVS Health, represented by Catherine Raynor; and Moe’s Southwest Grill, represented by Kealon Drake alabamaretail.org

ANNIVERSARIES

UAB Callahan Eye Clinic has recently reached one year at One Independence Plaza, Suite 700, in Homewood. This location offers complete ophthalmology and optometry care, as well as designer eyewear. Care is available for both adults and children.

205-250-6042, uabmedicine.org

Social Taco is celebrating one year as one of the three SOHO restaurants in the heart of Homewood. The restaurant values the community and hopes to draw people in with freshly made tacos, margaritas and other favorites.

205-922-0551, socialtaco.bar

Business News to Share?

Do you have news to share with the community about a business in Homewood or the greater Birmingham area?

Let us know at starnesmedia.com/ business-happenings

By KATHARINE ARMBRESTER

The oldest indie bookstore in Alabama, Little Professor Bookshop in Homewood, moved last fall to its fourth location.

Little Professor’s new home is 2738 18th St. S. While they only moved down the street from their previous storefront, the bookstore’s new space offers new opportunities.

Wherever Little Professor has found a home, it has proved a magnet for lovers of all things literary.

“The Homewood community is truly unique, and we’re so thankful to be planted in the middle of it,” owner Meredith Robinson said. “Some customers have faithfully supported the shop in its four different locations, and their loyalty is unmatched.”

The bookshop opened in its new location in November 2023. Robinson said the transition happened quickly, but they had already been looking for a new location that would better match their vision for the store.

When Nadeau Furniture vacated its space, Little Professor moved in and Once Upon a Time, a children’s boutique, moved into the bookstore’s former location at 2844 18th St. S.

Last year, the bookstore celebrated its 50th anniversary, and Robinson said their longevity is a testament to the dedicated readers who have browsed the shelves.

“It’s beautiful that our community has believed in the importance of an independent bookstore for decades,” Robinson said.

Little Professor tries to offer an atmosphere that is inviting to all kinds of readers, from

families coming for storytime to friends catching up over coffee and a book. There is a membership program that includes free coffee from June Roasters during store visits, 40% off indie bestsellers and 20% off all other products, Robinson said.

“We try to lean into the things that only local businesses can offer,” Robinson said. “We know your name when you walk in the door. … At the end of the day, we believe so fully that what we do matters, and are honored that our community feels that way, too.”

Little Professor also offers numerous events throughout the year, including author signings, book clubs, improv shows and game nights. Robinson co-hosts a podcast with marketing director McCall Hardison, called “A Little Bookish.”

“The wonderful thing about indie bookstores is that each has its own flavor,” Robinson said. “For us, we’ve really focused on creating a community hub.”

Robinson said that she and her team are humbled by the community’s response to the new store location.

“We will never tire of watching someone walk into the shop, scan the space and tell us how good it makes them feel,” she said. “It’s why we put so much effort into creating a space we hope to be a Homewood anchor for decades to come.”

The Homewood location of Little Professor is open Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Their second location at Pepper Place is open Tuesday-Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit littleprofessorbookshop.com.

Luca restaurant, market open in Homewood

By SARAH GILLILAND

The opening of Luca Lagotto and Luca Mercato Lagotto will mark the addition of new Italian dining in Homewood’s culinary scene.

Luca Lagotto, a full-service Italian restaurant, is led by executive chefs Rita Bernhardt and Paul Yeck. The restaurant is spearheaded by the Pihakis Restaurant Group, known for ventures such as Little Donkey and Hero Doughnuts.

“I live in Homewood. I’m a 10-minute walk to the restaurant. I’ve been involved in Homewood, and I look forward to being more involved in the community,” Bernhardt said.

The menu offers small plates, fresh pastas and pizzas. A key focus is on using locally sourced ingredients, plus some imported specialties. Luca’s beverage menu features classic cocktails, mixes, aperitivi, non-alcoholic options and a wide wine selection.

“I’ve always been really into pasta and making pasta, but I have somebody on my team that is a way better pro at that than I am, so I shifted gears and took a deep dive into pizza. It’s become my favorite thing to make,” Bernhardt said.

She also said that while trendy meals or dishes can be popular, she would much rather make food that is “more approachable and delicious.”

Adjacent to the restaurant is Luca Mercato Lagotto, a take-home market offering a range of Italian products. This includes a curated selection of wines, olive oils, tinned fish, cheeses, cured meats, snacks, house-made sauces and both fresh and dried pasta. The market also provides a take-away menu featuring pizza, gelato and Italian sandwiches, along with a limited selection of small plates.

“One of the most important things for us is to stay with the season. We will have our main things always on the menu, but we want to offer specials. It will be interesting to see what our neighbors love and what they want more of,” Bernhardt said.

The restaurant was designed by Chambless King Architects and includes 129 indoor seats

and an additional 60 seats in the courtyard. Reservations will be available for inside the restaurant through Resy up to 60 days in advance, and courtyard seating will be available as a same-day reservation. Bernhardt said that there will also be seating available for walk-up reservations.

With an anticipated opening date in March, the restaurant will offer dine-in and online orders for take-out and also partner with DoorDash for delivery in the Birmingham area.

Located at 1722 28th Ave. S., Luca Lagotto and Luca Mercato Lagotto are open SundayThursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit eatluca.com or on Instagram at @eatluca.

Above: The interior of Luca Lagotto in Homewood. Right: An assortment of dishes on the menu at Luca Lagotto. Photos by Angie Mosier.

Events

Barks and Books program pairs young readers with furry friends

By EMILY REED

There have been lots of tails wagging lately at the Homewood Public Library’s Barks and Books event.

From 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. each Wednesday, the library’s children’s department hosts a time for children to come and read or spend time with dogs brought in by volunteers with the Greater Birmingham Humane Society.

“The dogs come sit, and they are wonderful listeners for our kiddos to practice their reading or to just hang out with them if they would like,” children’s librarian Gabby Bass-Butler said. “I think it helps for the kids being able to read to the dogs because for some kids, they may feel shy reading in front of others or may be a struggling reader. Reading to a dog allows them to come to a judgment-free zone and safe space to practice their reading or share the books they love with dogs who are essentially going to just sit there and listen.”

The dogs in the Barks and Books program are considered “ambassador dogs,” who already have homes and live with the volunteers who bring them to the event. The ambassador dogs help to spread the word about the Greater Birmingham Humane Society’s work.

At Barks and Books, roughly five to seven dogs and a few volunteers come to participate each week, Bass-Butler said.

“I sit outside our round auditorium with a sign-up sheet and kids come sign up, and while they wait for their turn, they can go pick out their books they want to read, or do our scavenger hunt,” she said.

When it’s their turn, each kid is given a timer and can go into the round auditorium to read or hang out with the dogs until the timer runs out, Bass-Butler said.

“Depending on how many people we have, we try to do 15 [to] 20-minute slots, but if we have a larger crowd, I may do 10 minutes to ensure everyone gets a turn,” she said.

Barks and Books has been happening since 2017, after the library did tutoring at Homewood Middle School and wanted to expand its tutoring to include reading to animals.

The library had previously done adoption events with GBHS, so the idea to merge the combination of animals with young readers was born.

“It has been a huge hit and one of our more popular programs,” Bass-Butler said. “We have regulars that come in and know the dogs they visit, and it is their first stop after school. Also, I love how communal it is because one family will come regularly, then tell a friend and bring them along too. So, it is great for spreading the word. Also, we take breaks during holidays and summer, and you can tell the kids miss not having the dogs, so you can see it is a regular rhythm of a lot of people’s lives.”

In November 2023, Barks and Books was paired with a book signing by local children’s book author Dorenda Doyle, who was promoting her book, “The Dog and The Kid.”

“This made a perfect book signing for our Barks and Books program,” Bass-Butler said. “We had her books available for kids to use during their session with the dogs, and we had never had an author come before so that was fun.”

Bass-Butler said another highlight of the program was having a couple of local Girl Scout troops come for a library tour, and part of the tour included participating in the Barks and Books program.

“We have received great feedback on the program, and we cater to the large number of readers we have come in each week,” she said. “I love seeing the regulars that come in every Wednesday after school, and you get to see them grow as readers over time, but also how they bond with their volunteers and the dogs. We have one kid that comes in every week with a ‘book bag’ that he hopes to get through during his session. It is the sweetest thing.”

As for the dogs, Bass-Butler said interacting with the kids helps calm them and they seem to love the program.

“Although this is almost a job for them, they seem to really love the interaction,” she said.

For more information about the program, call Bass-Butler at 205-332-6600 or visit homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Above: John Thomas Skinner, 10, reads a book to Sissie, an adopted dog from the Greater Birmingham Humane Society, during the Barks and Books event at the Homewood Public Library on Jan. 10. Below: Harper King, 8, reads a book with her mom, Jen, and a puppy named Ziggy at Barks and Books. Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

Homewood events guide

March 2: ASPIRE Wine 10K. 7-10 a.m.

Homewood City Hall, 2850 19th Street S.

A USATF-certified loop course, beginning and ending at City Hall. Medals for finishers and awards for top overall runners will be given. runsignup.com/Race/AL/ Homewood/BirminghamWine10K.

March 2: Exceptional Foundation’s Chili Cook-Off Fundraiser. 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. 614 Brookwood Village. The Exceptional Foundation’s largest annual fundraiser will feature live music, a kids’ zone and all the chili you can eat. Purchase tickets in advance for $15, or $20 at the gate. Children 12 and younger enter for free. exceptionalfoundation.org/chili.

March 9: Homewood-Mountain Brook

Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast. 7-11 a.m.

The Exceptional Foundation, 1616 Oxmoor Road. Enjoy delicious pancakes and family fun at the annual fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club of Homewood-Mountain Brook. Meals are $8 each and can be purchased at the door. homewood-mtbrook-al. kiwanisone.org/page/23234.

March 14: You’re Starting What? — An

Evening With Entrepreneurs. 6:30-8 p.m. Samford University, Bolding Theater, 800 Lakeshore Dr. Women Business Leaders host this event. There will be a panel of five successful women who will share their stories and answer questions. Doors open at 6 p.m. for networking and snacks. https://ybl.org/wbl.

March 16: Hop N Shop. All day. Downtown Homewood. Shop downtown retailers and be on the hunt for coupons, gift cards and candy. business.homewoodchamber.org/events.

March 16: Easter Egg Hunt. 10 a.m.

Trinity United Methodist Church.

A family-friendly event for kids of all ages featuring an egg hunt, crafts and activities. The egg hunts are staggered by age group. Free and open to the public. trinitybirmingham.com/event/ easter-egg-hunt.

March 16: Lee Hardin. 7:30 p.m. Homewood Theatre, 1831 28th Ave. S. Hear Lee Hardin’s unique brand of clean standup comedy and storytelling. Tickets $20. homewoodtheatre.com.

March 19: Monthly Member Luncheon. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Valley Hotel, 2727 18th St. S. Join the Homewood Chamber of Commerce at their monthly membership luncheon. Register online at business.homewoodchamber.org.

March 21: Taste of Homewood. 5:30-8 p.m. SOHO Square Plaza. Sample food from more than 25 local restaurants at the 20th annual event. Tickets include unlimited samples of food and beverages, live entertainment and more. This event is presented by The Homewood Star. Advance tickets are $30, and increase to $40 the day of the event. Children 12 and under are free. To register, visit business.homewoodchamber.org.

March 23: Jane Austen Regency Ball. 7-8:30 p.m. Homewood Public Library. Adults and teens only. A night of historical costumes and dances that will take you back in time to Regency England. Costumes are encouraged. There will be five

practice sessions to learn the dance steps before the ball, on Feb. 29 and March 7, 14 and 21 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the library. Admission is $20 per person, and can be paid at the ball. Reservations are required and can be made through March 16. Please email jasna.alabama@gmail.com to RSVP.

Homewood

Library

All Month: Student Art Contest. Grades K-12. Artwork should be dropped off in the Children’s Department by Saturday, March 30, with an entry form attached to the back of the work. For more information, please contact Cristina Castor at cristina. castor@homewoodpubliclibrary.org or Cat Sandler at cat.sandler@homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

CHILDREN

Wednesdays: Storypalooza. 10 a.m. Round Auditorium. Preschool ages.

Wednesdays: Barks and Books. 3:30 p.m. Round Auditorium. Grades K-5.

Thursdays: Stay and Play. 10-10:30 a.m. Round Auditorium. Preschool ages welcome for this fun tinkering time.

Thursdays: American Sign Language for Kids. 3:30 p.m. Round Auditorium. Grades K-5.

March 2: Cozy Tales. 10:30 a.m. Round Auditorium. All ages.

March 4: Storywiggles. 9 a.m. West Homewood Senior Center. Preschool ages.

March 4: Build It! 3:30 p.m. Round Auditorium. Grades K-5.

March 8 and 22: Pre-K Play. 9:30-11 a.m. Preschool ages.

March 9: Roly Poly Babies. 10:30-11 a.m. Round Auditorium. Ages birth to 18 months.

March 10: Tabletop Game Supply Swap. 2:30-5:30 p.m. Large Auditorium. All ages.

March 11: Homeschool Hour: S.T.E.A.M. Powered! 1:30-2:30 p.m. Round Auditorium. Grades K-5.

March 11: Night Owl Storytime. 6 p.m. All ages.

March 12 and 19: Wee Ones. 10-10:30 a.m. Round Auditorium. Preschool ages.

March 12: Kids’ Advisory Board (KAB). 4:30 p.m. Room 109. Grades 3-5.

March 12 and 19: PJ Storytime. 6-6:30 p.m. Round Auditorium. All ages

March 14: Acting Out! 3:30 p.m. Round Auditorium. Grades K-5

March 16: Itsy Bitsy Baby. 10:30 a.m. Round Auditorium. Ages birth to 18 months.

March 18: Homeschool Hour: Art Attack! 1:30-2:30 p.m. Round Auditorium. Grades K-5.

March 19: Tweens Craft On! 4-5 p.m Room 109. Grades 4-7.

March 19: Bake & Make. 6-6:30 p.m. Meet on Zoom. All ages.

March 21: Tween Eats! 4 p.m. Room 109. Grades 4-7.

March 23: Book Babies. 10:30-11 a.m.

Children’s Department. Ages birth to 18 months.

March 26: Spring into Science! with Dynamic Education. 10:30-11:15 a.m. Large Auditorium. All ages.

March 27: Spring into Science! with Dynamic Education. 3:30-4:15 p.m. Large Auditorium. All ages.

March 28: Cuddly Cuties! with DART Family Farm. 10:30 a.m. to noon. Library parking lot. All ages.

TEENS (GRADES 6-12)

March 1, 15 and 29: Character Design 101. 4-5 p.m. in Room 109.

March 2: Teen Origami. 4-5 p.m. Room 109.

March 3: Teen Dungeons & Dragons. 3-5 p.m. Room 102.

March 4: Comic Creators. 4-6 p.m. Room 102. Grades 4-12.

March 7 and 25: Teen Theatre Thursdays. 4-5 p.m. Room 116.

March 7: Teen Advisory Board (TAB). 6-7 p.m. Large Auditorium.

March 10: Tabletop Game Supply Swap. 2:30-5:30 p.m. Large Auditorium. All ages.

March 14: Magic: the Gathering for Teens. 4:30-6:30 p.m. Room 102.

March 19: ACT Reading/English Bootcamp. 6-7:30 p.m. Large Auditorium.

March 21: College Cooks — Ramen Omelet. 6-7 p.m. Meet on Zoom.

March 22: Teen Crochet Circle. 3:30-5 p.m. Room 102. Grades 4-12.

March 25: Teen Anime Club + Make a Kimono. 3-6 p.m. Room 109.

March 26: ACT Math Bootcamp. 6-7:30 p.m. Large Auditorium.

March 28: Making Fantasy Maps. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Room 109.

March 29: T. Swift Fan Club. 1-3 p.m. Large Auditorium.

ADULTS

Mondays: Virtual Library Yoga with Jackie Tally. 2-3 p.m. Meet on Zoom.

Tuesdays: Adult English Classes. 6-8 p.m. Room 102.

Thursdays: Game Night at the Library. 6-8:30 p.m. Room 109.

March 1: 1990s Classic Film Festival — “A River Runs Through It” (1992). Noon to 2:30 p.m. Large Auditorium.

March 2: Adult Crafting with September Reed — String Art. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Room 109.

March 6: Introduction to Computers. 2:30-4 p.m. Computer Training Lab and Zoom.

March 6: Homewood Historic Preservation Commission Forum — Windows of the Past. 6-7 p.m. Large Auditorium.

March 7: Read It & Eat Book Club — “Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride. 6:30-8 p.m. Urban Cookhouse, 1920 29th Avenue S.

March 7, 14 and 21: Practice Dance Sessions for the Jane Austen Regency

Ball. 7-8 p.m. Round Auditorium.

March 8: American Red Cross Blood Drive. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Large Auditorium.

March 12: Not Your Mama’s Book Club — “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” 2-3 p.m. Library Boardroom.

March 12: Oxmoor Page Turners Book Club — “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus. 6:30-8 p.m. Library Boardroom.

March 13: West Homewood Read, Watch & Review — Biographies. 2-3 p.m. Homewood Senior Center.

March 13: Introduction to the Internet. 2:30-4 p.m. Computer Training Lab and Zoom.

March 13: Staff Movie Picks — “Brooklyn.” 3-6 p.m. Large Auditorium.

March 14: Homebuyer Education — The Basics and Barriers of Homeownership. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Room 102.

March 14: Decade Trivia — The 1990s. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Large Auditorium.

March 15: Get Stronger, Live Longer with EW Motion Therapy. 11 a.m. to noon. Large Auditorium.

March 15: Big Ideas Book Club — “Multipliers” by Liz Wiseman. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Boardroom.

March 16: Needle Felting with Mollie McFarland. 11 a.m. to noon. Room 102.

March 18: Educator Book Club — “Camp Quiltbag” by Nicole Melleby & A. J. Sass. 4-5 p.m. Boardroom.

March 19:The ABCs of Medicare. Noon to 1 p.m. Room 116.

March 19: Seasonal Stories with Sid Burgess & Julie Stewart. 1-2 p.m. Round Auditorium.

March 19: Forever YA Book Club — “Hotel Magnifique” by Emily J. Taylor. 6-7 p.m. Room 101.

March 20: Introduction to Gmail. 2:30-4 p.m. Computer Training Lab & Zoom.

March 20: Staff Movie Picks — “Champions.” 3-5 p.m. Large Auditorium.

March 21: Miniature Painting with September Reed. 6:30-8 p.m. Room 109.

March 22: 1990s Classic Film Festival — “The Pelican Brief” (1993). Noon to 2:30 p.m. Large Auditorium.

March 23: Jane Austen Regency Ball. 7-9:30 p.m. Large Auditorium. Adults and teens welcome. Optional practice session 3-4:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the ball.

March 26: Dixie’s Pet Loss Support Group. 6-7 p.m. Room 106.

March 27: Better Than Therapy Book Club — “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt. 2-3:30 p.m. Boardroom.

March 28: Retirement by Design. 6-7 p.m. Room 102. Join Ramey Harrell, of Edward Jones Investments, for the Retirement by Design seminar. Whether you are 10 or 40 years from retirement, you’ll learn investment strategies you can use now to help design the retirement you want tomorrow.

March 29: 1990s Classic Film Festival — “Jerry Maguire” (1996). Noon to 2:30 p.m. Large Auditorium.

Patriots energized heading into new season

By KYLE PARMLEY

Opportunity abounds for the Homewood High School baseball program this season.

The Patriots graduated eight seniors from last season’s team, opening the door for some new guys to make waves this spring.

One of the good things for Homewood is that many of those young players have already been tested on the varsity level and should be considered candidates for breakout seasons.

“This is about as excited as I’ve been in awhile about a team going into a season,” Homewood head coach Lee Hall said. “We have so many pieces back.”

While Hall would never use it as an excuse, the reality of injuries has been an obstacle for the Patriots over the last few years. In Homewood’s first-round playoff loss to Hazel Green last spring, Hall said he could count a combined six freshmen and sophomores on the field at a given time.

While challenging in the moment, that should yield extreme benefits for the Patriots moving forward.

“A lot of those young guys are now seniors, juniors and sophomores,” Hall said. “They’re molding together at one time and we’re excited about the opportunities we have in front of us.”

Homewood has six seniors this spring who will lead the charge.

The Patriots are hopeful to get a healthy JB Sain back in the mix after he missed much of last season. He will be one of the team’s top arms and a key hitter in the middle of the order.

Jackson Warren is one of the top leaders on the team and is also back healthy. Jeremiah Gary will come straight from the hardwood after helping the Homewood basketball team to one of its best seasons in recent years. He will

play in the outfield and pitch some this spring.

Witt Brown has been part of the pitching staff since his sophomore campaign. Hall called him a “crafty lefty” who throws strikes, changes speed and has a high level of competitiveness on the mound.

Trey Garlington is up from the junior varsity squad this year, with Hall remarking on how much he has improved heading into this season. James Lard is also set to play in the outfield.

As far as others expected to make a splash for the Patriots, Jack Ross will be a key player

in multiple ways, as one of the top pitchers and hitters. He is a threat to hit the ball out of the park every time he steps to the plate.

Will Dobbins plays first base, Cooper Mullins is a catcher, Will Seigel is a versatile player, Thomas Davis is an athletic outfielder, Connor Brunner plays multiple positions and Justin Gamble is a sidearm pitcher who can provide relief innings.

Levi Nickoli is a switch-hitting shortstop who has been the Patriots’ closer the last few years. There are several others who will have chances to contribute this season as well.

Homewood’s Jackson Warren (11) makes the throw to first in a game against Mountain Brook last spring.

Warren is one of six Homewood seniors this season and is expected to be one of the top leaders on the team.

Hall said he believes this team will be a player-led team. The activities the team has done throughout the offseason have provided a sense of unity and camaraderie, as well as a sense of pride in the program.

“What does that result in? I have no idea. But when we strap it on, we will have a group of 20-plus young men that will have linked it all together for one purpose,” he said.

Hall added, “It’s going to be a bunch of guys that realize when you come together for one common purpose, we can do some amazing things.”

Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

Patriots softball growing with young team

By KYLE PARMLEY

The Homewood High School softball program is looking to build off the momentum of last spring’s run to the Class 6A regional tournament.

In 2023, the Patriots finished second in their area behind Mountain Brook and even made it to the second day of regionals by winning a game at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville.

Homewood graduated three seniors from that team and has many of its top players back.

“We’re still young, but everybody’s been working really hard,” Homewood head coach Arica Moss said. “We had a good offseason and we’re looking forward to getting some live games in.”

This year’s team has no seniors. Madison

Letson, Kloeanne Smith, Allie Stuman and Abigail Box were statistically the Patriots’ top four hitters a season ago and are back in the fold.

“We’ve got a lot of young girls that are key players,” Moss said.

Moss said she expects Box, a second baseman, to be one of the team’s top players and leaders after seeing her develop over the last couple years. Box is one of four juniors, along with Julia Dabney, Ava Robinson and Mia Gonzalez.

Gonzalez is new to the program and someone Moss said will play multiple positions and can provide innings in the circle as well. Robinson is fresh off the basketball court and new to the Homewood program after transferring from Vestavia Hills. Dabney is up from the junior varsity squad this spring as well and

plays in the outfield.

Isabelle Bowden, Egan Ferguson, Talley Hatcher and Lauren Smith are sophomores on the team.

Much will be expected from the freshman class, as Letson, Smith, Stuman and Elise Meacham are ninth graders. Grace Pilgrim was one of the team’s top pitchers last year and is now in eighth grade, along with another pitcher in Anne Hope Howell.

With so many team members having played a significant amount of time last spring and being asked to produce in key moments, Moss believes that will continue to pay dividends moving forward.

“They’ve just got to work through dealing with that pressure of being so young,” she said. “There’s a big learning curve of learning how to handle that pressure, but also not

letting it be an excuse.”

Moss has seen the bright spots and believes the team has the potential to take the next step this spring.

“They’re young, but they’re going to be able to handle things a lot better this year,” she said. “They’ve got a year experience under their belt, even though they’re eighth graders and freshmen. I have high expectations.”

Olivia Moody, Tiffany Garvin, Eric Stuman, Wayne Sheets and Diana Taylor are also assisting with the program this spring.

Homewood will play the likes of ClayChalkville, Pelham, Briarwood, Wenonah, Pleasant Grove, Ramsay and John Carroll, ahead of area play against Mountain Brook, Shades Valley and Woodlawn.

The Patriots will also play in tournaments at Leeds, Spain Park and Calera.

Above: Kloeanne Smith (1) catches a throw at second base. Right: Abigail Box (3) swings at a pitch. Smith and Box are two of Homewood’s top returning hitters and should be poised for productive 2024 seasons. Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

Homewood’s Slate Rohrer, center, competes in the boys 60-meter hurdles during the Class 6A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Feb. 2.

Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

Patriots, Cavs claim trophies at state indoor meet

By KYLE PARMLEY

The Homewood and John Carroll high school indoor track and field teams will be adding hardware to their respective trophy cases following the state meet.

Homewood’s boys posted a Class 6A runner-up finish on Feb. 2, while John Carroll’s boys earned their own runner-up finish in Class 4A-5A on Feb. 3. Homewood’s girls also had a strong state meet, finishing third.

Northridge ran away with the 6A boys competition, while Homewood edged out the likes of Mountain Brook, Oxford and UMS-Wright for second. Scottsboro’s boys won 4A-5A with 80 points, with John Carroll posting 61 points to earn second. Mountain Brook’s girls dominated

6A, with St. Paul’s finishing second. Fort Payne and Briarwood finished behind Homewood to round out the top five.

It was by no means an easy day for the Patriots, as the boys rebounded from a tough start and roared up the leaderboard to their second-place finish.

“Our guys responded really well and had a great meet,” first-year coach Logan Cornutt said following the meet. “We had a lot of guys step up and respond to some adversity and do well.”

Slate Rohrer grabbed a critical second-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles, as he posted a time of 8.19 seconds to reach the podium.

Zaire White finished fifth in 8.38 seconds to add points for the Patriots as well.

Isaiah Davis had a strong run in the 800meter, finishing in under two minutes to place fifth. Foster Laird was also fifth in the 3,200, all in support of the 4x400-meter relay squad, which won the event in 3:26.

Cornutt also highlighted John Esslinger, who posted personal bests in the long jump and triple jump. John Martin and Elliott Allen reached the podium in their events as well, with Martin finishing third in the high jump and Allen grabbing third in the pole vault.

Matthew Floyd, Colvin Bussey, Muhammad Camara, Will Doughty, Gabriel Dent and Tomon Felton also competed in individual events.

Emma Brooke Levering was her typical stellar self in the girls competition. Levering, the

reigning state champ in cross-country, won the 3,200 in 10:50. She also placed second in the 1,600 and fourth in the 800.

Madeline Alford had a strong day, reaching the podium by crossing the line third in the 400. She was eighth in the 60-meter hurdles as well. Ada McElroy, Caroline Wilder, Bailey Zinn, Sadie Busbee, Eloise Delk and Layla Essalah also contributed for the Patriots. The 4x400 team gained points by finishing fifth.

Cornutt also gave plenty of credit to his assistant coaches for the work of both teams.

John Carroll’s boys came so close to a trophy in 2023, finishing 3.5 points out of second place. The Cavs didn’t miss the opportunity this time around.

“We had a chip on our shoulder going in,”

coach Angela Napolitano said.

Arthur Langley won the 1,600, posting a state record time of 4:18. He also ran the 3,200 and finished second.

Sebastian Guerrero was a force, finishing second in the 800 and third in the 400. Carson McFadden took home second in the 60-meter hurdles as well. Braydon Lowery competed in the shot put as well.

Napolitano said injuries and a small roster were a factor for the Cavs this year, but neither was ever used as an excuse for a determined team.

“I’m super proud of them,” she said. “We have six guys that really executed, so the fact that we’re still a small team and put up big numbers is really exciting for them.”

WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR HEALTH

If you suffer from allergies or other ear, nose, throat or hearing problems, we don’t want you to treat your healthcare lightly or ignore symptoms that could lead to more serious issues.

For a complete and thorough evaluation make an appointment today to see one of our 15 board certified physicians, 4 highly trained, licensed PA’s, or 16 clinical audiologists – all available to serve your needs at any of our 10 locations.

At our practice, your health comes first; and we strive to treat each patient as a person, not just another case. Our goal is to deliver a positive personal experience along with a positive outcome.

For your convenience, we have same day appointments available, as well as early morning, evening, and Saturday appointments. Please call 1-888-ENT-5020 (1-888-368-5020) for more information, visit us on our website at www.entalabama.com, and scan the QR code below to follow us on social media.

Above: The Patriots walk up to receive the Class 6A state runner-up trophy for indoor track and field. Right: John Carroll’s Arthur Langley finishes first in the boys 1,600-meter run.

Above: Mountain Brook’s Mary Katherine Malone and Homewood’s Emma Brooke Levering compete in the girls 1,600-meter run. Below: John Carroll’s Sebastian Guerrero with the Class 4A-5A state runner-up trophy.

Varsity Sports Calendar

BASEBALL

March 4: @ Gardendale. 4 p.m.

March 6: vs. John Carroll. 4 p.m.

March 8: vs. Pinson Valley. 5 p.m.

March 11: vs. Cullman. 4:30 p.m.

March 12: vs. Helena. 4:30 p.m.

March 14: vs. Hueytown. 4 p.m.

March 16: Doubleheader vs. Alexandria. Noon.

March 19: vs. Shades Valley. 4:30 p.m.

March 27: @ Baldwin County. 7 p.m.

SOCCER

March 1: Boys @ Pelham. 7 p.m.

March 1: Girls vs. Vestavia Hills. 7 p.m.

March 5: Boys vs. Indian Springs. 6 p.m.

March 6: vs. Parker. Girls at 5:30 p.m.,

boys at 7 p.m.

March 8: Girls vs. Albertville. 7 p.m.

March 11: Girls @ Minor. 5 p.m.

March 11: Boys @ Minor. 6:30 p.m.

March 13: Boys vs. Thompson. 6:30 p.m.

March 15: Boys @ Hoover. 5 p.m.

March 15: Girls vs. Mountain Brook. 6 p.m.

March 18: @ Jackson-Olin. Girls at 5 p.m., boys at 6:30 p.m.

SOFTBALL

March 5: vs. Pleasant Grove. 4:30 p.m.

March 12: @ Briarwood. 4:30 p.m.

March 13: @ Clay-Chalkville. 5 p.m.

March 18: @ Calera. 5 p.m.

March 21: Doubleheader vs. Woodlawn. 4 p.m.

Sports Editor’s Note By Kyle Parmley Rising tide lifts all boats

In the eight years I’ve been the sports editor at Starnes Media, I have perhaps seen no greater overall growth in any sport as I have in girls basketball at the high school level.

Don’t get me wrong. When I started here, Homewood was in the midst of an extraordinary run, winning two state titles in a three-year span. Hoover was getting set to take off again after hiring Krystle Johnson, and the Bucs have won five Class 7A state titles in the last seven years. And the two years Hoover didn’t win it, Spain Park did.

But if you take all 11 schools in our coverage area, nearly all of these programs are either on the rise or have recently elevated to a new level.

(Author’s note: This column was published during this year’s state playoffs, so the 202324 postseason results were not yet known.)

Johnson has made Hoover the premier program in Alabama once again, sending stars like Aniya Hubbard and Reniya Kelly to major Division I college programs.

Hewitt-Trussville, under the direction of Tonya Hunter, has been to a pair of state championship games in recent years. The Lady Huskies have become a fixture in the postseason, buoyed by stars like Amiya Payne, Jordan Hunter and others.

John David Smelser has taken the Vestavia Hills program to great heights as well. The foundation was set up for success when he took over, and stars like Emma Smith have put the Rebels in the upper echelon, where they have remained in recent years and brought home a state runner-up trophy a couple seasons ago.

Chelsea is another program that has

ascended under Jason Harlow. The Lady Hornets have sustained their status even after the bar has been raised, and they do so with incredible defense and an allaround solid game. They’re well on their way to another great year.

Kevin Conner has ClayChalkville firmly back in the conversation as one of the best teams in the state, a place the Lady Cougars have not been since Mike Chase was there more than 15 years ago. If ClayChalkville wasn’t dealing with the behemoth that is Hazel Green in the regional tournament, the Lady Cougars would be a near-lock for the state final four.

As far as programs on the rise, Briarwood’s Lorie Kerley and Mountain Brook’s Sara Price deserve high marks. They have made the regional tournaments a realistic and regular expectation for those programs. Homewood’s Gavin King inherited an extremely young program and has made the Lady Patriots a little better each year, winning a bunch of games in the process. It won’t be long before postseason success follows.

Oak Mountain has been on the doorstep of the regional final a couple times in recent years, and John Hadder has done an excellent job of starting the rebuild at Spain Park this season.

It’s great to see so many girls basketball programs in this area continue to raise the bar. It’s almost as if quality leadership matters. And it’s true what they say: a rising tide lifts all boats.

Kyle Parmley is the sports editor at Starnes Media.

Your source for original fine art from local & southern regional artists since 2000.

109

Ordinary Days By Lauren Denton

Giving candy to babies and other parenting advice

During a recent car ride with my youngest daughter, Sela, she turned to me and said she had a question. Historically, that pronouncement coming from Sela has ranged from how babies get into mommies’ tummies to how “they” make towels, so I wasn’t sure what I was going to get.

Usually I know the answer or can come up with a close approximation of it, but this time, I struggled. All she asked was how you teach a child yes and no, but I didn’t know how to answer her.

How did we teach our girls what “yes” and “no” means? Surely we did, but I had no recollection of teaching them the actual words.

So I told her how over the years, we’ve taught our dog, Ruby, the things she can’t do — moving her off the couch and saying “no” teaches her she can’t get on the couch. Similarly, moving the girls away from the hot stove and saying “no” taught them not to touch the stove.

“But how do you teach kids what ‘yes’ means?” she asked. The only thing I could think of in the moment was, “I guess it just comes naturally — when they ask for something, you say ‘yes’ and give it to them. And they just … figure it out.” Her face was pensive and concerned as she thought about my (admittedly underwhelming) answers. I asked her if she worried about being a good parent, and she said with a sigh, “Yes, all the time.”

It’s not the first time she’s hinted at this concern over being a good parent. When the girls were very young, I started notebooks for each of them, writing down funny things they said or did. Sela’s notebook is full of words she mispronounced when she was a toddler (“pee-wink” for penguin, “fung” for thumb), but after those faded, she started asking real questions.

When she was seven, I wrote down that she asked me if, when I was her age, I worried that I wouldn’t be a very good mom. I told her I didn’t remember if I’d worried about that and I asked her if she worried about it. She said, “Yes, I worry I won’t learn how to do all the things. Like maybe I’ll give them too much candy. How do you know how much candy to give?”

Another time — it must have been a good parenting day for me — she told me, “Meme and Popsie [my parents] must have taken a magic pill when you were a kid because they made you into the best mom!”

That one made me laugh because I knew without a doubt if I told my parents what she said, they’d laugh even harder about the idea of a magic parenting pill, and especially over the idea of them doing anything to “make” me into a good parent. Just like I’m not doing anything to “make” my girls into good parents. If anything, I hope they forget the bad days and only remember the good days when they look back on their childhoods.

I told my dad the other day about that magic pill conversation with Sela, and indeed, he laughed. “I assure you,” he said, “I had no magic pill and I don’t think your mother did either. All we did was wing it.”

I did tell Sela most parents just figure things out as they go along, but I didn’t admit the extent to which that is true. It might scare a kid a little to know just how inexperienced her parents were when she came along, and how the only way we parents really learn anything is by doing it wrong and then trying it another way. It’s sort of like all the rest of life, isn’t it? We

can read all the books and take all the courses, watch how other people do it and listen to what the “experts” say, but when it comes down to it, we just try something and see if it works. If it backfires, we try another tactic the next time.

I don’t think we ever gave Sela or Kate the definitions of yes and no, but somehow we got it across to them that they couldn’t touch the hot stove, cross the street without looking both ways or go anywhere with a stranger, even if the stranger had a cute puppy. Somehow we taught them that sleeping all night long was a very good thing, that too much candy causes a stomach ache and brushing teeth is better than getting a cavity filled.

It wasn’t without trial and error, though. Their dad and I didn’t take a magic pill, and we had no expert knowledge, either. I guess we really did just wing it.

Hopefully one day, we’ll get to watch our girls wing it with their own children. And I’ll have to bite my tongue to keep from giving too much advice, because I know by now there’s no magic parenting pill, and the only way they’ll learn is the same way we did — by trying, failing and trying again.

When I’m not writing about my family and our various shenanigans, I write novels and go to the grocery store. You can find my books in stores, online, and locally at Little Professor Bookshop. You can reach me by email at Lauren@LaurenKDenton.com, visit my website LaurenKDenton.com, or find me on Instagram @LaurenKDentonBooks or Facebook ~LaurenKDentonAuthor.

Denton

Thursday, March 21

Rosewood Hall Plaza 5:30-8:00pm

Presented by:

The

Saturday, March 16

Saturday, March 23

Kids take the spotlight

Virginia Samford Theatre

Virginia Samford Theatre introduces kids and teens to the joys of creating musical theater at its STARS Camp Virginia Samford Theatre and STARS Summer Studio in June.

STARS Camp Virginia Samford Theatre allows beginning and intermediate performers ages 7-15 to explore all aspects of live theater, including dance, voice and acting.

Students will show off what they learn in a fun showcase at week’s end.

“They’ll share their favorite scenes, dances and songs with parents and friends on Friday afternoon,” says Jenna Bellamy, director of the STARS Program.

For the second year, Virginia Samford Theatre will present its STARS Summer Studio for campers ages 12-18 with prior theater or performance experience.

“The Studio engages advanced students in workshop-style masterclasses to take their theater knowledge to the next level,” Bellamy says.

The Studio has been expanded to an allday experience this year with new morning classes in production design, stage management and directing.

Both camps offer participants “a joyful week of creativity, learning and making new theater friends,” Bellamy says.

The camps will be held for the second year on the beautiful arts campus at Mountain Brook High School.

“It’s a wonderful facility to work and learn in,” Bellamy says.

There will be two one-week sessions of

WHERE: Mountain Brook High School

WHEN: June 3-7 and 10-14; STARS Camp from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and STARS Summer Studio from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

AGES: 7-15 for STARS Camp and 12-18 for STARS Summer Studio

CALL: 205-251-1228

WEB: virginiasamfordtheatre.org/ vststars/camp-vst plus STARS Summer Studio returns

Camp Virginia Samford Theatre, Monday-Friday, June 3-7 and June 10-14, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will also be two oneweek sessions of STARS Summer Studio on the same dates from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuition is $300 for the week and Virginia Samford Theatre offers scholarships and sibling discounts. Register today at virginiasamfordtheatre. org/vststars/camp-vst.

Open to all experienced theatre students to take your skills to the next level. Ages 12 to 18

Enrichment opportunities for all ages

GOAT Tutors Virtual Workshops

After a successful launch in the fall of 2023, GOAT Tutors founder William Mattison recognized some untapped potential within the platform.

“I meet with these educators every day, and am always awestruck by their expertise in their subject areas and their excitement for engaging students with digital tools,” Mattison said. “When I sent out a call for extended outcome based workshop ideas, the responses flooded in!”

These virtual workshops are the perfect way to support any learner’s needs, whether by enrichment or remediation.

“My second grader, Gus, attends an amazing public elementary school, and he happens to be gifted in math,” Mattison said. “I try to extend his learning personally, but I can only do so much. With our workshops, a student like Gus can have a set number of hours with a math genius, working towards a specific, standards-based outcome to nurture his individual skills.”

GOAT Tutors Virtual Workshops can also be a quick way to diagnose learning challenges and efficiently get students back up to grade level. The growing number of workshops offered include: “Mental Math: Become a Human Calculator,” “Amy’s Verbal Section Bootcamp” for Test Prep

CALL: 205-539-5289

WEB: goattutors.com

EMAIL: william@goattutors.com

and “Time-Capsule Chronicles: A History Enrichment Expedition.”

“I’ve always felt that the key to student engagement is genuine excitement about the content from the teacher, it’s contagious,” Mattison said. “These virtual workshops allow for truly individualized learning that students can be excited about!”

Scan the QR code to learn more about the workshop options or reach out to Mattison directly by emailing william@goattutors. com to find a virtual workshop that will give your student a love for learning.

Move and create with dance

The Dance

Founded in 1975, The Dance Foundation is a nonprofit whose services reach far and wide in the Homewood and Birmingham communities.

The Community In Motion program is at the heart of The Dance Foundation’s mission, with classes for students at dozens of schools and social service agencies such as the The Bell Center, YWCA and many others. Through this program, dance is used to build coordination and motor skills, inspire creativity and curiosity, and enhance academic learning.

The Studio Program provides tuition-based dance classes for toddlers to adults with live piano music an essential and unique element for most classes. A variety of dance styles are taught including: creative movement, ballet, jazz, modern, hip hop, tap and musical theater.

Summer programming at The Dance Foundation includes weekly classes (June 3-Aug. 3) and creative half-day camps, including: Once Upon a Fairytale Camp for entering 4K and 5K, Once Upon a

Foundation

WHERE: 1715 27th Court S.,

Birmingham

WHEN: June 3-Aug. 3

AGES: Entering grades 1-12

CALL: 205-870-0073

WEB: thedancefoundation.org

Ballet Camp and Adventures in Enchanted Lands Camp for entering grades 1-3, Dance Exploration for entering grades 3-6, and a Dance Workshop for entering grade 6-12. Each class and camp is led by professionally-trained teaching artists.

The Dance Foundation has been a gathering place for learning with and through dance for almost 50 years. Become a part of the family by joining a class, experiencing a performance, booking a space to move and create, volunteering your time, or donating to the mission to teach the art of dance to all.

Every body is a dance body.

REAL ESTATE

CONTINUED from page 1

Jamie Goff, an associate broker with ARC Realty in Homewood with more than 20 years of experience in the market, agreed. Even though the number of sales has declined, sellers still generally get multiple offers to consider and potential buyers are putting fewer contingencies into contracts to try to gain a competitive advantage, Goff said. Buyers have continued to get into bidding wars, and the average sale price was still slightly above the average listing price, she said.

“This is kind of telling of Homewood,”

Goff said. “There is so much market demand still because of UAB.”

The University of Alabama at Birmingham, which includes UAB Hospital, is the largest employer in the metro area (and the state) with 28,000 employees, and many of those people want to live close to where they work, especially in the medical community, Goff said.

Homewood is one of the closest communities to UAB and has one of the highest-ranked school systems in the state, which makes it an attractive choice, she said.

Homewood also is popular because of its walkability and tight-knit community feel, Myer said. Houses are close together, and many houses in Homewood also are within walking distance of shops and restaurants, she said. “Homewood really is like a family — a community.”

HOT SPOTS

The hottest part of the residential real estate market in Homewood in 2023 was Edgewood, with 67 home sales in total, according to MLS stats. Those sales represented 22% of the total sales in the city by volume and 27% by dollar value. The average price of homes sold in Edgewood in 2023 was $632,614.

Goff said she remembers when Edgewood was considered more of a blue-collar area, but that has changed over time as people have bought older homes and remodeled them or torn them down and built new homes, she said. “Now, it’s priced a lot of people out of that market,” she said.

Hollywood was the second busiest community for home sales in 2023, with 33 sales averaging $702,239.

Hollywood has always been a hot spot and was considered the most desirable place to be in the early 2000s, Goff said. Its topography is somewhat limiting, so roads may or may not have sidewalks, she said. When Brookwood Village was active, that was a bonus for Hollywood, but now that the mall has almost entirely closed, Hollywood probably has suffered some because of that, she said.

But “it still is very desirable,” Goff said. “If it is in Homewood, it is desirable.”

West Homewood also is “coming into its own,” Goff said. The creation of Patriot Park, construction of a pool and addition of new businesses have created a new energy there and made it a more desirable place to live, she said. “People have a place to walk to.”

The Homewood community with the highest average home sale last year was Lakeview Estates, where one home sold for $1.8 million. The next highest averages were in Edgewood Gardens (one sale for $1.1 million), Old Saulter Estates (one sale for $1,055,000), Mayfair (12 sales with an average of $945,667), Huntington Ridge (one sale for $879,000) and Kendall Court (one sale for $875,000).

The communities with the highest average price per square foot were Hallman Hill ($451 per square foot), Parkridge ($416 per square foot), South Highland ($371 per square foot), Edgewood Highlands ($365 per square foot) and Edgewood Gardens ($353 per square foot).

While Homewood real estate prices declined by 3% on average in 2023, prices statewide rose slightly by 1% to $320,305 on average, according to MLS statistics.

The communities in the metro area that had the highest average price increases were Pinson (19% jump, to $241,433), Odenville (17%, to $253,917), Mountain Brook (7%, to $1,102,750), Trussville (4%, to $425,278), Hoover (4%, to $505,168) and Alabaster (3.5%, to $307,129).

Some areas other than Homewood that had decreases in average prices were Chelsea

Greater Birmingham Area Suburban Home Sales 2023

Suburban new and existing home sales in the greater Birmingham area, listed by city with average price and square footage.

(6.6% drop, to $379,742), Moody (5.7%, to $272,461), Springville (4.5%, to $322,143), Helena (3.7%, to $352,877) and McCalla (3.6%, to $308,701).

In terms of average price per square foot, Homewood ranked second in the Birmingham-Hoover metro area in 2023, at $267 per square foot. That was behind only Mountain Brook, where homes sold for $317 per square foot. Homewood ranked 11th in the state,

after Mentone ($477), Gulf Shores ($449), Gallant ($400), Jackson’s Gap ($387), Eclectic ($380), Dadeville ($346), Alexander City ($325), Abbeville ($296) and Orange Beach ($296).

WHY THE SLOWDOWN?

The driving force behind the slowdown in the market in 2023 was rising interest rates, Realtors say.

Thirty-year fixed mortgage rates had fallen to a historic low of 2.65% in January 2021, creating a surge in home buying, but rates climbed back up to 7% by October 2022 and continued rising through most of 2023, peaking at 7.79% in October 2023, according to Freddie Mac.

The higher rates made it less attractive for many people to sell their homes and move, Goff said. Even if they wanted to find an

Realtor Jamie Goff talks with Beatriz Leon-Ruiz and Andre Ballesteros-Tato about their home as they prepare to put it on the market.

Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

The Homewood Star

equal house in the same market, it was going to cost them significantly more money just because of the higher interest rates, Goff said.

She knows many people who talked about moving, but once they learned the cost per month to move, they decided to stay where they were, she said.

Mortgage brokers also saw the decline in business.

“[Mortgage] applications definitely slowed down as a result of the rise in rates,” said Tyler Hudson, a loan originator with Trustmark National Bank in Homewood.

About 40% of homeowners refinanced their loans in 2020 and 2021 when rates dipped to record lows, Hudson said. Even if they were thinking about selling their homes in 2023, the higher rates made it less attractive for them to do so.

That said, it was still a pretty strong housing market in Homewood and other

over-the-mountain communities, with prices remaining fairly stable, Hudson said.

With buyers becoming more reluctant in 2023, some might have expected prices to fall more than they did, but the low inventory kept that from happening, Goff said. As of February, there was only about a one-month supply of homes on the market for sale in Homewood, according to MLS stats.

“It’s supply and demand,” Goff said. “If you have short supply and high demand, your prices are going to go up.”

What has been keeping the market going are the life changes that people go through, such as births, children growing up and needing more space, job changes, divorces, deaths and parents moving in with children, Goff said.

The average number of days a home stayed on the market in 2023 was the same as in 2022 — 16 days, Goff said.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Experts in the industry are expecting an uptick in activity this year.

Mortgage interest rates started to drop toward the end of 2023 and were averaging 6.63% on Feb. 1 of this year. The Federal Reserve projected that by the end of 2024 it would make three quarter-point cuts in the federal funds rate, the rate at which banks borrow and lend their reserves to one another overnight.

Once the Fed cuts the federal funds rate, mortgage rates tend to follow a similar path, but mortgage rates actually follow the 10-year treasury rates more than the federal funds rate, Hudson said.

Regardless, “for 2024, we should see some decrease in the rates for sure,” he said. And home values in Homewood likely will increase, he said.

One big question mark about 2024 is

whether the national elections will have an impact on the market, Goff said. Frequently, activity quiets down the closer an election gets, she said.

“Human nature is we don’t like uncertainty, and I think that’s the reason an election year winds up getting slower,” Goff said. “People wait and see who gets elected.”

Myer said she believes the Homewood real estate market will see a gradual shift from a clear sellers’ market to a more balanced market as interest rate speculation will become less of the focus in the market. “But, realistically, a true balanced market may not happen until the end of this year or first of next,” she said. “Those who have been waiting to put their homes on the market and make a move will make it a priority to do what is best for them and their families, whether that be to upsize, downsize, larger yard or different community. Whatever the case may be.”

CRIME

CONTINUED from page 1

Auto burglaries were down 1% from 167 in 2022 to 165 in 2023 and down 12% from the 10-year average of 207.

Auto thefts increased 22% from 125 in 2022 to 152 in 2023 and were up 55% from the 10-year average of 91.

Sex Crimes were down 10% from 11 to 10 and down 50% the 10-year average of 16.

Assaults were down 26% from 92 in 2022 to 68 in 2023 and down 24% from the 10-year average of 91.

There were three homicides in 2022 and just one in 2023. The 10-year average is one homicide a year.

Thefts were down 18% from 779 in 2022 to 639 in 2023 and down 25% from the 10-year average of 885.

Calls for service to the Police Department increased 24% from 38,500 in 2022 to 47,810 in 2023.

Ross said the visibility and presence of police officers have helped reduce crime. Changes in scheduling in particular have helped achieve that visibility, he said.

“We currently, and have had, for the last couple of years, overlapping periods of shift coverage,” the chief said. “Three times a day every day, we have twice as many – or have the ability to have – twice as many cars on the street, twice as many personnel or officers on the street, as we did when we were scheduling our officers differently.”

Patrol officers were scheduled to work eighthour shifts for most of the history of the Homewood Police Department. Ross implemented a 10-hour shift with overlapping periods between three shifts.

“That enable us to put more officers on the street during those overlapping periods,” the chief said. “That increases our presence and increases our visibility, which we know from studies and just our experience, has a tendency to decrease crime.”

Ross said his department also implemented a single-use vehicle plan in which each officer has a car assigned that is only used by that officer. He said the single-use plan increases

officer visibility and increases officer presence on the street.

“It enables that officer to be in that car for the whole shift, driving it to and from work and to and from extra jobs, to and from court or other administrative functions that they have to perform,” he said. “That just puts that car and that officer out in the public, out on the street more frequently. We've discovered that also aids in preventing crime.”

Ross also cited advances in technology in his department’s battle against crime, having employed a predictive computer software that predicts where crimes might occur based on data that was put into the computer.

“It enabled us to strategically place our patrol

officers in those areas where crime was highest based on the algorithms that this computer software generated,” the chief said. “I believe that had an impact on crime just in the way we placed our personnel throughout the city.” Homewood police also have benefited from the use of cameras throughout the city that read license plates.

“We've used Flock safety cameras, which a lot of agencies are using across the country,” Ross said. They're investigative tools for investigators, but they're also beneficial in reducing crime because they alert patrol officers to cars traveling through the city that have been reported stolen somewhere.

Those cameras also can tip off police that a

car registered to someone with an outstanding warrant for their arrest is on Homewood streets.

“If we're able to apprehend those people, then naturally that could be reducing crime that they may be coming to commit in our city,” the chief said.

Homewood police worked with a company to produce an app which, Ross said, has greatly increased the department’s ability to communicate with the public. Police use the app to pass along critical information about crime and crime trends. The chief said his department’s presence on social media has also been beneficial.

“It lets us be more responsive and efficient in our response to what they communicate to us via those social media platforms,” Ross said. “We have a Community Relations Unit comprised of several officers. One of their fundamental jobs is to forge those relationships in the community where the community is comfortable reaching out to us and communicating to us things about crime and crime trends.”

As the chief listed pieces to his department’s crime-fighting puzzle, he made sure to include the Criminal Investigations Division. They're able to solve crimes quickly, which ultimately leads to less crime, he said.

Ross cited a string of burglaries on Valley Avenue a few months ago as an example.

“Our Criminal Investigations Division did such a great job identifying those suspects through good investigative work that we were able to apprehend those two suspects very quickly,” he said. “I know because of them doing that, they prevented an untold number of additional burglaries.”

While the new technology and schedule changes have been very successful tools, nothing contributes more to crime reduction than the proactive nature of Homewood’s police officers, Ross said.

“They really do a great job. Those patrol officers … take a lot of pride in their work and their professionalism, their dedication to duty, the way they carry out their job every day,” he said. “Really, that can't be discounted and really probably has more impact than anything else on the reduction of crime over the last several years.”

The new Homewood Police Department mobile app gives residents a breakdown of incidents reported each week. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.