November 2026 | Volume 17 | Issue 6
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The man who couldn’t sit still The popular Homewood Piggly Wiggly is nearing completion of its major redevelopment, with reopening anticipated by the end of the year. The project was originally set for a seven-month closure. Photo by Kelli S. Hewett.
New Homewood Pig coming into focus By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR.
Niki Sepsas at Mount Kilimanjaro. Photo courtesy of Niki Sepsas.
Austin Virciglio has fond memories of the year his father put a basketball goal in their backyard for him and his brother, Andrew. “I tell you, we got some hours back there,” he said. “The whole neighborhood would come. A little concrete pad and a basketball goal. That’s probably one that really sticks out to me the most.” Christmas will come early for the Virciglios this year. Sometime before St. Nick takes his sleigh ride around the world, the grocery family hopes to celebrate a gift it will share with employees and customers alike: the reopening of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store at Oxmoor Road and U.S. 31 in Homewood. And like that backyard basketball goal and court, the neighborhood will certainly turn out to enjoy it. The store, which had operated with little interruption since 1977, suspended operation at the end of business on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. Since then, perhaps the most asked question in Homewood is: When will the Pig be back?
By KARIM SHAMSI-BASHA Ask Niki Sepsas where he has been and watch what happens to his face. The crinkles at the corners of his eyes deepen — 60 years of squinting into wind off the North Sea, off the Serengeti, off the deck of a ship somewhere in the dark — and something behind them catches and holds, a shine that does not belong to a man of 80. Weather makes a face like that. So does wanting to go back. The Homewood resident figured out the problem early, and he has never really solved it. “I had trouble keeping the seat of my pants attached to the seat of a chair,” Sepsas said. “Any chair.” He is 80 years old. He has stood on all seven continents and in more than 120 countries. He has climbed Kilimanjaro, floated over the Serengeti in a hot-air balloon, kayaked in Antarctica, paddled a canoe up rivers in the Amazon basin and walked the Inca Trail into Machu Picchu more times than a man his age should admit to. He spends three to four months a year at sea, lecturing aboard cruise ships, which is another way of saying he has found a job most people would envy and few could sustain.
See SEPSAS | page 26
Niki Sepsas has roamed this wide world but loves his home in Homewood. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
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Brookwood’s next chapter
Red jackets
Mixed-use plans for the old mall could surface by year’s end.
Homewood High School inducts its first Athletics Hall of Fame class.
See page 8
See page 16
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November 2026 • 3 SPONSORED CONTENT
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Micah Adams, a junior from Homewood, arrived at UA with an interest in law, service and international humanitarian work. Through the Honors College and the Dr. Robert E. Witt University Fellows Program, he found opportunities to build on those interests while preparing for a future in service and leadership. As a freshman, Micah joined the Blackburn Institute and participated in a yearlong community development project focused on economic development. He also became involved in the Student Government Association, where he served on First Year Council and helped implement initiatives including a clothing drive and mentorship program.
Micah Adams
Junior, Homewood
Those early experiences laid the groundwork for continued involvement across campus and beyond. Micah has served as an editor for the Capstone Journal of Law and Public Policy, worked with the Walker Area Community Foundation in Jasper and spent this past summer in Washington, D.C., as an intern with International Justice Mission, a global human rights nonprofit.
intentionally helped me think through what I want to do on
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4 • November 2026
The Homewood Star
ABOUT US
Editor’s Note By Kyle Parmley When I think of November, two things come to mind: Thanksgiving and the Iron Bowl. For most of the country, Thanksgiving is the holiday, and everything else is just noise around it. Not here. The turkey still matters and the family time still matters, but that Saturday afternoon doesn’t take a back seat to anything. People build their whole weekend around both, and nobody thinks twice about it. It makes sense, really. Thanksgiving and the Iron Bowl both bring people together. Each year, family and friends rekindle the same old arguments. Around here, we don’t really get two holidays that week. We get one,
stretched across four days, with better food and worse arguments. Thanks for reading, and drop me an email with any story ideas at kparmley@ starnesmedia.com.
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6 • November 2026
The Homewood Star
CITY
Building community Homewood natives aim to add life to West Homewood By SOLOMON CRENSHAW JR. Owen Ferguson grew up in a Homewood where there weren’t a lot of things to do west of Edgewood. “Especially in West Homewood, there [was] not a lot to do over there,” he said. “Central Park, where the rec center is, and Edgewood and downtown Homewood — there’s a lot more to do: shopping and walking around restaurants. For the longest time, West Homewood was kind of just houses and random stuff.” During the past 10 years, things have changed with renovations to West Homewood Park and the installation of the pool at Patriot Park. And restaurants have popped up over there. Ferguson and several business partners intend to add to the West Homewood scene with a new venture called The Woods, which in late October was headed to the Homewood City Council for zoning approval. The Woods, proposed to be put on an acre at 504 Scott St. between Oxmoor Boulevard and Oxmoor Street, is planned to be centered around an 18-hole putting green but also would include a new 2,783-square-foot building housing a full-service bar and grill and an outdoor open turf field anchored by a large-screen TV wall for social gatherings and private events.
NOT JUST MINI-GOLF
“As much as it is an 18-hole putting course, that’s definitely not the only thing we are,” Ferguson said. “We’ve got our party cabanas and big TV wall. We’ve got an indoor/outdoor sports bar and restaurant. We definitely want it to be a place where you can come and hang out, an entertainment place. “We’re really excited about our creative minds and putting on a lot of fun, non-sporting events as well at our place,” Ferguson continued. “We can have little vendor markets, popups, and live music and comedians. The sky’s the limit with the space we have as far as bringing fun events and entertainment.” The plan is to have a lot of birthday parties, corporate events, fundraising nights and spirit nights, Ferguson said. “We’re going to be really big on tournaments and leagues for all ages,” he said. “We’re really excited about that, as well as other entertainment type events like live music, trivia and game nights.” Ferguson expressed the developers’ wish to be open until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights but said they intend to adhere to the city’s noise ordinance. “The last thing we want is to become an issue with the neighborhood,” he said. Ferguson, 30, detailed his vision for the project. “We’re demolishing those two buildings [on the property] and kind of doing some work to the land and throwing up our concept on there,” he said. “It’s exciting. We’ve been really trying to get out and meet all the neighbors, all the business owners, and introduce myself.” The project began with Homewood natives
Jack Dorough, Tommy Donaldson and Ferguson. Riley Meeks, another Homewood native, has since joined the partnership, along with Vestavia Hills native Lee Pantazis. Dorough has worked the past 3½ years for Pratt Industries, a company in Nashville that sells packaging supplies to businesses. He said Ferguson “kept me in the loop” and conversations increased. “It just turned into a Zoom call, and then one turned into two, two turned into about four or five, and then we talked on the phone four or five times a week,” Dorough said. “It’s something that I wanted to give all my attention towards. It’s definitely a dream of ours to start something together and see it grow. “To be able to have this opportunity in Homewood and specifically West Homewood where I grew up since I was about 5 years old, it’s going to be really cool to see everything unfold,” he said. “We’re really excited to present this to people with Homewood.”
COMMUNITY CONCERNS
Ferguson said he’s aware of the campaigns on social media that have labeled their venture as a disturbance for the neighborhood. “Anything you do, there’s always going to be people that have their complaints and issues,” he said. “I hear them all.” Ferguson acknowledged that parking has been an issue in the area. “Parking’s not great over there,” he said. “I go over there to eat a lot, and sometimes I’m parking half a mile away. But I think the city’s doing a good job with that new public parking lot [at the former site of a Waffle House restaurant]. It’s gonna be great. I think people kind of figure it out.” Parking is not great in a lot of places, including downtown Birmingham or even Edgewood areas, Ferguson said. “It’s hard to find parking. That’s just kind of what it is living in this community. But having
Homewood native Owen Ferguson discusses The Woods mini-golf and outdoor entertainment center during an interview at Sam’s Super Sandwiches. Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
that public parking, which is cattycorner to our lot, was definitely a huge factor,” he said. “We’ll have 22 spaces. Having that walkability in that area was definitely a big selling point.” Ferguson added that traffic is “always gonna be crazy over there.” “Traffic’s not a bad thing,” he said. “It brings money and brings people into the area.” Noise will be monitored and regulated through communication with his new neighbors. “My biggest thing is I want to meet the neighbors,” Ferguson said. “I’ve been looking. A lot of West Homewood residents are reaching out, whether it’s that they can help with the business in some way or they’re just excited about it. I want to have these people that are close to us. If they can hear us and it’s loud, I
The Woods is planned as an 18-hole miniature golf course, outdoor entertainment center, and bar and grill at 504 Scott St. Sketch courtesy of city of Homewood.
An example of a PuttTek miniature golf course. Photo courtesy of city of Homewood.
want them to have my number and say, ‘I can hear you. Can you turn it down a little bit?’ “And the same with the businesses,” he said. “They’ve got to operate, too. We don’t want to come in there and bulldoze everybody and act like we’re trying to take over. We’re just trying to be a piece of a really cool community.” Adjacent businesses include a Public Storage self-storage facility, American Flag Co., The Pennington Group, Oxmoor Automotive and Homewood Animal Hospital. Ferguson lives on Saulter Road in Homewood after having grown up in the city. “My dream job was always to come back and be the head coach of Homewood basketball,” the former Patriots basketball player said. “That was like, I’ll learn from Bucky [McMillan, the former Mountain Brook High School coach], learn Buckyball, stay in it, and then hopefully come back to Homewood. But things change.” Ferguson was on the basketball team at Birmingham-Southern College for one year before stepping away from the court. The business major met his wife, Leah, at BSC, and the couple have an infant daughter. Ferguson has worked as a property broker with Amwins, but he has alerted the people at his company of his new venture. “My company, I’ve been with them for seven years, and they understood,” he said. “They were like, ‘We hate to lose you, but this is really cool what you’re doing.’ They’re like, ‘If we’re not the first corporate event to come to y’all’s place, we’ll be [annoyed].’” Leaving Amwins was a hard decision, Ferguson said. “It’s been a great company,” he said. “I’ve been rocking and rolling and serving my time and learning the industry. When you’re an entrepreneur, you don’t know if it’s just right place, right time. … I feel like I would regret not trying to pursue this dream.”
Three Homewood residents and two other partners are proposing to build an 18-hole putting course at 504 and 508 Scott St., between Oxmoor Boulevard and Oxmoor Street. This is the proposed layout. Photo courtesy of city of Homewood.
TheHomewoodStar.com
November 2026 • 7
CITY
Mayor’s Minute By Jennifer Andress Happy November, Homewood! Have you recovered yet from October and our Centennial celebrations? It was quite a few weeks; it’s still so impossible to believe that we are lucky enough to celebrate the last 100 years of our existence as a city. A Centennial only happens once! Not only was it an incredibly fun time with our neighbors and community, but it was also meaningful, educational and truly profound. Thank you all for being a part of it! We are not quite done commemorating just yet. Our Centennial mural in West Homewood will get underway with our very own Shawn Fitzwater later this month. Originally planned for September, the project was moved to this month, which means we can continue the good times. Stay tuned to our city’s social media and website for more information and to learn how you can help put your mark on this delightful piece of art that will last for years into our next century. One moment I want to highlight from last month is from the Centennial Gala, where we presented Centennial co-chair Barry Smith with the Quality of Life Award. This award is for an individual who improves the quality of life in the city of Homewood, and I can think of
no one more deserving than Barry Smith. Barry served 11 years on the City Council, first as special issues chair and later as finance chair and president pro tem, and as liaison to the Parks and Recreation Board and the Homewood Historic Preservation Commission. Immediately after her time on the council was done last November, she jumped into the co-chair position for the Centennial Committee and worked just as hard as she had the previous 11 years to pull off a series of fabulous celebratory events that rose to the occasion. Thank you for all of your hard work and service to Homewood, Barry! Join us in downtown Homewood for the Holiday Open House on Thursday, Nov. 5, brought to us by the Homewood Chamber of Commerce. This is always a fantastic and lively evening, with shoppers up and down 18th Street and beyond. And speaking of our friends at the chamber, we are looking forward to the chamber joining us as it relocates from Hollywood Boulevard to the third floor at City Hall, continuing its work to highlight our local business community. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Homewood. We have so much to be thankful for!
8 • November 2026
The Homewood Star
CITY
Developers move closer to releasing proposed plan for old Brookwood Village mall By KELLI S. HEWETT Plans for a mixed-use project for the old Brookwood Village mall may not be moving quickly, but they are moving. Local leaders say more details on the mixed-use redevelopment may be released by the end of the year. “There is movement,” said Mountain Brook Mayor Graham Smith. “The developers are working on their end, but these things require legal hurdles, council authorization, multiple votes. We’re in discussion on all of it, but we have not finalized anything.” The idea continues to be replacing the 1970sera indoor mall with a walkable, open-air destination that combines medical, office and retail space with green areas that visitors can also enjoy after dark. “We want to try very hard to make sure we’re doing it right as opposed to fast,” said Sims Garrison, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Fairway Investments. “We’ve said all along that we’d like this to be a best-in-class mixed-use type of project.” Demolition is expected to continue through December. Fairway, which is near the mall site, partnered with Pope & Land Real Estate of Atlanta to acquire the 57-acre former mall property in 2021. One of the project’s unique challenges is that the property includes three jurisdictions: Mountain Brook, Homewood and Jefferson County. “As far as processes for the public to have input, that will absolutely happen — at multiple levels,” said Homewood Mayor Jennifer Andress, who lives across from the site. “I don’t want anyone to think that any decisions have
Local developers are exploring a mixed-use project for the former Brookwood Village mall site, an early-stage concept Homewood and Mountain Brook leaders say may have potential, but would need community input and government consideration before anything is formally considered. Details are expected to be announced later this year, according to Fairway Investments of Birmingham. Demolition is expected to continue through December. Photo by Kelli S. Hewett.
been made or are being made behind closed doors. That is not the case.” Both Andress and Smith said top project priorities include ensuring the project is attractive, managing traffic, including public green space and trails, and keeping the area as a place the community supports and enjoys. Both mayors also want to make sure any new retail doesn’t hurt local shopping. “[Fairway] has done a really nice job of
looking at our history and the composition of our existing villages to make sure that whatever they look to do does not cannibalize any of our small businesses,” Smith said. “That is critical to us.” Among the other details yet to be determined is how the municipalities may share revenue from any new projects. In November 2025, it was announced that the former Belk store would be converted into a $124 million Andrews Sports Medicine &
Orthopedic Center, expected to open in 2027. Andress, speaking for herself as a resident who jogs nearby trails most days, said she hopes the redevelopment will include green space, a trail, public gathering areas and midsize meeting facilities, potentially alongside a hotel. “We want to make sure we get it right — not for Homewood, but for the entire region,” Andress said. “I want to see it engaged and used, and loved and beautified and natural.”
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November 2026 • 9
BUSINESS
Recently sold homes in Homewood
► ADDRESS: 991 Fern St. ► BED/BATH: 4/3.5 ► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 4,130 sq. ft. ► LIST PRICE: $1,250,000 ► SALE PRICE: $1,150,000
► ADDRESS: 1580 Forest Ridge Road ► BED/BATH: 4/4.5 ► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 3,580 sq. ft. ► NEIGHBORHOOD: Forest Brook ► LIST PRICE: $798,000 ► SALE PRICE: $762,000
► ADDRESS: 115 Havenwood Court ► BED/BATH: 3/2 ► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 1,521 sq. ft. ► NEIGHBORHOOD: Edgewood ► LIST PRICE: $625,000 ► SALE PRICE: $625,000
► ADDRESS: 117 Oglesby Ave. ► BED/BATH: 3/2 ► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 1,332 sq. ft. ► LIST PRICE: $550,000 ► SALE PRICE: $525,000
► ADDRESS: 429 Windsor Drive ► BED/BATH: 3/2.5 ► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,528 sq. ft. ► NEIGHBORHOOD: Hollywood ► LIST PRICE: $450,000 ► SALE PRICE: $455,000
► ADDRESS: 1577 Berry Road ► BED/BATH: 4/3 ► SQUARE FOOTAGE: 3,306 sq. ft. ► NEIGHBORHOOD: Arbor Crossing ► LIST PRICE: $430,000 ► SALE PRICE: $415,000 SOURCE: GREATER ALABAMA MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE
10 • November 2026
The Homewood Star
BUSINESS
Foo Hai brings handmade noodles and Sichuan heat to SoHo Square
Diners fill the bar and dining room at Foo Hai Handmade Noodles & Dumplings in SoHo Square. Photos by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
By KARIM SHAMSI-BASHA The noodles get pulled by hand at Foo Hai, which is the whole point. Foo Hai Handmade Noodles & Dumplings opened in September at the corner of 29th Avenue South and 19th Street South, in the ground-floor space at the Aloft that used to hold the hotel’s own restaurant. It is the second location for the team behind Urban Hai, which has served Sichuan food in Midtown Atlanta since 2022. Noodles pulled to order. Dumplings folded by hand. Watch the cooks work the dough — stretching, folding, twisting it into strands thin enough to taste light but strong enough to hold a sauce — and you are watching a skill that takes years to master. It is the kind of labor that
explains why the bowls cost what they cost and why people order them anyway. The menu leans Sichuan, and it leans there with confidence. Dandan beef carries the region’s signature: dried chili heat followed by the strange cold tingle of Sichuan peppercorn, a sensation that surprises people the first time and then becomes the reason they come back. There are sweet-and-sour pork ribs, layered scallion pancakes, a braised chicken hot pot built to hold its heat through a long meal and brown sugar rice cakes to finish. The mapo tofu arrives in a pool of scarlet oil studded with whole chilies, each one a flavor deposit waiting to be bitten through. It is the kind of dish that demands respect and a cold beer. The kitchen also runs specials that do not
Foo Hai opened in Homewood recently.
appear on the Atlanta menu, which is a quiet signal worth noticing. A second location that simply reproduces the first is a franchise. One that develops its own dishes is a restaurant. The team has spent time understanding Homewood, and Foo Hai tastes like it belongs here, not like it was shipped in whole. Sichuan cooking is not new to Birmingham, but it has historically lived closer to the interstate than to a walkable downtown. Foo Hai sits at the center of Homewood’s business district, a few doors from places people already walk to. The neighborhood has become a destination for serious eating in the last five years. That location does two jobs at once. Guests upstairs at the Aloft can come down for dinner. Everyone else can park once and walk. The
dining room is small — maybe 40 seats — but it moves. There is an energy in places where the food matters more than the decor, where people are there to eat and not to perform eating. Foo Hai has that feeling. The walls are spare. The noise is good noise: conversation, the sound of chopsticks on bowls, the kitchen calling orders. Foo Hai is open daily from 11 a.m., which means lunch is as much the business as dinner. A bowl of hand-pulled noodles is a fast meal by design; it is what the dish was built for, long before it landed on a menu in Alabama. Homewood’s working people know this already. They are ordering bowls and eating them in under 20 minutes, the way they were meant to be eaten: hot, immediate, sustaining. The restaurant is at 1903 29th Ave. S., Suite 101.
TheHomewoodStar.com
November 2026 • 11
BUSINESS
Business Happenings accessories to pair with the special-occasion attire. Its Atlanta location on Peachtree Street is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. 678-310-9919, gownsfitforaqueen.com
RELOCATIONS AND RENOVATIONS
Do you have business news to share? Let us know at starnesmedia.com/ business-happenings
The construction firm also celebrated the ribbon cutting of the North Mississippi Medical Center Crossover Medical Plaza in Tupelo, Mississippi, as it served as the general contractor for the project. The three-story, 46,600-square-foot facility includes an urgent care, dermatology clinic, retina clinic, ophthalmology clinic and the first dedicated pediatric urgent care that’s open seven days a week in the North Mississippi region. 205-870-1000, robinsmorton.com
NOW OPEN Alfred’s Antiques and Wine recently opened at 111 Broadway St. in Homewood near Ruby Sunshine. After a trip to France, owner Kat Bailey — who also owns Kat Bailey Interiors — was inspired by the treasures she and her team discovered and wanted to create something of her own. That inspiration turned into a boutique wine and antiques shop where customers can shop unique items while enjoying wine or taking some to go. It has a wide range of pieces including antique dressers, paintings, art, tables, pillows, rugs, candles and more. Alfred’s Antiques and Wine is open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 205-667-4608, alfredsonbroadway.com Samford University student Shelby Law launched her women’s clothing brand, Labeled by Love, to offer trendy clothing items online. The brand sells curated clothing drops online and connects with customers through local pop-ups. Law is part of Samford Startup, a student-led business incubator that helps students launch and run their businesses. She built the online women’s boutique with limited funding while managing its buying, creative direction, marketing and fulfillment. 404-771-2722, labeledbylove.com
Stone Hollow Farmstead has reopened at 2817 18th St. S. in Homewood after weeks of unpacking, filling shelves and readying the storefront. It originally opened the Homewood shop a year ago, and it has now expanded into the entire storefront after a brief closure in August. The store offers items like home and garden goods, specialty gifts, flowers and more. Stone Hollow Farmstead is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it can also be found at Pepper Place Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. 205-777-5558, stonehollowfarmstead.com
NEW OWNERSHIP
ANNIVERSARIES Dogtopia of Homewood, at 1722 27th Court S., is celebrating its fourth anniversary in the city. Locally owned and operated by brothers Carlton and Henson Millsap, Dogtopia offers dog daycare, spa services and boarding. The Homewood location is one of two in the Birmingham area, with plans to open a third location in the spring. It provides a supervised, stimulating environment in a modern, open-play facility where dogs can socialize, learn, exercise and have fun. Dogtopia is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. (for pickup and drop-off only). Daycare starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m. 205-440-3888, dogtopia.com/homewood
COMING SOON Yummy Bowl Mongolian Stir-Fry and Sushi, at 109 Wildwood Parkway in Homewood, is expanding and opening another location on U.S. 280 in the River Ridge Shopping Center this fall. Known for its build-your-own bowls, Yummy Bowl also serves dishes including sushi, fried rice, soups, salads, deep-fried rolls, desserts and more. The Homewood location is open Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. 205-637-3071, superyummybowl.com
For the second consecutive year, Samford University, at 800 Lakeshore Drive in Homewood, ranked No. 1 as the “Best Value” among all Alabama four-year universities, according to U.S. News & World Report’s list of 2027 Best Colleges. Samford also ranked 93rd in the nation and among the top three national universities affiliated with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. It is the highest-ranked comprehensive Christ-centered university in the South, according to the university. The university also announced a record-setting enrollment of 6,522 students, along with the largest freshman class in the school’s 185-year history. 205-726-2011, samford.edu
Sundance Bay, a Salt Lake City-based real estate private equity firm founded in 2012, acquired the self-storage facility at 480 Wildwood Circle North in Homewood. The property, now operating as Extra Space Storage, was built in 2021 and offers 46,850 net rentable square feet in 385 units. The acquisition also included another storage facility at 3240 Veterans Circle in Trussville, for a total of 841 units and 118,385 total rentable square feet. It was the first storage investment in the Birmingham metropolitan statistical area for Sundance Bay and its 11th and 12th self-storage acquisitions in the past year. The Extra Space Storage office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The office is closed on Wednesdays and Sundays. 205-418-3741, extraspace.com
NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Fit For a Queen, an Atlanta-based boutique, is set to open its first Alabama location at 1812 27th Ave. S. in Homewood late this fall. Established in 2015, the boutique offers custom-made and designer gowns for proms, pageants, galas and other formal occasions. Fit For a Queen also has shoes, jewelry, clutches and other
Homewood-based construction firm Robins & Morton, at 400 Shades Creek Parkway, served as the general contractor on the new Baptist Health Rehabilitation Hospital in South Miami, Florida. The three-story, 100,000-square-foot facility features 62 private inpatient rooms with the capacity to open an additional 30 private rooms. Robins & Morton also broke ground on the new Lawrence Medical Center Outpatient Facility in Moulton as the general contractor. The $14 million, 10,000-square-foot facility will include extended-hours urgent care, advanced diagnostic imaging, respiratory therapy, laboratory services and a community room. The 20-acre site allows for future expansion.
R3 Contrast, a sauna and cold plunge contrast therapy studio, is celebrating its first anniversary at 3250 Independence Drive, Suite 10, in Homewood. Since opening last November, the studio has offered contrast therapy and a reset lounge where professionals, athletes, parents, caregivers and others can reset, revive and renew. The first session is free, and it is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6 to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m.; Tuesday from 6 to 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday from 6 to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 205-872-0580, r3contrast.com
12 • November 2026
The Homewood Star
SCHOOLHOUSE
Setting the tone By KYLE PARMLEY Friday nights under the lights are about more than the game on the field. Long before kickoff, the Homewood High School band sets the tone, with drum majors perched high and proud, batons raised, commanding a level of precision that rivals anything happening between the hashes. Its pregame performance fills Waldrop Stadium with energy, and by halftime, the show only grows bigger, with intricate formations, blaring horns and rolling drumlines turning the field into a stage. For the home crowd, it’s a source of pride. For opposing teams trying to regroup in the visitors’ locker room, the sound rattling off the walls is one more variable to account for. Late in games, it gets even tougher on the road team, especially when its offense is pinned near the band’s end of the stadium trying to snap the ball over a wall of noise built to disrupt exactly that. Photos by Richard Force.
TheHomewoodStar.com
November 2026 • 13
SCHOOLHOUSE
After three decades, Shades Cahaba teacher still finds joy in kindergarten By APRIL COFFEY Terran Greer has been teaching kindergarten at Shades Cahaba Elementary School for 25 years and has taught for 34 years in total. Born in Atlanta, she moved to Blue Ridge, Georgia, at age 6 and later taught four years in Georgia and five years in South Carolina before coming to Alabama. Greer has three daughters and one granddaughter and gained a son-in-law this past May. She is a self-described huge Disney fan whose dream is to be the Fairy Godmother on the princess float in a Disney parade. She has two dachshunds, Gus and Bean. Q: What made you decide on kindergarten? How many years have you been teaching kindergarten? What do you think is particularly special about the group? Have you taught any other grade levels? A: Kindergarten became my passion during my volunteer work in high school. Kindergartners have a passion for learning and an enthusiasm to try new things even if they are hard. I love teaching them something new and seeing that light shine when they realize they succeeded. Their excitement to learn has caused me to never want to leave kindergarten. I have never taught a different grade and don’t see myself leaving kindergarten even now. I have been teaching kindergarten for 34 years — four years in Georgia, five years in South Carolina and 25 years in Alabama at Shades Cahaba Elementary. Q: I know that your daughter, Mason, is also an educator and has become well respected for teaching musical theater at Homewood Theatre. How proud are you
that Mason has followed in your footsteps as an educator? A: All of my daughters have found a place in the teaching world. I am quite humbled by it! My oldest, Alli, coaches college cheerleaders; my middle, Avery, teaches first grade; and Mason Elizabeth, my youngest, performs for and teaches ages 3-18. I never wanted to push teaching on them, but they are all so patient with children and have that same desire to help children reach their true potential. Hopefully, I did show them how fulfilling that can be. They celebrate their students’ successes as though they are their own children. Proud of my girls is an understatement! I am truly blessed! Q: What advice would you give first-year teachers? A: You are going to have successful teaching days and you are going to have days where you never want to come back to your classroom again. Be patient with yourself. Learn from those setbacks; reflect. Try new teaching styles! Students learn in so many different ways. Never stop trying new styles. Keep the main thing the main thing! Another great principal taught me that. We are there for the children. We want them to try new things; we should too! Q: What is your goal for your students? A: I tell my parents at open house: I want to teach your child to love school! I want them to learn to love school by being themselves, being a good friend and learning how to be successful. I end every year by asking my parents if I taught their child to love school, and if so, I did my job!
Terran Greer has taught kindergarten at Shades Cahaba Elementary School for 25 years and 34 years total. Photo courtesy of Terran Greer.
14 • November 2026
The Homewood Star
SCHOOLHOUSE
9 Homewood High School students named National Merit semifinalists By APRIL COFFEY For nine Homewood High School seniors, years of early mornings, challenging classes, late-night studying and countless questions answered correctly have added up to a distinction shared by fewer than 1% of high school seniors nationwide. Thatcher Firth, Ewan Pavy, Matthew Wang, Owens Cordell, Emma Rodgers, Engil Shanks, Hayes Fuhrman, Jackson Fisher and Nathaniel Siegel have been named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing them among the highest-scoring students in the country. The students earned the distinction based on their performance on the 2025 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, or PSAT/NMSQT. More than 1.2 million students entered this year’s program, while just over 16,000 were named semifinalists. National Merit semifinalists represent the highest-scoring participants in each state, but the designation reflects more than a single test score. It recognizes years of academic preparation and achievement both inside and outside the classroom. The recognition is also only the first step in the scholarship competition. To advance to Finalist standing, students must complete a detailed application documenting their academic records, extracurricular activities, leadership, employment, honors and awards. They also must write an essay, receive a recommendation from a school official and submit a
Homewood High School National Merit semifinalists, from left: Thatcher Firth, Ewan Pavy, Matthew Wang, Owens Cordell, Emma Rodgers, Engil Shanks, Hayes Fuhrman, Jackson Fisher and Nathaniel Siegel with Principal Joel Henneke. Photo courtesy of Homewood City Schools.
confirming SAT or ACT score demonstrating continued academic performance. Approximately 95% of semifinalists are expected to advance to the Finalist level. From that group, about 6,700 students will ultimately be selected as National Merit Scholarship winners through scholarships sponsored by the National
Merit Scholarship Corporation, colleges and universities, and corporate organizations. About $24 million in scholarship awards is expected to be distributed to the 2027 National Merit Scholars. Established in 1955, the National Merit Scholarship Program has become one of the country’s best-known academic scholarship competitions.
For Homewood’s nine honorees, the recognition arrives as their senior year moves into the season of college applications, future plans and decisions about what comes next. The next milestone will come in spring 2027, when National Merit Finalists are expected to be announced.
TheHomewoodStar.com
November 2026 • 15
SPORTS
Berguson reaches 100 wins as Patriots turn toward the playoffs By KYLE PARMLEY Ben Berguson’s 100th win as Homewood High School’s head football coach came Sept. 18 at Helena, a 34-7 victory in the fifth game of his 13th season leading the Patriots. Homewood was 4-1 and unbeaten in Class 5A, Region 4 play at that point, and Berguson said in the days afterward that the number was still hard to process. “It’s hard for me to fathom that. It’s almost surreal,” Berguson said. Berguson arrived at Homewood in 2011 as the offensive line coach under Doug Goodwin and took over the program in 2014. Homewood has reached the playoffs in each of his 12 previous seasons and won four region championships, the most recent coming last fall. His first win came in the third game of 2014, a 37-30 victory at Pelham. Aside from one season as Spain Park’s interim head coach in 2010, Homewood is the only program he has led. “You just never imagine staying at one place as long as I have, and now 16 years later and 13 of it as head coach, I’m still here,” Berguson said. Other games stick with him too: a 40-39 loss at Clay-Chalkville in the second round of the 2015 playoffs, a 24-14 first-round playoff win over Athens in 2018 and a 57-56 overtime loss to Saraland in the 2022 quarterfinals. Berguson credited a staff of 12 assistants, led by longtime coordinators Heath Brunner and Freddy Lawrence. He said both should be head coaches at other schools. “If you’ve got kids and you get your kids in the system, you don’t want to leave. It’s just
Homewood head coach Ben Berguson observes from the sideline during a game between Mountain Brook and Homewood on Sept. 4 at Waldrop Stadium. Photo by David Leong.
such a great place,” he said. Homewood went 11-2 and won a region title in 2025, and Berguson entered this fall counting on a 35-player junior class to grow into the production that class of seniors took with it. But this year’s group has come along and produced at a high level. “Last year, we had 30 seniors and we dropped off to 20 seniors this year and I thought we might have a little bit of a down year,”
Berguson said. “But it just happened quicker than I thought it would.” With the postseason opening the first week of November, his approach to the stretch run has changed. Homewood once treated its open week like spring training, practicing three days. This year, it was about health, and Berguson said the longer he coaches, the smarter he gets about it. The clearest example is junior Reid Goldstein, who missed the first two games, ran for
three touchdowns in his debut against Mountain Brook and played only the first half at Pelham before a hamstring issue sidelined him again. “He’ll be fresh for hopefully a long playoff run,” Berguson said. “We preach that it’s a onegame season once you get to the playoffs.” Homewood has reached the quarterfinals three times under Berguson, in 2018, 2022 and 2025.
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16 • November 2026
The Homewood Star
SPORTS
Don the red jacket By KYLE PARMLEY The inaugural class of the Homewood High School Athletics Hall of Fame was inducted Thursday, Oct. 1, at Rosewood Hall, with each honoree sharing remarks and receiving a custom Patriot red Hall of Fame jacket. The 17-member class spans six decades of Homewood athletics: Alvin Bresler, Susan Cook, Robert Davis, Aaron Ernest, Tom Esslinger, Katy Freels, Gerald Gann, Chris Gray, Michael Gross, Austin Hubbard, David Jones, Evan Mathis, Bob Newton, Ronald Nored, Tim Shepler, Kiara Williams Chase and Dickey Wright. The class was also recognized during halftime of the Homewood-Calera game the following night. The prevailing theme of the evening was gratitude for the Homewood community and the love and support that have, for generations, gone far beyond athletics. Photos courtesy of Scott Butler and Homewood City Schools.
Chris Gray gives a speech after being inducted into the inaugural class of the Homewood High School Athletics Hall of Fame.
Aaron Ernest, Tom Esslinger and Kiara Williams Chase.
Longtime Homewood boys basketball coach Tim Shepler.
Rick Baguley and Gerald Gann admire his new red jacket.
The inaugural class of the Homewood High School Athletics Hall of Fame.
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TheHomewoodStar.com
November 2026 • 17
SPORTS
Under the Lights By KYLE PARMLEY As the calendar turns to November, high school football’s regular season has come to an end. For some teams, it means the beginning of a playoff pursuit. For others, it signifies the end of a journey. Fortunately for Homewood and John Carroll, both teams are still alive heading into the playoffs and will look to make their mark as the weather cools and the holidays loom. Stay tuned to thehomewoodstar.com throughout the postseason for coverage of the playoffs. Photos by Richard Force and David Leong.
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18 • November 2026
The Homewood Star
EVENTS
Save the Date
FIFTH ANNUAL LOVE YOUR TREES DAY
BTC VULCAN RUN
► Where: Homewood Senior Center ► When: Nov. 7, 9-11 a.m. ► Cost: Free; registration required. ► Details: Celebrate Homewood’s urban forest during the fifth annual Love Your Trees Day, hosted by the Homewood Environmental Commission. Residents can meet local tree experts, learn about native species and proper planting techniques, visit community partners, and enjoy complimentary coffee and treats. Registered Homewood residents can also receive one free native tree per property after completing the event activities. Families are welcome, and children can learn how planting and caring for trees benefits the local ecosystem. ► More Info: Search Love Your Trees Day on eventbrite.com
► Where: Rosewood Hall ► When: Nov. 7; walkers start at 7:30 a.m., 10K at 8 a.m. and 5K at 8:05 a.m. ► Cost: $60 for the 10K; $40 for the 5K. Prices increase after Nov. 5. ► Details: Lace up for the 52nd running of the BTC Vulcan Run, one of Birmingham’s longstanding road-racing traditions. Hosted by the Birmingham Track Club, the event offers both 10K and 5K distances, with the 10K serving as the 2026 Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Alabama 10K State Championship. Participants receive a race shirt, and awards will follow the races. Register by Oct. 19 to guarantee a shirt. ► More Info: runsignup.com/vulcanrun
► For more events news, connect with the Homewood Star online by scanning the QR code. ► Have an upcoming event to share? Email Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnesmedia.com.
VETERANS DAY: A SALUTE TO ALL WHO SERVED ► Where: Homewood Public Library ► When: Nov. 10, 2-3 p.m. ► Details: Join historian, author and speaker Niki Sepsas for a special Veterans Day presentation honoring the men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces. Sepsas will explore the history and meaning of National Veterans Day while recognizing the service, sacrifice and dedication of generations of American veterans. This educational program offers an opportunity to reflect on the origins of the observance and pay tribute to all who served. ► More Info: homewoodpubliclibrary.org
MOVING DAY BIRMINGHAM ► Where: Homewood Central Park ► When: Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to noon ► Cost: Free; registration encouraged. ► Details: Join the Parkinson’s Foundation for Moving Day Birmingham, an annual fundraising walk that brings together people living with Parkinson’s disease, care partners, families and supporters. More than a walk, the event celebrates movement while raising awareness and funds for Parkinson’s care, education, outreach and research. Participants can register individually or as a team and help support resources for people living with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders. ► More Info: parkinson.org/ events/2026/md-birmingham
HOMEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY EVENTS
ART IN THE LOT ► Where: Trinity United Methodist Church — Oxmoor Campus ► When: Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. ► Cost: Free admission ► Details: Shop local art and handmade goods during Trinity United Methodist Church’s fall Art in the Lot. More than 80 local artists and vendors will showcase work in a variety of mediums, including painting, woodworking, ceramics, jewelry and fiber arts. The outdoor market offers a relaxed way to support local creatives while browsing one-of-a-kind pieces, with food and refreshments available on site. ► More Info: trinitybirmingham.com
NOVEMBER MONTHLY BREAKFAST ► Where: Brookdale University Park ► When: Nov. 17, 8:15-9:30 a.m.; program begins at 8:30 a.m. ► Details: Start the morning connecting with members of Homewood’s business community during the Homewood Chamber of Commerce November Monthly Breakfast. Networking and the breakfast buffet open at 8:15 a.m., followed by the program at 8:30 a.m. The monthly gathering offers chamber members and local professionals a chance to build relationships, exchange ideas and stay connected with what’s happening in the Homewood business community. Registration closes Nov. 12. ► More Info: business.homewoodchamber.org
THE SUNNY SHOW ► Where: The Dance Foundation ► When: Nov. 22, 2:30 p.m.; doors open at 2 p.m. ► Cost: $30 ► Details: Enjoy an afternoon of music, comedy and nostalgia during “The Sunny Show,” presented by Cahaba Theatre Group. Starring Sunny Chander with Michael Wilson, the high-energy cabaret blends pop favorites, classic television-inspired comedy and heartfelt storytelling for a feel-good theatrical experience. The performance will also include a special preview from “The Songs: A Cahaba Theatre Christmas,” giving audiences an early taste of the company’s holiday production. ► More Info: cahabatheatregroup.org
► Nov. 2: Homeschool Hour — Canvas Embroidery. 1 p.m. Homewood Public Library. Students in fourth through 12th grades will learn embroidery techniques to create art on canvas. Supplies are provided; registration is required. ► Nov. 3: Google Slides. 3 p.m. Homewood Public Library. Learn about creating presentations using Google Slides. ► Nov. 4: Pokémon Club. 4 p.m. Homewood Public Library. Kids can gather for a program celebrating Pokémon. ► Nov. 5: Excel Online Part 2. 3 p.m. Homewood Public Library. Continue learning how to use Excel Online. ► Nov. 6: Coffee Playdate. 9:30 a.m. Homewood Public Library. Caregivers can enjoy coffee or tea and socialize while children 12 and younger enjoy free play at stations around the room. ► Nov. 7: Artistic Adventures — Netherlands. 3 p.m. Homewood Public Library. Explore the Netherlands through a creative art program. For a complete list of November events, visit homewoodpubliclibrary.org.
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TheHomewoodStar.com
November 2026 • 19
EVENTS
Homewood’s Holiday Open House allows community to share the season By KARIM SHAMSI-BASHA Long before the first cold snap, the holidays arrive early in downtown Homewood. They come the first week of November, when shop doors swing open, windows glow with garland and light and neighbors who haven’t seen each other since summer stop on the sidewalk to catch up. The season arrives with the Holiday Open House, and for the shop owners who make it happen, it is the moment the whole year leans toward. This year’s Downtown Homewood Holiday Open House takes place Thursday, Nov. 5, 5-8 p.m. Local small businesses will stay open late and offer exclusive promotions and discounts. Guests can enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and holiday drinks, carolers, and a free trolley running the downtown loop. Santa Claus will make a special appearance. Both Homewood residents and out-oftown guests enjoy the open house, which is part holiday kickoff and part homecoming. It is an evening when browsing turns into visiting and a quick errand can stretch into a night out. At Tracy-Barrett Interiors, decorator Lynette Minson is already at work getting ready. “This first week of November is our Super Bowl,” Minson said. “I love to help people fall in love with their spaces. We need more beauty in this world.” It’s a fitting thought for a season built around gathering at home, around tables
and trees and the rooms where families make their memories. Patti Lovoy at Alabama Goods is looking forward to the open house and to introducing the products of Alabama to out-of-town guests. “We always have people from all over visiting relatives, and they come into the store and adore all the Alabama products we have,” Lovoy said, then added with a laugh, “And they always say they have to get something from Alabama.” The open house doesn’t belong only to the people who live here. It also belongs to the sisters, cousins and college roommates who come to town for the holidays and want to carry a piece of the place home with them. At Seibels Cottages, Kelly Seibels always welcomes clients and guests with live music and refreshments. “The open house kicks off the season, and we get to meet an incredible number of new people who enjoy downtown Homewood,” Seibels said. “It’s the biggest street party of the year.” That is the spirit of the night. It’s less about what goes into the shopping bag than about whom you run into on the way to the next door. Early in November, before the last leaves have fallen, downtown Homewood will turn on its lights for the holidays. Doors will open, music will drift onto the sidewalk and neighbors will stop to talk. The holidays will still be weeks away, but on this street, they will already feel like they’re here.
Santa himself will make an appearance during this Holiday Open House, like he did here at Nadeau Furniture. Photo courtesy of Nadeau Furniture.
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20 • November 2026
The Homewood Star
EVENTS
Hall-Kent gearing up for 91st annual Fall Festival By EMILY REED The Hall-Kent Fall Festival will be held Nov. 7, celebrating 91 years of bringing the Hall-Kent Elementary School and Homewood community together. The fall festival is Hall-Kent PTO’s largest fundraiser of the year, with 100% of the funds raised directly benefiting the students at Hall-Kent. The event kicks off at 1 p.m. and goes until 5 p.m.
In 2025, the PTO awarded more than $45,000 in grants to support the school. PTO President Mandy Busby said the fall festival is a great event because it brings everyone together. “I think the 91-year tradition speaks to how much our families value those connections and the history of our school,” Busby said. “This is a big Homewood tradition.” This year, there will be things such as a mix of classic carnival games and rides, local food
A painting of Hall-Kent Elementary at its annual Fall Festival on Nov. 2, 2024. Staff photos.
vendors and silent auction items that local businesses in the area donate. “This is a wonderful, volunteer-led effort that truly shows the heart of Hall-Kent,” Busby said. These funds help provide classroom resources, academic enhancements and opportunities that support the teachers and enrich the students’ experiences throughout the school year. The festival takes place at 213 Hall Ave.
For more information about the festival, visit hkespto.com.
Hall-Kent Festival ► Where: 213 Hall Ave. ► When: Nov. 7, 1-5 p.m. ► Web: hkespto.com
Student artwork on display at the 2024 Hall-Kent Fall Festival.
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TheHomewoodStar.com
November 2026 • 21
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22 • November 2026
The Homewood Star
LIFE
The Pie Babe’s daughter By KARIM SHAMSI-BASHA On Sunday afternoons in Romeo, Michigan, a nurse and her little girl would get in the car and drive with nowhere to be. One afternoon the mom slowed beside an old shed at the side of the road, looked at it for a long moment, then said they ought to turn it into a restaurant. They would serve pot roast. They never did. But something took root in the girl in the passenger seat. “That day has been in my heart ever since,” said Joy Smith, who owns Sorelle Cafe in Homewood. “I’ve loved cooking for people forever, and Thanksgiving is all about food. The holidays are my happy place.” Her mother, Corinne Rekoff, cooked all the time and was known far and wide as the Pie Babe — a name the family put on her license plate. “My momma taught me how to make pies when I was in fourth grade, and I’ve made them every Thanksgiving since,” Smith said. “It’s always in the family.” Rekoff lived with dementia in her last years, and she died in 2020. Her daughter kept the recipes alive and the dream of that shed in Michigan. Sorelle is a grab-and-go bakery and catering company in Homewood with the feel of a European kitchen — the kind of place that tells you to make yourself at home and means it. The name means “sisters” in Italian. “Sisters take care of each other,” she said. “And I love to take care of people.” She knew early. When her sister got married, her brother catered the wedding, and young Joy cleaned 150 Cornish hens. “I was young, but I
Joy Smith is at her happy place with the holidays. Photos by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
A picture on a shelf at Sorelle Cafe tells the story of Joy and her mother.
knew I would do something with food,” Smith said. She spent 10 years teaching preschool at Creative Montessori before she started catering. Now she works 80 hours a week and closer to 120 when the holidays arrive. Customers call in for sandwiches and corporate lunches. She also caters weddings, graduations, funerals and other events. Longtime customer Cheryl May comes for one of the many soups she loves. “The food is excellent, the service is excellent,” she said. “And I always feel like I’m with friends.”
But November belongs to pie. Key lime. Chocolate cream. Peach. Strawberry. Sweet potato. Banana cream. Pecan. At Smith’s own Thanksgiving table, there will be homemade mashed potatoes, squash casserole, sweet potato casserole, bread dressing — and pie after pie. Her three children are grown now, but they still come home for the pies. “My goal in life is to feed as many people as I can,” Smith said. “When you feed people and their eyes widen, I feel their joy in my heart.”
She is also involved with the Birmingham chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, an organization of women in food and hospitality, whose December fundraiser benefits The WellHouse. The shed by the road in Romeo never became a restaurant. Instead, the girl in the passenger seat grew up to feed Homewood and beyond — one pie at a time. This Thanksgiving, the Pie Babe’s daughter will fill the table again.
TheHomewoodStar.com
November 2026 • 23
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24 • November 2026
The Homewood Star
THE PIG
CONTINUED from page 1 And that question doesn’t just come from customers. “I get home at night,” Andy Virciglio, Austin and Andrew’s father, said. “My wife asks me.” His son Andrew echoed that response. “Our mother probably asks me the same thing, and that’s because we constantly get asked every day,” he said. “When is it going to open? What’s new? Things of that nature. You have a lot of folks asking you. But it just speaks to the excitement of the community. It’s a blessing to have that many people that are constantly checking in. You can see that they want to come and shop your store. We see it all the way around.” That yields a sense of urgency for the family grocers to get it right. “We want to get customers back in our store, and we want to make sure it’s a great shopping experience,” Andrew said. “We know that it’s going to have a lot of bells and whistles to it that we didn’t have previously. But we want to make sure the experience is still as it always has been, which is a community-oriented store that caters to everybody in our neighborhood.”
The popular Homewood Piggly Wiggly is nearing completion of its major redevelopment, with reopening anticipated by the end of the year. The project was originally set for a seven-month closure. Photo by Kelli S. Hewett.
Piggly Wiggly has been closed since January 2026. Staff photo.
EAGER TO OPEN
Stanley Virciglio, Andy’s father, launched the business in the 1970s. The family ties extend to Andy’s sons, Austin and Andrew, and others. Andy is skittish about announcing when the Homewood location will reopen. “Obviously, we want to make sure it’s done right and make sure we’re prepared,” he said. “Again, when we’re ready, that’s when we’re going to open. “Basically, we’re getting an empty building,” Andy said. “We’ll start bringing in our shelving, our cases, all of our equipment. We’ve got to get all that hooked up and running. Naturally, you want your freezers to run for at least several weeks to make sure they’re right. Just getting the inside guts of the store in place and then making sure everything’s running efficiently.” The biggest challenge had been the age of the store being revamped. That produced speed bumps for progress.
“Those are behind us now,” Andy said. “Now what we’re working on, I don’t foresee problems. But I’ve also learned I don’t count on everything until we know we’ve got it. We were willing to be open in October, but due to various reasons, with the circumstances we were having, we got pushed back.”
BROADER SELECTION
The new Pig is expected to be worth the wait with several new features. “An expanded selection, first off,” Andrew said. “That’s all the way across the board. That’s from produce to the market being a little bit bigger. Our wine and our beer selections being a little bigger. The perimeter, in general, but that expands to the middle aisles as well. That’s going to include a lot of specialty grocery. You’ll still have your essential items, your everyday items, if you will, that we’ve always had in the stores. “But something that we didn’t have
Piggly Wiggly on Montgomery Highway in Homewood in 2021. Staff photo.
previously was the space to cater towards a lot of specialty grocery,” Andrew said. “The added space that we have in this store will allow us to add all sections in the store. You also have a salad bar that we did not have previously, a soup and salad bar that’s very popular in other stores for lunch included. A bigger area for the deli, which will be nice. You’ll still have the steam bar and a little bigger case for graband-go and sandwiches and everything as well. Expanded coffee bar with the slushie machine, milkshake machine for the kids.” “It’ll be great for after school,” Austin said. “That’ll be new. Exciting for them.” In the smaller store, catering to customers’ wishes often meant making choices and eliminating some products. “When they asked us previously to bring in a certain product, it was a decision,” Andrew said. “We did so, right, but we usually had to
The redeveloped Homewood Piggly Wiggly at Oxmoor Road and U.S. 31 nears completion. Photo by Kelli S. Hewett.
cut something that could have been selling fairly well to bring something in. Now, we’ll have the space to cater to our customers and continue to operate with those items that are already on the shelves.” The old store wasn’t big enough to carry everything to keep everybody in their aisles. “They were having to go elsewhere to get [other things] because we weren’t big enough to carry them,” Andy said. “Our goal was to prevent that, unless they just want to go somewhere else. We want them to be able to get everything here.”
MEAT MARKET
Another new component is an open meat market, where customers can step up to the case and communicate with the butchers, Andrew said. “Previously, there was a door there, and you had to ring a bell,” he said. “You’re able to have that face-to-face interaction to be a little easier for our customers. You’re able to see in there and see how things are operating in there. “We’re one of the few, if not the only, grocery store in the area that continues to have butchers in there,” he said. “We take a lot of pride in the quality of our meat, but the quality of our people that is putting that product onto our shelves and cutting the fresh cuts, the middle cuts for our customers as they request it. What I’m telling folks is it’s more where specialty meets convenience. Everybody’s looking for convenience nowadays, and we have a lot of good specialty items in the store, specialty departments. We’re making it a little more convenient for them to be able to get what they need as well.” Austin said the new store is a gift to customers and staffers. But it’s a special gift to the family’s patriarch. “I feel like it’s a gift to my grandfather,” he said. “He’s not working like he used to, but he’s still involved. He’s asking questions daily about the store. At the end of the day, this is his baby. He started this in ’73, and we want to keep that tradition alive. Just as much as serving the community, seeing their reaction in the opening, I cannot wait to see my grandfather’s reaction.”
TheHomewoodStar.com
November 2026 • 25
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The Homewood Star
SEPSAS
CONTINUED from page 1 On Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m., he will be at the Homewood Public Library to explain how the eleventh of November became what it is — how Armistice Day, set aside for the men who served in World War I, grew into Veterans Day, which honors everyone who has worn the uniform. It is the kind of question most of us never think to ask about our own calendar. Sepsas asks it, and then he answers it, and you will not be bored. It all began in Norwood. The neighborhood is only a few miles north of downtown Birmingham, and in the 1940s and ’50s it was the kind of place where a Greek family could put down roots and a boy could get restless. Sepsas went to Phillips High School. He was good enough, and disciplined enough, to get into West Point. Calculus ended that. He said it plainly and without much visible grief, the way people talk about weather from 60 years ago. “I washed out of the math, left the academy and finished at the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a degree in history and English, the two subjects that I loved and have been living inside ever since,” Sepsas said. He served in the Army. Then he did what a young man with no attachment to chairs does: he went to Utah and became a ski bum, and when the money ran out, he went underground and mined coal. From there the resume stops making ordinary sense. Offshore oil rigs in the Arctic Ocean off Alaska. Rigs in Southeast Asia, in the North Sea, in the Middle East. Hard work in cold water for good money, in places most people cannot find on a map. But somewhere in all that, he noticed something about himself. “I was enjoying climbing the hills,” he said, “as much as I liked finding out what was on the other side.” That is the sentence the rest of his life hangs on. A man who loves the far side of the hill becomes a traveler. A man who loves the climb becomes a guide. “I trained as a tour guide in the Middle East — Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Turkey,” Sepsas said.
Niki Sepsas has roamed this wide world but loves his home in Homewood. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
“I then moved into adventure travel, and the company added the Amazon, and then the camel safaris, and then the cruises. My sister told me I should not be allowed to celebrate Labor Day!” Thirty years of it. Seven continents. New Zealand, Greece, Italy — he names those three first when asked for favorites, and two of them are obvious once you know where his people are from. Along the way he did the thing that separates the traveler from the writer: He wrote it down. More than 1,000 of his travel adventures have been published in more than 50 national, regional and local magazines and newspapers. More than two dozen coffee-table books. Several memoirs. Pieces in the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series. Commentary e-books. A history of Greek immigration to the United States and to Birmingham, which is to say a history of how he came to be here at all. And a novel, “Song of the Gypsy,” about a man born in a mountain village in Greece. There is one thing about Sepsas that his itinerary does not explain. “I am drawn deeply and without apology to the places where things went wrong. Ghost ships. Whalers. Rogue waves. The Bermuda Triangle. Battlefields,” Sepsas said. “I’m not sure why, but it keeps life interesting.”
Niki Sepsas in Antarctica. Photo courtesy of Niki Sepsas.
He gives talks on all of it, and the talks fill rooms. And at age 70 and out of nowhere, marriage. “I met my wife, Sherri, while teaching a ballroom dance class, and now we’ve been married for ten years,” Sepsas said. He paused with a mischievous expression. “I have a policy about anniversaries. You celebrate every month. At my age, you better.” Then he hooted. Sepsas laughs a lot, actually, which is not what you expect from a man whose lecture list includes rogue waves and battlefields, and which may be exactly what you should expect from a man who has spent a lifetime watching how things end and has decided to keep going anyway. The couple lives in Homewood with a miniature schnauzer named Calista. He said that when he is home, he can be found enjoying his family and his friends and the neighborhood where Calista walks him regularly. “I don’t walk Calista. Calista walks me,” he said, laughing again.
The boy from Norwood who couldn’t stay in his chair kept coming back to Birmingham, where the Greek families settled. Back to the library, to stand in front of neighbors and tell them where Veterans Day came from. Back to a house with a dog and a wife he wed at 70. He went to the far side of every hill he could find, and he came home to tell people about it. That is not restlessness. That is a vocation, and he has been practicing it since before most of his audience was born. Somewhere out on the water this winter, a ship will move through the dark toward a coast he has already seen, and a man of 80 will stand at the rail before anyone else is up. Nobody makes him do that. There is no lecture at five in the morning, no audience on deck, nothing out there but cold air and a shoreline coming slowly into focus. He goes up anyway. He has always gone up anyway. He is 80, and the road is not finished with him yet.
Niki Sepsas is a world traveler. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
Niki Sepsas at Mount Kilimanjaro. Photo courtesy of Niki Sepsas.
Niki Sepsas during a recent talk at the Homewood Senior Center. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
TheHomewoodStar.com
November 2026 • 27
SEWELL Re-elect
TERRI
Democrat for Congress
SEWELL DELIVERS FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY ENDORSED BY THE U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
LOWER COSTS
MORE JOBS
Sewell has fought to tackle the affordability crisis and Sewell helped cut average unemployment in the district by over two thirds since taking office. She has put more money in your pockets: hosted 15 annual job fairs and led initiatives to help Helped constituents recover $30+ million in federal our largest job creators grow by bringing: benefits since taking office 1,500 jobs to the Amazon Center in Bessemer Passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to bring down housing costs $474,000 for the Small Business Accelerator Program in Jefferson County Capped insulin costs at $35/month and out-ofpocket drug costs at $2,000/year for seniors 650 jobs at the Bessemer Dollar General Center Sponsored legislation to end Trump’s tariffs $1 billion expansion at Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, Alabama creating 600 additional jobs Voted twice to stop the Iran war & lower gas prices $500,000 to the Bessemer Airport for infrastructure improvements and pilot training
STRONGER COMMUNITIES
AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE
Sewell has secured millions in new investments to strengthen Jefferson County communities:
Sewell has worked to expand access to quality, affordable health care for all Alabamians: Secured $360 million investment from USDA to build UAB Medical West Hospital in McCalla Secured $15 million to hire more mental health professionals in Birmingham City Schools Secured $2.6 million for Samford University’s Nurse Practitioner Program for disadvantaged communities Passed legislation to make cancer screenings more affordable for seniors Passed legislation to bring more doctors to underserved communities Passed the NOPAIN Act to stop the opioid crisis Fighting to reverse federal healthcare cuts and restore the Affordable Care Act tax credits
1.2 million to fix water infrastructure and improve stormwater drainage in Homewood $1 million to prevent school violence and support the safety of students in Jefferson County $3 million to expand substance use treatment services in Jefferson County $250,000 to renovate Red Mountain Park $1.5 million for sidewalk and roadway repairs in Hueytown and Pleasant Grove $850,000 to construct the Dream Center in Bessemer $850,000 to make safety and security upgrades on the campus of Miles College $2 million for community-oriented policing in Bessemer, Fairfield, Tarrant, Greensboro & Selma Sewell also supports a national moratorium on data centers until communities can better understand local impacts
VOTE: Tuesday, November 3rd PAID FOR BY TERRI SEWELL FOR CONGRESS
P.O. Box 1964
Birmingham, AL 35201
28 • November 2026
The Homewood Star