The Homewood Star | June 2012 |
www.TheHomewoodStar.com
neighborly news & entertainment for Homewood
Volume 2 | Issue 3 | June 2012
Where else, but Homewood- pg 13 Summer bridal fashion- pg 14
Stay-at-home dads -pg 9
Speaking to the true measure of a man
men, and as a member of the community. Work was just a means of contributing to the quality of life in the community, but something changed. The message of The True Measure of a Man provides hope and points the way to a path that can help men discover what really matters most in their lives. The self-published book hit the shelves late in 2009. The first and second printings sold so quickly that Simmons realized the book had potential for broader appeal. That’s when he went shopping for a publisher. He decided on Evergreen Press because the publisher offered a more timely publication date. While Simmons has a full-time person marketing the book, much of the buzz came on the heels of interviews in The Birmingham News, the Lee Davis radio talk show in Birmingham, the Steve Brown syndicated radio show in Orlando, Fla., and several other talk shows across the country. He plans to continue working with the media to raise the level of awareness about his work. Big time endorsements from The Wall Street Journal writer Fred Barnes and other heavy hitters in sports, business and religion added momentum.
By RICK WATSON With the economic tsunami in recent years, men have been looking for answers amidst the loss of jobs and other major life transitions. Where have they found them? One place is, The True Measure of a Man, a book written by Richard E. Simmons III of Homewood. Mike Fox, head baseball coach for the University of North Carolina, said the book is life changing: “It not only changed me and my priorities, but it changed the way I coach.” Simmons, who is the director of the Center for Executive Leadership (CFEL) in Homewood, explained that men today get their sense of self worth from how well they perform in the workplace. When they lose their jobs, their sense of self worth is battered, and their sense of identity becomes threatened. “Men are driven not by the desire to succeed, but by the fear of failure,” he said. “Failure is like a psychological death to most men. They fear what people will think of them.” In years past, men in this country based their self worth on relationships – as a father, a husband, a son, a friend of other
Richard E. Simmons III, author of True Measure of a Man. Photo by Madoline Markham.
See TRUE MEASURE | page 11
Mayor’s Minute
5
City news
6
El Paso Wildflower Preserve now open City’s plan for sidewalks in motion
Farmers market recipes
8
By CRAIG KLEIMEYER
June Features
Lauren Denton
10
Vacation Bible Schools
12
DS Art
15
Business Spotlight
16
Restaurant Showcase
17
Sports
19
School House
20
Calendar of Events
22
Homewood Happenings
23
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New city council measures will help maintain Homewood as Alabama’s most walkable city, as it was ranked according to Walk Score in 2011. The Homewood City Council approved a list of nine areas for sidewalk building and repairs on April 23. The city has allocated $900,000 for new sidewalks and $100,000 for sidewalk repairs in its 2011-2012 capital improvements budget. “There is money, and we want to move quickly on the sidewalk projects,” Ward 5 Representative Peter Wright said. “It’s what the residents specifically asked for.” Four city wards will have two new sidewalk projects each. Ward 5 will receive about $100,000 to improve three existing sidewalks. “We have mostly old sidewalks that need repair,” Wright said. The Homewood community came together for the first capital improvements public hearing one year ago. “[Residents] sent a very clear and loud message that they love their sidewalks and they want more of them,” Wright said. In October 2011, Fred Hawkins, a
See SIDEWALKS | page 12
You can find Daisy Fleabane (above) and Senecio (below) at the new wildflower preserve.
Mayor Scott McBrayer during the El Paso ribbon cutting. Photos courtesy of Dr. William Howell.
By CRAIG KLEIMEYER A new wildflower garden in Forest Brook subdivision is attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. “I’ve seen several species of butterflies already,” biologist and retired Samford University Professor Dr. William Howell said. “It’s working.” The preserve, located along Shades Creek, features several species of
A Father and Sons Operation Mon-Thur: 7-7 Fri: 7-6:30, Sat: 9-4 1915 Oxmoor Rd. • 871.6131 hunterscleaners@gmail.com
wildflowers as well as mature oak and pine trees. “It’s a cool get-away place right in the middle of Homewood,” Land Steward Rebekah Pine Parker said. “It’s not too far away, but you can see a great little ecosystem.”
See WILDLOWERS | page 10
We Love Homewood Hunter Payne and sons Winston and Collier