The Homewood Star | May 2012 |
www.TheHomewoodStar.com
neighborly news & entertainment for Homewood
Volume 2 | Issue 2 | May 2012
HHS spring sports pg 18
Moms of multiples
Spring Break pictures
pg 9
pg 15
An unexpected journey to motherhood By CRAIG KLEIMEYER
By MADOLINE MARKHAM
While growing up in Homewood, Jill always knew she wanted to be a mom. “I knew since I was a little girl,” Jill said. “I used to babysit all the time, and I always loved children.” But after struggling with infertility, she never thought her dream would come true. Jill met her husband, Shawn, while working as a traveling nurse in California. They were married in October 2004 and in 2005 moved back to Homewood to a house about a mile from where she grew up. “I can’t imagine having a family anywhere else,” she said. The couple immediately tried to start a family. After a year of unsuccessful trying, Jill visited a fertility specialist. While being treated for infertility, Jill had a sudden change in heart. She was sitting at her desk about to make a call to schedule another appointment with the fertility specialist when she said God spoke to her. “I will never forget it,” she said. “I was literally frozen. You pray for a sign and sometimes it’s not very clear, but it was so clear. He spoke to me and said we needed to adopt.” A month shy of their third wedding
See MOTHERHOOD | page 10
Everyone in Homewood will come out to play at Homewood Central Park and Community Center on May 5 for the annual We Love Homewood Day festivities. “We have always gone because we like the way it brings the community together,” Hollywood resident Tammy Stone said. “We see friends from other schools. It makes us realize how much we love our community.” The evening street dance in Edgewood featuring The Shadowboxers will be longer this year by popular demand. Also new this year, a $15 wristband will provide unlimited access to rides. Individual tickets will also be for sale for 50 cents each; some rides require up to five tickets. This will also be the second year for the Spirit Scamper run, which starts at Homewood High School at 7:30 a.m. “We love that at We Love Homewood Day we get to see so many people who we don’t get to see other times in the year,” said Cindy Wade, a Re/Max realtor who moved to Homewood in 1969. “It’s a major gathering for current residents and Homewood family Jill, Shawn, Abigail and Luke. Photo by Madoline Markham.
See HOMEWOOD DAY | page 8
Rebirth of an heirloom gardening legacy
May Features Mayor’s Minute
5
Farmers markets
7
Upcoming events
8, 11
Moms of multiples
We Love Homewood Day set for May 5
9
Lauren Denton
10
Mother’s Day Gift Guide
14
Business Spotlight
16
Restaurant Showcase
17
Sports
18
School House
20
Calendar of Events
22
Homewood Happenings
23
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Sims Garden resident caretaker Laura Rogers, Homewood City Council President Allyn Holladay and Southern Environmental Center Director Roald Hazelhoff were all instrumental in bringing the Edgewood community garden back to life. Photos by Madoline Markham.
By RICK WATSON For decades, heirloom shrubs and flowers with standout roses lined five lots at 908 Highland Road. Thanks to new efforts, the legacy
of Catherine Sims, the “Plant Lady of Homewood,” is living on in her Edgewood home’s garden. The lots are now filled with heirloom plants you might have found in a garden half a century ago. “Of all the projects I’ve done for the
city, this is one that I’m really proud of because it can go on forever,” City Council President Allyn Holladay said. “It’s a quiet place in the neighborhood where people
See SIMS GARDEN | page 15