The Tribune
TRUSSVILLE • ARGO • MOODY • PINSON • CLAY • CENTERPOINT • SPRINGVILLE LEEDS • MOODY • TRUSSVILLE • PINSON • CLAY • CENTER POINT • ARGO SPRINGVILLE • TRUSSVILLE • LEEDS • MOODY • PINSON • CLAY • CENTER POINT • ARGO • SPRINGVILLE • TRUSSVILLE • LEEDS • MOODY • PINSON CLAY CENTER POINT • ARGO • SPRINGVILLE • LEEDS • MOODY • TRUSSVILLE PINSON • CLAY • CENTER POINT • ARGO • SPRINGVILLE • ARGO • SPRINGVILLE PINSON • CLAY • CENTER POINT • ARGO • SPRINGVILLE • LEEDS • MOODY TRUSSVILLE • PINSON • CLAY • CENTER POINT • ARGO • SPRINGVILLE • LEEDS MOODY • TRUSSVILLE • PINSON·CLAY • CENTER POINT • ARGO SPRINGVILLE • LEEDS • MOODY • TRUSSVILLE • PINSON • CLAY • CENTER POINT • ARGO SPRINGVILLE • LEEDS • MOODY • TRUSSVILLE • PINSON • CENTER POINT TRUSSVILLE • ARGO • MOODY • PINSON • CLAY • CENTER POINT • SPRINGVILLE
By Erica Thomas, managing editor
TRUSSVILLE — A fallen soldier from Trussville was honored with a bronze bust sculpture, through the Alabama Fallen Warriors Project. See STEGALL BUST, Page 3
‘Frienemy for Life’ movie to ‘put Pinson on the map,’ casting auditions this Saturday By Crystal McGough
PINSON – This summer, Pinson will set the stage for a new movie titled “Frienemy for Life,” which will be produced by local indie film company KeiDie Ruff Films. See FRIENEMY, Page 4
FRI
SAT
TUE
79 65
79 64
83 66
80 66
79 66
81 66
24%
42%
38%
24%
38%
38%
37%
Special Softball Championship Issue
Pages 10 - 16
50 Cents
SERVING UP A LEGACY
Family of Paul’s Hotdogs owner to keep restaurant open By Erica Thomas, managing editor
TRUSSVILLE — The ideal of the American dream has been a goal for many over decades. Since 1931, it was what just about every small town and big city fella strived for. Nearly 30 years ago, a man opened up shop in Trussville and began his journey towards the American dream. Now that he has passed, his family has a goal of keeping the dream going. Martin Paul LaRussa, the owner of Paul’s Hotdogs, passed away at the age of 76, on May 27, 2021. It hadn’t been long since the passing of his one true love, his wife, Sandra. “He couldn’t live without her,” said LaRussa’s grandson, Luke LaRussa. “The difference between him passing and her is that we were just so unprepared. We knew that after she was gone it just…it’s hard to put into words, to be honest with you.” Martin Paul and Sandra LaRussa operated Paul’s Hotdogs in Trussville for nearly 28 years before moving to Clay late last year. Sandra LaRussa passed away in Jan-
SUN MON
82 66
www.TrussvilleTribune.com
June 2 - 8, 2021
Trussville war hero honored with bronze bust in Civitan Park
WED THU
Trussville police arrest teen after knife threat and ‘suicide by cop’ threat at Target By Erica Thomas, managing editor
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville Police Department responded to an incident at the Trussville Super Target on Sunday, May 30, 2021. See TARGET, Page 3
uary after the two had been married for 55 years. Luke LaRussa said he didn’t realize it when the couple was living but now looking back, he knows they were both just living for each other. Martin Paul LaRussa was hospitalized with pneumonia before his passing. “One without the other just wasn’t right,” said Luke LaRussa. At 28-years-old, Luke LaRussa will take over ownership and operations of Paul’s Hotdogs, which was
opened just two months after he was born. “It’s pretty wild, the connection I have with the place,” Luke LaRussa said. He doesn’t want to change a thing about the restaurant. He wants to continue serving the community “the best food around.” Luke had plenty of time with Martin Paul, working by his side and learning the tricks of the trade. “He raised me, so I have been working there for 11 and a half years and I saw him every day,” Luke LaRussa con-
tinued. “It still hasn’t really hit me yet.” Although his grandfather, who was actually more like a father to Luke LaRussa, has been wanting to retire for over a decade, Luke LaRussa said he just loved to work and never quit. Now, it is Luke LaRussa’s mission to continue the legacy his grandfather left behind. “I will definitely try to keep it going and do the best I can with it.
Plans for new Ashley Homestore Outlet in Trussville revealed From The Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — The new Ashley Homestore Outlet in Trussville will open this summer in the Trussville Shopping Center, at 5960 Chalkville Mountain Road.
See PAUL’S HOTDOGS, Page 3
See ASHLEY, Page 5
Center Point Council President honored at Beautiful Women in Hats Brunch
There’s a new girl in town: Bonita the ‘Magic City Mini Bar’ cruising to an event near you
From The Tribune staff reports
By Erica Thomas, managing editor
Paine Elementary School teacher named ‘Alexander Shunnarah Teacher of the Month’
BIRMINGHAM — Alabama State Representative Rolanda Hollis honored 12 women at her annual Beautiful Women in Hats Brunch.
LEEDS — What started as a fun idea and a different way to serve drinks to friends has become a business for one Leeds family. In fact, you could say that as soon as the rubber met the pavement, this little business took off. The Magic City Mini Bar is now in high demand for weddings, baby showers, birthday parties, and other events. Tiffiany Abel Ward and her husband, Tyler, work together to make the business happen. Although Tyler wasn’t always so excited about his wife’s idea, he was supportive and helped make it happen. It all started in 2019. Tiffiany said she wanted to find a fun way to serve her besties in the backyard. After searching high and low, she found a 1971 Taylor Dunn electric cart in Cinncinati, Ohio. The little cart had been used as a mail cart in Hawaii, but Tiffiany knew it had the potential
See BEAUTIFUL, Page 4
Possible kennel cough outbreak in Trussville, experts recommend quarantine By Erica Thomas, managing editor
TRUSSVILLE — A local dog boarding facility is sounding the alarm about a possible outbreak of kennel cough among dogs in the Trussville area. See KENNEL COUGH, Page 4
to serve a much more enjoyable purpose. So, they drove all the way to Cinncinati to pick up her prize find. “The pictures on Facebook made it look like, a lot better,” said Ward. “But when we got there it was totally rusted out in the front and the back but we had already committed and drove 10 hours. So, we bought it and brought it back to Birmingham and gave it a glow-up.” A little paint and few gravity-fed taps later, Bonita was born. Bonita the electric
cart was exactly what Tiffiany wanted. “I came up with the name Bonita because ‘Bonita’ means ‘beautiful’ in Spanish,” she explained. “We call her ‘Bo’ for short.” After her first backyard party, Bonita made waves on social media. Before she knew it, Tiffiany had a new business. “All of a sudden, there was a new girl in town and everybody wanted Bonita,” Ward said. “Here we are a year and a half later and we are booked
solid through 2021 and like three months of 2022!” The Wards don’t have a lot of spare time, because Tiffiany is the Vice President of a bank and Tyler is an engineer. Not to mention they have kids and Tiffiany serves on just about every board she can serve on in the city of Leeds. But somehow, they make sure to find time to serve clients whenever the Magic City Mini Bar is requested. “It’s just so fun and it started as a joke,” Ward said. “Everywhere we go, everybody wants to hear the story of Magic City Mini Bar and what it is and we get to tell it. I live right for five days a week to sling Sangria on the weekends.” Because of Alabama laws, Magic City Mini Bar is a service-only business. Clients must buy the alcohol to be served. But, Bonita comes with licensed and insured bartenders, or as Tiffiany likes to call them, “startenders.”
Robin’s Sewing Shoppe
Inside the Tribune
News - Pages 1-5 Education - Page 6 Politics - Page 7 Obituary - Page 8 Calendar - Page 9 Classified - Page 9 Sports - Pages 10-16
www.robinshoppe.com 5886 Trussville Crossings Blvd 205.655.3388
16
-
Fabric Machines Classes Demos
See BONITA, Page 5
From The Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — A Paine Elementary School teacher will have her photo displayed on a billboard. See TEACHER OF THE MONTH, Page 5
JefCoEd announces massive district-wide scholarship haul From The Tribune staff reports
JEFFERSON COUNTY — JefCoEd on Friday announced a massive scholarship haul collected by the 2021 graduating class. See SCHOLARSHIPS, Page 6
