1.14.16

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Thursday, january 14, 2016

Life of the Party Kathy Mezrano’s Cookbook Has Recipes, Tips for All Kinds of Gatherings

By Donna Cornelius

Photos special to the Journal

There’s no such thing as too many spoons. Always keep a goat cheese log on hand. And just for fun, top your elegant silver candelabra with Chilton County peaches.

Those are just a few of the practical and imaginative bits of insider information in a new cookbook by one of Birmingham’s best-known caterers.

In “Food, Fun & Fabulous: Southern Caterer Shares Recipes and Entertaining Tips,” Kathy Mezrano of Kathy G and Company presents not just recipes for her favorite dishes but instructions on how to give your kitchen creations a star-quality setting.

“Presentation is just as important as the food,” Mezrano said.

While she’s been in the catering business for more than 30 years, this is her first cookbook.

“It was one of those things on my bucket list,” Mezrano said.

A beach trip last August with old friends from Mobile’s Spring Hill College spurred

See kat hy, page 21

inside

Finding Gr ace in Gr ief Lovelady Gala honoree reflects on her call to service. about town Page 3

New Or leans Nuptial s Couple weds with Cajunthemed ceremony, second line.

Weddings special section Page 22 Double Hatter Hatton Smith combines business with civic duties. news Page 8

2 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

Opinion/Contents

OTM Cities Score Spots on Best Suburbs List

murphy’s law

Journal photo by Sarah Kuper

in this issue About Town 3 people 6 news 8 life 10 social 14

food 19 weddings 22 schools 28 sports 32

Presidential Olympics

2

Two Over the Mountain cities have earned spots on Business Insider’s “50 Best Suburbs for Raising a Family.”

The national publication creates the list every year, using criteria that include proximity to a metropolitan area, public school ratings, median income range and housing affordability.

Mountain Brook scored the No. 2 spot on the list and Vestavia Hills earned the No. 49 spot.

Business Insider bestowed second place on Mountain Brook because of its “perfect 10” school system, median household income of $131,281 and its shopping villages and landscape architecture.

The magazine said, Vestavia Hills strikes a balance of “southern hospitality while being the fastest-growing town in Alabama.” Also mentioned are the superior school system and the median income of $81,067.

The top 10 suburbs were published with additional commentary by Elle Decor magazine. The magazine described living in Mountain Brook as being like “living in a fairy tale.”

Other top 10 suburbs include Highland Park, Texas; Piedmont, California; and New Albany, Ohio. ❖ Elle Decor credited Mountain Brook’s three villages as a reason it deserves the #2 spot on Business Insiders’ list of best suburbs to raise a family.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

es. They’ll also be talking to a string of 016 will be an interesting year. world leaders. We want our representaIn August, we get to watch the tive to make us proud, not make the Summer Olympic Games from world wonder, “What were the voters Rio. In November, we’ll elect a new thinking??” president, but those games have already We’d line up our wiliest reporters to begun, with preliminary events includrapid-fire questions at the candidates: ing demographic posturing, mudsling“What’s going on in Iran?” “Will you ing and the great insult toss, none of support the new tax bill?” “Who’s which have helped at all. buried in Grant’s tomb?” (I’d throw The great thing about the Olympics that one in to see if they were paying is that if you want to find out who can attention.) throw a stick the farthest, you actually Just like in real life, the questions have the contestants throw a stick. Why would come in seemingly random can’t the presidential election race be order. A personal sidebar: If the candilike that? Why can’t we real-time test date dodges the question or gives some the candidates on presidential skills?

Sue Murphy roundabout party-line answer, an air It would take some creative doing, horn will sound and they’ll be ushbut I’m sure we could set up events that would truly demonstrate who It would take some cre- ered off the stage. Next!

Those candidates still standing had presidential chops and who was ative doing, but I’m sure would move on to a series of “cool just a windbag poser. And, I don’t we could set up events under fire” competitions. We’ll warm want to seem harsh, but I’d suggest it be a single-elimination competition, that would truly demon- up with a few easy ones, you know, lighting the national Christmas tree, not the best of seven, because even if a president is a great economist, he strate who had presiden- making toasts at state dinners, then tial chops and who was ratchet things up to bigger issues: A still has to be commander in chief.

He/she can’t say, “Oh, well, foreign just a windbag poser. major bank is on the verge of collapse. There’s been a plane crash in policy was never my thing, but hey, Dallas. Putin is doing anything at all. how about that great unemployment No matter what the calamity, rate?” No, if the job requires a perthe candidate would have to make a son to be competent in all areas, I quick, firm decision because if he/ think that’s what we should look for she gets the job, that’s what they’ll have up front. to do. “Wake up, Mr. President, the North To get their names on the ballot, the Koreans have missiles in the air.” Our candidates would have to go through an President has to be ready to lead, not intensive FBI /CIA/CNN screening to speechify, not hem and haw and wait until ferret out every applicable faux pas from his minions take a poll on Twitter. their past. If the candidate shows evidence The Presidential Olympics would be a of being a consummate liar or a hound dog grueling competition, but the person who won skirt-chaser, they’d be eliminated. We deserve would really be a winner. If no one made it all the better than that. way through, we’d know we had to look elsewhere. If Next would come a mock press conference. the competition ended in a tie, we’d go to the lightning Remember, we’ll have to listen to our winner for at least round. I don’t know, maybe we’d have them throw a four years. He/she needs to be able to communicate, to stick. ❖ inspire confidence, to string together intelligent sentenc-

On otmj.com

There’s so much happening in the Over the Mountain area, we can’t fit it all in the paper! Visit www.otmj.com for more stories and photos.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

J O U R N A L January 14, 2016 Publisher & Editor: Maury Wald Copy Editor: Virginia Martin Features Writer: Donna Cornelius Staff Writers: Sarah Kuper, Emily Williams Editorial Assistant: Stacie Galbraith Sports: Lee Davis Contributors: Susan Murphy, June Mathews, William C. Singleton III, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry, Lee Walls Jr., Bryan Bunch Advertising Sales: Suzanne Wald, Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald Vol. 26, No. 1

Over The Mountain Journal is a suburban bi-weekly newspaper delivered to Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Hoover and North Shelby County areas. Subscriptions for The Journal are available for $24 yearly. Mail to: Over the Mountain Journal, P.O. Box 660502, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216. Phone: (205) 823-9646. E-mail the editorial department at editorial@otmj.com. E-mail our advertising department at ads@otmj.com. Find us on the Web at otmj.com.

Copyright 2016 Over The Mountain Journal, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Journal is not responsible for return of photos, copy and other unsolicited materials submitted. To have materials returned, please specify when submitting and provide a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All materials submitted are subject to editorial review and may be edited or declined without notification.

over the Mountain Views How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions so far?

“I wanted to eat better and exercise more, but sometimes, I don’t know, I just like junk food.”

Bay Nash Vestavia Hills

“My staff is resolved to complete an Iron Man competition but I have a bad ankle and knee from football injuries in college so it’s a little harder for me.”

Clay Coleman Vestavia Hills

“I didn’t have a New Year’s resolution because I forgot about it, so everything is going pretty good I guess!”

“I’m reading the Bible daily and just spending time and devotion in prayer with God.”

Jackie Venable Vestavia Hills

Tamara Harrelson Vestavia Hills

By Emily Williams The Lovelady Gala has named Sherri Burgess, author and wife of Rick Burgess of the Rick and Bubba Show, the honoree of this year’s event.

When Burgess received the news that the Lovelady Center wished to honor her, it was a welcome surprise.

“I have a heart for ‘the least of these’ or anyone in need,” Burgess said.

The Lovelady Center provides faith-based community re-entry programs to women who have been released from incarceration in an effort to keep them from returning to the prison system.

Journal photo by Emily Williams

finding purpose and meaning

“I met with a lot of women and their testimonials are very powerful,” Burgess said. “A lot of them have been abused, neglected and hurt by life. A lot have turned to drugs and alcohol for comfort, but what the Lovelady Center does is direct them to true life, a way to break those addictions and find purpose and meaning in life.”

The secret to the Lovelady Center’s success, she said, is that they are founded in faith.

“They are doing what God calls us to do, to love on people who are struggling and to help them get back on their feet. Not just sending them out and giving them material possessions or even teaching them a skill,” Burgess said.

After participating in mission trips as far away as India and Africa through Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Burgess decided it was time to focus on a mission closer to home.

With so many good causes to choose from, she said she struggled with the question of which one to focus on.

“Our family normally serves around Christmastime at the Jimmie Hale Mission,”

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 3

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Finding Grace in Grief

Lovelady Gala Honoree Reflects on Her Call to Service she said. “We always enjoy going and serving a meal there, but I wanted to do something deeper, like leading a Bible study.”

At about the same time, the Lovelady Center reached out to her, Burgess said. She now is planning to lead the women at the Lovelady Center in a Bible study later this year.

“It had been in my heart for so long to work with a downtown mission,” she said. “They came to me, and it just fit things together.”

Burgess is creating her Bible study to go hand in hand with her book “Bronner: A Journey to Understand.”

Much like the ladies who seek aid and guidance from the Lovelady Center, Burgess has seen her own share of hardship, which she chronicled in her book.

In 2008, the Burgess’ lost their youngest son,

Bronner, in an accidental drowning. Burgess said she was “utterly crushed” after his passing, but she turned to her faith and her family for support.

When she decided to write a book, her children supported her as she sacrificed time with them to spend time by herself, often in her family’s cabin in Jemison, as she wrote.

“This was something that was so hard for me,” she said. “It was emotionally and spiritually demanding.

It took a long time to write because it took a long time to figure it all out myself.”

Burgess said her husband gave her confidence to write the

Sherri Burgess is creating her Bible study to go hand in hand with her book “Bronner: A Journey to Understand.”

book, reading every chapter after she finished it and raving about her work.

“He just loved it,” she said. “He would say, ‘I can’t wait for people to get their hands on this. There is so much in here that is going to help people.’”

Through her book, Burgess has addressed the question, “Why did this happen to me?” A question many women at the Lovelady Center struggle with.

“This book is a culmination of everything that I learned about God through losing a son,

‘They are doing what God calls us to do, to love on people who are struggling and to help them get back on their feet. Not just sending them out and giving them material possessions or even teaching them a skill.’ but it was more of a calling than anything else,” she said.

Through her work with the Lovelady Center, Burgess said she hopes to help lift the women of the center as she was lifted in her time of grief.

Three times a lady

This year’s Lovelady Gala, “Three Times a Lady,” will be held Feb. 18 at The Club. The evening will include dinner, dancing and a live auction. Tickets are $125 per person. For more information, call Yvonne Pope at 936-1403 or visit www.loveladycenter.org. ❖

4 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

jan. 14 - 28 Thurs., Jan. 14 HOOVER

Hoover Service Club Meeting Hoover Country Club The Hoover Service Club will host a meeting at 11 a.m. featuring Mayor Gary Ivey. The Mayor will deliver the “State of the City” address. Lunch is available following the meeting for $18.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling Winnie Cooper at 979-5699 or LaVerne Martin at 9872739. For more information, visit www. hooverserviceclub.com.

HOMEWOOD

iTween Homewood Public Library At 4 p.m. in the Round Auditorium, fourth-sixth grade students are invited to try and break a variety of Guinness World records. This event is free.

For more information, visit www. homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

About Town HOMEWOOD

Relay For Life Kick-off Party 18th Street Orientals Relay For Life of Homewood will host a party from 6-8 p.m. to kick off the season and prepare for Relay for Life April 22. Admission is $5 and includes food, drinks and music. For more information, visit the Relay For Life of Homewood Facebook page.

HOOVER

Elnora Spencer Hoover Library Spencer, a local blues vocalist and bandleader will perform at 6:30 p.m. at the Library Plaza. This event is free. For more information, visit www. hooverlibrary.org.

Fri., Jan. 15 HOOVER

Color and Chill Hoover Library Adults and teens can drop by the adult programming room from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. to take part in an BIRMINGHAM

BrickFair, Jan. 16-17 BJCC Exhibition Halls LEGO models and displays will cover more than 58,000 square feet at the BJCC from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. This year’s theme is “Myths and Legends” and will offer games and vendors. Visitors should allow at least 90 minutes for the event. Tickets are $12. For more information, visit www.brickfair.com. ❖ The Alabama Theatre lego model by Wesley A. Higgins will be on display.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Mon., Jan. 18

adult coloring session. This event is free. For more information, visit www. hooverlibrary.org.

HOMEWOOD

Book Signing Alabama Booksmith Author Helen Ellis will present a discussion and reading from her book “American Housewife: Stories.” This event is free. For more information, visit www.alabamabooksmith.com.

HOMEWOOD

After Hours at the Library Homewood Library The Library will host a speakeasystyle tasting of 1920s cocktails.

Bartender Clair McLafferty Evans will be mixing drinks from 6:30-8 p.m. Guests must be 21 years of age or older. This event is free. For more information, visit www.homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Sun., Jan. 17 HOOVER

“Romeo and Juliet” Lyric Theatre The State Ballet Theatre of Russia will present the ballet version of Shakespeare’s play from 2-11 p.m.

Tickets begin at $35. For more information, visit www.lyricbham.com.

BIRMINGHAM

Reflect and Rejoice UAB - Alys Stephens Center The Alabama Symphony Orchestra, in partnership with the Birmingham

HOMEWOOD

see more events at otmj.com

Dianne Reeves Hoover Library Grammy award-winning jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves will perform in the Library Theatre at 4 and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $25. For more information, visit www.hooverlibrary.org.

BIRMINGHAM

Wed., Jan. 20

HOMEWOOD

Red Shoe Run, Sat. Jan. 23 Rosewood Hall at SoHo Square This annual run will include 1-mile, 5k and 10-mile options. Guests are invited to lace up or slip on their red shoes to support Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama.

Registration is $20 for the 1-mile, $30 for the 5K and $35 for the 10-mile, late registration fees apply. For more information, visit www.redshoerunbham.org. ❖ Civil Rights Institute, will perform a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at 3 p.m. Tickets begin at $9.

For more information, visit www. alabamasymphony.org.

Y P P A HEW YEAR N

Zen Coloring Homewood Library The Library will host a coloring session from 4-5 p.m. for teens. All supplies needed will be provided. This event is free. For more information, visit www.homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Thurs., Jan. 21 HOMEWOOD

The Body Confidence Formula Homewood Public Library Yoga and Reiki Master Terri Heiman will host a free weight loss course for people looking to lose holiday weight at 6:30 p.m. A book-signing will follow the program. This event is free. For more information, visit www.homewoodlibrary. org.

Fri., Jan. 22 MOUNTAIN BROOK

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Guests are invited to sign up with teams of 2-4 people for a 1990s-themed trivia night. To register, email amandaw@bham.lib.al.us. This event is for adults in their 20s and 30s. For more information, visit www.eolib.org.

Jan. 22 and 24 HOMEWOOD

La Traviata Samford University Opera Birmingham will perform one of Verdi’s most popular operas, sung in Italian with a projection of English translations, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 24 at 2:30 p.m. in the Wright Center. This production will feature Jan Cornelius in her first performances of this beloved heroine.

Tickets range from $22-90. For more information, visit www.operabirmingham. org.

Sat., Jan. 23 HOMEWOOD

Celebrating Dumbo Homewood Library The Library will celebrate the 75th anniversary of Disney’s “Dumbo” from 10:30-11:30 a.m. The event will be filled with circus themed activities. This event is free. For more information, visit www. homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Sun., Jan. 24 BIRMINGHAM

BourbonHam Old Car Heaven The Alabama-Mississippi chapter of the National MS Society will host a bourbon and barbecue tasting event from 2-6 p.m. Attendees can choose five bourbons from a selection of more

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 5

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

than 40 different styles. Tickets are $50. For more information, visit www. nationalmssociety.org/Chapters/ALC. BIRMINGHAM

Service of Choral Evensong Independent Presbyterian Church Drawing on the fourth century tradition of evening prayer songs, IPC will host a service and organ recital from 3-4 p.m. The service will be sung by the IPC Camerata. This event is free. For more information, visit www.ipc-usa.org.

made by Jan. 22. For more information, visit www.samford.edu/legacyleague.

HOMEWOOD

Neuroscience Cafe Homewood Library This month, Neuroscience Cafe will discuss Alzheimer’s disease, its implications and the support network that is available in Birmingham.

The program will begin at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www. homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Fri., Jan. 28 HOMEWOOD

OUR 118 YEAR TH

Back to the 80s for a Cure Octane Coffee Company Relay for Life of Homewood will host a costumed event with music from DJ Sills from 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $25 and all proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. For more information, visit the Relay For Life of Homewood Facebook page.

BIRMINGHAM TRUNK

Luggage Business Cases Leather goods gifts

Mon.-Sat. 10-5 2712 19th Street South, hoMewood 870-0971

HOMEWOOD

An Evening with Art Garfunkel Samford University Art Garfunkel of the famous musical duo Simon and Garfunkel will perform in the Leslie S. Wright Fine Arts Center at 7 p.m. Tickets begin at $50. For more information, visit www. tickets.samford.edu.

HOMEWOOD

Russian Moods Samford University As a part of its Concertmaster and Friends Series, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra will perform a Russian themed concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Brock Recital Hall. Tickets are $32. For more information, visit www. alabamasymphony.org.

Thurs., Jan. 28 VESTAVIA HILLS

Legacy League Scholarship Luncheon A Private Club in Vestavia Samford University’s Legacy League will host its annual luncheon at 11:30 a.m. The featured speaker will be Kelly Minter, a Christian author and musician.

The luncheon is open to the public and tickets are $50. Reservations must be

To: From: Date:

Ken Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 Jan. 2015

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Don’t miss the AtlAntA Jewish Film FestivAl in sAnDy springs, georgiA This February, see some of the most powerful films from around the world in Sandy Springs at The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, the largest Jewish film festival in the world. It’s just a few miles north of downtown Atlanta. For hotel and restaurant information and for discount tickets go to visitsandysprings.org.

Everything You Love About Greater Atlanta

6 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

about town/people

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

DON QUIXOTE February19-21

Photo special to the Journal by Chris Luker

Leslie S. Wright Fine Arts Center, Samford University

Open Hands and Open Houses

Christopher Architecture & Interiors Hosts Showhouse

DON Q OTMJ Ad.indd 1

money they raise. With a cousin currently battling leukemia, Reebals said the Open Hands and Overflowing Hearts organization, devoted to providing support for pediatric cancer research, was the obvious choice.

“We have committed to raising $200,000 for the charity and 100 percent of that will go to Open Hands Overflowing Hearts,” Reebals said.

The Showhouse, at 3620 Ridgeview Lane, will be open Jan. 16-17, 21-24 and 28-31. Thursdays and Fridays during that period it will be open 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays it will be open 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

There is no onsite parking, so the firm has organized a shuttle pick-up and drop-off service at two locations: Calton Hill, 3918 Montclair Road in Mountain Brook; and Erskine Ramsay Park, 3600 Montclair Road in Birmingham.

Tickets will be sold online and at the door for $25. For more information, visit www.christopherai.com/showhouse or www.ohoh.org. ❖

Constitutionally Speaking

11/25/2015 10:28:57 AM

Cahawba DAR Chapter Members Celebrate Constitution Week and Fall Activities

The Cahawba Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution promoted Constitution Week awareness with several activities during the month of September.

Halcyann Badham served as Constitution Week chairman for the chapter. Throughout the week, members were seen driving their cars with red, white and blue car magnets designed by their chapter stating, “Celebrate Us. Constitution Week.

September 17-23. Daughters of the American Revolution.”

In addition, more than 35 Constitution Week posters, created by the national society, were distributed to schools, grocery stores, businesses and libraries in the Birmingham area.

Proclamations recognizing the event were secured from Gov. Robert Bentley, Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey, Irondale Mayor Tommy Joe Alexander, Mountain Brook Mayor Lawrence T. Oden, Birmingham Mayor William Bell, Homewood Mayor Scott McBrayer, Vestavia Hills Mayor Alberto C. Zaragoza Jr., Bessemer Mayor Deshelah Latham, Hueytown Mayor Delor Baumann, Trussville Mayor Eugene A. Melton, Alabaster Mayor Marty B. Handlon, Moody Mayor Joe Lee and American Village CEO Thomas G. Walker Jr. With help from members Jodie Minor and Nancy Hendrix, Ethan

Vice, field director for U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, presented a program called “The Nation’s Capitol,” with emphasis on the U. S. Constitution, to fifth-grade students at West Jefferson Elementary School on Sept. 11.

Vice also presented the program to sixth-grade students at Liberty Park Middle School in Vestavia Hills, aided by media specialist Jean Deal dressed as Dolly Madison. Deal also arranged for patriotic displays, art work of the American Flag and a broadcast program with one-minute spots to remind students of important facts about the Constitution during the month.

Badham also visited The American Village on Constitution Day, Sept.

17, at the invitation of Nancy Moore Estes, employee at the village, dressed in period costume. Estes, a member of the chapter, participated in a more

Photo special to the Journal

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The first-ever Christopher Showhouse will not only showcase the work of Christopher Architecture and Interiors and its affiliates, it will be a chance to give back to the community.

The Mountain Brook home showcases the design work of the firm while highlighting the vendors and suppliers with whom they have worked for years.

“Our goal is to display the most beautiful designs, talented craftsman and quality products,” said firm officials.

Throughout the tour, the home will play host to pop-up shops featuring local vendors and all the interior furnishings will be available for purchase.

“Sometimes we feel like we’re the quarterbacks who get a lot of glory for doing design, but the tradesmen and vendors are really the ones who are in the trenches,” President Chris Reebals said in a recent interview. “They are the linemen that get the job done.”

In addition to tipping their hat to their crew, Reebals thought it important to support a local charity with the

than two-hour program to help teachers and students enhance their study of the Constitution and coordinated a bell ringing at 3:00 p.m. in honor of the adoption of the Constitution.

Cahawba Chapter member and teacher Rhonda Beachum involved her kindergarten class in several activities to promote the week.

On Sept. 22, Denise Weaver, constituent services for Palmer, presented Vice's program to fifth-grade students at Vestavia Hills Elementary Central, with help from media specialist and chapter member Elizabeth Hester.

Weaver concluded Constitution Week with a presentation Sept. 25 to fifth-grade students at Minor Elementary School, with help from Tonya Allen and Theris Johnson.

In November, members of the chapter, including State Regent Nancy Folk, participated in the Veteran's Day parade with other DAR chapters in the Birmingham area. In honor of the holiday, the chapter collected and sent calling cards, non-perishable food items and snack foods to active service men in Afghanistan. ❖

From left: Beth Stewart, Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey and Halcyann Badham.

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 7

People

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Attention: Type II Diabetics Join Us for a Free Dinner and Presentation: Kevin Burke and Karen Swann.

REVERSING YOUR TYPE II DIABETES

Lucy Thompson Marsh and Dr. Margaret Ferrell.

GBHS Auxiliary Honors Supporters The Greater Birmingham Humane Society Auxiliary held its awards luncheon Dec. 4 at The Club, recognizing individuals who have gone above and beyond to support animal welfare in the community.

The Olivia Bearden award was given to MAX, service dog to Macy Squires. Kevin Burke and Karen Swann accepted the John Herbert Phillips Award for Do Dah Day. The Marion Broadax award was accepted by Chief Nick Derzis in honor of the Hoover Fire and Police

Departments.

Donna McCain O’Brien and Griffith Register accepted the Abe Krawcheck award. The Mayor George G. Siebels award was given to Auxiliary members Celeste David and Missy Ellis and Dr. Margaret Ferrell accepted the Lucy Thompson Marsh award.

The Auxiliary will host its annual fundraiser, The Jazz Cat Ball, at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center Feb. 5 from 6 p.m.-midnight. Tickets are $125. For more information, visit www. gbhs.org. ❖

Can 40+ Renowned Experts and Health Authorities Really Be Wrong?

Type II Diabetes IS Reversible!

Olivia Bearden Award winner MAX, a service dog to Macy Squires.

Photos special to the Journal

Debbie Staub, Celeste David and Jan Lawler.

Topics will include: Greater Birmingham Humane Society Auxiliary President Christy King with Missy Ellis.

Vestavia’s Parker Earns Eagle Scout Honor William Ronald Parker III earned the rank of Eagle Scout in October. He is a member of Troop 4 at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church.

During his scouting career he has achieved the Arrow of Light and attended summer camp at Camp Comer, Alabama, Camp Rainey Mountain in Clayton, Georgia and Camp Daniel Boone in Canton, North Carolina.

Parker went on high adventure trips to the Northern Tier and Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimmaron, New Mexico.

William Parker During his tenure at Troop 4, Parker held leadership positions that included assistant patrol leader, patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader and senior patrol leader for his troop.

He is a member of the Order of the Arrow and completed National Youth Leadership Training.

For his project, Parker replaced three planters in the second-grade courtyard at Vestavia East Elementary that are used to teach children about plant growth, and he restored an overgrown pergola. The project enlisted more than 100 hours of volunteer service from members of the Scorpion Patrol, cross-country team

and other students from Vestavia Hills High School.

William is a junior at Vestavia Hills High School, where he is a letterman in cross country and a member of both the German and math honor societies.

He also is a member of Mountain Brook Community Church, where he

You will discover how many Type II Diabetics have been able to reverse their disease, reduce and eliminate drugs (including insulin), lose weight without exercise, increase their energy levels, and become non-diabetic. You’ll also learn about rarely used diagnostic testing that may help doctors understand the potential causes of Type II Diabetes beyond genetics, weight gain and lack of exercise.

regularly teaches Sunday school for elementary-age boys.

William is the son of Bill and Sarah Martha Parker of Vestavia Hills. He is the grandson of Mrs. Donna Parker and the late Mr. Bill Parker Sr. of Clay and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wesley Anderson III of Montgomery. ❖

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News

8 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

Double Hatter

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

u newsmaker

Smith Combines Business With Civic Duties

Some people drink coffee every day.

Hatton Smith is one of them. The Mountain Brook resident also lives and breathes the world’s most popular beverage.

As the CEO emeritus of Birmingham-based Royal Cup Inc., Smith helps operate the top coffee supplier to restaurants, hotels and offices across the nation. Last year, Royal Cup produced $360 million in sales and employed more than 800 people. It’s estimated that Royal Cup serves about one million cups of coffee daily.

Smith said Royal Cup’s success is much more about people than it is coffee.

“We are more about hospitality and relationships than just serving coffee,” he said.

“Helping our customers meet their needs is a big key to what we do here.”

That philosophy is evident at Royal Cup’s corporate headquarters in the Pinson Valley area.

The receptionist greets guests with a smile and warm handshake before directing them to the refreshment room, where, of course, Royal Cup coffee and tea products are offered. Guests also receive a sampler of some of the company’s best coffee blends before leaving.

“We never let a visitor leave here emptyhanded,” Smith said.

Royal Cup’s roots in Birmingham go back to the nineteenth century, when Henry T. Batterton became well known for the high-quality coffee he served at local town meetings. He started the Batterton Coffee Company, and by the 1930s, it had become the largest coffee supplier in Alabama.

In 1950, the company was sold to Smith’s family, which renamed it Royal Cup. Smith’s father, Billy, became the first CEO. Royal Cup began to provide service to restaurants and hotels in 1958 and established an office beverage division 10 years later.

Smith’s older brother, Bill Jr., succeeded his father as CEO, and Hatton Smith directed the company from 1996 to 2013.

He learned the business from the ground

Photo special to the Journal

By Lee Davis

Coffee isn’t Hatton Smith’s only passion. He is a tireless promoter of Birmingham, particularly in the area of sports. For example, Smith is heavily involved in the revival of the UAB football program. up, spending many weekends helping out at the office as a youngster. Smith began working at Royal Cup full-time after graduation from Washington and Lee University in 1973.

Ironically, Smith credits another well-known coffee company for the beverage’s rise in popularity with millennials and Generation Xers.

“Starbucks provided a cream blend drink that helped market coffee to a younger demo-

u over the mountain

Be a Good Neighbor Police Urge Neighbors to Look out for Each Other, Form Neighborhood Watch Groups

By Sarah Kuper The city of Hoover is reeling from the murder of army veteran and father of two Mike Gilotti.

Killed in the early morning of Jan. 5, Gilotti was on his way to the gym when Hoover police believe he encountered someone breaking into his car and was shot to death.

Since then, Hoover law enforcement has been flooded with questions about personal and neighborhood safety. The crime prevention and neighborhood watch officer for the Hoover Police Department, Brian Hale, said there are a few things that make neighborhoods safer, but the most effec-

tive is an old-fashioned neighborhood watch.

“It doesn’t cost anyone a dime – just plain getting to know your neighbors. It is old school but it has worked for 40 years,” he said.

Hale said neighbors who know each other well are more apt to recognize a suspicious car or someone out of place. An effective neighborhood watch will have an established relationship with the local police department and direct contact with an officer.

Many neighborhoods have social media pages or email distribution lists, but Hale said that, unless organizers connect their groups with law enforcement, they may not be getting

graphic,” Smith said. “It helped make coffee a drink of choice again. Twenty years ago, people thought it was cool to be a wine salesman. Now it’s cool to be a coffee salesman.”

The comparatively inexpensive cost of coffee is another key to its modern appeal, according to Smith.

“Coffee is seen as an affordable luxury,” he said. “Not everyone can afford a $60,000 car,

resources such as monthly crime and 911 service reports.

Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and Homewood police departments also offer neighborhood watch liaisons.

While being connected with law enforcement will help keep neighbors informed, Hale said it is a two-way street. “We want them to be the eyes and ears of the neighborhood and call us with anything,” he said.

‘It doesn’t cost anyone a dime – just plain getting to know your neighbors.

It is old school but it has worked for 40 years.’

Brian Hale, Hoover Police

Most area police departments have non-emergency phone numbers. Hale said one reason more suspicious activ-

but almost anyone can afford a good cup of coffee.”

Smith also takes pride in the company’s work as a corporate citizen. “We annually donate 5 percent of pre-tax profits to non-profit organizations,” he said.

Coffee isn’t Smith’s only passion. He is a tireless promoter of Birmingham, particularly in the area of sports. For example, Smith is heavily involved in the revival of the UAB football program, which was shuttered by university President Ray Watts after the 2014 season.

Smith and other leaders of Birmingham’s corporate community worked to help meet the Blazer program’s fundraising goals and secure Coach Bill Clark to a long-term contract. The next step, according to Smith, is to build a 30,000-45,000 seat stadium in the city’s Uptown district near the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.

“We need to make UAB athletics culturally relevant,” Smith said. “We can create an atmosphere where people can go to shops and restaurants and then take in a game. If we do that, we will add to the fabric of the community much the same way that building Regions Park and bringing the Barons back to town did for that part of the city.”

While Smith works closely with UAB, he is also a fan of the University of Alabama and Auburn University. “I really do cheer for both schools,” he said, smiling.

Smith also enjoys telling Royal Cup’s and Birmingham’s story to local groups. He’ll be the keynote speaker at the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce’s annual luncheon Jan. 14.

Despite turning 65 last month, Smith has no plans to retire either from his professional or civic duties.

“Having fun while working hard is part of the Royal Cup psyche,” he said. “I’m having too much fun to give that up now.”

And why should he? For Hatton Smith, serving customers and the community at large is definitely his cup of coffee. ❖

ity isn’t reported is that people wonder whether it is important enough to call 911. A non-emergency line is the solution.

When something as violent as a murder happens, many think the answer is to have a stronger police presence. But Hale said simply adding more marked patrol cars to the area doesn’t make everything suddenly safer.

“When a patrol car goes through a neighborhood, they may not think anything of something that would seem out of place to an informed neighbor. The good guys see the patrol cars but the bad guys do too.

And they know when we drive away,” he said.

A partnership between local law enforcement and a neighborhood can also help when an incident is taking place or during an investigation. For

example, Hale said, if a neighbor sees officers at a home down the street, instead of just wondering and worrying, he or she can call police to find out what’s going on.

“People can take good news and people can take bad news. It is the unknown that brings fear and panic,” Hale said.

Another resource for residents is social media. By following law enforcement online, neighbors can find alerts or safety tips. Some departments, including Homewood’s, also have ways to submit tips through their Facebook pages.

Of course, Hale said to remember that breakins are crimes of opportunity. Taking precautions such as locking car doors and having good outdoor lighting can help deter a criminal, he said. ❖

u over the mountain

Übertrendy OTM Cities Join in Move to OK RideSharing Companies

By William C. Singleton III

based company operates in more than 150 cities in the U.S. and more than 300 worldwide. Customers register on Uber’s website and download an app that lets them contact drivers. Uber also provides a variety of cars, from an “everyday” car to an SUV to a luxury sedan.

Officials in Over the Mountain suburbs said they’ve been looking at bringing Uber to their cities. But they needed to be sure Birmingham would pass its ordinance because the service had to be connected to the larger city to be effective.

“The problem that we had is if Birmingham didn’t pass it, then we could take you from Vestavia Hills to Birmingham, but Uber could not pick you up in Birmingham and bring you back because Birmingham did not have an agreement,” Vestavia Hills Mayor Alberto “Butch” Zaragoza said.

After much discussion, the Birmingham City Council did pass an ordinance allowing TNCs to operate in the city, and Uber officially started its ride-sharing service in the city Dec. 29.

Mountain Brook passed its ordinance Nov. 23, with Homewood following on Dec. 7 and Vestavia Hills on Jan. 4.

Mountain Brook City Manager Sam Gaston said city officials were swayed in their decision by residents who had used Uber in other cities.

“A lot of the younger generation who have lived in some other areas are used to having Uber, so Uber is something they want to see allowed here,” he said. “Of course, it gives residents alternative transportation options.”

Although local laws regulating TNC services are similar in some respects, they differ in other ways.

Requirements for background checks, licensing, inspections, insur-

ance and driver eligibility differ from city to city.

For example, Birmingham requires an annual fee of $8,000 from the company and requires drivers to obtain a $30 business license, which is renewable each year. Homewood requires the TNC to pay an annual $500 licensing fee and requires drivers to carry proof of at least $1 million in liability insurance. In Vestavia Hills, the TNC must pay $500 each year for a business license to operate within the city.

Hoover was scheduled to vote on

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Franchises independently owned and operated.

Over the Mountain cities are starting to jump on the Uber bandwagon.

Homewood, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills have passed local laws allowing ride-sharing companies to operate, and Hoover is poised to vote on such an ordinance Jan. 19.

The ride-sharing phenomenon has taken the country by storm, driven by the popularity of being able to book, pay for and track the location of rides, all on a mobile app. The services often are cheaper and have shorter wait times than a traditional taxi service.

Suburban officials say the service is another step into the age of technology and serves a valuable purpose in the area.

“Birmingham will never be the most walkable city in America, nor is our public transportation system really where it needs to be,” said Hoover City Councilman John Lyda, a proponent for Uber-like transportation services. “Historically, we’ve relied on taxi companies as really the only mode of for-hire transportation in the Birmingham metropolitan area. So this will allow a true free-market model to come into the Birmingham area and in Hoover.”

Although the ordinances apply to any transportation network company, Uber – currently the most popular TNC – stands to benefit significantly as it continues to expand its reach into markets nationwide.

Founded in 2009, the San Francisco-

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 9

News

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

its ordinance at its Jan. 4 meeting but delayed action to make changes to make the ordinance more public-safety friendly.

For example, the revised proposal requires TNCs to provide ID numbers for drivers who pick up customers in Hoover. The city’s Police Department can chose up to five drivers to make sure they have no red flags on their driving records, conduct criminal background checks, and verify that their vehicles have passed inspection. The proposed ordinance also has other pub-

lic safety requirements and safeguards.

Following its suburban sister cities, Hoover also would require an annual $500 business fee from the company.

Lyda said that with events such as the SEC Baseball Tournament and SEC Media Day, Hoover needs more transportation options.

“We remain the largest piece in the Birmingham area that has not embraced the service yet, so I’m hopeful that my colleagues join me in supporting this ordinance and bringing this service to Hoover,” he said.

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10 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

life

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

On the Defensive

Journal photos by Sarah Kuper

Homewood Gym Starts Fights to Keep Members Fit

The classes at Spartan Fitness may help someone lose weight and gain muscle, but Chris Connelly said that is sort of secondary. To him, the purpose of MMA is to learn self-defense and gain confidence. When training properly, the weight loss and muscle tone will come naturally.

By Sarah Kuper Haley Tenbarge was tired of being scared.

When the Birmingham native lived in Dallas, she and a group of friends were attacked while enjoying a night out.

Now, Tenbarge is back in Homewood training at a mixed martial arts gym. She said that if she could go back to that moment in Dallas, she would fight back.

Tenbarge practices mixed martial arts (MMA) at Spartan Fitness in Homewood.

The gym offers classes in kickboxing, Muay Thai kickboxing, Jiu Jitsu, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, boxing and more.

Mixed martial arts may be better recognized as the fighting style made popular by the reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter” and by female Ultimate Fighting champion Ronda Rousey.

If those names don’t ring a bell, imagine an eight-sided, boxing-style ring where competitors fight to knock each other out and anything goes: kicking, punching, striking and grappling. (A word of caution: If you look up a fight on YouTube, there will be blood.)

Young, single and manager of a software company, Tenbarge isn’t training for UFC greatness.

“I don’t want to get hit in the face,” she said, “I came because I felt helpless, and I kept coming because of the atmosphere.”

At Spartan Fitness, athletes wrestle on a massive red mat and divide into skillappropriate groups for instruction and practice. They don’t warm up with a light jog,

Women make up half of the gym’s membership and many are moms learning to protect themselves and get fit.

but rather by practicing a Jui Jitsu technique called “shrimping,” in which one wriggles on the floor like a shrimp. Behind a curtain of punching bags is the boxing ring.

The gym smells like rubber and sounds like a butcher shop as bodies thump the mat. The most striking piece of equipment in the gym, however, is a child’s Pack ‘n Play set up outside the mat.

Owner and lead trainer Chris Connelly said that’s not unusual. In fact, he said, a large percentage of his membership is not knuckle-dragging, aggressive, want-to-berockstar fighters. Women make up half of the gym’s membership and many are moms learning to protect themselves and get fit.

Connelly is proud that his gym has something for everyone.

“You’ll see all socio-economic backgrounds, all races,” he said. “People are

training for competitions or people are coming after their 9 to 5 jobs for a work out.”

Connelly is a Birmingham native and former UFC fighter. When he began training at 17, he found there was no one to train with in the area. He decided to change that.

Connelly traveled out of state to seminars and learned to coach. After training anywhere he could find, he got 50 interested people together and set up a space in Steel City Fitness.

Connelly’s classes soon outgrew that space and forced him to move to Sportsplex in Hoover, where he used a racquetball court. He eventually opened his own gym in an office warehouse in Hoover. Finally, seven years and 300 members later, Spartan Fitness has its home on Green Springs Highway.

The classes at Spartan Fitness may help

someone lose weight and gain muscle, but Connelly said that is sort of secondary. To him, the purpose of MMA is to learn selfdefense and gain confidence. When training properly, the weight loss and muscle tone will come naturally.

A large part of Spartan Fitness’ programming is geared toward kids and young adults. Connelly said he knows no parents want their children to start a fight, and that isn’t what mixed martial arts will teach them. It’s all about self-defense.

“If someone puts their hands on them, they will know how to deal with it without going overboard, using the appropriate amount of force,” Connelly said. “How are you going to teach a kid not to be bullied by showing him push-ups?”

Though TV shows and feminist icons have made MMA more popular than ever, Connelly reminds people that different styles of martial arts have been around for centuries. Watching participants grapple on the mat and practice submission holds may turn away some, but he said these ancient techniques are useful for anyone.

“You learn to use technique over power and strength, and that no matter how big or how armed they are – you can beat them to a pulp.”

Tenbarge doesn’t foresee beating someone to a pulp where she lives in Inverness, but she wants to be prepared.

“You go to the movies and you are walking back to your car, now you aren’t terrified,” she said. “You know what to look for and if something happened to you, you’d at least have a fighting chance.” ❖

life

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

The Pursuit of Happiness

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 11

Birmingham Woman Uses Personal Journey to Help Others Find Happiness

Sharma will be leading the 70 members through “happy” healthy habits such as keeping a gratitude journal and achieving small, practical goals.

Photo special to the Journal

Finding happiness takes work. Just ask University of Alabama at Birmingham graduate student Ayushe Sharma.

Diagnosed with a serious illness in her mid20s, Sharma was forced to take a break from medical school and seek treatment. After nearly two years weighed down emotionally and physically, Sharma decided to change her life by aggressively pursuing happiness. Now, she wants to help others in the area do the same.

Under Sharma’s guidance, a group called “The Happiness Project” is hosting bi-monthly meetings in Mountain Brook to help members focus on getting and staying happy.

“People have been through a lot,” Sharma said.

“You see them in line at the grocery looking fine, but you have no idea what they are dealing with.”

Sharma will be leading the 70 members through “happy” healthy habits such as keeping a gratitude journal and achieving small, practical goals.

Some of Sharma’s goals for the new year are to set boundaries to protect her time, to declutter and to learn more about current events and finance.

She also wants to laugh more.

The group is named after Gretchen Rubin’s 2009 book “The Happiness Project,” which is where Sharma’s journey started. Sharma read the book while she was sick and she decided to take action.

“I realized you have to find your happiness where you are and not wait until you get a certain salary, get out of a relationship or feel better physically,” Sharma said.

The book outlines how to concentrate on life-

her.

Sharma has an impressive alphabet of degrees that has led her to look at the psychology of happiness with an educated eye. A B.S. in psychology with a neuroscience concentration, coupled with a B.A. in philosophy has opened Sharma to the idea that a person must make a conscious effort to be happy. She said it takes work and dedication, but

Ayushe Sharma says embracing your true self and consciously loving life will lead to happiness.

style changes that spark happiness and how to get rid of habits that deplete happiness. With Sharma’s educational background and research experience, a lot of what the author had to say made sense to

it is worth it.

While dealing with her illness, Sharma tried many tactics to find happiness. She said she stepped back and saw she had a hard time just being herself because she didn’t know who she truly was.

Now, through journaling, reading and meditating, Sharma says she has come closer to finding her identity. She started exercising more regularly but found that, even then, she needed to be more realistic in her approach.

“It took me years to figure out running doesn’t make me happy. So I don’t run,” she said. She said spinning is a healthier alternative for her because it doesn’t make her miserable.

Recently, Sharma’s health has improved and

now she is ready to help others strive for happiness by leading “The Happiness Project” group. She already organizes a book club in town and was a leader on campus at UAB during her undergraduate years, so she said she is comfortable leading and encouraging others.

She said her educational background, dealing with her illness and researching happiness has led her to her best self. But some of the best advice Sharma has heard comes from her grandmother: “If a decision isn’t a ‘Hell yes!’ it’s a ‘Hell no!’” ❖

Journal photo by Sarah Kuper

By Sarah Kuper

The Happiness Project meets every other Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Whole Foods Market Café in Cahaba Village Plaza. The next meeting is planned for Jan. 17.

For more information, a calendar and a supply list visit www.meetup.com/TheHappiness-Project-Birmingham-Alabama/ The group is inspired by the book “The Happiness Project,” by Gretchen Rubin.

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12 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

life

More than

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

“Om”

Journal photo by Sarah Kuper

Meditation Promotes Self-Awareness, Inner Calm

Yoga instructor and massage therapist Lauren Rae Brown guides an open meditation session at Embody in Mountain Brook.

By Sarah Kuper At the beginning of January, it can be impossible to get a treadmill at the gym.

Driven by New Year’s resolutions, people dig for their gym membership cards and start using phrases like “muscle confusion” and “moisture-wicking.”

But local therapy and spiritual professionals said New Year’s

resolutions should have more to do with mindfulness, inner calm and awareness.

Physical therapist and meditation guide Margaret Pittenger has been taking care of clients for 45 years.

“You see so many people working out at the gym and they never give themselves a chance to rest,” she said.

Pittenger works alongside a team of six therapists at Embody, a wellness center in Mountain Brook. Each thera-

pist has a specialty, but Pittenger said they all treat the whole person.

Clients come to Pittenger or one of her colleagues for help after an injury or for relief from chronic pain. While she has decades of training in physical therapy and the Feldenkrais Method, Pittenger said a key part of wellness is getting to the emotional root of pain and discomfort.

“We all have habits based on thoughts and feelings

Contact us about the BEAT study Better Exercise Adherence after Treatment for Breast Cancer and what is happening in the world. The demands of our job and family create habits that lead to stiff neck and tight shoulders, among other things,” she said.

Pittenger said that, in her physical therapy sessions, she doesn’t just treat

quiet. It’s about being aware and appreciative of the details of everyday life.

“If you eat an orange by peeling it and shoving it in your mouth, that’s not mindfulness. When you take time to be mindful, you experience grati-

Dr. Edward Taub is a prominent expert and pioneer in neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to change and improve. As director of the CI Therapy Group at UAB, his research explores behaviors that help the brain heal and protect itself. One of these behaviors is meditation. the leg that aches; she also finds and treats the underlying cause, which may be a shoulder injury. She said most pain is a “whole body issue,” and that includes the tension or pain in a client’s thoughts.

To truly resolve and prevent discomfort, Pittenger suggests meditation. She bases her belief in its power on years of research, even citing University of Alabama at Birmingham professor Dr. Edward Taub.

Taub is a prominent expert and pioneer in neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to change and improve.

As director of the CI Therapy Group at UAB, his research explores behaviors that help the brain heal and protect itself. One of these behaviors is meditation.

Pittenger said meditation can improve circulation, change thinking patterns and relieve stress. She said it isn’t just about sitting still and being

Physical activity may improve qualityThursday, of life afterJanuary cancer. 14, 2016 • 13

life

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

tude and appreciation,” she said.

While the word “meditation” may bring to mind yoga or other eastern philosophies, the practice of meditation also is part of many religions, including Christianity.

Bible-based

Dr. Doug Dortch, pastor at Mountain Brook Baptist Church, said meditation is an integral part of the Christian faith.

“Meditation is a Bible-based discipline and not merely a new age phenomenon or psychological technique,” he said.

He cites the first chapter of the Old Testament book of Psalms, which says “blessed are the ones...whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates upon it both day and night.”

Dortch said spiritual renewal is something that should be at the top of any New Year’s resolution list.

Like Pittenger, Dortch believes many people struggle with self-awareness and mindfulness.

“The major deficiency most folks struggle with in their personal development is a lack of awareness of their deepest needs,” Dortch said. “Most of us aren’t aware of our most acute shortcomings, and our ignorance in this regard prevents us from making progress.”

Dortch said that, for a Christian, meditation goes hand in hand with prayer.

“Too many Christians pray in 10-second blocks and never find the strength that comes in deep centered meditation upon God’s direction,” he said. “In prayer, Christians are awakened to those areas where work must be done, and in the process they find power to help them to grow.”

Dortch recommends memorizing short passages of scripture and remembering them throughout the day as a way to pray and meditate. Selecting a passage from the Bible and asking, “How does this apply to my life?” is another useful prompt for meditation and spiritual growth he said.

Whether meditating to relieve stress and ease physical pain or to find spiritual renewal and grow closer to God, Pittenger and Dortch both suggest getting involved with others on a similar journey.

“Just as we are created spiritual beings, so we are created social ones,” Dortch said.

Embody offers movement and meditation classes and Mountain Brook Baptist Church has two Sunday services and weekday studies. ❖

Physical activity improve quality of lifelike after cancer.

If you are notmay currently exercising and to get Physical activity may improve quality ofwould life after cancer.

Physical activity may improve quality of life after cancer.

Physical activity may improve lifehelp. after cancer. active, UAB researchers arequality looking forofyour

If you are not exercising would to get If you are notcurrently currently exercising like like to get Physical may improve qualityand ofand lifewould after cancer.

If you are notactivity currently exercising and would like to get Contact us about the BEAT study active, UAB researchers are forfor your active, UAB researchers arelooking looking your If you are not currently and would like to get If you are not currentlyexercising exercising and would like tohelp. get help. active, UAB researchers are looking for your help.

Better E xercise A dherence after T reatment for Breast Cancer active, UAB researchers are looking for your help.

Contactus us about aboutare the study active, UAB researchers looking for your help.

Contact theBEAT BEAT study Contact ususabout the BEAT Contact about the BEAT studystudy Better Exercise Adherence after Treatment for Breast Cancer

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social

Tradition in Lights

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Photo special to the Journal by Dee Moore

23 Women Presented at Redstone Club’s Annual Ball

From left: Emily Fallon Wilson, Eulalie Crommelin Draper Given, Adelaide Harling King, Kathryn Ann Simpson and Mary Ann Stevenson.

Mary Nobles Hancock, Margaret Munger McCall Pope, Helen Cumbee Corey, Mary Virginia Grisham and Anne Fairly Alison.

Virginia Gilder Smith, Catherine Shepard Smith, Ann Douglas Logan and Mary Elizabeth Hobbs.

Grace Dunlap Murray, Mary Clayton Whitlock Shearer, Florence Evans Poynor, Caroline Nabers Gray and Virginia Hagood Drennen.

T

he Redstone Club’s 108th annual Christmas Ball was held Dec. 19 at the Country Club of Birmingham. More than 800 members of the Redstone Club and their guests attended the group’s annual holiday celebration.

President of this year’s ball was Francis Minor S. Ager, who attended with his wife, Amy. Ball chairman was Nelson S. Bean, who attended with his wife, Kimberly. The floor committee chairman was J. Murphy McMillan III, with his wife, Beth.

The East Room was decorated by Sybil Brooke Sylvester of Wildflower Designs to be reminiscent of a Victorian-era Christmas. Strings and loops of garlands and lights were strung above the ballroom, with accents of white flowers and twinkling lights throughout the room.

From left: Nelson and Kimberly Bean and Francis Minor S. Ager, and wife Amy.

This year’s presentation class included 23 young women, all college seniors, from a wide range of schools across the South, East Coast and Northeast. The presentees wore traditional long white dresses and gloves, a complement to their chosen escorts in black tuxedo tails.

Overseeing the class were Ladies Committee members Mrs. William B. Wahlheim Jr. (Cary); Mrs. Henry Claiborne Crommelin (Jane Huston); and Mrs. John Parker Evans II (Jennifer).

Those presented at the 2015 ball were: Anne Fairly Alison, daughter of Mr. James Fairly Alison III and Mrs. Susan Emack Alison; Helen Cumbee Corey, daughter of Mr. Allen Rushton Corey and Mrs. Kathryn Wilson Corey; Virginia Hagood Drennen, daughter of Richard Hagood Drennen and Mrs. Helen McTyeire Drennen; Eulalie Crommelin Draper Given, daughter of Mr. Robert Sommerville Wilkerson Given and Mrs. Eulalie Crommelin Draper Given; Mary Virginia Grisham, daughter of Mr. James Ernest Grisham III and Mrs. Kay Parnell Grisham; Mary Nobles Hancock, daughter of Mr. James Hughes Hancock Jr. and Mrs. Leigh Hardin Hancock; Adelaide Harling King, daughter of Mr. Mark Steven King and Mrs. Margaret McWhorter King; Grace Dunlap Murray, daughter of Mr. Richard Murray IV and Mrs. Nora Riegle Murray; Mary Clayton Whitlock Shearer, daughter of Dr. John Carl Shearer and Mrs. Cynthia Rogers Shearer; Catherine Shepard Smith, daughter of Mr. Clinton Hill Smith and Mrs. Helen Catherine Smith; Virginia Gilder Smith, daughter of Mr. David Michael Smith and Mrs. Virginia Carruthers Smith; Emily Fallon Wilson, daughter of Dr. Thomas Alexander

Elizabeth Lee Miller, Emilia Noailles DeLara Cobbs, Sarah Cameron Styslinger and Grace Evelyn Ainsworth Hawkins.

Symington Wilson Jr. and Mrs. Lynn Fallon Wilson; Emilia Noailles DeLara Cobbs, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Westcott Cobbs Jr. and sponsored by Mr. James S. M. French; Caroline Nabers Gray, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Eugene Gray and sponsored by Mr. Lee McGriff III; Grace Evelyn Ainsworth Hawkins, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Dale Hawkins III and sponsored by Mr. John N. Corey III; Mary Elizabeth Hobbs, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Whitehead Hobbs and sponsored by Mr. Ehney Addison Camp III; Ann Douglas Logan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Christopher Logan and sponsored

by Mr. William Oliver Vann; Elizabeth Lee Miller, Daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Mark Lyle Miller and sponsored by Mr. Joseph McConnell Farley Jr.; Margaret Munger McCall Pope, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee McWhorter Pope and sponsored by Mr. Hobart Amory McWhorter Jr.; Florence Evans Poynor, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilmer Smith Poynor IV and sponsored by Mr. John Rembert Simpson; Kathryn Ann Simpson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Clark Simpson and spon-

sored by Mr. Paul Porter Crockard; Mary Ann Stevenson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Avery Stevenson III and sponsored by Mr. Robert Holman Head; and Sarah Cameron Styslinger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jon Cecil Styslinger and sponsored by Mr. Lee Joseph Styslinger III. Before the event, a ball luncheon was held at the Mountain Brook Club Dec. 18, during which the presentees were introduced to the club membership and received historical background on the event and the club. The luncheon included a reintroduction of the 1965 presentee class, of which 10 of the 19 women were in attendance.

Mrs. Wyatt R. Haskell (Susan), a member of that class, was the 1965 presentee chairman.

The presentees of 1965 were: Mrs. Sarah Beaumont Turley, Mrs. Samuel W. Pipes IV, Ms. Grace Louise Comer, Mrs. James B. Knight, Mrs. Dennis W. Cross, Mrs. George E. Taylor Jr., Mrs. Geneva Houck Clymor, Mrs. Jeffrey S. Sawtelle, Ms. Julia Valentine Joslyn, Ms. Pamela Noyes Kaul, Mrs. Roberta Laban See r edstone, facing page

Procession of Princesses Photo special to the Journal by Hank Spencer

30 Princesses to Be Presented in 2016 Krewe Ball

Royalty will gather Feb. 5 for the 49th annual Krewe Ball presented by the Beaux Arts Krewe and supporting the Birmingham Museum of Art. This year, 30 princesses will be presented at the annual event in Boutwell Auditorium.

The 2016 Krewe Princesses include: Frances Boston Blount, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Winton Malcolm Blount IV; Sarah St. Clair Bowron, daughter of Mr. Thomas Whitwell Bowron II and Ms. Leah Harper Bowron; Margaret Russell Bromberg, daughter of Mr. Frank Hardy Bromberg III and Mrs. Ann McMillan Bromberg; Sarah Church Cassady, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Edward Cassady III; Lee Ellison Chapman daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Julius Edward Chapman III; Adrienne Lange Clark, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lange Clark; Rebecca Katharine Cooper; daughter of Drs. Katharine and George Nelson Cooper Jr.; Elizabeth Miller Damrich, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Reynolds Ireland Jr. and Dr. David Brown Damrich; Mary Eleanor DeRamus, daughter of Capt. and Mrs. Sterling Lanier DeRamus; Patricia McGee Dodson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Selden Dodson Jr.; Margaret Stabler Greene, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Keller Greene; Carolyn Youmans Grenier, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Beaulieu Grenier and Mrs. Celeste Crowe Grenier; Virginia Ann Haas, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Robert Gunter Haas; Caroline Ashcraft Holbrook, daughter of Mrs. Ashley Miller Brown and Mr. William Knight Holbrook; Patricia Elizabeth Livingston, daughter of Mr. James Archibald Livingston III and the late Susan Bevill Livingston; Elizabeth Carter Marks, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Amos Marks Jr.; Anne Stabler Matthews, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warren C. Matthews; Carolyn Davis McCalley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Winston Tilley McCalley; Dorothy Nix Moore, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Russell Moore; Laura Elizabeth Patrick, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Benjamin Patrick; Margaret Louise Pritchard, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Camp Pritchard; Sarah Lawrence Reed, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Lawrence Reed Jr.; Mallie Moughon Robinson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Gordon Robinson III; Catherine Treadwell Smith, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. John Roger Smith; Emerson Monteray Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Delano Smith III; Cathryn Carter Speck, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Leo Speck Jr.; Claudia Overstreet Styslinger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Styslinger; Ann Ellard Turner,

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 15

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

From left: Virginia Wright, Elizabeth Damrich, Mallie Bromberg, Frances Blount, Anne Mathews, Carolyn McCalley and Margaret Greene.

r edstone, From page 14

Culver, Mrs. Thomas G. Amason Jr., Mrs. Wyatt R. Haskell, Ms. Marian Chenoweth Oehmig, Ms. Catherine Joan Pigford, Mrs. William M. Slaughter, Ms. Ellen Davies Rogers, Mrs. Charlotte Rushton McDavid and Mrs. Munger Watts Putnam.

The ball followed a membersonly cocktail party and dinner, spread between The Country Club of Birmingham’s East Room and dining rooms.

Music Chairman John R. Simpson arranged the evening’s accompaniment. For the cocktail

party and the presentation, the Sonny Harris Trio Band set the musical atmosphere. Following the presentation, Evolution Party Band entertained the crowded dance floor.

The 2015 Redstone Club officers and board of governors members are Frances Minor S. Ager, president; Charles William Jones, vice president; Francis H. Crockard III, secretary-treasurer; Merrill E. Johnston Jr., traditions chairman; Gregory Stockton Curran; Evans Johnson Dunn; C. Duncan Hulsey II; J. Bailey Knight III; William E. Matthews V; William Spencer South, J. Reese Murray III, finance chairman; and James Malloy Dixon, camp chairman. ❖

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Sarah Bowron, Margaret Pritchard, Elizabeth Livingston, Catherine Smith, Mary Eleanor DeRamus and Laura Lou Patrick.

HenHouse Antiques English VillagE

Ann Ellard Turner, Dorothy Moore, Elizabeth Marks, Lee Chapman, Virginia Haas, Isabelle White and Mallie Robinson.

Sarah Reed, Carolyn Grenier, Claudia Styslinger, Callie Holbrook, Addie Clark and Sarah Cassady.

daughter of Mrs. Jon M. Turner Jr. and the late Mr. Turner; Isabelle O’Neal White, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Hart White Jr.

and Mr. and Mrs. John Trygve Hoff; and Virginia Carol Wright, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Wright III. ❖

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Alpha Gamma Delta Greater Birmingham Alumnae Chapter held jan. 25-Feb. 6 its annual Rosebud Christmas Tea on Dec. 13 at the home of Nina Haas To: thecookstore@msn.com Daniels of Vestavia Hills.

From: Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 Kym Haas Prewitt served as FAX: 205-824-1246 a co-host. Emily Putnam Fulton Date: January arranged the reception. Alumnae President Elizabeth Estess Wilson This is your AD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTAiN JOurNAl the and Betsy Weese greetedfor guests, 1-14-16 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

Hoffman and Kim Rains Hardwick, co-secretaries, were in charge of nametags and registration.

Please make sure all information is correct, Alumnae members were invited to including address and phone number! attend with their legacy daughters or 2406 Canterbury road Mtn. brook Village 879.2730 granddaughters and collegian memPlease initial and fax back within 24 hours. bers with their mothers.

Among the guests from if we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, chapters at the University of your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.

Auburn University, the Thank you for your prompt attention. Alabama, University of Montevallo and UAB were: Katherine McDavid Allen; Madeline Barron; Jenna McCammon Bedsole and Helen;

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Gaines Lyons Bishop and Madeline; Donna Scott Bishop, Olivia and Chloe; Cheryl Wynn Brakefield and Mary Claire; Jamie Tatum Brown, Sara Allen Brown; Amy Ricks Butler, Anna Morgan and Mary Grace; Terri Moore Cahoon and Taylor; Anne Martha Bernauer Corley and Anne Grace; Kristi Huff Crossland, Ellis and Isabel; Joan Dent Curtis; C.C., Sadie and MaeMae Daniels; Sallie Cale Dunphy; Susan and Mary Kate Eddy; Catherine Curtis Eickholt, Elizabeth, Virginia and Caroline; Bonnie Fair Scott; Elizabeth Hamiter Ferguson; Jennifer Johnson Fruin and Catherine; Ella Clae and Millie Fulton; Asha Timmons Gardner, Emma and Marley; Nancy Runyan Gaston and Alison; Mary Dean Gray; Juleigh Little Green, Caroline and Margaret Ann; Jane Davis

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Gribben; Nancy and Helen Hall; Claire, Lianne and Judith Hayes Hand; Meg McLain Hightower and Maggie; Mary Beth Cook Howland, Mary Louise and Anna Claire; Kim Dunkin Kinsaul; Meredith McGeever Kynerd; Pate Renneker Latham and Mary Grace; Amy Owens Lawson and Sara Frances; Kristin Trammell Lindsey and Brooke; Sarah Hayden and Susan Logan; Christine Lilly Martin and Lilly; Amy Nichols McCain; Karen DeVenney McCollum, Karly and Kelly; Catherine and Kim Milling; Dede McDanal Moore and Anne Neal; Cory Cheshirer Morris and Caroline; Shannon Henson Morris, Mary Louise and Gabbie; Anne Harbert Moulton; Susan Stewart Murdock and Stewart Ann; Callie Stone Nash and Ann Harper; Ansley and Kim Neeley; Sara Ketchem Newdome, Lynley and Carith; Amy Jackson Nunneley and Ella; Terri Langford Odum and Kathleen; Mary Kathryn Pitts; Mona Gribben Ponder; Linda Winkler Pope and Julia Bell; Addie Prewitt; Kris Magee Reddin and Grace; Jennifer Wynn Regan, Ellen and Molly; Sally Ryan Reiser and Sarah Katherine; Alice Herren Schleusner; Dana Caldwell Sheheane and Claire; Kendall Lee Stephenson, Leah, Sarah, and Abigail; Linda Long Stewart and Emma; Julie Vascocu Stewart, Georgia and Mary; Linda Johnson Stone; Cathy Strickland Thomas and Mary Tate; Margie Holmes Tranum; Ming Wang Walker and Cameron; Angie Webb; Susan Gamble Weingarten and Julia; Paige Whitt; and Hayley Wammack Young with Lillie and Stella. ❖

KDs Gather for the Holidays

Katie Patrick; Ann Neighbors; Melissa and Francie On Dec. 18, the Mountain Brook Kappa Delta Alumnae Kenan; Leigh Bromberg; Amy Knight; Kate Speyer; Association met for a Christmas luncheon at the home of ad proof for Jan. 14, 2016 OTMJ Please contact your sales representative as soon as possible to approve your ad or Ellison Gray; Anne Marie Birmingham; Margaret Suzanne McMillan. make changes. You may fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

Lee Watson; Diana Plosser; Virginia Hazelrig; Lane Alumnae, collegians, daughters and granddaughters DeWine; Frances Faulconer; Lisa Burton; Lucie and joined in the festivities, during which the group made Please make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number!

Ann Chapman Haynes; Camie Griffin; Irene and Lucy contributions to Children’s Hospital Intervention and Gardner; Amy and Emma Hudson; Robin Reed; Laura Prevention Services.

Please initial and fax back within 24 hours.

Susan Roberts; Garnett Baker; Nancy Stetler; and Those in attendance were: Mary Ann and Mary If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the friday before the press date, your ad will run as is.

Margaret Grammas; Laurel and Riley Bassett; Landon Gwen Blackwell. ❖ Stivender; Walton Cobb; Suzi and Thank you for your prompt attention.

Ellie Matsos; Cathy, Catherine and Alyson McGowin; Catherine, Lauren and Kendall Crabtree; Betsy and Eliza Harmon; Brooke Tucker; Jennifer and Lucie Kline; Tempie Sharley and her granddaughter Margaret Davidson; and Emily and Mary Eliza Beaumont.

Also in attendance were Warren Cain; Martha DeBuys; Lori, Caroline and Emily Barber; Francie Deaton; Susan Waggoner; Susan and Caroline Davies; Suzanne Hughes; Anna Katherine Gillespy; Jane Brakefield; Elizabeth Outland; Laura Dee Wood; Diana Walker; Lalie and Ellie Given; Laura and Emily Sink; Isabelle Lawson; Kaci and Mary Kathryn Chesebro; From left: Susanne McMillan, Lori Barber, Laura Sink and Katie Patrick.

Susanne McMillan; Melissa Seton;

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16 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

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Holiday Presentations

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 17

The 73rd Annual Holiday Assembly was held Dec. 18 at The Country Club of Birmingham.

The 40 presentees and their dates enjoyed a seated dinner in the East Room before being escorted by their fathers in the presentation. A dance followed for the honorees and their friends.

Junior girls presented at the Holiday Assembly were Edith King Amason, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gilbert Amason III; Virginia Bowron Beasley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Martin Beasley Jr.; Mary Frances Bloodworth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lucian Ferris Bloodworth Jr.; Emily Lynne Bolvig, daughter of Mr. Axel Bolvig III and Dr. Lori Lynne Davis; Isabel Browning Boyd, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Howard Boyd Jr.; Anne Coleman Bradford, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Wade Bradford; Mary Johnson Bradford, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Wade Bradford; Frances Hardy Bromberg, daughter of Mr. Frank Hardy Bromberg III and Ms. Anne McMillan Bromberg; Kate McCarroll Bumgarner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen James Bumgarner; Mary Margaret Bromberg Byrne, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Russell Byrne; Virginia Grace Carmichael, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Troy Carmichael; Lucile Fitzpatrick Collins, daughter of Mr. Allen Dunn Collins III and the late Ms. Caroline Ivy Collins; Sarah Brasfield Cooper,

daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Lawrence Cooper Jr.; Gunter Moren Crommelin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Claiborne Crommelin; Elise Louise Doss, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Coates Doss; Marion Shook Dukes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carter Hurd Dukes; Hannah Marie Elliott, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Atwood Elliott III; Grace Sinclair Evans, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Parker Evans II; Elizabeth Rose Gillespy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Palfery Gillespy; Ansley Caldwell Gross, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Arenz Gross III; Frances Elizabeth Hand, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Edward Woods and Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Gibson Hand; Ann Chapman Haynes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Wayne Haynes; Margaret Jean Holloway, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Wilkinson Holloway; Mary Marcella Jones, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Leroy Jones; Ruth Evelyne Wynne Kirkland, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Burnham Kirkland; Memory Anne Littleton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Winfield Littleton Jr.; Elizabeth Renneker McMillan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Murphy McMillan III; Sarah Scott McPherson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Hood McPherson III; Carol Ann Sandner Phillips, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hardy Phillips; Mary Walker Poe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Hoke Poe; Helen Katherine Schanbacher,

Photo special to the Journal

40 Girls Presented in 2016 Holiday Assembly

daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Orville William Schanbacher III; Caroline Carlisle Sims, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George William Sims II; Jane Perry Starling, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Marion Jefferson Starling III; Barbara Grace Tortorici, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Michael Tortorici; Anna Craig Tucker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Craig Tucker; Mary Adelaide Vandevelde, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Harrison Vandevelde IV; Carolyn Dickinson Wahlheim, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Bernhart Wahlheim Jr.; Catherine Elizabeth Walthall, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kennon Dade Walthall; Nicole Broatch Waudby, daughter of Ms. Sally Broatch Waudby and Mr. and Mrs. William Leroy Waudby; and Ann McQueen Whatley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Forest Woods Whatley Jr. ❖

Christmas at the Country Club

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Garlandia Garden Club Celebrates with Lunch

The Garlandia Garden Club met for its monthly program at the Mountain Brook Country Club on Dec. 16.

The luncheon, hosted by member Patsy Hendley, included a lunch followed by dessert and Christmas-themed games.

Members enjoyed mixed green salads with grapefruit and raspberry vinaigrette before a main course of chicken over a bed of rice with asparagus. For dessert, the members enjoyed a real treat with chocolate lava cakes topped with peppermint ice cream and covered in chocolate syrup, with a candy cane

and sliced berries on the side.

In keeping with the Christmas theme, tables were covered in green tablecloths with green and red centerpieces consisting of roses, chrysanthemums, lilies and mums. Winners of the Christmas activities, including riddles and puzzles, got to take home centerpieces as their prize.

Members enjoying lunch included President Margaret Holland, Shirley Palmes, Rhonda Cook, Dottie Craig, Sandra Dean, Mary Sue Durant, Phyllis Edwards, Ann Gasque, Sally Helms, Jerri Pare, Kathie Ramsey,

Evelyn Ringler, Charlotte Shannon, Nannette Smith, Gale Smith, Pat Sorrell, Brenda Weaver, Margaret Howell, Carolyn Hunter, Glenda Inabinet, Judy Johnston, Betty Sue Jordan, Sunny Marek, Jo Ann Weston, Roula Wolff and Anita Yates.

The Garlandia Garden Club was started in 1969 by women living To: on Garland Drive in Vestavia Hills.

From: Although the women have dispersed throughout the Over the Mountain area Date: over the years, many of them are charter members and have been a part of the club for more than 40 years. ❖

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If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.

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Thank you for your prompt attention.

18 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Hitting a High Note

Vestavia’s Premiere Green Home Community Viridian offers all the charm of a vintage neighborhood with the latest energy-efficient green homebuilding technologies. These authentic, one-of-a-kind homes are tucked in the woods in a unique gated community off Tyler Road, with prices starting in the $600s. Two lush parks and an abundance of green space provide privacy and a sense of history for this significant property.

www.wedgworth.net (205) 365-4344

The Mountain Brook home of Susan and John Boston served as the setting for the Prelude to the Holidays party Dec. 11, hosted by the Guild of the Birmingham Music Club.

Members and guests mingled in the reception rooms and on the deck.

Christmas décor of greenery, votives and seasonal art objects set the scene for high spirits. Beth Adams was party chairman and Marsha Drennen is the guild president.

BMC Executive Director Ron Bourdages entertained the crowd by playing his guitar and singing traditional Christmas carols, along with favorite arrangements from Elvis Presley and Kris Kristofferson.

Backing him up were bass player Ned West, rhythm guitarist Charlie Bennett and drummer Tim Huffman.

They were joined by John Boston, playing his guitar and singing a special arrangement of “Blue Christmas.”

A buffet of hors d’oeuvres was served in the dining room. The table was centered with a silver candelabra flanked by crystal containers with sprigs of magnolia leaves and surrounded by a variety of crystal votives on a Christmas runner.

Offerings included a tenderloin prepared by Tom Lamkin, shrimp prepared by Jim Haise and more. Wine was served on the deck

by Bob Black and Bob Brown.

Guests in attendance included Scott Adams, Charlann Anderson, Roberta and Jim Atkinson, Anne Carey, Eric and Cheree Carlton, Elaine and Oliver Clark, Kay and David Clark, Audrey Cornutt, Marsha and Jim Drennen, Jane and Charles Ellis, Janine and A.D. Goode, Pat and Perry Grant, Tallulah Hargrove, Sandra and Elam Holley, Nell Larson and Russell Kilgore, Becky and Greg Keyes, Barbara and Bob Klyce, Vicki and Matt Lukens, Nancy and Bart Morrow, Beverly Parks, Brenda and Alan Ross, Lochrane and Mell Smith, Melinda and Steve Smith, Babs Simpson and Greg Despinakis, Nan and Phil Tenninbaum, Elise Warren, Margery Whatley, Judy and Ed Wiggins, Elouise Williams and Janis Zeanah.

BMC Board President Wyatt

Photos special to the Journal

Guild of Birmingham Music Club Sings for a New Year

From left: Elaine Clark, Beth Adams and Tom and Anne Lamkin. Below, Susan and John Boston, Jim and Marsha Drennen.

Haskell gave a status report on the progress of the club, now in its second century of bringing outstanding performances to Birmingham.

On Feb. 14, the BMC is sponsoring pianist Drew Mays in a 2:30 p.m. performance at the Lyric Theatre and will present “Die Fledermaus” at the Dorothy Jemison Day Theater June 10-12. Tickets are available for both events through the Samford University Box Office.

The guild’s next event is a winter

Pride and responsibility drive us to be the best in everything we do.

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As a life-long Over-the-Mountain resident and a third generation working at Guin, I feel great pride and responsibility in carrying on the legacy of honesty and hard work that my grandfather began over 55 years ago. Family is very important to us, and we treat our customers with the same care and respect as members of our own family. It would be a privilege to serve you.

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fundraiser for its music scholarship program. The annual Gala, Rhythm and Muse, is a cocktail supper and auction at Vestavia Country Club on Jan. 30. Pianist Dawson Hull is the honoree. Serving on the Steering Committee are Judy Anderson, Kay Clark, Linda Cooper, Marsha Drennen, Lu Moss and Beverly Parks. ❖

food

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 19

A Piece of the Pie

Pizza Party: Post Office Pies Adds Catering Service

Homewood Eatery Is New Fast-Casual Place for Customized Pizzas

Pizza is usually a popular choice for family meals. But there’s often no consensus about which pizza to order: Mom wants the veggie special, Dad’s a carnivore and the kids will eat nothing but plain old cheese.

At Your Pie, a new restaurant that opened in Homewood Dec. 18, different tastes are no problem. Customers can customize their own individual 10-inch pizzas – or paninis or salads.

“You choose your dough, sauce, cheese and toppings,” said franchise owner Lloyd Peeples.

“All the main menu items are $7.99. That includes as many ingredients as you want.”

Your Pie started seven years ago in Athens, Georgia, and is rapidly expanding. The Homewood store is the company’s first in Alabama – but it won’t be the last. Peeples said he plans to open two more stores. He’s signed the lease for a Liberty Park location and is negotiating for a downtown spot, he said.

“We’re targeting the opening of our Liberty Park restaurant for this fall and are aiming for Labor Day for back-to-school time,” he said.

Peeples first came to Birmingham to attend Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. “I practiced law until 2012,” he said. “Then I went and helped my dad with our family manufacturing business.”

Peeples discovered Your Pie – and a new opportunity – in Atlanta.

“I was there on business, and it was one of those situations where I had a meeting at 2 and was early,” he said. “I wanted to go somewhere where I could take my iPad and work. I went to Your Pie and had some good food in a nice atmosphere. While I was sitting there, I emailed the corporate folks and asked if they had any plans to expand into Alabama.”

Peeples said he met with corporate officials and with several Your Pie store owners.

“I talked to other franchisees and visited their stores,” he said. “What struck me was that most of them had plans for future stores. None of them was looking to sell.

“It seemed like a good concept and struck me as a solid investment. I did a lot of research about the fast-casual concept, which is a growing restaurant model. You get more customization, more choices and can eat healthier.”

Fast-casual hits a medium ground, Peeples

Journal photos by Lee Walls Jr.

By Donna Cornelius

Your Pie in Homewood has a bright, contemporary vibe. It’s in the city’s SoHo Square retail center. Lloyd Peeples, below, ate at a Your Pie restaurant in Atlanta and was so impressed with the concept that he ended up owning his own store in Homewood.

said, between fast food and more formal dining.

“You come in, order, sit down and have a beer or wine,” he said. “We’ve had people come in from youth basketball games, before a movie or on their way home from work, and we’ve already gotten a fair number of call-in and takeout orders.”

Your Pie is in the SoHo Square retail center

piggly wiggly

®

Gr

k a e t S er t t e B ill a

at 1831 28th Ave. South, in the space formerly occupied by Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina.

“I was looking at a lot of different sites and while I was driving around, I noticed that Salsarita’s had closed,” Peeples said. “This is a busy area. And this is a good centrally located site, in SoHo on the corner.”

The interior of Your Pie has an industrialchic look, with wooden tabletops, metal chairs and barstools, concrete countertops and floors, and an exposed ceiling. There’s a community table that’s already become a favorite spot for large groups of kids. Parents can keep a watchful eye by sitting nearby at smaller tables or in booths if they choose.

In addition to custom-made dishes, there also are “suggested” menu items that were selected from popular customer choices. There’s the Southern Heat pizza with buffalo sauce, mozzarella, chicken, red onions and jalapenos and served with ranch or blue cheese sauce, and the Ischia, with extra virgin olive oil, fresh mozzaSee pie, page 20

A popular Avondale eatery that’s gotten national press isn’t resting on its laurels.

Post Office Pies opened a store in Tuscaloosa earlier this month. Co-owner and head chef John Hall won Food Network’s new show, “BBQ Blitz.”

And recently, POPS added a catering service.

Rachel Wallace, the restaurant’s social media manager (She’s the one who hits Culinary the “like” button when you post Community photos of your Swine Pie on News and Instagram.) is also the catering Events coordinator.

“We’ll do weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, holiday gatherings and private parties,” Wallace said. “We can do pizza, pasta with bread and salads. Everything’s fresh here. We don’t have a microwave or stovetop in the restaurant, only our wood oven.”

Pizza may not leap immediately to mind when you’re putting together a wedding reception menu.

“But pizza can be elegant,” Wallace said. “Our crust and our fresh ingredients make it look pretty.

And it’s easy to set up and serve.”

Customers also can go off-menu, she said.

“We’re pretty open to that,” she said. “You can tell our chefs, ‘I had this,’ and describe it, and they’ll know what you’re talking about and can create it.”

Wallace said you don’t have to plan months in advance if you need POPS’ catering service.

“We need about 48 hours for big orders and 24 hours for pizza,” she said. “You can pick it up or have it delivered. You can pay by phone or by invoice. We stay after the event and clean up, too.”

For more information about Post Office Pies catering, email Wallace at rachel@postofficepies. com or call 582-9808. The company’s website is www.postofficepies.com.

Gourmet on Wheels: Hotbox Named One of State’s Best New Restaurants

An out-of-the-box Birmingham eatery ended 2015 on a deliciously high note.

Gear Patrol, a daily online magazine, named Avondale’s Hotbox one of its 25 Best New Restaurants in Alabama. The list was posted Dec. 16.

The post said that Hotbox, which is housed in an Airstream trailer behind Parkside Café, “splits the difference between a food truck and a restaurant, serving highly craveable dishes from paper trays.”

Gear Patrol praised Hotbox for its “late-night weekend eats” and recommended ordering the shrimp pot stickers, lemongrass fried chicken, grilled calamari salad and the burger.

To see the complete list, visit www.gearpatrol.

www.pigbham.com The Certified Angus Beef® brand is a cut above USDA Prime, Choice and Select.

Ten quality standards set the brand apart.

It’s abundantly flavorful, incredible tender, naturally juicy. Piggly Wiggly is the only grocery store in the area with Certified Angus Beef. Taste the Difference!

See food news, page 21

20 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

food

Rehab Reality

Hun ger Games

by Jeff

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Carter said she’s noticed that kids get pickier at about age 3. “That’s a pivotal time; they’re trying to test you,” she said. “Don’t turn into a short-order cook, or your kids will think, ‘If I don’t eat this, mom will make me what I want.’”

How to Get Your Child into Healthy Eating

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don’t sit down at the dinner table as much anymore. Pick at least one night a week to do that, and serve a variety of foods. Let your kids see you eating what you want them to eat.”

• Carter said she’s noticed that kids get pickier at about age 3.

“That’s a pivotal time; they’re trying to test you,” she said. “Don’t turn into a short-order cook, or your kids will think, ‘If I don’t eat this, mom will make me what I want.’”

• While most kids are eventually going to eat if their stomachs are growling, parents often hesitate at the thought of sending their kids to bed hungry, Carter said. There’s a way to make sure that doesn’t happen without giving in to your child’s pickiness.

“Give them two things they like and one they don’t,” Carter said. “For example, if they like mac and cheese, give them that – but give them broccoli, too. They don’t have to eat the broccoli – but they’re not going to get more mac and cheese.”

• Make food fun. “Go outside the sandwich, chips and drink combination for lunch,” Carter said. For example, kids like “everything on a stick,” she said. Thus, if your children turn up their noses at a plain old

pie,

From page 19

rella, tomatoes, basil and garlic. If you don’t want to devise your own panini, you might opt for the Pesto Chicken with basil pesto, mozzarella, spinach, tomatoes and chicken, or the Nonno’s Italian, with mozzarella, spinach, tomatoes, red onions, ham and pepperoni and served with balsamic vinaigrette.

Rotating flavors of gelato and sorbet are available, too.

“Kids really like the gelato – well, so do parents,” Peeples said.

Customers can see their ingredients being added to their order and also have a view of workers tossing the dough and of their dish going into the brick oven.

“Our oven makes us different,” Peeples said.

“It’s made by Wood Stone in Seattle, which is one of the highest-rated brick oven manufacturers.”

Your Pie prides itself on its gluten-free options, Peeples said, adding that “it’s amazing how many people” are affected by gluten intolerance.

“We’ve enjoyed catering to those folks,” he said. “They don’t have to special-order anything or ask for substitutions, because for us, almost everything is a special order.”

apple, try putting apple slices, strawberries, grapes and other fruits on a skewer.

Check out blogs to get creative ideas. Glue Sticks and Gumdrops has a great recipe for dinosaur bento lunch boxes. You cut cheese into shapes using dino cookie cutters, put them into paper cupcake liners and add spinach leaves, pretzel sticks and olives for a woodsy look. Who doesn’t love a tasty T-Rex for lunch?

• Set your kids up for success.

“Buy lots of fruits and vegetables,” Carter said. “It’s hard to ignore a carton of ice cream in the freezer. If it’s not there, your child can’t choose it.”

• Fast food may be a fact of life for today’s busy families, but Carter recommends limiting fast food to one time a week or for special occasions.

“Picky eating often comes from eating out, because children can pick what they want,” she said. “Tell them, ‘You can have this or that’ so they don’t make the same choices every time.” And choose grilled options when they’re available, she added.

• Learn more from your good friends on the Internet. Carter said one site to check out is www.kidshealth.org. In the site’s nutrition and

All beer on tap is local, Peeples said.

“We support Alabama breweries,” he said. “We also have other specialty beers in bottles as well as Bud Light and Miller Lite.”

The Homewood Your Pie serves tea from Birmingham-based Red Diamond. Veggies, too, are locally sourced, Peeples said, which means they’re always fresh.

“When all the ingredients are in the open, you can’t hide bad tomatoes or wilted lettuce,” he said.

Peeples said his store already is getting involved in charitable efforts.

“We have Community Mondays where we

Journal photo by Lee Walls Jr.

So you made it through the holidays. Now what?

Parents of picky eaters may sometimes wonder whether their child will grow into adulthood still eating only pizza and peanut butter.

Thankfully, that’s usually not the case. My older son used to hide cans of green beans in random spots around the house so I couldn’t cook them, and my younger son would willingly eat only one vegetable: corn.

Today, they’re both high-level foodies who love to try anything that’s new and edible.

Rainie Carter, a pediatric dietitian at Children’s of Alabama, said it’s true that most children eventually expand their culinary horizons. But not always.

“People tend to think they’ll grow out of it, and often that’s the case,” Carter said. “But I have 16-year-olds who eat only chicken nuggets and fries. As soon as you start to notice that picky eating is becoming a problem, it’s time to seek help to get ideas.”

With some children, such as those with diabetes or gluten intolerance, it’s clear that help from dietitians like Carter is needed. But unhealthy diets can cause less obvious problems, too, such as a decrease in activity levels and an inability to concentrate at school, she said.

Ready to help your child get off to a healthy start in 2016? Carter offered these tips: • “No sugar in drinks – that’s our main go-to advice,” Carter said.

“Sugar is in all fruit juices. It’s better to eat the fruit itself for the fiber and to help keep you full. We get enough sugar in our diets.”

• Your kids will do as you do and not as you say. “Set an example of healthy eating yourself, or it’s never going to work,” Carter said. “Families

Journal photo by Emily Williams

By Donna Cornelius

health section, you’ll find healthy recipes, a Body Mass Index calculator, and answers to frequently asked questions such as “How can I get my child to eat vegetables?” and “Why is breakfast so important?” The USDA’s www.choosemyplate.gov has specific information about the five food groups and recommended daily amounts.

• Get children involved in your family’s food. “It depends on the child, but let them help in the kitchen if they’re interested and go to farmers markets with you,” Carter said.

“If you take your child to the grocery story, let them choose between oranges and apples – not oranges and snack cakes. And let them help you set menus. Ask them, ‘Did you like the baked chips we had with tacos?’”

• Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are easy to prepare and can be healthy staples. “With fruits, look out for added sugar, and choose fruits packed in juice or water,” Carter said.

“Rinse canned vegetables to remove a lot of the salt.”

• If all else fails – and this is my own advice and not dietitian-approved – turn on kid-centric cooking shows such as “Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cookoff” on Food Network or “MasterChef Junior,” if you can stomach host Gordon Ramsay. YouTube has lots of videos starring kids in the kitchen, too. Who knows? You may be turning a once-picky eater into a future Michael Symon or Julia Child. ❖

give 10 percent of our revenue to a local charity such as the UAB Cancer Center and autism and Alzheimer’s support groups,” he said.

He’s looking forward to Your Pie’s quarterly Craft Series, which features an out-of-the-box pizza.

“We’ll do a specialty pizza that we’ll promote for two months,” Peeples said. “Your Pie did a peach and prosciutto pizza last summer and has done a Sriracha Nacho pizza. From Jan. 15 through March, we’ll have a Gyro Pie with lamb, dill, feta and a Greek-style sauce.”

To kick off the promotion, the Gyro Pie will be $3.14 on Jan. 15. The cost will be $8.49 until March 6. Peeples said $1 from the sale of each Gyro Pie throughout the promotion will be donated to the Greater Birmingham Humane Society.

Peeples’ wife, Candi, is an attorney. The two met when they were attending Cumberland. Their second date was at DeVinci’s Pizza, a short distance away from his new Your Pie store. The couple’s son, Chandler, is 9, and their daughter, Lily, is 7. The family lives in Liberty Park.

For more information, visit www.yourpie.com or follow the Homewood store on Facebook or on Instagram @yourpiebirmingham. The store’s phone number is 739-2212. Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. ❖

kathy ,

From page 1

her to action, she said. Her former roommate helped her come up with an outline for the book.

“My concept was to have big ‘wow’ shots to introduce each chapter and to tell you how to do things yourself,” Mezrano said.

With that plan in mind, she divided her book into chapters including “Tuscan Table,” “Asian Buffet” and “Tailgate Party.” In the “Autumn Fare” chapter, for example, Mezrano tells readers how to make paella – and also how to roast a pumpkin to serve it in.

On one of the book’s first pages is a glowing endorsement by Chef Frank Stitt of Highlands Bar and Grill, Bottega, Bottega Café and Chez Fonfon.

“Kathy is one of those rare individuals who creates recipes that anyone can produce – each packed with personality and all arranged with a keen eye for beauty that go together to make a party an unforgettable occasion,” Stitt wrote.

Readers will see more than 200 color photos, some from the posh

Chicken Artichoke Lasagna

12 servings Mezrano said this recipe from “Food, Fun & Fabulous” is one of her staple dishes. It’s ideal for entertaining, she writes in the cookbook, because it can be made ahead of time and frozen.

Ingredients: 2/3 cup butter 1/3 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 3 cups milk 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded 2 cans water-packed artichokes, drained and shredded 1 teaspoon dried thyme 9-12 lasagna noodles, cooked 1½ cups parmesan, grated 9-12 slices of fresh mozzarella Directions: In a saucepan over medium heat, make a roux by melting butter and stirring in flour. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and ground nutmeg. Once it cooks to a smooth consistency for approximately 5 minutes, slowly add milk. Bring just up to a boil and then lower to a simmer for another 5 minutes, until sauce is thick. Take sauce off heat and check seasoning.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 13 x 9 baking dish, layer 3 pasta sheets, a third of the chicken, a third of the artichokes, a third of the roux, and sprinkle with parmesan. Repeat to use the remaining ingredients, and finish the top with mozzarella.

Cover and bake for 35 minutes, then uncover and cook an additional 10 minutes until bubbly around the edges.

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 21

food

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

affairs Mezrano has catered over the years and other photos made just for the cookbook.

“We had to do some tight shots

‘Kathy is one of those rare individuals who creates recipes that anyone can produce – each packed with personality and all arranged with a keen eye for beauty that go together to make a party an unforgettable occasion.’

Chef Frank Stitt of Highlands Bar and Grill, bottega, Bottega Café and Chez Fonfon

of food,” she said. “Mo Davis of Arden Photography was a great help.”

Even those who have attended many events catered by Mezrano may not know the origin of her company’s name. The “G” in Kathy G and Company is for George, her maiden name.

“Food has always been a big part of my life through my parents,” she said.

She pays tribute to her father, A.B. George, a wholesale produce buyer, and to her mother, Mary Ann George, in the cookbook’s introduction.

“Growing up, my parents made the dining room the center of our lives,” she wrote. “They loved good food and made everyday meals feel special through their creativity, thoughtful presentation and attention to detail.”

Mezrano worked in television before starting her catering business.

“I started giving parties, and people asked, ‘Why don’t you go into catering?’” she said.

When Kathy G and Company took off, it quickly became a family affair. Mezrano’s husband, Louis Mezrano, left his law practice to manage the business. He passed away a little over a year ago.

“I wish he could have seen the book,” Mezrano said. “He always pushed me to get it done.”

Her son, Jason Mezrano, is Kathy G and Company’s executive chef. Her niece, Natalie Andrews, is the company’s senior event coordinator.

“Jason worked at Highlands Bar and Grill and at Hot and Hot Fish Club,” Mezrano said. “He went to culinary school in Scottsdale, Arizona, and then worked in the Napa Valley.”

Her staff also includes employees who have been with her long enough to qualify as extended family.

“Some have been with me 15 to 20 years,” she said.

For big events, Mezrano has to bring in extra help.

“Not too long ago, we catered a Mercedes event for 1,000 people at Sloss Furnaces,” she said. “We had a Southern-themed seated dinner served family style. That’s one of the most difficult things to do, when you have to pass the food. We had 120 waiters and 20 captains. We did three different training sessions for the staff for that event.

“Having great servers is part of the whole experience with the food, atmosphere and music. They’re your ambassadors.”

In addition to having The Gardens Café by Kathy G at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens as its main venue, Mezrano’s company for the past few years has been an exclusive caterer to the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Alys Stephens Performing Art Center, Park Lane in Mountain Brook, the Historic Donnelly House and the Birmingham Zoo Lodge.

Birmingham isn’t the only place for Kathy G events. She recently catered a University of Alabama President’s Cabinet dinner at The Zone in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“We served pistachio-crusted halibut served hot – and without having a kitchen there,” she said.

“Food, Fun & Fabulous,” published by Inspired Intermedia, is $39.95. It’s available at The Gardens Café and through the company’s website, www.kathyg.com.

Mezrano will sign copies of her book at Birmingham Bake and Cook in Cahaba Heights on Jan. 28 from 4-7 p.m.

The hard-working businesswoman said that she’s stepping back a bit from her company’s day-to-day events and that her son is “taking over.”

“I’d like to travel more,” she said. “I went to Italy in September.”

But Mezrano didn’t leave her love for food behind during that vacation.

“A friend and I did a cooking class at a little farmhouse there,” she said. ❖

food news, From page 19

com.

Hotbox is at 4036 5th Ave. S. in Avondale. It’s open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, visit www.hotboxbhm.com.

Sky Castle Opens: Bajalieh Brothers Are Owners of New ‘Gastro Lounge’

The 165-seat Sky Castle Gastro Lounge opened Jan. 6 in Birmingham’s Lakeview District.

The restaurant and bar, which will specialize in locally sourced food and craft cocktails, will be open daily for lunch and dinner.

Sky Castle’s owners are brothers Jeff, Chris and Jason Bajalieh, co-owners of Slice Pizza & Brew and Sol’s Deli. Haller Magee is the executive chef.

The restaurant pays tribute to a bit of Birmingham history. In 1955,

Birmingham’s first Top 40 Station, WSGN, had a remote studio on 7th Avenue South in Lakeview. Deejays took live requests from their “sky castle,” a glass-walled booth over Ed Salem’s Drive-In. Teenagers cruised up, ordered burgers from carhops on roller skates and stayed to watch DJs spin their favorite hits.

The restaurant’s interior has a wall mural that pays tribute to Ed Salem’s Drive-In. A replica of the glass-walled DJ booth from WSGN’s “sky castle” sits above the entryway.

The current menu includes pimento cheese fritters, Korean barbecue wings, a fried oyster sandwich, grilled beef tenderloin, chicken and waffles, and the Sky Castle Burger.

Sky Castle Gastro Lounge is at 7th Avenue S. on the ground floor of the Twenty-Nine 7 Building. A grand opening celebration is set for Jan. 29.

For more information, visit www. skycastlegastrolounge.com or the restaurant’s Facebook page or follow it on Twitter and Instagram @ SkyCastleBham. ❖

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weddings

22 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Couple Weds With Cajun-Themed Ceremony, Second Line

New Orleans

Nuptials

By Kaitlin Candelaria

the course of our dating relationship,” Megan said. “The love for life, vibrancy, resilience and authenticity the city offers were all things we strived to mirror in our relationship as a couple.”

The couple found themselves in the Big Easy in November 2014 to celebrate the Crimson Tide taking on the LSU Tigers.

“Todd, an LSU fan, and I, an Alabama fan, have loved the football rivalry between our respective schools and actually consider the day of their match one of our favorites each year, much to the dismay of both fan bases,” Megan said.

Game day found the couple strolling through the French Quarter and ring shopping. Both say they knew that an engagement would come soon, but they were surprised when they found a ring they both loved, and they decided to purchase it on the spot.

“I’m an anxious and somewhat impatient person by nature, so as we were walking out of the store I blurted out, ‘Where are we going to do this?’, a statement that’s the frequent butt of jokes today,” she said. “He took me to Jackson Square in front of Saint Louis Cathedral, where he led me to the exact bench his stepfather had proposed to his mother on.

It was there that Todd got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him.

“We spent the rest of the day celebrating with friends and enjoying the special time in our lives. We made a conscious effort to forgo posting our happy news on social media until a few days after in order to fully embrace (the) moment together. And, Alabama won the game that night.”

See New or leans, page 27

Photos special to the Journal

A

not-so-chance encounter and a neighborly request led Vestavia Hills native Megan Bendig to her husband, Todd Ledet.

She was sharing an apartment with two girlfriends in Birmingham in 2009 when a friendly neighbor stopped by to ask for a bottle opener.

“Todd lived in the same building, yet it took almost a year for us to meet,” she said. “In hindsight, this is shocking considering our building only had six units.

One night, my friends and I were on the porch getting ready to go to a local bar and Todd happened to be on the balcony above. He heard us chatting and wanted an excuse to come by and say hello.”

Megan said she later found out that Ledet had plenty of bottle openers, but his ruse worked. They invited him along for the night and the two have been inseparable ever since.

Megan went on to complete her undergraduate degree at UAB in 2010 and her master’s in social work at the University of Alabama in 2012.

She briefly accepted a position in Birmingham before to Miami for a ‘He took me to Jackson moving job as a primary theraSquare in front of Saint pist with Oliver-Pyatt Louis Cathedral, where Centers.

Todd, a former he led me to the exact New Orleans and Montgomery resident bench his stepfather who graduated from Clemson in 2006 with had proposed to his an industrial engineermother on. It was there ing degree, stayed that Todd got down on in Birmingham to continue working for one knee and asked me Sunland Construction. to spend the rest of my After a promotion in 2014 to director life with him.’ of business development, he relocated to Houston, Texas, meaning their relationship now spanned over five states and more than 1,000 miles.

However, the long-distance relationship didn’t present a challenge the couple couldn’t overcome.

A love of travel and many frequent flyer points enabled them to continue to spend time together, which included traveling to one of their favorite cities – New Orleans.

“We’d taken countless trips there over

Megan Bendig and Todd Ledet were married on Aug. 15 at Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, left. Above, after the ceremony, a brass band was waiting to lead the couple and their guests in a second line parade. Because most people came in from out of town the couple were able to spend quality time with relatives and members of the wedding party.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Weddings & Engagements

Aldridge Gardens Avani Rupa Fine Jewelers At Avani Rupa Fine Jewelers, custom design, certified expertise, exceptional quality and customer service combine to offer the perfect place to create jewelry for the most special occasions.

“Our passion is designing one-of-a-kind jewelry to make those special moments in your life unforgetable,” says Avani Patel, pictured above with her mother and co-owner, Rupa Patel.

Rupa Patel, has always had a flair for fashion and jewelry and decided to make the leap and start her own business in 2005. It wasn’t long after starting the business that her daughter Avani began taking interest in her mother’s new business, and they became a mother-daughter jewelry designing team.

“It all goes back to sharing my designs with friends, family and clients,” Rupa said. “I have

always enjoyed having clients over for a cup of tea and delicious home-made snacks as they perused through our collections of jewelry ranging from traditional Indian designs to innovative, modern pieces.”

As they continued to work with clients, Avani attended Birmingham Southern College and graduated with a degree in accounting. She went on to receive her graduate gemology and jewelry design diplomas from the Gemological Institute of America in California.

This combination of experience, education, passion and customer service means there is no doubt you’re in good hands with Avani and Rupa.

Today, at their new location in Mountain Brook Village, Avani Rupa Fine Jewelers offers jewelry and design for all occasions, private bridal appointments, as well as on site appraisals.

Avani Rupa Fine Jewelers is located at 2408 Canterbury Road, Mountain Brook, 982-4888.

Aldridge Gardens is a 30 acre public garden nestled in the heart of Hoover featuring beautiful woods, gardens, walking trails and a serene five acre lake. The site also features nine picturesque ceremony sites and two reception facilities.

“As the director of sales and catering, I am here to ensure that each couple’s day is special and expertly executed from start to finish,” said Amanda Baker, pictured above. “I have been blessed to be working in the specialty event world for 10 years and I have loved every moment of it.

“Our vision is to be a premier venue for visitors to experience how nature and art can work for the mutual benefit of both,” she said. “Our staff is committed to providing the highest quality service throughout the planning and execution of your event. At Aldridge Gardens, we want to help make your day unique and unforgettable!”

Ceremonies may be held at a garden site or in the pavilion. Sites will accommodate up to 200 guests. The arbor, shade garden lawn and pavilion are located at the front of Aldridge House and provide a beautiful backdrop of hydrangeas, aza-

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 23

leas and seasonal plants and shrubs for weddings.

Lakeside, woodland stream and patio wedding sites offer the sights and sounds of water, hydrangeas and seasonal plants and shrubs.

The Kay and Eddie Aldridge Art and Historical Museum and the Pavilion are both perfect reception venues. The museum opens to a large brick patio and offers a spectacular view of the lake. The art gallery features artworks of noted local and national artists and is the home of a large collection of Frank Fleming sculptures.

The Pavilion is a covered, open-air facility with lighting and fans A small amphitheater provides additional seating. A catering kitchen and public restrooms are located nearby.

“Enjoy the planning process!,” Baker said.

“Weddings can be inherently stressful but they don’t have to be. Surround yourself with wonderful event professionals and consider hiring a wedding planner to aid in the process. Be yourself and make sure to include details that you specifically enjoy. That’s what will make your special day all the more memorable.”

Aldridge Gardens is located at 3530 Lorna Road, Hoover, 682-8019.

Unique and Unforgettable

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24 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

Murphy-Wright

Amanda Ann Murphy and Andrew Robert Wright were married May 2 at St. William Catholic Church in Guntersville. The ceremony was officiated by the Rev. Tim Pfander.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Terry Murphy of

Taylor-Schmidtke

Dr. and Mrs. William Gibson Taylor of Macon, Georgia, announce the engagement of their daughter, Caroline Elizabeth Taylor, to Stuart Gerald Schmidtke, son of Mr. and Mrs Brian Gerald Schmidtke of Vestavia Hills.

The bride-elect is the granddaugh-

Weddings & Engagements Birmingham. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Wright of Gadsden.

Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a Justin Alexander gown of ivory Alencon lace and tulle.

It was a fit and flare gown with a soft sweetheart neckline and lace straps.

The back was highlighted with a racer back, tulle covered buttons to the end of the zipper and a chapellength train. She wore a cathedrallength veil trimmed in lace.

Denise Osterbuhr attended the bride as maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Lauren Humphreys, Shelley Lauderdale and Kara Kachurak.

Flower girls were Henley Carney and Brooke Murphy.

The father of the groom served as best man. Groomsmen were Adrian Leach, Michael Campbell, Chris Campbell and Alex Short.

After a honeymoon trip to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, the couple live in Calera. ter of Mrs. William Eugene Shreve of Alexander City and the late Mr. Shreve and of Mr. and Mrs. William Zack Taylor of Cumming, Georgia.

Miss Taylor is a graduate of First Presbyterian Day School in Macon and Auburn University, where she was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. She is also a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Physician Assistant Studies Program. Miss Taylor is employed with GI Specialists of Georgia.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. James Burnett Sloan of High Point, North Carolina, and the late Mr. Sloan and of the late Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Ewald Schmidtke of Schoolcraft, Michigan.

Mr. Schmidtke is a graduate of Vestavia Hills High School and Auburn University, where he was a member of Farmhouse Fraternity. He is employed with The Structor Group in Atlanta.

The wedding will be April 9.

Larimer-Mills

Lindsay Alane Larimer and Jonathan David Mills were married June 27 at Brookwood Baptist Church in Mountain Brook. The Rev. Timothy Wayne Clark of Brookwood Baptist Church officiated the 6 p.m. ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dean Larimer of Mountain Brook. She is the granddaughter of Ms. May Travis Tidwell Quinn and the late Mr. James Clayton Quinn of Oneonta and the late Mr. and Mrs. George Harold Larimer of Hueytown.

Mrs. Mills is a 2004 graduate of Mountain Brook High School and a 2008 graduate of the University of Alabama, where she received a bachelor’s degree in public relations and English. She is an alumna of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, a member of the Junior League of Birmingham and a Realtor with ARC Realty.

To have our wedding & engagement forms sent to you, call 823-9646.

Johnson-Hauser

Ellen Crenshaw Johnson and Edgar Rhodes Hauser III were married on May 30 at the Farrior Place, the Crenshaw family farm, in Fort Deposit. The 5:30 p.m., outdoor ceremony was officiated by the Rev. Murray Wesley Lee. An outdoor reception followed the ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of Mrs. Harriet Crenshaw Johnson of Montgomery and Mr. and Mrs. William Sigler Johnson of Greenville. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Henry Farrior

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. David Terry Mills of Tuscaloosa.

He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Gene Crowder and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Travis Mills, all of Tuscaloosa.

Mr. Mills is a 2004 graduate of Northridge High School in Tuscaloosa and a 2009 graduate of the University of Alabama, where he received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and is an alumnus of Kappa Alpha Order.

Mr. Mills is a professional engineer with the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Given in marriage by her parents, the bride was escorted by her father and wore a Romona Keveza, off-theshoulder ivory and natural white gown made of point d’espirit lace, featuring a mermaid skirt made of English tulle over Chantilly lace. Her cathedrallength veil was tulle and lace. She carried a bouquet of orchids, hydrangeas and white roses wrapped with a pale blue linen handkerchief belonging to her great-grandmother Mrs. Francis “Margie” Gillespie Tidwell Sr. The bride was attended by Kelley McKaig Rogers of Huntsville as matron of honor and Sarah Israel Levey of Birmingham and Fairhope as maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Bonnie Scott Fair, Kathryn McWane Gaston and Elizabeth Barclay Nelson, all of Birmingham; Leigh Pleva Riley of New Orleans; Kirsten Nicole Stevenson and Emily Anne Troncale of New York City; and Lauren Smith Sullivan of Montgomery.

Tristan Quinn Nelson, cousin of the bride, of Birmingham was the flower girl.

The father of the groom was the best man. Groomsmen were Cole Sullivan Burkhalter, Jarrod Lance Lucas and Charles Gilbert Wolbach III of Tuscaloosa; Taylor Wesley Fitzgerald of Tyler, Texas; Jonathan Tyler Hunt and Mark Parish McBrayer of Montgomery; Matthew Raymond Leigh of Birmingham; and Samuel Edward Noble Jr. of Scottsboro. Luke Dennis Shinogle, cousin of the groom, of Katy, Texas, was the ring bearer.

Jonathan Wilson Taylor of Huntsville served as usher. Program attendants were Alieze Drake Roberts and Julianna Louise Vaughn of Birmingham.

Music before and during the ceremony was provided by well-known violinist Karis Lamb Wilson of the Lamb Family of Tuscaloosa, who was accompanied on piano by Holly Burroughs. Melinda Dressler of Birmingham was organist.

Dining and dancing followed at Vestavia Country Club. The classic Southern wedding reception and supper featured wedding and groom’s cakes by Barb’s Cakes and was highlighted with a gold and antique silver candelabra.

Flowers for the wedding and reception were from Hot House Designs, and the wedding coordinator was Melissa Juliano Donaldson. Wedding reception music was provided by performance and dance band Azziz of Atlanta.

Following a honeymoon trip to the Sugar Beach Viceroy Resort in St. Lucia, the couple live in Vestavia Hills.

Crenshaw and the late Mr. Crenshaw of Montgomery, formerly of Fort Deposit, the late retired Col. and Mrs. Armistead Robison Harper of Monroeville and Camden and the late Mr. Arthur Leslie Johnson Sr. of Camden.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Rhodes Hauser Jr. of Livingston. He is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Will Nichols Davis of Livingston and the late Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Rhodes Hauser of Birmingham.

Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore her sister’s gown.

The strapless ivory silk satin gown featured a fitted bodice with a semifull skirt and a chapel-length train, which was bustled. For the ceremony and reception, the bride wore a hiplength Alencon lace jacket with cap sleeves. The jacket was accented with an ivory satin sash tied at the waist. Her single-tier, elbow length veil was bordered with Alencon lace to complement her jacket.

She carried a large bouquet of white peonies, white garden roses, pink hydrangeas, blue hydrangeas, white lisianthus and salai wrapped with an ivory ribbon. She also carried heirloom handkerchiefs belong-

ing to the groom’s late maternal and paternal grandmothers.

The bride’s sister, Elizabeth Johnson Thornley, served as matron of honor. Bridesmaids were Elizabeth Crum Davis, Frances Redden Morris, Barton Crenshaw Crum, Madelynn Scott Griggers, Sydney Elizabeth Griggers, Katherine Branum Bourne, Emily Brown Cotney, Elizabeth Walter Stewart and Lucile Waller Rey. The groom’s brother-in-law, Lee Thomas Ozmint, served as best man.

Groomsmen were William Thomas Ozmint, Jonathan Pace Ozmint, Carl Martin Adams IV, David Grant Buck, Lewis Clifford Cole, Robert James Hayes, William Marbury McCullough, Thomas Lambert Powell, John Clinton Jacobs, Andrew John Roberts, Thomas Bass Smith and Kelly Kirkpatrick Stephens.

Children participating in the wedding were Margaret Hall Thornley, Mary Allison Hayes, Mary Alton Kenerly and Edgar Anderson Stephens. Program attendants were Marlyn Grace Jackson and Molly Martin Stephens. Scripture was read

by Kathryn Crenshaw Kay. After a honeymoon trip to Greece, the couple live in Birmingham.

will be on location offering cake and food tastings, wedding gowns and trends in invitations, floral design and gift registry.

This year’s event also includes a runway fashion show and champagne toast to debut the hottest gowns for 2016. Fashion show sponsors include

Bella’s Bridal and Formal, The Something Blue Shoppe and Bella Couture.

The event will be from 1-4 p.m. For more information and to pre-register for swag bags, visit www.SoHoBridalShow. com. Tickets are available at the door for $15. ❖

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 25

Weddings & Engagements

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

The Blue Willow

Bromberg’s For high quality and luxury jewelry, Birmingham residents can come to Bromberg’s, one of America’s oldest family owned businesses for fine jewelry, watches, custom jewelry design, premier bridal registry and giftware.

“We are Alabama’s oldest business,” said Ricky Bromberg. “We have been retailers since 1836. One could say we have more experience in the wedding registry business than anyone else around today.

“We offer the largest and finest selection of china, crystal and silver in the Southeast, and so much more! We also offer brides many incentives such as our gift card system and completion program, discounts on wedding bands and attendants’ gifts and a free gift when you register. And that’s not all—when a bride receives or purchases seven place settings they get the eighth one free!”

Bromberg’s is located at 2800 Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook, 871-3276, and 131 Summit Blvd. at The Summit, 969-1776.

“We have been retailers since 1836. One could say we have more experience in the wedding registry business than anyone else around today.”

“The Blue Willow is the ultimate one-stop shop for those who want to add a touch of Southern charm to their life and home,” said owner Anna Barnes, pictured below.

From home décor and gifts to jewelry and unique baby items, The Blue Willow has some of the area’s most fabulous finds and well-known product lines, she said.

“It’s the perfect place to find a heartfelt gift for any wedding, birthday, baby shower, hostess gift or when you might just want a little something special for yourself,” she said.

The Blue Willow offers monogramming, etching, engraving and personalization to transform a gift into something extraordinary.

“Knowing that a bride’s wedding day is one of the most important days in her life, The Blue Willow strives to make it even more memorable,” she said. “Our bridal consultants are there every step of the way.”

The Blue Willow makes registering a piece of cake and offers brides a wide selection of dinnerware and pottery, unique accessories to coordinate with place settings and one-of-a-kind home decor pieces to personalize the couple’s new home, Barnes said.

“We also offer 10 percent off all hostess/bridesmaids’ gifts and items left on a registry after the wedding, free gift wrapping for purchased gifts and a $25 Blue Willow gift card for bride referrals.”

The Blue Willow is located at 3930 Crosshaven Drive, 968-0909.

The Birmingham Zoo

“Are you looking for a beautiful and unique venue for your upcoming event? The Birmingham Zoo can accommodate 10 to 1,000 guests in one of our numerous rental facilities,” said Special Events Manager Lindsey and Special Events Coordinator Kendal Overton, pictured above, from left.

“With accommodations ranging from the Zoo Lodge, a rustic stone cottage in the woods, to a night under the stars in the Trails of Africa Safari Peak, the Birmingham Zoo offers a truly unforgettable experience for both you and your guests.

“The Zoo also offers event extras including animal demonstrations, greetings and walkabouts that are sure to create a truly extraordinary event experience,” Coley said. “By hosting your event at the Birmingham Zoo, you are helping to fulfill the Zoo’s mission of inspiring passion for the natural world.”

The Birmingham Zoo is located at 2630 Cahaba Road, Birmingham, 397-3859.

ricky bromberg, Bromberg’s

Experts on:

Happily Ever After 3930 Crosshaven Drive 968-0909 www.thebluewillow.com Find us on facebook

Looking for a truly unique space for your next event? The Birmingham Zoo is your perfect venue.

With catering options ranging from African safari to formal elegance, we can help make your event a success. The Zoo also offers event extras including animal demonstrations, non-profit discounts, audio/visual equipment and much more.

Hurry, venues are booking fast!

Call 205-397-3859 or send an email to specialevents@birminghamzoo.com for more information and to book your event today!

birminghamzoo.com

26 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

Weddings & Engagements

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Sprout A Flower Market...

Vulcan Park and Museum

Testamonial by Ebony Kerlin.

Levy’s Fine Jewelry

“We also have a large modern bridal area,” Denaburg said. “There are so many different styles such as classic Tiffany settings, halo settings, vintage reproductions and many others. We “Levy’s Fine Jewelry is the largest estate have rings set with a diamond already or you can and antique jewelry dealer in the Southeast. We specialize in estate, antique and modern jewelry,” choose from one of the many semi mountings that allows you to choose the size diamond you said Jared Nadler, above left, with his mother Rhoda Link and cousin Todd Denaburg, members want for the center. If we don’t have exactly what you are looking for or you would like to alter of the family that has owned the business since one of the designs you have seen, one of our four 1922. award- winning jewelers can help you design “Our bridal selection is extensive,” Nadler whatever may be the perfect ring for you. We said. “We have rings dating back to the Victorian guarantee that you will leave feeling ecstatic in era. The older rings are so beautifully made with your choice and that once you propose, she will such intricate detailing done by hand. Made with be the envy of all her friends. filigree detailing or engraving, each is a one-of“Our motto has always been ‘It’s Like Having a-kind piece. The rings from the Art Deco era are a Relative in the Jewelry Business’ and the reaedgy and bold, have sharp lines and use different son is, because we like to think all of our customcolor combinations such as onyx, sapphire or ers are an extension of our family. Our trained emerald. We also have gorgeous estate wedding GIA staff works to give you the information you bands with beautiful engraving. Some of these need to find works Market... best for her lifestyle and still have wedding dates or names of the couple Sprout A what Flower your wallet.” engraved on the inside, which makes them so Testamonial by Ebony Kerlin. special. With these pieces you get to imagine "I'm not Fine reallyJewelry into flowers, myatthumb isn't Levy’s is located 2116 Second what the women who had them before were like green, I can hardly tell the difference Ave N.,and Birmingham, 251-3381. and make up your own story.” between a rose and a tulip. So when it came time to chose flowers for my wedding I wanted two things: something pretty and someone local.

"I got both of those things from Faye Wolfe at Sprout Flower Market.

"As a resident of Homewood, I had driven by Sprout a few times and finally decided to stop in and have a consultation about my wedding. I was greeted by the owner, Faye, (pictured above) who immediately stopped what she was doing to help me. I was sold.

"I met with her and her designers, Bradley Gilbert and Alan Bailey, a few other times and every meeting was fun, but also very professional, but what stood out the most for me was For over Levy’sopen hashouse and the time I was90 outyears, at a business Faye was there as well.

I had a pressing been Birmingham's Specialist question about centerpieces and Faye, once again stopped in Antique and toEstate what she was doing look atJewelry pictures with me andaseven make suggestions. well as Fine Diamonds, "To have my special day be special to someand one else Art as well hasAntiques. not only made me a loyal customer but also a flower lover.

"Thanks Faye!"

Sprout A Flower Market... is located at 521 Palisades Dr, Ste C, Homewood, 533-9006.

“I’m not really into flowers, my thumb isn’t green, and I can hardly tell the difference between a rose and a tulip. So when it came time to chose flowers for my wedding I wanted two things: something pretty and someone local.

“I got both of those things from Faye Wolfe at Sprout Flower Market.

“As a resident of Homewood, I had driven by Sprout a few times and finally decided to stop in and have a consultation about my wedding. I was greeted by the owner, Faye, (pictured above) who immediately stopped what she was doing to help me. I was sold.

“I met with her and her designers, Bradley Gilbert and Alan Bailey, a few other times and every meeting was fun, but also very professional, but what stood out the most for me was the time I was out at a business open house and Faye was there as well. I had a pressing question about centerpieces and Faye, once again stopped what she was doing to look at pictures with me and even make suggestions.

“To have my special day be special to someone else as well has not only made me a loyal customer but also a flower lover.

“Thanks Faye!”

Sprout A Flower Market... is located at 521 Palisades Dr., Ste. C, Homewood, 533-9006.

Vulcan Park and Museum is an iconic cultural institution providing a unique venue for weddings and events. With its woodsy landscape and stunning views of the city, it has been the scene of many first dates, first kisses and marriage proposals, as well as offering a variety of romantic settings for wedding ceremonies.

“Vulcan Park and Museum has become one of Birmingham’s most celebrated wedding venues, thanks to beautiful, spacious indoor banquet rooms and scenic outdoor spaces that offer breathtaking views from atop Red Mountain,” said Morgan Berney, director of marketing and public relations, pictured above.

“In addition to our private event space, we also offer a truly unique experience on Valentine’s Day, ‘I Do with A View,’ our annual package creating a beautiful and hassle-free wedding experience.

“We have been working with brides and grooms since the reopening of Vulcan Park and Museum in 2004. When planning your big day, consider a venue that will be uniquely memorable to your guests. We have all of that and more.”

Vulcan Park and Museum is located at 1701 Valley View Drive, Birmingham, 933-1409.

To have my special day be special to someone else as well has not only made me a loyal customer but also a flower lover.

Thank you!

- Ebony Kerlin

521 Palisades Drive, Suite C - Homewood www.sproutflower.market • facebook: SproutFlowerMarket instagram: sproutflowermarket

533-9006 • We Deliver!

I Do with aView 2.14.16

Say “I Do” or renew your wedding vows at Vulcan® Park and Museum!

To: From:

Faye Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 Jan. 14

2116 2nd Avenue North • (205) 251-3381 Date:

www.levysfinejewelry.com

Valentine’s Day wedding packages are now available for purchase.

Day time packages are $500 ($4,000 value).

Sunset package is $1500 ($5,500 value).

Call 205-933-1409 x31 or go to visitvulcan.com to learn more details or to make your reservation.

This is your AD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTAiN JOurNAl for the Participating vendors include: Jan. 14, 2016 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

Please make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number!

Please initial and fax back within 24 hours.

if we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.

Thank you for your prompt attention.

line.

“Todd and I both look back on that as one of the most unique experiences in our lives thus far,” Megan said. “The second line ended when we arrived at The Riverview Room in JAX brewery on the Mississippi River, where the reception was held.”

Megan said their reception was a vision of light gold, champagne, deep purple and teal.

“I really wanted the flowers and décor to be special and luxurious and I trusted our wedding planner, Emily Sullivan, the owner of Get Polished

new or leans,

Photo special to the Journal

From page 22

The two returned to New Orleans to tie the knot on Aug. 15. Megan and her bridesmaids stayed at the Omni Royal Hotel, where they were able to enjoy one another’s company as well as a balcony that overlooked the church where the ceremony would take place later that evening. The groom and his party got ready in a similar room before the two converged for photos and a first look in the Quarter.

The bridal party and relatives then traveled to the Saint Louis Cathedral in horse-drawn carriages before the 7 p.m. ceremony.

“We pulled up to the church and gathered (to) pray before the processional,” she said. “My father and I had always dreamed of the moment when he’d walk me down the aisle and even in our attempt to ‘feel the time’ – a favorite phrase my dad taught me – it felt like we were in a dream. I always thought I would be a nervous wreck standing at the altar in front of so many people, but once the moment arrived everything felt so right.”

After the ceremony, which was officiated by Todd’s step-uncle, Monsignor Henry Grieg, a brass band was waiting to lead the couple and their guests in a second line parade.

The second line is a Cajun tradition in which people celebrate by dancing down the street to music.

Traditionally, the bride and groom lead the line and the participants wave handkerchiefs. The Ledets gave each of their guests a handkerchief with their new initials to wave during the parade and they each carried a handdecorated umbrella as they led the

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 27

Weddings & Engagements

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Events, to bring our vision to life,” she said. “She exceeded my expectations by turning a blank canvas of a room into something out of a dream.

“One of our favorite parts of New Orleans is all of the quaint courtyards tucked away in the quarter. Our venue was on the fourth floor and therefore did not have a courtyard, rather it had multiple balconies. One of the balconies was turned into a courtyard, complete with greenery and a fountain, while the others had lounge furniture and upholstered tables.”

The newly christened Ledets enjoyed their first dance to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” before inviting the rest of their guests to join in on

the reception fun. They spent the majority of their night on the dance floor before guests sent them off with LSU and Alabama-themed shakers.

In true New Orleans fashion, an after party after the after party was hosted at a local bar and carried into the night.

“The attention to detail in the décor was spectacular,” Megan said.

“Our wedding planner really worked with us to make sure every ‘i’ was dotted and ‘t’ crossed. The woman who did our paper products for the wedding was so creative; during our first meeting she took inspiration from the elements of New Orleans that we loved and worked that into our stationary, which had wrought iron (decoration) throughout that was drawn from various pictures I took of balconies and structures in the quarter.

“To be able to use New Orleans as the backdrop of the wedding made everything feel magical, and because most people came in from out of town, we were able to spend so much quality time together, particularly my bridesmaids and relatives.”

As their New Orleans dream wedding drew to a close, the Ledets traveled to the British Virgin Islands, where they spent time relaxing and

decompressing at a private resort before returning to their home in Houston, where Megan now works at the The Menninger Clinic. ❖

Attic Antiques Antiques • Vintage Industrial

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5299 Valleydale Road, Suite 111 980-9030 southeasternjewelers.net (1/4 mile off 280)

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To: From: Date: Over 40 Years Barbara & Buzz Manning

Renee Over The Mountain Journal, 205-823-9646 ph., 205-824-1246, fax October

satur day Janu ar y 3oth fr om 9am - 2pm

This is your ad proof from the over the mountain Journal for the november 5, 2015 issue. Please contact your sales representative as soon as possible to approve your ad or make changes. You may fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

Cahaba Grand Conference Center

Please make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number!

To: From: Date:

Save BiG WiTh aaa - Explore a world of travel adventures and savings at the AAA Alabama Travel please and fax within 24will hours.

Show. Representatives from cruise lines, tour companies, hotels,initial attractions, andback tourist boards If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, be on hand to answer your questions. There will be travel seminars going allis.day give you aMonday. chance your ad will run as We to print the paper Babara to learn about 2016's top travel destinations and how you can save onfor youryour vacations.

Thank you prompt attention.

Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 January

This is your AD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTAiN JOurNAl for the January 14, 2016 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

Please make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number!

Please initial and fax back within 24 hours.

if we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.

Thank you for your prompt attention.

28 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

schools

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Keepin’ it Wheel

Vestavia Hills School Board Names Assistant Superintendent The Vestavia Hills Board of Education approved Jane-Marie Marlin for the position of assistant school superintendent during its Dec. 17 meeting.

Marlin has served as one of the district’s directors of curriculum and instruction since 2013. In that role, Jane-Marie she oversaw the Marlin development of curriculum for students and professional learning opportunities for teachers. Her résumé includes more than 25 years of experience as an English teacher, debate coach and staff development specialist at schools in Mountain Brook and Guntersville. She is a National Board certified teacher and holds three degrees from the University of Alabama and administrative certification from Samford University.

“Jane-Marie is well-versed in all areas of teaching and learning and has been instrumental in improving the level of professional conversations within our school district,” Vestavia Hills Superintendent Sheila Phillips said.

“I’m pleased about the possibilities this collaborative effort will provide as we continue to focus on the work we do on behalf of our students and families.”

Gwen Elementary Students Perform on Unicycles

They say once you learn how to ride a bicycle, you never forget. But does the same apply to unicycles?

Just ask the kids at Gwin Elementary School in Hoover.

Almost a decade ago, a Gwin Elementary teacher discovered a surplus of unicycles in the school’s storage and decided to use them.

Since then leadership of the Unicycle Team has changed hands several times, and this year teacher Erica Farnham has taken over.

“We’re all kind of learning together,” Farnham said. “We’re kind of in transition right now trying to figure out where the team is going to go and what we want the future to look like.”

The team, which is composed of about 10 children, is an audition-only group.

“In order to make the club, they start out riding the Pedalos, which kind of resemble hoverboards,” Farnham said. “So they have to learn to balance on that first and then they can move on to the unicycles. Once they can ride so many laps

Journal photo by Emily Williams; Stock

By Kaitlin Candelaria

Front, from left: Colin Kennedy, Gavin Patton, Walker Cole and Olivia Deery. Back: William Harding-Smith, Will Lawrence, Bear Gregory, Christian McLeod and Samuel Schmidt.

around the gym, they’ve made the team.”

The team meets twice a week before school in the fall to practice riding skills. They have several opportunities to perform throughout the year, including a performance at Hoover High School, performances at Samford’s basketball games and a performance during International Day. “It definitely works on their balance and coordination and teamwork because a lot of the little tricks they do like partner turns and pinwheels require them to all line up and hold hands, so they have to figure out when to peddle faster and

slower,” she said. “I like it because it forces them to talk and communicate with each other and it builds that sense of collaboration and team work.

It’s kind of a badge of honor for the kids.”

Farnham said it’s also a great opportunity for her to see the student’s leadership skills as they start to emerge. However, despite all of that, she said the kids definitely still have a lot of fun.

“It impresses me that they’re able to do all of this even though they’re all so young,” she said.

“But they’re still kids and they’re still going to be silly and cut up.” ❖

HHS Student Chosen for State Farm Board

Photo special to the Journal

Homewood High School senior Kendall Wulbrun has been selected from hundreds of applicants to be a member of the State Farm Advisory Board for 2016.

Thirty-one students from across the United States and Canada comprise the State Farm Youth Advisory Board. Kendall was one of 15 new members selected this year.

They are charged with helping State Farm design and implement a $5 million-a-year signature service-learning initiative to address issues important to State Farm and communities across the United States. The Youth Advisory Board and State Farm embark on several service-learning projects each year countrywide.

OLS eighth-grade students spread holiday cheer by visiting with residents and decorating doors at Mount Royal Towers in December.

OLS Students Help Less Fortunate for the Holidays

1401 22ND STREET SOUTH, BIRMINGHAM, AL

WWW.SAINTROSEACADEMY.COM

This holiday season, the students and faculty of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School contributed to a variety of organizations to help those in need.

Three- and four-year-old students collected new toys, and kindergarten and first-grade students collected toiletries for underprivileged children to be distributed by the Catholic Center of Concern, a faith-based organization working in the Birmingham area.

Second-grade students collected winter socks for the eighth-grade students to deliver to some of the residents at Mount Royal Towers, a senior living community in the Birmingham area.

Third-graders collected food for the Comunità Cenacolo America community

in Hanceville, Alabama. It is a part of the international Comunità Cenacolo, Community of the Cenacle, which helps men and women in need rebuild their lives.

Fourth- and fifth-graders collected monetary donations and gift cards to help an OLS parishioner family.

Through Hands On Birmingham, an organization that creates opportunities for individuals to volunteer, lead and learn in local communities, sixth- and seventh-grade students acted as “Santa’s Helpers” by sorting and distributing donated toys for the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots.

Eighth-grade students participated in two projects. Students visited residents of Mount Royal Towers and distributed socks, decorated residents’ doors, painted some of the residents’ fingernails and sang Christmas songs.

Mika Marriot

Hall-Kent Student Wins Poster Contest Mika Marriot, a fourth-grader at HallKent Elementary, recently won a poster contest hosted by the Jefferson County Commission.

The contest was part of a week-long event presented by the commission to highlight farmers, business leaders, politicians and students across Alabama coming together for National Farm-City week. The event takes place the week before Thanksgiving.

This year’s theme for the event was “Agriculture: Sustaining Future Generations.” The poster contest asked students to consider their ties to agriculture.

For her winning poster, Marriot received $100 during a ceremony at the Hyatt Regency-Wynfrey Hotel. Her teacher also was awarded $100 for classroom use. Her poster will now be sent to Montgomery to be entered in a state level competition.

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 29

schools

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Holocaust Exhibit Travels to John Carroll The John Carroll Catholic High School social science department sponsored a Holocaust exhibit, “Darkness Into Life: Alabama Holocaust Survivors Through Photography and Art,” from the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center.

World history teacher Mike Gadilhe works with the center and obtained the exhibit for display at John Carroll from Nov. 6 to Dec. 3.

It was first displayed in the commons to coincide with the drama department’s production of “Anne Frank.” According to school officials, the stories portrayed through the artwork helped provide context about the Holocaust for those attending the play.

The exhibit was next displayed in the library to coincide with a speech by Dr. Robert May. He spoke to students in John Carroll’s Holocaust class, as well as students in world history classes.

May was born in Camberg, Germany, and was on the Kindertransport that took Jewish children to Great Britain. He described how Germany became increasingly dangerous for Jews and showed pictures of the damage to his family’s store and synagogue after the 1938 attacks that became known as Kristallnacht. His parents and brothers also survived the Holocaust and ultimately came to the U.S. “Education is most important,” May said. “No one can take that away from you.”

May’s daughter, Ann Mollengarden, is executive vice president of the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center.

Vestavia Hills Dance Teacher Selected for National Pilot Project

should learn when studying the arts and how educators can teach and assess their learning,” Marlin said.

Lenhart said the standards put into practice in her classroom will give educators a firsthand look at possibilities for K-12 dance classes.

“The focus now will be on studentcreated work rather than teachercreated work,” Lenhart said. “The goal is not necessarily to prepare students to be professional dancers, but to foster their creativity, prepare them to work with other people in the real world and to be quick problem solvers.

“My job as their dance teacher is to give them the tools to do just that,” she said.

From left: Counselors Kenya Bledsoe, Elaine Haskins, Whitney Voltz and Delisa Brooks with Dr. Zachary Barnes, principal. Not pictured is counselor Alison Hill.

From Left: Jennifer Isbell, Terry Xie, Dr. Gregory Jeane, Ryan Conn and Thomas Wade.

Conn Wins LPMS Geographic Bee Ryan Conn, an 8th grade student at Liberty Park Middle School, won the school competition of the National Geographic Bee Dec. 2 and a chance at a $50,000 college scholarship. The school bee, at which students answered questions on geography, was the first round in the 28th annual National Geographic Bee. Thousands of schools around the United States and in the five U.S. territories are participating in the 2016 bee. The school champions, including Ryan, will take a qualifying test, along with 100 of the top scorers in the state in order to be eligible to compete in the Alabama State bee at Samford University on April 1.

The National Geographic Society will provide an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. for state winners to participate in the national championship rounds May 22-25.

The first place national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship and a lifetime membership in the Society, including a subscription to National Geographic magazine and a National Geographic Expeditions trip to a national park in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

Faith Lenhart’s classroom at Vestavia Hills High School will soon give arts teachers across America a glimpse into the future.

Lenhart, a dance teacher and chair of the school’s performing arts department, is one of 15 dance teachers nationwide selected for the Model Cornerstone Assessment Pilot Project. The project gives Lenhart the opportunity to teach her students using Faith Lenhart new instructional standards.

LegaL Notice It’s a well-timed project, according to In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, noLenhart, as work to update Alabama’s tice is herby given that Golden Sands General Contractors has comcurriculum standards for the arts began pleted the contract for Vestavia Hills Elementary - Toilet Renovation this month. at 2109 Tyson Drive, Vestavia Hills, Al 35216 for the State of Alabama “Our state standards for arts and the city of Vestavia Hills and have made request for final settleeducation have not been updated ment of said contract. All persons having any claim for labor, materisince 2006,” Lenhart said. “These new als, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately standards will show Alabama and other notify Lathan Associates Architects P.C. 1550 Woods of Riverchase states what true dance education should look like.”

Dr. Suite 200 Hoover, AL 35244, architect; Golden Sands General State standards act as a guide for Contractors, 4295 Brogdon Exchange NE Suwanee GA 30024. teachers in each subject by setting expectations for what students should know and be able to do, according to Jane-Marie Marlin, Vestavia Hills City Schools assistant superintendent.

Send your school news to: editorial@otmj.com “Our students will fine-tune To: their craft Wes while helping to define what students From: Over The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646, fax 205-824-1246

Date:

Photo special to the Journal

Holocaust survivor Dr. Robert May spoke to John Carroll students in Nov. following the school’s recent production of “Anne Frank.”

The Guidance Department at Homewood High School recently received the bronze Rave award.

Rave – which stands for recognition of accountability, verification and excellence – is sponsored by the Alabama School Counseling Association and supported by the Alabama Department of Education.

The Rave program promotes the implementation of American School Counselor Association national standards and the comprehensive counseling and guidance model for Alabama public schools.

The department is made up of Kenya Bledsoe, Delisa Brooks, Elaine Haskins, Alison Hill, Whitney Voltz and Dr. Zachary Barnes, principal.

Photo special to the Journal

Photo special to the Journal

Homewood High Guidance Department Receives Award

Hilltop Montessori School Now Enrolling

For the 2016-2017 School Year Serving 18 months through 8th grade Accredited by AdvancED, SAIS and AMS Call to schedule a tour, 437-9343 • www.hilltopmontessori.com

Jan. 2016 This is your aD prOOF from the Over The MOunTain JOurnal for the

sports

basketb all,

Austin Wiley scored 28 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, blocked six shots and performed as many crowd-pleasing dunks as you’re likely to see in an NBA game.

Ben McCool, below, scored 15 points for the visiting Spartans.

From page 32

spain par k, From page 32

the leaders of a young Jaguar team composed of only underclassmen.

Through the end of last week, Rivers – who wrestles at 106 pounds – had compiled a 19-7 varsity record, earning 211.50 points for his team.

He won his weight class title at the Huntsville Invitational and the Alexandria Valley Club Tournament.

He also earned three pins, a tech fall and a decision on the way to a thirdplace finish in the Mountain Brook Spartan Invitational Tournament.

Rivers is also undefeated at the junior varsity level, claiming his weight class crown in the Hewitt-Trussville Blalock event.

Pudlick is equally impressive.

Weighing 113 pounds, he is 13-7 in varsity competition and 2-0 in junior

Homewood Seniors Sign Scholarships

More photos at otmjsports.com

Homewood High School senior Elysa Griffin, above, signed a track and field scholarship to the University of South Alabama on Nov. 13. She has been an individual state champion, a member of the All-State team for the past three years and helped lead the Lady Patriots to two state championships. Her family attended her signing as well.

Also joining Griffin on Nov. 13 signing for a scholarship was Homewood senior Wyatt Harrison, below, who signed a swimming scholarship to the University of Alabama. His family attended the signing as well as the University of Alabama swimming coach.

Meredith Signs with Tennessee Journal photos by Marvin Gentry

6A title in 2015-16. The Patriot boys are perennial Final Four contenders.

Longtime Vestavia Hills boys coach George Hatchett has two state titles under his belt. John Carroll Catholic was a dominant program a decade ago. The Hoover girls program has been one of the state’s best for years.

Despite the evidence, the image persists statewide that basketball plays second-fiddle to football and perhaps even soccer in this area.

Anyone who braved the cold weather and the crowd to attend the Spain Park-Mountain Brook game last Friday night knows that the notion of basketball as a stepchild is nonsense. You would be hard-pressed to find a better, more electric excitement for basketball at most college games. And there might not be many better teams in the state than the Jaguars and Spartans.

The players themselves seemed to appreciate the significance of the evening.

“It was crazy,” Spain Park’s Johnson said. “The atmosphere was great and the fans were great.

Mountain Brook is great, too. It was a fantastic game.”

From the Spartans’ standpoint, the good news is that they will get a chance to fight again. The game ended with a to-be-continued feeling in the air, as Mountain Brook probably did not play its best game defensively and would normally expect to get more points out of Kline. The best news for players and fans alike is that they won’t have to wait long for the rematch; Spain Park will go to the Spartans’ gym on Jan. 19. You might want to get there early.

Of course, the second regular season game may not be the end of the story. It’s quite possible that the pair could meet a third time in the Class 7A Area 6 tournament and, with a break or two, even square off again at a neutral site in the Northeast Regionals.

Some basketball critics think that teams meeting multiple times during a year can diminish the meaning of the regular season. There is a case to be made for that view, but

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Photos special to the Journal

30 • Thursday, January 14, 2016

when it comes to Spain Park versus Mountain Brook, the fans can’t get enough of a good thing. And that’s

good news for everybody – and for Over the Mountain basketball in particular. ❖

varsity action, winning his division at the Blalock Tournament. Pudlick also claimed a pin and two decisions in the 120-pound class in the Mountain Brook Invitational.

The pair also showed their abilities in the prestigious Hoover Scott Rohrer Tournament last weekend, which features top teams from the entire state. Rivers and Pudlick were the only Jaguars that medaled, earning sixth and fourth in their respective weight classes. Pudlick earned 76 team points and Rivers added 68.

While Rivers and Pudlick are freshmen, they are hardly strangers to Spain Park wrestling.

“Two years ago, we began to integrate the (Berry) middle school into the program,” said Jaguar coach Ryan Thompson. “So although it’s Jack and Gavin’s first year as varsity wrestlers, it’s really their third year to wrestle with us.”

Not only are there no seniors on Spain Park’s team, but the entire roster is made up of freshmen and sophomores.

“We obviously have a very young team and they are progressing well,” Thompson said. “Jack and Gavin have been our most successful wrestlers so far, earning the most placements.”

Thompson also likes their leadership skills. “Both Jack and Gavin show a genuine love for the sport,” he said. “They come to practice every day with a great attitude and are looked up to as leaders by their peers.”

Rivers entered wrestling almost as a reluctant warrior. “I started in seventh grade after I didn’t make the soccer team,” he recalled. “My dad suggested I try wrestling. At first I didn’t want to go, but went anyway.

Then I started wrestling year-round and loved it.”

Mary Caroline Meredith, pictured left, of Vestavia Hills signed a four year scholarship to play tennis at the University of Tennessee. Meredith, who is home schooled, is the daughter of John and Robin Meredith of Liberty Park.

Rivers isn’t shy about his goal for the season. “I want to win the state championship,” he said. “Anytime I win, it’s special so I don’t really have a highlight so far. But winning the state would be the best.”

Participating on a team without juniors and seniors is unusual, but Rivers said he and his teammates take it in stride. “It’s kind of weird,” he said. “Most teams have older guys to lean on for leadership. We don’t have that, and it makes things different.

But we’re doing OK.” Pudlick began wrestling as an elementary school student growing up in Ohio and fell in love with the sport immediately.

“There is more participation in wrestling up there than here, but the quality is good in both places,” he said. “We moved down here when my family got relocated for a job and I picked up right where I left off.”

Pudlick said his goals for the season couldn’t necessarily be measured by trophies and victories.

“The main thing is to just work hard and get better,” he said. “I want to be the best wrestler I can every time I get on the mat. If I do that, it will be a good season.

Pudlick also said it was a rare experience not to have juniors or seniors as teammates, but the team was adapting.

“It’s been kind of rough not having them (upperclassmen) to look up to, so we just depend on each other,” he said.

“It’s working out fine.”

Other key wrestlers for Spain Park include freshmen Harry Shaull, Cameron Young, Caelan March, Jake Harrison, Ashton Nichols, Jacob Sharpe and sophomore Emmanuel Thuo.

The Jaguars are young and, as the saying goes, they are definitely getting better. ❖

Thursday, January 14, 2016 • 31

sports

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

shepler , helps us be successful. Our players have been willing to work hard and have believed in what we are doing here.”

Shepler said that, while the quality of basketball at the high school level has improved over the years, the things that motivate teenage athletes haven’t changed much.

“The skill level is higher because of the (Amateur Athletic Union) and other leagues,” he explained. “A lot of kids play all year now.

Culture overall has changed – and not necessarily for the better – but the kids themselves are very much the same. Some are excited just to be a part of a team. Others are very competitive and are driven to win. There’s always a certain mix to it.”

Shepler said that the style of play has become more aggressive since the early 1990s. “There’s more dribbling and less passing,” he said. “But good teams still win by playing solid defense.”

As the calendar turns to 2016, Shepler’s successful formula seems to be working. Homewood ended 2015 with a 17-3 record despite the graduation loss of all-state guard Malik Cook. The 17 wins include a 44-36 triumph over defending Class 7A champion Hoover and claiming the championship of the Rebel Classic at Vestavia Hills in addition to winning the Steel City Invitational.

“It’s hard to replace a player like Malik but we’ve got a good mixture of experience and we’re getting the job done so far,” Shepler said.

Luke Touliatos leads the Patriots in scoring, averaging 14 points per game. He also aver-

Journal photos by Mark Almond

From page 32

Patriot basketball coach Tim Shepler, celebrates winning the Steel City Invitational championship marking his 500th victory at the school, with Homewood students after the game.

ages three rebounds per contest. Touliatos was named Most Valuable Player of the Steel City Invitational.

Trey Jemison is the top rebounder, averaging five rebounds per game. Guard Austin Patterson averages 12 points and three rebounds. Other key Patriot contributors include Chris Miller, Logan Padgett, Peyton Brown, Ronald Claiborne and C.D. Daniels.

Homewood’s start has been impressive enough to make the Patriots one of the top-ranked teams in Class 6A. Despite Final Four appearances, Shepler has yet to capture a state title. Could 2015-16 be the year?

“Certainly that is a goal,” Shepler said.

“We’ve come close in the past. We just have to work to get better and be more competitive every night we play.”

At age 56, the Oral Roberts University graduate has no plans for retirement. “I’ve got kids in the ninth and eighth grade in the Homewood system and I want to be here for their graduation,” he said. “So I can see my horizon – it’s going to be at Homewood.”

While Shepler’s coaching record has been a model of consistency, there was a recent change in his household. After years of holding out, he finally purchased a cable television package for

Luke Touliatos leads the Patriots in scoring, averaging 14 points per game. He also averages three rebounds per contest. Touliatos was named Most Valuable Player of the Steel City Invitational.

his home about three months ago.

“For a long time, if there was a game that I really wanted to watch, I’d just make sure to be somewhere that had ESPN,” he said, laughing.

“There are a lot of great things on cable TV, but it can eat up all of your time if you’re not careful.

There are only about seven or eight channels that my wife and I actually watch. We bought a very small package.”

Tim Shepler’s television viewing habits may have slightly changed, but his devotion to coaching Homewood basketball has not. At the rate he’s going, it won’t be that long until Shepler and the Patriots are celebrating win number 600. ❖

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Thursday, January 14, 2016

the 500

Sports

Bama Bound Homewood’s Harrison to swim for Crimson Tide Page 30 lee davis

Crowd Noise

Jaguar-Spartans Confrontation Had Big-Time Atmosphere Spain Park and Mountain Brook weren’t playing for a state, regional or even an area basketball championship last

Shepler Reaches Milestone Victory as Homewood Keeps Winning

See spain par k, page 30

See basketball , page 30

By Lee Davis The next time Homewood basketball fans want to show their appreciation to coach Tim Shepler, they might want to thank Rand McNally.

That’s because a map might be the reason Shepler is coaching the Patriot boys team.

Three decades ago, Shepler was the head coach at Christian Life Academy in Baton Rouge and brought his team to Birmingham every year for UAB basketball camp. He made friends in the local coaching community, and eventually an opportunity came. Homewood needed a new basketball coach, and Shepler was interested.

“It was an easy decision to make,” Shepler recalled. “My

parents lived in Indiana, and Birmingham is five or six hours closer to their home than Baton Rouge. Homewood was a good fit.”

Over the past 26 years, neither Shepler nor Homewood has regretted his decision. Last month, the Patriots defeated defending Class 5A state champion J.O. Johnson of Huntsville 51-41 to win the prestigious Steel City Invitational, giving their coach his 500th victory at the school. Those wins, along with several Final Four appearances, have solidified his place as one of Alabama’s top high school basketball coaches.

“I’ve been fortunate,” Shepler said. “We’ve had great players and a good administration that See shepler , page 31

Young Life Freshman Wrestlers Help Lead Spain Park

By Lee Davis

Journal photo by Mark Almond

Most high school freshmen spend much of the school year finding their way through the hallways and counting the days until they get their learner’s driving permit.

That’s not the case for Spain Park wrestlers Jack Rivers and Gavin Pudlick.

As freshmen, Rivers and Pudlick already are

Friday night.

But a casual spectator would never have known it based on the intensity of the fans in the stands and the quality of the play on the court.

The home-standing Jaguars defeated the Spartans 77-65 in a Class 7A Area 6 battle that actually lived up to the hype that surrounded it.

Much of the pre-game conversation centered around Austin Wiley, Spain Park’s 6-foot-11-inch junior who already has committed to Auburn University, and Trendon Watford, Mountain Brook’s highly-touted freshman guard who had missed several games with an injury.

Both lived up to their billing.

Wiley scored 28 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, blocked six shots and performed as many crowd-pleasing dunks as you’re likely to see in an NBA game. Watford, considered by some to be potentially the greatest high school basketball player to ever come out of Alabama, countered with 28 points.

The Spartans jumped to an early lead, but the Jaguars moved to a twopoint advantage toward the end of the first half.

Mountain Brook played for the last shot in the final seconds before Spain Park’s Jamal Johnson, the son of former Alabama star Buck Johnson, stole a pass and raced to the basket to give his team a 32-28 halftime lead. Johnson’s heroics generated the momentum that carried the Jags through the third quarter and ultimately on to victory. He finished with 20 points.

Ben McCool added 15 points for the Spartans. Jack Kline, Mountain Brooks’ savvy senior leader, was held to only five.

Spain Park may have scored more points than Mountain Brook, but there were no losers at the Jaguars’ gymnasium that night. And there was one big winner – Over the Mountain basketball.

This area’s success in basketball in just the last three years has been nothing short of phenomenal, with Mountain Brook winning backto-back state crowns before Hoover claimed the blue trophy last season.

Homewood’s girls also claimed the Class

Last month, the Patriots defeated defending Class 5A state champion J.O. Johnson of Huntsville 51-41 to win the prestigious Steel City Invitational, giving their coach his 500th victory at the school. Those wins, along with several Final Four appearances, have solidified his place as one of Alabama’s top high school basketball coaches.

Spain Park’s Gavin Pudlick began wrestling as an elementary school student growing up in Ohio and fell in love with the sport immediately.

Photo special to the Journal