12.15.16

Here Comes Santa Claus!

Over the Mountain students share the joy of the season in our annual Holiday Cards section, filled with hundreds of original works of art. otmj cover art this year is by Jack Evans, a kindergarten student at Shades Cahaba Elementary in Homewood.

Holiday Cards section begins on page 26.

Thursday, december 15, 2016

2 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

Opinion/Contents

We Wish You A Very Merry Christmas and A Happy and Safe New Year!

Thank you for spending time with us this year!

We’ll return in 2017 with our first issue of the new year on Jan. 12.

murphy’s law

Holiday Card is by Kate Austin, a firstgrader at Mountain Brook Elementary.

See more cards beginning on page 26.

in this issue

all in the family People Page 8

good gifts life Page 14

Elegant evening social Page 18

bamawise Business Page 40

About Town 3 people 8 news 12 life 14 social 18

holiday cards 26 seniors 36 schools 39 business 40 sports 44

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.

S

Vol. 27, No. 9

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 mwald@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.

Wait

thinking of them as obstacles, but each tanding in line at the post office person was there, stuck in line limbo the other day, I was mentally just like I was. Why were they doing calculating how long it would it? The young girl with the sweater, who take before I reached the counter. There was she sending it to? The older woman were seven people ahead of me, some whose packages were neatly labeled and had packages and others didn’t, which double-taped, where were those packcould mean a quick book of stamps, the ages headed? Sisters, brothers, grandtime-consuming process of purchasing children? The tall stack of cards clasped a money order, or (please no) the need by the woman in red were all handwritto pick up held mail. One befuddledten. She hadn’t fired off a blanket holilooking woman was clutching a sweater, day email or Facebook post or tweet. If a box of Christmas candy and a box she a person needed a money order it was had yet to pack them in. This was going to send funds he himself had earned to to take a while. someone else who had not, someone he I have been trying to be more patient. cared enough about to support. There I have. When I am inching down the Sue Murphy was a lot of love in that line. highway behind semi-trucks in all three The stamp people could have lanes, when stocking carts block the them at the kiosk in the lobby, aisles in the grocery store, when there I wish you quirky little bought but maybe they didn’t know that, or are only three Wally-World checkout moments when the crazi- maybe, just maybe they were waiting lanes open even though there are a ness fades away and you their turn to talk one-on-one with the dozen others clearly marked, when ladies at the post office counter, it feels like my holiday preparation see that there truly is nice because sometimes you need a little has been purposefully tangled with love all around you. It’s love yourself. coupons and point programs and flash In each case, the waiting in line just like everything else sales and BOGO’s, I am trying, really of the gift. trying to take a deep breath and simworth having. You have wasI part hope you have a wonderful ply move forward. to wait for it. holiday. I hope all your planning and Some days go better than others. shopping and wrapping and couponIt was after an epic failure of patience ing brings you and your loved ones (I was overcharged at the toy store to the holiday celebration you had but didn’t have time to go back and hoped for. But more than that, I wish you quirky little correct it and the straw in my drive-thru tea was a dud moments when and my traffic lane was stopped when someone insisted the craziness on turning left when the left turn prohibition was clearly fades away and marked.) that I found myself in line at the post office. I you see that was tired and cranky and thirsty and wanted to be anythere truly is where but there, but I was doggedly determined to get my love all around pile of packages off my to-do list. you. It’s just Now, let me just say I love my post office. The worklike everything ers there are kind and helpful and efficient and, once it is else worth your turn, they do not hurry you along. It just wasn’t my having. You turn yet and there was nothing to do but wait. have to wait While I was waiting, there was nothing to do but ponfor it. ❖ der the people ahead of me. What was their story? I was

over the Mountain Views

What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

J O U R N A L December 15, 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, Jordan Wald Advertising Sales: Suzanne Wald, Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

“Reconnecting with family and friends.”

Janet Addison Vestavia Hills

“On Christmas Eve, the family goes to church service and then we go over to my grandparent’s house for soup and dinner.”

Sarah Scott McPherson Mountain Brook

“Eating and getting presents.”

Nolan Schrimsher Vestavia Hills

“We always have lunch with the family on Christmas Day.” Jennings Briley Mountain Brook

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 3

About Town

dec. 15 - 29

Spring Valley programs and ship the meals. For more information, visit springvalleyschool.org.

HOMEWOOD

It’s a Wonderful Life Live, Dec. 15-31 Samford University The annual production of this 1946 radio brodcaststyle performance of “It’s a Wonderful Life” will take place in Samford’s Bolding Studio.

Tickets are $19. For showtimes and more information, visit wonderfullifelive.com. ❖

Thurs., Dec. 15 BIRMINGHAM

Vounteer Luncheon Birmingham Botanical Gardens Volunteers at Birmingham Botanical Gardens are invited to attend the annual volunteer luncheon from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring sides, while The Gardens will provide entrees. To RSVP, contact Alice Moore at amoore@bbgardens.org or 414-3962.

Photo courtesy of Ravenswood Productions

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Sat., Dec. 17 BIRMINGHAM

Run. Bike. Leap.

Good People Brewing Protective Life Foundation will host a family-friendly run/bike benefitting the Autism Society of Alabama and Triumph Services. Participants can choose from a 10k bike, a 10k run/walk or a

Dec. 15-22 BIRMINGHAM

Holiday Movie Series Alabama Theatre The theatre will host classic holiday movie showings at varying times of day until Dec. 23. Tickets are $8 and each screening begins with a sing-along accompanied by the theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer Organ. Special showings of “The Polar Express” will serve as a fundraiser for Kid One Transport with tickets at $12. For more information, visit alabamatheatre.com.

OUR CONFIDENCE COMES WITH EXPERIENCE

Dec. 15-29 BIRMINGHAM

Volunteer Workdays Birmingham Botanical Gardens Kaul Wildflower Garden Curator John Manion will lead volunteer sessions in the Kaul Wildflower Garden on Dec. 15, 20, 22, 27 and 29. The propagation group will meet Dec. 16, 23 and 30. For more information, email John Manion at jmanion@bbgardens.org.

Dec. 15-Jan. 16 Birmingham

Winter Wonderland Railroad Park The park is hosting a seasonal ice skating rink for the holidays. Skating hours are Sun.-Thurs. from 11 a.m.9 p.m., and Fri.-Sat., 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Hours are form noon-8 p.m. on Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is $10 for a two-hour session and skate rental. For more info visit, railroadpark.org.

Fri., Dec. 16 MOUNTAIN BROOK

Yule Ball Emmet O’Neal Library The library will host a Yule Ball featuring Harry Potter trivia, a wizard rock band, a photo booth and more from 7-11 p.m. To register, call 445-1121. For more information, visit eolib.org.

BIRMINGHAM

Handel’s Messiah & Vivaldi’s Gloria Alys Stephens Center Carlos Izcaray will conduct a special concert in celebration of the holidays beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $40-$80. For more information, visit alabamasymphony.org.

BIRMINGHAM

Feed the Need Spring Valley School Participants will work together to pack and box 10,000 meals for children in the Birmingham area and those residing in a third-world country. Packing will take place from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and donations will be accepted to help support

In addition to passing our demanding 165-point inspection, each Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover comes with an up to seven-year, 100,000-mile limited warranty†. For you and your Land Rover, the adventure has just begun.

Land Rover Birmingham 3000 Tom Williams Way, Birmingham, AL 35210 205 397 0610 LandRoverBirmingham.com Models Shown: 2015 Range Rover Evoque, 2015 Range Rover Sport, 2015 LR4. †Land Rover Approved Certified Pre-Owned Coverage, including limited warranty and roadside assistance, expires up to seven years from the original in-service date or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. Original in-service date is the earlier of the new-vehicle retail sale or in-use date, as reported to Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC. Select vehicles may have the option for different warranty terms. Vehicles with the 7 years/100,000 miles limited warranty are limited in supply and only available at participating Land Rover Retailers. See your local authorized Land Rover Retailer for complete terms and conditions of the limited warranty and service coverage. © 2016 Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

About Town will present a wide variety of music, including many of your Christmas favorites from 7-9 p.m. Ticket prices begin at $15 and are available through the Lyric Theatre’s online ticket distributor “Ticket-Biscuit”. For more information, visit lyricbham.com.

Dec. 17-18

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

HOMEWOOD

HOMEWOOD/MOUNTAIN BROOK

Holiday Art Show, Through Dec. 17 Brookwood Village The Mountain Brook Art Association will finish up its annual two-week art show inside the lower level of the mall from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. The show features paintings of all sizes and price ranges. Sarah Mason, above, is one the many artists featured. For more information, visit mountainbrookartassociation.com. ❖ combination 5k bike and 5k run. The first event begins at 9 a.m. Registration is $45 for each activity. For more information, visit runsignup.com/Race/ AL/Birmigham/RunBikeLeap.

NORTH SHELBY

Meadow Brook Runs Aliant Bank The annual 5k and fun run will begin with registration from 7:30-8:45 a.m.

Entry fees are voluntary with a minimum suggestion of $15-$25. The run will include gift bags, prizes, food and an awards ceremony. For more information, visit meadowbrookruns.org.

BIRMINGHAM

Breakfast with Santa Birmingham Zoo Breakfast with Santa will be served at 8 and 9:30 a.m. in the Kudzoo Cafe. Reservations are required and tickets to the event are $25 for adults and $20 for children. Each child will receive a special treat from Santa upon arrival. For more information, visit birminghamzoo.com.

BIRMINGHAM

Christmas at the Lyric Lyric Theatre Birmingham’s premiere men’s a capella chorus, Voices of the South,

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker Leslie S. Wright Fine Arts Center The final showings of Alabama Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker will be Sat., Dec. 17 from 2:30-5 p.m. and 7:3010 p.m. and Sun., Dec. 18 form 2:30-5 p.m. For more information, visit samford. edu.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

appropriate for all ages. Tickets begin at $8 for children and $13 for adults. For more information, visit alysstephens.org.

Sun., Dec. 18 VESTAVIA HILLS

Briarwood Christmas Festival Briarwood Presbyterian Church The 100-voice Briarwood Chancel Adult Choir and Festival Orchestra will give free performances of “How Great Our Joy!” at 6 p.m., including classics by Mendelssohn, Handel and John Rutter, as well as newer arrangements. For more information, visit briarwood.org.

Mon., Dec. 19

HOOVER

Monday at the Movies Hoover Library The library will host a showing of “A Christmas Story” based on the humorous writings of author Jean Shepherd. This beloved holiday movie will be shown at 2 and 6:30 p.m. This is a free event recommended for adults.

For more information, visit hooverlibrary. org.

Tues., Dec. 20 HOMEWOOD

Dixie’s Pet Loss Support Group Homewood Public Library This grief/loss group is sponsored by the Greater Birmingham Humane

Dec. 17-31 BIRMINGHAM

Winter Wonderland McWane Science Center The Magic of Model Trains and Winter Wonderland will continue Dec. 17-31 at 5 p.m. Coast down the ice Slide and take a whirl across the room on the extended zip line. Climb aboard the McWane Train and go for a ride before checking out the magic of Model Trains exhibit. For more information, visit mcwane.org.

BIRMINGHAM

A Dickens Vest Pocket Christmas Carol Alys Stephens Center The center’s staff member Jerry Sims adapted and directed a rendition of the classic holiday play. Showtimes are at 2 and 7 p.m. This production is

BIRMINGHAM

ZooLight Safari, Dec. 16-31 Birmingham Zoo The zoo will continue to host the annual holiday light festival from 5-9 p.m.

New this year, adults can enjoy beer, wine and specialty cocktails. Remaining dates include Dec. 16-23 and 26-31. For more information visit birminghamzoo. com. ❖

Photo courtesy Birmingham Zoo

4 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 5

Happy Holiday's From

2017 Silverado Double Cab #9844 with Custom Convenience Package, 5.3 V8, keyless remote, and more starting at $29,995 or lease for $299 per month 39 months.

For every vehicle we sell until 12/17/16, we will be donating a bicycle to The Sugar Plum Shop at Children's Hospital of Alabama

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6 • Thursday, December 15, 2016 requested. For more information, contact GBHS Volunteer Coordinator Randy Hicks at 542-7111.

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Wed., Dec. 21 VESTAVIA HILLS

Service of Healing and Light Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church The church will host a holiday program for those who have experienced a recent loss in their lives.

This service will be held from 6-7 p.m.

For more information, visit vestaviahills. org.

HOOVER

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas Hoover Library The library will host a showing of the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” in the Library Theatre at 2 p.m. The show will include popcorn and a meet and greet with the Grinch himself. For more information, visit hooverlibrary.org.

HOMEWOOD

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Homewood Public Library The library will host a showing of the movie “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” at 10:30 a.m. in the Round Auditorium. This event is free and will feature reindeer-themed snacks. For more information, visit homewoodpulbiclibrary.org.

Dec. 21-23 MOUNTAIN BROOK

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To: Michael From: Over the Mountain Journal 823-9646 ph, 824-1246 fax Date: Dec. 2016

“A Chirstmas Carol” Steeple Arts Academy The theatre will present a solo performance of Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas tale by Mark Cabus, a professional actor whose most notable film credits include “The Client,” and HBO’s Emmy Award-winning “Against the Wall” and “Selma”. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $25-$30 with military and student discount. For more information, visit centralalabamatheater. org.

Photo special to the Journal

Society and will meet from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Participation in the workshop is free, however reservations are

About Town

BIRMINGHAM

Holiday Spectacular, Dec. 17-18 RMTC Theatre RMTC Conservatory students will perform alongside Birmingham’s best local artists to warm hearts while setting the stage for a magical holiday season with a showcase featuring holiday classics. Ticket prices start at $19. Showtimes will be Sat. at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sun. at 2 p.m. For more information, visit redmountaintheatre.org. ❖ org or call 510-9027.

Save The date

Mon., Dec. 26

Sat., Dec. 31

BIRMINGHAM

BIRMINGHAM

Grand Menorah Lighting The Summit The shopping center will host a grand menorah lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. in Sak’s Plaza to celebrate Hanukkah. The event will include snow, balloons, fireworks, music and holiday goodies. For more information, visit chabadofalabama.com.

New Year’s Eve Alabama Theatre The Alabama Symphony Orchestra will host a “Viennese Celebration,” conducted by Christopher Confessore at 6 p.m. Guests will ring in the new year with waltzes, operatic selections and champagne. Tickets begin at $35. For more information, visit alabamasymphony.org.

Dec. 27-29

BIRMINGHAM

HOOVER

Noon Year’s Eve McWane Science Center The center will celebrate New Years early with a celebration from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Activities include science demos, dancing, a countdown and a sparkling juice toast. The event is free with regular admission prices. For more information, visit mcwane.org/event/noon-years-eve/.

“The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” Hoover Public Library To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 22to approve your National Park Service, the library will This is your ad proof for the Dec. 15, 2016 OTMJ Please contact your sales representative asThurs., soon as Dec. possible host a screening of this Emmy-winning ad or make changes. You may fax approval or changes to 824-1246. film by Ken Burns. This is a free film MOUNTAIN BROOK rated TV-PG. Refreshments will be Please make sure all information is correct, including address and phoneDark number!

As Light Becomes provided. For more information, visit Emmet O’Neal Library hooverlibrary.org.

The library will host a winter-themed Please initial and fax back within 24 hours. poetry reading beginning at 7 p.m.

If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. to celebrate the Winter Solstice. The Thank you for your prompt attention. program will include readings from featured poets, as well as an open mic portion for audience members. For more information, call 445-1121.

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HOMEWOOD

Heat Miser vs. Snow Miser Homewood Public Library The library will host a STEAMthemed project session from 10:3011:30 a.m. exploring the concept of hot and cold. For more information, visit homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

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Jan. 7 and 8

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Photo special to the Journal

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Let’s Dish Homewood Public Library The library’s recipe discussion group will hold its first monthly meeting of the new year from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

To participate, prepare a recipe that pays homage to the theme “Healthy Favorites” and bring the dish to the meeting. For more information, contact Judith Wright at jrwright@bham.lib.al.us or call 332‑6622.

Sun., Dec. 25

MOUNTAIN BROOK

Pancake Breakfast LJCC The LJCC will host its third annual pancake breakfast from 8:30-10:30 a.m. in the J Auditorium. The menu will include kosher pancakes, eggs, veggie sausage, fruit and breakfast cereal. The cost is $7 adults, $4 children in advance and $10 adults and $6 children at the door. For more information, contact Monika Singletary at monika@bhamjcc.

12/4/16 11:15 AM

HOOVER

Molly Ringwald, Jan. 12-13 Hoover Public Library Silver screen icon and jazz sensation Molly Ringwald will perform at the Library Theatre Jan. 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25. For more information, visit hooverlibrary.org. ❖

BIRMINGHAM

Alonzo King LlNES Ballet Alys Stephens Center The LINES Ballet Dancers will perform Alonzo King’s production Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. and Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. Tickets begin at $28. For more information, visit alysstephens.org.

Fri., Jan. 13 HOMEWOOD

Cozy Cocktails Homewood Public Library Bartender and author Clair McLafferty

Photo special to the Journal

KCFit 5K Raises Funds for Autism Awareness

KultureCity, a Vestavia Hills-based autism awareness nonprofit, will host its first KCFit 5K Dec. 17 at Vestavia Hills Baptist Church.

The run is part of the organization’s KCFit initiative, which was created by co-founder Dr. Michele Kong Maha along with NFL star Tiki Barber, (right). Their vision is to participate in and host runs to promote the organization’s mission and raise funds for the lifeBOKS program.

That program distributes free kits that include a slate of tools designed

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 7

About Town

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

to prevent children from wandering, which is a tendency of many autistic children, and help find them if they do.

“It is not about finishing first, but

about the journey that takes us to the starting line,” Maha said in a statement. “It is about running with all our heart, knowing that we are running for those who cannot. It is about putting one foot in front of the other. And when you look back, you have climbed a mountain and crossed an ocean.”

The event begins at 8 a.m. and includes 5K and fun runs followed by awards and an after-party. Activities will include carnival games, a kids’ area, balloon twisting, food and pictures with Santa.

Registration for the 5K is $40 and the fun run is $20. For more information, visit kulturecity.org/kcfit/. ❖

will host a discussion on hot cocktails that will keep you warm during the winter. This program is for persons ages 21 and up. Tickets are $10 and include two adult beverages and light refreshments. To purchase tickets, visit homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

D EN Y D O U B T.

Jan. 14-15 BIRMINGHAM

“A Sweet Strangeness Thrills My Heart” RMTC Cabaret Theatre Red Mountain Theatre Company will perform “A Sweet Strangeness Thrills My Heart,” featuring Dolores Hydock and Bobby Horton. Showtimes are Jan.14 at 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15. For more information, visit redmountainheatre.org.

Sun., Jan. 15 BIRMINGHAM

Cinderella The Lyric The State Ballet of Russia presents this full-length ballet for the whole family in two acts, choreographed by Vladimir Vasiliev with music by Sergei Prokofiev.

Showtimes are at 2 and 7 p.m. Doors open one hour prior to each showing. For more information, visit lyricbham.com.

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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.

Thank you for your prompt attention.

Fri., Jan. 20 BIRMINGHAM

Night at The Greatest Show on Earth Sheraton Birmingham Magic Moments will host its largest annual fundraiser featuring Ringling Bros. circus performers. The event will begin with a pre-circus party from 5-6:30 p.m. and a circus performance at 7 p.m. Proceeds from the event will help fulfill wishes for chronically ill children who live in Alabama.

Tickets vary in price. For more information, visit magicmoments.org. ❖

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8 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

people

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

All in the Family

Third-Generation Dancer Plays Nutcracker’s Sugar Plum Fairy

5:00 & 6:30 pm

Christmas day  C O M M U N I O N  10:45 am

OAK MOUNTAIN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

5080 Cahaba Valley Trace • Birmingham, AL 35242

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(205) 323-5878 PO Box 10472 • Birmingham, AL 35202

Most little girls only dream of wearing a pink tutu and dancing with a handsome prince. But for the upcoming production of Birmingham Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” that fanciful scenario is Katherine Free’s reality.

A 17-year-old senior at Hoover High School, Katherine danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the queen of the Kingdom of Sweets, this year.

“I had the opportunity to dance this role last year, but it’s never the same, as each year brings unique challenges,” she said. “While it’s a dream come true, it’s also a lot of work. I sacrifice my toes to pointe shoes for hours every day.”

Katherine is no stranger to hard work. Her academic load consists mainly of AP and IB courses, and she studies the Russian language. Even though ballet and school take up most of her time, she also fits piano lessons into her schedule.

But the daughter of Birmingham Ballet’s artistic/executive director, Cindy Free, Katherine has grown up with dance.

“My mom has told me that I tried to dance before I could walk,” she said. “When I was about six months old, I was sitting on the floor during a Swan Lake rehearsal, and I tried to spread my swan wings and dance. Unfortunately, I face-planted instead. So more or less I’ve been dancing my whole life.”

As a member of a ballet family, Katherine comes by that lifelong desire to dance naturally. Her grandmother founded the Canton Ballet in Canton, Ohio, and her mother reestablished the Birmingham Ballet in 1991 after the original Birmingham Ballet folded due to financial hardships in the 1970s. So not only is Cindy Katherine’s mother, she’s also her principal teacher and director.

“Playing the dual role is sometimes challenging, but we’ve been able to work it out,” Cindy said. “I believe the desire to dance was born in Katherine – just as it was born in me and my mother – and I see it as my responsibility to help her reach her goals.

I’m glad to be able to share the ballet world with her.

“I know firsthand how difficult ballet is, so when I see Katherine dance it makes me proud. I’m also proud that she takes very seriously her responsibility to be a good role model for the young dancers coming up at Birmingham Ballet Academy.”

It was with her mother’s help that Katherine was able to expand her training horizons all the way to Russia last summer.

After auditioning and being accepted for a Russian ballet summer program held in New York City, Katherine earned the opportunity to apply for an additional program that involved a full merit scholarship to study ballet and Russian language in Moscow at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. After essays and interviews,

‘I love the Russian technique for dance because of its attention to detail. There is no equivalent to the experience of training with Russian teachers at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy ...’

Katherine Free

she became one of only 15 Americans chosen for the NSLI-Y Russian Language and Culture and Bolshoi Way program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the Russian American Foundation.

“I love the Russian technique for dance because of its attention to detail,” Katherine said. “There is no equivalent to the experience of training with Russian teachers at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, where the Vaganova technique has been guarded and perfected for hundreds of years. Being immersed in a culture where the arts are respected and valued even more than sports are valued in America encouraged and inspired me to keep pushing toward my fullest potential.”

As for the future, Katherine aspires to dance professionally in either the U.S. or Europe, “where dance is highly appreciated.”

“However, a ballet company career is never a given, so I am excited to

explore any and all dance and performance opportunities that come my way,” she said.

Beyond dance, the teen is interested in a possible career in international business, a practical ambition of which her mother wholeheartedly approves.

“I hope Katherine will have many opportunities to dance and a variety of experiences in the performing arts,” said Cindy. “But dance is a brief career, so I hope she will also find happiness in a second career that gives her opportunities to connect with diverse people and cultures. I know she’ll bring her incredible work ethic and abundant creativity to whatever she does.”

In the meantime, Katherine will keep dancing, even though she’s sometimes not exactly sure what spurs her on.

“It must be something deep in my soul because it’s a lot of hard work,” she said. “But I love it!” ❖

Photo special to the Journal

Christmas Eve – S E R V I C E S –

By June Mathews

Mountain Brook Native Presented in Southern Debutante Assembly Anne Holloway Somerville, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Quincey Somerville of Mountain Brook, will be presented at the White and Gold Ball in Greenwood, Mississippi, Dec. 29.

The ball Anne Holloway is hosted by Somerville the Southern Debutante Assembly at the Greenwood Country Club.

Since her graduation from Mountain Brook High School, Somerville has been studying at the University of Georgia, where she is a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority.

Somerville is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Albert Cain of New Orleans, Mary Hateley Quincey Hare of Birmingham, and the late Mr. William Glassell Somerville of Minter City, Mississippi.

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 9

people

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

“At a time when people thought travel agents were a thing of the past, (Flowers) embraced the challenges and changes in our industry and soared to the top,” Haisley Beth Flowers Smith, Brownell vice president of marketing and development, stated in a press release.

Flowers has been working in the

travel industry for six years. She previously had a career in marketing, most recently as vice president of marketing for Cooking Light magazine.

“There is so much information at our fingertips, and people simply don’t have time to sift through it all,” Haisley said.

“Beth first gets to know the client as a person and then suggests destinations, properties and activities based on their preferences and needs, unlike a search algorithm.”

Flowers lives in Mountain Brook with her husband and three children. ❖ Send people news to editorial@otmj.com

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Boys Club No Match for Sisterhood Homewood Runner Reflects on Her Time as First Female President of the Birmingham Track Club

By Sarah Kuper

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On any given day Over the Mountain, dozens of runners tackle steep hills and brave the heat or cold to stay fit and have fun.

But Melinda Underwood, first female president of the Birmingham Track Club, in 1982, said it wasn’t always that way – especially with regard to women.

“Back then, women weren’t doing much of anything like that. No one would just go out and run a mile.”

Underwood began running while playing racquetball at UAB in the late seventies. She watched how other athletes trained and something clicked.

“One day I watched another girl just running around the track and I thought that might be something I could do. Then I watched her run from the track out on to the street and I thought, ‘What is she doing?’”

Now, distance and destination running is not such a foreign concept. According to Underwood, there is quite a running culture in Birmingham, mostly thanks to the Birmingham Track Club.

The club was loosely organized in 1975 but became incorporated as a non-profit in 1979. The group’s founder, physician Arthur Black, formed the group out of a concern for the health and well-being of Birmingham’s residents.

Underwood said the track club initially was very much a boys club.

“We would see the guys together running and talking about their track club. Some girls started going to their meetings but it was clear they didn’t really want us there – they just wanted to laugh and drink,” she said.

Feeling unwelcome, Underwood and a few friends started their own group called the Lady Striders.

The Lady Striders taught clinics on running techniques and shared practical tips about things like buying the right shoes and staying hydrated.

As more and more women became interested in running, the BTC became more accepting of the Lady Striders, who were still attending the men’s meetings however unwelcome they felt.

Adam Robertson, president of the BTC in 1981, began to fear the Lady Striders would disassociate completely with the group, jeopardizing the potential for the club’s success in the future.

As a result, he selected Underwood as his vice president and then urged her to run for president of the club in 1982.

Underwood said it seemed the men didn’t have a problem with her serving as vice president, but she came to find that having a female president of the club was a different story.

“It was really rough. I thought things were getting better but we came to find out that they stuffed the ballot box. I didn’t win. I cried a bit; it was discouraging.”

But once the rigged election was

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10 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

Melinda Underwood began running in the late seventies, above. She became the first female president of the Birmingham Track Club, in 1982.

discovered, the club had a revote and Underwood became the first female president of the track club.

Still, Underwood said she had some convincing to do even after she took office.

“The first few months were hard but then I think they realized I really wanted to do good. All the girls started being more involved and helped organize a lot.”

Since Underwood’s time in office, there have been six female presidents of the club. As the first, Underwood ushered in a new era and gave women the opportunity to be part of a larger running culture.

Now the BTC is a force in the Birmingham community with its signature events such as the Vulcan Run 10k and other charity races and fun runs.

While Underwood, 65, still volunteers and keeps track of the BTC’s growth and influence, she has forgone running for activities like swimming.

But, she encourages young women interested in running to join the club.

“It’s very important for young runners to be involved. There are so many opportunities now for women and not just for running. But I think BTC really introduced running to the area.”

Underwood lives in Homewood with her husband, Jeff Underwood, president and CEO of Lakeshore Foundation. In addition to her work with the BTC, Underwood has been active in the Homewood school system and served on the Beautification Board. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

news

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 11

News

12 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Closing the Trunk Rosenberger’s to Close After 120 Years

By Lee Davis

‘It’s getting harder for the smaller stores to compete.

The issue isn’t so much the big box stores as it is the internet. People just don’t want to leave home now.’

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

For 120 years, few family businesses have been more intertwined with the history of the Birmingham community than Rosenberger’s Birmingham Trunk Factory.

Founded by J.D. Rosenberger in 1897, the company originally specialized in luggage, leather goods and travel items. Its logo – an elephant placing one foot on top of a trunk – became an iconic symbol.

Through the years, Birmingham Trunk Factory became a destination for shoppers looking for that special gift that couldn’t be found anywhere else.

Birmingham Trunk Factory even had an impact on University of Alabama football.

Rosenberger’s provided the Crimson Tide football team with red elephant-shaped good luck luggage charms before its train trip to the 1927 Rose Bowl against Stanford. Legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice is credited for first referring to the team as the “Red Elephants of Alabama.”

When Alabama returned to the Rose Bowl in 1930, Rosenberger’s provided leather suitcases for the players, complete with the red elephant logo – and thus a university mascot was born. Or so goes one version of the mascot origin story.

All of that will come to an end early next year, when the company – now called Rosenberger’s Birmingham Trunk – will close, probably in February.

“120 years is long enough,” Birmingham Trunk President Ken Rosenberger said last week. “It’s been 47 years for me. It’s just time.”

At its peak, Birmingham Trunk had stores in downtown Birmingham, Mountain Brook Village, Roebuck and Eastwood Mall. It later added stores at Brookwood Village and the Riverchase Galleria, with the Galleria store moving to the Summit Shopping Center in 2006.

Since 2013, Birmingham Trunk has been located in downtown Homewood, where the company had kept a warehouse since the 1980s.

Despite the varied locations, Birmingham Trunk operated with one consistent philosophy over the decades.

“We’ve always stressed customer service,” said Rosenberger, who runs the store with his wife, Ann. “It’s important to give customers the best possible quality for whatever their price range is. If their price

Ken Rosenberger, above with with Ann, represents the third generation of his family to operate Birmingham Trunk. Rosenberger said the store will probably remain open through Valentine’s Day or until all merchandise is sold.

range is $20, we want to find them the best $20 gift possible. It’s the same thing if their price range is $200.”

Evolving shopping habits led in part to the decision to close Birmingham Trunk.

“It’s getting harder for the smaller stores to compete,” Rosenberger said.

“The issue isn’t so much the big box stores as it is the internet. People just don’t want to leave home now.”

Rosenberger said he has been touched by the reaction from the community since the store’s closing was announced.

“We’ve had so many people call, come by or write and say how sorry they are to hear we are closing,” he said. “And that’s what we’ll miss the most. Making money is important, but it’s really all about the personal relationships that we’ve built over the years.”

Another highlight for the Rosenbergers

were their frequent trips to product shows across the country, where in addition to looking at the latest in luggage and travel bags, they would seek the most entertaining gadgets available.

“That was a great part of the fun, going to the different markets and looking at everything they had to offer,” Rosenberger said. “We were always trying to find the best executive gifts and knickknacks; they were so fun to bring to the store.”

Rosenberger represents the third generation of his family to operate Birmingham Trunk. J.D. Rosenberger was Ken’s grandfather. After his death in 1945, the elder Rosenberger’s son Mel – Ken’s father – took over the business. Ken began working at the store as a pre-teen and was helping on the sales floor and driving deliveries to stores by the time he reached high school.

After Mel died in 1971, Ken and his mother, Mae, ran the company. In 2001, Ann Rosenberger retired from a lucrative career at Merrill Lynch to join the team.

“We never thought it would work out this way,” Ann said. “I went from working at Merrill Lynch to becoming a gift buyer and loved it. We worked well together.”

Ken Rosenberger said the store will probably remain open through Valentine’s Day or until all merchandise is sold.

Birmingham Trunk may become a memory, but Rosenberger’s future plans don’t involve a rocking chair.

“I’m not sure what I’ll do,” he said.

“But I don’t plan on retiring or sitting around.”

Whatever he does, Rosenberger’s name will always be associated with Birmingham Trunk as one of the community’s most historic retail names. ❖

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 13

News

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Numbers Cruncher

Birmingham Zoo Sets Record with 600,000th Guest of the Year The Birmingham Zoo welcomed its 600,000th visitor of the year on Dec. 8 at about 9:30 a.m., surpassing the highest annual attendance in the zoo’s 61-year history.

In 2015, the zoo set a record with more than 574,000 visitors, according to a statement from the zoo, and with several more weeks left in 2016, zoo officials are looking forward to learning how many visitors the attraction will log for this year.

“The record growth of attendance this year is a testament to the zoo’s ability to provide an educational and recreational experience for members and guests,” Wally Nall III, Birmingham Zoo board president, said in the statement. “We look forward to continuing to find new ways to serve the Birmingham community while striving to ‘Inspire Passion for the Natural World.’”

Birmingham Mayor William Bell called the zoo a “tremendous asset” to the community. “We are thankful for the strong partnership between the city and this institution,” Bell said in the statement.

The 600,000th visitor, Julie Bensinger, was awarded a free zoo membership.

The zoo, home to about 900 animals of 230 species, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Regular admission is $16 for adults, $14 for senior citizens and military, and $11 for children ages 2 to 12, plus tax.

For more information, visit the Zoo on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter, or go to birminghamzoo.com. —Virginia Martin

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Wally Nall III, Birmingham Zoo board president Journal file photo by Lee Walls Jr.

To: Leaf and Petal From: Over The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646, fax 205-824-1246 Date: November This is your aD PrOOF from the Over The MOuNTaiN JOurNaL for the Dec. 1st 2016 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

The Gift of Giving

When Winston Carl, left with husband Jack, first took over her duties for the Krewe Ball there were no answering machines, no home printers or copiers, no caller ID, no computers and no email. Carl prided her husband, now a retired judge, on his ability to cooperate with the madness.

Local Nonprofits Offer Holiday Gifts That Give Back

By Emily Williams

Photos special to the Journal

The holiday season revives fond memories of pumpkin-spiced beverages, homes dressed in lights and a general cheeriness in the air.

Then there are the less fond memories, most notably of shopping.

It’s a time of year when you are scrambling to cross off every item on your list and drum up a gift idea for that friend or relative who “has everything.”

Local nonprofits are offering an answer to that gift-giving struggle. Why not make giving the gift?

With the idea that most people don’t actually want more stuff during the holidays, the Greater Birmingham Humane Society again this year is offering a range of gifts animal lovers can donate on someone else’s behalf.

“We put the holiday catalog together as a way for people to give meaningful gifts to teachers, friends, family and neighbors who love animals,” said Allison Black Cornelius, president and CEO of the society.

“If you can’t have your own puppy, why not ‘buy a puppy’ through giving?”

The year has been a great one for the organization.

It received national attention from “Good Morning America,” “The Today Show” and PetSmart Charities.

It broke records for adoptions and pet transports. It helped needy pet owners get food and surgeries for their animals and provided surgical experience for more than 150 Auburn University veterinary students.

“We take in about 20,000 animals a year – 10 animals each hour for every hour we are open,” Cornelius said. “ And because of this success we had a record-breaking year of expenses.”

The society logs among the highest intake numbers of shelters in the U.S., Cornelius said, comparable to shelters in Denver, Chicago, Atlanta and Phoenix. But with more animals come higher expenses.

The answer to the problem has been the holiday catalog.

“More than 70 percent of our $4.7 million budget comes from gifts received during the holiday month of December,” Cornelius said. “Most grant-makers and large corporations exclude animal welfare charities from their giving. Most of our funding comes from individual donors.”

Come January, if the shelter hasn’t met its holiday donations goal, it isn’t just the staff that feels the cutbacks, it’s the animals. Cutbacks could come in the form of cutting emergency response to animal cruelty complaints, cutting the number of homeless and injured pets that can be taken in and decreasing adoption hours.

“Worst of all, we would backtrack on everything we have accomplished and see a massive increase in the deaths of innocent animals,” Cornelius said.

Gift options range from $25 for basic shelter needs, such as covering the cost of puppy care, treats or toys, up to $1,500 to fund a surgical table, paying the costs of two veterinary students to work and learn

Retiring From the Royal Court

By Emily Williams Winston Carl of Mountain Brook can recall nearly the entire history of Birmingham’s Beaux Arts Krewe, because her mother was there for its beginning and then passed along her position to Carl.

After holding the slightly undefinable job of corresponding secretary/liaison between the ball’s king and queen, Carl is retiring from the volunteer position she has held since 1984.

“I usually say that my role is corresponding secretary, but my main job is to tell people that they are having fun,” Carl joked.

For the Krewe’s first debutante ball, in 1966, Beaux Arts Krewe founder Anne Kidd called on Carl’s mother, Sallye Martin, to address invitations and pair each princess with a date. The purpose of both the Krewe and the production were to provide continuing support to the Birmingham Museum of Art.

‘I cannot wait to see the ball.

I am dying to see it, because I’ve never seen it sitting in the audience. I’ve always been backstage with the queen.’

Over time, Martin’s responsibilities grew, and as her health began declining in the early 1980s, Carl began actively learning exactly what her mother’s job was.

“In 1983, my mother told me I had done the Krewe, but when she died in October 1983, I found out, even though she was sick, she had done most of the work,” Carl said.

Looking back on her early years in the position, she said she is always baffled at how she got anything done.

“I remember, one of the first things we did was buy a long extension cord for the phone so it would reach the dining table,” she said. “Back then phones were still attached to

the wall.”

When she first started, there were no answering machines, no home printers or copiers, no caller ID, no computers and no email. Almost everything had to be done by hand and through personal contact, save taking things to the Quick Kopy on Green Springs.

Calls came in at all hours and Carl prided her husband, now-retired Judge Jack Carl, on his ability to cooperate with the madness.

“During those times I just never answered the phone,” Jack Carl said. “I knew that it could only go one of four ways.” With only one of the four potential outcomes being a message relayed to his wife successfully, he showed his support, instead, by cheering her on from the sidelines so as not to get in her way.

Of the many competing descriptions of her job, the one central aim is to aid the Krewe captain. Carl said he does the bulk of the logistical work, while Deborah Fleischman serves as the visionary behind the production, designing the decorations and drawing costumes for the Krewe’s seamstress extraordinaire, Jo Dickinson, to create for the children who serve as pages.

“What I love most about my job is getting to work with the people,” Carl said. “I spend about six months prior to the ball helping the king and queen get to know each other.”

Because the queen is in her early 20s and the king is a longtime Krewe member, Carl said, the key challenge is getting the two to be comfortable around each other so they can enjoy the experience.

“Every year is different,” Carl said. “I’ve had kings and queens who have hardly ever needed me and there are times when I’ve basically lived in these people’s homes for six months.”

It’s spending time with and getting to know these people that Carl said was the most rewarding thing about her job and the reason she enjoyed it so much.

“There is no part of the ball that isn’t a funny story,” Carl said. “I always tell queens that you do not want everything to go perfect.

If everything went perfectly, then it wouldn’t be so much fun.”

Some of her favorite stories are of the children who act as ball pages and train bearers.

“One year, we had this little boy who was so polite and quiet during practice,” Carl said. “He was just as polite as ever, but when he came back with his mom to pick up his train bearer costume, he took one look at it and his face completely fell.”

Carl heard him tell his mother, “I thought you said I was going to be a train bear.”

Carl looks back on even the more trying moments of the job with amusement. One of her smaller responsibilities each year is to pick up the queen’s 60-pound train from storage at the museum. One year when the museum was being renovated, Carl was told that the portion of the building where the train was stored was about to be closed off and would be closed on the date of the ball.

“I made it to the museum just days before they sealed that part of the building,” Carl said. The train was saved, but that also meant she had to store a priceless 60-pound train for a few months.

Though she said she will miss the fun she had behind the scenes, Carl is nothing but excited about this year’s ball. Taking over her old job is Elon Allen, in whom Carl places her complete confidence.

“I cannot wait to see the ball,” she said.

“I am dying to see it, because I’ve never seen it sitting in the audience. I’ve always been backstage with the queen.”

For the Krewe’s annual fall dinner, Carl was asked to speak about her history with the ball, so she finally compiled a list of her general responsibilities. Among them were: communicating information to the Krewe members and presentees, collecting any forms and dues, compiling lists, sending reminders, answering just about any question and, most importantly, telling the king and queen how much fun they are having.

“And always, I did this with a great deal of joy and happiness and received back more than I gave,” Carl said. ❖

Photo special to the Journal

Beaux Arts Krewe Corresponding Secretary Retires After 33 Years

The Greater Birmingham Humane Society again this year is offering a range of gifts animal lovers can donate on someone else’s behalf.

:

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 15

life

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Photo special to the Journal

cess for the organization that it was revamped as a year-round fundraiser two years ago, said Shanda Daniel, who has been running the fundraiser for the past several years.

“With the support of local grocery stores, merchants and corporate sponsors, we sell over $700,000 during the months of November and December,” Daniel said.

Those funds benefit the organization’s ability to provide services to more than 9,500 Alabamians through programs for children, adults and fami-

Gift wrapping paper designs are inspired by the artwork of Exceptional Foundation participants Michelle Jeter and Seth Bokatzian.

at the shelter in externships.

According to the organization, one vet student can perform about 100 surgeries, either life-saving or spay/neuter, during the two-week program.

Not only does this give back to animals that cannot help themselves, it is what Cornelius describes as a “unique teachable moment” for parents.

“During the holidays, my parents would anonymously pay off a stranger’s lay-away at a store or walk up and give money to people,” she said. “They would always have me purchase toys for needy children. This had a major impact on my attitude towards philanthropy,” she said.

The Greater Birmingham Humane Society’s annual holiday catalog can be found online at gbhs.org/givehope.

Traditional Fundraisers

Giving back during the holidays hasn’t gone just to the dogs, as local nonprofits for people with special needs offer up some holiday classics to make donating easy.

The Exceptional Foundation’s holiday gift wrap fundraiser allows giftgivers the opportunity to donate while also giving dad that golf gadget he’s been eyeing.

The foundation’s development director, Dee Grisham, and some of the foundation’s participants have been selling rolls of gift wrap at $10 a roll. The paper is double-sided, and the designs are inspired by the artwork of foundation participants Michelle Jeter and Seth Bokatzian.

“This fundraiser helps the foundation support all of our daily activities,”

Grisham said.

Some of those activities include filling up the gas tanks of the foundation’s vans so they can be used to take participants on field trips, as well as taking participants to social activities such as bowling and going to the movies.

“We are not federally or state funded and are not part of the United Way, so the money raised is very important to our ability to continue to provide our participants with everyday activities,” Grisham said.

In addition to wrapping paper, the foundation has a selection of holiday cards for $10 each that feature artwork created by participants.

The foundation’s wrapping paper can be purchased at the foundation or at local retail establishments including the Lamb’s Ear, Chickadee, Sweet Peas, Oak Street Garden Shop and Stella Blu, with all proceeds benefiting the foundation.

A holiday gifting fixture for more than 38 years, Glenwood Autism and Behavioral Health Center’s Pecans for Autism sale was created to raise funds for the Allan Cott School, which provides education and therapy programs for children with autism.

“Glenwood’s pecans make great gifts for family and friends and also make great corporate gifts. A longrunning fundraiser for Glenwood, the pecans are high quality products, and recipients like getting gifts that benefit the people we serve,” said Deborah Lee Yount, president and CEO of Glenwood.

The drive has been such a suc-

BEGINNING BRIDGE ♠ ♥︎​︎ LESSONS ♦ ︎♣︎

lies affected by autism and behavioral health disorders.

“This is our busiest time because our pecans are the ‘first shake of the trees,’ absolutely fresh and the large mammoth halves,” Daniel said.

Pecans for Autism offers up a variety of options. The classic tub of freshly shelled pecans comes in a variety of sizes beginning at $14 for one pound.

There is also the option of sweet pecan treats that can be purchased individually or in assorted gift sets. New this year is the pecan brittle, $10 for 12 ounces, and

the divinity bar, $3 for a 4-ounce bar.

Pecans can be purchased online at glenwood.org or at various stores. In the Over the Mountain area, Pecans for Autism are sold at Hollywood Pools in Vestavia Hills and the Brook Highland Shopping Center; Winn-Dixie supermarkets; IberiaBank locations in Homewood, Hoover, Vestavia, Crestline Village and Mountain Brook, as well as at UAB and the downtown Birmingham location; Piggly Wiggly locations in Liberty Park and Homewood; and SouthPoint Bank at the Colonnade. ❖

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16 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

HOliday Fun

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Tis the Season: Across the OTM Area, Communities The city of Homewood celebrated the season Dec. 6 with the annual lighting of the historic Homewood Star on 18th Street by Mayor Scott McBrayer.

A parade of holiday-themed floats followed the lighting, led by Grand Marshal Chris Coghlan of the Chicago Cubs and featuring the Homewood High School Band and Star-Spangled Girls dance team.

Awards were handed out to the floats that were deemed best of the best, including Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics, best in show; Girl Scout Troop 30961, most holiday spirit; Cub Scout Pack 279, most lights; Daisy Troop 1260, best use of lights; and Shades Park Goof Troop, best decorated.

The parade concluded with Santa lighting the tree in front of City Hall as families enjoyed a snow play area with simulated snow. The evening’s activities were organized by the city’s Parks and Recreation Foundation. ❖

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Homewood

Bonnie and Josh Little with, from left, Virginia, John and Davis.

Hoover

Evan and Kylee Fisher with, from left, Jackson, Campbell and Sullivan.

Vestavia Hills

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

The city of Hoover decked the halls Dec. 1 with the annual Christmas Tree Lighting at City Hall.

A 32-foot Christmas tree was lit by Andrew Fambrough, a third-grader at South Shades Crest Elementary, and Lucas Dunigan, a second-grader at Rocky Ridge Elementary.

Santa arrived on the Hoover Fire Department’s Engine 1 and posed for pictures with many of the children.

The crowd also was treated to refreshments, a snow play area, performances by the Green Valley Elementary School choir and the Spain Park High School band, and meet and greets with various beloved holiday characters. ❖

Bret and Stephanie Cloud with daughter Riley.

Allie McDuff with son Tucker

From left, Lani, Samuel and Josh O’Reilly

“Toy Soldier” Mary Russo and “Frosty” Brittany Anderson.

The city of Vestavia Hills spread the holiday spirit with a variety of events under the umbrella of the Holiday in the Hills celebration Nov. 29.

As city officials lit the Christmas tree in front of City Hall, guests were treated to performances by choirs from Liberty Park Elementary, Liberty Park Middle, Pizitz Middle, Vestavia Hills Elementary Central and Vestavia Hills Elementary East.

Dance performances also were presented by the Vestavia Hills High School Rockettes and the Magic City Nutcracker.

Inside City Hall, residents enjoyed refreshments, a local business expo and holiday crafts for kids.

On Dec. 10, Santa made a special appearance at the Vestavia Hills Civic Center to have breakfast with local kids. Helping welcome visitors to the free pancake breakfast were the VHHS Rockettes and the Vestavia Hills Belles.

The city’s annual Christmas parade was held Dec. 11, beginning at the Liberty Park Sports Complex and ending at Alston Meadows Park for Liberty Park’s Christmas in the Park celebration.

Grand marshal for the parade was local hero and author Kelly Garner. Awards were handed out to floats that displayed superior holiday spirit.

The celebration featured photo opportunities with Santa, inflatables and train rides as local businesses handed out goodies. ❖ From left, Corra Maddox, Adlay Rumore and Mia Milstead.

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 17

HOliday Fun

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Ring in the Holidays With Parades and Parties

Rehab Reality

by Jeff Butler

Mountain Brook

Journal photos by Emily Williams

After being rescheduled because of weather, the city of Mountain Brook’s annual holiday parade took to the streets Dec. 11.

People on holiday-themed floats decorated by local community members, clubs, businesses and organizations threw goodies to the crowd as the parade meandered through the streets of Mountain Brook Village.

Marching along with the floats was the Mountain Brook High School marching band and Dorians dance team, along with elementary students who participated in the annual Dance With the Dorians workshop.

As guests enjoyed the festivities and meet and greets with Santa, a main stage offered a variety of musical performances by local musicians, courtesy of Mason Music. ❖

Cole Harbert and children.

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Brad and Courtney Ringer with children Addison and Bennett.

Mandy Robison with daughters, from left, Morgan and Meredith.

Denial, not just a river in Egypt

It’s the cornerstone of addiction. How many times have you heard someone say “I had no idea”. Or, “I knew he/she was drinking, but didn’t realize it was that bad”.

This is all to common, yet there are usually signs all around. For example: 1. Never having enough money or not working.

2. Missing appointments or habitually late.

3. Lack of care for personal grooming and hygene.

4. Pawn shop receipts or missing items from your home.

The list goes on and on. Many times we think of these things as just a part of who that person is, irresponsible and imature. But most of the time they are signs of an addiction controling the behavior. True, some people live their lives struggling with items 1 though 3 and it’s not addiction causing it. It’s a learned or accepted behavior. But for those who struggle with addictions that control their behavior, it’s a different story.

All too often we hear the comments from loved ones that they “had no idea” after it’s too late. After someone has overdosed or even died from alcohol poisoning. It’s also then that families say they would have done anything if they had only known.

Getting quality help is hard.

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Photos by Dee Moore

18 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

From left: Mary Eleanor DeRamus, Isabelle White, Marquerite Edmonds and Laura Lou Patrick.

Sarah Bowron, Lillian Culp, Sarah Reed and Lee Chapman.

The Dark and the Light T

Debutante Club of Birmingham Hosts Annual Black and White Ball

he Debutante Club of Birmingham honored 21 young ladies at its 2016 Black and White Ball on Nov. 25.

In keeping with the black and white theme, presentees wore white gowns and traditional, opera-length white gloves, while their guests and escorts were all dressed in black, formal attire.

Each presenter and escort wore a white mini-calla lily boutonniere and escorts wore silk, black and white striped, formal bow ties.

During the presentation, debutantes carried long ribbon streamers attached to translucent, threeto-four foot alternating black and white helium-filled balloons that each presentee then released to float overhead.

Decorations, designed by Buffy Harget Flowers, also included numerous tables draped in black.

Centerpiece vases were filled with white orchids and floating candles and festive black and white fabric was draped above the dance floor from the ceiling and illuminated with white twinkle lights.

Following the debutantes’ first dance, ball guests danced to music by Bobby and the Aristocats.

Young ladies presented include Sarah St. Clair Bowron, Margaret Russell Bromberg, Lee Ellison Chapman, Adrienne Lange Clark, Lamar Bickley Cooper, Matilda Lillian Culp, Mary Eleanor DeRamus, Harper Lane DeWine, Marguerite MacRae Edmonds, Margaret Stabler Greene, Caroline Ashcraft Holbrook, Frances Caroline Lee, Anne Stabler Matthews, Laura Elizabeth Patrick, Margaret Louise Pritchard, Sarah Lawrence Reed, Mallie Moughon Robinson, Symone Beth Shaw, Philippa Bainbridge Straus, Isabelle O’Neal White and Virginia Carol Wright. ❖

Simone Shaw, Harper DeWine, Philippa Straus and Margaret Pritchard.

Mallie Bromberg, Addie Clark, Mallie Robinson, Lamar Cooper and Frances Lee.

Callie Holbrook, Margaret Greene, Virginia Wright and Anne Matthews.

Photos special to the Journal

Heart and Home

IPC Kicks Off Annual Holiday Home Tour Independent Presbyterian Church kicked off its annual holiday home tour with a preview party Nov. 18 at the home of church members Anne and Charlie Cowin.

While guests enjoyed the home’s rich atmosphere, filled with beautiful artwork, they were treated to food prepared by Kim Martin of the IPC Kitchen.

The 67th annual tour was held Dec. 10-11 and featured the homes of architect James Carter, David and Heather Hillegas, Ashley and Robert Spotswood, and Laura and Jesse Vogtle.

This year’s tour was coordinated by Ann Walthall and committee chairs Sarah Duggan, Paige Albright and Jennifer Cope.

Guests in attendance included Gina Boyd, Cathy Delozier, Margaret Shuttlesworth, Amy McCain, Minister Bill Carl, John and Louise Beard, Stan and Jan Cash, Lee and Jeannie Walthall, and Richard and Ann Monk. ❖

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 19

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Above, from left: Kate Stockham, Lynne Simmons and Betty Jo Cowin. Rusty and Gina Boyd and Beff King, above right.

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To: From: Date:

870-3589 Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 Dec. This is your ad proof from the over the mountain Journal for the dec. 15, 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.

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Photos special to the Journal

20 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

From left: Cayleigh Cummings, Kerrie Benson, Mindy Wald, Stefanie Blakely and Alice Blake.

Season’s Greetings Children’s Hosts Ball, Tree Display and Card Sales

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Children’s of Alabama celebrated the holiday season with its annual Children’s Ball on Nov. 11 at The Club.

The black-tie event is one part of a three-part Illuminations program that also includes the Illuminations tree program, in which decorated holiday trees are displayed throughout the hospital lobbies, and the Season’s Greetings card sales, which features cards designed by hospital patients.

The evening included silent and live auctions and a dinner. Donations from the event directly benefit Children’s of Alabama. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 21

social Left, Paul and Jacqueline DeMarco.

Right, Alice Blake and John Stone.

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Photos special to the Journal

22 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

Fandango officers, front, from left: Dotty Still, Anne Hicks and Jowane Patton. Back: Sandy Eichelberger, Carolyn Nowicki, Anne Cobb, Antoinette Flowers, Mary Ellen West and Elise Warren.

Catching Up

Fandango Dance Club Discuss Their Summers and New Members The Fandango Dance Club held its fall meeting and girls’ night out at AVO/ Dram on Oct. 11.

The group gathered in the restaurant’s courtyard and enjoyed cocktails and appetizers as members discussed their summer vacations and presented new ladies for membership.

New officers for the year include Jowane Patton, president; Anne Cobb, vice president; Sandy Eichelberger, secretary; Elise Warren, treasurer; Dotty Still, parliamentarian; Antoinette Flowers, membership chairman; Anne Hicks, publicity chairman; Carolyn Nowicki, hospitality co-chair; Mary Ellen West, hospitality co-chair.

The next meeting is scheduled for early February, when they will discuss plans for their spring dance.

Members in attendance included Mary Berryman, Becky Mason, Yorke Williams, Sandra Holley, Elisebeth Bashinsky, Pat Houseal, Debby Tanner, Kathryn Harwell, Kathy Hoar, Vivian Tucker, Lynn Coleman, Vicki McGhee, Ann Johnson, Martha Elovitz and Nancy Booth. ❖

Above, Jowane Patton, Anne Cobb, Kathy Pearce and Jane Howard.

Elise Warren, Betsy Cooper and Lochrane Smith, left.

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Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 23

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Photos special to the Journal

Front, from left: Clara Chung, Eric Fox, Missy Waddell and Stewart Waddell.

Back: Glenn Fleisig, Theresa Fox and Michele Wilensky.

Topping 20

Hilltop Montessori Celebrates Two Decades Hilltop Montessori School celebrated its 20th birthday with its Hilltop on the Green Gala at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club on Nov. 19.

Guests enjoyed live jazz, courtesy of Cleve Eaton, and a seated dinner of red snapper and filet mignon. Live and silent auctions featured big ticket items including a week in Miami Beach donated by the Dewald Family; a private home in Highlands, North Carolina, and a quail hunt at Longridge Farm.

The event raised more than $70,000 for the school’s Phase Three Expansion, which will finish the school’s new campus, which was built using LEED-rated green principals of design. ❖

Hilltop Montessori founder Cindi Stehr with head of school Michele Wilensky,

To: From:

Paige Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646

Date:

October

Thank you to our

2016 Corporate Friends This is your aD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTaiN JOurNal for the November 3rd, 2016 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

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

JOE LEE GRIFFIN Foundation

Herman and Emmie Bolden Foundation Thomas E. Jernigan Foundation

24 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

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Photos courtesy Samford University

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Paul Petznick, DMD, FAGD

Petznick Dental to Open In Homewood Paul Petznick, DMD, FAGD, who has practiced dentistry in Birmingham for 27 years, is looking forward to his new home in the Brookwood Dental Arts Building near Brookwood Baptist Hospital. His office is conveniently located in Suite 6, on the first floor.

“I am excited to be opening a new dental practice in Homewood focusing on general and aesthetic dentistry,” Dr. Petznick said.

The new office offers Dr. Petznick the opportunity to equip it with the latest state of the art services.

“We are pleased to be able to offer digital imaging, soft tissue laser therapy, electric handpieces, and transillumination imaging technology” Dr. Petznick said.

“We will feature new and innovative diagnostic services using intraoral cameras with fluorescence technologies to detect caries at an early stage. We will also use advanced systems for early oral cancer screening of soft tissues.”

And while patients will appreciate and benefit from the latest technology in dental care, they will also notice a warm and caring staff of professionals dedicated to making their experience a positive one.

“When patients walk in the door, we want them to experience a friendly staff focused on meeting their dental and aesthetic desires, in a modern, contemporary atmosphere,” Dr. Petznick said. “I grew up in Birmingham, and I am actively involved in the community.

Patients know me and will feel right at home.”

Appointments may be made with Petznick Dental by calling (205) 326-7444.

Look for updates on Paul Gaston Petznick, DMD, FAGD’s Facebook page.

Above, from left: Fred Kingren, Carolyn Maull McKinstry, William Baggett, Anne Glaze Stone, Katie Murnane and Keith Herron. Top right: Mother and daughter enjoy dancing at Samford’s 175th Anniversary Gala. Below: Gracie Groves and Preston Little.

What’s That in (Bull)Dog Years?

To: Paul and Eliza From: Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 Date: November This is your AD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTAiN JOurNAl for the Dec. 1st issue. Please email approval or changes to 824-1246.

Samford Celebrates Please 175 Years With Galamake sure all information is correct, Celebrationincluding address and phone number!

Celebrating its 175th anniversary, Samford University hosted an Anniversary Ball at the Pete Hanna Center on Nov. 11, during homecoming weekend.

The evening began with President Andrew Westmoreland taking the mic and asking the crowd to shout “Happy Birthday, Samford.”

A video celebrating the anniversary featured congratulatory words from alumni, including Emmy Awardwinning actor Tony Hale, comedian John Crist, U.S. Rep. Robert

Aderholt of Alabama, and Michael Pierce of the Baltimore Ravens.

Music was provided by Atlanta Rhythm and Groove, which performed popular music from the ‘40s to the present for a crowd of dancers as confetti shot from cannons showered the arena.

The event also recognized the university’s 2016 alumni award recipients, with Westmoreland granting each winner a medal.

Alumni of the year included William Baggett, Keith Herron,

‘tis Engagement Season A GIFT FOR THE

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Fred Kingren, and Anne Glaze Stone. Katie Murnane was awarded the Oustanding Young Alumnus Award, and Humanitarian of the Year was given to Carolyn Maull McKinstry and Stephen B. Moss.

Homecoming Queen Margaret Hehir and King Micah GreenHolloway were recognized during a crowning.

The gala was organized by a committee headed up by Michael Morgan.

Food stations catered by Kathy G. and Company were scattered throughout the venue featuring sliders, macaroni and cheese, shrimp and grits and assorted desserts.

VIP ticket holders attending a reception in the Coca-Cola Hospitality Room were treated to a risotto station, pan-seared porcinidusted scallops, parmigiana polenta, slow-smoked pulled pork and handrolled crepes. ❖

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 25

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Photos special to the Journal

Clair County school system; William A. Bell Sr., mayor of Birmingham; and J. Thomas Hill, chairman of the board of Vulcan Park and Museum and president and CEO of Vulcan Materials Co. The emcee for the dinner and awards ceremony was Rick Journey of WBRC. Nominations were accepted from throughout the metro area, and five honorees were chosen.

Vulcan award winners are Odessa Woolfolk, Lifetime Achievement

Rick Journey.

Award; John Croyle, Hero Award; Carrie Leland, Servant Leadership Award; Tom Cosby, Game Changer Award; and Dr. Henna Budhwani, Newcomer Award.

Spear Awards also were given out in each category except lifetime achievement. Those awards were given to Tajuan McCarty and James Strong, hero; Bill Heintz and Philip Morris, servant leadership; Dr. Jarralynne Agee and Jim Wooten, game changer; and Victoria Hollis and Daniel Branum, newcomer. ❖

Above, Tom and Gail Cosby, from right, with guest. John Croyle and Odessa Woolfolk, below.

Iron-Clad Service

Annual Vulcans Community Awards Celebrate Community Service Vulcan Park and Museum held its annual ceremony to present the Vulcans Community Awards on Nov. 3 at The Club, recognizing residents of the seven-county metro Birmingham area who exemplify civic pride, leadership and progress.

Co-chairs for this year’s event were Marie Manning, retired superintendent of education for the St.

“Bill Priddy made buying our first home easy.”

Brandon and Jaimie Burroughs with sons Liam (6) and Lane (8)

Give a Blessing when you donate by Dec. 31st

When Brandon and Jaimie Burroughs decided to look for their first family home, they turned to Realtor Bill Priddy for advice. “We found a home we fell in love with, but it was a foreclosure and we didn’t know anything about the process,” says Brandon. “Bill walked us through every step.” With two young boys and busy careers, having professional guidance was a huge help. “Bill worked really hard and attended to all the details. We didn’t have to know a thing,” says Jaimie. “We can’t say enough good things about Bill.”

Bill Priddy appreciates being a part of the ARC Realty family. “We have the best tools and support available anywhere.” For more information on Bill Priddy and ARC Realty’s listings, visit www.arcrealtyco.com.

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26 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

holiday cards

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

It’s the Holiday Season!

Our annual Holiday Cards issue featuring the artwork of talented Over the Mountain students gets bigger evey year. All of the schools in our area were invited to participate again this year and all of the schools that did are represented in this section. Enjoy!

Top row, from left, Edgewood Elementary: Mary Lois Foley, 3rd; Bailey Blackstock, 4th; Emme Sanders, 5th; Second Row: Caroline Cherry, 4th; Eddie Abel, 5th; Abbey Wade, 5th; Alina Anderson, 5th; Jack Bullock, 5th; Third Row: Eva White, 5th; Cele Reynolds, 2nd; Jorge M Rodriguez, 4th; Emmy Mitchel, 1st; Prunela Kamal, 5th; fourth Row: Morgan Maddox, 4th; Kate Robinson, 5th; Celia Roitman, 4th; Carlson Shepherd, 4th; Adair Powers, 3rd; Rose Goodwin, 1st.

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(423) 267-8505, ext. 827

| badams@baylorschool.org | www.baylorschool.org/summer

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

HOliday Cards

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 27

top row, from left, Edgewood Elementary: Saisha Dangle, 4th; Engil Shanks, 2nd; Elizabeth Gillum, 5th; Harris Fowlkes, 5th; Claire Cohen, 1st; Second Row: Josephine L Foley, 5th; Megan Harris, 5th; Hatcher Estep, 5th; Kyara Walker, 5th; Mary Ryan Hughes, 5th; Third Row: Caroline Wilder, 5th; Violet Blackstock, 4th; Chanley Bunchow, 5th; Caroline Petrella, 5th; Fourth Row: Jackson Garza Cutrell, 5th; Ellie Coldiron, 5th; Margaret Rodgers, 5th; Ashton Lynch,1st; Shades Cahaba Elementary: Edwin Lopez C., 5th; Fifth Row: Will Ray, 4th; Emerson Buck, 4th; Trey Griffith, 4th; Pepper Ustad, Kindergarten; Madeleine Ann Brockwell, 4th; Marcus Swaika, 4th; Sixth Row: Toby Jones, 4th; Bluff Park Elementary: Graham Whillock, Kindergarten; Esther, Kinyanjui, 5th; Deer Valley Elementary: Isabella Phou, 4th.

28 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

HOliday Cards

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

top row, from left, Deer Valley Elementary: Sydney Walters, 2nd; Ava Looney, 4th; Laasya Daasari, 3rd; Hannah Barton, 4th; Green Valley Elementary: Shelby Sauls, 3rd; Second Row: Cadence Tatum, 5th; Jayla Burnell, 4th; Stella Donnelly, 4th; Melvin Tovar, 5th; Reid Chapman, 2nd; Kaitlyn Cox, 4th; Third Row: Greystone Elementary: Cade Underwood, Kindergarten; Hope Hadder, 2nd; Yui Nomura, 2nd; Isabela Arruda, 2nd; Stella Wilson, 2nd; Sage Kazinec, 5th; Fourth Row: Michael Suh, 5th; Gwin Elementary: Brianna Delarosa Gonzalez, 1st; Jaxson Franks, 4th; Jack Seuferling, 3rd; Emma Voytanovsky, 4th; Fifth Row: Abigail Carden, Kindergarten; Mary Caroline Hatch, 3rd; Leah Naftel, 1st; Mary Detwiler, 5th; Claire Davis, 2nd; Teagan McGrew, 5th; Sixth Row: Riverchase Elementary: Hudson Woodall, 4th; Amber Mangina; 4th; Elizabeth Corrin, 4th; Avery Turner,1st.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

HOliday cards

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 29

top row, from left, Riverchase Elementary: Rebecca Stafford, 4th; Rocky Ridge Elementary: Ethan Boykin, 3rd; Brian Alexander Kilgore, 3rd; Aiden Middlebrooks, 2nd; Daeonna McGee, 4th; Second Row: Zachary Erickson, 4th; Tami Hall, Kindregarten; Shades Mountain Elementary: Chase Millican, 1st; Krislyn Thomas, 2nd; Michael Johnson, 2nd; Third Row: Hudson Campbell, 5th; South Shades Crest Elementary: Claire McCaleb, 1st; Reagan Davis, 2nd; Cherokee Bend Elementary: Anne Carter Hutchison, 2nd; Alden Johnson, 1st; Fourth Row: Austen Ralph, 2nd; Charlie Hartman, 1st; Catie Gasque, 4th; Noah Mize, 3rd; Levi Lawernz, 2nd; Fifth Row: Lila Dixon, 4th; Sohana Caplash, 4th; Caroline Huddleston, 4th; Bethany Yin, 3rd; Crestline Elementary: Ella Kate Wright, 4th; Sixth Row: Ann Park Holt, 4th; Eliza Rice, 5th; Emily Baird, 3rd; Allie Acken, 4th.

30 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

top row, from left, Crestline Elementary: Bentley Brewer, 5th; Luke Cribbs, 1st; Abby Canterbury, 3rd; Millie Hard, 3rd; Julia Costanzo, 3rd; Second Row: Bentley Gamso, 2nd; Mary Harbin Porter, 3rd; Frances Sandner, 2nd; Sutton Tessler, Kindergarten; Third Row: Eleanor Bagby, 3rd; Gavin Yokel, 2nd; Mary Jane Bussian, 5th; Mountain Brook Elementary: Arden Turnbull, 1st; Anne Lichty, 5th; Fourth Row: Carolyn Dunn, 5th; Maxwell Brown, Kindergarten; Harris Melville, 1st; Cate Axon, 2nd; Fifth Row: Maggie Skinner, 4th; Noelle Dupont, 3rd; Caroline Gray, 4th; James Petrey, 1st; Sixth Row: Margot Bittick, 3rd; Holland Finch, 5th; Lydia Loglisci, 5th.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

holiday cards

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 31

top row, from left, Mountain Brook Elementary: Julia Reinbold, 5th; Georgia Spotswood, 3rd; Jack Abenoja, 4th; Jane Earnhardt Wilson, 4th; Luke Waldrop, 2nd; Second Row: Kate Cain, 4th; Lola Salter, 4th; Lily Close, 4th; Mary Richard Elkus, 4th; Third Row: Emma Lou Giordano, 4th; Charlotte Whatley, Kindergarten; Inverness Elementary: Angela Katherine, Kindergarten; Anthony Holland, 3rd; Heydon Wilton, Kindergarten; Fourth Row: Oak Mountain Elementary: Jill Blocher, 2nd; Maddie Ray, 1st; Abigail Drown, 3rd; Bailey Mohosky, 1st; Vivian Harris, 2nd; Elizabeth Datema, Kindergarten; Fifth Row: Bryleigh Lancaster, 2nd; Cash Nye, 1st; Claire Connell, 3rd; Jake Williams, 2nd; James Franklin, 3rd; Juliana Golser, 3rd; Sixth Row: Peyton Ditto, Kindergarten; Anna Kate Ferrell, 2nd; Perla Martinez, Kindergarten.

32 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

holiday cards

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

top row, from left, Cahaba Heights Elementary: Caitlyn Webster, 3rd; Derrick Session, 2nd; David Woods, Kindergarten; Ruby Harris, 4th; Van Moncriref, Kindgergarten; Scarlett Bowens, Kindergarten; Second Row: Lily Davis, 4th; Victoria Sims, 4th; Molly Grant Leonard, 1st; Edward Kolbe, 3rd; Liberty Park Elementary: Bradford Williams, 3rd; Third Row: Caroline Salsman, Kindergarten; Isabelle Brewer, 3rd; June Mauldin, 3rd; Molly Mitchell, 3rd; Kate McKinnon, 2nd; Fourth Row: Meela Patel, 2nd; John Wimberly, 3rd; Sarah Orkus, 2nd; Wilson Szymela, 3rd; Kyndall McDougal, 3rd; Fifth Row: Livy Arns, 3rd; Maisey Hariis, 4th; Avery Franklin, 1st; Hanna Grace Johnston, 2nd; Vesativa Hills Central: Flora Yang, 4th; Sixth Row: Katelyn White, 5th; Grayson Mizerany, 4th; Savannah Basgier, 4th.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

holiday cards

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 33

Elaine Colby, M.D.

Dr. Colby, Southview Medical Group

top row, from left, Vestavia Hills Central: Rachel Johnson, 4th; Sims Millsap, 5th; Vestavia Hills West Elementary: Emily Appleby, 3rd; Kendall Glenn, 3rd; Second Row: Avery Allen, 1st; Lexi Nelson, 1st; Sophia Humphries, 3rd;Claire Creel, 3rd; Payton Tabb, 3rd; Third Row: Advent: Estelle Petras, 5th; Kyrie Reeves. 3rd; Altamont: Kate Lowe, 5th; Fourth Row: Mason Coleman, 5th; Lucien Carsen, 5th; Briarwood: Gigi Rubino, 5th; Morgan Fleming, 5th; Fifth Row: Ginger Potts, 3rd; Creative Montesorri: Celie Butler, 2nd; Avelina Storr, 3rd; Margot Chitwood, 2nd; Sixth Row: Highlands: Isla Graham, Kindergarten; Taia Arsenia, 3rd.

These days, finding a primary care doctor who takes time to listen can be a difficult task. For Dr. Elaine Colby at Southview Medical Group, P.C., establishing a welcoming and compassionate clinical environment is paramount. “It’s important my patients know they are being cared for, and not feel like a number getting lost in the system,” Dr. Colby explains.

In addition, primary care physicians serve an important role assisting individuals in navigating the increasingly complex health care system. “Not only do I advocate for my patients, I also try to practice cost-conscious care and involve my patients in medical decision making,” Dr. Colby says.

Dr. Colby, a Birmingham native, graduated from Auburn University and the University of Alabama School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at the University of Hawaii in 2009, serving as Chief Resident in her senior year. Dr. Colby later worked in the Department of Family Medicine at San Antonio Military Medical Center in Texas from 2011 to 2015, for which she received the Achievement Medal for Civilian Service.

Upon returning to Birmingham, she worked at the Birmingham VA Medical Center, until joining Southview Medical Group in November 2016.

“I’m honored and blessed to join Southview, which has a long tradition of excellence in the Birmingham medical community,” Dr. Colby says. Southview Medical Group, P.C., a multi-specialty group located on St. Vincent’s Birmingham campus, offers services in internal medicine, family medicine, cardiology, gastroenterology, dermatology, endocrinology, and infectious disease.

Now Accepting New Patients

(18 years old and over)

833 St. Vincent’s Drive, Suite 300 Birmingham, AL 35205

933-4450

34 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

holiday cards

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

top row, from left, Highlinads: Payton Daniels, 2nd; NE Miles: Lila Fleisig, 3rd; Abigail Gillian White, 2nd; Noa Azrad, 1st; Our Lady of Sorrows: Jackson Travis, 4th; Second Row: Jordan Madison, 4th; Reese Warren, Kindergarten; Anya Penherki, 2nd; Violetta Rohr, 3rd; Prince of Peace: Sophie Marie Adams, 3rd; Third Row: Hannah Lee, 3rd; Lucy Grondin, 5th; Saint Rose: Ava Koch, 4th; Caterina Botta, 1st; Jeremiah Gary, 5th; Fourth Row: Jean-Paul Plaisance, 3rd; Harper Begson, 1st; Shades Mountain Christian: Selah Long, Kindergarten; Carrington Napper, 4th; Madison Smith, 5th; Fifth Row: SouthMinster: Arwen Henderson, 5th; Luke Hollis, 5th; Hudson Reed, 3rd; Jack Anderson, 4th; Sixth Row: Emma Gregory, 5th; Emory Bear, 3rd.

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 35

holiday cards

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Bluff Park WindoW Works f Wood window restoration and repair f Sash replacement, rot repair f Replace broken and fogged glass f Wood insulated, putty glazed, and composite vinyl replacement sashes

Call 205-542-6094

LocaLLy owned and operated

HOLIDAY SALE 50% OFF Starting Dec. 29th

the Korduroy Krocodile

To: From: top row, from left, SouthMinster: Cate Fondren, 3rd; Hudson Nichols 1st; Jackson Barnes, 5th; Westminster: Carden Ritch, 4th; Second Row: Sofia Teresi, 4th; William Vebber, 4th; Prince of Peace: Cassidy Sharpe, 5th; Third Row: Rachel Swetz, 3rd; Advent: Jaiden Lee, 3rd; St. Rose: Eden Nolan, 3rd; Fourth Row: Altamont: Stella Linde, 5th.

Date:

Mary Charles’ Doll House

Thanks to all participating schools!

New, Collectible Antique Dolls

Homewood’s Unique Consignment Shop

Jim 2912 Linden Avenue • Homewood • 879-0030 OpenJournal, Tues. thruPHONE: Sat. 10 a.m.

- 4 p.m.

Over The Mountain 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 May 2015 This is your AD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTAiN JOurNAl fo Nov. 4 2010 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

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

To: From: Date:

2820 Petticoat Lane Mtn. Brook Village 870-5544 Open Thur. - Sat. 10am - 4:30pm

Please initial and fax back within 24 hours.

Lynda if we have not heard from205-823-9646 you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, Over The Mountain Journal, ph., your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.

205-824-1246, fax Thank you for your prompt attention.

December 2015

This is your ad proof from the over the mountain Journal december 17, 2015 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-

please make sure all information is correc 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.

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To: From: Date:

Mary Charles Robbins Over The Mountain Journal, 205-823-9646 ph., 205-824-1246, fax May 2010 This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the June 3, 2010 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.

Seniors

36 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Woodworkers Guild Provides a Support Community in the Craft and in Life

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

By Emily Williams

Ralph Hardwick of Hoover found a love of woodworking 46 years ago during a home remodeling project. He has since developed a love of creating wooden models of planes, trains and automobiles, which he sells at the Assistance League’s non-profit gift store PrimeTime Treasures.

Going Against the Grain Hoover’s Hardwick Hones His Woodworking Skills in Retirement

‘I have two suggestions for anyone who is looking to retire. One: Don’t have a mortgage.

Have your house completely paid for.

Two: Have a hobby.’

Hardwick’s hobby of choice found him 46 years ago, when he was in his late 20s. He and his wife had just been married and were looking to add another room onto their first home. Hardwick chose to do the work himself.

By Emily Williams For Ralph Hardwick, nothing sounds less pleasing than spending retirement sitting around and waiting for something to happen.

“I have two suggestions for anyone who is looking to retire,” Hardwick said. “One: Don’t have a mortgage. Have your house completely paid for. Two: Have a hobby.”

Hardwick’s hobby of choice found him 46 years ago, when he was in his late 20s. He and his wife had just been married and were looking to add another room onto their first home. Hardwick chose to do the work himself.

Finding an appreciation for woodworking, Hardwick continued to learn the tricks of the trade.

Once his son came along, he began making toys.

“I look back on some of those and wonder what I was thinking,” he laughed.

Working for Southern Natural Gas Company, Hardwick was able to learn more about woodworking through a company organization that supported employee crafts.

Hardwick’s specialty is making models of transportation vehicles. Trains, planes and automobiles, each model is highly detailed and incorporates multiple types of wood.

His preferred wood will always be mahogany.

“Mahogany is just easy to work with and it is

absolutely beautiful. You don’t have to stain it or anything, you just put a clear finish on,” he said.

But, seeing as mahogany costs a pretty penny, he is happy to work with just about anything he can get his hands on.

Hardwick said he spends most of his day down in his basement, which has been converted into a woodworking shop.

He normally creates models from plans and patterns, but he’s known to think outside the box when inspiration strikes.

“There is one train that I made that took creating about 3,000 pieces,” he said. “It took about six months of work to complete it.”

Part of the fun of making models, for Hardwick, is having to solve problems.

“For a lot of the smaller pieces, you have to engineer a way to cut it,” he said. One of the best lessons he learned in woodworking was that you See Hardwick, page 38

When Ralph Hardwick got serious about woodworking in retirement, he found more than just a hobby. He found a community of supportive people when he joined the Alabama Woodworkers Guild.

Hardwick has been a member of the guild for about 30 years. Founded in Shelby County in 1983, the guild serves woodworkers throughout the state, though Hardwick said the majority of members live in the Birmingham area.

The group is open to any woodworking enthusiast, even if they don’t own tools. It offers woodworking seminars, an annual juried show, which was held last week in the basement of the Hoover Library, and a ton of perks.

“One of the perks of being in the guild is that they buy wholesale wood and then sell it to members,” he said. “So, you get to purchase wood at a discounted price.”

The community also shares a wealth of knowledge, most notably regarding safety.

“I always say I must not be a good woodworker, because I still have all of my fingers,” Hardwick joked. He said that is thanks to guild members who share with each other the best and safest tools and ways to use them.

Guild workshops are where Hardwick developed his appreciation for the seemingly arduous task of constructing wooden jigs to guide pieces of wood more safely and precisely as they are being cut.

They also are where he learned about table saws that shut off when they make contact with human skin – an expensive purchase, but one that is easily justified when you hear that one of your friends would have lost a fingertip without it.

In addition to helping him learn and grow in his hobby, Hardwick said, the guild offers him opportunities to serve the community.

The guild builds about 10,000 toys each year to donate to Children’s of Alabama, Greater Birmingham Ministries and other organizations that aid sick children.

Hardwick has served as chair and co-chair for the project in the past.

“I remember when I was chair and I was trying to set up a goal for the amount of toys. I asked someone at the hospital if they could even use 10,000 toys,” he said.

They told Hardwick they could use even 20,000 toys within the year, and the drive resulted in 19,000 toys.

The organization also has a group that builds and installs kitchen and bathroom cabinets for Habitat for Humanity houses.

See woodworkers, page 38

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 37

Seniors

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Danberry at Inverness

The More The Merrier: Why Spend The Holidays Alone?

Everyone enjoys the holidays more with friends and family. That’s what makes Danberry at Inverness such a great choice. Here, warmth and hospitality helps residents feel at home during the holidays—and all year long.

“Our Assisted Living neighborhood is truly distinctive,” said Danberry at Inverness Marketing Director Lori Krueger. “In addition to receiving exceptional assistance with daily activities and personal care, residents enjoy all the elegance and refinement of Danberry at Inverness senior living community. Everyone can delight in the beautiful decorations, festive events and camaraderie. We truly are one big family.”

In Danberry’s vibrant Assisted Living Neighborhood, the emphasis is definitely on enjoying life. Bright, private suites are smartly designed and residents have access to cozy living rooms with fireplaces, as well as outdoor walking areas and an English garden courtyard. Chef-prepared menus make dining a delight. In addition to receiving a helping hand when needed, residents may participate in a variety of wellness and health programs. Licensed nursing is provided 24-hours a day.

“Comfortable, friendly, luxurious…Assisted Living residents at Danberry at Inverness have the support they need to live life as they choose,” said Krueger.

Danberry at Inverness is owned and managed by Life Care Services®, An LCS Company.

Top: The atrium at Danberry is the center of the clubhouse that connects the common areas, providing a place residents can enjoy a cup of coffee or a cocktail with friends before dinner. left: Waterfall at the entrance to Danberry.

Above: A mother and daughter spending time together at Danberry.

Danberry at Inverness is located on Lake Heather just off US. 280 and Valleydale Road in Hoover.

205-443-9500

The greatest gifts bring joy to the whole family.

235 Inverness Center Drive Hoover, AL 35242

Peace of mind for you and your loved one is the greatest gift when you consider Danberry Independent Living, Assisted Living or Memory Care. During this season of giving, a helping hand and an uplifting lifestyle not only bring joy but make now the perfect time to learn more. Call (205) 443-9500.

DanberryAtInverness.com

38 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

Seniors

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Ready for Baby

Kirkwood by The River

“Have you thought during retirement, ‘I don’t know how I ever had time to work?’ At Kirkwood by the River, we know life doesn’t slow down when you retire,” says President/ CEO Chad Carter. “With an adventurous spirit, a will to learn, and a group of friends to join in the fun, experiencing life just gets that much more sweet in the retirement phase.

“Kirkwood by the River is a Life Plan Community built for those who enjoy living life to the fullest. In 2016, Kirkwood residents went to symphony performances, baseball games, local festivals, historical attractions and some of the area’s finest restaurants. We had monthly musical performances, political discussions, a catered meal by a local celebrity chef and presentations from FBI agents, storytellers, and his-

tory buffs, just to name a few. We are a community of faith with weekly multidenominational church services and Bible studies. We exercise, not only our bodies but our minds, and we grow stronger as individuals and as a community with each passing year.

“I invite you to experience retirement life at Kirkwood by joining us for an event, a meal, or juststopping in to say hello. With the safety and security of an Independent Living nurse on staff, a nonprofit local Board of Directors to ensure quality of care, the loving hands of our devoted employees, and a calendar full of opportunities to explore and grow, I am certain you will find our community is the one for you.”

Kirkwood by the River is a nonprofit life plan community offering independent living, assisted living, memory care assisted living, skilled nursing and Medicare rehabilitation.

For more information on Kirkwood by the River, contact Sandi Hall at 205-862-0305 or visit our website at kirkwoodbytheriver.com.

Merry Christmas May all the magic of Christmas fill your hearts, warm your spirits & lift your families in comfort & joy.

From your friends at Kirkwood by the River

Independent Living | Assisted Living Memory Care Assisted Living Skilled Nursing | Medicare Rehab For more information on Kirkwood, contact Sandi Hall at 205-862-0305 or visit www.kirkwoodbytheriver.com 3605 Ratliff Road | Birmingham, AL 35210

said they believe they can do a better job as a grandparent than they did as a parent.

The Brookwood class taps into the growing interest in grandparenting.

The next available class is set for Feb. 11, 9-11 a.m. Subsequent classes are set for every other month, and they are held at the Brookwood Women’s Medical Center.

Registration is $10 per grandparent and parking costs $3. To register or get more information, call 877-8800 or visit iChooseB.com. ❖

hardwick,

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

Members of the Kirkwood by the River team include, from left: Sarah Sexton, Chad Carter, Sandi Hall and Sara Scott.

Brookwood Baptist Health has launched a class to help new grandparents ease into their roles and experienced grandparents refresh their skills.

The two-hour course prepares grandparents by covering what’s new in the world of babies, recommended social media etiquette for the big day and ways to transition into the role of a grandparent, according to a statement from Brookwood.

It also covers new guidelines for infant care and safety, car seat safety, trends in childbirth and ways to be helpful without interfering.

About 70 million Americans are grandparents, and 72 percent of those people say being a grandparent is the single-most important and satisfying thing in their lives, according to the American Grandparents Association. In a survey by the association, 63 percent of grandparents

From page 36

may have to craft a wooden jig just to get the right kind of cut on another piece of wood.

After he’d been retired for a while, Hardwick realized his modelmaking was increasing and he needed to find a way to get rid of finished projects that had begun collecting dust around the house.

A friend suggested he look into selling his pieces at the Assistance League’s nonprofit gift shop, PrimeTime Treasures, which stocks a selection of products made by Alabama senior citizens.

Hardwick said that when he first called the shop, he asked the woman working whether he could sell some of his “toys” there. She quickly told him the store already had about seven people selling toys.

Hardwick didn’t take no for an answer, but took some of his pieces to the Homewood shop, where he was met with acceptance.

“The thing about my models is that they are not for children,” he said. “I do make some toys on occasion that are safe for children, but these are very fragile.”

Around the holidays, Hardwick sees his sales pick up significantly as people look for gifts.

Though the holidays are kind to his sales numbers, Hardwick isn’t concerned about profits.

“I probably price things too low. In fact, the ladies at the league tell me I price them too low,” he said. “But if I priced them based on what I put into them, nobody could afford it.”

He added that, though the hobby costs him more than he makes, the pleasure of having a project that keeps him on a schedule and fills up

Stock

Class Prepares Grandparents For the Big Day

his days is payment

enough.

The hobby constantly challenges him, whether he is creating a design he imagined or a design someone requested after seeing his work.

Among the favorite pieces he created on request were models of a W.B. Baker and Sons delivery truck and a tanker that could carry the truck in its bed. He made five of each. The company was once owned by the family of the woman who commissioned the models, and she gave them out as Christmas presents.

Models that Hardwick commissions for himself are among his favorites. A retired colonel in the Army Reserve, he has an appreciation for military vehicles, but he couldn’t find many plans for jets.

“I remember asking someone why that is and he laughed and told me, for one, it’s an exercise in sanding,” he said. An exercise, Hardwick continued, because each wing had to be sanded into shape, and it took an inordinate amount of time to create a smooth curve.

Nevertheless, he has made multiple aircrafts and held on to one of his favorites, a WWII B-17. As with a few other select models, Hardwick liked it too much to give it up. ❖

woodworkers From page 36

Among the smaller service projects that have popped up in his time, Hardwick recalls making wooden puzzles for the Alabama School for the Deaf and Blind.

Hardwick said the community he found in the guild and through his hobby is important to him.

He’s made friends he wouldn’t have otherwise met, many of whom also are retired and enjoy going out to lunch or running by the guild’s workshop on any given day.

“I don’t care if it’s golf or sewing or tennis,” Hardwick said, “you have got to have something to do when you retire.”

For more information about the Alabama Woodworkers Guild, visit wp.awwg.info. ❖

Schools

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 39

Photos special to the Journal

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Spartan Band Salutes WW II Heroes at Pearl Harbor Event

Vestavia’s Premiere Green Home Community

The Mountain Brook High School Band spent last week in Hawaii participating in the December 7th ceremony marking the 75th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. A select number of schools around the country formed the band, 1800 in all. In addition to the observance, band members got to learn about life on the islands, visiting the Dole Plantation, the Polynesian Cultural Center and Diamond Head. ❖

Journal photo by Maury Wald

From left, Vestavia Hills Rotary Club president Steve Hendricks presents check to Pizitz Middle School teachers and math sponsors Michelle Binder and Vicki Cato, Pizitz Principal Meredith Hanson, VHHS math team sponsor Susan Gifford and VHHS debate team sponsor Nate Conoly.

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.

Vestavia Hills Rotary Present Check to Local Math and Debate Teams The Vestavia Hills Rotary Club presented a check to representatives of Vestavia Hills City Schools math and debate teams at a monthly meeting in October. The funds were raised through the eighth annual Iron City Chef competition which followed a barbecue theme this year.

This year’s competition, held in July, paired a student of Jefferson State Community College’s culinary school with one of the four participating restaurants, Jefferson State Community College’s Bistro proVare, Shane’s Rib Shack, Moe’s Original BBQ and Jim N’ Nick’s BBQ. From left: Jerry Tracey, Alabama 13 chief meteorologist; Paul Edfeldt, rotary member; Chef Joseph Mitchell, Jefferson State’s Culinary and Hospitality Institute program director; Steve Hendricks; Steve Shelton, general manager of Rocky Ridge Western Market; and Russell Taylor, Western Supermarkets wine department assistant manager; Kent Howard, rotary member; with students Emma Henderson, Sherry Wu and Greta Chen.

After a preliminary barbecue sauce competition, student chefs Joy Phillips, representing Moe’s, and Anna Griffin, representing Jim N’ Nick’s, battled it out in an Iron Chef-style cook off. The event was emceed by Jerry Tracey of Alabama 13 with music provided by Sweet Licks.

Judges selected Phillips as Iron City Chef and Jim N’ Nick’s went home with the “best dessert” title.

The funds donated will benefit the Vestavia Hills City Schools’ math and debate programs, with another portion benefitting Rotary International’s clean water initiative. ❖

www.wedgworth.net (205) 365-4344

business

40 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

From the Stove to the Store Bamawise Helps Alabama Food Vendors Get Retail-Ready

You’ve got a great salad dressing/pickle/ strawberry jam recipe. It’s so good, in fact, that your friends are always saying you need to sell the stuff.

There’s just one problem: You’ve got no clue how to get your delicious food from the stove to the store shelves.

Enter Bamawise, a Birmingham company that specializes in helping small food vendors make the leap to the retail market.

“Somebody will come to us and say they’ve got this great barbecue sauce or cookies – but they (don’t) know anything about, for example, UPCs or expiration dates,” said Jeff Gentry, who heads up Bamawise with partner Bobby LeMoine. “That’s when we put things together for them and get them retailready.”

Gentry, a Vestavia Hills High School graduate, worked for about six years with Atlantabased Gourmet Foods International, a leading specialty food supplier.

“I worked with specialty cheeses, meats and other high-end products,” he said. “When I was with GFI, I had vendors from our state wanting us to sell their products throughout the country. About three and a half years ago, I started putting together Alabama products to sell retail. I started with Piggly Wiggly and Western; they’re the No. 1 retailers for small, local producers and have been our biggest supporters.”

LeMoine, who’s from Jacksonville, Fla., came to Birmingham to attend Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. “Jeff and I have been friends since 2005,” LeMoine said. “We’ve coached our daughters in T-ball together. I’d been in the large law firm life.”

A conversation between the two dads on the ball field led to their partnership, which started out as an attorney-client relationship.

Now, Gentry and LeMoine have a thriving business representing Alabama food vendors such as Belle Chevre goat cheese, Mook Mills Cheese Straws, Holmsted Fines Chutney, Kettle Brothers Popcorn, Eastaboga Honey, Cookies by Donna, Salsa Señorita, and Super Turnip Green pepper sauce and Sriracha sauce.

“We have dry groceries, produce, seafood, coffee, beef and pork,” LeMoine said.

In addition to Piggy Wiggly and Western Supermarkets, Bamawise also works with Publix, Winn-Dixie, food services companies and restaurants. The company takes its vendors’ products to shows such as Junior League of Birmingham’s recent Market Noel.

Bamawise also has its own retail store at Regions-Harbert Center Plaza in downtown Birmingham.

“Winn-Dixie and Publix reached out to us to do their local programs,” Gentry said. “All these larger retailers are seeing that customers like to buy local products. People want to know where their food comes from.”

While Bamawise has been focused on vendors from its home state, the company is expanding its boundaries.

“We started doing just Alabama, but we now have other vendors from throughout the Southeast,” Gentry said. “We handle Goo Goo Clusters, which are made in Nashville,

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

By Donna Cornelius

Bamawise partners Bobby LeMoine, left, and Jeff Gentry help Alabama food vendors get their products into the retail market.

and Stumptown Coffee from Oregon. And some local retailers have talked with us about handling local products for their out-of-state stores.”

Bamawise doesn’t just give local vendors a helping hand. It also helps support two Birmingham charitable organizations.

The company has a dry warehouse in west Homewood and leases a cold storage space from the Christian Service Mission in Avondale.

“It’s a ministry that works throughout Birmingham,” Gentry said. “They bought the old Wood-Fruitticher facility. We’re grateful to them for letting us lease space. We’d rather pay money to them to warehouse our products than to someone else.”

Bamawise has gift trays for the holidays available through its retail store and its website. The gift trays are assembled by Workshops Inc., a Birmingham nonprofit organization that employs people with disabilities.

“The boxes are made in Clanton from trees from Maplesville,” LeMoine said.

The partners said they want to handle the business end of food production and distribution so their vendors can concentrate on cooking. Jennifer Lee, owner of Jennifer’s Kitchen, said she signed on with Bamawise to do just that.

Lee, whose company makes pepper jelly, said starting her own business was “gradual.”

The idea that she might sell her jellies commercially started in 1998, when she gave her father a jar of his grandmother’s cranberry conserve.

“When I decided to go commercial, it was a big leap,” said Lee, who lives in Homewood. “I was selling nationally and at the Atlanta and Dallas gift marts. I was super busy and constantly traveling.”

Then serious health issues caused her to slow down, she said.

“I stopped and rebooted,” she said. “I have three children who are 18, 16 and 10. I wanted to focus on them while they’re all still at home, so I decided to go a different route.”

That’s when she signed on with Bamawise.

“I decided to let them deal with the craziness,” she said. “For now, it’s nice to sit back and let them handle things.”

While their booming business means a lot of work, Gentry and LeMoine aren’t complaining.

“Any time it gets crazy and hectic, I think, this is why we exist,” LeMoine said. “We’re bridging the gap between mom-and-pop vendors and large retailers.”

For a complete list of Bamawise vendors and outlets, visit bamawise.com. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Business Briefs

WBHM Brings In Veteran Newsman to Lead the Station WBHM has hired a veteran journalist and newsroom leader at National Public Radio in Washington, D.C., to be its new general manager.

Charles W. “Chuck” Holmes, below, takes the helm Jan. 9 at WBHM, the Alabama Public Radio station at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, according to a statement from the station.

Holmes will direct the operations of WBHM and the Alabama Radio Reading Service, a resource for the blind and print-impaired, as he develops and executes a strategic plan for the station’s news, programming, fundraising and community engagement.

“Chuck will lead a great team of public media professionals as they continue growing WBHM with quality journalism, meaningful programming, impactful community outreach, and new and innovative fundraising efforts to support the station,” Anne Buckley, UAB’s chief communications officer, said in the statement.

Holmes has led NPR’s daily news operation as deputy managing editor since 2013 and previously served as supervising senior editor of “Morning Edition.” He shared the Peabody Award for his editorial guidance of “The Race Card Project,” and his role in the network’s coverage of the war in Afghanistan earned an Edward R. Murrow Award.

Before joining NPR in 2009, Holmes was foreign editor of Cox Newspapers and earlier was a foreign correspondent posted in Jerusalem and Moscow. Holmes gained industry recognition for his coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the war in Kosovo, the Rwandan genocide and civil war, and the war in Afghanistan.

“It’s a privilege to join WBHM and lead its talented staff,” Holmes said. “Robust coverage of local news and strong information and arts programming are vital to Birmingham and the communities of North Central Alabama.”

“Let’s Hear it for Education” Program to Benefit Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation Sonology Hearing Aid Clinic has launched a program, “Let’s Hear It for Education,” to benefit the Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation.

The clinic is a division of McCool and Bhuta Ear Nose and Throat Specialists. Dr. Brian McCool said in a released statement that the doctors were excited to partner with the foundation.

“We value excellence in education and in providing the very best healthcare for hearing loss,” he said in the statement. “We hope the Vestavia Hills community will reach out to family and friends and encourage them to visit Sonology. After all, the greater the participation, the greater the reward for the schools.”

Through the program, the foundation will receive a donation of $50 for every hearing aid purchased at Sonology when the patient says the phrase, “Let’s Hear it for Education in Vestavia Hills.”

“We are so pleased to be working with Dr. (Tarika) Bhuta and Dr. McCool on this program,” (pictured) stated foundation board President Janet Ball. “Partnerships such as this are critical to our ability to grow the endowment and increase support for our schools.”

Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 41

business

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

A Collaboration in Brick and Mortar

The University of Alabama at Birmingham recently broke ground on a new building for the Collat School of Business that also will house the Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

The building is designed to make room for growth of the business school and the Harbert institute by providing multi-purpose space that encourages student interactions. It will include breakout rooms for team projects, classrooms designed for team-based learning, a high-tech trading room, labs for behavioral research and sales presentations, a three-story atrium, career services space and study rooms for students, according to a statement from UAB. “By housing these two entities under the same roof, this facility will be a new home for innovation on our campus and will play a future role in the growth of UAB and the growth of innovation and technology in Birmingham,” UAB President Ray L. Watts said in the statement.

Community leaders including Charles Collat, Mayer Electric chairman emeritus; Ed Aldag, chairman, president and CEO of Medical Properties Trust; and Billy Harbert, chairman and CEO of BL Harbert International attended the ceremony to help shovel the first pile of dirt at the site. Construction is set to officially begin Dec. 19 and will take

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Photo special to the Journal

Construction Beginning on New Building for UAB’s Business School

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42 • Thursday, December 15, 2016

sports

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Patrick’s Day

Homewood lost nine seniors from last year’s state championship team. A key returnee for the Patriots is Trey Jemison, a 6-8 power forward.

Journal photos by Marvin Gentry

Vestavia Hills boys basketball coach Patrick Davis replacing George Hatchett, who won a pair of state championships in his three-decade tenure with the Rebels.

By Lee Davis Patrick Davis knows what it takes to win in big-time high school basketball.

He won 121 games in seven years as head coach of the Thompson Warriors, claiming three area titles in the process.

For his efforts, Davis was named Coach of the Year in 2013 by the Birmingham Tip-off Club.

Last spring, Davis took on a new challenge when he accepted the head coaching job at Vestavia Hills, replacing George Hatchett, who won a pair of state championships in his three-decade tenure with the Rebels.

“We’re going to play a brand of basketball that’s fun and starts with the concept of being a great teammate,” Davis said. “We’re going to play with an up-tempo style and challenge our guys to get better every day.”

As November moves into December, Davis’ rebuilding plan seems to be right on schedule. Vestavia completed last week with a 5-5 record, and the coach sees ample reasons for optimism.

“Our kids have worked hard and that’s all anyone can ask of them,” he said. “I think we are significantly better now than when we started.”

A top priority for Davis has been installing the up-tempo style offense that was his trademark at Thompson.

“Everyone was excited about stepping up our pace,” he said. “But to put in that type of offense requires a lot of work.

I’m pleased with the attitude and we’ve come a long way.”

Early standouts for Vestavia have included junior guard Luke Champion, who is home-schooled and eligible for varsity play under Alabama’s new Tim Tebow Law. The legisla-

tion allows home-schoolers to participate in Alabama High School Athletic Association-sanctioned sports.

“Luke had played on a club team and travel ball but had never before played in a high school basketball game,” Davis said. “He is going to be a major contributor for us.”

Senior Mac Smith was the Rebels’ leading scorer last season, averaging 11 points a game. He’s missed five games with a turf toe injury in 2016, but Davis expects him to be a major factor once he’s healthy again.

Another player to watch is junior point guard Scott Morrison.

“Other than Mac and Scott, we don’t have a lot of experience,” Davis said. “Mainly we’ve got a bunch of young guys vying for playing time.”

As is the case with many coaches, Davis believes in playing a rugged non-area schedule.

“We don’t play any games where we can get off the bus and claim a victory,” he said. “Sometimes a team actually gets better after a loss than a win, because it can show where the weaknesses are. We plan to play our best basketball in February, when it counts the most.”

Vestavia is aligned in Class 7A’s Area Five with Hoover, Thompson and Tuscaloosa County.

Davis said his first year at Vestavia is different from his inaugural campaign at Thompson years ago.

“At Thompson I was an assistant before I was named head coach,” he said. “So I already knew the players and the program. When I took the Vestavia job in April, I didn’t know a single person. We’re still trying to get to know each other.”

There are similarities between the two communities, he added.

“Both are great communities that produce hard-working, coachable kids, and that’s what I think high school basketball should be about: players from one community playing against players from another community,” he said. “You can’t necessarily control how good your talent is, but you can make the best of what you have.”

Davis is impressed with the spirit he sees daily at Vestavia, not only among the athletes and student body, but also among his fellow Rebel coaches.

“It’s a tremendous feeling to know that all the coaches of the other sports here want me to be successful,” he said.

“Everyone works together to help each other. It’s great to look in the stands and see the other coaches supporting our program. That’s why coaches come to Vestavia and stay for a very long time.”

That camaraderie among coaches was reflected recently when the Vestavia competition gymnasium was officially named Braasch-Hatchett Court after long-time Rebel girls basketball coach Fran Braasch and Hatchett.

Davis said he had win-total in mind for his first Rebel team.

“This sounds like a cliche, but our goal is to be the best we can be every time we go on the floor,” he said.

If Davis can do that, he could well be one of those coaches that stays at Vestavia for a long time. ❖

The Vestavia competition gymnasium was officially named Braasch-Hatchett Court recently after long-time Rebel girls basketball coach Fran Braasch and Rebel boys basketball George Hatchett. Attending the ceremony were former Vestavia principal Michael Gross and Vestavia head football coach Buddy Anderson.

Journal photo by Mark Almond

New Rebel Coach Hopes for Big Things in New Year

Homewood Reboot Patriots in Youth Mode After Championship Year

By Lee Davis To Homewood basketball fans, 2015-16 will be remembered as the season that the Patriot boys basketball team finally brought home the big prize.

After years of coming close, Homewood at last grabbed the big blue trophy, winning a thriller against Muscle Shoals in the Class 6A final.

The final record of 30-6 reflected the dominance the Patriots enjoyed through most of that memorable season.

As the new season opened, Homewood’s hopes for a similar run rely heavily on how a host of younger players respond to the challenge, according to Patriot coach Tim Shepler.

“We lost nine seniors from last year’s team,” Shepler said. “Last season, we almost operated like we were on autopilot. Everyone understood their role and a culture had been established. This year, we’re trying to re-establish that chemistry.”

Despite an early 4-2 record, Shepler has seen plenty of positive signs. The two losses were to perennial Class 7A powers Hoover and Spain Park, and each came by one point.

Perhaps Homewood’s most impressive performance of the season came in a 58-37 win over Vestavia Hills, as Luke Touliatos scored 20 points and Trey Jemison added 19.

Touliatos, a senior, will be a key to the Patriots hopes for another Final Four appearance. He was the MVP of last season’s state championship final and was named Over the Mountain Boy Athlete of the Year.

Even more significantly, Touliatos was at his best when the stakes were highest. He scored 31 points in Homewood’s 64-51 win over Huffman in the Class 6A semi-finals.

He crushed the Vikings’ hopes for a comeback by scoring 11 points in the game’s last two minutes.

For the year, he scored 15 points a game with three rebounds and two assists.

“I seem to play better when the pressure is turned up a little bit,” Touliatos said. “I enjoy the big stage.”

Shepler sees a slightly different role for Touliatos this season.

“Luke is adjusting well to his new role as a senior and a leader,” he said. “Previously, we looked at him primarily as a scorer and there was a lot of emphasis on getting him the ball. Now it’s more of an overall type package.”

Another key returnee is Jemison, a 6-8 power forward.

“We think Trey gives us a good inside game,” Shepler said. “He and Luke have the experience at tournament and Final Four level that we need.”

Despite the team’s overall youth, Shepler is willing to put his team through a grueling December schedule. Homewood will play in the KSA Tournament in Orlando and the Steel City and Metro Tournaments in Birmingham before the end of the year.

“We’re playing nine games in three tournaments in 17 days, so we should be battle-tested,” Shepler said.

“A tough early schedule will get us ready for our area opponents. “That’s also why we play a number of Class 7A schools as well.”

The Patriots are probably aligned in one of their classification’s most difficult areas. Homewood is joined by basketball powers Parker, Shades Valley and Ramsay in Class 6A’s Area 10.

“Night in and night out, you won’t find a better league in 6A,” Shepler said.

Another priority for Shepler is establishing a defensive identity for his new team.

“We can score, but it’s going to be very important for us to be able to get stops on defense,” he said. “We need to have the defensive mindset that we can’t just outscore our opponents.”

Shepler has said that sometimes it’s hard to teach the importance of playing quality defense to teenage boys in an era when spectacular slamdunks and three-point baskets dominate air time on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

“Everybody wants to shoot and score, but it’s pretty simple,” he said.

“If we want to win, we have to stop the other team, too.”

Over the years, simple concepts of basketball fundamentals have served Shepler and Homewood well. This season should be no exception. ❖

Journal photos by Mark Almond

During its amazing run through the 21st century, Hoover has found a way to win 10 state football championships. More photos at otmjsports.com.

state champs, From page 44

Sturdivant rushed for 96 yards on 16 carries.

Hoover’s Kholbe Coleman-Abrams had six solo tackles, two assisted tackles and a sack to be chosen the game’s MVP.

McGill never got its running game going.

The top Yellow Jacket running back, Trey Roberson, gained only 18 yards on seven carries.

“A big key was making them one dimensional by taking away their running game,” Hoover coach Josh Niblett said. “They are very good at throwing the ball, but we felt if we could take

away their running game it would help.”

Hoover finished its season with a 12-2 record, which included losses to out-of-state powers from Texas and Georgia.

With four championships in the past five seasons, the Bucs have established themselves decisively as the state’s number one power in Class 7A. ❖

Tee Time, From page 44

“We’ve got about 50 boys in the program and only nine seniors,” Adams said. “We’ve got some good talent on hand and if we work hard, there’s a chance we can go a long way.”

The Rebels showed some promise last weekend, totaling 513 points to claim first place among an impressive field in the prestigious Mountain Brook Invitational. Vestavia also put together a string of impressive wins in dual meets against Chelsea, Thompson, Tuscaloosa County and Mountain Brook.

One factor that probably ensures wrestling’s continued success at Vestavia is the strength of the community’s club programs.

The wrestling program is open to boys as young as kindergarten age and extends all the way to middle school level.

“This is an invaluable tool,” said Adams.

“The boys already have wrestling experience and know the fundamentals before they even get to the high school.”

His resume is impressive, but Adams’ best attribute may be his devotion to his alma mater.

“I wake up every morning excited about coming to work here,” he said. “This is a special place, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Times may have changed, but Adams believes the things that motivate young men in 2016 aren’t much different than they were when he was a Rebel wrestler.

“It’s a little different with the changes in technology,” he said. “But when you get a good group that wants to work hard, good things can happen.”

And Tee Martin’s return will be a good thing for Vestavia wrestling. ❖

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Thursday, December 15, 2016 • 43

sports

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Sports

OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Defensive Posture

Homewood Reboot Patriots in Youth Mode After Championship Year Page 42 lee davis

Tee Time

Adams Takes Reins of Rebel Program

Stout Defense Brings Hoover Another State Title

During its amazing run through the 21st century, Hoover has found a way to win 10 state football championships.

But perhaps the program has never won a title quite the way it did in 2016.

Hoover’s offense was good, averaging 29 points a game, but nothing quite approaching the spectacular scoring machines directed by former coach Rush Propst a decade ago.

The latest in the long line of Buccaneer champions did it the old-fashioned way: with defense.

That storied defense was never better than in the Class 7A championship game. It held defending champion McGill-Toolen to only a late touchdown on the way to a dominating 17-7 victory at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 30.

Of course, winning with defense as the main catalyst was nothing new for Hoover in 2016. No team from Alabama scored double digits against the Bucs during the regular season. Four playoff opponents totaled only 38 points. McGill had averaged an eyepopping 40 points a game going into its match with Hoover.

The Bucs began the scoring with a 42-yard field goal by Barret Pickering in the opening period.

Hoover’s opportunistic defense set up the Bucs first touchdown, when Jayden Jordan intercepted a Yellow Jacket pass at McGill’s 36-yard line. A short drive followed, climaxed by C.J. Sturdivant’s touchdown run. The conversion gave the Bucs a 10-0 halftime lead.

Sturdivant’s 37-yard scoring dash midway through the third quarter pushed Hoover’s advantage to 17-0.

The Bucs defense harassed McGill quarterback Bubba Thompson the entire evening, sacking him nine times and intercepting a pass. A late touchdown pass by Thompson enabled the Yellow Jackets to avoid the shutout, but it was far too little too late to prevent the Hoover victory.

Journal photo by Mark Almond

By Lee Davis

Hoover defensive backs Will Singleton (4) and Ben Abercrombie (30) stop a McGill-Toolen runner in the Bucs 17-7 victory at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 30. More photos at otmjsports.com

‘A big key was making them one dimensional by taking away their running game. They are very good at throwing the ball, but we felt if we could take away their running game it would help.’

Hoover coach Josh Niblett

See state champs, page 42

Sometimes Monterrious “Tee” Adams has to pinch himself to make sure he really is the wrestling coach of the Vestavia Hills Rebels.

“Sometimes it’s a little surreal,” said Adams, when contacted last week, “when I walk through the hall of the school and see all those blue state championship trophies and understand that keeping all this going is my responsibility.”

Adams respects the task at hand, but he isn’t in awe of it. In fact, there probably is nobody more suited for the role of succeeding the legendary Steve Gaydosh, who retired last season after winning an incredible 14 state crowns and 10 runner-up finishes. A Vestavia graduate, Adams was a member of two Rebel championship teams and claimed two individual state titles in 2001 and 2002.

“Vestavia has a great tradition with the foundation that coach Gaydosh created here,” Adams said. “I hope to bring a new wave of excitement to add to what’s already here. It’s good to be home again.”

Adams came to Vestavia after a three-year stint as wrestling coach at Hewitt-Trussville. He previously coached for two seasons at Oxford.

While Adams has his own coaching style, Gaydosh’s influence is still felt throughout the program.

“The main thing I learned from coach Gaydosh is the importance of being patient with the kids,” he said.

“If the kid knows that you care about him as a person and not just as a member of the wrestling team, he’s going to respond in a much better way.”

His first Vestavia team is deep but not particularly experienced.

See tee time, page 43

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