4.6.17

OTMJ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL u OTMJ.COM

SOCIAL

SPORTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

Lives Well Lived

Journal photo by Emily Williams

Baptists of the Year Spent Lives Educating the Children of Nigeria

Photo courtesy Bill Cowley

Left, Bill and Audrey Cowley, their daughters Carol (left) and Karen (right), with one of the first classes at the Baptist High School in Jos, Nigeria. Sitting next to Bill is Jonathan Ikerionwu, a student they helped rescue during the 1966 genocide in Jos. Above, the Cowley’s at their home in Vestavia Hills.

They were recently recognized by the Baptist Center for Ethics for their missionary work in Nigeria.

By Emily Williams

When Bill and Audrey Cowley talk about their 23 years living and raising their two daughters in Africa, they are all smiles.

It wasn’t until a documentary was made about 1960s Nigeria that Robert Parham and Cliff Vaughan of EthicsDaily.com discovered the extent of the Cowleys’ work. The website, a division of the Baptist Center for See LIVES WELL LIVED, page 12

INSIDE

CHILLIN’ ON THE GREEN Classical and Jazz Flutist Kim Scott to Perform at Jazz in the Park PAGE 4

OUT OF THE BOX Annual GBAHB Parade of Homes Shows Off Houses and Communities PAGE 22

CULINARY CITY Why Homewood Is Such a Hot Spot for Restaurants PAGE 30

2 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

OPINION/CONTENTS

‘Food, Community, Sustainability’ Southminster Ships 20,000 Meals Around World

More than 120 adults and children gathered recently at the Southminster Presbyterian Church in Vestavia Hills to package and ship 20,000 meals to those in need around the world. In the church’s Grace Fellowship Hall, volunteers packaged, weighed, sealed and boxed meals to be shipped to Zambia, Belize and Haiti.

Each meal bag included enough rice, soy, dried vegetables, minerals and vitamins to provide a family of six a nutritional meal.

Ben Hatcher, community engagement coordinator at Rise Against Hunger, formerly known as Stop Hunger Now, said, “790 million people a day go to bed hungry across the globe. Last year we delivered over 68 million meals through the efforts like you see here today. These are distributed through the local schools to encourage attendance, which is on the rise. A healthy student is better equipped to ‘790 million people learn, become better educated and ultimately a more productive individual in their a day go to bed community, which follows our formula for hungry across the success … food, community, sustainabiliglobe. Last year ty.” we delivered over Southmister Associate Pastor Ben Acton, Outreach Coordinator Heather 68 million meals Benoit and the church membership have through the efforts supported Rise Against Hunger for the past like you see here several years. today.’

“Today’s event celebrates Ben Hatcher Southminster’s fourth time to participate in a meal packing event. We collaborated with leadership from First Presbyterian Church downtown to raise the $6,000 necessary to acquire ingredients for the meals and help cover the cost of shipping. A call then went out to others to provide the required labor to meet our goal” said Acton.

He said people from Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Hoover, Shelby County, west Alabama and Birmingham were among those who helped with the packing.

For more information, visit southminsterpcusa.org. ❖

IN THIS ISSUE ABOUT TOWN 3 NEWS 10 LIFE 12 PEOPLE 14 SOCIAL 16

HOME 22 WEDDINGS 29 SCHOOLS 29 FOOD 31 SPORTS 36

ON OTMJ.COM

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

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

April 6, 2017 JOU RNAL 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, Jordan Wald, June Mathews, William C. Singleton III, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry, Lee Walls Jr., Bryan Bunch Advertising Sales: Suzanne Wald, Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald Intern: Annie Howard

MURPHY’S LAW

T

Grandma Bunny

he Easter Bunny is bringing all teeth trying to get to the Kit Kat. four of my grandchildren here They’re plastic eggs, of course. For for Easter this year and I am hiptradition’s sake, we dye a dozen of the pity-hopping for joy. hard-boiled variety, but we do it a few They’ll bring their own Easter basdays ahead of time so no one ends up at kets, but it’s up to me to fill them. Yes, church Easter Sunday with purple dye I know the Easter Bunny will slip in up to their elbows. We could hide the with his goodies while they’re asleep real eggs, but when you drop them, they on Easter Eve, but I am in charge of the break and everybody cries, and again, Gigantic, Colossal Grandma Murphy we can’t have that at Grandma’s.

Easter Egg Extravaganza.

Besides, you can fill the plastic eggs We start the day off with a prelimiwith little treats. Two of my grandchilnary Easter Egg Hunt in the neighbordren have peanut allergies, so I stick hood. It’s fun and raucous and they with basic chocolate eggs and bunnies, serve little donuts, which are always a each one wrapped in pretty foil. Just to big hit. The planners wisely divide the spice things up, some eggs are filled Sue Murphy with little plastic toys, lizards and bugs, hunt areas by age groups and each one like that. This year, I’m is strewn with so many eggs that it’s I’ve learned not to be things including whistles, which I may difficult not to crush them underfoot. Plenty for everyone. Still, when too crafty because one come to regret, but it’s an outside event so I decided to take my chancthe whistle blows and the rope is egg wasn’t found until es. dropped, it becomes survival of the Once the eggs are all retrieved, fittest. With the little ones, it’s surSeptember and that was each participant gets a spectacular vival of the fittest parents, but the by some poor squirrel prize, something bigger than a plastic result is always the same. The only eggs you take home are ones that who apparently ruined bug but small enough to go home in your neighbor does not. Also, within their suitcase. It’s a win/win/win/win his teeth trying to get to situation and I love it. each age group lies one golden egg that garners the finder a glitzy treatThis Grandma stuff is so much the Kit Kat. more fun than when my girls were filled Easter basket. The lucky child little. Back then, the Easter Bunny is thrilled and the rest of the little tried to sneak in granola bars and ones cry, and you know me, I can’t packs of raisins along with the candy, but at Grandma’s have that. Not at Grandma’s house. So, I initiated my own egg hunt for those of us in the losers’ bracket. house, the Easter Bunny knows better. He just has to get I admit it, I go a little overboard in my tier-two compast the newest nutrition border patrol (my daughters) pensation. (Raise your hand if you’re surprised.) Last but that will be a piece of cake … hey, maybe this year year, I hid 75 eggs and that was only for two grandchilwe’ll end with a bunny cake. My grandkids will be hipdren. This year, I’ll have to double that. And my eggs are pity-hopping for joy. ❖ actually hidden, albeit at a low level of difficulty. The kids will find eggs stuck between the deck spindles, balanced in the low branches of trees, and tucked among the new backyard ferns. I’ve learned not to be too crafty because one egg wasn’t found until September and that was by some poor squirrel who apparently ruined his

OVER THE MOUNTAIN VIEWS

On Rascal Day, March 30, Cumberland School of Law students recognize a famous graduate: Rascal the dog.

What’s your favorite aspect of Rascal Day? “The parade is really fun!

One professor dresses as Cruella Deville.”

Lauren Lock with Cooper and Rory

“I love the tradition!”

Allison Tyler “Seeing everybody here with all their dogs socializing.”

Brittany Mercer

Vol. 27, No. 16

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 2017 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.

“I use it as a vacation day to chill out.”

Leslie Palmer, with Hugo For more on Rascal Day see page 15.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

APRIL 6-19

April 6-29 BIRMINGHAM

James and the Giant Peach Birmingham Children’s Theatre Roald Dahl’s story comes to life in this delightful dramatization that reveals the wickedness of some, the goodness of others and the indecision encountered by many when they are faced with crises. School performances are Tues.-Fri. at 10 a.m. Home School Day is April 20 at 10 a.m. Public performances are Fridays, April 7 and 14, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays, April 8 and 15, at 2:30 p.m. General admission pricing is $12 for children and $20 for

Photo by Rob Lagerstrom

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 3

ABOUT TOWN adults and the show is recommended for children 6-12. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit bct123.org.

Fri., April 7 BIRMINGHAM

NCCCIAP Art Show UAB Project Space The works of 15 artists from around the country will be shown from 8-10 p.m. in a conference juried show in conjunction with the 2017 National Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art and Practices. The event will be held in the UAB Department of Art and Art History’s Project Space and was

curated by BMA Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Wassan Al-Khudhairi.

For more information, visit nccciap.com.

MOUNTAIN BROOK

Anne Lamott Book Tour Canterbury United Methodist Church Canterbury UMC will welcome New York Times best-selling author Anne Lamott back to Birmingham as she brings her wit, humor and raw honesty in her new book “Hallelujah Anyway.” Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 and include a free copy of her new book. To purchase

HANNA

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HANNA

2424 7th Ave. So. (205) 323-6036 MON-SAT 10:00-5:00

ANTIQUES MALL

BIRMINGNHAM

Drink and Drop, April 6 Vulcan Park and Museum In conjunction with the 28th Annual Brent Newman Memorial Egg Drop, Vulcan Park and Museum will host its inaugural Drink and Drop adult egg drop competition and cocktail reception on the Plaza from 5:30-8 p.m. Science-minded teams and individuals, 21 and older, can try their hand at the classic elementary student competition by keeping an egg protected after dropping it from the top of Vulcan’s 124-foot pedestal. The goal: to keep the egg from landing sunny side up. For more information, visit visitvulcan.com. ❖

ANTIQUES MALL

Thurs., April 6 VESTAVIA HILLS

Nordic Walking Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Leroy Hurt, associate dean at the University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies, will give a presentation on low-impact but lifelong walking patterns, using walking sticks, that will enhance health and lives. The session will include walking on one of the library’s trails. This program is free and open to the public. For more information, visit vestaviahills.org.

To: From: Date:

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Journal photo by Jordan Wald

Spring Plant Sale, April 6-9 Brookwood Village The Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ largest plant sale of the year will return to Brookwood Village in the Macy’s upper parking lot, kicking off with a members-only sale from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Thurs., April 6. Public sale hours are Fri., April 7 from 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat., April 8 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sun., April 9 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit bbgardens. org/spring-plantsale. ❖

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

ABOUT TOWN

Chillin’ on the Green

Birmingham native and nationally renowned jazz and classical flutist Kim Scott.

In addition to releasing three albums, performing with the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra and hosting a syndicated radio program, Scott is also the chair of the music

department at the Alabama School of Fine Arts.

She said she always dreamt of being a performer, and with the help of supportive teachers, parents and the Birmingham community, she has been able to realize her childhood ambitions.

That’s why she said she is pleased to be this year’s performer.

“The city has always shown me so much love and has supported me from my very first album,” she said.

“Birmingham is worthy of my gratitude!”

Scott recently released an album called “Southern Heat.” She said it is different from her first two because it is a dance album.

At the Jazz in the Park event, Scott hopes couples and families alike will come and enjoy some great music that will make them get up and dance or sit back and relax.

“I’ll have my band with me and we’ll make sure that everyone leaves musically satisfied!” she said.

Jazz in the Park begins at 3 p.m. and is free to the public. Organizers encourage attendees to bring lawn chairs and picnics.

For more information about the event, visit the Homewood Arts Council’s Facebook page.

For more information about Kim Scott, visit kimscottmusic.com. ❖

more information, visit mcwane.org.

BIRMINGHAM

Classical and Jazz Flutist Kim Scott to Perform at Jazz in the Park ‘I’ll have my band with me and we’ll make sure that everyone leaves musically satisfied!’

By Sarah Kuper The Homewood Arts Commission and Magic City Smooth Jazz are hosting the second annual Jazz in the Park event April 9 at Central Park in Homewood.

This year’s concert will feature tickets, visit CanterburyUMC.org/ AnneLamott2017. For more information contact Ellen Thomas at 874-1533 or ellen.thomas@canterburyumc.org.

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Sat., April 8 BIRMINGHAM

Spring Fling Southern Museum of Flight Guests will enjoy dancing and a silent auction from 6-10 p.m., benefitting the Support Committee for the Alabama National Cemetery. All proceeds will help fund the the Overlook Project.

Tickets are $25 for adults. Festivities include music by Spellbound, food, non-alcoholic beverages, and a cash bar with wine and beer. Guests are invited to dress casually. For more information, contact Nancy Barefield at 305-7612.

Walk MS Regions Field The National Multiple Sclerosis Society presents a walk to create a world free of MS. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the walk begins at 9 a.m. While there is no registration fee, participants are encouraged to make a fundraising commitment. It costs approximately $25 per person to host a Walk MS event. Money raised at Walk MS helps fund ground-breaking research and supports programs and services helping those touched by MS. For more information, visit main. nationalmssociety.org.

HOOVER

Autism Walk and Race, April 8 Veterans Park The Autism Society of Alabama is hosting its annual Walk for Autism and 5k Race to Solve the Puzzle.

Check-in begins at 7 a.m. for runners, with the race beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Walkers check in at 9 a.m. and begin the walk at 9:30 a.m. The fundraiser will include activities for children, such as arts and crafts provided

by Samford University Pharmacy School students, air brush tattooing, a sensory dig and a resource fair.

Rick Journey will emcee the event.

Registration costs $20 to $35. To register, visit walkforautismal.com/ locations.php, or to volunteer, visit walkforautismal.com/volunteers. ❖ At last year’s Autism Walk Noah’s Wingmen took home the Most Spirit Award for having the most participants on his team.

Photos special to the Journal

4 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL HOOVER

Mt. Laurel Spring Festival The Town of Mt Laurel The Town of Mt Laurel will host its annual Spring Festival from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in the town center. This year’s festival will feature a fun-filled day with live music, food trucks, and Jim N’ Nicks BBQ. There will be children’s activities including: inflatables, rides, face painting, a petting zoo and a hayride. For more information, visit mtlaurel.com.

BIRMINGHAM

Paul Meyers Memorial Golf Tournament Highland Park Golf The fifth annual golf tournament, hosted by the Paul Meyers Foundation, will kick-off at 3 p.m. The tournament will begin with a putting contest, followed by the first nine holes of the tournament. After a BBQ dinner and silent auction, the players will complete the last nine holes after sunset on a “glow-in-the-dark” course. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Paul Meyers Medical Mission Trip to Haiti which annually serves 3,200 patients - the majority of whom are children.

Registration for the tournament is $150 for single players and $600 for a foursome. Non-golfers can purchase $40 tickets to the dinner and auction. For more information, visit paulmeyersfoundation.com.

Sun., April 9 HOOVER

2017 Walk to End Lupus Now Veterans Park The Lupus Foundation of America will present a walk from 12-4 p.m.

The event features music, a bounce house and face painting for the kids.

A one-mile walk circle around the lake at Veterans Park. This event is free, but all donations help to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus through programs of research, education, support and advocacy. For more information visit, chapters.lupus. org.

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 5

ABOUT TOWN Fare will be held rom 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on the lawns of City Hall. The event will feature entertainment and professional and both local and regional artists and artisans For more information, visit vestaviahills.org.

BIRMINGHAM

Mutt Strutt UAB Campus Green Veteran Eye Care, founded in memory of Christopher Nelms, presents this dog-friendly 5k and onemile fun run, benefitting Hand in Paw. The event includes swag bags filled with goodies, local vendors and a post party at Cahaba Brewing Company.

Registration will be from 7-8:30 a.m.

the day of the event, with early packet pick-up available on Thurs. and Fri., April 14 and 15 at lululemon athletic from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Registration is $30 for the 5k with a dog, $25 without; and $25 for the one-mile with a dog, $20 without. T-shirts will be available while supplies last, and every runner with a dog will receive a bandana. For more information, visit handinpaw.org/muttstrut.php.

and hosted by its Junior Board. This round-robin tournament is free to spectators and will include an afternoon of corn hole, food, beer, music, raffle items and more. Teams will play for prizes. For information and to register, visit alabamacornhole.com/ bellcentercornhole.html.

BIRMINGHAM

Funky Fish Fry Avondale Brewing Co. BIRMINGHAM The Autism Society of Alabama’s junior board and the Mitchell’s Place Cornhole Classic Junior Council will host their 6th Good People Brewing Company 2424 7th Ave. So. annual fish fry to help raise money Doors open at 11 a.m. for the 5th HANNA (205) 323-6036 ANTIQUES annual Cornhole benefitting MALLClassic, MON-SAT 10:00-5:00and awareness for Autism spectrum disorders. The event will be from noon the Bell Center for Early Intervention

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Hanna Antique Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 March This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the April 6, 2017 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

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

Retake your spot.

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, Foradyou, isn’t enough.

You need your will runrecovery as is. We print the paper Monday.

Thank for your prompt attention. to you achieve victory over your injury

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come back better than ever. When you team up with Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center, we’ll put you back in the position to win.

Thurs., April 13 HOMEWOOD

Wine, Women and Shoes The Club Baptist Health Foundation will host its inaugural fundraiser from 5-8:30 p.m. The event will feature wine tastings, raffles, live and silent auctions, photo shoots, a fashion show by Gus Mayer and more. Tickets are $125 for general admission and VIP tickets are $175. For more information, visit winewomenandshoes.com/birmingham.

BIRMINGHAM

“Vesperae Solennes” Baptist Church of the Covenant The church’s choir will perform alongside the Samford University Chorale at 6:30 p.m. The performance is free and open to the public. For more information, call Daniel Lawhon at 3280644.

Sat., April 15 VESTAVIA HILLS

Art in the Hills Vestavia Hills City Hall Art in the Hills and the Food Truck

Go to Andrews SportsMedicine.com to start making your comeback. ©2017 Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center. All rights reserved.

Plant Sale

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April 28th, Public Sale 9AM – 5PM April 29th, Public Sale 9AM – Noon

Plants including natives, butterfly plants, hydrangeas, roses, and perennials will be available. PASS ALONG plants will be featured at bargain prices and volunteers will assist you with selections and tips for care and maintenance of all selections!

For additional information visit our website aldridgegardens.com or view plant list http://aldridgegardens.com/education/events/annual_events/annual_plant_sale/ 3530 Lorna Road, Hoover, AL 35216 | 205-682-8019

19th Annual Lebanese Food and Cultural Festival Friday and Saturday, April 21 & 22 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Where: St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church, which is located at 836 8th St. So., between University Blvd. and 10th Ave. So. Price of Admission: FREE! Food: Lebanese delicacies offered during the two-day Festival include Baked Kibbee, Rolled Grape Leaves, Spinach Pies, Baked Kibbee and Falafel Sandwiches, Tabouleh (Lebanese Salad), Grilled Lebanese Lemon Chicken, Loobia (green beans), Rice, homous and Pita Bread. Desserts include a variety of baklawa, kaak (Lebanese sugar cookie) and Lebanese ice cream.

Silent Auction: The silent auction will feature a variety of interesting offerings including catered Lebanese dinners, vacation packages, collector items, and many gift certificates to restaurants and events in the Birmingham area. The Silent Auction will close at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 22.

5K Run: This year the Saint Elias Cedar 5K Run will be held on Saturday, April 22 at 8:00 a.m. followed by the Cedar Shake Fun Run at 9:00 a.m. The run will benefit the SUKI (Spreading Unconditional Kindness Intentionally) Foundation, an organization established to educate the community, fund local research, and help families with children diagnosed with Rett Syndrome. The race will begin at the Church located at 836 8th Street South and will run through the historic Glen Iris neighborhood. For more information and to register visit www.cedarrun5k.com.

Dancing: Traditional dances will be performed by youth of the Church on an indoor stage beginning at 6 p.m. Friday and at 12:30 p.m. Saturday that will continue throughout the afternoon and evening. The New York based Amin Sultan Lebanese Band will perform outside, on stage under a large tent from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. nightly.

Ride a Zyp BikeShare: This year the Festival is excited to announce that you can ride a Zyp BikeShare bike from any of the 40 stations in Birmingham to the Festival and park it at a temporary pop up "virtual station" on the front grounds of the Festival, located at 836 8th Street South. This will be set up on Saturday only from the time the doors open at 10:00 a.m. until dusk that day. Look for the black Zyp tent.

This is another way you can get to and from the Festival, tour some of Birmingham by bike in the process, and work off some of the calories from the food we hope you enjoy while at the Festival.

For more information be sure to visit www.stelias.org.

Virtual Is Reality

Steeple2Steeple Runners Can Support the UMCH from Virtually Anywhere

By Sarah Kuper

Batson is pleased that the race has been able to keep up with the times with the virtual option. He said it is just a small example of the way things are kept current at UMCH.

For most, the Steeple2Steeple road race is a scenic run from Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood to Canterbury United Methodist Church in Mountain Brook.

But for Rick Batson, two-time board president of the United Methodist Children’s Home, the race will take place in the Smoky Mountains rather than Over the Mountain.

“I’ve always helped in the organization and participation but I realized I wasn’t going to be there. I had picked that weekend to go to the Smokies to do some hiking,” Batson said.

Recently retired as principal of architecture firm TurnerBatson, Batson plans to hike the Classic Inca Trail in Peru in May to celebrate.

Hiking the Peruvian trail takes several days and ends at the ruins of Machu Picchu. The hike is strenuous and at a high elevation, so Batson and a few friends are headed to the Smoky Mountains to train.

But, because of Steeple2Steeple’s virtual feature, Batson still can feel connected to the race and the cause so near to his heart.

People taking part in the race virtually complete the 5K wherever they choose and email their time into the official race timers, organizers said. A special virtual link will be posted showing how their score stacks up against others.

People who run in person should sign up in advance and pick up their race bib the morning of April 22.

The UMCH provides a group home for children who are not able to live with their families due to abuse or neglect. The scholarship program provides a stable environment for college-aged foster children.

The program will graduate its first class this year.

“We are right on the cutting edge,” Rick Batson Batson said.

“One thing we kind of hit on is that when kids get 18 they age out. There were scholarships for higher education, but kids had to meet a certain grade level. These kids are lucky to get out of school and lucky if they have a 3.0. Now we have scholarships for room and board and other programs that help them succeed,” Batson said.

Batson has been involved with the children’s home since before he was in grade school himself.

“In the early days of my memory, my grandfather, who loved the Children’s Home, would take me and my brothers to Selma for the board

to 8 p.m. and features funky music, moon walks, face painting, cornhole, fried catfish and prizes. Beer will be available to purchase. General admission is $20. For more information, visit funkyfishfry.com.

School at 6 p.m. Tickets are $30 each and proceeds benefit the high school’s band program. For reservations or additional information, contact Kristie Chandler at vhhsjazz@gmail.com by April 13.

SAVE THE DATE

Fri., April 21

Thurs., April 20 HOMEWOOD

Book Signing Alabama Booksmith Author Vicki Covington will host a book signing event for her new novel “Once in a Blue Moon,” beginning at 5 p.m.

The novel, set during Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign, follows a diverse community of renters in Southside Birmingham over the course of a year. For more information, visit alabamabooksmith.com.

VESTAVIA HILLS

VHHS Jazz Night Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church The church will host an evening of dinner, dancing and jazz, featuring the jazz bands of Vestavia Hills High

Keeping up With the Children’s Home

HOOVER

Denim and Dining Hoover Metropolitan Stadium The Hoover City Schools Foundation

Journal photo by Sarah Kuper

Aldridge Gardens 2017

Alabama Sunrise Heucherella

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

ABOUT TOWN

meetings. My grandmother would take us out to shop while they had the meeting and after we would have a big lunch,” he said.

Batson believes that was his grandfather’s subtle way of sharing his values.

“He was planting the seeds of service. He would say, ‘These kids don’t have what you have.’” Batson said.

Batson’s father was on the nonprofit’s board as well as his grandfather. He said he is proud to follow in their footsteps.

“When people ask me, it is easy to say, ‘I love the Children’s Home,’ and then I think about it and I don’t really love the Children’s Home, I love the kids. But as a board member, I don’t meet all of the kids, so what I’ve come to love is what we are able to do for these kids,” he said.

Batson said he looks forward to the day one of the scholarship graduates comes back and wows everyone with the things he or she has accomplished.

For now, he is hoping everyone who can make it in person to the Steeple2Steeple 5K or 10K or fun run will come out. But for those who can’t, he hopes they will still commit to making a difference by joining in virtually.

The fun run and 5K begin at 8 a.m. April 22 at Trinity United Methodist Church, and the 10K begins at Trinity West Homewood.

Proceeds from the event go to support the United Methodist Children’s Home.

Registration is open online at steeple2steeple.com. ❖ will host the 2nd annual Denim and Dining fundraiser from 6:30-10 p.m. The event features Jim & Nicks BBQ, music, dancing and a silent auction. Tickets prices range from $50-$65 and include drink tickets. Tickets are available online before the event and at the door. Music will be provided by Robert Abernathy, Jordan Beam, Hoover Jazz Ensemble and the Spain Park Choral Ensemble.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit hoovercsf.org/denim-anddining/.❖

BIRMINGHAM

Curtain Call Ball, April 22 Birmingham Children’s Theatre The theatre will host its annual fundraiser ball from 4-8 p.m. Guests are invited to dress in their favorite costume. The event includes music, live and silent auctions, food, art activities, interactions with costumed characters, and a private performance of “James and the Giant Peach.” Tickets are $175 for a family, $75 individual adult and $25 individual child. For more information, visit bct123.org. ❖

Photo special to the Journal

6 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

ABOUT TOWN

Photo special to the Journal

Homewood Grown Event Highlights Education, Community

Members of the 2017 Bargain Carousel steering committee are, front, from left: Kristen Osborne, Jennifer Bray, Bargain Bash Chair Emily Norkus, Becky Graham and Laura James. Back: Elizabeth Melancon, Whitney Stewart, Pauline Parker, Cheryle Simon, Jane Farris and Haley Holden.

JLB Plans Kickoff for Annual Bargain Carousel Fundraiser

The Junior League of Birmingham’s annual Bargain Carousel, also known as the “largest garage sale in Birmingham,” will begin April 29 and include more than 100,000 items for sale at discount prices.

But before the sale comes the cocktail preview party, Bargain Bash, allowing guests a sneak peek at what will be on sale. The April 27 Bargain Bash will include dinner, dancing, auctions and shopping.

Proceeds from the preview and the sale itself benefit the JLB and its mission to serve the community.

“Bargain Carousel’s purpose is two-fold,” said Bargain Carousel chairwoman Emily Norkus. “The sale raises money for the League’s 31 projects serving women and children in the metro area and it allows us to sell items at deeply discounted prices to individuals who can benefit from them.”

The party will begin at 6 p.m. and features both a silent and live auction, which collectively will showcase more than 150 items. Up for auction will be VIP travel packages, artwork, gift baskets, memorabilia and more. One of the featured big-ticket items will be a David Yurman bracelet donated by Bromberg’s. New this year will be a 2424 7th Ave. So. mobile-bidding feature, allowing HANNA (205) 323-6036 ANTIQUES guestsMALL to bid from their devices.

MON-SAT 10:00-5:00 “Many people return to the event year after year,” Norkus said. “We have our Bargain Bash faithful who come in and buy antique pieces at double our retail price and we have

hundreds of people who line up overnight for the general sale because they know they can get gently used necessities at a price they can afford.”

The preview party and general sale will be held at the former Princeton-Hoover location, at 2467 John Hawkins Pkwy.

Tickets to Bargain Bash are $40 for VIP tickets, including 6 p.m. entry, and $30 for regular admission, which begins at 7 p.m.

General sale hours will be from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Saturday tickets go on sale Friday, April 28. They are $10 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and $5 for the remainder of the day. Sunday’s sale will be free of charge and all merchandise will be half-priced.

For more information, visit bargaincarousel.net or call 879-9861. ❖

The Homewood Grown dinner is approaching its fourth annual event with the same mission of celebrating the Homewood community and public school success stories.

The Homewood City School Foundation hosts the event to raise money and recognize outstanding teachers and administrators.

Organizers said Homewood Grown also is a time for attendees to show appreciation for the school system and the greater Homewood community.

The April 20 event will feature a seated dinner, live music and speeches from Homewood High School alumni.

The evening will recognize educators with the presentation of the 2017 Teacher Impact Award. One teacher from each of Homewood’s city schools will be honored.

Recipients will receive funds to be used for personal development or classroom supplies.

Foundation Director Amy McCrea said three HHS alumni will speak.

“They will be reflecting on how their experience with Homewood schools gave them strong roots in the community and wings to expand their horizons and make a positive difference in our world,” she said.

Fittingly, the theme of the event is Roots and Wings.

The night is sponsored by Trust Building Services and Warren Averett Asset Management.

The dinner begins at 6 p.m. on the Terrace at SoHo Square.

A single ticket costs $125, or a table for 10 is available for $1,250.

Tickets are available at homewoodcityschoolsfoundation.com. ­­—Sarah Kuper

EGG

HUNT HANNA

ANTIQUES MALL

2424 7th Ave. So. (205) 323-6036 MON-SAT 10:00-5:00

12 eggs filled with discounts, AND a GOLDEN EGG with a $100 gift card.

Daily - starting Saturday, April 8th (who will find the golden egg?!)

HANNA

ANTIQUES MALL

2424 7th Ave. So. (205) 323-6036 MON-SAT 10:00-5:00

HANNA

ANTIQUES MALL

2424 7th Ave. So. (205) 323-6036 MON-SAT 10:00-5:00

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 7

8 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

ABOUT TOWN

Introducing GentleWave.® An Innovative Alternative to Standard Root Canal Treatment

Photo by Margaret Lee

ROOT CANAL? No worries.

The Morlandt family: Luisa, Sarah, Vincent, Sophia, Tony and Grace. Diagnosed a few months shy of her second birthday, Luisa has Rett Syndrome.

Offered at: Advanced Endodontics, P.C. James A. Smith, Jr., D.M.D.

1500 20th Street South Birmingham, Alabama 35205 Phone: (205) 933-8544 www.smithrootcanal.com

Lemonade for Luisa

Vestavia Hills Family Raising Money to Cure Rare Disease

By Sarah Kuper

JOIN US FOR

EASTER COME CELEBRATE THE GIFT OF NEW LIFE FOUND IN CHRIST

LED BY OMPC WORSHIP MINISTRY | APRIL 9

8:15 & 10:45 am OAK MOUNTAIN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

5080 Cahaba Valley Trace • Birmingham, AL 35242

On April 22, a little girl will have a lemonade stand in her Vestavia Hills yard.

But this won’t be your average lemonade stand, just like 4-year-old Luisa Morlandt isn’t your average little girl.

Diagnosed a few months shy of her second birthday, Luisa has Rett Syndrome. Her lemonade stand, which will include games for kids and offer arts and goods for sale, is raising money for research into her disease.

Luisa’s parents, Tony and Sarah, know many are not at all familiar with this rare syndrome, so they describe it as best they can.

“It’s a rare neurological disease that primarily affects girls,” said Sarah Morlandt. “After a period of normal development, girls with Rett Syndrome regress, losing learned verbal and gross motor skills and purposeful hand movement.”

Rett Syndrome is a lifelong disability that typically requires 24-hour care for the rest of the child’s life.

While Luisa has cognitive abilities, she doesn’t speak or walk. She attends Cahaba Heights Elementary and is able to communicate using eyegaze technology and responding to yes or no questions.

The Morlandts said that, while they never saw Luisa’s diagnosis coming, a few things fell into place once they knew.

“Birmingham has one of the top Rett Syndrome research centers in the nation. We had no idea when we moved here before Luisa was even born. Plus there are two foundations locally,” Tony Morlandt said.

The Suki Foundation is a nonprofit created in honor of another girl, Sarah Katherine Bateh, who has RS. The foundation works to spread awareness, increase quality of life and fund research.

The Southeastern Rett Syndrome Alliance, based in Trussville, is a

grassroots organization that, among many other things, helps connect families dealing with the struggles of Rett Syndrome.

The “Lemonade for Luisa” fundraiser will raise money for Rettsyndrome.org, an international foundation.

Morlandt said the work these organizations do is vital to taking care of a loved one with RS. “For every family, it is an individual journey,” he said. “This is the plan the Lord has for us and it isn’t all good, but it isn’t all bad either. We love our girl. We want to do what is best, but it can take more than what one family can do.”

Morlandt is frank when he says much of his family’s life is taking care of Luisa.

“We aren’t involved in much.

When we are home it is all about the kids. Things take us longer as a family,” he said. “Traveling is a major endeavor. Luisa doesn’t enjoy theme parks or airplanes and she doesn’t handle large crowds either.”

But, he said he feels his family is stronger for it.

“One thing having a child with special needs will teach you is the importance of having priorities and values straight as a family. I notice my big kids are very caring and considerate of siblings. We find a lot of beauty in simple things like hanging out in the backyard. Our family looks a little different than most but we have a great support system and neighborhood.”

Morlandt counts Luisa’s doctor, Alan Percy, as an important member of that support system.

Percy recently was named the first recipient of the Rett Syndrome endowed professorship at UAB, made possible by the Suki Foundation, UAB and Children’s of Alabama.

Percy diagnosed the first confirmed case of RS in the United States in 1983.

He also established a neurology

clinic that serves Children’s patients with diseases including RS. Researchers have identified the gene causing Rett Syndrome in lab mice. That study demonstrated the potential reversibility of Rett Syndrome.

Morlandt said this study is one reason RS is thought to be a curable disease.

“You know Mark Zuckerberg donated 3 billion dollars to curing diseases and one of those initiatives is Rett Syndrome. It has the greatest potential to cure many neurological diseases,” Morlandt said.

He said finding a cure to RS could bring researchers closer to finding cures for other diseases as well, such as Alzheimer’s, autism, schizophrenia and Parkinson’s.

There have been a few clinical trials in humans, Morlandt said, but Luisa was not eligible because of her age.

By raising money through the lemonade stand, Morlandt hopes to see more clinical trials for Luisa’s age group.

While there will be lemonade at the fundraiser, the event also includes bouncy houses for kids and a new feature called Luisa’s Market.

This year, the Morlandts have reached out to local artists and craftsmakers to donate items to the event.

Attendees will be able to buy original art or goods or win items in raffles.

The family hopes people will come out to help fund research but also to meet Luisa.

“We want people to see her face and how pretty she is. Her smile can light up someone’s day,” Morlandt said.

Lemonade for Luisa will be at the Morlandts’ home at 3969 River View Drive in Vestavia Hills.

Lemonade for Luisa T-shirts are available at bonfire.com.

For more information on Rett Syndrome or to make a direct donation, visit rettsyndrome.org. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 9

ABOUT TOWN

COLLIER’S Nursery

Celebrating 20 Years 1997-2017

The instructors and occupational therapists that work with Special Equestrian riders are all nationally certified therapeutic riding instructors, as is Claybrook, above right.

A Taste of Freedom

spring A SEASON FOR DIGGING, PLANTING AND

blooming

Director of Equestrian Program Uses Horses to Help Disabled Riders

By June Mathews

riding to individuals with special needs.

“I started volunteering here in 1987 Kathleen Claybrook has been and got hooked,” she said. “I’d wanted around horses her whole life. She had to do something for my community, a horse of her own growing up, and she credits horseback riding with help- and with my experience with horses, this was a natural. At one time, I had ing her shine as a youngster. planned to become a social worker, so “It gave a small kid like me the I earned a degree in psychology. I also opportunity to be athletic,” she said. worked in property management for 10 For the past 24 years, Claybrook’s years, so there was a lot about my horsemanship has served her well as background that fit in with this prothe executive director of Special gram’s needs.”

Equestrians, a nonprofit organization Not long after signing on as a that provides therapeutic horseback Special Equestrian volunteer, Claybrook became an instructor in the Boots and Black Tie program and served in that capacity for Gala Raises Funds for the next few years. She stepped into the executive director role in 1993.

Special Equestrian Now there’s no greater advocate for Programs the program.

Special Equestrians will host its “I feel like horses can do for a perseventh annual Boots and Black son with disabilities what nothing else Tie Gala on April 22 at Mazzoni can do,” Claybrook said. “Horses give Equestrian on U.S. 119. freedom just by virtue of sitting on The funds raised will help them and taking a ride. Riding builds make the organization’s programs balance, stimulates nerves, increases affordable for riders, regardless of focus and helps calm the rider, among their ability to pay. other things. And there’s a certain selfEntertainment will feature riding esteem that comes from learning to performances, including some by ride.”

Special Equestrians riders. Local The instructors and occupational musician Kevin Harrison will perform therapists who work with Special throughout the evening.

Equestrian riders are all nationally cer“The Boots and Black Tie Gala tified therapeutic riding instructors, as is a very special event for our is Claybrook, and can safety accomprogram,” said Executive Director modate a wide range of disabilities.

Kathleen Claybrook. “Guests enjoy Nearly 100 riders a week come to a spectacular dinner in a beautiful Special Equestrians. Each requires the setting while being a part of assistance of two or three volunteers, entertaining live and silent auctions. depending on their level of disability, Guests also have the opportunity to so it takes about 300 volunteers to learn more about our program and operate the program. meet some of our riders who benefit “We’re constantly growing and from the gracious contributions of our adding new programs, and we have a donors.” waiting list,” Claybrook said.

A variety of sponsorship Among the volunteers are opportunities are available.

Claybrook’s husband and her son, who Individual tickets are $200 each; she said is 24 years old and a great tables of 10 may be reserved for help with the horses. $2,000. For sponsorship “He basically grew up here and has 2424and 7thticket Ave. So. HANNA information, go to the(205) Events page at 323-6036 served as one of our interns,” she said.

ANTIQUES MALL ❖ MON-SAT 10:00-5:00 specialequest.org.

“It’s a family thing for us.”

ENJOY OF Rita Mendel, who founded the proe n j o y 1111/2 / 2 wWELL-ORGANIZED e l l - o r g a n i z e d aACRES cres o f SHRUBS, shrubs, PERENNIALS, ANNUALS, HERBS & EDIBLES gram in 1986, also volunteers, giving trees, groundcovers, vines, herbs, credence to Claybrook’s assertion that vAS e gWELL g i e sAS , Ap KNOWLEDGEABLE, e r e n n i a l s , a HELPFUL n d a n nSTAFF uals “most of the people who come here as well as a knowledgeable, helpful staff stay here.”

Each volunteer completes a training 822 . 3133 process that involves classroom and M ON – S AT 9 - 5:30 . S UN 1 - 5 . 2904 O LD R OCKY R IDGE R D . hands-on training, and new volunteers are paired with experienced volunteers until they learn the ropes. Volunteer duties range from side-walking and horse-handling to ground maintenance and care and feeding of the horses.

To: Collier's “Our success is reflected in the smiles on the faces of our ridersFrom: each Over The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646, fax 205-824-1246 Date:of March week,” said Claybrook. “Regardless This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the their disabilities, they learn riding April 6, 2017 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246. skills, play games on horseback, ride through woods and on trails, and with a gentle pull on the reins – not always Please make sure all information is correct, easy for a person with cerebral palsy Including address and phone number! or multiple sclerosis – they can go wherever they like.”

Please initial and fax back within 24 hours.

Special Equestrians is a 501(c)(3) If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, nonprofit serving individuals with disyour ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday. abilities from Jefferson, Shelby and Thank you for your prompt attention. neighboring counties. The program is based on the campus of Indian Springs School and is accredited through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International.

For more information, visit specialequest.org. ❖

HANNA

ANTIQUES MALL

2424 7th Ave. So. (205) 323-6036 MON-SAT 10:00-5:00

NEWS

10 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Photos special to the Journal

Annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfasts on the Horizon

Rotary Club Dedicates Annual Celebration to April 27 Responders

By Annie Howard Vestavia Hills Fire Chief James St. John clearly remembers the morning of April 27, 2011.

He met with the mayor at about 6 a.m. in a city hall conference room to plan for tornadoes sweeping through the city. They set two priorities: helping the injured and clearing the roadways.

“The tornado that hit Vestavia Hills hit very early in the morning, and we began receiving calls for people that had some minor injuries,” St. John said. “And then trees down on the roadway, trees down on houses.

Pretty much every resource we had was consumed up until about three that afternoon.”

That day, when multiple tornadoes

ripped through the state and killed almost 250 people, including one in Cahaba Heights, was one for the record books.

“It was a career event,” St. John said.

On April 22, the Vestavia Hills Sunrise Rotary Club is dedicating its seventh annual First Responders Celebration to the men and women who served on that day.

The Rotary was working on the event before the April 27 storms, but afterward, the work took on deeper meaning.

“That was a major inspiration to really thank our first responders for all that they do for us,” said Andrew Tunnell, the current president of Sunrise Rotary Club.

That day, first responders hit the

The multiple tornadoes that ripped through the state and killed almost 250 people, including one in Cahaba Heights, was one for the record books. First responders hit the streets in the early morning hours, clearing debris and downed trees. On April 22, the Vestavia Hills Sunrise Rotary Club is dedicating its seventh annual First Responders Celebration to the men and women who served on that day. This year’s celebration will feature a shrimp boil, live music by The Casters and outdoor games.

streets in the early morning hours, clearing debris and downed trees.

“We were trying to open roadways so we could get to people as they needed us,” St. John said. But it wasn’t just the Fire Department at work.

“The entire community was out cutting trees out of the roadways,” he said.

Into the afternoon, the Fire Department stayed ready for action.

The early morning tornado had knocked out power and, as neighborhoods came back online, fire danger spiked.

“What we know from historical experiences is that, once the storm goes through like that and a lot of people lose power, when the power comes back on, it starts fires,” St. John said.

By midafternoon, a greater threat was on the horizon.

“At about three or four, we got warning that there was another tornado headed our way,” St. John said. “We pulled everyone back in because we didn’t know where that was headed, and then got back out as we could in

the community.”

Once Vestavia was stabilized, its first responders lent a hand to nearby communities hit hard by the tornadoes that followed in the afternoon and joined the search-and-rescue operations over the following days.

St. John said the Rotary Club’s event to recognize first responders each year is “heartwarming.”

“It’s a great opportunity for our members to go out and interact with members of the public in a non-emergency environment,” he said. “When someone doesn’t have a problem, we can go out and see members of the community.”

Vestavia Hills Police Chief Dan Rary also praised the event.

“It let the officers, especially young ones, know that they’re appreciated and that the public’s behind them,” he said. “And it kind of helps remember that day, and the help we got from the public in clearing the streets of Cahaba Heights and rendering aid to the victims.”

This year’s celebration will feature a shrimp boil, live music by The Casters and outdoor games. Kids can enjoy a cotton candy machine along with hot dogs, a game truck and corn hole. David Lamb will emcee the event.

First responders and their families can enjoy the event free of charge.

But the Rotary Club also is planning a more long-term gift – equipment.

Proceeds from attendance and sponsor fees will go toward items requested by the fire and police departments. Last year, the Rotary gifted the departments one drone each to aid in search-and-rescue operations and locate fire hot spots. This year, the departments hope for night vision equipment and a hose roller, a device for faster hose coiling.

Proceeds may also benefit “We the People,” an accomplished Vestavia Hills High debate team.

Admission to the event, which lasts from 3 to 6 p.m., is $10 per person.

For more information, visit vestaviasunriserotary.com. ❖

The city of Vestavia Hills will host the 27th annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast on April 18, featuring Edie Hand, a businesswoman, media personality, filmmaker, author, mother and philanthropist.

Hand has either authored or assisted in the development of more than 20 books.

Her personal publications fall under the genres of inspirational, novellas and cookbooks.

For her Edie Hand keynote speech, Hand will discuss her life, faith and determination. Through the loss of her three young brothers and her three battles with cancer, Hand founded the Edie Hand Foundation, which benefits Children’s of Alabama and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and provides aid to orphans in Asia through the Ramini Kids Foundation.

According to city officials, the annual breakfast is one of the most wellattended events of the year. It aims to bring citizens and dignitaries to the table.

The event will be held at Vestavia Country Club with a buffet beginning at 7 a.m. and a program following at 7:30 a.m. Individual tickets are $20 and are in short supply.

For more information, visit vestaviahills.org.

Hoover Hosts Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast and 50th Anniversary Celebrations

The Hoover Beautification Board will host its 35th annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast on May 2.

The faith-based community gathering will feature Alabama Supreme Court Justice Glenn Murdock as the keynote speaker. The breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the Hyatt Regency-Wynfrey Hotel ballroom, and tickets can be purchased from the Hoover Library Theatre Box Office at thelibrarytheatre.com.

After kicking off its 50th anniversary March 7, the city of Hoover continues celebrations on April 23 with “Celebrating Hoover History” at Barnes and Noble– Patton Creek. The event begins at 1 p.m. and includes a book-signing by Heather Jones Skaags, author of three books about the Hoover area and its history.

Celebrate Hoover Day will follow on April 29 at Veterans Park, on Valleydale Road. The event will feature a Veterans Memorial Paver dedication, a large exhibitor pavilion, carnival rides, kid’s activities, a car show, live music, a giant apple pie with Mayfield ice cream and more. The free event will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with parking and complimentary shuttles available at Spain Park High School.

For more information, visit hooveral. org. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Photos special to the Journal

A typical day begins with morning coffee, a devotional time and exercise, then continues with a selection of activities that might include art, a lecture on something of interest to senior adults, poetry writing, a trivia competition, a rousing game of volleyball played with pool noodles while sitting in chairs, and lots of music.

A Day Away

Encore Ministry Gives Help, Hope to Seniors With Memory Loss and Their Caregivers

By June Mathews Patti Williams knew what she was getting into when she agreed to become program director for Encore, a respite care ministry at Canterbury United Methodist Church in Mountain Brook. She just didn’t know how great the interest would be.

In a matter of months, the program has exceeded her expectations, and with its first anniversary coming up in June, attendance and participation, as well as enthusiasm, continue to grow, she said.

“We knew there was a need, but we didn’t know how big it was,” Williams said. “We started out meeting two days a week and quickly went to three. We really need to open up another day and plan to do that in the near future. We currently have around 23 participants each day, and there’s a waiting list.”

The ministry’s mission is “to meet the social and emotional needs of older adults with mild-moderate memory loss and/or medical impairments and to provide respite for their caregivers,” according to its Facebook page. The program is open to anyone in the Birmingham community, and people from all faiths and walks of life are welcome.

“Right now, 20 churches are represented,” Williams said.

Because the program revolves around keeping participants physically and mentally active, they must be able to walk, feed themselves and take care of their own bathroom needs.

A typical day begins with morning coffee, a devotional time and exercise, then continues with a selection of activities that might include art, a lecture on something of interest to senior adults, poetry writing, a trivia competition, a rousing game of volleyball played with pool noodles while sitting in chairs, and lots of music. Chapel services with commu-

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 11

NEWS

nion are held at least once a month, and anyone may attend.

Another aspect of the program provides participants with opportunities to serve others through projects such as assembling snack and toiletry kits for the homeless, packing groceries for the Brown Bag Project food

Support for Caregivers

Besides Encore, another resource available to family members and caregivers is a weekly support group that meets at Canterbury. Every Thursday from 10 to 11:15 a.m. people gather to share information, experiences and tips. They also hear from experts in the field. For more information, contact Valerie Boyd at valerie.boyd@canterburyumc.org.

ministry at Canterbury and bundling vegetable bags for St. Andrews Society, an organization that works to distribute produce that might otherwise go to waste.

“A lot of our participants are people who have been active in their community and in the business

world,” said Williams, “so helping others is something they’ve always done.

Many of them can’t do the things they used to do, which is frustrating. But everything we do is designed for them to succeed, so they can all leave here feeling good about themselves.”

Williams said relatives have reported that participants sleep better and are happier, more engaged and more active than they were before starting the program.

“In addition to word of mouth, we get referrals from the UAB Memory Disorders Clinic and have seen improvement in many cases,” Williams said.

The vision for Encore came through Canterbury’s director of senior adult ministries, Valerie Boyd, who visited a similar program at First United Methodist Church in Montgomery and saw the possibilities for her own church.

Two paid staff members, Williams and family and community educator Kristen Snell, work alongside a host of trained volunteers. Williams said the ratio of volunteers to participants is nearly 1-to-1.

“Anyone can volunteer, but we require that they attend a training session,” said Williams. “We want them to learn communication skills for working with people who have some form of dementia, and we also emphasize that they are there to be a friend to our people.”

Sadly, at least two past participants have had to drop out of the program because their conditions deteriorated, but their connection to Encore continues.

“We continue to hold their families’ hands and are committed to helping them find the ‘next thing’ for their loved one,” said Williams. “Kristen has lots of experience with home care options, so her knowledge is invaluable.

We love these people like our family members. They’re amazing.”

The Encore program relies heavily on donations. A daily fee is charged, but a few of the participants are on scholarship. No one is turned away due to an inability to pay.

The next training session will be May 1, 9 a.m.-noon, at Canterbury.

Those interested in volunteering or in getting more information about the Encore program may call 874-1525 or email encorepatti@gmail.com. You may also visit the program online at encorerespite.org or at .facebook.com/ encorerespite. ❖

Come Celebrate

Easter April 16

8:15 am & 10:30 am 8:15 am & 10:30 am

Hippity, Hoppity, Easter’s on its way!

See you at Barton-Clay!

2701 CAHABA ROAD • MOUNTAIN BROOK VILLAGE • 871-7060

LIFE

12 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Lives Well Lived

Photo courtesy Bill Cowley

Ethics, has honored the Cowleys as 2016 Baptists of the Year with a dinner in their honor March 16.

While teaching at Georgetown College in Kentucky, the Cowleys decided to go active with the Baptist Mission Board and were sent to Nigeria.

“I was almost due with our oldest daughter, Carol, on the boat ride over, which was three weeks at sea,” Audrey said, adding that it was less than a pleasant ride due to her seasickness.

After a three-year stint in southern Nigeria, the couple was sent to Jos, where they began building the Baptist High School of Jos, founded in 1961, of which Bill would serve as founding principal for 13 years. Nigeria had just won its independence from Britain, but the British still were in the country, and getting the paperwork together for the land and building were the most difficult task.

“We rented a house in the neighborhood and there was a stable on the property,” he said. “The home was used by the British Tin Mining Company, and they liked to play polo and things like that so they had built a stable for their horses. Well, while we waited to get the school finished, we fixed that stable up and used it as a classroom.”

At first the BHS was a boy’s school, and the first class was made up of 30 students, handpicked by the faculty based not just on academics, but the student’s overall potential.

According to the Cowleys, education and mission work go hand-in-hand, especially in Africa, where a good education is highly regarded.

“An education is greatly sought after and greatly prized because it is almost a shortcut to moving up in class,” Bill said. “Nigeria has a lot of royal houses, so having a good education is a way to get a better job and bypass age and bypass royalty. If you use your education well, you will cooperate well with both royals and the elders.”

While educating the students, the Cowleys

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

from page one

Easter Sunday April 16

Audrey Cowley, pictured with students, helped found the Baptist High School in Jos, Nigeria and served as a teacher.

exams, 97 percent passed in the upper level category of the exam,” Bill said. “It was almost overnight that the school became one of the best in the country.”

The school began receiving hundreds of applications for each open spot. Of the first graduating class of 90 boys, one became chancellor of Bowen University, the largest Baptist institution of higher education in Africa.

The school was built as a place of unity, serving various tribes. Cowley said that, at first, the staff was wary that some of the boys would be coming from tribes that didn’t get along.

Regardless, he never saw a fight.

“On campus, we had this sign that displayed the words of Psalm 133:1,” Cowley said. “It was right in the center of everything, so everyone had to walk past it multiple times throughout the day.” It read: “Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.”

‘It was a quieter type of life. There was more time to do things with your family and it was a good Speaking Through Holidays place to bring up our children.

Having grown up in the United States, Bill in The people were warm and Kentucky and Audrey moving all over with her father in the service, their holiday traditions friendly and responded well to changed greatly from the simple Easter Egg hunt everything we did with the school.’ to the celebrations in Africa. grew to think of them as family.

“We thought of them as sons,” Audrey said.

“Many of them, when their own parents brought them to the school, they said to us, ‘Please take care of them. They’re yours now.’”

Before the first graduating class, tribal unrest threw the school and community into panic. Over the course of three days, at least 30,000 people were killed throughout Nigeria. The Cowleys and other missionaries of many faiths in Jos aided members of the Igbo tribe who were being targeted, murdered with machetes and clubs.

Jos was an epicenter for the genocide, but with the school being about five miles away from the city, the Cowleys didn’t witness any of the killings, just the results. Of the original 30 students, only one returned right away – but the school rebounded after the tragedy.

“When our first students took their exit

“Because many of the people in Nigeria are Muslim,” Bill said. “We celebrated all of the large Muslim holidays as well as the Christian ones.”

The big Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter were opportunities to do special things for students and the community while spreading the word.

The Cowleys felt fortunate to celebrate holidays that were stripped of commercial additions such as the Easter bunny and Santa Claus.

“They were more likely to put on nice clothes and go to church and have a big meal afterwards,” Bill said. “Over here, if Christmas were to fall on a Sunday, some families may decide to skip church that day because there is too much going on. In Nigeria, they would never do that.

That would be the last thing they would do.”

The Cowleys’ daughters had a taste of an Americana Easter though, attending a school in Jos that was mostly built for American ex-patri-

ate children.

“They did a really big Palm Sunday procession where all of the students carried large palm fronds,” Bill said. Audrey recalled an egg hunt or two as well.

Homecoming

The Cowleys returned to the United States in 1976 to take their second daughter to college at Samford University, where their eldest daughter would soon graduate.

“We were homesick,” Audrey said. “We didn’t really intend to stay.”

Soon after they arrived in Birmingham, they began working with the Woman’s Missionary Union and saw an opportunity to help provide a good education not just to children in Africa, but to children all over the world.

Bill also accepted a position as a professor of speech and religion at Samford University, which he held from 1977 until 1993.

Though they had not intended to remain stateside, Audrey said they felt a call to stay in Birmingham, just as they had felt a call in 1955 to work as missionaries.

Looking back on their life in Africa, they said they consider it their real home.

“It was a quieter type of life,” Bill said. “There was more time to do things with your family and it was a good place to bring up our children. The people were warm and friendly and responded well to everything we did with the school.”

Though they are retired from missionary work, the legacy of that work lives on. The Cowleys are key interviewees in the documentary “The Disturbances,” which was made by Parham and released last year. Parham, who died last month, lived for a while as a child in Jos, his parents working as missionaries alongside the Cowleys.

Parham made it his mission to showcase the work of his parents, the Cowleys and many others during the 1966 genocide. Bill recalled Parham saying he didn’t remember much about the genocide, being about 12 years old at the time.

“He was curious about it. I remember he was always curious as a child,” Audrey said.

For more information on “The Disturbances,” visit thedisturbances.com. ❖

April 8, 9 and 15 CALERA

Cottontail Express Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum The museum will host its annual Easter-themed railroad experience and easter egg hunt. Activities will include a bounce house, temporary tattoos, coloring stations and meet and greets with Peter Cottontail. Tickets are $17 for adults ages 12 and up and $12 for ages 2-11. For more information and departure times, visit hodrrm.org.

Sat., April 8 HOMEWOOD

Easter Egg Hunt Trinity West Homewood Trinity United Methodist Church’s Kids Ministry will host an Easter egg hunt at its Oakmont Campus beginning at 10 a.m. Festivities will include a bounce house, kid’s crafts, free Magic City Sweet Ice and more. For more information, visit trinitybirmingham.com.

VESTAVIA HILLS

Kiwanis Club Easter Egg Hunt Byrd Park The Vestavia-Hoover Kiwanis Club will hold an egg hunt from 9-10 a.m. at Byrd Park by Vestavia Hills Elementary East. Admission is free. For more information, visit vestaviahills.org.

HOMEWOOD

Easter Egg Hunt West Homewood Park The Homewood Easter Egg Hunt is for toddlers up to eleven years of age. Children will hunt for eggs with children of their own age group. This event is from 6:30 to 7:20 p.m. The hunt for ages 7-11 years to begin at dark, bring your flashlight. For more information and the times of the hunts, visit homewoodparks.com.

HOMEWOOD

Hop n’ Shop

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Downtown Homewood The Homewood Chamber of Commerce will host a holidayinspired sale from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Festivities include a hunt for coupons, gift cards and candy, organized by Homewood retailers, and visits with the Easter Bunny as he parades 18th Street. For more information, visit homewoodchamber.chambermaster. com.

Sun., April 9

LIFE BIRMINGHAM

Stations of the Cross Linn Park St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Greater Birmingham Ministries, First Presbyterian Church and Church in the Park will collectively host a 15 block pilgrimage to Kelly Ingram Park in honor of Good Friday. The one-hour walk will begin at noon on the park side across from Boutwell Auditorium. This event is free. For more information, visit saintlukes.com.

HOMEWOOD

Kulture City Eggstravaganza Homewood Public Library KultureCity will launch a partnership with the Homewood Public Library with an indoor sensory friendly egg hunt from 2-4 p.m. There will be sensory activities, story times, games and goodies. This event is for children ages 4-21. Tickets are limited in order to keep this event sensory friendly. Please reserve only 1 ticket per family. For more information, visit homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Fri., April 14 VESTAVIA HILLS Easter Egg-stravaganza Library in the Forest The library will host an Easter-themed event on Good Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Activities will include a live bunny playground, pictures with the Easter Bunny, crafts, prize eggs and snacks.

The free event is best suited for children ages 12 months to first grade. For more information, visit vestavialibrary.org.

Sat., April 15 BIRMINGHAM

Eggstravaganza, Sat., April 15 Birmingham Zoo Join the Easter Bunny and his friends for the Birmingham Zoo’s first Easter Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. This rain or shine event features children’s egg hunts and are free for members and included in admission for non-members. The adult egg hunt is $20 to enter, but participants are guaranteed a prize valued at $50 or more. The adult egg hunt has limited spots. For the egg hunt schedule or to purchase tickets, visit birminghamzoo.com.

MOUNTAIN BROOK

Easter Egg Hunt Crestline Village Once Upon a Time, in conjunction with other Crestline Village merchants, will host an Easter egg hunt on the lawn across from Emmet O’Neil Library at 10 a.m. The event will include a visit from the Easter Bunny as well as a photo opportunity after the hunt.

NORTH SHELBY CO.

Oakidz Eggztravaganza Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church presents a day of Easter fun from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Children of all ages and their parents will meet in the gym for a short program and to make an Easter bag or you can bring your own basket.

There will be hot dogs, hamburgers and an egg grab on the soccer field. For more information, visit ompc.org.

BIRMINGHAM

Breakfast with the Bunny Birmingham Zoo The zoo will offer a breakfast at the Kudzoo Café, followed by a visit from the Easter Bunny at 7:30 and 9 a.m.

All children will receive a special treat upon arrival and will make crafts during the meal. Admission for non-members is $30 for adults and $25 for kids; and members admission is $25 for adults and $20 for kids for members. Tickets cover zoo admission for the day, unlimited ride wristbands, breakfast, activities and visits with the Easter Bunny. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit birminghamzoo. com. ❖

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14 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

PEOPLE

Vestavia’s Premiere Green Home Community

Harry Benjamin of Vestavia Hills recently was awarded the Americanism Medal by the Daughters of the American Revolution at the annual meeting of the Alabama Society DAR. According to Alabama DAR officials, the medal is granted to naturalized U.S. citizens who show outstanding leadership, trustworthiness, service, patriotism and involvement in community affairs.

The son of a Lithuanian immigrant, Benjamin is a native of Charlottetown, P.E.I., Canada. He served with the Royal Canadian Navy on active duty in the North Atlantic during WWII, immigrating to the United States after the war.

Benjamin was nominated by the Lily of the Cahaba DAR Chapter, based in Hoover. He has made his home in Alabama for the past 50 years, and it was here he became a naturalized citizen in 1967.

Now 92, Benjamin was described in his nomination as one who demonstrated the drive and motivation to become a successful individual at an early age.

Photos special to the Journal

Vestavia Resident Honored with Americanism Medal

From left: ASDAR State Regent Nancy Folk, Harry Benjamin and ASDAR Americanism Chair Raylene Izak.

“His talent and skill – and a motivation to inspire others – brought him to the United States. Here he continued to incorporate his talents to help others achieve success through professional development training,” read the nomination.

Mountain Brook’s de la Torre Earns Eagle Scout

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.

Will Carothers, Brian Barr Jr., Jim Williams and Paul Tyson.

Mountain Brook Troop 63 Honors Eagle Scouts

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He has served the Birmingham community through associations with the Salvation Army, the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, the American Legion Post 134 Shades Valley, Score and Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. ❖

An Eagle Court of Honor ceremony was held Jan. 22 to recognize Will Carothers, Brian Barr Jr., Jim Williams and Paul Tyson from Canterbury United Methodist’s Troop 63.

Collectively, the young men earned 92 merit badges and camped 158 nights on the way to earning scouting’s highest award.

Carothers, the son of Stephanie and Russ Carothers, chose to restore and repair a playground and outdoor basketball court at Avondale Elementary School for his Eagle project. His project involved building new benches and repairing a gazebo and the asphalt court along with the goals and backboards. He is a junior at Mountain Brook High School and plans to attend college and become an orthopedic surgeon.

Barr, the son of Cindy and Brian Barr, chose to redesign and restore a lath house for the Fern Society at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens for his service project. As part of his project, he devised a slanted design for the lath house’s shade cloth roof

to help eliminate debris collection, incorporating a system of cables, eyebolts and turnbuckles. He is a junior at Mountain Brook High School and plans to major in engineering in college.

Williams, the son of Gretchen and Jim Williams, completed a project for Glenwood Autism and Behavioral Health Center and dedicated it to his cousin who has autism. The project included building a walkway and floating dock for one of Glenwood’s lakes, which will serve as a fishing pier, a swim platform and a place to launch and land canoes for Glenwood residents. He is a junior at Mountain Brook High School and plans to attend college and pursue an engineering degree.

Tyson, the son of Lissa and Marc Tyson, built a pavilion at the Alabama Environmental Council’s Birmingham Recycling Center in Avondale for his project. The pavilion design included a concrete floor created from 1,000 pounds of crushed glass that had been recycled from bottles and glass that he collected. After graduation, Tyson, a student at Mountain Brook High School, plans are to attend college and pursue a business degree.

Austin de la Torre, a member of Boy Scout Troop 53 at Saint Peter’s Anglican Church, earned the rank of Eagle Scout from the Vulcan District Eagle Board on March 9.

In his scouting career, de la Torre has received many awards, including 30 merit badges, Austin de la Torre the God and Me Award and the Arrow of Light. In his troop, he has served in several leadership positions, including quartermaster and patrol leader. He also sailed the Abaco Islands aboard a 78-foot sailing ship as a member of a working crew with his troop.

For his Eagle project, de la Torre designed three raised beds for the gardens at Creative Montessori School in Homewood, which offer students hands-on learning through planting, watering, harvesting and composting.

He raised money for the project and had funds left over that he donated to Creative Montessori to be used in the gardening program.

A freshman at Woodberry Forest School in Woodberry Forest, Virginia, de la Torre is a member of the WFS Bengal and JV football teams, the varsity wrestling team and the JV lacrosse team. He is an altar server at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Mountain Brook.

He is the son of Carol and Jorge de la Torre of Mountain Brook and the grandson of Mrs. Mary Lou Beauchamp and Mrs. Julie de la Torre, both of Houston, Texas. He joins his late grandfather Houston Beauchamp and his uncle Michael Graham as an Eagle Scout. ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 15

PEOPLE/DOGS

Cecile, Lucy and Sadie Henley with Wilco.

Law students and their pups parade across the Samford University campus on Rascal Day.

Maddie McBrayer and Pepper.

Legal Rascal A Clever Mutt Earned His Place in Cumberland History On Rascal Day, Cumberland School of Law recognizes a famous graduate: Rascal the dog.

Back in the 1930s, Rascal, a mongrel, was a regular at Cumberland’s previous Lebanon, Tennessee, campus. He became something of a group pet, often attending classes and mock trials. In 1937, he was awarded the special “Doctor of Canine

Jurisprudence” degree. To date, he’s the one and only canine graduate of Cumberland.

Rascal passed away (Or, as his headstone puts it, “crossed the bar.”) in 1940. He was buried outside the Lebanon campus’ law building. When Cumberland moved to Birmingham, Rascal’s headstone moved too, and now it sits outside Robinson Hall law building.

He’s remembered with the annual Rascal Day procession, in which law students and their pups parade across the Samford University campus.

—Annie Howard

“Jermaine Spann was there for me every step of the way.”

When Viyesha Williams listed her home for sale with Jermaine Spann of ARC Realty, she knew he was trustworthy and dependable. “I just didn’t realize how quickly he would sell my home,” Viyesha says. The right buyer visited Jermaine’s first open house. “For my new home, Jermaine guided me to a great neighborhood where I was able to build a home to meet my needs. From our first meetings with the building team to my final walk-through, Jermaine was there for me, paying attention to every detail and always a calm presence.

That’s important because building a home can be an emotional experience.”

Jermaine says helping customers like Viyesha is a privilege. “I have the support of my entire ARC Realty family to make the process easy for my clients.”

For more information on working with Jermaine and to see all of ARC Realty’s listings, visit www.arcrealtyco.com.

Allison Tyler and Copper.

A Relationship Company 4274 Cahaba Heights Court, Suite 200 Birmingham, AL 35243 • 205.969.8910 www.arcrealtyco.com Ashtyne Cole with Khaki.

JOURNAL PHOTOS BY JORDAN WALD

Holly Harkins and Drew Worley with Johnny Cash and Cooper, from left.

Jermaine Spann • (205) 243-0754 jspann@arcrealtyco.com

16 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Above, from left, Austin and Amanda Davis and Reed Lawrence.

Left, Dax Swatek and Rachel Swatek, Kim Ydel, and Akiko and Josh Jones.

PACKAGED TO PERFECTION AHA Birmingham Hosts Annual Heart Ball

Guests filled Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum on March 4 to celebrate the 30th annual Birmingham Heart Ball.

The event, hosted by the American Heart Association of Birmingham, celebrated the lives saved and improved by the AHA’s mission to fund research and raise awareness for cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Emcees for the evening were Brenda Ladun, James Spann and Pam Huff of ABC 33/40, who helped lead a program honoring supporters and survivors.

The event included live and silent auctions. The live auction featured packages such as a Scotland golf experience, a ski getaway in Telluride, a Tuscany truffle hunt, tickets to the 2017 ESPY awards, restaurant packages and more.

New this year, mobile bidding was added to the silent auction, allowing guests to place bids from their phones while enjoying the festivities. Beverages were poured and a seated dinner was served by Five Star Catering.

The honorees for this year’s event were Dr. and Mrs. Derrill and Cameron Crowe, founders of ProAssurance. The 2017 Birmingham Survivor Honoree was Jenny Duke.

Helping plan the affair were chairs including Cor Vitae chairman Michael Luce of Harbert Management Co.; corporate co-chairmen Stan Starnes of ProAssurance Co. and Johnny Johns, of Protective Life; and members of the Heart Guild of Birmingham, led by President Trinita Ashford and chairwoman Karen Schaffers. ❖

Anna and Robert Powell.

Mary Lauren McBride, Cameron Estes, Kristin Sartelle and Danielle Balanis.

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David Cox with daughter, Hannah.

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Committing 100 Percent

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Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 17

Spring Luncheon Celebrates George Washington’s Birthday

Photo special to the Journal

The Women’s Committee of 100 for Birmingham held a spring luncheon Feb. 22 at The Country Club of Birmingham.

With the luncheon date coinciding with George Washington’s birthday, the decor paid homage to the first U.S. president.

Second Vice President Judy Haise, who was in charge of arrangements, planned decor to complement the theme. Tall glass vases of cherry blossoms decorated the room, pink cloths covered the tables From left: Bill Satterfield, Nan Teninbaum, Barbara Dooley, Judy Haise and Zandi Krulak. and cherry pie was served for dessert.

Guest speaker was football” discussed characteristics that Trammel, Elouise Williams, Kate Alabama native Barbara Dooley, it takes to make every woman sucMillhouse, Nelda Pugh, Jane Ellis, wife of Vince Dooley, former cessful and presented humorous stoAnne Michaels, Cynthia Gore and University of Georgia head football ries and insights from the life she has Helen Mills Pittman. coach and current athletic director. shared with one of America’s bestBarbara Shepherd, Angela The lunch menu featured Dooley’s known coaches.

Comfort, Anne Lamkin, Doris favorite meal, a special barbecue Members enjoying the event were Wayman, Carole Thomas, Rebekah plate.

Lena Knight, Carla Roberson, Jean Taylor, Valerie Ramsbacher, President Nan Teninbaum welLiles, Carolyn Satterfield, Caroline Catherine Shepherd, Nancy Jones, comed the crowd, Martha Bartlett Reich, Rebecca Mason, Mary Gail Pugh, Sandi Gornati, Melissa led the pledge of allegiance and speWyatt, Jodi Newton, Jeannie Box, Whetstone, Audrey Lindquist, Lisa Karen Smith, Judy Carnes, cial guest Hayley Barber, Miss Roberts, Penney Hartline, Mary Monique Witherspoon, Phyllis Margaret Hendry, Carol Hines, Alabama 2016, gave the invocation.

Sandra Holley, Susan Kidd, Tainey Mary Louise Hodges, music chair- Hoffman DePaino, Bet Wright, Anne Gibbons, Dorothy McDaniel, Marcoux, Kate Cotton, Nina man, played the piano as members Kathryn Porter, Carolyn Drennen, Collinsworth, Anne Durwood, and their guests arrived.

Sandra Holley, Kathy Myatt, Pat First Vice President Zandi Krulak Marjorie Forney, Laura Ramsey, Annie Green, Kirke Cater, Sue Scofield and Marianne Sharbel. ❖ introduced Dooley. The “first lady of

To: Leaf and Petal From: Over The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646, fax 205-824-1246 Date: March This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the April 6, 2017 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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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Photos special to the Journal

SOCIAL

Betsy and Frank Canterbury.

reflecting votive candles. The containers were also decorated with pearl and rhinestone strips and topped with a small disco ball.

Attendees enjoying the meal included Laurie Haworth and Roger Mills, Marsha and Eddie Terrell, Lana and Harry Thompson, Janie and Bud Trammell, Rae and Steve Trimmier, Diana and Bill Turnipseed, Karen and Charlie Watkins, Margaret and Eason Balch, Jeannie and Harry Bradford, Anne Carey, Evelyn and Steve Bradley, and Naomi and Kirk Cunningham.

Enjoying the band, Rock Candy, in the ballroom were Mary Michael Bowman and Jim Hooker, Patsy and Stan Burns, Judy and Jim Carns, Carol and Charles Crabbe, Ellen and Russell Cunningham, Anne and Ken Dawson, Sara Lynn and Fox DeFuniak, Katie and Brad Dunn, Anne and Rick Finch, Nancy and Tom Gaskin, Claire and Pat Goodhew, Pam and Rick Kilgore, and Mary and David Putman. ❖

Dorothy and Gerry Hodges, Pat and Wimberly Miree, Marianne and Paul Sharbel.

Thoroughly Modern Charades Club Hosts Roaring ‘20s Dance

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Guests took a step back in time at the Charades Dance Club’s March 12 open party at the Mountain Brook Club.

Robert Logan of Backstage Florist provided lavish “Roaring ‘20s” décor throughout the country club. Members, as well as life-size flapper silhouettes, donned headbands, feathers, long, knotted beads, elbow-length gloves, fringe and boas.

Greeting guests as they arrived were President Judy Bewley, with Adrian, and hostess Carolyn Featheringill.

Co-chairwomen Carol Corvin and Karen Lloyd, along with Treasurer Sallie White, planned the gala.

Attending with the committee members were Jerry Corvin, Keith Lloyd and Carlos White.

Guests mingled during a cocktail hour, gathering around a large, revolving champagne glass with a flapper sitting in it.

Guests sipping at the cocktail hour were Carolyn and Delmar Hill, Dorothy and Gerry Hodges, Dale and

John Holditch, Loretta and Hugh Hood, Anne and Tom Lamkin, Pat and Wimberly Miree, George Ann and Alton Parker, Milner and Allen Phillips, Leslie Puckett and Les Goins, Carolyn Reed, Susan and Lee Reeves, Martha and Tom Roberts, Helen and Ty Robin, Emily and Tom Scarbrough, Marianne and Paul Sharbel, Lynn and Wheeler Smith, Susan Strickland, and Rita and Burr Spencer.

A dinner was served of citrus pecan salad, filet, dauphinoise potatoes, baby vegetables, corn pones and bourbon pecan torte topped with vanilla ice cream. Each dining table centerpiece included a tall, liquid-filled glass cylinder set on a mirror and surrounded by

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Members of the Coronets Dance Club recently gathered at the Vestavia Hills home of President Nancy Becker.

The club welcomed spring and honored their newest club members, India Askew, Cheree Carlton, Patty Clay, Glenda Jones, Cookie Logan, Judy Long and Rebecca Wingett.

The party table held a beautiful cheese display flanked by fruits and glasses of wine.

Those at the party included Nancy Becker, Shirley Palmes, Evelyn Ringler, Shelley Watkins, Carolyn Delk, Debbie Visintainer, Patty Echols, Nelle Freeman, Joy Wilkes, Edna Alderman, Linda Bachus, Redonda Broom, Cheree Carlton, Patty Clay, Carolyn Edge, Bettie Davenport, Cindy Edmonds, Glenda Etheredge, Linda Gooldrup, Jean Hendrickson, Sandra Holley, Nell Larson, Cile Miller, Sally Stanley, Rebecca Wingett and Judy Long. ❖

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Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 19

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

From left: Brandon Jones, Jessica Bailey, Jerry and Cindy Bailey, Mark and Cheryl Bourn, and Angela and Patrick Bourn.

In Laura’s Memory

Taste of Teal Gala Toasts Legacy of Laura Honorees The Laura Crandall Brown Foundation hosted its annual Taste of Teal Gala March 11 at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham-The Wynfrey Hotel.

The evening recognized the 2017 Legacy of Laura Honorees, members of the community who have devoted time and service to gynecological cancer patients and the community.

Honorees include corporate honoree VIVA Health, for its continued support of LCBF financially and through volunteering. Healthcare Hero is Ann George, a nurse practitioner for more than 40 years who works in GYN oncology at UAB. Caregiver honoree is Shea Bourland, who provides care and support for his wife, Ginny, and their children.

The Survivor Honoree this year is

Greg Neil, Letitia Watkins, Sam Davis, Ginny Bourland, Libba Yates and Cindy Holmes

Cheryl Bourn, an 11-year ovarian cancer survivor who has dedicated her life to helping others with GYN cancers. Bourn is a former LCBF board member and the chairwoman of

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In addition to celebrating honorees, the evening included silent and live auctions, a seated dinner, dancing and casino games. ❖

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20 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

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Journal photos by Jordan Wald

You don't have to think outside the box.... we already have for you!

From left: Tyler Zoghby, Brigham Nail, Allyson Panter and Natalie Zoghby.

Grads 2017

Luck of the Irish

Arc of Jefferson County Junior Board Hosts Annual Shamrock Shindig

Iron City Birmingham went green March 18 for the 5th annual Shamrock Shindig, hosted by The Arc of Jefferson County junior board.

Proceeds from the fundraiser benefit the organization’s mission to support members of the community with intellectual and developmental issues.

Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres provided by the venue as the band The Divines fired up the dance floor.

Helping organize the event were Free Gift Wrapping junior board members Laurie Smith, (on items above $10) Monogramming chairwoman; Rachel Young, past chairVinyls woman; Ashley Newton, administrative (instore merchandise only) 205-968-0909 chairwoman; Cameron Bice, Ashton follow us on Sartin, Davis Swicord, Dr. Justin Schwartz, Kelly Hochstetter, Emily Sottilare, India Moore, Sean Vibert, Chris Martin, Kelsey Pope, Liana Kingston, Madelaine Julbert, Michael Jordan, Sherri Radney, Torie Cunningham, Wade Wood and To: Anna John Canfield.

From: Over The Mountain Journal, 205-823-9646 ph., At the end of the evening, green balloons dropped from the ceiling and 205-824-1246, fax guests clamored to pop ones that held Date: IfApril so, you may be interested in taking part in an prizes. Items stowed away in the balexercise UAB researchers are for curloons included Barons tickets, Breakout This is yourtraining AD PROOFintervention. from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL the April 6, 2017 issue. Please contact your sales representative soon as possible to Birmingham sessions and more. One rently looking for overweight women with aashistory of approve your ad or make changes. You may fax approval or changes to 824-1246. balloon held a grand prize of $1,000. ❖ breast cancer to participate in a novel exercise training

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Gwen and Mark Deierhoi with Brandon and Rhiannon Reed.

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Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 21

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Pot o’ Gold

Merrick Wilson and Kevin Maddox.

St. Patty’s Celebration Benefits Homewood Rotary Education Foundation

Attic Antiques Antiques • Vintage Industrial

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

A St. Patrick’s Day fundraising celebration took over Red Hills Brewing Company in Homewood on March 17.

The event was co-hosted by the brewery along with Homewood Musical Instruments and included live and silent auctions.

Proceeds from the evening benefit the Homewood Rotary Education Foundation, which will provide scholarships for seniors at Homewood High School.

To set the right mood, the Brock McGuire Band, visiting from Ireland, played traditional music of their home country.

Nabeel’s provided a traditional Irish dinner, grilling up Guinness Brats, Reuben eggrolls stuffed with corned beef, stuffed cabbage, Irish loaded potato soup and Irish potato bites.

Helping execute the event were members of the Homewood Rotary, led by President Carol Chesnutt.

Members assisting included Peggy Bales, Merrick Wilson, Sandy Nelson, Mike Hathorne, Bo Duke, Tim Carroll, Walter Brown, Deborah Sema, Sara Moulton, John Paliescheskey, Janice Scholl, Deborah Fout, Glenn and Martha Ellis, Walter Brown and Debbie Roberson. ❖

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Please make sure all informat including address and phon

To: Babara Please initial and fax back within To: From:BabaraOver The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday your ad will run as is. We print the pape Above, Jody Brandt and John Paliescheskey an The unidentified guest.PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX:Mountain 205-824-1246 From: withOver Journal, Below, Debra Fout and Debbie Date:Sema.

January FAX: 205-824-1246 Thank you for your prompt SOME RESTRICTIO Date: February NS This is your AD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTAiN JOurNAl for theMAY APPLY 2016from issue.

PleaseTHE faxMOUNTAIN approval orJOURNAL changes for to 824-1246.

This is January your AD 14, PROOF the OVER the February 23, 2017 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

NEED TO REPLACE 2 YEAR PL AN T YOUR PLANTS GUARANTEE! AFTER DROUGHT?

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

Please make sure all information is correct, Please initial and faxincluding back withinaddress 24 hours.and phone number! if we have not heard from you byinitial 5 pm of and the Friday press date, ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday.

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22 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Photo special to the Journal

Star Quality

Wedgworth Home Features Nature and Efficiency on Parade of Homes IDEAL HOME

Out of The Box

Journal photos by Emily Williams

Annual GBAHB Parade Of Homes Shows Off Houses and Communities

By Emily Williams

By Emily Williams

T

he classic image of a subdivision is changing in Birmingham.

With many Over the Mountain cities lacking the space for sprawling subdivisions, builders such as Mike Wedgworth, president of Wedgworth Companies, and his team are adapting and hunting for interesting spaces to create smaller, custom communities and villages.

One of his current projects, Viridian, is nearing the finish line. The community, which is off Tyler Road in Vestavia Hills, includes 20 homes, only two of which remain unoccupied. Both available homes will be included in the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders’ 2017 Parade of

See WEDGWORTH, page 27

Mike Wedgworth, above center, president of Wedgworth Companies, with Patrick Gilbert, project manager, and Patty Leeming, marketing director.

Brick is just the beginning.

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Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or a learned down-sizer, the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders’ annual Parade of Homes will have a home that fits just right.

This year’s tour will feature more than 50 homes ranging from 1,000 to 4,500 square feet scattered across the Birmingham metro area. After an April 18 judging of the homes, the tour will be open April 21-23 and April 28-30.

Headlining the parade will be the 2017 Ideal Home, at 997 Willow Branch Trail in Chelsea.

The house was designed by Scotch Homes and Land Development Group, founded by Birmingham native and Briarwood Christian School graduate Wayne J. Scotch Jr. The 3,120-square-foot house in the Willow Branch subdivision includes five bedrooms and 4½ baths.

According to the GBAHB, with its modern furnishings and large patio and outdoor kitchen, the 2017 Ideal Home sets the tone for this year’s tour, which focuses on modern styles and large outdoor living spaces.

Homes featured on this year’s parade are located throughout the Over the Mountain area and other suburban communities. The

See PARADE, page 24

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

HOME

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 23

24 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

PARADE, From page 22

local villages also will be showcased on the tour, each featuring one or more Parade homes. Over the Mountain communities showcased are:

Brook Highland – North Shelby County

This residential community contains more than 1,000 homes and

encompasses 700 acres off U.S. 280 East. Eddleman Residential LLC will be showing one home on the tour, the Carlisle at 6013 Club Place.

Altadena Ridge – Vestavia Hills

The new gated community rests on the edge of the future 70-acre park at Altadena and consists of 58 lots. The subdivision is being developed by Harris Doyle Homes, and three of their constructions will be available to tour: Jones A, 2661 Altadena Ridge Circle; Hogan A, 2933 Altadena Ridge Drive; and Woods A, 2939 Altadena Ridge Drive.

Highland Lakes – North Shelby County

Resting on the ridge of Oak Mountain, this community spans more than 1,700 acres and includes four lakes stocked with fish and a variety of home designs. Eddleman Residential LLC homes featured on the tour are: Suffolk, 1037 Fairfield Lane; Baxley, 1033 Fairfield Lane; Brighton, 1040 Regency Way; Carlton, 1004 Columbia Circle; and Fairview, 1096 Regency Way. Murphy Home Builders will be showing a custom home at 207 Sheffield Lane.

McGill Crossings – Hoover Located next to Deer Valley

Liberty Park – Vestavia Hills

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HOME

This well-known community is home to more than 1,400 families and elementary and middle schools. The grounds feature walking trails, recreational centers, parks, lakes and two sports complexes easily accessible to community members.

Liberty Park Joint Venture LLP serves as developers for the community and has two homes featured on the tour: The Hollow, 4844 Heritage Hills Way; and The Woodward, 4636 Jackson Loop.

Elementary School, this gated community features a professionally designed landscape to create an abundance of green space. Homes in the community range from 2,300 to 4,500 square feet and three to five bedrooms. Embassy Homes will show the Whitman B Portico home, at 4710 McGill Court, on the parade tour.

Sawyer Trail – Hoover

The Ross Bridge Community’s newest neighborhood, Sawyer Trail is made up of 140 home sites. Amenities include a pool, pool house, fire pit area, cooking area and green spaces along streets named after characters

See PARADE, page 26

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

HOME

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 25

APRIL’S NO-FOOLING $7,500 SAVINGS!

Save $7,500 This April on Your New Home With a Full, Walk-Out Basement.

There’s never been a better time to buy your dream home. And there may never be again. This April, Liberty Park is offering a limited time opportunity to choose from our newest collection of elegant homes and save a full $7,500!

These magnificent homes feature bright, open floor plans, a world of luxurious details and spacious walkout basements to give your family lots of room to grow.

But don’t wait. These homes are selling fast and this offer ends April 30th!

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N E W H O M E S • H I G H LY R AT E D V E S TA V I A H I L L S S C H O O L S • S W I M C E N T E R • T E N N I S C E N T E R • P A R K S • P L AY G R O U N D S • W A L K I N G T R A I L S

Buyer’s incentive of $7,500 toward lot options for basement homesites, Liberty Park Joint Venture, LLP, is applicable to homes built by LifeScape Builders, LLC. Such incentive will be disclosed in the sales contract and included on the Closing Disclosure in the transaction. This offer applies only to contracts finalized by April 30th, 2017 and cannot be combined with any other incentives or offers. The information contained herein should be deemed accurate but not warranted. Liberty Park Joint Venture, LLP, Liberty Park Properties, and their respective builders and agents are not responsible for errors or omissions.

April-Promo_OTMJ_Ad_FINAL.indd 1

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To: From: Date:

26 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

PARADE, From page 24

from “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

Signature Homes will show the Huck Finn 1 home, 1482 Sawyer Run, on the parade route.

The Preserve – Hoover

Home to annual music festivals and art shows, this community features homes based on classic American architectural designs, from Colonial

HOME

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

to Victorian. The 300-acre community backs up to Moss Rock Preserve and includes amenities such as walking trails, a Town Hall, a Town Center with restaurants, shops and ponds.

RidgeCrest Homes will show The Stirling home, 399 Renaissance Drive, on the parade tour. Two custom homes on the tour also will be showing in this village, The Woodland Tower by Byrom Building, 427 Renaissance Drive; and the Jasmine Cottage by Hastings Construction Inc., 467 Renaissance Drive.

Mt Laurel – North Shelby County

Recently named Birmingham’s only Southern Living Inspired Community, the town features a traditional community atmosphere with walkable neighborhoods, a stocked fishing lake, parks and a Town Center. Also in the community are Mt. Laurel Elementary School, Hilltop Montessori School and the Mt Laurel Public Library. Homes on the tour, developed by Town Builders Inc., include Olmsted II, 216 Olmsted St.; and The Cherry Laurel, 49 Nolen St.

The Village – North Shelby County

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Located just across the road from Mt Laurel, this community features walkable streets, parks, trails, a pool, cabanas and access to Mt. Laurel Elementary School. Homes featured on the parade tour have been developed

by Eddleman Residential LLC and include: Wesley, 1026 Highland Village Trail; Beaumont, 2053 Highland Village Bend; Highfield, 6029 English Village Lane; Ashby, 6033 English Village Lane; Durham, 6069 English Village Lane; Clifton, 6009 English Village Lane.; Walton, 6093 English Village Lane; Carlisle, 6101 English Village Lane; and Winthrop, 6109 English Village Lane.

Viridian – Vestavia Hills

This gated community has 20 homes with historically authentic designs and green home-building features, as well as two parks. Two homes designed by

Wedgworth Companies will be featured on the tour: Ashmont, 905 Viridian Way; and Chatham, 969 Viridian Way.

Woodhaven Trace – Hoover

With only six lots remaining available for purchase, this community features one-level and basement homes. The neighborhood is near Interstate 459 as well as the new Hoover YMCA and the Grove Shopping Center. Prominence Home and Communities will show one of its buildings on the parade route: The Windsor, 6221 Woodhaven Trace.

Featured Builders

Featured builders for this year’s tour include AJ Homes, Byrom Building Corporation, BPS Partners LLC, Eddleman Residential LLC, Embassy Homes, Harris Doyle Homes Inc., Hastings Construction Inc., J. Wright Building Company, KADCO Homes, Liberty Park’s LifeScape Builders

LLC, Mountainview Custom Homes LLC, Murphy Home Builders LLC, Newcastle Homes, Prominence Homes and Communities, RidgeCrest Homes, Scotch Homes, Scholl Construction Inc., Signature Homes, Smith Douglas, Thoroughbred Homes by DAL Properties LLC, Timeless Homes, Town Builders Inc., Wedgworth Companies, Winford Homecrafters and Wright Homes. ❖

Tour Details

The 2017 Parade of Homes is free and open to the public and will be held April 21-23 and April 28-30.

Tour hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

A kickoff party will be held April 20 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Ideal Home.

For more information, visit gbahb. com.

TROON HAMLET

Coshsatts Over The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646, fax 205-824-1246 March This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the April 6, 2017 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

H O M E P L A N: C R O S B I E

Please make sure all information is correct, N e w number! custom-designed homes available Including address and phone in the community of Shoal Creek.

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. available

now – limited lots

S h o a l C r e e k P r o p e r t i e s 205.991.4653 Pa m A u s l e y, R e M a x S o u t h e r n H o m e s 205.516.6809

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Homes.

Viridian has been in the works since 2008, but with the recession weighing down the real estate market, Wedgworth took its time with the project, waiting for the market to begin its rebound.

Wedgworth said the early days of a neighborhood development project are his favorite.

“I love to look at the piece of land and see what it could be,” Wedgworth said.

Conceptualizing the development is much like putting together a puzzle, he said. Instead of using the surrounding buildings as a perimeter for Viridian, the team took advantage of the existing natural spaces.

Inside the entrance gates, the single-street community has a grassy hill

‘We wanted to produce a product that is designed uniquely to fit the land, as opposed to making the land fit the design.’

Call 205-542-6094

A N T I Q U E S | G A R D E N S | I N D U ST R I A L

Jim W E D D I N G / P R O P R E N TA L Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 May 2015 22,000 SQ. FEET This is your AD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTAiN JOurNAl fo 2 0 5Please . 6 7 8 .fax 215 1 Nov. 4 2010 issue. approval or changes to 824-1246.

14569 HIGHWAY 280 EAST | CHELSEA, AL 35043

Please make sure all information is correct, visit us on instagram: @chelseaantiques1 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.

Community Showcased

In addition to showcasing homes, GBAHB has put a spotlight on Viridian as a community.

With the natural green space limiting the workable landscape, Wedgworth was able to fit in two small “pocket parks” among the homes to provide extra outdoor space for residents.

Another big plus for residents was space for guest parking.

“A big issue people have with smaller communities like this is that there is nowhere for their guests to park if they have a group of people over,” Wedgworth said.

Each home has garage space and driveway space, but an added 22 parking spots along the street were included to accommodate an influx of visitors.

Having had homes on the tour in previous years, Wedgworth expects this year’s tour to bring more attention to his company.

“This will give us a lot more exposure to the general public,” he said. “We’ll get a chance to meet people and show them what our company is all about and what we can deliver, which is upscale, custom homes.”

In addition to Viridian, Wedgworth Companies built Glen Manor, a subdivision in Vestavia Hills off Rocky Ridge Road, and Village Place, a Mountain Brook community off of Montclair Road.

With Viridian nearly complete, the company’s next project will be developing seven lots at Altadena Park, neighboring the site of the future park that the city of Vestavia Hills is planning to develop.

For more information on Wedgworth Companies, visit wedgworth.net. ❖

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One of the homes featured on the Parade of Homes tour, Chatham, at 969 Viridian Way, is designed to focus on the green spaces outside.

Chatham, at 3,443 square feet, is

Like all homes in the neighborhood, Chatham is Energy Star-certified and features the latest concepts in energy-efficient green homebuilding.

“When a buyer thinks about energy efficiency, they usually just think about appliances, LED lighting and things like that, which this has, but there is also a lot more,” Leeming said.

Much of what makes the home green is in the unseen building details. The process of getting Energy Star certification is complex, but Wedgworth said that, simply stated, it certifies a home is “tight.”

A “tight” house doesn’t leave much room for air to leak out, so

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Southern Point

free of homes on the left, incorporating a wall and the existing tree-line at the top to maintain privacy from neighboring homes. The right side has customdesigned houses that back up to a wooded green space.

“That space is protected, which means it will stay there. If someone cuts down one of those trees for whatever reason, they have to plant a new one. If a tree falls naturally, they don’t have to worry about replacing it,” said Patty Leeming, Wedgworth’s marketing director.

Leeming has a role throughout the building process, including working as a liaison between the company and the buyer.

Maintaining the protected green space instead of leveling it to create more room for building, Leeming said, didn’t make the job any easier, but having that wooded area as a buffer between Viridian and the neighboring community is priceless.

Bluff Park WindoW Works

Southern Proper

From page 22

suited for an older family or emptynesters looking to downsize. A room just to the left of the entryway serves as a study or bedroom, with a full bath next-door.

“A lot of older homebuyers like to have a guest bedroom on the main floor in addition to the master bedroom,” Leeming said. “So, this space can be used as an extra bedroom, or it can be a study.”

Also located toward the front of the home is the two-car garage.

According to Leeming, the floor plan places the spaces with the lowest amount of traffic toward the front of the home, with the most used spaces toward the back of the home.

The majority of the main floor is devoted to an open living space that includes a kitchen with a large marble island that has bar-style seating, a breakfast nook and a large living space with vaulted ceilings. The master bedroom also sits at the back of the home.

Whether through window panes or porch, the back of the house capitalizes on the view of the protected green space. Located near the largest point of the wooded area, the home sits on a hilltop and overlooks a small creek and foliage, with no other houses in sight.

An outdoor living space includes a large screened-in porch and an adjacent open porch that can accommodate an outdoor grilling area.

Project manager Patrick Gilbert said his favorite part of the building process has been seeing each house transform from an image to reality.

“We wanted to produce a product that is designed uniquely to fit the land, as opposed to making the land fit the design,” Gilbert said.

before a home can be Energy Star certified, one of the big tests assesses the percentage of air that leaks out of the home and out of the heating and cooling systems.

There are three things that a homeowner will notice in an Energy Star-certified home, according to Wedgworth.

“First, there are lower utility bills,” he said. “In a home of this size we estimate that the amount the owner will pay on power and gas combined is somewhere between $2,400 to $3,000 a year.”

Second, the quality of the air in the home is cleaner. A “tight” home yields less opportunity for unfiltered air to enter the home, Wedgworth said.

The third noticeable benefit is increased comfort; it’s quieter and the air temperature is more consisTo: tent throughout the home.

“I’ve had some residents tellFrom: me that, while we’ve been doing construction work, they can hardlyDate: hear the noise,” he said.

Being in the business of modern building, Wedgworth admitted that he deals with a lot of “house-envy” when he goes back to his own home. As of late, he’s been wishing his own home was “tighter” so he could relax in the quietness while enjoying a lower power bill.

Barbour

Inside the entrance gates of Viridian, the single-street community has a grassy hill free of homes on the left, incorporating a wall and the existing tree-line at the top to maintain privacy from neighboring homes. The right side has customdesigned houses that back up to a wooded green space.

WEDGWORTH,

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 27

HOME

Southern Point

Journal photo by Emily Williams

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

28 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

MAGIC CITY ART

Festival Information

Dates: April 28-30, 2017 Time: Fri. & Sat. 10am-6pm_Sun. 10am-5pm Location: Linn Park_Birmingham, Al Info & Tickets: www.magiccityart.com 34th Annual Festival Sponsors Platinum_ City of Birmingham . Kinetic Communications Gold_ al.com . Birmingham Magazine .

Birmingham Mountain Radio . Birmingham Park & Recreation . Iron City Ink . Joe Piper, Inc. Bronze_ Alabama Power . B-Metro . BBVA Compass . BlueCross & BlueShield of Alabama . Chelsea Antique Mall .

HealthSouth Corporation . Hoover’s Magazine . Over The Mountain Journal . Publix Super Markets Charities.

Royal Cup Coffee . Shelby Living . Thomas Jefferson Tower Steel_ Alabama Baby & Child Magazine .

Alabama State Council on the Arts & The National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency . Bancography .

Bell Media . Birmingham Business Journal . Birmingham Coca Cola Bottling . BJCC . CityVision – The Visitor’s Channel . Event Rentals Unlimited . Forecast Salon . Jefferson County . Jemison Investment Company, Inc. . McDowell Security . WBHM Public Radio 90.3fm . Weld . Yarbrough Festival Foodservice Artwork: Celeste Amparo Pfau

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Given-Peck

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Perry Given Jr. of Birmingham announce the engagement of their daughter, Caroline Carter Given, to Brennan Kennedy Peck, son of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Kennedy Peck, also of Birmingham.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Henry Myron Raley of Montgomery and the late Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Perry Given of Birmingham.

Miss Given is a 2011 graduate of Mountain Brook High School and a 2015 summa cum laude graduate of Auburn University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in public relations with minors in international studies,

Renieri-Glasscock

Despoina Danae Renieri of Trikala, Thessaly, Greece, daughter of Dimitris and Carikleia Renieri, maiden name

Madden-Miller

Mr. and Mrs. Bert Conger Madden Jr. of Atlanta announce the engagement of their daughter, Laura Carson Madden, to Carlton Reid McFarland, son of Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Keith Miller and Mr. and Mrs. James Carlton McFarland, all of Birmingham.

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 29

WEDDINGS/SCHOOLS philanthropy and nonprofit studies, and business. She was tapped for membership in Phi Kappa Phi, Mortar Board, Cardinal Key, Lambda Sigma, and Alpha Lambda Delta honor societies.

Miss Given is a member of the Birmingham Débutante Club and was presented at the Beaux Arts Krewe Ball, the Ball of Roses, the Heritage Ball and the Redstone Ball. She is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta social sorority.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Walton Howard of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Roger Phillip Peck of Tacoma, Washington.

Mr. Peck is a 2011 graduate of Mountain Brook High School and a 2015 graduate of Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where he was on the honor roll and dean’s list. He received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration and was a member of the Venture Club and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

The couple is employed locally.

Miss Given is an account manager with Lewis Communications and Mr. Peck is the owner of Hartbrook Clothier.

The wedding is planned for May 13 at Church in the Pines on the shores of Lake Martin.

Makri, and John Mark Glasscock of Birmingham, son of Jeff and Lailah Harris Glasscock were married Feb. 22 in Athens, Greece.

The bride is a 2010 graduate of the University of Athens with a bachelor’s degree in finance and a 2016 graduate of DeMontfort University in Leicester, England, with a master’s degree in photographic history. She is a photographer.

The groom is a 2008 graduate of Oak Mountain High School and a 2013 graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon social fraternity and served as a Cupola Engineering Ambassador. Mr. Glasscock is employed as a technical sales engineer with the oilfield services company Schlumberger, in Dallas, Texas.

The couple will live in Dallas.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Conger Madden and the late Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Carson Edwards, all of Atlanta.

Miss Madden is a 2010 graduate of the Lovett School in Atlanta and a 2014 graduate of the University of Alabama, where she was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. She is a kindergarten teacher at Dunwoody Elementary in Atlanta.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. Carlton Ralph Cook and the late Mr. Carlton Ralph Cook of Birmingham and Mr. and Mrs. James Edward McFarland of Birmingham, formerly of Montgomery.

Mr. McFarland is a 2010 graduate of Vestavia Hills High School and a 2014 graduate of Auburn University, where he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He is a logistics planner at WestRock in Atlanta.

The wedding will be June 17 in Atlanta.

GRADUATION

Gift Guide

Aviate, the original airport brand hats, $35, and T-shirts, $48.95, available in TCL - Tuscaloosa, BHM - Birmingham and AMO Auburn/Opelika.

Remon’s Clothier, 977-5512.

Copper, rainbow and gold classic cups, $16 each.

Lucky Duck, 238-5056.

Two-tone handbag in bright pink, $98, canvas block print large zip pouch in bright pink, $58, and a canvas block print small zip pouch in bright pink, $38. vineyard vines, 970-9758.

14K gold pearl and bezel set of diamond rings, $450, each.

Southeastern Jewelers, 980-9030.

Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Classique ballpoint pen, in black precious resin with inlaid Montblanc emblem and a gold-plated clip, $420.

Barton-Clay, 871-7060.

Framed vintage buttons in the shape of a cross, starting at $11.

Attic Antiques, 991-6887.

Bellmonde vegan leather men’s luggage and travel pieces, starting at $19.

Blue Willow, 968-0909.

“You have brains in your head you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

30 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

This icon is not the official U.S. News & World Report best hospitals emblem.

The Choice is Yours

College Choice Foundation Emerges From Grassroots Beginnings

2016-17

BEST

By Emily Williams

CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS

Children’s

of Alabama is ... l

The third largest pediatric hospital in the United States

l

Licensed for 332 beds & 48 NICU bassinets One of the Top 20 employers in Alabama with more than 4,700 employees across the state The pediatric teaching hospital for the School of Medicine at UAB Home to the Pediatric & Congenital Heart Center of Alabama, where more than 450 cardiac surgeries are performed annually Site of the only pediatric kidney dialysis program in the state — one of the largest in the country Home to one of the largest burn units in the Southeast One of the largest pediatric rheumatology programs in the nation and the only one in Alabama Provides care for more than 90 percent of Alabama children with cancer and blood disorders

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Russell Campus 1600 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233 205.638.9100 Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children Lowder Building and McWane Building McWane Building Children’s on Third Outpatient Center Children’s Park Place

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Children’s South 1940 Elmer J. Bissell Road, Birmingham, AL 35243 205.638.4800 Outpatient surgery services, Pediatric Imaging Center, laboratory services, specialty care clincis and After Hours care

Pediatric Practice Solutions Primary Care Locations Alabaster (Greenvale Pediatrics) Bessemer (Pediatrics West) Birmingham (Midtown Pediatrics) Brook Highland (Greenvale Pediatrics) Clay/Chalkville (Pediatrics East-Deerfoot) Homewood (Mayfair Medical Group) Hoover (Greenvale Pediatrics) McAdory (Pediatrics West) Montgomery (Physicians to Children/Central Alabama Children’s Specialists) Mountain Brook (Over the Mountain Pediatrics) Pell City (Pell City Pediatrics) Trussville (Pediatrics East) Vestavia (Vestavia Pediatrics)

www.ChildrensAL.org

The College Choice Foundation, the brainchild of Homewood parents, provides a road map to help low-income students find colleges that fit not only their financial needs, but also their personalities.

When her oldest daughter, Savannah, who had done well in school, started searching for colleges, Josephine Lowery hired Dr. Mark Bateman, an associate professor of education at Samford University, to help navigate the process.

As Bateman advised her daughter on different schools to consider, Lowery noticed he often mentioned that he wanted to give the same help to students who didn’t have the advantages her daughter had.

It struck a chord with Lowery, who overcame adversity during her own upbringing.

“I grew up on food stamps and free lunches, raised by an alcoholic mother,” Lowery said. “So, had my guidance counselor not intervened for me and helped me obtain a full scholarship with financial aid … my life would be very different.”

With the help of her counselor, Lowery, now a retired real estate attorney, was offered full scholarships with financial aid to Vanderbilt, Emory, Birmingham-Southern College and her alma-mater, Sewanee.

With her experiences in mind, she offered to help Bateman and pay forward the opportunities she had received.

Thus, the grassroots beginnings of the College Choice Foundation were planted.

The foundation is currently managed by an executive committee that includes Lowery, co-founder and president; Bateman, co-founder; Nancy Hale, co-founder and vice-president; and Cassandra Joseph.

Each are Homewood parents.

Lowery, Hale and Joseph have all been actively involved in volunteering in the school system, and each are or have served as PTO president for one of the schools.

The mission is to offer high-achieving students from economically and/or disadvantaged backgrounds the tools and support they need to find a college that best suits them. Through financial support and intense guidance during the process, the goal is to find a college that suits each student, rather than one that is merely convenient.

“We started with my landscaper’s daughter, Michelle Williams,” Lowery said. “Her father, Harold, had for years shared with me snippets about Michelle’s achievements.”

Shortly after bringing on Williams as the first scholar, they found a second in Joy Korley. Both students chose the University of Washington at St. Louis.

Williams received a scholarship of $65,000 a year and Korley received a full scholarship.

The foundation currently supports eight scholars. Five are students at Homewood High School and three are attending college.

Photo special to the Journal

& World Report

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Members of the College Choice Foundation executive committee, from left, Cassandra Joseph; Dr. Mark Bateman, co-founder and professor at Samford; Nancy Hale, co-founder and vice president; and Josephine Lowery, co-founder and president.

Last year, the foundation created the Julian G. Finley Scholar’s Award. Finley, who lost his battle with cancer last year, grew up in the Homewood school system, graduating from the high school in 1979. He was a beloved member of the school and played football and with the band.

1979 Homewood High School Yearbook

U.S. News

SCHOOLS

“Our students are very bright, they have an amazing work ethic, many have overcome incredible hardships and they are economically disadvantaged,” Lowery said. “Many of them need 100 percent financial aid or full scholarships. Our mission is to find the best fit in a college for our students, which also includes affordability.”

Many of the colleges within five hours of Birmingham aren’t able to offer full scholarships, so the foundation looks farther out. They fund interview clothes for the students, college visits and review courses for the ACT or SAT. Before going public as a 501(c)(3), the members of the executive committee funded everything out of their own pockets and through their own resources. Once the group was publicly known, a fundraiser was held at Good People Brewing Company and raised more than $20,000.

Last year, the foundation created the Julian G. Finley Scholar’s Award, which is given each December to one of the scholars. The award is named after the late Julian Finley, who grew up in the Homewood school system, graduating from the high school in 1979. He was a beloved member of the school, Lowery said, and played football and with the band.

“In a time of racial unrest, Julian managed to bridge this gap,” she said.

“According to his family, Julian was incredibly gregarious, possessed keen intelligence and had a grand sense of humor. He would do anything for

someone in need.”

After Finley’s untimely passing from cancer, Lowery received a call from a friend asking that a scholarship be set up in his name. She attended Finley’s funeral, where she learned about his life and legacy.

“I learned a lot about Julian by attending his funeral, and I left in tears, wishing I had known him. But he has touched my life and the lives of our scholars,” Lowery said.

The award is given to a scholar who embodies Finley’s principles. He valued academics and community, had a zeal for life and saw great importance in helping others.

“Julian had actually wanted to create a scholarship for low-income students from Homewood to honor his mother, who I believe was on the school board at one point, so his siblings have mentioned often how much Julian would love College Choice Foundation!” Lowery said.

The first recipient is Frank Trujillo, who graduates in May from Homewood High School, where he is a member of the varsity soccer team and the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society.

In addition to the support the foundation gives each scholar, the recipient of the scholarship receives a stipend to help buy textbooks, which is a growing expense. Though the exact cost varies with each student, The College Board estimates that an undergraduate student at a four-year public college will spend roughly $1,298 on course materials.

“Because of this fund, we have forged a lasting bond with Julian’s family, our students have an amazing legacy to aspire to, and we can better help one scholar each year financially,” Lowery said.

For more information on the College Choice Foundation, visit collegechoicefoundation.org. ❖

FOOD

By Donna Cornelius Birmingham is the Magic City.

Huntsville’s proud of being the Rocket City.

And Union Springs is known as the Bird Dog Field Trial Capital of the World (bet you didn’t know that).

Homewood doesn’t have an official nickname. But if it did, “Culinary City” wouldn’t be a stretch.

Zomato, a restaurant search and discovery service, lists 172 restaurants in Homewood.

That’s a pretty impressive number for a city that’s only about 8 square miles with a little more than 26,000 residents. It works out to about one restaurant for every 151 residents.

Here’s a comparison with other Over the Mountain cities, using Zomato’s figures.

Vestavia Hills has about 34,000 residents and 144 restaurants, averaging out to one restaurant for every 236 residents. Hoover has 301 restaurants and a population of about 85,000, so that’s one restaurant for every 282 residents. Mountain Brook has about 20,700 residents and 49 restaurants, giving that city one restaurant per 422 residents.

So why is Homewood a hot spot for restaurants? Meredith Drennen, Homewood Chamber of Commerce executive director, said the city’s location is a big factor.

“Our daytime population is over 300,000 people with traffic and employment,” Drennen said. “So, many people have access to Homewood. It’s easy to get to from downtown if you want to have lunch and easy to stop here for dinner on your way home.”

Andrea and David Snyder opened their first Urban Cookhouse restaurant on 18th Street South in Homewood in 2010. The couple still owns that store and others at The Summit, in downtown Birmingham and in Tuscaloosa.

Andrea Snyder agreed with Drennen that Homewood’s daytime population is important.

“Before we opened in Homewood, we looked at demographics,” Snyder said. “The reason Homewood is different is that, during the day, its population goes up, where in cities like Trussville and Gardendale, the population goes down.

“We serve mostly lunch, so that fits. And at night, there are still plenty of folks here with disposable incomes.”

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 31

Homewood, so that gives us a place in each of our organic neighborhoods.”

While downtown Homewood has a heavy concentration of restaurants, Edgewood boasts favorites such as Dreamcakes, Saw’s BBQ, Taco Mama and New York Pizza. Drennen said Shannon Waltchack, a Birmingham commercial real estate company, is redeveloping an old service station into Edgewood Station.

“There’s going to be a gluten-free bakery there and a BarTaco, which has upscale Mexican food,” she said.

The bakery is Mason Dixon Bakery, opened by owners Ashley and Taylor Ramirez in Huntsville in 2013.

BarTaco is a national chain with stores in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Another plus for Homewood is that it’s a pedestrian-friendly place.

“All our neighborhoods are very walkable,” Drennen said. “If you go downtown to Jackson’s and there’s a wait, you can walk over to SoHo Social.”

Andrea Snyder said Homewood city officials are helpful to those opening restaurants.

“The city is supportive,” Snyder said. “They make it easy to open a business. We’ve opened businesses in several cities, and Homewood is by far the most business-friendly. They do what they can to help.”

Like Urban Cookhouse, whose Homewood base was so successful that it led to the opening of more stores, other restaurants have started in the city and then expanded. For example, there’s Steel City Pops, which now has locations throughout Alabama and in Kentucky and Texas, and Zoe’s Kitchen, which has grown to more than 200 stores.

“They might be chains now, but they started in Homewood and then ‘graduated,’” Drennen said.

Holler & Dash Biscuit House, Cracker Barrel’s hip, fast-casual restaurant, chose Homewood as its launching pad.

“When looking for the site for our first Holler & Dash, we wanted to find a location that would be a great fit for our brand,” said Mike

Culinary City Why Homewood Is Such a Hot Spot for Restaurants

‘Homewood is both urban and suburban, attracting a diverse group of potential diners.

There’s so much demand for food here, and there’s always a market for something different.’

MEREDITH DRENNEN, HOMEWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Drennen said Homewood is both “urban and suburban,” attracting a diverse group of potential diners.

“There’s so much demand for food here, and there’s always a market for something different,” she said.

Drennen said the city has three organic business districts: downtown, Edgewood and West Homewood. Each has its own variety of eateries. There’s even a place to get ice cream and other cool treats in each area.

“We were excited to get Scoops downtown,” she said. “There’s Edgewood Creamery in Edgewood and Magic City Sweet Ice in West

piggly wiggly

Journal file photo by Maury Wald

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Where There’s Smoke: Local BBQ Favorites Featured in Zagat Video

Folks who love Alabama ribs, pork butts and chicken might be surprised to find that not everyone knows just how smoking hot our state’s barbecue is.

Zagat, a national restaurant guide and review company, featured several Birmingham restaurants in its March 17 documentary, “A State of Underrated BBQ: Why Alabama Style ’Cue Might be America’s Best Kept Secret.”

The intro to the video says: “When it comes to great barbecue, Alabama might not the first state that comes to mind. However, Alabama is home to more barbecue restaurants per capita than any other state, and its pitmasters are extremely confident their state offers the best barbecue in America. Zagat toured a selection of Bama’s famed barbecue joints to find out what defines this style of cuisine.”

David and Joe Maluff (above) of Full Moon BarB-Que, Dreamland Bar-B-Que CEO Betsy McAtee, Van Sykes of Bob Sykes Bar-B-Que in Bessemer, and Wade Reich of Butts to Go in Pell City all appear on camera to talk about meats, cooking methods, woods used for barbecuing and sauces.

“Alabama has the best barbecue,” David Maluff said on the video. “Hands down, it blows the competition away.”

You can see the Zagat Alabama barbecue video, which lasts about 4½ minutes, on YouTube.

Fig Tree Branches Out: Cahaba Heights Eatery Renovates, Expands

Fig Tree Café in Cahaba Heights recently doubled its seating capacity and expanded its kitchen.

J.P. Holland is the owner and chef of the restaurant, which opened in 2014. The self-taught chef said the renovation will allow him to offer more menu items and to increase his focus on grilled

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

FOOD

A Heart for Hospitality

Former First Lady Patsy Riley Headlines King’s Home Tablescapes Event A former Alabama first lady and an event featuring tempting table settings are the perfect pairing.

Patsy Riley will be the main speaker at Tablescapes, an annual fundraiser for the King’s Home Shelby Auxiliary that’s set for April 19 at the Metro Church of God in Vestavia Hills.

Riley should feel right at home at the event, which will present about 30 tablescapes with plenty of ideas for all kinds of parties and dinners. When she and her husband, former Gov. Bob Riley, lived in the Governor’s Mansion, from 2003 to 2011, she was in charge of planning formal dinners. These days, she loves whipping up favorite dishes for her large family at the Rileys’ Ashland home.

“I love entertaining and do it all the time,” she said. “During the holidays, I had four or five little tea parties for all my girlfriends. I have 14 best friends. Sometimes I have two or three of them at a time so that we get to share joys and sorrows.”

But Riley said she’s eager to support the event for a more serious reason. King’s Home serves young people, women and mothers with at-risk children at its two campuses, King’s Ranch and Hannah Home.

“When my children were small, we’d see this Hannah Home truck in our tiny town of Ashland,” she said. “Once a year, I’d tell my children to go through their clothes, shoes and toys because others needed them. My oldest child is 51 now, and he can still remember that.

“When I became first lady, I got involved with Hannah Home again. I’d host their auxiliary meeting at the Governor’s Mansion.”

HOT SPOT, From page 31

Chissler, Holler & Dash’s chief operating officer. “We were born in the South and wanted to find a location that would appreciate and support our menu

celebration of renewed life and a renewed spirit, The King’s Home Shelby Auxiliary, of which and that’s what these women are after.”

Riley is a charter member, uses the Tablescapes Riley has experienced changes in her own life event to raise money for the 13,000-square-foot since leaving the Governor’s Mansion.

Shelby County facility that houses women and “I have lots of grandchildren, and now I never children fleeing domestic violence and experienchave to miss a baseball game or talent show or ing homelessness. Riley said she has a special dance recital,” she said. “It’s been wonderful to place in her heart for women in these situations. say, ‘Yes, I can be there.’

“It just hit me one day – that could have been “I’ve missed Montgomery. Being first lady my grandmother or mother, or it could be my was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity daughters,” Riley said. “No one is to give back to my beloved Alabama, guaranteed, when they get married, and I miss the doors that were open to that everything is going to be as beaume to help charitable causes. But now, tiful and lovely as their wedding day.

I’ve been able to sit for hours and We can all make bad judgment calls study God’s word and to open my about men and women we think are mind and heart to more possibilities. safe to be with. Women need a safe It’s been a wonderful time for me.” place, a safe haven.”

Riley said she taught the young Tablescapes starts at 10 a.m. with a women who worked at the Governor’s “sip and see” so guests can browse Mansion “how to cook from scratch.” through silent auction items. The pro“If we had a formal state dinner, gram, which includes past auxiliary I’d usually have different restaurants presidents as well as Riley, begins at Patsy Riley come in,” she said. “But there were noon. several of those occasions when I cooked right Ann Constantine will cater the luncheon. On alongside the ladies in the kitchen. I was the the menu are chicken salad, orzo salad, leafy executive chef – and pot washer.” green salad, croissants and chocolate chip cookShe’s the author of several books, including ies.

“Alabama First Ladies and Their Governors” and Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at hana popular cookbook, “When the Dinner Bell nahhome.org or by calling Barbara Brickner at Rings at the Governor’s Mansion.” Proceeds 837-8175 or emailing her at bricknermbb@charfrom the cookbook helped restore the mansion ter.net. and the 100-year-old Hill House next door. She The event’s theme is Celebrating God’s also has written about her daughter, Jenice Riley, Faithfulness. who lost her battle with cancer in 2001.

“This will be just after Easter, after our cele“The book about Jenice – that was not for bration of new life and new beginnings, so my sale,” Patsy Riley said. “It was for her girlfriends theme will be celebrating life and what God has and for my grandchildren to know their aunt.” done in my life,” Riley said. “This will be the

and our hospitality.”

Chissler said the company also was looking for a food-forward place with a strong sense of community and diverse demographic base.

“We found all of this and more in Homewood,” he said. “It was a perfect fit. We loved the community, the down-

town location and the welcoming atmosphere from all the folks we came in contact with.”

Dave Horn and Taylor Hughes opened one of downtown Homewood’s newest restaurants, SoHo Social, in February. They have two other eateries, Mudtown and The Ridge, in Vestavia Hills.

“We like doing the neighborhood thing, and Homewood has that sense of community,” Horn said. “It’s more diverse and was an untapped market for us.”

He said the city has given SoHo Social, which has elevated bar food, a warm welcome.

“The reception has been great,” Horn said. “Everything has worked out better than I could hope. You’re never going to please everybody, and I don’t think you want to, but people have loved our food.”

He agreed with Andrea Snyder about the ease of opening a restaurant in Homewood – although he said it wasn’t quite as easy as he thought.

Horn said he opened SoHo Social before realizing that city officials first needed to approve his business license.

“We’re right next to City Hall, and the city clerk can pretty much see us through a window,” Horn said, laughing. “They realized that I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to open, and they were super nice, super gracious. They even let us stay open.”

One Homewood restaurant recently earned national attention. Johnny’s Restaurant was hailed by The Wall Street Journal as one of America’s best meat-and-threes, and its chef, Timothy

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

By Donna Cornelius

She’s now working on another project with her youngest family members in mind.

“I’m writing a book now for my grandchildren to let them know what growing up in a little Alabama town in the 1950s and 1960s was like,” she said. “We rode our bikes from 8:30 in the morning until when the town clock struck at 6 that night.”

Riley said hospitality is more than providing good food for your guests.

“One thing I’ve learned is that your home can be part of your ministry,” she said. “If your home is comfortable and loving, people feel like they’ve been ministered to.”

Preparing special dishes is one way to make guests feel welcome, she said.

“I’m like everybody else. When my kids come, I try to fix everyone’s favorite,” Riley said. “Chocolate angel pie started out as my son’s favorite, and now everyone claims it. I have to make homemade mac and cheese for my grandchildren; it’s my mother’s recipe.

“I know my girlfriends’ favorites, too, like chicken and asparagus casserole or my homemade chicken salad. I try to remember the dishes that they raved about. I have a group of friends in Ashland, but other friends have to travel to visit me. They’re making a special effort, so I try to do that, too.”

The Rileys have a Birmingham base in addition to their family home in Ashland.

“We have a house next door to my son’s house in Birmingham,” she said. “It’s small, but I’ll have friends for lunch. The space doesn’t matter.”

The former first lady said she encourages women to get involved.

“Find that passion, that special charity, and pursue any of the many opportunities to help those who need help,” Riley said. “If you’re going to do it, do it. We’re not promised tomorrow. If you’re passionate and the Lord is encouraging you, go for it.” ❖

Meredith Drennen, Homewood Chamber of Commerce executive director, front right, with several representatives of Homewood’s thriving restaurant community, from left: Chris Giesen, Urban Cookhouse; Jonathan Dunagan, O’Henry’s Coffee; Marlo Frantz, The Happy Catering Company; Chef Chris Zapalowski, Homewood Gourmet; John Page, Taco Casa; and Zack Salter, Shrimp Basket.

Hontzas, was a James Beard Award semifinalist this year.

While new restaurants continue to open in Homewood, longtime favorites still attract loyal followings. Nabeel’s Café and Market on Oxmoor Road has been owned by the Krontiras family for about 25 years.

“The restaurant scene has changed,” said John Krontiras, who with his wife, Ottavia Krontiras, bought the existing Nabeel’s market and expanded the business to include a popular restaurant.

“People became more aware of foods they’d never heard of or tasted. We were able to introduce authentic Greek cuisine. People come from downtown Birmingham, Mountain Brook and

Hoover to eat here.”

Last month, Nabeel’s was one of the restaurants that took part in the Homewood Chamber of Commerce’s 16th annual Taste of Homewood.

“We participated in the very first Taste of Homewood – and there were only four restaurants,” Krontiras said.

Drennen said this year, 30 restaurants participated and about 400 tickets were sold.

“It’s a great way to showcase all the great restaurants here, a lot of which are locally owned and operated,” she said.

“Other cities have tasting events, but a lot of them include expos from other businesses. We don’t have room for other businesses to have booths.” ❖

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

FOOD NEWS,

The fifth annual CahabaQue, a barbecue cook-off, is set for noon to 5 p.m. April 8 at Cahaba Brewing Co., 4500 Fifth Ave. S in Birmingham.

This year’s event will have more teams than in the past along with food, beer and music. Those who attend can vote for their favorite barbecue and side dish.

CahabaQue benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama.

Tickets, which include unlimited barbecue samples from each team, are $15 for ages 13 and older and $5 for ages 6 to 12. Kids under age 6 get in free. Tickets will be on sale at cahabaque.com until 8 p.m. April 7 and at the gate.

City Walk: Vulcan Tour Includes Pepper Place

Vulcan Park and Museum and the Alabama Center for Architecture will host a Spring Walking Tour from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 8.

The tour begins at the new Rotary Trail’s Magic City sign on Birmingham’s 20th Street and ends at the Pepper Place Farmers Market in time for lunch at one of the restaurants there.

Along the way, walkers will get inside looks at adaptive reuses and new construction along First Avenue South.

Space is limited. Tickets, available online at visitvulcan.com, are $10 for Vulcan members and $12 for nonmembers.

Truck Stop: Avondale Brewing Will Host Food Truck Rally

More than 20 food trucks will roll into Avondale on April 9.

The second annual Spring Food Truck Rally will be from 1 to 6 p.m. at Avondale Brewing Co., 201 41st St. South in Birmingham.

Tickets for adults are $5 in advance and $10 at the gate. Tickets for ages 5 to 12 are $2, and kids younger than that are admitted free. Buy tickets at foodtruckrally.instagift.com.

Tickets include admission, musical entertainment and children’s activities.

Participating trucks include Bendy’s Cookies and Cream, Big

Photo special to the Journal

Cahaba Cook-Off: BBQ Event Benefits Breast Cancer Research

Cajun Cook-Off: Visitors Help Rate the Food at Girls Inc. Event

J.P. Holland is the owner and chef of the Fig Tree restaurant, which opened in 2014.

Spoon Creamery, Cantina on Wheels, Dreamcakes, Eugene’s Hot Chicken, Fetch – A Treat Truck for Dogs, Greg’s Hot Dogs, Lazy Boy BBQ, Melt, NOLA Ice, Off the Hook, Old Town Pizza, Repicci’s Italian Ice & Gelato, Saw’s Street Kitchen, Shindigs, Slice, Snapper Grabber’s Coastal Kitchen, Southern Wanderer – A Fashion Truck, Heavenly Donut Co., Neighborhood Brew, Tot Spot and Urban Pops.

Cultural Treats: St. Elias Festival Focuses on Lebanese Food

St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church will celebrate its 19th annual Lebanese Food and Cultural Festival on April 21 and 22.

Festival hours for both days are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The church is at 836 Eighth St. South in Birmingham.

Lebanese delicacies on the menu include baked kibbee, rolled grape leaves, spinach pies, baked kibbee and falafel sandwiches, tabouleh, grilled Lebanese lemon chicken, loobia, rice, homus and pita bread. Desserts include a variety of baklawa, Lebanese sugar cookies called kiak and Lebanese ice cream.

The two-day event also includes church tours, traditional dance performances by parish youth, a silent auction and a 5K run. The festival has raised more than $425,000 for local, national and international charities since it began.

Admission is free. There’s free parking on Friday evening and all day Saturday at two offsite UAB lots, one at 608 Eighth St. South and the other on 10th Avenue South next to Epic School.

Free shuttle service will run from both lots.

For Friday lunchtime delivery or any delivery over $100 to Southside or the downtown Birmingham area, call 2523867 or visit stelias.org.

Crawfish Celebration: Jubilee Joe’s Gets Ready for Annual Boil

Jubilee Joe’s Cajun Seafood Restaurant will present its 11th annual

Girls Inc. of Central Alabama’s Cajun Cook-Off will be April 8, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Railroad Park.

The family-friendly event will feature a Cajun cooking competition.

Guests can taste-test all of their Cajun favorites – including gumbo, jambalaya and red beans and rice – and their votes will help determine the winner of the cooking competition.

All funds will benefit Girls Inc. programs that inspire Central Alabama girls to be strong, smart and bold. The event is $25 for adults; children 12 and under are free. For more information, visit bhamcajuncookoff.swellgives.com.

Chatting with Chefs: Frank Stitt Headlines April 19 Event

James Beard Award winner Frank Stitt will be among Birmingham culinary gurus featured at Birmingham Revealed: A Talk with Frank Stitt and Friends from 5:30 to 8 p.m. April 19 at

By Judy Butler

Cost of Addiction

Photo special to the Journal

Crawfish Boil from 2 to 10 p.m. April 22 at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre.

The event is a celebration of the Louisiana Cajun culture with a focus on family fun. It includes musical entertainment, a crawfish-eating contest and the ultra-competitive Crawfish Race for kids.

Hot, fresh crawfish will be served along with kid-friendly snacks, entrées and desserts.

Several ticket options are available through www.jubileejoescrawfishboil. com.

Proceeds from the event will go to A Cure for Clara, which benefits Clara Bragg, a Hoover youngster with a rare genetic disease. For more information, visit acureforclara.com.

From page 31

meats.

The renovation includes a full bar, where mixologist Brandon Wright will offer familiar drinks and craft cocktails.

Both Holland and Wright create their menus based on what’s fresh and available. They work with smallproduction farms within an hour’s drive of Birmingham.

Fig Tree Café started as a catering company operating out of a church before turning into a meat-and-three restaurant.

For more information, visit thebirminghamfigtree.com. The restaurant is at 3160 Cahaba Heights Road.

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 33

FOOD

James Beard Award winner Frank Stitt will be among Birmingham culinary gurus featured at Birmingham Revealed: A Talk with Frank Stitt and Friends at Vulcan Park and Museum.

Vulcan Park and Museum.

Stitt is the owner and executive chef of Highlands Bar and Grill, Chez Fonfon and Bottega. Also on the program are George Reis from Ocean and Five Point Public House and Oyster Bar, Jerry Hartley of the J. Clyde and Harinam Khalsa of Golden Temple Natural Grocery and Café.

The chefs will share stories about how they overcame obstacles, why their restaurants are in Five Points South and why the neighborhood is a hub of all things foodie in the Birmingham area.

Refreshments will be available beginning at 5:30 p.m. The program will begin at 6 p.m.

Tickets, available at visitvulcan. com, are $8 for Vulcan members and $10 for nonmembers.❖

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“Going to rehab is expensive.”

No one can argue with that, however the alternative can be more expensive. One of the exercises we do at Bayshore Retreat in our Life Skills portion is Money and Career Management. Basically this is outlining the Cost of Living… not just with addiction, but also with life in general.

The real eye opener for most of our clients is the realization of how much his or her addiction cost. This includes cost of the substance, legal issues such as DUI’s and lawyer fees, loss of wages, and general cost of living of which a parent usually had to subsidize. By the time our clients go through this exercise they conclude that getting help is cheaper than the alternatives.

Of course we also get into other possible expenses connected with addiction, which can be health and/or loss of life.

Before you decide that you can’t afford getting help consider this exercise (be honest) and we think you will conclude that rehab isn’t expensive after all. I must caution you, however that not all rehabs are created equal.

Most have many more clients and treat them all the same… an addict is an addict… hence 12 step meetings. Some even have a philosophy of “Break’em to remake’em”.

At Bayshore Retreat. We only have six clients at a time and believe that no one chooses addiction. We work to help them identify the underlying reasons with various forms of counseling and Life Skills exercises. Please compare everything before choosing a place for yourself or loved one. We’ve proven that smaller is better and getting quality help can make a difference.

34 • Thursday, April 6, 2017

SPORTS

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

In 10 years, Spain Park coach C.J. Hawkins has built the Jaguar softball program into one of the best in the nation.

The latest Max Preps poll ranks Spain Park as the country’s third-best team. To fully put the rise to glory in perspective, there was a time when softball wasn’t even the number three girls sport at the school.

That changed when Hawkins came from ClayChalkville to face the seemingly insurmountable task of building a program from the ground up.

An incident on her first week at the new job symbolized what would be required.

“I had just come to work there (at Spain Park) and we were cleaning out the dugout,” Hawkins recalled. “And we found a plaque they would give to any girl who dove for a fly ball in the outfield.

Can you imagine an award just for diving after a ball? The first thing we had to do is change the mindset that much more would be expected.”

Since that inauspicious beginning, the mindset has come full circle. With a 29-2 record after spring break, Spain Park will surprise observers if it doesn’t win the 2017 Class 7A state championship. That could happen, but it wouldn’t be because the Jaguars were outworked.

“People always want to know why we are successful,” Hawkins said. “It’s not a simple process, but it is a simple answer: work. Our players and their parents understand the level of commitment that is necessary for us to have the type of success that we have come to expect here.”

Hawkins largely credits Spain Park’s six-member senior class – Julianna Cross, Jenna Olszewski, Caroline Parker, Mary Kate Teague, Hope Maddox and Mary Katherine Tedder – for the strong start.

“They are the winningest class in the history of our school,” Hawkins said. “These girls have been great leaders and are terrific players. And we think their example will set the standard for the girls that come later.”

Hawkins pointed out that three of the six already have committed to play college softball next season. Tedder is headed to the University of Texas, while Olszewksi and Teague will play at Auburn University and UAB, respectively.

“Hopefully the other three will get the opportunity as well,” Hawkins added.

While a star-studded senior class may be the heart of the Jaguars’ lineup, much of their offen-

Journal photos by Marvin Gentry

By Lee Davis

No. 3 With a Bullet Hawkins’ Jaguars Near Top of National Polls

Spain Park coach C.J. Hawkins has guided the Jaguars to a 29-2 record after spring break.

sive and pitching strength comes from underclassmen.

Sophomore Maddie Majors leads Spain Park in batting with a .517 average, which paces a hefty overall team average of .394.

Annabelle Widra, an eighth-grade wunderkind,

Driven by Ford

has been an unstoppable force from the pitcher’s circle. In compiling a 21-1 mark, she has struck out 151 batters with a mind-numbing ERA of 1.65.

Does the combination of experience and talent assure Spain Park of picking up the blue trophy this spring? Nothing is guaranteed, according to

the coach.

“They say if you win 60 games you’ll win the state,” Hawkins said. “The truth is, it always comes down to which team gets hot in May.” As eye-popping as some of the numbers may be, Hawkins said they mean little without the right chemistry.

“Statistics are nice but they don’t win championships,” she explained. “Teamwork wins championships.”

In a similar vein, Hawkins considers the Jags’ time in the national spotlight as a means toward an end.

“If this (number three ranking) brings exposure for one of our girls to get $60,000 of a college education paid for through a softball scholarship, then I’m all for it,” she said. “Any positive publicity that this ranking generates is great for our program, our school and our community.”

The goals are high, but Hawkins believes that if her team focuses on improving day to day, the results on the field will take care of themselves.

“I tell the girls all the time that we live in a C-minus world,” she said. “Most people are content to be average. We don’t believe in that here.

We set the bar high and strive for excellence.”

Even a coach as driven to succeed as Hawkins understands that there’s something more important than winning softball games.

“At the end, we all have to remember that it is a game,” she said. “Lots of teams work hard and do all the right things and still lose out at the end.

There usually can only be one champion. The most important thing is to realize that every day is a gift and to enjoy the experience and opportunity to play softball at this level. These girls will make friendships from this game that will last a lifetime.”

The bad news for Spain Park’s opponents is that the Jaguar juggernaut doesn’t show any sign of slowing down – and Hawkins appears to have deep roots in the program she built.

“God placed us here for a reason; it’s to work to help these girls become the best players – and citizens – that they can be,” she said. “We expect to be here for a long time.”

An era that quietly began with the discovery of a dusty old plaque in a cluttered dugout could peak with the glitter of a national championship.

But as C.J. Hawkins would be the first to say, how Spain Park got there would be the most important thing. ❖

By Lee Davis

Before his death in 2006, Bradley Johnson earned a reputation for being not only a fine golfer, but a great person.

Johnson likely would have enjoyed the outcome of the 2017 tournament that bears his name.

Mountain Brook junior Ford Clegg defeated Houston Academy’s Hal Dove in the first hole of a playoff at Greystone’s Founder’s Course. Clegg birdied the hole, while Dove earned a par.

Clegg’s effort helped the Spartans earn the team championship with a total of 596, outdistancing runner-up Vestavia Hill’s 612 score. Host team Spain Park tied for fourth at 619.

Making only his third start in a varsity tournament, Clegg put together impressive rounds of 72 and 73 to finish one over par despite chilly temperatures and rain on both days.

Strong iron play may have been the key to the victory, according to Clegg.

“I hit at least 13 greens in regulation on both rounds,” he said. “When something like that happens, I feel like I’m playing pretty well. On the second day, I took a double bogey on a par 5 and was still able to shoot a 73 because I was hitting my irons well.”

Because of the format, Clegg didn’t realize he’d qualified for a playoff until the very end.

“All the scores were coming in at once, and I thought surely someone had broken par (for the tournament),” Clegg recalled. “The greens keepers had already put tarp on the greens and taken up the pins, and everything was closing up. Then the next thing you know, they’ve put the pin on the 18th hole and Hal and I are playing in a playoff.”

Making the win even sweeter for Clegg was the fact that it marked his first-ever tournament victory.

“The fact that my first victory came against a tournament field as strong as this one makes it really special,” he said. “For sure, I’ll never forget it.”

Clegg got his first exposure to golf

Photo special to the Journal

Clegg Wins Bradley Johnson Tournament

Shari and Hugh Johnson, from left, present Ford Clegg, winner of the Bradley Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament, with the championship trophy.

as a pre-schooler, when his father or grandfather would take him to accompany them on a round at the Country Club of Birmingham. He soon began to play regularly, and by his early teens he had qualified for the junior high golf team. For years, baseball competed for his sports attention, but eventually he decided to devote himself to golf fulltime.

“I got serious about competitive golf

in the ninth grade,” he said. “I started playing in the tournaments at the club and have been playing ever since.”

Clegg believes his putting and chipping are the best parts of his game, but he wants to improve his overall consistency.

“I need to minimize mistakes and not put myself in a bad position when I don’t hit greens in regulation,” he said.

“I tend to get a little more aggressive

when I’m playing well so I don’t want to put myself in a situation where I’m scrambling to get a par.”

Clegg ranks the Country Club of Birmingham’s West Course, Shoal Creek and Willow Point in Alexander City as among his top courses in Alabama, but he’s added a new one to his list of favorites.

“I’d have to put Greystone Founders in there, too,” he said, laughing. “If I win at a course, I like it.”

Clegg said he was humbled to win the tournament played in memory of Johnson, an outstanding Spain Park golfer who was killed in an automobile accident 11 years ago.

“To be honest I didn’t know that much about Bradley until I attended the dinner after the first night of the tournament,” he said. “I learned Bradley was the kind of person who tried to find the positives in everything. Whatever the situation, he was determined that something good would come from it. I’m taking that as an inspiration for my own life and my golf game. Even if I have a bad round, I want to build on what I did right, not dwell on what went wrong.

That’s the attitude I want to have.”

It’s probably safe to say that Bradley Johnson would have liked Ford Clegg. ❖

SHAUNA, From page 36

tional home for young women in Chernigov, a city of about 200,000 people in northern Ukraine.

“Anyone who knew anything about Shauna knew that she was passionate about the Ukranian orphans,” Yelton said. “A transition home would be a place for them to have a great start in their lives.”

Yelton said his late wife would be pleased with the charity, except for one detail.

“Shauna never wanted any attention to be brought to herself, so she would have been furious that I named (the charity) Shauna’s House,” Yelton said. “But I wanted to do it as a way to honor her.”

About $93,000 was required to build the home, which will house as

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • 35

SPORTS

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

‘I’m a soccer coach, not a fundraiser. But it was unbelievable the way the Samford University family and the community at large came together to honor Shauna and help young women who live thousands of miles away.’

POWERS, From page 36

“I like the up-tempo type of offense but more than anything, I’m defensive-minded,” she explained. “Playing tough defense at all times is a key to winning, and these girls have already shown that they can do that as well.”

A graduate of Austin High School, Powers coached at Samford for three years and spent one year as head coach at Cornerstone School before returning to her college alma mater for one season.

Homewood point guard Hannah Barber was being recruited by Samford when she first met Powers. Barber, a junior who already has committed to the University of Alabama, predicted Powers will bring a positive new look to the program.

“I think she’s a perfect fit,” Barber said. “It was great playing for Coach Tubbs and Coach Ward, but Coach Powers has coached in college and that will help prepare us for the next level.”

Although Powers will be Homewood’s third coach in four years, Barber didn’t think there would be any transition issues.

“The way I look at it, playing for another coach will help make me a more coachable player,” she said. “It’s tough to see coaches that you develop a personal relationship with move on, but that’s what happens in college so you might as well be prepared for it. Being exposed to a different coach will help me determine what I like as far as playing style and other things – kind of like getting a little taste of everything.”

Poll Patrol…

many as 16 young women.

“I’m a soccer coach, not a fundraiser,” said Yelton. “But it was unbelievable the way the Samford University family and the community at large came together to honor Shauna and help young women who live thousands of miles away.”

In October, Samford played a benefit game against Western Carolina that raised more than $16,000 for Shauna’s House.

“It was overwhelming,” Yelton said. “I would have been thrilled if we’d raised $2,000. I was so touched the way people supported Shauna’s House and supported us.”

By the end of 2016, more than $67,000 had been raised for the cause.

Another big fundraiser came in February when Samford’s popular Step-Sing competition chose Shauna’s House as its philanthropy

The latest polls show that the Over the Mountain area’s dominance of state soccer continues unabated. Oak Mountain remains in the top spot among Class 7A boys, with Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills also occupying places in the top five as Spain Park and Hoover come in sixth and seventh, respectively. In boys Class 6A, Homewood holds the number eight position. Class 4A-5A shows Briarwood in seventh. Westminster Oak Mountain, Indian Springs and Altamont are all ranked in the top 10 for Class 1A-3A. The level of domination is just as apparent in girls play. Vestavia Hills is number one in Class 7A, with Oak Mountain, Spain Park, Mountain Brook and Hoover all in the top 10. John Carroll Catholic claims the number one ranking in Class

and raised more than $14,000.

Shauna’s House is expected to be completed by this fall.

Yelton said he planned to visit Ukraine again soon, along with his daughter, MacKenzie, a student at Auburn University and son, Colin, who attends Homewood High School. The coach said a future goal of Shauna’s House is to build a transition home for Ukrainian boys.

“I can’t think of a better way to honor Shauna’s memory than to serve those in need,” Yelton said.

“God has blessed us richly and this community has been wonderful.”

Todd Yelton has made an outstanding impact on the sport of soccer in Alabama, but the impact of Shauna’s House is going far beyond.

For details on supporting Shauna’s House visit: mystory.lifesongfororphans.org/stories/shaunas-house. ❖

6A with Homewood placing third. In Class 4A-5A, Briarwood is ranked sixth. Classes 1A-3A show Westminster Oak Mountain in second place, with Indian Springs and Altamont also in the top 10.

There’s a long way to go of course, but there’s a great chance that many of these teams will be playing for championships in May.

New Hall of Famers…

The Birmingham Golf Association will induct three new members into its Hall of Fame on April 22 at Hoover Country Club. The three inductees are Jamelle Shaw, founder of the Lady Legacy Scholarship Foundation; T.P. Mills, who designed putters used by Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Phil Mickelson; and Mike Greer, who won nine Alabama Golf Association titles. ❖

TAKE YOUR GAME TO THE NEXT LEVEL...

VESTAVIASOCCER.COM

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017

SPORTS

Jaguars Near Top of National Polls PAGE 34 Ford Clegg Wins Bradley Johnson Tournament PAGE 34 LEE DAVIS

Powers That Be

Samford Assistant Takes Homewood Job

Photo courtesy Samford University

Jazmine Powers didn’t have a hard time finding her new office when she accepted the job of coaching the Homewood girls bas-

Todd Yelton with his his late wife, Shauna, who passed away from cancer in 2015. Yelton leads an effort to build a transitional orphans’ home for older teen girls in the Eastern European nation of Ukraine.

SHAUNA’S LEGACY Samford Coach Yelton’s Charity Building Home for Ukrainian Orphans

By Lee Davis Over the past 15 years, Todd Yelton has built Samford’s women’s soccer program into one of the best in the Southeast.

Under his leadership, the Bulldogs are perennial powers in the Southern Conference and have played in four NCAA Tournaments.

In a country far away, Yelton is helping to build something far more important than championships. He is building hope for young girls who otherwise might not have any.

Yelton leads an effort to build a transitional orphans’ home for older teen girls in the Eastern European nation of Ukraine.

The need is real.

When a Ukrainian orphan ages out of an orphanage at age 18, there is a 70 percent to 80 percent chance that he or she will experience

crime, prostitution, suicide or drug overdose within two years, according to Lifesong for Orphans, an international organization dedicated to building transitional homes that is working in conjunction with Yelton’s charity.

Yelton named his group Shauna’s House after his late wife, who passed away from cancer in 2015.

“All of this started as a passion for Shauna years ago,” Yelton said. “If she saw a way she could help people, she wasn’t the type who sat around and talked about it – she found a way to help.”

Shauna Yelton went to Ukraine accompanied by her close friend Marty Dunn, the wife of Samford baseball coach Casey Dunn. After that visit, the first glimmer of passion grew into a cause. Through the years, she visited the Ukraine on at least a half dozen occasions, working with

Lifesong to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and find safe transition housing for girls who have aged out of Ukrainian orphanages.

After several trips to the Eastern European republic, Shauna Yelton persuaded her husband to join her. Yelton said the experience was life-changing.

“The best way to describe it is ‘humbling,’” Yelton explained. “It made me realize how much we take for granted in this country. In a place such as the Ukraine, having a T-shirt can be considered a luxury to a kid.”

Even after being diagnosed with cervical cancer, Shauna Yelton continued to visit Ukraine until her failing health made it impossible to do so. She died Nov. 4, 2015.

After her passing, Yelton decided to start the charity – with an initial goal of building a transiSee SHAUNA, page 35

ketball team.

She basically moved across the street.

Powers, previously an assistant at Samford University, took over as leader of the Lady Patriots last week after previous coach Kevin Tubbs resigned to enter private business in another state.

Tubbs followed Jovanka Ward, who accepted the coaching position at Thompson following the 2015-16 season.

“I’m excited to come to Homewood,” Powers said last week.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the girls and doing everything possible to make them even more successful as players and as citizens.”

The former Samford point guard said she met her new team for the first time last week and was impressed with what she saw and heard.

“These girls have had a lot of success in their basketball careers,” she said. “It was evident to me that they understand the importance of hard work and doing the right things. It’s an honor for me to be a part of the Homewood faculty and the great community that we represent.”

The expectation level will be high for Powers in her first year at the helm.

The Lady Patriots will lose only two players from a team that went 34-2 and won the state Class 6A title for the second time in three seasons.

Homewood fans accustomed to seeing a fast-paced offense under Tubbs can expect more of the same in the new regime.

See POWERS, page 35

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