4.7.16

Thursday, april 7, 2016

The Young and the Relay

Over the Mountain Teens Join Cancer Fight Working to Raise Money and Awareness

According to the AmericAn cAncer Society, there are more than 100 types of cancer diagnosed every year. Most common are breast, prostate, colon and gynecologic, but cancer can affect many parts of the body. Whether through personal or secondhand experience, it seems everyone is affected by cancer in some way.

Over the Mountain teens are no different. That is why student leaders at area high schools are leading the charge in the fight for a cure by organizing Relay for Life events in their communities.

This month, Mountain Brook High School, Homewood High School, Vestavia Hills High School and John Carroll High School will host fundraisers to honor survivors, memorialize victims and support caretakers.

These young men and women are channeling their youthful energy, innovative ideas and eagerness to work into one cause – fighting for a cure.

Each school is putting its own spin on the standard Relay for Life event to rally the community and raise money for the American Cancer Society. See stories beginning on page 12.

Forty and FabuLous Decorators’ ShowHouse celebrates anniversary with a ‘showstopper.’ HoMe Page 25

Red Hot Competition

Annual Chili Cook-off Breaks Records

The Exceptional Foundation hosted its Chili Cook-Off March 5, breaking records on two fronts.

More than 14,500 guests attended the event, raising more than $300,000 to benefit the individuals with special needs who attend programs at the foundation.

Of the 108 teams competing in this year’s competition, the grand prize went to the Ward and Wison team “Snapbeanberg Chili.”

“This is our 12th year to compete in this incredible event and we are delighted to finally take home a win,” said Jim Ward, leader of Snapbeanberg. “We’ll be back next March to defend our title.”

First runner-up was Cobbs Allen and second runner-up went to the team from First Commercial Bank.

Visitors submitted votes as they tasted the chili, and the People’s Choice award went to Big Wid’s Chili. The participant choice was awarded to Chili Ray Cyrus, representing Brasfield & Gorrie, and the Spirit Award was given to IberiaBank.

Other winners included The Maids of Birmingham, Special Events, Chili Bakers of Baker Donelson, Red Hot Chili Mutuals of Northwestern Mutual, ITAC Solutions, Sirote & Permutt, AutoTec, World Soccer Shop, KADCO Homes, Blackjack Farms, KBR, B.L. Harbert International, Markstein, JH Berry Multi-Family Inc., Raymond James and Bruno Event Team. ❖

murphy’s law

The Bluebird of Happiness

It’s that time again, the time when I keep my binoculars on the kitchen table. Don’t worry, I’m not keeping tabs on my existing neighbors. I’m trying to attract some new ones.

I’m on the lookout for bluebirds. It’s been a big year for other birds at my house. Along with the usual chickadees and cardinals, there have been robins and Alabama orioles wandering around the yard. A transient group of cedar waxwings made short work of the berries on my holly hedge. There are woodpeckers on the tree trunks, the occasional crane by the frog pond and a pair of doves on the eaves. I like them all. The crows are a bit hard to warm up to, but I figure they’re just trying to scrape together a little food and shelter like the rest of us.

A nesting pair of bluebirds, however, would be a coup. I saw a nice couple on the mailbox behind me on my walk yesterday and I’m hoping they will come to my yard and see what a wonderful place it would be to raise a family.

I have a perfectly lovely bluebird house for them to move into. My old one came down when our new fence went up, but this new one is clean and comfortable, completely new construction. The bluebirds could move in today and put their own stamp on the place.

Sue Murphy

A nesting pair of bluebirds, however, would be a coup. I saw a nice couple on the mailbox behind me on my walk yesterday and I’m hoping they will come to my yard and see what a wonderful place it would be to raise a family.

I did my homework, too, determined to increase my odds of success. The house is hung five feet off the ground, facing a tree not more than 25 feet away so the baby bluebirds won’t have to wobble too far on their first little flight. Bluebirds eat berries and insects and I have that covered, but the website said that they really, really like mealworms. “Live mealworms are best,” the author said, “but they can be hard to care for

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.

Publisher & Editor: Maury Wald

Copy Editor: Virginia Martin

Features Writer: Donna Cornelius

Staff Writers: Sarah Kuper, Emily Williams

Editorial Assistant: Stacie Galbraith

Sports: Lee Davis

Contributors: Susan Murphy, June Mathews, William C. Singleton III, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry, Lee Walls Jr., Bryan Bunch

Advertising Sales: Suzanne Wald, Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald

Intern: Rae Patterson

over time.” I’ll bet. Now I suppose I’ll have to research the care and feeding of mealworms so they can be part of the care and feeding of my bluebirds. If I get any. Even with all of the traditional amenities (You have to wonder how many bluebirds they polled.), bluebirds are unpredictable. My mother kept a fresh, clean bluebird house every year. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t. One year they snubbed her and built their house in the end of a swing set pole in the yard next door, deciding, I guess, to try out an urban industrial design. In the spirit of full bird host disclosure, I should mention that my yard does have its drawbacks. There are a couple of hawks that routinely rest in my trees, but that’s probably true of any neighborhood. A little extra vigilance, a shared neighborhood watch (I have my own binoculars), and things could work out just fine.

There are other annoying neighbors – squirrels and chipmunks and a bullfrog that goes into full throat croak at sunset – but when you get to know them, they make the place quirky and happy.

Supposedly, bluebirds bring their happiness with them. I keep a glass bluebird on my windowsill, a gift from my mother, who always did the same, as a reminder that happiness is as real a part of life as whatever dark and dreary piece of road you’re going through at the moment. Sometimes the bird stops and stays and sometimes you have to wait a little while longer. Sometimes it just takes patience…and maybe a pound of mealworms.

The Bluebird of Happiness. I have my binoculars at the ready. ❖



over the Mountain views

We asked Samford international students, “What is your favorite thing about living in Alabama?”

“Living here is very convenient, and it’s a great environment in general. Also good shopping.”

Yufei Zhou China

“People here are really nice and friendly. They are always willing to talk and share their daily life with me.”

Christie Chin Hong Kong

“The best thing about living in Alabama is meeting new people from all over the world at Samford.”

Maria

Sanchez Spain

“I like going to the zoo and hiking at Oak Mountain. I like Birmingham because it is a good city for international students. I love the people in Birmingham. I feel at home.”

Aziz Alrashidi Saudi Arabia

Julie Myers, Kami Ritchie, Amanda Strength and Shea Allen.

Giving Children Roots and Wings

Homewood Grown Dinner Raises Money for Schools

By Sarah Kuper

The Homewood City School

Foundation will host its third annual Homewood Grown dinner April 18.

Organizers said the dinner, to be held on the SoHo square terrace, has one overarching theme – Homewood community.

Foundation board President Trent Ponder said it will be an evening to celebrate both the school system and the neighborhoods that support it.

“We want the event to have a community feel. There are such good things going on in Homewood and especially in our schools. We want it to be a nice evening among neighbors,” Ponder said.

Café Dupont will cater a familystyle dinner and live music will entertain guests.

The dinner is an avenue to raise money to support the schools, but it also is an opportunity to recognize teachers from each of Homewood’s five schools.

Through parent and peer nominations, one teacher from each school will receive a Teacher Impact Award to recognize their contributions to

‘We want the event to have a community feel. There are such good things going on in Homewood and especially in our schools. We want it to be a nice evening among neighbors.’

Homewood City School

Foundation President Trent Ponder

education in Homewood. Honorees will receive $500 toward supplies for their classrooms or professional development.

Guest speaker and Homewood High School graduate Ronald Nored, assistant men’s basketball coach at Northern Kentucky University, will speak on his memories growing up in Homewood and how the education he received continues to influence his life.

Ponder said guests also will see examples of how donations have helped schools enrich students’ learning opportunities.

“Sometimes the set budget doesn’t allow for things that teachers may need. That’s where we come in to help supplement and to fund grants,” Ponder said.

In the past, the foundation has helped supply things such as updated projectors and calculators. The foundation awards a spring and a fall grant. Teachers apply and the foundation is able to help them using funds

raised during the Homewood Grown event.

Organizers view this event as a way to highlight the community’s obligation to give students deep roots

alfresco: Weather permitting, the dinner will be held outside on the

and strong wings to graduate and achieve great things.

Weather permitting, the dinner will be held outside on the terrace. Tickets are $100 per person and $1,000 for a table of 10. The event begins at 6 p.m.

For tickets, visit homewoodcityschoolsfoundation.com. ❖

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‘Ring in Spring’

Homewood Hosts Free Jazz Concert

The Homewood Arts Council is doing something different this year. The organization has teamed up with Magic City Smooth Jazz to provide a free jazz concert in Homewood Central Park April 10.

“For the past few years we have been trying to think of things that haven’t been done,” said council Vice-Chair Diana Litsey. “This is something that hasn’t happened in Homewood.”

Litsey said that Bernard Lockhart of Magic City Smooth Jazz previously approached the council about putting together a jazz concert in the area, but the timing was never right.

“We’ve added our community gallery, which has been extremely successful,” she said. “Then we have our Pickin’ in the Park event in the fall that is very well attended. Everybody brings their own instruments and is their own musical guest for the day.”

In the wake of success, the council wanted to start a spring event. With April being Jazz Appreciation Month, everything seemed to fall into place.

“(Lockhart) is a pro and a very nice man,” she said. “His organization brings free concerts … to parks in Birmingham and all over Alabama. You can tell that he is committed to his mission to bring live music to the community.”

The event will begin at 3 p.m. and will open with a performance by Homewood Middle School’s eighthgrade jazz band.

“If you have never heard them perform before, they are pretty

impressive,” Litsey said.

For the main event, Smooth City has brought in Mobile native David Jones.

Guests are invited to pack picnics and head to the park for the free concert. For those who don’t want to bring their own food, the council expects some local food trucks to make an appearance.

“We want to ring in spring and

also highlight the jazz musicians in our community,” Litsey said. “It’s what Magic City Smooth Jazz’s mission is and it’s what ours is as well. We want to give people the opportunity to hear something they haven’t heard before.”

For more information about Jazz in the Park, visit the Homewood Arts Council Facebook page. ❖

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cool cats: Homewood Middle School’s eighth-grade jazz band will serve as the opening act for Jazz in the Park. For the main event, Smooth City has brought in Mobile native David Jones, below.

Photos special to the Journal

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The Bell Center Junior Board Hosts Cornhole Classic

By Sarah Kuper

The junior board of the Bell Center is hosting the 4th annual Bell Center Cornhole Classic April 16 at Good People Brewing Company.

Teams will toss bean bags to compete for the $300 first prize.

One hundred percent of the money raised from registrations will go to support the Bell Center.

Junior board President Lindsay Luketic said she expects this year’s tournament to be bigger than ever.

“Birmingham cornhole teams are serious and we will have all other kinds of fun stuff besides cornhole. We are planning for more than 500 people,” she said.

The junior board purposefully plans the event on the same day as the Birmingham Barons’ baseball Saturday home opener. Good People Brewing Company is across the street from the stadium, and Luketic said her group recently received approval to block off the street for activities all day.

New this year will be a kids area with games and activities.

Food trucks from local vendors will be on-hand to fuel the competitors and onlookers.

Participants can enter raffles to win prizes and packages donated by local businesses.

Because of donations from the business community, the junior board is able to give all revenue from the event to the Bell Center.

While entry to the event is free, competitors must register their teams. Advance registration costs $40, or teams can register at the event for $50.

The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs is dedicated to maximizing the potential of children from birth to three years old who are at risk for developmental delay, according to its website. Children who benefit from the Bell Center’s programs may have Down syndrome,

autism or other special needs.

The staff at the center is made up of speech pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and special needs educators.

Luketic said the junior board does more for the Bell Center than throw events.

“We go and serve. One example is watching the kids during New Parents’ Night,” she said. “That way parents can feel at ease while they learn what their child will be doing at the Bell Center.”

This is Luketic’s third year on the junior board. She said that when the board was established four years ago, only a handful of people were interested.

Now, there are 30 people on the board and they have to turn away applicants.

Luketic said the community is starting to recognize the ways the Bell Center is affecting young people with special needs.

“They make such a huge difference; the care they give is one of a kind,” she said. “They are great with the kids but also with the parents who might be struggling.”

To find out more information about the Cornhole Classic and the Bell Center, visit www.thebellcenter. org. ❖

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Plant Sale

Autism

A Grandmother Speaks

By Donna Cornelius

At first glance, you wouldn’t have noticed anything unusual about a Birmingham school’s Christmas program.

The children were dressed in hand-painted holiday T-shirts and sang songs like “Jingle Bell Rock.” Teachers hovered nearby to prompt forgetful singers. In the audience, parents and grandparents craned their necks, snapped photos and applauded enthusiastically.

But there was something different about this performance.

I was there to cheer on my granddaughter, fiveyear-old Elizabeth, as were her parents – my son, Kirk, and his wife, Meg – and my husband.

“You know,” Kirk said to me quietly, “this is the first time Elizabeth has ever been in a program.”

My granddaughter and many of her classmates at Mitchell’s Place have autism spectrum disorder. It’s something I didn’t know much about until Elizabeth was diagnosed with ASD a few years ago. Yes, I’d heard the Autism Speaks public service announcements by celebrities such as Tommy Hilfiger and Toni Braxton. I knew one in 68 children is identified as being “on the spectrum.”

who chatters and sings and even tells “knock-knock” jokes. We’ve seen her make her first friend. And we had that special day when she performed in her very first school program.

Autism is not easy. It requires constant vigilance, consistent discipline and endless patience from parents

and caregivers. It means you have to let go of what might have been and rejoice in what is.

Solving the Puzzle

Special Events Highlight Autism Awareness Month

Those who want to support Autism Awareness Month can do so by walking, running – and even eating.

On April 16, the Autism Society of Alabama will host its Walk for Autism and 5K Race to Solve the Puzzle at Veterans Park in Hoover.

The Birmingham event is one of 16 that will be held around the state in April.

Early registration is now available at www.walkforautismAL.com and includes a $5 discount for people who sign up before the day of the event. Teams and individuals can participate.

The Walk for Autism brings together thousands of people across Alabama in support of the one in 68 families affected by autism spectrum disorder. In addition to the walk and run, the event includes a resource fair for families to get information on services available in their areas as well as fun activities for children.

Each of the 16 participating cities will present trophies for Top Fundraiser and Most Team Spirit. Participants can fundraise through sponsorships, donations on the FirstGiving page, or securing pledges and tracking their steps with Fitbit.

Incentives for fundraisers include a pair of custom-designed Nike running shoes.

I didn’t know my granddaughter would be one of them.

We first knew something was wrong when Elizabeth, who like most toddlers had begun to say simple words like “balloon” and “ball,” suddenly stopped talking. There were other troubling signs, too, such as a lack of interaction with other children. We told ourselves that kids develop at different paces and that there was no reason to be concerned.

But there was.

After Elizabeth was diagnosed with ASD, Meg immediately began researching ways to help her. She enrolled her in a highly regarded therapy program in Tuscaloosa, where we all live, and in speech therapy at the University of Alabama. These things helped, but Elizabeth needed more.

That’s when we discovered Mitchell’s Place.

I’d heard about the school just off Liberty Parkway. It was started by a mom and dad whose son has autism spectrum disorder. We visited the school and met the director, Sandy Naramore, and some of the teachers. We saw a happy, positive place with lots of smiles – not only from the adults who make it work but from the children who go to school there.

Elizabeth has been at Mitchell’s Place for two years now. We’ve watched her grow from a child with a very limited vocabulary to one

My heart swells with pride when I see my son and daughter-in-law resolutely and lovingly dealing with the day-to-day challenges that come with having a child with ASD, my husband leaving home every weekday at 6:20 a.m. to drive Elizabeth to Birmingham, and Elizabeth’s Uncle Wade serving

My heart swells with pride when I see my son and daughter-in-law resolutely and lovingly dealing with the dayto-day challenges that come with having a child with ASD

on the Autism Society of Alabama’s junior board. I will always be thankful for Mitchell’s Place and the dedicated and caring people there.

And I thank God that Elizabeth is a beautiful, affectionate, social and joyful little girl who loves her family, her dog, her stuffed Peppa Pig, her “Pinkalicious” books and elephants in any form (a good thing when you live in Tuscaloosa).

Elizabeth will be leaving Mitchell’s Place after this school year and mainstreaming into “regular” kindergarten. We pray that the transition isn’t too hard and that she will continue to grow, to learn and, with her great big smile, to light up the world.

She lights up my life every day. ❖

Those interested in setting up a page can visit www.firstgiving.com/ autismalabama for more details.

“Families, schools and businesses are encouraged to form teams in support of those on the spectrum,” said Lauren Reid, the organization’s event and fundraising director. “Last year, over 150 teams participated.”

Proceeds from the Walk for Autism benefit the mission and projects of the Autism Society of Alabama. Current projects include the Autism Respite program, in which 80 families in four cities throughout the state will receive 20 hours of respite; the Library Collection Initiative, which assists each Alabama county in the maintenance of an autism section in one or more public libraries within the county; and the Autism Friendly Campaign, in which businesses provide tolerable sensory settings, accommodating environments and assistance for families with a member who has autism spectrum disorder.

For more information about the Walk for Autism and 5K Race to Solve the Puzzle, visit www.walkforautismAL.com.

On April 16, the Autism Society of Alabama Junior Board and Mitchell’s Place Junior Council are teaming up to host the Funky Fish Fry.

The seventh annual event to raise funds and awareness for autism spectrum disorder will be at Avondale Brewing Co. from noon to 8 p.m. Ezell’s Fish Camp will be serving its fried catfish and sides along with the WindCreek Hospitality’s Good to Go food truck and Miss Dots Fried Chicken.

Entertainment includes music by Automatic Slim, Bailey Ingle and Livewire. The event also includes

Photo by Teresa Watkins

inflatables for children, cornhole boards and raffles for a night’s stay in a Birmingham hotel, gift certificates to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, spa services at Mountain Brook’s Grand Bohemian Hotel and more.

Tickets are $20 in advance. There’s no charge for children 12 and younger. All proceeds raised will benefit the mission and projects of the Autism Society of Alabama and Mitchell’s Place. The Autism Society of Alabama’s mission is to improve services for individuals and their families affected by autism spectrum disorder through education and advocacy. ASA provides scholarships to parents and teachers

to attend educational conferences in Alabama, provides respite to 80 families and is currently leading the charge for autism insurance reform to mandate coverage for proven therapies in Alabama.

Mitchell’s Place’s mission is to provide comprehensive, researchbased, educational, social and therapeutic services for children, adolescents and families affected by autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities in a caring environment.

For more information about the Funky Fish Fry, visit www.funkyfishfry.com.

—Donna Cornelius

Gardens’ Spring Plant Sale Returns to Brookwood Village

The Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ largest plant sale of the year returns to Brookwood Village, kicking off with events the evening of April 14 and continuing through April 17.

More than 100,000 plants will be available for purchase, with proceeds going to benefit the gardens’ educational programs. All types of plants will be available, including trees, shrubs, annual and perennial flowers, herbs and vegetables.

The public sale will be Friday, April 15, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission to the public sale is free. It will be held in Macy’s upper parking lot.

Two separate events kick off the sale the evening of April 14. Shoppers who attend the preview party from 5 to 6:30 p.m. can get first choice of plants while enjoying wine and food provided by Brio Tuscan Grille. Admission to the preview party is $45 in advance and $50 at the door

A members-only kick-off party will be held that evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event, which includes light refreshments, is free for members. Memberships can be bought at the door or online before the sale.

For more information about the sale, visit www.bbgardens.org/springplantsale. ❖

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Funky Fish Fry Fun: The Mitchell’s Place Junior Council and the Autism Society of Alabama are teaming up for the fifth annual Funky Fish Fry. The seventh annual event to raise funds and awareness for autism spectrum disorder will be at Avondale Brewing Co. April 16 from noon to 8 p.m.

The herb Army: Volunteers are preparing for The BBGs’ largest plant sale of the year. From left: Donna Musgrave, Nancy Natter, Susan Hovater, Angela Hovater, Katie Stoddard, Chris Boles and Donna Taylor.

Photo special to the Journal

Leaf and Petal

Over The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646, fax 205-824-1246 April your AD 7, 2016 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

A Carousel of Bargains

Junior League Preps for Annual Fundraising Sale

The Junior League of Birmingham is gearing up for its annual Bargain Carousel.

Activities surrounding the fundraising event, dubbed by the league the “largest garage sale in Birmingham,” will be held April 21-24.

More than 100,000 items will be on sale, including art, appliances, furniture, heirloom items, baby and children’s clothing and furnishings, home decor and sporting goods. A local business that liquidated its office furniture donated dozens of desks, chairs and other furniture for sale.

“Bargain Carousel’s purpose is two-fold,” said Bargain Carousel Chairwoman Haley Holden. “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.”

A portion of the funds raised

Mt

Laurel to

Host Southern-Inspired Spring Festival

this year also will go to the Magic Moments and Every Moment Matters organizations.

As a precursor to the main sale, Bargain Bash will be held April 21, giving shoppers an early chance to snag merchandise for double the price. Shoppers can attend a cocktail party with silent and live auctions on items such as artwork and travel packages. VIP shopping tickets, with entrance at 6 p.m., are $40, and general admission tickets, with admission at 7 p.m., are $40.

Guests at the bash will be entertained by commentary from Mark and Stephanie with 93.7 WDJC.

The main Bargain Carousel sale will be Saturday and Sunday, April 23

Please make sure all information is correct,

The town of Mt Laurel is celebrating its recent recognition in Southern Living by dedicating its annual spring festival to all things Southern.

After being named a Southern Living Inspired Community in October, the town will be the location for the magazine’s 2016 Idea House. To celebrate both distinctions, the town’s annual spring festival will showcase the town’s Southern charm April 9 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Throughout the day the town will play host to local food vendors, craft vendors, farmers, artists and more. A children’s park will feature inflatables, hayrides, face painting and a petting zoo.

The day will also include scheduled events on the Bryson Square stage. Southern Living Senior Editor Lisa Cericola will offer food demonstrations at 11 a.m. Following the demo, a musical concert will feature local artist Raquel Lily. Finishing off the day, Chef Aimee Bishop of Mt Laurel’s Simply Infused will present a cooking demo at 1:30 p.m.

great sale: Magic Moments Associate Executive Director Courtney Carson, Magic Moments Executive Director Joyce Spielberger and Every Moment Matters volunteer Suelin Schellici are looking forward to Bargain Carousel. The groups will benefit from a portion of the funds raised at the sale.

and 24, at the old Princeton-Hoover campus of the Baptist Health System, just off of exit 10 from Interstate 459. Tickets for Saturday entry to the sale will be numbered, and shoppers will enter based on the number on their tickets. Tickets will be pre-sold April 22 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the sale site. Shoppers can buy up to four tickets at $10 each to the Saturday sale. Tickets can be bought on-site Saturday for $10 from 8 to 10 a.m. and for $5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The sale continues Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. with free attendance and halfpriced merchandise.

For more information, call 8799861 or visit www.bargaincarousel. net. ❖

The town has already broken ground on the Idea House, which will be completed by June and will be open for tours for the remainder of the year.

Birmingham architect Bill Ingram has designed the property and will construct the home with the help of Mt. Laurel’s Bryan Phillips of Town Builders Inc.

Alabama Auto Show Kicks Off with Charity Event at the BJCC

The Alabama Auto Show rolls into the BirminghamJefferson Convention Complex April 7-10, with more than 500 new cars from 28 brands on display.

The show also will include ride and drive opportunities, live media broadcasts, the Game Zone truck and a climbing wall. Tickets for the show, presented by AL.com, are $8 for ages 14 and above with children under 14 getting free admission. Discounts will be given to senior citizens and military personnel. Tickets are available onsite or at www. alabamaautoshow.com.

Following completion of the building, David Brush, a resident of Mt Laurel, has been charged with the task of designing the property’s landscape, and five Southern Living-approved designers will decorate the home’s interior. For more information, visit www. mtlaurel.com. ❖

The show will be Thursday, April 7 from noon-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.- 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m.6 p.m.

A charity preview dinner the evening of April 7 will benefit The Bell Center for Early Intervention, Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham and King’s Home. At the dinner, to be held in the South Exhibition Hall, music will be provided by The Heart Behind the Music and will feature Richie McDonald of Lonestar, Walt Aldridge and Lenny LeBlanc. Terri Walker from Walker Benefit Auctions will host a live auction.

Individual tickets for the dinner are $75 and may be purchased through TicketMaster or at www.alabamaautoshow. com. ❖

Pack a lunch: From left: Stop Hunger Now committee members Bo Porter, team leader; Scottie Vickery, Vestavia Hills UMC community outreach chair; John Moss and Buck Howard.

OTM Volunteers to Pack 285,000 Meals in Three Days

Churches in Vestavia Hills and Hoover are lining up volunteers to pack 285,000 meals in a three-day period as part of a Stop Hunger Now event.

Hundreds of volunteers will package meals in assembly line fashion during high-energy, fast-paced shifts during the event, with a gong sounding each time a certain number of meals are packaged.

Members of Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, Bluff Park United Methodist and other Hoover and Vestavia churches are signing up volunteers to work the shifts April 17-19, according to a news release from VHUMC.

Stop Hunger Now is an international hunger relief agency that has coordinated the distribution of food and other lifesaving aid to children and families in countries all over the world for more than 15 years. The agency has provided more than 180 million meals to people in 65 countries.

Its meal packaging program allows volunteers to quickly package rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and a flavoring mix containing 23 vitamins and minerals into small packets. Each meal costs 29 cents. The food stores easily, has a shelf-life of two years and can be transported quickly to schools, orphanages and crisis relief agencies anywhere in the world.

“This is our second time to host Stop Hunger Now, and lots of people from the Vestavia and Hoover communities have been working all year to prepare for it,” Bo Porter, team leader for the event, said in the release. “It is a fun way for each and every person ages four and up to be in service.”

Interested volunteers can sign up to work shifts or get more information at www.vhumc.org. Shifts are available Sunday, April 17 from 3 to 9 p.m.; Monday from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ❖

Journal photo by Emily Williams

Thurs., April 7

BIRMINGHAM

City Shapers

Gus Mayer

The store has selected five local women based on their influential efforts in the community to act as the faces of the store’s fundraising event. Tax free shopping and a 10 percent discount will be available to customers at the store all day. From 4-7 p.m., City Shapers will be available to help style guests and the woman with the most sales will win $1,000 towards the charity of her choice. City Shapers include: Lynlee Hughs, Catherine Long, Handley McCrory, Sandy Naramore and Chay Watkins. For more information, visit the Spring Into Style Facebook page.

Fri., April 8

HOMEWOOD

Close Encounters of the Storytelling Kind

Homewood Library

Local storyteller Dolores Hydock will present a new show at 6:30 p.m. recounting unexpected encounters she has had. Topics include wild taxi rides, mysterious packages, cemetery picnics with Dr. Ruth Bader Ginsburg and more. A light hors d’oeuvres buffet will precede the program. Tickets are $25. For more information, visit www. homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

MOUNTAIN BROOK Art in the Village Crestline Village The Mountain Brook Art Association will host its 35th annual show April 16 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the sports field in Crestline. Show Chairwoman Janet Sanders said the organization expects to see upwards of 5,000 visitors this year. The event will include booths exhibiting the two-dimensional work of 80 local artists from the metro area. In addition to viewing and purchasing art, guests will be welcomed by the Birmingham Belles. Jazz music will be provided by the Choko Aiken Band, and Goodies Ice Cream Truck will offer frozen confections. For more information, visit www.mountainbrookartassociation.com. ❖

April 8-9

BIRMINGHAM

Lebanese Food Festival

St. Elias Maronite Church

The church will host a two-day event celebrating the food and culture of Lebanon. Food will include kibbee, grape leaves, tabouleh, grilled chicken, homus, baklawa and more. Children of the church will perform a dance Friday and Saturday evening and a 5K and fun run will take place on Saturday. Event

times are April 8 from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and April 9 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, visit www.stelias.org.

Sat., April 9

BIRMINGHAM

Cajun Cook-off Railroad Park

Girls Inc. of Central Alabama will host its annual cooking competition from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. featuring cajun staples like gumbo, jambalaya and red beans and rice. Zydeco band Swamp Poppas will provide music. Tickets are $20 and benefit Central Alabama Girls Inc. programs. For more information, visit www.bhamcajuncookoff.com.

BIRMINGHAM

Asian Cultures and Food Festival

Eighty local artists will gather in Crestline Village April 16 to sell and display their twodimensional work.

Zamora Shrine Temple

The eighth annual festival will be held from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and will benefit the Alabama Asian Cultures Foundation. Foods and events will represent a range of Asian cultures including China, Japan, India, Nepal and more. Tickets are $8 for adults. For more information, visit www.alabamaasiancultures.org.

BIRMINGHAM

CahabaQue

Cahaba Brewing Company

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama will host its annual barbecue cook-off from noon-5 p.m. Activities will include a bounce house, video games and skeeball. Tickets are $20 for guests 21 and older and $15 for younger adults. Admission includes all you can eat samples, entertainment and one pint of Cahaba

Brewing Company’s beer. For more information, visit www.bcrfa.org.

Sun., April 10

HOOVER

Walk to End Lupus Now

Veterans Park

The Lupus Foundation of America’s Mid-South chapter will host its annual one-mile fundraiser walk from 1-5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and includes music, prizes and more. For more inforamtion, visit www.lupus. org./midsouth.

VESTAVIA HILLS

Pancake Supper

Vestavia Hills Baptist Church

The Friends of The Amelia Center, an organization that provides support services for grieving children, parents and their families, will host its annual event from 4:30-7 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children. For more iformation visit, www.ameliacenter.org.

HOMEWOOD Sorority 101

Samford University

The Birmingham Alumnae Panhellenic will host its fourth annual information session in Cooney Hall from 2-4 p.m. Participating universities include Auburn, Auburn UniversityMontgomery, Birmingham-Southern, Samford, UAB, University of Alabama in Huntsville, University of Montevallo and more. An interactive fashion show will provide examples of appropriate recruitment attire. For more information, visit www.birminghampanhellenic. yolasite.com.

Fri., April 15

HOMEWOOD Garden to Glass Homewood Library

The Library will host a 21 and over cocktail making event from 6:307:30 p.m. Bartender and writer Clair McLafferty will present a program on infusing herbs into cocktails. Light refreshments will be served. Tickets are $10. For more information, visit www. homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Sat., April 16

VESTAVIA HILLS

“Living With Purpose and Passion” Liberty Park Baptist Church

The Liberty Park Baptist Church Women’s Ministry will host a program featuring Zoe Elmore, Bible teacher and conference speaker, from 9 a.m.-noon. Brunch will be served and will include two programs. Registration is $20 for both sessions. For more information, email Cynthia Burke at cynthia.burke@ libertypark.org or call 969-1236.

VESTAVIA HILLS

PALS Casino Night

Library in the Forest PALS, a group focused on supporting the Children’s Department, will host its annual Vegas-style casino fundraiser. Food will be provided by Cajun Seafood House, beer and wine will be served and Goodfellas Gaming will provide professional

blackjack, roulette and poker. Tickets are $40 in advance.

For more information, visit www. librarypals.org.

BIRMINGHAM

First Light Gala

Old Car Heaven

First Light, a local emergency shelter for homeless women and their children, will host its annual gala fundraiser. The event will include food by Happy Catering, music by StreetKar, live and silent auctions and more. For more information, visit www.firstlightshelter. org.

BIRMINGHAM

Curtain Call Ball

Birmingham Children’s Theatre

The theatre will host its annual fundraiser ball from 5-8 p.m. The familyfriendly event will include costumed characters, balloon artists, face painters and crafts. Proceeds will benefit the theatre’s educational outreach programs. For more information, visit www.bct123.org.

April 16-17

HOOVER

Friends Book Sale

Hoover Library

The Friends of the Hoover Library will host a blowout book sale. Sale hours begin April 16 at 10 a.m. and April 17 at 2 p.m. Proceeds from the sale benefit the library and its programs. For more information, visit www.hooverlibrary.org.

Sun., April 17

BIRMINGHAM

Darter Festival

Good People Brewery

The Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham-Southern and Railroad park will celebrate Alabama’s biodiversity and its natural selection of watercress, vermillion and rush darters that help rank the state’s plant and animal diversity fifth among the eastern states. The celebration ill take place from noon-4 p.m. and will feature a limited edition darter ale, brewed by Good People. For more informaotin, visit www.vsc.edu/sec.

Mon., April 18

HOOVER

Neuroscience Cafe Hoover Library

The UAB Comprehensive Neuroscience Center will host a presentation on Autism and Rett Syndrome at 6:30 p.m. The free event will be led by Lucas Pozzo-Miller, professor of Neurobiology and associate director of the center, and Alan Percy, professor of Pediatrics and Neurology. For more information, visit www. hooverlibrary.org.

Thurs., April 21

BIRMINGHAM Taste for a Cure

Old Car Heaven

The Parkinson Association of Alabama will host its annual fundraiser featuring food, beer and wine pairings prepared by a team of local chefs. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m.

and admission is $75. All proceeds benefit the medical research towards a cure for Parkinson’s disease. For more information, visit www. parkinsonalabama.com.

BIRMINGHAM

Be the One Gala

Woodrow Hall

School Ministries of Birmingham will host its inaugural fundraiser gala. The event will include a presentation featuring keynote speakers Todd Geralds and Kenneth Breivik. Tickets are $150 and benefit the organization’s outreach programs in Jefferson and Shelby county school districts.

MOUNTAIN BROOK

Earth Month Art Party

Tonya Jones

Tonya Jones SalonSpa and Aveda will host a fundraiser event for the Cahaba River Society and its efforts to keep the river clean from 5-8 p.m. The event will include a silent auction, music, food, drinks and more. Admission is $20 and proceeds benefit CRS.

MOUNTAIN BROOK

Keeping the Feast St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church

The church will host an event featuring keynote speaker James Farmer, Wall Street Journal best-selling author of gardening and entertaining books and editor-at-large for Southern Living, from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $20. The event will begin with a terrace party and book signing will follow the program. For more information, visit www.ssechurch.org.

For more About Town, visit otmj.com

life Young People for the Cure

Over the Mountain Teens Working to Raise Money and Awareness

Stories and photos by Sarah Kuper

Homewood High School

Ann Chandler Hassett

Ann Chandler Hassett began her involvement with Relay for Life as a freshman at Homewood High School.

Since then she has worked to secure sponsorships, line up entertainment and manage the logistics of three relays.

Now in her senior year, Hassett is spending the last weeks before the April 22 event confirming details and organizing volunteers.

She and her fellow student leaders are involving the whole school in the Homewood Relay for Life at Homewood Central Park.

Every school club has done some sort of fundraiser in preparation for the relay and many will have representatives at the event.

Hassett said it is important to find ways to support those dealing with cancer even if it is in a small way.

“Relay is great because it is something anyone can do,” she said. “Unless you are a doctor or a nurse, it is hard to know how to care for someone who has cancer. You can buy a card but that doesn’t really help. This does.”

Though she believes participating in Relay for Life is something anyone can do, Hassett doesn’t claim it is easy to organize.

Though she is involved in Key Club and Beta Club and she used to cheer, Hassett said she has learned the most about herself and about those battling cancer through Relay for Life.

“I’ve learned a lot over the years about time management. You can’t wait until the last minute and you always have to have a plan B,” she said.

Though she is involved in Key Club and Beta Club and she used to cheer, Hassett said she has learned the most about herself and about those battling cancer through Relay for Life.

“My grandparents have had cancer but it was when I was little so I didn’t really know what was going on,” she said. “But through relay I’ve gotten to meet survivors and their families and caretakers who deal with it everyday. It’s really eye-opening.”

For the first time this year, Hassett held her own Relay for Life solo fundraiser in January.

To highlight the global nature of cancer, Hassett organized Fiesta Homewood. She worked with the Spanish club to set up booths at the Exceptional Foundation reflecting cultures around the world. Attendees sampled traditional ethnic foods and participated in crafts and salsa dance lessons.

Her event raised $470.

In years past, the Homewood Relay for Life has had a theme. Last year’s theme was “movies,” so different teams came in costumes and decorated tents accordingly.

Hassett said that there is not one overarching theme this year, but rather teams can do whatever they want.

One thing that won’t be different this year is the signature treat of the Homewood Relay for

See homewood, following page

John Carroll Catholic High School

Nick Weldon

As a high school senior with a golf scholarship to St. Mary’s University, it would seem Nick Weldon could rest on his laurels until graduation.

But instead, Weldon is hard at work making calls, delivering fliers, organizing entertainment and spreading awareness about John Carroll High School’s Relay for Life April 15.

Weldon is a leader in school in many facets: student council, school ambassador, Spanish club, golf team and basketball team. But he said it is Relay for Life that has all his attention this time of year.

Weldon co-founded John Carroll’s Relay for Life club as a sophomore. Since then he has helped grow the event, generating excitement among students and the greater John Carroll family.

This year, Weldon is giving John Carroll’s Relay for Life a new feel.

Known this year as “Relay Fest,” the event will have all the staples of a typical American Cancer Society Relay for Life, but Weldon and his team are framing it as a music festival.

Taking a cue from the pop culture phenomenon of destination music festivals such as Bonnaroo or SXSW, Weldon has recruited local bands to perform throughout the evening along with John Carroll’s choir and student bands.

Weldon reached out to Seeds Coffee Company for suggestions on local entertainment and he has recruited local food vendors to serve a crawfish boil supper.

Special musical numbers will be played during the luminaria ceremony, in which participants light candles in honor of someone who is battling cancer or who has died as a result of the disease.

Weldon said he has a personal connection with cancer, but his involvement in Relay for Life has made him see even more clearly how it affects his community.

Weldon said he has a personal connection with cancer, but his involvement in Relay for Life has made him see even more clearly how it affects his community.

“When I was in the first grade my mom had breast cancer. She’s OK now, but it didn’t really hit me until I got older and realized how bad it could have been. So now I’m more aware through working on Relay for Life,” he said.

In the days leading up to Relay Fest, Weldon is driving around town putting information up on church bulletin boards.

“I’m going around to all the churches in the diocese. We want the whole John Carroll family involved,” he said.

Weldon said he knows that there are only so many things a high schooler can do to try to cure cancer, but he believes that by showing the community their commitment, they can initiate change.

“When you have young people getting behind something, it makes others take a second

See john carroll, following page

Mountain Brook High School Carlton Cooper

Headed into spring break of her senior year, Carlton Cooper had one thing on her mind –Mountain Brook’s Relay for Life.

On April 8, students, faculty and community members will gather on the high school field to celebrate survivors, honor victims and support caregivers.

As the event’s director for the high school, Cooper said she still has many details to care for, but she is happy to be a catalyst for finding a cure for cancer.

“I love relay. I love its purpose,” she said. “Cancer touches all of us. My sister-in-law’s mom had cancer, our housekeeper passed away from cancer two years ago, so it is near and dear to my heart.”

Vestavia Hills High School Ellie Barrentine

A Vestavia Hills High School senior headed to Auburn University in the fall, Ellie Barrentine is busy with dance team, youth leadership and a cause close to her family’s heart – Relay for Life.

Barrentine is the granddaughter of Birmingham businessman and philanthropist Joe Lee Griffin. Griffin was a lifelong volunteer for the American Cancer Society and sat on the board for many years.

After losing his first and second wives to cancer, Griffin lost his own battle with cancer in 1998.

His family honored his legacy by helping build a facility to serve cancer patients who must travel far from home for treatment.

The Joe Lee Griffin Hope Lodge near St. Vincent’s hospital was completed in 2000.

Cooper’s older brother worked on the Relay for Life when he was a high school senior, so she said she’s always known and understood the importance of the event.

Between a survivors’ honorary lap around the track and the recognition of caregivers, Cooper said she loves the symbolism behind Relay for Life, even though organizers have had to make a few changes to tradition.

“We are not doing sky lanterns this year, which was one of my favorite parts but it is a fire hazard,” she said. “Instead we have come up with a balloon release. One color will be ‘in honor of,’ another color will be ‘in memory of;’ it should be pretty neat.”

Local and student bands will entertain attendees and give the evening a celebratory feel.

Cooper said many students at the high school have been actively helping and fundraising for months, but she said the involvement has been much broader than just the high school.

“The junior high is involved, elementary students are doing their part and, of course, businesses.”

Throughout the weeks leading up to the relay, restaurants and businesses around Mountain Brook have held percent nights, during which a percentage of sales have gone toward Mountain Brook Relay for Life.

This year’s theme for the event is “Paint the Town Purple.”

“We are trying to find ways for our school and local businesses to color their world purple to raise awareness for cancer,” Cooper said.

In a tight-knit community like Mountain Brook, Cooper said, the impact of Relay for Life is tangible.

“It shows me how much our community helps each other out no matter what we need, especially if young people are involved,” she said

The Mountain Brook Relay for Life has a $200,000 goal this year.

Cooper said she expects all the student teams

‘It shows me how much our community helps each other out no matter what we need, especially if young people are involved.’ See mountain brook, following page

Though her family is closely connected with cancer awareness and activism, Barrentine said that isn’t the only reason Relay for Life is important to her.

“I’m making my small contribution for my family but it is also opening my eyes to people I didn’t know were affected,” said Barrentine, who is co-chair of the school’s Relay for Life.

Just like Barrentine’s family, Vestavia Hills High School has a history of success when it comes to raising awareness and money for a cancer cure. Last year, the school raised more than $264,000 through relay fundraisers.

Barrentine expects they will raise at least that much this year.

The school’s Relay for Life event will be April 16, but that is just the capstone of the fund drive. Vestavia Hills students have been fundraising all year, selling T-shirts and even signing up for a “Purple People Run,” in which participants ran a 5K color run.

Students from Vestavia Hills elementary and junior high schools also are raising money and securing sponsorships.

So far, the Vestavia Hills Relay for Life has almost 90 teams signed up, and it has raised nearly $100,000 before the event even starts.

Barrentine said the school has a goal to raise $1 million dollars by 2019 – that’s $250,000 per year starting this year.

One of her primary goals is to execute a successful event, but she also wants to ensure the community is as involved as possible.

Barrentine believes she and her peers should harness the power they have as young adults. ‘Our involvement does more than we realize sometimes.’

She believes she and her peers should harness the power they have as young adults to get others to pay attention.

“Our involvement does more than we realize sometimes. It means something to people and it makes people take notice,” she said.

Barrentine said working on Relay for Life has given her a greater understanding of what it is like to deal with cancer, but it also has helped

homewood,

From previous page

Life.

“We always have maple bacon doughnuts. The gold team always cooks them and they always blow the fuse and the power goes out, but it is just something you know is one of the reasons you go to relay – the maple bacon doughnuts,” Hassett said.

Besides the sugary treats, one of Hassett’s favorite parts of Relay for Life is seeing people from all over Homewood come to support cancer survivors and caretakers.

“People who don’t normally do the ‘Homewood’ things like the nights out or organized events, those people will come to relay. That’s what I really like, everyone at this point has been affected by cancer in some way,” she said.

Hassett said she knows there are limits on what a teenager can do to fund research or take care of a cancer patient, but she said being a young person has advantages when it comes to finding a cure.

“Adults have their business that they can’t overlap with fundraising. It’s hard to have a client and then ask them to donate money,” she said. “But youth are important because we can ask anybody! We don’t work for people and we are open to approaching anyone – it isn’t awkward for a teen.”

The Homewood Relay for Life begins at 4 p.m. on April 22 at Homewood Central Park.

To register or make a donation, visit relayforlife.org/birmingham. ❖

john carroll,

From previous page

look, because if you see a bunch of 17 and 18 year olds getting behind one thing, you are going to think, ‘Why am I not involved in something like this?’” he said.

In addition to live music, food and the honorary laps around the track, Weldon is hoping to get a Birmingham-area cancer physician to speak about the latest developments in the fight to find a cure.

Organizers have a $20,000 goal for the event.

Weldon’s goal is to keep up the momentum he has helped create during his high school career and equip others to keep the event growing in years to come.

To register a team or make a donation to the John Carroll Relay for Life, visit relayforlife.org/johncarroll. ❖

vestavia hills,

From previous page

her develop important life skills.

“It has helped me grow up. I’ve learned to manage time and how to communicate. It forces you to meet people you otherwise might not hang out with.”

To register a team or donate, visit relay.org/birmingham and click on Vestavia Hills High School Relay for Life. ❖

mountain Brook,

From previous page

to raise at least $1,000 before April 8, and the school recently concluded a “10 in 10” campaign, during which it raised $10,000 in 10 days.

Cooper plans to attend the University of Alabama in the fall and major in elementary education.

To register or donate to the Mountain Brook Relay for Life, visit relay.org/birmingham ❖

619 Montgomery hwy, vestavia hills

In the Name of Paul Meyers

Fourth Annual Golf Tournament Honors Vivacious and Giving Brother

By Sarah Kuper

Julia Meyers said that if her brother Paul was alive to see the fundraising work their family is doing, he would have a thing or two to say about it.

“He was so creative, so I’m sure he might be a little critical of the way we do things,” she laughed, “but more than anything I think he would be proud of the way his friends and

family are coming together to support causes and do good.”

Paul Meyers collapsed and died in 2012 while running a half marathon in Tennessee. Doctors said he had suffered a heart attack.

Several years before Meyers’ sudden death, his father passed away from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy –a heart condition of unknown origin that puts stress on the heart.

To honor their brother and raise

money to serve others, Meyers’ family founded the Paul Meyers Foundation in 2013.

Meyers worked as a public defender in Jackson, Tennessee, before his death. Friends and family said his drive to help disadvantaged individuals motivated him to be a great attorney.

“He worked a lot with people in bad situations – even prostitutes. He found people were generally a product of their environment and often they had been abused in some way in their childhood,” Julia Meyers said.

That is why the Paul Meyers Foundation supports several causes that help underprivileged populations.

Throughout the year, the foundation raises money for victims of human trafficking, international medical missions and heart health education and screenings.

The golf tournament specifically raises money for a medical mission trip to Haiti.

The trip is not something Paul Meyers participated in, but rather a cause close to the Meyers family because of one special nurse who met Paul in the last moments of his life.

Johnna Beurelien encountered Meyers in the registration area of that Tennessee half-marathon.

She happened to keep pace with him throughout the race until he suddenly collapsed. She initiated CPR and stayed with Meyers until additional help arrived.

Grateful for Beurelien’s kindness, the Meyers family got to know her and learned of her passion for medical missions in Haiti.

Partly played in the

They decided to support her work through the golf tournament.

To mirror Paul’s love of fun and having a good time, the family cre-

ated an unconventional tournament that encourages participants not to take the game too seriously.

Partly played in the dark on a glow-in-the-dark course, teams dress up in costumes and enjoy music and dancing throughout the night.

The tournament has sold out in years past, but Julia Meyers encourages those who aren’t able to get a spot on the course to try to come to the dinner and party.

A $40 ticket includes a meal by Full Moon BBQ and live music.

Julia Meyers said her family has fun planning the events and is overwhelmed by the support from the community and Paul’s friends near and far.

Though Paul’s death was devastating, Julia Meyers said she feels her family has changed for the better.

“We don’t take life for granted anymore. By doing fundraisers we

are more aware of our surroundings,” she said. “We now know it just takes one person to make a difference in someone’s life.”

The Fourth Annual Paul Meyers Golf Tournament is April 16. Registration is at 3 p.m. followed by a putting contest and tee off at 4:30 p.m. Players will golf nine holes and then break for dinner at 6:30 p.m.

After a BBQ dinner and silent auction, players will return to the course for the second nine holes and winners will be announced at 10 p.m.

All proceeds go toward the Paul Meyers Medical Mission Trip to Haiti.

Last year, more than 3,100 people were served through the trip and to date the foundation has raised more than $40,000 for the trips.

For more information, visit www. paulmeyersfoundation.com. ❖

To honor their brother and raise money to serve others, the Meyers’ family founded the Paul Meyers Foundation in 2013. From left: Julia Meyers, Laura Ann Meyers Daly and Margie Meyers Davidson.

Photos special to the Journal

Roll up the Welcome Mat

Area Animal Control Departments Working to Deter Cat, Coyote and Snake Population

By Sarah Kuper

This time of year, fluffy baby ducklings and little baby bunnies are finding their way into ponds and backyards Over the Mountain.

But local Animal Control officials are reminding community members to be aware of other wildlife emerging

this time of year.

Less adorable hatchlings like snakes, and less cuddly babies like coyotes are showing up in large numbers Over the Mountain.

One of the biggest problems though, starts out as arguably one of the most cute and cuddly of them all.

Vestavia Hills is having such a big problem with feral cats that the City Council recently voted to contract with the Greater Birmingham Humane Society for help.

Animal Control officials said the

By emily WilliamS

standard approach to dealing with roaming feral cats is to cut off their food source; they generally will desert the business or home.

This means not leaving out food or scraps for the area alley cat.

Even if the cats seem harmless, undomesticated cats often carry diseases that are especially dangerous to children, pregnant women or the elderly.

City Council members in Vestavia Hills said the feral cat problem in the area has gotten so bad that professional intervention is necessary. In the next weeks, the Humane Society will be trapping and evaluating feral cats.

If cats are deemed healthy and disease-free, the Humane Society will spay or neuter the animals and rerelease them.

The program will be a temporary intervention and the council plans on spending no more than $10,000.

Ashley Martin, animal control officer for the city of Mountain Brook, said she gets phone calls about feral cats, but so far this spring the biggest problem she’s seen in the area is snakes.

“They are what I would be worried about this time of year. There seems to be a lot of copperheads in Mountain

Vestavia Hills photographer George Elliott yearns to bring the beach to Birmingham for the third annual Art in the Hills festival.

For Elliot, his coastal photos, in particular, are his visions of what he calls “beach time,” the process of getting away from the daily grind of the city to relax near surf and sand.

“When I take a photo of a landscape, I want people to think about the beauty of God’s work,” he said. “That and I want them to appreciate what beach time is all about.”

Birmingham locals looking for artistic escape can find Elliott’s photography as well as many other works by local artists at the Vestavia Hills Beautification Board’s Art in the Hills festival. Part of the Dogwood Festival, the event will be April 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the new City Hall.

Elliott said he learned his artistic trade during his 30 years working in the public relations department at BellSouth.

“I worked a lot with folks in newspaper who taught me a lot about photography,” he said. “That’s where I learned about the composition of a photograph and color.”

With his newly developed photographic eye, Elliott said, he began taking his camera with him on various traveling adventures. He has since

Brook,” she said. Copperheads are poisonous snakes and may be especially dangerous to family pets who nose around and agi-

control professionals.

“Snakes feed on lizards and smaller reptiles like salamanders and frogs. They like small rodents too. Eliminate those pests,” she said.

Martin advised keeping a cover on the pool and keeping an eye on any other water sources such as fountains

One headline-making wild animal garnered attention last fall, when Vestavia Hills residents noticed an increase in coyotes in the area.

Martin said coyotes may be intimidating, but they are really just a nui-

“The coyotes may have gotten a little blown out of proportion. Like other undomesticated animals in the backyard, they are just looking for

Martin said there have not been any coyote attacks on humans, and like with other wild animals, there are several ways to make them go

“They mainly come at night so things like motion sensing lighting or loud shakers will drive them away,”

According to the Humane Society’s website, those harassed by urban coyotes should use a method called “haz-

Beach Time

Vestavia Photographer Looking Forward to Art in the Hills

taken photos all across the country, including favorite spots in North Carolina and his home in Port St. Joe, Florida.

“I’ve always been drawn to any bodies of water, whether it be ponds, oceans or anything else,” he said. “I have a cousin who lives up in Ohio and he has a pond on his property up there and I take photos of it every time I go up for a visit.”

According to Elliott, his ultimate goal when

shooting a space is to evoke a feeling of appreciation and awe for the photograph’s viewers.

Elliott finds his own beach haven on the Florida coast. He started family vacations to the beach in areas such as Pensacola and Destin, moving back to the Alabama coast when things got too crowded, but the people followed.

“We chose Port St. Joe mostly because my wife learned to walk on that beach,” he said. “We bought an old mill house in 2000 and now we

ing.”

Generally, coyotes are non-confrontational, so simply yelling at the coyote to “go away!” or banging pots and pans together should scare them off.

The website also recommends spraying them down with the hose or a mixture of water and vinegar.

After a few of these encounters, the coyotes will learn to steer clear.

Of course, Martin said to call animal control right away if it seems the animal is becoming aggressive.

“Even we refer out for coyotes, I would not recommend trying to trap them yourself,” she said.

Martin said another useful way to help curb the wild animal population is to be a good neighbor.

“If you see something that doesn’t belong in your backyard, check with your neighbors to see what they are experiencing.”

Often residential communities can work together to make their neighborhoods less hospitable to snakes, wild cats and coyotes.

Animal control officials in all areas Over the Mountain encourage citizens to call for help, but they also want to remind residents to be mindful of the food chain and remember the circle of life. ❖

spend a few months down there every year and the children go down there and the grandchildren, too.”

Elliott said that many of the pictures he takes are for family and one family member in particular. He lost his daughter Amelia in 1995 while she was at camp.

“I often take pictures for her,” he said. “I know that if she were here today, one of the things she would want is for us to take time and appreciate the world around us.”

Her legacy lives on in his photos and through the Amelia Center at Children’s of Alabama. Elliott and his family began the non-profit grief counseling center to provide a support system for children, parents and families who have experienced the death of a child.

In addition to art, this year’s Art in the Hills will include food trucks and performances by The New Hooteneers, Mutton Chops seven-piece jazz band, the AU Rhythm hip hop dance team, Mason Music Studios, the Liberty Park Middle School band, Magic City Klezmer, the Vestavia Hills Elementary Central’s honor choir and Vestavia Hills Elementary East’s choir.

The Beautification Board also will announce the winners of this year’s youth, two-dimensional art contest for Vestavia Hills students. All submissions will be on display in City Hall before April 9.

“Vestavia Hills needed its own art show for so long,” Elliott said. “Everyone should come out and support the Dogwood Festival and a good, local art show with a lot of great artists. The show is a real plus for Vestavia, which I consider to be better than ever right now.”

For more information on the festival, visit www.vestaviabeautiful.com.❖

From left: Art in the Hills planning committee members Jennifer McCormick, publicity co-chair; Debra Pounds, entertainment chair; Jina Henley, youth art show chair; Anne Boston, Vestavia Hills Beautification Board president; Joanie Alfano, publicity co-chair; and Cindy Bartlett, event co-chair.

Not pictured: Ashley Nance, event co-chair; and Diane Zaragoza, event co-chair.

Journal photo by Emily Williams

George Elliott

Paul Kremer HOPPER 2, 2015

Acrylic on canvas

84x64 inches Image courtesy of the artist and Peter Makebish Gallery NY, NY

Birmingham got its groove March 19 at the second Annual Elvis Ball: Viva Las Vegas.

Guests arrived at Old Car Heaven for a fun-filled event benefitting Creative Montessori School, a private school in Homewood that serves children ages 18 months to sixth grade using Montessori education techniques.

Dressed in ‘70s bell bottoms and jumpsuits, guests enjoyed casino gaming, a ‘70s disco with DJ Stevo and both silent and live auctions featuring artwork from Frank Fleming.

Renowned Elvis impersonator David Lee impressed the crowd with a top-notch performance as the King.

Food and beverages were provided by local restaurants including The J. Clyde, Rojo, Urban Cookhouse, Continental Bakery, Cahaba Brewing Company, Joy Smith and more. New this year, the night also featured performances by the Birmingham Sugar Babies and Dala Tribal.

According to school officials, the event raised close to $50,000 for the school.

The evening was coordinated through the efforts of event chairs Keri Lane Hontzas, Micah Cargo and Terra Mortensen, a dedicated fundraising committee and numerous volunteers and sponsors. ❖

thank you, Thank you very much

Creative Montessori Hosts Annual Elvis Ball

Elvis impersonator David Lee Photos special to the Journal

From left: Emily Levine, Emily Vanlandingham, Lindsey Chitwood, Misty Chitwood and Dean Chitwood.

Katherine and Adam Thrower. Joy and Greg Smith.

Sandra and Charly Lynn, Jimmy and Tracy Wooten.

Robin and Kelly Pruitt.

Keri Lane Hontzas, Terra Mortensen and Hamidah Ali.

Shamrock Soiree

Arc of Jefferson County Raises Funds at Sloss

The Arc of Jefferson County’s Junior Board hosted its fourth annual Shamrock Shindig March 12 at the Sloss Furnaces Visitor’s Center.

Guests enjoyed food catered by Rusty’s BBQ while The Schmohawks provided live music. Thanks to event sponsor Harbin Pharmacy, guests were greeted on entry by bagpipe players in honor of the event’s St. Patrick’s Day theme.

The event raised more than $38,000 to benefit children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Close to 400 people attended and took part in activities such as a balloon drop and the Sloss Furnaces Iron Pour.

Guests in attendance included: Jimmy and Rachel Young, Hunter and Ashton Sartin, Chris and Meredith Robbins, Brian and Suzette Pflaum, Greg and Denise Canfield, Sen. Jabo and Marilyn Waggoner, Jenny Rankin, Shaffer and Lindsay Hewlett, Charlie and Jan Carper, Jack and Sallie Knight, Kelly Hochstetter, Laurie Smith, Sean Vibert, Emily Sottilaire, Rhiannon Reed, Brandon Lee, Chris Martin, Ashley Newton, John Lawes, Dr. Justin Schwartz and Lawrence and Alicia Harrison. ❖

Thanks to all of you for supporting The King's House Antiques for 44 years! I have decided not to renew my lease at the Pepper Place and will head for the hills, literally! Please stop by for a visit and take advantage of the great sales!

From left: Andy and Lisa Hernandez, and Becky and Ryan Delfin. Photo

Gena Hyatt and Lee Ann Petty.

Jan and Charlie Carper.

Lawrence and Alicia Harrison.

Pharmacy

Fireflies at the Florentine

Spain Rehab Hosts Annual Fundraiser

The Women’s Committee of Spain Rehabilitation Center hosted its annual Firefly dinner Feb. 13 at the Florentine.

More than 125 guests attended the affair in a venue that boasted large arched windows and tables lit with firefly lights.

Before the seated dinner, the two event honorees, Kelly Garner and Ryan Robinett, shared their moving stories of challenge and recovery. Both have been patients at UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center.

Garner, who lives in Vestavia Hills, suffered a shattered vertebra and fell into a severe diabetic hypoglycemic state in January 2014 after falling 40 feet from a cliff into a ravine while he was assisting stranded motorists during the snowstorm that paralyzed the city.

After numerous surgeries and rigorous rehabilitation treatment at Spain, Garner was not only able to walk again, but he completed the Mercedes half marathon just a year after the accident. He is dedicated to encouraging others through sharing his story.

Robinett, who lives in Birmingham, suffered a sudden onset of neurologic issues in 2014,

and his ability to walk deteriorated significantly over the next 16 months. Through physical rehabilitation at Spain, he has made a full recovery and is able to once again enjoy his favorite outdoor activities with his family.

Robinett has been an advocate and partner of UAB research, espe-

cially projects focusing on demyelinating diseases. He strongly supports the identification of innovative ways to improve rehabilitation methods. Proceeds from the event aid in the purchase of equipment for the rehabilitation center as well as the funding for researchers at the facility. ❖

From left: George and Joy Nunn, Ashley and honoree Ryan Robinett, and Donna and Charles Robinett.

Nancye Lawrence, former president of the Women’s Committee, with granddaughter Kristen Milling and Chris Milling.

From left: Jo Anne and Nick Gaede, and Virginia and Phillip Lavallet.

Photo special

Alabama Wild Edgewood Garden Club Hosts “Discovering Alabama” Star

Doug Phillips, host of the Emmy award-winning TV series, “Discovering Alabama,” spoke to members of Edgewood Garden Club March 16.

Three decades ago, as an educator at the University of Alabama, he led teachers on outdoor trips to see and learn about our state’s rivers, forests and mountains and their ecological importance to people as well as to industries. When teachers expressed a wish that more children could benefit from this information, the idea for a TV show was born.

Today, “Discovering Alabama” is

in its 32nd continuous year and is just as popular with adults as with children. It is shown in schools all over the state, and is accompanied by a state-approved K-12 curriculum guide for teachers.

Several former teachers in the audience recalled Dr. Phillips’ longtime association with local school systems and the fact that he inspired them to pass on the knowledge of Alabama’s biological richness and diversity to students.

He said that in the early days of “Discovering Alabama,” he carried on a frenzied search to find an

onscreen “talent” to serve as host, so that he could stay in the background. It was only when such a talent failed to materialize that he gave up and stepped into the role himself. Today, he continues to function as a oneperson production: writing all his own scripts, selecting the show’s music, editing footage, and continually looking for funding for the series – which, he says, is an everpresent need.

After his presentation, Dr. Phillips answered questions from members about present-day conservation of Alabama’s natural heritage. ❖

From left: Dr. Doug Phillips, Jean Woodward and Mimmi Stanton.

Photo special to the Journal

Southern Drive

Our Lady of Sorrows School Holds Annual Gala

“A Classic Southern Affair: Driving OLS Forward” was the theme for the Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School’s fundraising gala held at the antique car showroom Old Car Heaven.

With vintage cars in view, guests were delighted with live music, dinner and the opportunity to bid on a number of items. Birmingham band Mike Latham and Livewire provided the entertainment. Imperial Catering provided a Southern-style dinner consisting of pork tenderloin, green beans, macaroni and cheese, dinner rolls and chocolate bread pudding.

The fundraising event included live and silent auctions with something for everyone, including: a guitar autographed by country music greats Vince Gill, Chris Young and Brad Paisley; a week-long vacation at a luxury cabin in Maggie Valley, North Carolina; a Tennessee weekend getaway including Tennessee Aquarium tickets; Walt Disney World Park Hopper Tickets; VIP concert tickets to Cheap Trick, Heart and Joan Jett; an American Girl doll package at the Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta; and a one-time Bryant Denny Stadium field suite for Alabama football.

The planning committee was led by PTO President Lesley Tighe, gala chairwoman Kara Barlow and

Many parent volunteers also helped to make the evening a success and all proceeds from the affair will be used for upgrades at the school, including LED lighting and educational technology. ❖

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

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

decorations chairwoman Jen Dent.

From left: Jennifer Courtney, Kim Douglas and Eleanor Turkiewicz.

Christine and Frank LaRussa. Erin and Peter Penherski.

Kara Barlow, Mary Jane Dorn and Lesley Tighe.

Kim and Jason Douglas.

Brent and Robbi Anne Adamson.

Karla and Tre Thomas.

Joseph Braswell

Going for the Green

Mountain Brook Kappas Host

St. Patrick’sThemed

Party

On March 4, the Mountain Brook Kappa Delta Alumnae Association gathered at the home of Emily and Walter Dunn for the group’s annual Shamrock Party.

The dinner was planned by Adelaide Vandevelde and Lisa Flake. Laura Clark and Linda Thompson headed up an auction of prizes benefitting Campfire Girls and Boys.

Attending the party were: Beth and Murphy McMillan, Isabelle and Hank Lawson, Paula and Tom Kennedy, Andrea Statum, Elizabeth Outland, Laura and Andy Sink, Lisa and Jared Flake, Amy and Sid Knight, Linda and Ken Thompson, Leigh Bromberg, Laura Clark, Anne Bethea, Jennifer Marcel DeBruge, Frances Faulconer, Irene Huey Gardner, Betsy Libba and Turner Williams.

Also enjoying the evening were Julia and Joel McMahon, Betsy Harmon, Beaty John Coleman, Sally Hellums, Leah Abele, Melinda Curtis, Amy Lipscomb, Lori and Dan Barber, Anna and Jim Cooper, Susan and Mark Waggoner, Melissa and Jim Kenan, Katie and Ben Patrick, Jane and Chris Brakefield, Drue Miller, Carolyn Tate, Melissa Seton, Susan and Dean Matthews, and Cynthia and John Shearer. ❖

Linda Thompson, Laura Clark and Carolyn Tate.

From left: Frances Faulconer, Jim Cooper, Anna Cooper and Hunter Faulconer.

Beth McMillan, Ashley McMahon, Emily Dunn and Katie Patrick.

Covington-Truitt

Emily Catherine Covington and Rustin Wesley Truitt were married Nov. 21 at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church.

The 6 p.m. ceremony was officiated by the Rev. Monsignor Paul Rohling and Father John

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McDonald. A reception followed at Windwood Equestrian.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Francis Covington Jr. of Birmingham. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Emily Gibbs Lewis of Monroeville and the late Dr. Monroe Clark Lewis and Mrs. Ruth Schilleci Covington of Birmingham and the late Mr. Joseph Francis Covington Sr.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Wesley Truitt of Odenville. He is the grandson of Mrs. Mary Champion Bruce of Birmingham and the late Mr. Thomas Marion Bruce and Mr. and Mrs. Travis Buford Truitt of Springville.

Escorted by her father, the bride wore a strapless silk gazar couture ball gown with a lochrosen and silver thread embroidered bodice by Anna Maier/Ulla-Maija. Her cathedral-length veil with blusher had a butterfly cut with organza trim.

Pendleton-Shannon

To have oTmj wedding & engagemenT forms senT To you, call 823-9646.

The bride was attended by her cousin, Mallory Hayles Barnett, as maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Victoria Marie Austin, Erin Truitt Coppack, Ashton Elizabeth Dobbs, Taylor Renee Henderson, Laine Moore Lamborne, Kimberly DiChiara Stone and Erica Elaine Truitt.

The father of the groom was best man. Groomsmen were Ashton Clark Boykin, Robert Lane Chandler, Alexander Riley Chesnutt, David Andrew Chesnutt, Zebulin Seth Coppack, Joseph Francis Covington III, Matthew Brian Daniels and Wesley Duncan Lamborne.

Ushers were Nicholas Stephen Adams, John Bigham Barnett IV and William Gordin Hayes.

Music was provided by String Theory Quartet with Eric Yates on trumpet, Derek Kluz, organ, and Mrs. Amy Hains as cantor.

After the wedding, the couple live in Dallas.

Giddens-Hoskins

Mrs. Robert “Susan” Pendleton, formerly of Hoover, announces the engagement of her daughter, Ashley Elizabeth Pendleton, to Michael Cole Shannon, son of Ms. Winn Shannon of Mountain Brook and Mr. Michael Shannon of Mountain Brook. Miss Pendleton is the daughter of the late Mr. Robert Pendleton.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Ernest L. “Mary Lou” Bell and the late Mr. Ernest Bell of Scottsboro as well as the late Ms. Maud Pendleton Tucker and Mr. Robert Pendleton of Monticello, Kentucky.

Miss Pendleton is a 2006 graduate of Hoover High School. She is an honor graduate of Auburn University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in interior design and was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority.

Miss Pendleton is employed with T. Duffy and Associates in Atlanta.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Ms. Margaret Cole of Mountain Brook and Mr. Thornton Cole of Navarre, Florida, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Lester Shannon of Anniston.

Mr. Shannon is an honors graduate of the University of Alabama, where he received a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in economics. He is employed with Regions Bank in Atlanta.

The wedding will be held April 16 in Birmingham.

Mr. and Mrs. George Rod Giddens of Sylacauga announce the engagement of their daughter, Juliana Young, to Charles Rayburn Hoskins, son of Mr. and Mrs. Brian Eugene Hoskins of Mountain Brook.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Roy Giddens of Talladega as well as the late Mr. and Mrs. Etheridge Paul Mitchell of Sylacauga.

Miss Giddens is a graduate of Sylacauga High School and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she received her bachelor’s degree in psychology. She is employed with At Home Furnishings in Homewood.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. Carl Eugene Hoskins of Vestavia Hills and the late Mr. Hoskins as well as the late Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Rayburn Fleming of Mountain Brook.

Mr. Hoskins is a graduate of Mountain Brook High School and Auburn University’s Honors College, where he received his bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He is pursuing his doctorate of dental medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The wedding will be June 25 in Birmingham.

Forty and Fabulous

Decorators’ ShowHouse Celebrates Anniversary With a ‘Showstopper’

By Donna Cornelius

The Decorators’ ShowHouse turns 40 this year, and it’s showing no signs of aging.

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra fundraiser started in 1976. The first ShowHouse was a stately Mountain Brook house modeled after George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Imagination Station

Lesley McRae’s Upstairs Bedroom Is a Haven for Creativity

Page 28

home, this year’s Decorators’ ShowHouse, in a style typical of 18th century French domestic architecture.

This year’s event, set for April 9-24, opens the doors of a Mountain Brook house that was built by Katherine and Bill McTyeire, well-known Birmingham business and civic leaders.

“We’re so excited to have this house as our 40th ShowHouse,” said Nan Teninbaum, the Symphony Volunteer Council’s publicity and marketing chairman. “It’s a showstopper.”

Birmingham architect Henry Sprott Long designed the house in the late 1960s. Its style is typical of 18th century France’s domestic architecture. The stucco exterior has limestone accents, and the house’s perch on a crest gives it sweeping views of Shades Valley.

See ShowStopper, page 26

Sweet Memories

Kate Millhouse Recalls Fun, Family Life at the McTyeire House

Page 32

Remembrance of Things Past

Libby greene’s Living Room Holds antiques –and Memories

Page 30

2016 Decorators’ showhouse special section

Journal photos by Lee Walls Jr.

Architect Henry Sprott Long designed the McTyeire

Inside, ShowHouse visitors will see an Italian marble floor in the foyer, an oak-paneled library and intricate woodwork and dentil molding. The impressive staircase that leads from the foyer to the second level of the house has a hand-wrought rail copied from a French chateau. The rail was made in Birmingham at the family’s plant, Birmingham Ornamental Iron Co.

storewide sale

The master suite includes an antique marble fireplace mantel and separate bathrooms. The house has five bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

Teninbaum said the beauty of the house combined with the McTyeires’ being so well known in Birmingham created even more interest from decorators than usual.

Designers and their rooms include Mark Kennamer Design, foyer and landing; Libby Greene Interiors, living room; Jan Ware Designs, master suite; Katie Baker Designs Inc., library; Lesley McRae Interior Design, bedroom and bathroom; Lynne Coker Interiors, sitting room; Christine’s, bedroom and bathroom; Marjorie Johnston & Co., dining room; Marcia Unger Interiors, breakfast room; Cantley & Company, kitchen; Griffith Art Gallery, back hall; and Heather Chadduck Interiors, bedroom.

Outside, Summer Classics is providing seating at the front entry and around the pool on the terrace. Blackjack Gardens will create the Secret Garden area. Near the entrance will be a sculpture garden by Troy Rhone Garden Design.

The ShowHouse is open TuesdayFriday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m. It’s closed on Mondays.

Tickets are $15 until April 8. They’re available at www.eventbrite. com. You can also buy them through April 8 at several Birmingham-area stores. For a list, visit www.alabamasymphony.org.

After April 8, tickets will be $20

at the door.

There’s no parking at the house.

A shuttle service will run from Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church, at 3405 Brookwood Road. The last shuttle leaves for the ShowHouse one hour before it closes each day.

In addition to touring the house and grounds, visitors can drop into the Symphony Shop, which features handmade items from Birmingham-

area artisans, antiques and other items.

They also can eat lunch at the DSH Cafe, which is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Cafe Iz, Miss Dots, Ousler’s and Urban Cookhouse will take turns providing boxed lunches for $10. Desserts will be $3.

Visitors can pick up some design tips at several informative sessions.

... the beauty of the house combined with the McTyeires’ being so well known in Birmingham created even more interest from decorators than usual.

“Our Decorator Seminars have been very popular, and we’re bringing them back this year,” Teninbaum said. The seminars include “Wallpaper and Window Treatment” by James Pace from Rainbow Paint on April 12; “Styling a Room” by Lynne Coker on April 13 and 20; and “Properly Displaying Art and Collectibles” by Perry Umphrey on April 16. Bill Aroosian will lead two seminars, “Creating an Outdoor Room” on April 14 and “How to Design Your Bedroom Like a First-Class Hotel Room” on April 21. All seminars are at 1:30 p.m.

ShowHouse chairwomen are Cheree Carlton, Nancy Morrow and Shirley Brown. ❖

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Glynmere

Journal photo by Lee Walls Jr.

Tricia Over The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646, fax 205-824-1246 April

Kathy’s Designer Kitchens, Inc.

Imagination Station

This is your AD prOOF from the Over The MOunTAin JOurnAl for the April 7, 2016 issue. please fax approval or changes to 824-1246. please make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number!

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Lesley McRae’s Upstairs Bedroom Is a Haven for Creativity

Lesley McRae’s muse for the design of her Decorators’ ShowHouse room is someone she knows very well.

“With this room, I had my own daughter in mind,” McRae said.

Charlotte McRae, an 18-year-old Mountain Brook High School student, writes poetry and paints, her mother said. That’s why the designer’s ShowHouse space – an upstairs bedroom – has places where a creative person can put her imagination to work.

“My daughter is an artist, so she would need a work table,” McRae said. “I found a great one that came from New York’s Hudson Valley. And there’s an easel, too, set up to take advantage of the view and light from the windows.”

That natural light was one reason McRae wanted to design this particular bedroom, she said. The view is of the terrace and swimming pool in the backyard and, beyond that, the treetops of Shades Valley.

McRae, who owns Lesley McRae Interior Design in Birmingham, is calling the room “To Sleep, Perchance to Dream.” The imaginary occupant of this room would sleep – and dream – in Charlotte’s mahogany bed. McRae dressed up the bed with pretty Yves Delorme linens from Christine’s in Mountain Brook.

Over and beside the bed are starburst mirrors.

“They’re almost like pieces of jewelry and add a touch of glamour,” McRae said. “I think rooms have more of a history and a story when you mix old and new pieces.”

McRae chose a white oversized lamp for the bedside table.

“I think it’s fun to mix up the scale of things,” she said.

The vivid artwork on the walls is by Louis Shields.

“He’s a friend of mine who grew up in Birmingham and now lives in Virginia,” McRae said.

She’s also decorated the adjoining bathroom, leaving the original tile intact and adding a personal touch with a monogrammed shower curtain.

McRae said her design for the bedroom was aimed at a girl about her daughter’s age.

“I was thinking of a girl who was maybe home from college or visiting her parents,” she said. “I wanted to create an airy, peaceful, dreamy mood here.” ❖

‘I was thinking of a girl who was maybe home from college or visiting her parents. I wanted to create an airy, peaceful, dreamy mood here.’

Lesley McRae

Story by donna corneliuS • PhotoS by lee WallS Jr.

The bed in Lesley McRae’s upstairs bedroom belongs to her daughter, Charlotte, whom McRae said she had in mind when she designed the room.

Antique Botanical Prints

Yves Delorme bed linens in Lesley McRae’s ShowHouse bedroom are from Christine’s on Canterbury in Mountain Brook Village.

Look for more coverage of the ShowHouse in our April 21st issue.

Call today or visit our showroom to arrange for your complimentary design consultation.

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Remembrance of Things Past

Libby Greene’s Living Room Holds Antiques – and Memories

Like other designers participating in this year’s Decorators’ ShowHouse, Libby Greene has been spending a lot of time in the room she’s designing.

And she’s not the first member of her family to do so.

Greene had a special reason for choosing the living room as her ShowHouse space. Her grandmother, June Henderson, was in the room many times when Katherine and Bill McTyeire lived there, Greene said.

“My grandmother was friends with Mrs. McTyeire and would visit her here,” she said. “This was a special room where they’d sit together and talk and where Mrs. McTyeire would have parties.”

Greene said she wanted the room to be in keeping with the overall style of the house.

“This house is very formal, very dressy, very French,” she said. “Mrs. McTyeire had it full of beautiful antiques.”

Greene said she started her design plan with an old Turkish Oushak rug.

“I got the colors – salmon and mushroom – from the rug,” she said.

The Oushak and a smaller Khotan rug in the room came from Paige Albright Orientals in Mountain Brook Village.

“The two rugs work well together,” Greene said.

ShowHouse visitors likely will admire a French provincial tallcase clock. The honey pine clock, crafted around 1860, has a fruit basket embossed on its brass pendulum. Greene found the clock at Christopher Glenn Inc. in Homewood.

A sofa and a Louis XVI settee provide elegant seating. Beside the sofa is a petite commode, and over the sofa is a striking painting of the interior of the St.-Paul-St.-Louis cathedral in Paris. The artist is Meredith Keith, and the painting came from Gallery 1930 in Mountain Brook.

A coffee table in the living room has a gold-rubbed finish.

“It’s a custom piece that I had made by Hiltz Lauber in

‘My grandmother was friends with Mrs. McTyeire and would visit her here. This was a special room where they’d sit together and talk and where Mrs. McTyeire would have parties.’

Libby Greene

Story by donna corneliuS • PhotoS by lee WallS Jr.

Libby Greene’s ShowHouse living room has elegant conversation spots, including a sofa and Louis XVI settee. The Meredith Keith painting over the sofa is of the interior of the St.-Paul-St.-Louis cathedral in Paris.

©2015 California Closet Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Franchises independently owned and operated.

Homewood,” Greene said.

A large antique mirror hanging over the fireplace and the two demilune tables on either side of the fireplace belonged to Katherine McTyeire, Greene said. The room also has two more personal tributes to the McTyeires.

“There was a grouping of photos in the house, and I made copies of one of Mrs. McTyeire as a little girl and one of Mr. McTyeire on a horse,” Greene said.

A Birmingham native and Auburn University graduate, Greene owns Libby Greene Antiques. For more information, visit the company’s Facebook page. ❖

Sweet Memories

Kate Millhouse Recalls Fun, Family Life at the McTyeire House

By Donna Cornelius

Visitors to this year’s Decorators’ ShowHouse will see a stately house with notable architecture and wander through rooms artistically created by designers.

For Kate Millhouse, the house was more than a beautiful place. It was home.

Her parents, Katherine and Bill McTyeire, were both busy and successful business owners. Katherine McTyeire’s father, Bert Meadow,

Jim Elliott

founded Birmingham Ornamental Iron Co., and she was the longtime owner of Iron Art in Mountain Brook Village. Bill McTyeire started Meadowcraft Furniture and was president and chief executive officer of the company until it sold in the mid-1970s.

Their companies were based in Birmingham, but the McTyeires journeyed around the world to promote the Meadowcraft line. During their travels, they collected antiques – and some famous friends.

“Through the business, they sold furniture to Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and got to know them,” Millhouse said, adding that her parents visited the “I Love Lucy” stars at their home.

Actress June Lockhart of TV’s “Lassie” and “Lost in Space” was another customer who became a friend. She was a guest at the McTyeires’ house, as were conductor Arthur Fiedler and former Alabama Gov. Albert Brewer and his wife, Martha.

“My mother got to know the Brewers when she chaired the Alabama Sesquicentennial celebration in 1969,” Millhouse said.

The McTyeires moved into their Old Leeds Road house in 1969. Their oldest child, Bill, was married by then, and their son Bob was attending the University of Alabama, Millhouse said. Her brother Bert, who later passed away, was a student at BirminghamSouthern College and had his own

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

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“They were always telling business associates and customers to bring their children or grandchildren over to the pool. They were always welcoming and never stuffy.” Kate Millhouse

apartment at the house.

“I remember Bert playing the guitar, sitting by the pool with his friends and playing pool downstairs,” Millhouse said.

She was an eighth-grader and her sister, Helen, was in fifth grade when the family moved to its new house, she said.

“We had friends over to swim, had high school sorority parties here – my parents loved to entertain,” Millhouse said. “They were always telling business associates and customers to bring their children or grandchildren over to the pool. They were always welcoming and never stuffy.”

She and her sister weren’t shuttled upstairs when her parents had parties, she said.

“We’d sometimes get pressed into service by passing hors d’ouevres,” Millhouse said.

One of her favorite spots in the house was her father’s “Auburn room,” she said. Bill McTyeire was a cheerleader and a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at Auburn, which then was still called Alabama Polytechnic Institute.

“Photos lined the walls of that room – not only to do with Auburn but from their trips and with people like Lucy and Desi,” Millhouse said.

She hopes ShowHouse visitors will notice the house’s extensive ornamental ironwork. Her parents worked with

architect Henry Sprott Long to prominently incorporate in the design the material upon which their businesses were based, she said.

“The iron front door was created especially for this house,” Millhouse said.

She also encourages visitors to look carefully at the original chinoiserie wallpaper in the dining room. It’s decorated with trees, flowers, birds and

‘Through the business, they sold furniture to Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and got to know them,’ Millhouse said, adding that her parents visited the “I Love Lucy” stars at their home. To: Hanna Antique From: Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646

Date: March This is your AD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTAiN JOurNAl for the April 7, 2016 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246. Please make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number!

butterflies.

“It’s handpainted, so you won’t see the same butterfly twice,” Millhouse said.

Bill McTyeire died in 2003. Katherine McTyeire remained in their house until her death in 2013. Millhouse said her parents had links to the Decorators’ ShowHouse and to the organization it benefits.

“Both my parents supported the Alabama Symphony, and my mother did the sun porch for the very first ShowHouse in 1976,” she said. “I remember she put a big rug with frogs in the room. I think she’d be proud and would have approved of this house being the ShowHouse.” ❖

Journal photo by Maury Wald

food

In Business – and Lovin’ It

Mountain Brook Mom Owns 13 McDonald’s Stores

By Donna Cornelius

Lots of moms and dads take the kids to McDonald’s for a fun and casual night out.

Ashley Kaple’s family meals at the popular fast food chain are no different, except for one thing. When the Kaples go to McDonald’s, there’s a good chance she owns the store.

The 34-year-old Mountain Brook resident owns 13 McDonald’s in places such as Trussville, Leeds, Moody, Pinson, Pell City,

‘I loved being involved in the business. I’d go with my dad to help other owners open new stores. We’re all one big McFamily.’

Talladega, Oneonta and Rome, Georgia. She manages more than 1,000 employees.

“I was born in Atlanta, and my parents moved to Oneonta when I was eight and built the first McDonald’s there,” Kaple said. “They also lived in Arab and Guntersville, where I went to high school. My parents, Charles and Billie Spann, live in Guntersville now.”

Once she was old enough, Kaple pitched in at McDonald’s, she said.

“I loved being involved in the business,” Kaple said. “I’d go with my dad to help other owners open new stores. We’re all one big McFamily.”

Despite those experiences, Kaple wasn’t sure what career she wanted to pursue when she enrolled at Samford University.

“I got two degrees, one in biology and one in business,” she said. “During my junior year, I decided I loved McDonald’s and business, so I called my dad and told him I wanted to go into the business with him.”

Kaple said she learned “from the ground up.”

“I went through the McDonald’s training program, which took about two years,” she said. “I was approved as an owner when I was 24.”

Her first store was in Oneonta.

“That was neat, because it was the first McDonald’s I’d known because my parents built it,” she said.

Kaple has been married for eight years to Dr.

Trevor Kaple, a Birmingham endodontist. They have three daughters: five-year-old Reese, threeyear-old Pearce and Kennedy, who’s about 20 months old.

Balancing family and work responsibilities can be a challenge, Kaple said.

“I try to get up and exercise, and then I pray a lot and drink a pot of coffee to start the day,” she said. “I evaluate sales and deal with any customer complaints or issues. I have a great team of directors, supervisors and managers. We touch base every day so I can make sure they have what they need. Some days, I might spend all day at one store, or I might visit several.”

Kaple said she’s proud of the food McDonald’s serves.

“Our food comes from really great suppliers,” she said.

She also said it’s possible to eat at McDonald’s without blowing your diet.

“It’s all about moderation,” she said. “If you want a hamburger and fries, it’s not the end of the world. We do have healthy options, too, like our Egg White Delights, Southwestern Salad and parfaits. You can eat a whole day at McDonald’s and stay within your diet.”

She pointed to John Cisla, a high school biology teacher from Iowa who wrote a book about his experience of eating solely at McDonald’s for six months. Cisla said his weight dropped from 249 to 190 pounds during that time.

See kaple, page 35

Catering Kudos: Kathy g and Company Wins top aWards

Birmingham catering company Kathy G and Company won two top awards from the International Special Events Society.

Kathy Mezrano and some of her team members were on hand for the Allie Awards ceremony, held March 6 at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.

The company won Allie awards for Best Event: Corporation/Association (under $100,000) and for Best OffPremise Catering.

Both awards were for Kathy G’s events last summer for Gamma Phi Beta sorority, which celebrated the opening of its new sorority house on the University of Alabama campus. Mezrano used the theme of the event, “No Place Like Home,” to create food stations inspired by “The Wizard of Oz.”

Cajun Cooking: jubilee joe’s CraWfish Boil is april 23

Jubilee Joe’s Cajun and Seafood Restaurant is bringing New Orleans flavor to Venue 31 in Pelham April 23.

Thousands of pounds of fresh Louisiana crawfish will be brought in and boiled at the event, which is from 1-10 p.m. Other Louisiana dishes also will be on the menu.

Headlining the festival’s entertainment will be Everclear, an American alternative rock band. A children’s center will include a crawfish race.

Hungry patrons will have a chance to win $500 in a crawfish eating contest.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Hand in Paw, which provides animal-assisted therapy.

General admission tickets are $22. VIP tickets are $45 and include all-you-can-eat crawfish. Admission is free for ages 12 and younger.

See food newS, page

Culinary Community news and events

ashley kaple of Mountain brook grew up as the daughter of a McDonald’s owner and now owns stores in trussville, leeds and other cities.

Journal photo by Lee Walls Jr.

from left: nichole stoffel, natalie pilato andrews, Kathy mezrano and andy hopper.

35

By Donna Cornelius

by Judy Butler

Rehab Reality Surprise! Mom’s Here

(I get that alot.)

So why, after months of articles from Jeff and Julie do I suddenly appear? Simple, it’s the Decorator Show House edition and I love redesigning and restoring things.

So how does this relate to the drug and alcohol business. It’s also about rebuilding, saving the good, redesigning or getting rid of the bad. That’s what happens at Bayshore Retreat.

I’m not saying I deserve credit for this, other than supporting the effort. Jeff (my son) deserves the credit for having the dream and handling the logistics of licenses, etc...our staff deserves the credit for fullfilling the dream daily. Are we redesigning lives like a decorator? Yes, but as with a decorator one can’t do it alone They need professionals to build, do electrical and plumbing work, etc. Also true in the rehab business. Most people can’t over come addiction alone. Especially when their lives and health are in ruin.

What we’ve done is create a place that goes to every length possible to educate and improve the health, self esteem and confidence of those who have an addiction. Also, as with the restoration of a wonderful old home, thought must be given as to how it will be “maintained”. At Bayshore we call this an Exit Plan or After Care... which is a part of helping a client continue the new and healthier life they’ve established.

There are so many rehabs out there that prey on families and individuals with addiction. Take care in selecting one. If you have questions, call me.

Donna Francavilla’s Greystone home turned into a bakery on March 12.

Friends and fellow church members from Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church became chefs for a day to make traditional Italian cookies called pizzelles for the church’s annual Feast of Saint Mark, set this year for April 30.

During the party, volunteer bakers of almost all ages turned out to operate mixers, bake the cookies and then bag and tag them. A group at Francavilla’s kitchen table used cookie presses, which are similar to waffle irons, to give the cookies their distinct snowflake-like pattern.

Francavilla, an award-winning journalist who owns Frankly Speaking Communications, said she loves making pizzelles.

“I always make them during the holidays,” she said. “They’re a light cookie and not too sugary or sweet. But they’re just one type of many cookies baked by Italians. We’ll have tables and tables of different cookies at the feast.”

There will be no shortage of other foods during the feast, to be held at the church, including old and new Italian favorites and an on-site oven for baking pizzas. Chef Chris Vizzina will make the feast’s main course. In the “Piazza di San Marco,” restaurants and specialty food vendors including Papa John’s Pizza, Arnone’s Italian Sausage, Mr. P’s Butcher Shop and Deli, Graffeo Brothers Sausage, Amore Ristorante Italiano, Bare Naked Noodles, Joe’s Italian Pizza, Pasta & Caffe and Bellini’s Ristorante will provide plenty of good things to eat.

While no one is likely to leave hungry, the Feast of Saint Mark is about more than food, said Robert Sbrissa, who started the event five years ago. When he and his wife, Monica, moved to Birmingham from Montreal in 1996, they were surprised to learn that the city had no Italian festivals, he said. His family is Italian on both sides, and he grew up in an Italian-speaking community.

“I’d see Greek festivals, Lebanese festivals here in Birmingham, and we met so many people with Italian surnames,” Sbrissa said. “Many friends told me they remembered events in Birmingham that were held when they were children – the Columbus Day festival, Roma Club events.

A Feast for the Family

“I said, why don’t we do a feast? Saint Mark, our parish, was looking for an event to establish our identity. We approached Italian-owned businesses, and they jumped at the chance to participate.”

Feast, not festival, is the correct term for the event, Sbrissa said.

“We’ve created a feast around Mark the Evangelist, whose feast day is April 25,” he said. “It’s about faith, family, food and fun.”

Joining in the fun of the pizzellemaking party was Sbrissa’s daughter, Caraline. The 20-year-old University of Alabama student said she likes contributing to the feast by volunteering.

“A couple of my friends have come to the feast every year, and that’s the goal of my parents – to let people see the traditions and see what’s important to them,” she said.

Monica Sbrissa, said the first feast was “pulled off in about six weeks.”

“We had about 1,600 people come the first year,” she said. “Now, we have 3,000 every year.”

The feast is a real community event, she said.

“It’s a celebration, like going to a big Italian wedding,” she said. “We’ll have seating for 750, wine, cookies, cappuccino and gelato. You’ll see three or four generations having fun together.”

The feast, which usually sells out, raises money for the church and the charities it supports. It starts at 3:30 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. The church is at 7340 Cahaba Valley Road in Birmingham.

The event includes bocce ball games, an Italian market and feast souvenirs for sale. There are children’s activities, including rides and crafts. Benchmark Automotive Group is bringing Italian cars to the event, too.

Entertainment on the event’s main stage stars at 4:30 p.m. Among the performers this year are the Razz Ma Tazz band, Total A$$et$ band, former Miss Alabama Amanda Tapley and dancers.

A Franki Valli tribute is at 6:30 p.m.

A special event has been added this year to celebrate the feast’s fifth anniversary.

“We’re having a beautiful fireworks show, synchronized to the best Italian opera,” Robert Sbrissa said.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for ages 6 to 12. There’s no admission charge for ages five and younger. For tickets, visit www.feastofstmark.com/ tickets.

More information about the feast is on the website and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sbrissa said the feast is an opportunity for his own children – and other families – to experience what he grew up with.

“The whole idea is for it to be a multi-generational gathering,” he said. “That’s the cornerstone of the feast. You’ll have children, parents and grandparents all together.”

Sbrissa is looking forward to welcoming a special guest to the feast.

“This is the first year my 87-yearold father, Phil Sbrissa, from Montreal is getting to come,” he said. “For him, it will be pretty emotional – a validation of our culture. We’ll sit together and watch the fireworks. It will be a oncein-a-lifetime experience.” ❖

Festival PreP: Above, from left: Mary Beth Crumly, Donna Francavilla, Monica Sbrissa, Robert Sbrissa and Mary Jo Fritts. Below, Caraline Sbrissa and her grandmother help make pizzelles for the Feast of St. Mark April 30.

Journal

photos by Emily Williams

‘Blessed and Grateful’

Crestline Elementary School Custodian Nominated for National Award

By Sarah Kuper

To those who know and love him, Jerome Lewis, or “Mr. Jerome,” is more than the man keeping the classrooms and hallways clean.

For nine years, Lewis has dedicated himself to investing in children by paying attention to their triumphs and their tragedies.

Now, staff and students at Crestline Elementary School as well as the community have mobilized to make sure Lewis receives the recognition he deserves through an online contest sponsored by Cintas.

The school uses Cintas janitorial supplies, and the company is holding an online contest to name Janitor of the Year. The winner will receive $5,000 and the school will receive money for cleaning supplies or equipment.

Crestline Principal Laurie King said a teacher saw the contest online and immediately knew Lewis should be the winner.

“We have a family culture here at Crestline but Mr. Jerome adds even more depth to that culture,” King said.

Lewis said he is humbled by the attention and he is hoping to use this opportunity to make a difference.

“I’m proud, honored and privileged to be a custodian. I view it as a true profession. I know the value and worth of it. I believe I can represent custodians and be their voice,” he said.

King described Lewis as the “hardest working man” she’s ever met.

“He regards the school as his house and you can depend on him to do an immaculate job. He loves to welcome people into his home.”

Though custodians don’t often stand in the spotlight, Lewis said he knows how important his work is to the school.

“I look at this place as a body. I’m part of the system. I may get less attention but if you severed my profession from the body, watch the domino effect, teachers can’t do their part because now they have to do

Briarwood Christian’s Pelham Named National Merit Finalist

Just Around the Riverbend

Local Band of Students Releases First

By emily WilliamS

Over the Mountain locals Stanton Langley, Max Simon, Price Pewitt and Sims Ruffino may be young, but they are taking Birmingham’s music scene by storm.

With Langley at the mic with a guitar, Pewitt on bass, Simon on guitar and Ruffino taking over the drums, the boys make up the band Riverbend.

Langley, Simon and Pewitt are each in the ninth grade at Mountain Brook Junior High School and Ruffino, the most recent addition, is in the 10th grade at Vestavia Hills High School. They aren’t new to the act of playing instruments, though.

“I’ve pretty much been playing since I could pick up a drumstick,” Ruffino said. “I’ve also grown up watching my dad play.”

theme song from “Friends.”

EP

Riverbend has a long list of shows lined up for the summer following the recent release of its first EP, ‘Colors,’ a culmination of everything they have learned together in the past year and support from local artists.

“It helps that Birmingham has such a cool music scene and there are so many people around here to learn from,” Ruffino said. “It makes the music industry seem like a more tangible career.”

Together the boys have created what they refer to as a sample of what is to come with their newly recorded EP.

“‘Colors’ is really the first step,” Pewitt said. “It’s a teaser to the album we’re recording this summer.”

more things and kids won’t reap the benefit of learning.”

Lewis has been known to keep in touch with students and families long after they’ve graduated. He has even visited children and families in the hospital.

But it is Lewis who has been in and out of the hospital lately.

In 2013, Lewis was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

Since then, the community has rallied around him, even raising money for him to go to MD Anderson Cancer Center for treatment.

Unfortunately, doctors have now determined his cancer to be terminal.

Lewis said he has made peace with his diagnosis and his faith is sustaining him.

On any given day, King said, she can ask Lewis how he is feeling and he always answers, “Blessed and grateful!”

Lewis said that, because of his illness, he is able to take a unique perspective on the attention and praise he is receiving.

“God gave me special favor and blessing that before I sleep the sleep of death, that on this side of the grave, I can receive accolades and praises. I’m feasting on them not to be exalted above men, but it is in

humility I thank God for it because he didn’t have to do that,” Lewis said.

As a man of great faith, Lewis said he does not shy away from telling others to have a “blessed day” or giving praise and credit to God.

He said he believes using positive language and actions in the presence of young people has affected those around him.

“If you treat children right and promote good, then good will increase. Great things come from meager beginnings,” he said.

Children approach Lewis in the halls and recount how many times they’ve voted for him and who they have told about the contest.

Signs and posters decorate the halls reminding people to vote online.

Now that Lewis has made the top 10, voters can go online and vote as many times as they want.

Voting ends April 15 and Cintas will announce the winner after that.

Regarding the prize money, Lewis said his first priorities would be tithing and taxes.

King said her staff is determined that Lewis will win and is asking everyone to vote as often as possible.

To vote for Lewis, visit cintas. com/customer_applications/janitoroftheyear/vote.aspx. ❖

Homewood Math Team Maintains Winning Standard

It doesn’t hurt that Ruffino’s late grandfather, Tony, had a 30-year career as an Alabama concert promoter.

Likewise, Pewitt’s father had a big influence on his desire to learn how to play guitar continuing into elementary school, where he was further exposed to his instrument of choice, bass guitar.

“The band formed kind of slowly,” Pewitt said. “We’ve been playing for about a year and a half, probably since August of 2014.”

The band has played at the Junior High’s talent show, Art Forms, and will perform at both the Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills Relay for Life events, but their local fame has taken them further. They’ve played professional venues downtown such as Rogue Tavern and Iron City and local festivals such as Do Dah Day and Crestline Rocks.

“We basically play anywhere and everywhere,” Pewitt said. “One weekend we could be in a random barn outside of town and the next we’re playing at someone’s engagement party.”

According to the band members, their set lists tend to be about 60 percent original songs and 40 percent covers, and their sound is eclectic.

“I’d say it’s indie rock with the slight set twinge of something Southern,” Simon said.

They cover anything from John Mayer to REM in any given performance. An audience favorite is the

The boys haven’t pinned down a distinct genre to classify their sound, but a recurring theme is love.

“We kind of laughed at ourselves about how intense a few of the songs felt,” Ruffino said. “We almost named it ‘A Guide to Taking Yourself Too Seriously.’”

According to Pewitt, the bulk of their songs are about their past relationships, which they each find funny since they are only 15 and 16.

The EP is a precursor to the album they will be recording this summer.

“It’ll be interesting to see what happens between now and recording the album,” Pewitt said. “We’re playing so many shows, so it will be cool to see how the songs evolve and change.”

They suspect the tracks from the EP will make it onto their debut album, but Pewitt said they are glad to have a period of time to let the songs marinate.

In the meantime, the band is looking forward to upcoming performances including both the Mountain Brook High School’s and Vestavia Hills High School’s Relay for Life events (see related stories on page 12) and the Vestavia Hills Beautification Board’s Art in the Hills festival in April (see related story on page 16). The band will also appear in an upcoming TEDx broadcast in May.

Riverbend’s EP is available on iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, Tidal, Bandcamp and in a disc version. For more information, email Riverbendofficial@gmail.com.❖

Conner Pelham

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. organization selected 15,000 finalists from the list of nearly 1.5 million students nationwide. Each year, students enter the competition by taking the 2015 Preliminary SAT. Afterward, semifinalists participate in a year-long application process that includes test scores, academic marks, extracurricular activities, essays and teacher endorsements.

The HHS Comprehensive Math Team has won its fourth state championship in a row

Individually, the team had nine of the top 16 students in their division including Will Smith, fourth; Laughlin Ashe, fifth (tied); Duncan McDuff, fifth (tied); Paul Selden, seventh; and Chandler Harris, eighth.

Joining the comprehensive team, the Algebra II Math Team won their fourth state championship as well. The team had 19 of the top 22 students in their division, including Eric Hepp, first; Leizl Torres, second; Eleanor McRae, third; Stanford Massie, fifth; Robert Gaddis, sixth; Colin Clifton, seventh; Caroline Condon, eighth; Joel Edson, ninth; and Hunter Callaway, 10th.

Rounding out the wins was the geometry math team, which won its third consecutive state championship. The team had 17 of the top 20 students in their division, including Collins Keith, second; Franz Mercado, fourth; Allain Rapadas, fourth; Jackson Wallace, sixth; Matthew Henderson, seventh; Campbell Brabston, eighth; and Eliza Thornton, 10th.

The HHS Math teams are sponsored by Tim Hurry and Mark Hellmers. ❖

Crestline Principal Laurie King with school custodian Jerome Lewis. Staff and students at Crestline Elementary School as well as the community have mobilized to make sure Lewis receives the recognition he deserves through an online contest sponsored by Cintas.

Journal photo by Sarah Kuper

Photo special to the Journal

Riverbend is scheduled to perform at Mountain Brook High School and Vestavia Hills High School Relay for Life events this month.

Vestavia Hills Mock Congressional Debate Team Prepares for Nationals

By Emily Williams

Twenty students from Vestavia Hills High School will be traveling to the nation’s capital April 22-25 for the national We the People competition.

The journey isn’t new for the mock congressional hearing team’s coach, Amy Maddox. This will be her 12th time seeing students to Washington, D.C., but she says it is always a trip she looks forward to.

“I love the content and I love watching them make their historical and governmental studies relevant,” Maddox said. “They apply it to what they see in the news, what they see happening in our state and in the nation. I love seeing these kids be the best versions of themselves. It challenges them on a whole different intellectual level.”

For students, the trip is the culmination of daily hard work studying U.S. political history and current events.

Amy Zho, Jay Wall and Jackson Robinson make up Unit Five of the sixunit team.

“We’ve had Mrs. Maddox for two years and see that she really loves the U.S. and its founding Constitution,” Zho said. “I think her dedication toward the subject itself is what led me to join the team.”

Each unit is given a topic to focus on and three questions to prepare responses to for the competition. In addition to an opening statement and response time, the last 10 minutes of their competition slot will be devoted to open questioning on any topic the judges choose.

“Our questions for nationals are about freedom of speech, freedom of religion and right to bear arms. They are very controversial and timely topics,” Robinson said. Though they are focusing on those three issues, they have to stay on top of current events and issues

that have anything to do with the Bill of Rights. Luckily, members of Unit Five love the subject and see the impact their studies will have on their future.

“The more I learn about politics, the less I want to do it,” Wall said. “I want to major in history and then go into law school. We’ve learned a lot about cases and I think that will definitely help me if I want to become a lawyer.”

Zho and Robinson both plan to pursue political science degrees in college.

“It’s a way of thinking,” Robinson said. “When we read all of the things we have to read, it kind of changes the way you think about politics. One of the major aspects is public speaking, which is important for everyone. You also need to be able to think logically and reason with others and discuss big ideas civilly.”

The students said that the topics they are delving into are especially exciting at this point in the presidential race. Not only are the 18-year-olds able to vote for the first time, they know just what their vote means.

“It is definitely important,” Robinson said. “It’s the easiest way to express your voice in government.”

Wall said he is quick to voice his opinions to anyone who doesn’t feel their vote is necessary.

“They don’t have any faith in the system and they don’t think it represents them, unfortunately. That’s a problem with the electoral college,” he said.

Unit Five may not be debating the right to vote at nationals, but their studies for the We the People competition have prepared them for any political discussion that is thrown their way. ❖

Mic Man

Spartan’s Galloway Calls It as He Sees It

By Lee Davis

If you attended a Mountain Brook basketball game in 2015-16, the name William Galloway might not ring a bell.

But his voice almost certainly left an impression.

Galloway, a junior, just completed his first season as the public address system voice at Spartan home games – but that’s not his only job. He’s also the team manager for the varsity. When Mountain Brook isn’t playing, he’s reporting on the Spartan athletic program via social media.

“I’m wearing a lot of hats,” Galloway said. “Handling the PA (public address) duties and acting as team manager is a challenge. It’s a lot to juggle, but I love it.”

Galloway’s voice and the tenor of his call is professional quality. He rarely pauses and never misses a name or number as players for both teams are entering or leaving the court.

“It’s not as hard as it might sound,” Galloway said. “In most games, unless it’s a blowout, there’s usually only about six or seven guys playing per team so it’s easy to remember the numbers. I see Mountain Brook play so much that it doesn’t take long to memorize their line-up. And after a while I get familiar with the players on the other teams.”

Galloway sees his role as much more than a voice behind a microphone – he’s a representative of the Spartan program and the school.

“I try to maintain a calming presence with my voice and try not to sound like a pro-Mountain Brook homer. Even when things get exciting at the end of the game, I have to focus and concentrate on what’s going on out on the court. Having a good game-day appearance and demeanor is important as well.”

Galloway’s most exciting moments of the season just past took place when the Spartan boys and girls teams faced Ramsay in late January.

“Our girls lost in double overtime

after playing really hard, and that was kind of emotionally draining,”

Galloway said. “Then the boys played a televised game. Ben McCool scored at the very end to give us the win and the place went wild. I had to stay calm, but that’s a night that will stay in my memory.”

Basketball season is over, but Galloway is taking his talents straight to the baseball diamond. He’ll be doing public address work for all of the Mountain Brook home games. “Calling baseball is a little different than basketball,” Galloway said. “With basketball, there is continuous action. Baseball goes at a much slower pace. I’m not sure if that will make it easier or more difficult. Announcing is always a balance between calling the game for the spectators without talking too much.”

Galloway first became involved in broadcasting as a sophomore, when he worked with fellow student Jack Royer and television personality Mike Royer on the radio broadcast of Mountain Brook football games. Galloway kept up with game statistics and gave updates on social media. After his work there, duties as public address announcer seemed to be a natural fit.

With his senior year approaching, Galloway received a tangible vote of confidence that the athletic department is planning on using him again in 2016-17; the school is purchasing a new sound system for basketball.

“Our old one was on its last leg,” he said. “I can’t wait until they set it up and we’ll see how it does.”

Galloway isn’t sure where he will attend college, but he does know the field he will pursue as his major. “I want to study broadcast journalism,” he said. “I love sports and really like being behind the scenes. This is a good way to do that.”

Most observers expect Mountain Brook to have a quality basketball team next season, but regardless of what happens on the court, William Galloway will continue to call it as he sees it. ❖

By Lee Davis

When Derek Irons came to Oak Mountain as head baseball coach after a highly successful stint at Class 4A’s Charles Henderson of Troy, he realized he was moving from the frying pan to the proverbial fire.

“There’s no question that the best high school baseball in Alabama is played in metro Birmingham,” said Irons – who won 221 games and two state championships in seven years at Henderson. “From Classes 7A on down, there is great competition at all levels and that’s a challenge we were looking forward to facing.”

Fortunately for Irons, he took over a team that seems to be talented enough to be one of this area’s best. Going into the Buccaneers Classic spring break tournament last week, the Eagles had posted a 17-4 record and a Top Ten ranking with Class 7A Area 5 play just around the corner.

So far, Irons has liked what he’s seen.

“It was a very easy transition,” Irons said. “We did things a lot like we did after coming to Charles Henderson, as far as changing the

fuller,

from page 40

“The obvious goal is another state championship,” he explained. “But as a team we want to have one of the most successful seasons that any high school golf team has had. As for the rest of my career at Mountain Brook, three straight state titles would be nice, but I’m still focused on taking it one step at a time.”

Fuller, who claims Mountain Brook Club and Shoal Creek as his home courses, started playing golf almost as soon as he stepped out of his crib. His father, Alan, is a former

had already stolen 30 bases going into last week.

McDonald is hitting .377 with 16 RBIs for the season; Williamson is batting .339 with 15 RBIs.

One of Oak Mountain’s greatest strengths in the early months of the season is the consistency of its pitching staff, as four hurlers – two seniors, a junior and a sophomore –have led the way.

Sophomore right-hander Gene Hurst is 3-0 with 27 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.15. Another righty, senior Michael Flack is also 3-0 and has fanned 25 opposing batters. His ERA is 2.21.

Irons Men

Oak Mountain

to Strong Start

culture of baseball here. The players have bought in from day one and are very receptive to what we’ve been teaching and coaching.”

In the new regime, Oak Mountain has emphasized the most basic fundamentals of baseball – with pitching, defense and manufactured runs being the keys to success.

“We haven’t hit a home run all season,” Irons said. “So you couldn’t call us a power team. We’ve got guys who can hit singles and doubles and put the ball in the right places. We’re also very aggressive around the bases and fight for runs wherever we can get them.”

The Eagles’ offense is led by a legion of impressive hitters, including junior outfielder Ethan Holsombeck, junior third baseman J.J. McDonald and junior catcher Mason Williamson.

“Ethan is very good at setting the table for us by getting on base,” Irons said. “That allows us to find ways to score runs.”

Holsombeck is hitting a torrid .447 with 12 RBIs and has eight stolen bases. Oak Mountain’s tilt toward speed as opposed to power is reflected by the fact that the Eagles

college golfer.

“My dad played at Georgia Tech, so I have some serious golf genes in me,” Fuller said, laughing. “He has been an incredible mentor to me and is for sure the main reason I’ve gotten to where I am today. The love and support of my family is something I’ll always be thankful for and without them I don’t know where I’d be. They are the most important thing in my golf game and life in general.”

Much like Bradley Johnson, Fuller is also grateful to a higher power.

“God has played a huge role in my life by making me realize golf is nothing more than a game,” he said. “That outlook has taken a lot of

Junior right-hander Joseph Hartsfield is 3-1. He has 36 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.84. The southpaw in the foursome is senior Will Driscoll, who has struck out 10 batters and compiled an ERA of 3.20. “Will helps us a lot when we need a lefty for a chance of pace,” Irons said.

“All four guys give us a chance,” he continued. “Each has done all you can ask a pitcher to do. When we’ve dominated this year, our pitching has been a big part of it.”

Irons said senior leadership has been an important element in the staff’s chemistry. “Our two seniors (Flack and Driscoll) have set a great example for the younger pitchers,” he added. Seniors are a rare commodity on a roster loaded with juniors and sophomores.

While the Eagles look formidable, the meat of the schedule is straight ahead. They play in one of their classification’s toughest areas, which includes perennial powers Thompson and Hoover and always-dangerous Tuscaloosa County.

The entire season will hang in the balance during a two-week period in April, when Oak Mountain faces each area opponent three times. A strong showing would likely send the Eagles to the coveted post-season playoffs.

“Our goal is to reach the postseason,” Irons said. “You can’t win the state championship if you don’t make the post-season. The road will be tough for us from here on out – but it’s just as tough for everybody else.” Irons – who has family members in Birmingham – is enjoying his first year at Oak Mountain.

“It’s been great to be here,” said Irons. “And the best thing has been to be a part of this school and be around these kids.”

There’s a long way to go, but as March gave way to April, the Eagles were flying high. ❖

the pressure off me and my performance.”

Fuller also has an acute sense of golf tradition and history. He said the trophy ceremony following the conclusion of The Bradley gave him a special feeling.

“It was really cool being able to sign my name on the winner’s flag with guys like Bobby Wyatt (former Alabama star and now on the PGA tour) and Robby Shelton (current Crimson Tide golfer) who have accomplished so much in the past,” Fuller said.

Bradley Johnson would be proud that Ben Fuller’s name is added to that exclusive list. ❖

off

Journal photo by Marvin Gentry

Junior third basemen JJ McDonald is hitting .377 with 16 RBIs for the season. More photos at otmjsports.com

Break point

and basic living staples such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, T-shirts, wash rags and baby diapers.

us. We just knocked on the door and said, ‘We’d love to pray with you.’ We would ask them if they had a relationship with God. It was interesting to me that it is easier to talk about God in areas that have a lot of poverty than it is in more affluent places.”

Appropriately, the FCM group’s first full day in Honduras was Easter Sunday, and Compton had the opportunity to speak at a local church. “I don’t speak Spanish, but we had a good interpreter,” she said. “I was nervous and got pretty emotional while I was talking. It was such a privilege to be able to do that. I trusted God to put the right words in my mouth.”

The group also ministered to an area a few miles away called “The Dump.” It’s literally a garbage dump where poor Hondurans search for food and discarded items. Some even live in The Dump. Others lived in one room shacks near The Dump, with only a sheet as a door. Some of the shacks housed as many as seven people, according to Compton.

In addition to preaching the gospel, the FCM team offered hot food

Compton was deeply moved by much of what she saw.

“Even when you see such poverty with your own eyes, it’s hard to imagine,” she said. “One of the young mothers had to put the same dirty diaper on her baby because it was the only diaper she had. She couldn’t just go down to the local supermarket and buy more. The experience makes you realize how much we take for granted at home.”

The temperature in Honduras tended to be in the comfortable 70s, but Compton said she and her companions were so active that they stayed hot much of the time.

“There was concern about the Zika virus so we sometimes wore medical scrubs,” she said. “We were sweating a lot.”

Other Over the Mountain girls who participated in the trip included Taylor Cahoon, Ashlyn Lovell, Emily Anderson, Emma King, Meghan Levant, Grace Sandavol, Caroline Trott, Hannah George, Lillie Kate Prather, Frances Wheeler, Haley Hauk and Cameron Hauk.

Compton said all the girls were motivated by a desire to spread the

By Lee Davis

Almost all high school students get excited about spring break. But the Spain Park boys soccer team might be just as excited about going back to school.

That’s because as the break arrived, the Jaguars were playing their best soccer of the season.

Spain Park entered the vacation period with an impressive 4-1 win over cross-town rival Hoover. The victory moved the Jags’ record to 9-5-2 and earned them the number three spot in the Class 7A polls.

The team may not have a head-turning record, but that doesn’t tell the full story.

“We believe in playing a difficult schedule,” Spain Park coach Matt Hall said. “Consistently facing strong opposition prepares a team for the post-season. I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made overall.”

A solid defensive effort has been a big reason for the Jags’ early successes. They are giving up fewer than two goals per game, and their two goalkeepers – freshman Trevor Bernier and junior Cole Oberst – already have 81 saves between them. Bernier earned six saves in the victory over Hoover and 60 overall.

Depth on offense has been another early key for Spain Park, as no fewer than six players had scored at least three goals through March. The leader is sophomore Cameron Sumpter with nine goals. Senior Victor Ibanez and junior Dylan Bradley each have six goals for the Jaguars. Sophomore Reece Eberhardt follows with five goals.

“Our goal scoring has been diversified throughout the year,” Hall said. “We’re getting a lot of contributions from many different players in scoring, assists and overall play. Currently, we’re starting five seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and a freshman, with plenty of other guys playing important roles.”

Sumpter’s fast start doesn’t surprise Hall.

“Cameron has done very well for us,” the coach said. “He’s a very athletic player, an excellent dribbler and a really good finisher.”

His older brother Tyler, a senior, plays fullback in soccer and is an outstanding kicker for the Jag football team.

word of Christ.

“Only 5 percent of the world will venture to tell people about Jesus,” she said. “We all wanted to be part of that 5 percent.”

The idea of going on a mission trip had been on Compton’s mind for a long time before finally committing to the journey to Honduras.

“All through school, my summers were so busy with basketball and other things,” she said. “So I decided I wanted to spend the spring break of my senior year on a trip like this one.” She expects to tell the story of her experience to her home congregation at Liberty Park Baptist Church soon.

Compton will be attending the University of Alabama next fall and said that the fast pace of college life won’t prevent her from returning to Honduras.

“This was so much better than another beach trip,” she said. “I’m definitely going back.”

Jessica Compton and her friends could have spent spring break riding waves or making money. And there’s nothing wrong with doing either. Instead, they chose to help feed hungry stomachs and save souls – and there’s everything right about doing that. ❖

Spain Park’s depth is also illustrated by its unselfishness. Tyler Sumpter and sophomore Adrian Castro each have three assists, while six other players have two assists each.

Another leader for the Jaguars has been senior captain Parker Strum, a center back who has committed to play at Birmingham Southern College next fall. Strum’s best moment of the season may have come in the Hoover game, when his goal in the second half gave Spain Park a 2-1 advantage that it never relinquished.

“Parker is a terrific leader and very good in one-on-one battles,” Hall said.

Junior Liam Condone has seen action at both center back and midfielder.

“He’s excelled in both positions,” Hall said. “He’s a physically tough kid who is good in the air and reads the game on the field very well. Liam is also a very good distributor of the ball when we are in possession.”

Other key contributors include seniors Evan Boykin and Davis Osborne and junior Gersain Leon.

Hall, who became head coach of the Jaguars in 2014, spent 10 years at Spain Park as an assistant coach. Previously he served as head coach at Pleasant Grove. He said the explosion of interest in soccer in Alabama – and particularly in the Over the Mountain area – during the past decade has been unprecedented.

“The quality of play is better than ever,” he said. “The kids start at an early age in the youth programs and start getting good coaching from the very beginning. We’re blessed to be in an area with great athletes, good facilities and strong support from the administration and parents. There are a lot of positives for our program.”

As play resumes in April, Hall is optimistic that Spain Park can be a contender for what would be the school’s first-ever Class 7A boys title.

“We’re just thinking about the next step, and that’s to try to improve every day,” he said. “If we continue to work hard and have the same attitude that we had in the first part of the season, we’ve got a chance to have a very good year.”

And that prospect should make the Jaguars excited about getting back to school. ❖

Photo special to the Journal

Jessica Compton, along with a group of other girls from the Over the Mountain area,star spent last week in the Central American nation of Honduras as part of a team sent by the Forgotten Children’s Ministry to work with the impoverished youth of that country.

Stretch Run

photo by Mark Almond

Senior Victor Ibanez has scored six goals for Spain Park on the season.