5.28.20

OTMJ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL u OTMJ.COM

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020

Class of

Journal photo by Marvin Gentry

2020

GRADUATING IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS See story page 10

2 • Thursday, May 28, 2020

OPINION/CONTENTS

Inside

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Murphy’s Law

I GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNIN’ Black Jacket Symphony Introduces “Concerts from the Car” Series PAGE 4

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS Scaled-Back Weddings Turn Out to Be Just as Special PAGE 16

ROOM TO GROW Lee Family Lake Martin Home Serves as Office, Classroom and Refuge During Pandemic PAGE 20

A SPECTACULAR VIEW The Howards Can Look Back at 63 Years of Family Memories PAGE 24

ABOUT TOWN 4 PEOPLE 8 NEWS 10 LIFE 12 WEDDINGS 16

HOME 20 SENIORS 24 FOOD 28 SCHOOLS 29 SPORTS 32

otmj.com With everything that’s happening “Over the Mountain,” it can be difficult to keep up. That’s why we have launched the OTMJ newsletter.

Published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - we’ll give you a quick recap of the latest news, sports and social events as well as a heads up on upcoming events so you won’t miss any of the interesting and fun happenings in the Greater Birmingham metro area.

To sign up for our newsletter, visit otmj.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, @overthemountainjournal, for daily updates on what’s going on around town, too.

Twelve Step Recovery ... Maybe Thirteen

need to get my oil changed. ately afterward. It’s exhausting.

Pandemic or no pandemic, there’s I drive thru. I carry-out. I haven’t only so long a body can ignore the shopped curbside, mostly because it “maintenance required” light on the would be grossly unfair to the poor dash. sales clerk. (Um…I don’t know…Do When I called the dealership to you have it in blue?) make an appointment, the service I livestreamed my church services, coordinator asked that I arrive wearing Zoomed with my writing groups, gloves and a mask. I assured her that I FaceTimed with my grandchildren. It would, but later that day, I canceled was uncomfortable for me, but it the appointment. If they were as worworked. Now I’m told that these mearied about me being there as I was sures are no longer necessary. Go and about going, perhaps it was too soon. live and do. Sit in a restaurant (staying Sue Murphy I spent the first two weeks of our six feet apart), go to the gym (again, quarantine in a strange mixture of fear six feet), get a haircut … OK, I’m at a and anticipation. It was scary, for loss as to how that’s going to work.

I drive thru. I carrysure, but it would be over soon, It’s all wonderful, of course, but right? Then Vice President Pence’s out. I haven’t shopped I struggle with Camp Gambill 15 days came and went and flashbacks. As a child, I looked forcurbside, mostly COVID-19, alas, did not. In fact, ward to swimming lessons in the from all news accounts, things were lake at good old Camp Gambill. because it would getting worse.

The water was murky, sure, but be grossly unfair to Another 30 days, and people who needed to see your toes? As the poor sales clerk. long as you didn’t touch the started to get antsy. We wanted it all to go away. We wanted our lives it was…under the (Um…I don’t know… slimy…whatever back, but being good soldiers, most pier, it was all great fun – until the Do you have it in of us put on our masks and stayed day lessons were canceled because six feet away from each other, feelwater moccasins had been spotted blue?) ing like we were at least doing what in the swimming area. The next we could to be a help instead of a day, our counselors marched us to hindrance in the recovery process. the shore and said, “Dive in. It’s Recently, the powers-that-be lifted a good number OK today.” I looked out across the brown water and of restrictions, and I trust that they did this feeling thought, are you sure? semi-confident that our increased interaction would not And that’s where I am now. I dearly want to go out bring the world crashing down around us yet again. to lunch with my friends, browse in some non-essential These new parameters give us a pretty wide berth, shop, sweat to the oldies in my Zumba class. I want to but I find my comfort zone is still narrow. I go for go to a football game, and one golden day, I really, walks in my neighborhood. I talk to my neighbors from really want to go back to Disney World. across the street. I go to the grocery store if I wear my But first, I need to get my oil changed. I can do mask and use the pre-sanitized cart and follow the aisle this. One step at a time, right? Switch from living in traffic patterns and wipe down my groceries when I get fear to simply being smart and careful. I just have to trust that there’s enough smart to go around. home and take a shower and wash my clothes immedi-

Over the Mountain Views Feeding Those Who Are Working For Us

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

May 28, 2020 JOU RNAL Publisher & Editor: Maury Wald Copy Editor: Virginia Martin Features Writer: Donna Cornelius Staff Writers: Emily Williams, Sam Prickett Photographer: Jordan Wald Editorial Assistant: Stacie Galbraith Sports: Rubin E. Grant Contributors: Susan Murphy, June Mathews, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry, Lee Walls, Bryan Bunch Advertising Sales: Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald, Gail Kidd Intern: Caroline Rice Vol. 29, No. 18

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

Copyright 2020 Over The Mountain Journal, Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Vestavia Hills Rotary Club members Steve Marmurek and Gary Jordan presented $2,000 in gift certificates from Vestavia Hills restaurants to the city’s first responders and $2,000 in meals from Ted’s Restaurant on Southside to UAB’s Meals for Heroes Fund. The club raised enough money to donate $1,680 to each effort, and then the club’s foundation pitched in the money to round the donations up to $2,000 each. Above, from left, Vestavia Hills Police Capt. Brian Gilham, Gary Jordan, Steve Marmurek and Vestavia Hills Fire Department Deputy Chief/Fire Marshal Ryan Farrell.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 3

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

ABOUT TOWN

Get Your Motor Runnin’

Black Jacket Symphony Introduces “Concerts from the Car” Series

Vestavia Hills Rotary Club Vestavia Hills Rotary Club

Beginning June 4, Birminghambased band Black Jacket Symphony will perform on a live stage in a socially distant concert setting.

The concert series, “Concerts from the generosity of these Participants, Community Partners and Corporate/Individual Sponsors for generosity of these Participants, Community Partners and Corporate/Individual Sponsors for the Car,” will take place in the parking Vestavia Hills Rotary Club and our programs to improve our community and world.

Vestavia Hills Rotary Club and our programs to improve our community and world.

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE ing lot of the Hoover Metropolitan Complex.

RESTAURANTS, CHEFS AND STAFF THAT Much like a drive-in movie theHAVE PARTICIPATED AND SUPPORTED ater, audiences will watch the band play from their cars and listen through IRON CITY CHEF SINCE 2009. an audio broadcast to their car stereos.

According to a release, the goal of the series is to provide fun evenings Sharing their time and talent, along with of entertainment while maintaining

the generosity of our partners, business appropriate social distancing.

“We have worked tirelessly to community and individuals has raised over s Bar-B-Q Bar-B-Q convert a giant parking lot into a $175,000 to support programs here and B Que alinal BarBar B Que music venue that will give fans a great experience from their car,” said around the world benefiting students’ b Shack Shack Jason Rogoff, event organizer and ry & Hospitality Institute of Jefferson State Community College education and their communities. & Hospitality Institute of Jefferson State Community College producer of the Black Jacket Symphony.

“The fan experience has always Little Savannah been at the forefront of our shows, and this is no different. Our team has Brocks at Ross Bridge Renaissance simulated the view from every parking space to understand sight lines Bottega while factoring in different vehicle heights. We’re working with the best Chef Angela Schmidt audio engineers to transmit a signal to said. “We are a car stereo,” Rogoff Satterfield’s excited to give music fans an incredible concert experience in an environBistro V

CityChef Chef IrIr nnCity

hefs fs

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Culotta, Scoggins, Hendricks & Gillespie, PC, o oCulotta, Scoggins, & Gillespie, PC, Snapper Grabber Land & Sea Hendricks MAY 28 - JULY 2 CPAs and Consultants CPAs and Consultants Todd English Pub o Dan Moran Rocky Ridge Hardware

Photo by Kevin Harrington

Birmingham-based band Black Jacket Symphony will perform Journey’s “Escape” on June 18. Above, Bryan Gibson and Aaron Branson.

ment that is unique to the times.”

Each installment of the series will feature the band performing, “an entire album, note-for-note, soundfor-sound,” as well as a selection of the featured band’s greatest hits.

Show dates and featured bands include The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” on June 4, Queen’s “A Night at the

Opera” featuring Marc Martel on June 11, Journey’s “Escape” on June 18 and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Damn the Torpedoes” on June 25.

Each ticket admits one vehicle, and vehicle size restrictions do apply.

To purchase a ticket and for additional event information, visit blackjacketsymphony.com.

proceeds to benefit the Exceptional Foundation. When: Registration and fundraising will remain open through May 29 at 11:59 p.m. Website: “2020 Cedar Run Virtual 5k & Cedar Shake Fun Run” Facebook page

obtained from the fees (paid by the farmers) are used to buy fruit and vegetables for the VHUMC Food Pantry. When: Wednesdays in June, July and August, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Where: Scout Square off of Highway 31 Website: vestaviahills.org

o Dan Moran Rocky Ridge Hardware ederal Credit Union eral Credit Union Editor’s note: Due to concerns about Moe’s Original Bar B Que David Martin o oDavid Martin D.M.D, Pediatric Dentistry M.D, Pediatric Dentistry coronavirus, some of the events in our Doodle's Sorbets and Ices calendar may have been canceled o oDoodle's Sorbets and Ices Nabeel’s oult, Cummings, LLP, Don Wiginton after our press deadline. Please t, Cummings, LLP, o oDon Wiginton JSCC Culinary & Hospitality Institute check organiziation websites for the May 30 and June 6 First Partners Bank o oFirst Partners Bank latest information.

Bank nk Uptown George Gammill o oGeorge Gammill Sidewalk Starlite Pop-up of Birmingham Drive-in Birmingham ograylillies graylillies Floral Design o ProVara Floral Design Bistro May 28 June 18 What: Sidewalk Film Festival is ial Advisors Advisors Greenhalgh Insurance Agency, Inc. o oGreenhalgh Insurance Agency, Inc. hosting a pop-up drive-in featuring Shiki t Equipment & Supplies Equipment & Supplies curbside concessions with orders Spring Reading Bingo Challenge Highland and Grill o oHighland BarBar and Grill being placed no later than 5:30 p.m.

What: Join the Hoover Public Library JimonoHoar Nicks Hoar Construction Construction in a reading challenge. The winner will the day of the show. May 30 features Living Solutions ving Solutions “Pretty in Pink,” June 6, “The Peanut get a gift card from a local business.

John Saddler Allstate Agency o oJohn Saddler Allstate Agency Pursell Farms Butter Falcon.” When: Gates open, For details visit the Facebook page. rs John Wright o oJohn Wright 7 p.m.; movie, sunset Where: REI Website: “Spring Reading Bingo

Veechia Kenneth Olson o oDr.Dr. Kenneth Olson Challenge” Facebook page Langley Systems, Inc., Environmental o oLangley Systems, Inc., Environmental Five Star Sat., May 30

Conservation & Ecological Services Conservation & Ecological Services The Club The Market at Pepper Place What: Support Alabama farmers The Fire Department Chefs of and makers at a drive-though market Hoover, Homewood, Mountain Book every Saturday featuring online preorder/pre-payment from 26 vendors. and Vestavia Hills

PLEASE SUPPORT THESE RESTAURANTS AND OTHERS IN THE BIRMINGHAM AREA THAT PROVIDE US WITH THE BEST HOSPITALITY AND DINING EXPERIENCE IN THE WORLD!

Pick-up on Saturdays only. When: 7 a.m.-noon Where: 2829 2nd Avenue South Website: pepperplacemarket. com

May 30 and 31 Virtual Cedar Run 5K and Cedar Shake Fun Run

What: As a celebration of life and a way to give back to the community, Saint Elias Maronite Catholic Church will host a virtual run weekend with all

parking lot, The Summit Website: sidewalkfest.com

Tues., June 2 West Homewood Farmer’s Evening Market

What: Food trucks will be onsite at this community gathering featuring local farms, arts and crafts vendors, music and more. When: Tuesdays in June, July and the first Tuesday in August. When: 5-8 p.m. Where: 160 Oxmoor Road Website: westhomewood.com

Wed., June 3 Vestavia Hills Farmers Market

What: The farmers market is an outreach ministry of Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church and monies

The Farmers Market at Shades Valley

What: Shades Valley Presbyterian Church will host its third annual farmers market season with social distancing in mind. The market will offer drive-by pickup orders only of fresh, local produce offered straight from the growers. When: Wednesdays, June 3-Aug. 19 Where: Shades Valley Presbyterian Church Website: svpcusa.org/serve1/ farmers-market or the “Farmer’s Market Shades Valley” Facebook page

Fri., June 5 Free Friday Flicks

What: Grab a blanket, your family and friends and head to the park for a free family-friendy movie. Films starts at dusk. When: Fridays in June and July with the exception of July 3, 6:30-10 p.m. Where: Veterans Park Website: hooveral.org

June 6 and 7 The 47th Rock, Gem and Jewelry Show What: The Alabama Mineral and

See ABOUT TOWN, page 6

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

ABOUT TOWN

VIRTUAL

Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 5

HEART WALK Walk where you are and share a picture with us on social media!

BirminghamHeartWalk.org

JUNE 13, 2020 BIRMINGHAM, AL #BhamHeartWalk Locally Sponsored by:

6 • Thursday, May 28, 2020

ABOUT TOWN

Mon., June 15 Alabama Young CPA Charity Golf Tournament What: Enjoy golf, drinks, food and music in support of the Exceptional Foundation. For questions about the tournament contact Zack Camerio at zcamerio@ascpa.org. When: TBA Where: Greystone Golf and Country Club Website: ascpa.org

June 19-21 I’m With Mike Virtual Run/Walk

What: Join the Mike Slive Foundation Father’s Day weekend by running, walking or cycling at your convenience in support of all those whose lives have been impacted by prostate cancer. Website: mikeslivefoundation.org

Reading Buddies Book Club

What: Join the GBHS on the third Saturday monthly for a free event. You will read a book, do an activity, tour the Adoption Center and play with

2 p.m. Where: Robert Trent Jones at Oxmoor Valley Website: unitedability. org

Kultureball 2020

What: Celebrity and philanthropy walk hand in hand to promote acceptance, foster awareness and raise funds for programs benefiting children and families with sensory needs/invisible disabilities. When: 6:30-11:30 p.m.

Where: The Finley Center Website: kultureball.com

Photo courtesy OLS

From page 4 Lapidary Society hosts a show to include vendors selling fossils, specimens, crystals, jewelry, geodes, gemstones and more. When: 9 a.m.5 p.m. Where: Oak Mountain State Park South Trail Head Website: “The 47th Rock, Gem & Jewelry Show” Facebook page

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

ABOUT TOWN

SAVE THE DATE OLS 4TH OF JULY FESTIVAL | JULY 2-4

What: While the on-site components such as the Trash-N-Treasure, games and things will take a year off the event will include the traditional lineup of Boston butts, whole/half chickens, rack of ribs and smoked turkey breast.

Plate lunches will be available for drive thru curb-side pickup on both July 3rd and 4th. Details on how and when to order will be available on the website. Website: ourladyofsorrows.com or OLS Facebook page one of GBHS’s PAWsitive Education Ambassa-dogs. Geared for ages 6-10. When: 10:30 a.m.-noon Where: Greater Birmingham Humane Society Website: “Reading Buddies Book Club!” Facebook page

Mon., June 22 Jody Atchison Memorial Golf Tournament

What: The family of Jody Atchison, an avid golfer, teacher and coach at Homewood Middle School, who passed away from CJD in March of 2018, hosts a four person

scramble. All proceeds go towards research for CJD, a rare degenerative, fatal brain disorder. Registration ends June 12. When: 8 a.m. Shotgun Start Where: Highland Park Golf Course Website: JodyAGolf4CJD.com or call Dickey Atchison at 205-529-7128

Thurs., June 25 abiliTEE Golf Classic

What: The United Ability Junior Board host a four-person scramble tournament including on-course contests, beverages, breakfast, lunch, snacks and a gift bag. When: 8 a.m.-

Sat., July 4 4th of July Festival

What: The city of Homewood and the Homewood Parks and Recreation Board plan to celebrate July 4th in Downtown Homewood. Check the website for updates. When: 5-9 p.m.

Website: homewoodparks.com

Sat., July 11

Pink Palace Casino Night What: BCRFA presents an evening of Vegas-style casino gaming, music, dancing, hors d’oeuvres, complimentary beverages and more.

Proceeds benefit breast cancer research in Alabama. When: 7 p.m.

Where: Soiree Event Gallery Website: bcrfa.org

SEND ABOUT TOWN INFO TO: EDITORIAL@OTMJ.COM

Alabama Symphony Orchestra Cancels Summer Concerts in Railroad Park The Alabama Symphony Orchestra has extended its event cancellations through June 7, which means the Symphony in the Summer concerts planned for Railroad Park June 5-7 will not go on.

“It has been a joy over the last decade to gather with friends, family and loved ones to celebrate the start of the summer. Though we cannot gather with you at this time, we hope to perform for you at Railroad Park in the fall of 2020,” a statement from ASO read.

ASO also made a plea for donations to help it maintain a strong presence in the community. To make a donation, go to https://alabamasymphony.org/give/donate.

People who hold tickets to events canceled earlier should have gotten word about their options from ASO already. If not, email boxoffice@alabamasymphony.org or call 205-9752336.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 7

ABOUT TOWN

Journal file photo by Jordan Wald

Studio By the Tracks Art Sale Moves to June 14

From left, Remy, Eden Grimes, Dixie, Tyler Daniel and Moxie at last year’s Mutt Strut 5K and one-mile fun run. This year’s event has been moved to Oct. 3.

Doggone It

Hand in Paw to Host Annual 5K This Fall Avid supporters of the animalassisted therapy nonprofit Hand in Paw may have missed the organization’s annual pet-friendly spring 5K. Luckily, the event has been rescheduled to Oct. 3.

Mutt Strut, a 5K and one-mile fun run, will take place at Homewood’s Central Park beginning at 7 a.m. with registration and ending with a 9 a.m.

awards ceremony.

In addition to the race, food trucks will offer human and pet friendly meals, and a Mutt Strut Vendor Village will offer products for pet owners and their four-legged friends.

According to event officials, those who already registered for the run but are unable to attend Oct. 3 have the option to consider their registration a donation or obtain a refund. For refunds, contact Hand in Paw Director of Communications Brittany Jennings at brittany@handinpaw.org.

For more information, visit handinpaw.org.

The more than 200 works of art annually donated to Studio By the Tracks for its spring Art From the Heart gala still will be presented in both silent and live auction.

The annual event has been rescheduled to June 14 and will take place at the Theodore.

In addition to works from local, regional and national artists, hundreds of pieces of artwork created by Studio By the Tracks artists will be for sale in a Cash and Carry Section.

Money raised by Art From the Heart make up a large portion of the studio’s annual operating budget. This funds the organization’s classes for its adult participants, all of whom have autism spectrum disorders.

Participants generate income through studio shows and studio store sales, receiving a 60% commission whenever one of their works is sold. The remainder of the sale feeds back into the studio, which provides free supplies and instruction to participants.

While the studio is closed in accordance with social distancing guidelines, it has been conducting Web Shows. The first show was held May 8 and offered a selection of participant artwork as well as studio merchandise.

For event registration and further updates, visit studiobythetracks.networkforgood.com.

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Have a Heart

AHA 2020 Birmingham Heart Walk Goes Virtual

By Emily Williams According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the nation’s number one killer.

Patients with heart disease and other related health issues also are among those at highest risk of death should they contract COVID-19.

With those facts in mind, the AHA will present its 2020 Birmingham Heart Walk virtually on June 13 with the goal of not only funding its mission to support those with heart disease, but also providing support to those who are affected by the virus.

This year’s Heart Walk chairman, David Cox, vice president of technolo-

gy for Southern Company, hopes to see more participation than in prior years.

The fundraising campaign kicked off May 5 with “Rally Day,” resulting in more than 160 teams of participants and $32,000 initial donations.

“It has been really encouraging to see how many people have already signed on to participate,” Cox said.

Though this is the first year Cox has served in a leadership role with the AHA, he and his wife, Terri, have been supporters for many years. The AHA cause is one that is very personal to their family.

An Infant With a Heart Defect

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

PEOPLE

When the couple welcomed their eldest child, Emily, into the world 16 years ago, it was a bittersweet moment in time. Their daughter was born with a life-threatening congenital heart defect that blocked blood flow to her extremities.

The only option for their newborn daughter was surgery, which Terri Cox noted was a blessing because it relieved them from having to make a decision.

Both David and Terri Cox have always led an active and healthy lifestyle, and in raising Emily that was no different. He describes her as active and competitive in her childhood, which has remained true in her adolescence. Emily is a member of Oak Mountain High School’s varsity volleyball team.

“Before she started playing volleyball, she competed in gymnastics for a while,” he said. “So, moving forward she was always very driven and goaloriented.”

With age, Emily started to gain an understanding of her diagnosis at birth and the weight of being afforded the opportunity to receive life-saving heart surgery.

“I think it was when she was around 12 years old, that was when we started getting more involved and participated in the walks here in Birmingham and in Atlanta,” Cox said.

Just as she became actively involved in heart disease awareness

work her way back on the volleyball court.

“When she was recovering after the last surgery, she had the idea to make these water bottles to raise money for AHA,” Cox said. So, they ordered a machine that would print labels for the water bottles and began selling them.

“I think she ended up raising about $500 or $600 alone,” he said.

She counted herself lucky, lucky that the research had been done years before and the surgery perfected so that when she needed the lifesaving technology, it was there.

Photo courtesy David Cox

8 • Thursday, May 28, 2020

Heart Walk chairman, David Cox with daughter Emily, above. She was born with a life-threatening congenital heart defect that blocked blood flow to her extremities.

and AHA fundraising, Emily’s health began to take a downturn.

At 13, she began to experience symptoms that she didn’t quite understand. She found that she couldn’t be as active as she typically had been. She was tired all the time.

One day while playing in a volleyball tournament, she felt herself becoming tired. Her vision became spotty and she blacked out on the court.

She had developed symptoms of a second congenital heart defect, a subaortic stenosis blocking blood flow to the center of her heart.

“That first diagnosis was more of a shock to the system,” Cox said. The second was a similar shock accompanied by a wave of unsettling nostalgia.

He and his wife had to relive the fears they faced when their daughter was first born, being unsure of what the future would hold for her.

But her surgery was successful, and Emily took recovery as a new challenge.

She was told she would not be able to play sports again, and she was told that her recovery would take about a year.

Two months after her surgery, she had made a full recovery in time to

Birmingham-Based Research

In the last year or two, Cox said he has upped his game in the AHA’s Birmingham chapter.

He saw the impact that UAB and Children’s of Alabama had in terms of research and medical advances in cardiology and how much the AHA was investing in Birmingham-based research.

“Birmingham is a net gainer when it comes to what we give every year,” he said. “Over the course of the years, more has been put back into the community than has been given.”

Thus, an investment in supporting the AHA and its ongoing campaigns as well as events such as Heart Walk are an investment in local efforts to research and spread awareness for heart disease.

The June 13 Heart Walk will be virtual. It will begin at 8 a.m., and those who participate just need to get active. They aren’t limited to walking.

AHA officials have suggested a few different kinds of activities: • Take a walk outside – while following current social distancing guidelines.

• Get the whole family involved and have an indoor dance party.

• Try out a few strengthening exercises such as push-ups, lunges and squats.

• Create an at-home circuit workout.

To register, visit birminghamheartwalk.org.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Hoover’s Conn Earns Scout Gold Award

Jaye Conn, a junior at the Altamont School, earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, one of the highest achievements in Girl Scouting, for her project, “Helping Create Successful Robotics Teams Through Online Videos.”

The project focused on providing education about First Lego League robotics to students, parents and coaches.

Conn created the YouTube channel The Jaye Conn FLL Mentor to provide tips, tricks and advice for establishing a FLL robotics team and designing a robot.

“I love that competing in FLL offers so many benefits, like teamwork,” said Conn. “The values of FLL are similar to Girl Scouts, teamwork, problem-solving and fun.”

Karen Peterlin, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama, said that by earning the Gold Award, “Jaye has become a community leader. Her accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart.”

Conn, of Hoover, said earning her Gold Award has taught her organizational skills and problemsolving.

“I learned that I can make a

PEOPLE difference and that when I put my mind to something, I can achieve it,” said Conn.

Conn is the daughter of Lee and Michelle Conn of Hoover.

Vestavia Hills’ Owens Earns Eagle Award

Ethan Owens achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at Dawson Church Troop 83 in March.

Owens’ leadership roles in the troop included stints as senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, quartermaster, instructor, troop guide and patrol leader. He is a member of the Order of the Arrow and earned his Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts.

Owens, who earned 25 merit badges, completed many high adventure trips, including Florida National High Adventure Sea, Philmont Ethan Owens Scout Ranch and Northern Tier High Adventure.

For his Eagle Scout project, Owens organized and built a prayer garden around an existing cross at the Lovelady Center with the help of fellow troop members.

Owens is completing his Junior year at Vestavia Hills High School. He is in the Vestavia Hills High School Band and Jazz Band and the Dawson Church Orchestra.

His parents are Sabrina and Scott Owens.

Vestavia Hills’ Hudson Earns Eagle Scout Rank

Andrew Hudson, a member of Dawson Church Troop 83, achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in January.

During his scouting career, he has taken on leadership roles in the troop including as patrol leader and assistant Andrew Hudson patrol leader, quartermaster, chaplain aide and historian. He earned 21 merit badges, is a member of the Order of the Arrow and earned the Arrow of Light rank as a Cub Scout.

Hudson completed many high adventure trips, including Philmont Scout Ranch and Florida National High Adventure Sea Base.

For his Eagle Scout project, Hudson built mobile aluminum storage carts for the Vestavia Hills High School Marching Band to store and move instruments on and off transport trucks for away games.

Hudson is a junior at the school, where he plays drums in the band. He also is a member of the Dawson Memorial Baptist Church Jazz Band.

His parents are Blake and Andrea Hudson.

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Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 9

NEWS

Journal photos by Marvin Gentry

10 • Thursday, May 28, 2020

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Graduating 2020-Style

Many School Systems Choose to Have In-Person Commencements, But They Aren’t Exactly Old School Ceremonies

By Caroline Rice As Alabama has begun to reopen, many high schools are or have held in-person graduation ceremonies.

Spain Park High School and Hoover High School held graduation ceremonies at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex last Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

Both of those ceremonies sparked controversy. The systems applied safety guidelines to the events such as spacing out people and asking them to wear masks.

Hoover City Schools emphasized that the graduation ceremonies were optional and urged people who didn’t feel safe not to attend. The system also offered a personalized ceremony option for students who were immunocompromised and could not attend

the in-person ceremony. However, most seniors did attend the ceremony.

At the graduation ceremonies, the Hoover Met was staffed with event workers who enforced social distancing and rules that guests wear masks.

If a guest was not wearing a mask, they were denied entry into the ceremony.

Each senior was limited to four guests so that social distancing could be practiced in the stadium. Families sat together but six feet apart from other groups.

When each senior arrived at graduation, they were given a mask and hand sanitizer before they went to sit in their seat. Graduating seniors were spaced out six feet apart when they were sitting and getting their diplomas. But afterward some gathered in clusters to hug and take selfies, according to multiple news reports.

Juan Luis Contreras, a senior at Spain Park High School, said that, while he was excited for graduation, he would have rather had the ceremony in June or July.

“I think most of the seniors agree that we should have a graduation at some point. The seniors didn’t feel like the last day of high school was really the last, and graduation is the only thing we have left to close this chapter of life,” said Contreras.

But Contreras didn’t think it was wise to hold a ceremony when the number of cases is still rising in Alabama.

“If our graduation that we wanted caused an outbreak, we would all feel so bad,” said Contreras.

Contreras and his family planned to attend graduation in masks and other personal protective gear.

Erin Warren, SGA president of

One of the nation’s premier college preparatory schools for students grades 5-12

Congratulations Class of 2020!

altamontschool.org

These photos and cover photo are from Spain Park High School graduation ceremonies held at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex last Wednesday.

Spain Park High School, said that she was excited to have a ceremony because the students didn’t think they would get one at all.

“Our principal said that everything is so unknown. We could have one later in the summer that is a little safer, but it would be taking a risk, because another wave could come by then,” Warren said.

The SGA at Spain Park had been doing virtual spirit weeks on the school’s Instagram page to make students feel more connected while they were apart from each other. Students sent in pictures from their prom at home to be posted on Instagram, as well.

“I feel like Hoover City Schools has gotten a lot of negative attention from this decision,” to have graduation, Warren said. “It is a tough decision, and they wanted to take advantage of the opportunity since we have it. It’s not going to be perfect for everyone, but they want to accommodate as many as possible.”

Some other schools around the Birmingham area are hosting graduation ceremonies, as well.

Students at Vestavia Hills High School were given the option of an in-person, traditional graduation in their stadium or an individualized graduation ceremony. Vestavia’s tradi-

tional graduation was held May 19.

Vestavia limited the capacity in the stadium to comply with the state’s guidelines on social gatherings. Each senior received two tickets for guests.

Mountain Brook High School will have a graduation ceremony June 5 at 7 p.m. at its stadium.

Homewood High School held individual commencements for the Class of 2020 in the auditorium at Homewood High School. The modified graduation event occurred the week of May 18-22. Graduates and their relatives scheduled their individual graduation ceremonies, during which graduates’ names were called and they walked across the auditorium stage to receive their diplomas.

Oak Mountain High School plans a graduation ceremony for June 1 at 7 p.m. at Heardmont Stadium.

Graduates will receive four guest tickets each.

The Altamont School’s May 21 graduation date was postponed, with the rescheduled date to be announced.

Briarwood Christian School will host its graduation ceremony on July 19, beginning at 3 p.m. at Briarwood Presbyterian Church.

Rather than host a graduation ceremony for its students, the Indian Springs School honored its graduating seniors with Operation Swan Drop.

Large, inflatable swan floats, a nod to the school’s mascot, were dropped off in the front yards of graduating seniors homes, as well as outside of the dorm doors of boarding students.

John Carroll Catholic High School will host its graduation ceremony at the JCCHS stadium on May 30, beginning at 2 p.m.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

NEWS

City of Homewood Holds Its Own Despite Sharp Revenue Drop

By Caroline Rice Though the first half of April shows that Homewood is down 40% in revenues, the city has not needed to discuss layoffs or cuts in city services because of the coronavirus, the mayor said.

Mayor Scott McBrayer said that, while many of the smaller businesses in Homewood have been closed temporarily, he believes the bigger box stores and grocery stores should keep the city’s revenue afloat. With many businesses opening their doors again, the city should remain strong, he said.

“Our city remains blessed, to say the least,” said McBrayer.

McBrayer asked Homewood’s department heads to reevaluate before spending budgeted money and to make conservative spending choices.

“My message when the budget was passed was that we should not go out and spend just because it had been previously approved,” McBrayer said.

Dr. Ellen Eaton, assistant professor in the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases, said that Homewood saw a good flattening of the curve, meaning

New Urgent Care Sports Injury Clinic Opening in Hoover OS1 Sports Injury Clinic, a new orthopedic urgent care and retail concept, soon will open in Hoover.

The clinic will offer care for sportsrelated and orthopedic-related injuries such as fractures, dislocations, sprains and overuse injuries to everyone from sports-minded families to senior adults trying to stay active.

A fellowship-trained sports medicine professional will staff the clinic along with a physician assistant and medical assistant with experience in the sports medicine sector, according to a statement issued by the group.

Comprehensive diagnostic imaging equipment also will be on site.

OS1 Sports Injury Clinic-Hoover is scheduled to open its doors in early June at 1031 Brocks Gap Parkway, in The Village at Brock’s Gap. The business model was developed by founders Bill Dexheimer,

the city didn’t have as much of a spike in cases as it could have had without preventative measures. Eaton said she thinks closing schools early played a large part in this positive result.

“We were a champion early on and now have a lower fatality rate than we anticipated,” Eaton said.

Though small businesses and restaurants are reopening, Eaton warned against being any less cautious about the virus than in late March.

Eaton doesn’t know when health officials will make recommendations about reopening schools, but she said staff should anticipate having to wear a mask when they do reopen, and staff at higher risk from the disease may be teaching through online services to avoid direct contact with children.

Businesses Reopening

Trey Whitt, an accountant in Homewood, said many businesses are getting back to business as usual, and he is helping clients figure out how to do that from an accounting standpoint as well as a health standalso founder of several health care and health care IT businesses; Dr. Lyle Cain; Dr. Jeffrey Dugas; Dr. Bruce Irwin, founder of American Family Care; Randy Johansen, president of American Family Care; A.J. “Lonnie” Strickland, Ph.D.; John R. Miller, professor of strategic management at the University of Alabama Graduate School of Business; and Dr. Kennie Bramlett and several other leading orthopedic physicians and executives.

“We spent a considerable amount of time with our founders refining our business model. The overwhelming consensus was there is currently a gap in the marketplace when it comes to conveniently and cost-effectively treating acute, orthopedic injures by providers expertly trained in sports medicine,” Chip Vance, CEO and president of OS1 Holdings, LLC, said in the statement.

More information will be available on the OS1 Sports Injury Clinic Facebook page.

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point.

Whitt said there were two rounds of loan funding for business owners, and money has been exhausted for both.

Whitt said he also has worked to help local businesses lay off or furlough employees. Now some businesses are facing the problem that some workers don’t want to go off of unemployment to begin working part-time because unemployment temporarily is paying them more

than part-time work would. However, if an employee refuses employment, benefits will be cut off.

The Homewood Chamber of Commerce continues to work to support businesses, though that work is being done from homes. It has pivoted to offering webinars and virtual happy hours. The chamber’s website has blog posts on COVID-19 and resources to help the community as well as to communicate grant opportunities as they become available.

Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 11

Mountian Brook Merchants to Highlight Safe Shopping and Celebrate Reopenings During the week of June 1-6, the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce will host Reopen Mountain Brook Week, with local merchants offering sales, door prizes and other promotions.

According to chamber officials, this is a collaborative effort across all to the city’s villages in order to highlight safe shopping and celebrate ongoing reopening.

For more details, visit mtnbrookchamber.org/xploremb

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LIFE

12 • Thursday, May 28, 2020

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

FATHER’S DAY | QUALITY TIME

By Rubin E. Grant

Restoration Artists

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

Ben Foy had bounced around from job to job for several years. Less than two years ago, he was working for a grocery store, putting in long hours and sometimes not getting home until after midnight.

“It took a toll on me,” Ben said.

About the same time, Ben’s dad, Preston Foy, was looking to expand his woodworking business.

Even though Preston’s day job is being coowner of Wallace Burke Jewelry along with David Hezlep in downtown Homewood, where they do extensive jewelry repair and custom designs, woodworking has been a passion of Preston Foy’s for many years.

“I have been doing it as a hobby since I was 12 years old,” Preston said. “I took an old bookshelf, got my dad’s handy man books and figured it out that way. I sanded it down, varnished it and refinished it.

“I’ve always done things like that. I’m not a cabinet maker or table maker. I take something that someone has given up on and give it new life.”

Preston’s hobby spilled over to his son, who also took up woodworking as a pastime.

“I spent a lot of time growing up tinkering with furniture and woodworking,” Ben said.

Preston had done plenty of woodworking projects for his friends, so he decided to do it as a side business, and now Ben has joined him in that endeavor.

“The last year, year and a half, I have been doing it with my son,” Preston said. “It’s a part-

time thing but something we enjoy doing. It’s most enjoyable to be able to work with him.”

The feeling is mutual.

“It’s great working with my dad,” Ben said.

“I am trying to make a career out of it and it’s pretty exciting.”

After leaving the grocery store, Ben spent some time honing his woodworking skills.

“I worked with a guy in Bessemer to get more polished,” Ben said. “He was a furniture guy and taught me a lot about refinishing. Last fall, my father had a lot of work and asked me to help him.

“I have a great supportive wife, and this came at the right time with everything that’s going on with the coronavirus pandemic.”

Preston Foy, right, had done plenty of woodworking projects for his friends, so he decided to do it as a side business and now Ben Foy, left, has joined him in that endeavor.

A Chip Off the Old Block Foy Father and Son Use Woodworking Skills to Bring Furniture Back to Life

By Emily Williams When Kyle Forstman looked back on his introduction to the adoption process, through his son Jeffrey, he penned a narrative that begins and ends with a pen. It describes his transition from bachelor life to fatherhood and how his quick decision to make that change became the greatest accomplishment of his life.

“The Judge laid out the official documents on his desk, with a pen,” Forstman wrote in a narrative for family and friends. “The room grew eerily quiet. ‘Kyle, will you sign for the permanent adoption?’ asked the Judge. I eyed the pen. Jeffery eyed the pen. Four thousand, nine hundred and fifty days he had waited for someone to pick up a pen for him.”

Jeffrey signed the papers in 2016, just months before he turned 18, having known Forstman for only a few months.

Last year, Forstman added a second son to the clan when he adopted Brady, who was 16 years old at the time.

One of the great joys of his fatherhood experience, Forstman said, has been watching his sons become brothers.

The pair mesh well together, he said. Jeffrey is older and a bit more of an introvert, and Brady is a social butterfly, just like Forstman, and helps bring his brother out of his shell a bit.

“When people meet them for the first time and continue to spend time with them, they’re really amazed when I tell them that (Brady and Jeffrey) have only known each other for a year,” Forstman said. “They think that they have been

One of the great joys of Kyle Forstman’s fatherhood experience has been watching his adopted sons Jeffrey, pictured left, and Brady, pictured right, become brothers.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered Hoover’s Kyle Forstman Finds Family in Adoptive Fatherhood brothers for life because they get along so well.

“Today’s a day where they are nitpicking at each other,” he said. “But brothers do that. I did that with my brother.”

Throughout much of his adult life, Kyle said he was focused on himself, whether it be his achievements politically – serving on the Hoover City Council for one term and running for a seat in the state legislature – or collecting experiences through travel.

“I was very focused on work – my goals and my jobs,” he said, and all the while, the idea of fatherhood was more of an afterthought.

“But there are only so many trips you can take yourself, and only so much paychecks you can spend on just you,” he said.

He made a successful in transition into the real estate world, but found that business relationships and friendships can be temporary when you’re constantly working toward your

Customers drop off pieces of furniture in disrepair at the jewelry store and the father and son go to work on restoring it. Some of the repair work is done at the jewelry store and some at Preston’s woodworking workshop at his home.

“I enjoy taking something people have given up on, whether it has scratches and blemishes, or it’s broken, lying in pieces or in shambles, and bringing it back to life, restoring it,” Preston reiterated. “If a dog chews the leg on a coffee table and one spouse is upset, they bring it to us and we make it go away. We’ve saved a lot of pets that way,” he added with a laugh.

Preston does most of the structural work and Ben does the refinishing. “He calls me an artist because I can cover anything and finish anything,” Ben said.

See CHIP, page 15

next goal.

Yet, in real estate, a part of his job was to work closely with families.

“You get to learn a lot about the families that you meet and their trials and tribulations,” he said. “How much they love each other, how much fun they have together, and you start yearning for that. You think, one day I hope I have that too.

It wasn’t until a close friend and adoptive parent recommended that he begin attending courses via the Alabama Department of Human Resources’ foster care and adoption programs that Forstman began forging a new path.

“Friends come and go, but there is permanency in adoption because you are a father creating these bonds that last a lifetime,” he said.

Through the adoption classes, Kyle was exposed to the Heart Gallery of Alabama, an initiative that pairs photographers with older children in the foster care system to create video biographies for potential adoptive parents to view. The idea of adopting an older child appealed to him, and as he continued his pursuit things began falling into place in a divine manner - he said it was simply God’s plan.

“I think it’s really important that the Heart Gallery exists,” Forstman said. “It provides that first snapshot.”

When Forstman saw Jeffrey’s video, he had an instant connection. He showed the video to his older sister Kristy, who was adopted in her early childhood, and she had immediate and strong reaction, brought to tear.

See DELIVERED, page 15

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Great Gifts for Father’s Day | June 21

Levy’s is home to the largest selection of Shinola watches in Alabama.

Levy’s Fine Jewelry, 205-251-3381.

Sport Cub S 2 RTF with SAFE is the best ultra micro trainer yet, $139.99.

Homewood Toy & Hobby, 205-879-3986.

Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 13

GIFT GUIDE

Dad will love Bourbon Balls by Pappy & Company, $38, made with Old Rip Van Winkle.

The Dandé Lion, 205-879-0691.

Marietta is a classic California cabernet, fantastic with a steak on Father’s Day, $29.99. Hedges, a Washington state red wine, has a lot of depth of structure, $27.99. Piggly Wiggly.

Treat Dad to Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Very Small Batch, $76; The Dalmore 15 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey, $191; or Casamigos Mezcal, $92. R&R Wine and Liquor, Crestline, 205-848-2080.

From the business professional to the active adventurer dad, this brand new selection of Citizen quartz and Eco-drive watches fit any personality or occasion. Shay’s Jewelers, 205-978-5880.

MAKE SURE DAD HAS A BLAST ON FATHER'S DAY!

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The Traxxas Blast™ is engineered to be fast, reliable, and easy to drive. The installed water cooling system for the motor helps keep the Blast cool for longer run times and all day fun!

2830 18th Street South • Homewood, AL 35209 205-879-3986 • Mon.-Sat. 9:30 - 5:30

To: From: Date:

Tricia and Julie Over The Mountain Journal, 205-823-9646 ph., 205-824-1246, fax Jan. 2018

This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURN January 11, 2018 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824

The Yeti Rambler 26 oz. bottle with chug cap is perfect for the dad that’s on the move. With a quick twist, the TripleHaul™ handle comes off, exposing a shatter-resistant, dishwashersafe spout that allows for controlled gulps on the go. Little Hardware, 205-871-4616.

Please make sure all information is corr including address and phone numbe Bartucci watches, ranging from $125-$425, are a timeless gift for Dad. All styles are 20% off now through Father’s Day. Caliber, 205-917-5800.

Please initial and fax back within 24 hours.

Complete Dad’s den with a leather book box with cards and chips, $69.

Tricia’s Treasures, 205-871-9779.

R&R CRestline Dad will love this Grillight oversized grill spatula, $30, great for fish, sausage or ribs. It has an LED flashlight built in for ideal illumination.

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

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14 • Thursday, May 28, 2020

First-time Author Compares Christianity to a Relay, not a Marathon

By Rubin E. Grant

George Shamblin had heard the expression “Christianity isn’t a sprint, but a marathon,” for a number of years.

But the more he thought about it,

the more Shamblin’s sentiments about the description evolved.

Eventually, he came to another conclusion.

“At any given time, Christianity is never more than a generation from extinction,” Shamblin said.

“I’ve seen far too many Christians who think of faith as a spectator sport, and I have always chafed at the cliché that, ‘Faith isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.’ It’s neither. Those are individual events, and one just happens to be longer than the other.

“True faith is a long-distance relay – a team sport, if you will – and it’s up to all of us to pass the baton to others. Especially the runners who succeed us – the next generation. What are we running for if we’re not passing it off to the next generation?”

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Photo courtesy George Shamblin

The Relay

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

LIFE

Shamblin said the book is intended for three groups of people: “Christians who have reached a stagnated pace, the spectator sitting in the stands and the Christian currently running strong.”

With that viewpoint in mind, Shamblin, a former pastor and church planter, has written a book called “The Relay.” It will be released in June by Union Hill Publishing and retail for $11.99.

In “The Relay,” Shamblin highlights the races of nine biblical characters in their quests to pass along their faith to the next generation. Among them are Adam, Moses, David and Paul. At the center of the 11-chapter book, not only thematically but literally (chapter six), is Jesus Christ.

Shamblin said the book is intended for three groups of people: “Christians who have reached a stagnated pace, the spectator sitting in the stands and the Christian currently running strong.”

“The Relay” is Shamblin’s first book and it took him nearly five years to complete.

“I need to apologize to my family because for the last four or five years, I spent our vacations writing,” Shamblin said with a laugh.

In a more serious tone, he added, “It may be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s also been one of the most rewarding.

“At some point in life, it’s natural to consider the legacy you’re going to leave the next generation, the impact your life has had on others. Nothing would make me prouder, or more deeply humbled, to think that this book could positively impact others. And not just for a lifetime, but, well, forever.”

Shamblin has been making an impact as a staff member at The Center for Executive Leadership in Birmingham since 2012. He ministers to men and leads a number of Bible studies. He’s also an adjunct

professor at Birmingham Theological Seminary.

Shamblin traces his spiritual roots to his ancestors.

“I had two great grandfathers who were country preachers,” Shamblin said. “I was raised in the church, but I got away from it. Back in the 1990s, I was a radical, a wildcat. My brother-in-law shared the

“True faith is a longdistance relay – a team sport, if you will – and it’s up to all of us to pass the baton to others.

Especially the runners who succeed us – the next generation. What are we running for if we’re not passing it off to the next generation?”

gospel with me and that changed my life.

“Now, the baton is in my hand to run with it. I don’t take it for granted. It’s not easy. Being Christians, the race is more difficult, but it’s good and it’s right.”

Shamblin’s objective with “The Relay” is not just about running the Christian race, but also being evangelistic.

“Our goal as Christians is not to win a race, but to win the world,” he said.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

CHIP

Preston Foy does most of the structural work and Ben Foy does the refinishing.

From page 12

DELIVERED From page 12

“It shows you how much is truly packed into those videos,” Forstman said. The video didn’t voice Jeffrey’s hardships within the foster care system, Kristy could just sense it.

Forstman said his close relationship with his late sister, who passed away a couple of years ago, was also a very strong guiding factor in his desire to adopt.

“I never thought of her as an adopted child. I just grew up with her as my sister and we were very close,” he said. That intimacy showed him that the intimacy that you have in a family of blood relation can be created in adoption.

Forstman said in sharing his adop-

doors and putting a 150-year-old hall tree back together,” Preston said. “It goes on and on. I do a lot of broken legs on chairs. It’s difficult to do, but we do it.

“We take family heirlooms that are broken or heavily scratched and make it presentable again so folks can pass it on to their grandchildren.”

That’s the part Ben enjoys the

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

“The only way you can do woodworking is to keep doing it and keep doing it until you get it right,” Preston said. “You have to get the colors and stains right. Ben’s got a gift for it. He blends colors. On the first try nine out of 10 times, he gets it right. It usually takes me two or three different tries.”

The Foys stay busy, usually working on several projects at time.

“Currently, I’m finishing a lowback desk, redoing some cabinet

Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 15

LIFE

tion experience, he hopes to inspire others to pursue the process. If his story reaches one parent or helps get one child adopted into a loving family, then it’s worth it, he said.

When Forstman signed the papers and legally adopted Jeffrey, his son had spent 13½ years in the foster care system, waiting. There was a sense of urgency present throughout that adoption process, which many kids in the system share.

There is such a need for parents who are willing to build a family with an older child, Forstman said, and he feels that need is one that isn’t widely known or seen.

“There are so many kids of this age who need families,” he said. “If people had knowledge of this issue, then they would react. I just don’t feel like many people are aware of that.”

When it comes to his parenting philosophy, Forstman said he strives to help his sons become wise in their decision-making.

“I ask them what they believe the wise decision might be,” he said. The Bible plays a big part in their family life, but he said its guiding message to seek wisdom to live a good and moral life is one that is universal.

“I try to tell them that a smart person learns from their own mistakes, but a wise person learns from other people’s mistakes,” Forstman said.

Like any father, Forstman is just doing what he can to provide a solid familial foundation for his sons, just as they have provided him.

“Every night I pray that the words that I say the next day are the words that I need to say to be a good father,” Forstman said.

most.

“What’s rewarding about it is you see new challenges with different furnitures,” Ben said. “A lot of furniture that’s been disfigured people want to pass it on the next generation and we take care of it for

them.

“When the people see it, they are excited, happy and emotional, and ask, ‘How did you do that?’ Every piece of furniture is different and it’s different how you fix it. I like doing a good job.”

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WEDDINGS

16 • Thursday, May 28, 2020

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS

By Emily Williams

A

s newlyweds, Margaret Anne and Grant Smith turned onto the street headed toward the bride’s family home following their April 4 wedding, they were greeted by a street sign boasting a big white bow.

“Grant pointed it out and said, ‘Look, they put a bow up for us,’” said Margaret Anne, who very quickly responded, “No they didn’t. That isn’t for us.”

Yet, as they made their way toward their destination, the couple noticed that every mailbox wore a similar white bow.

When they arrived at the house, the 10 family members who attended their ceremony were out on the front yard waiting for their arrival.

They told the couto park and join Scaled-Back Wedding Turns ple them on the lawn, Out to Be Just as Sweet for and as Margaret Anne and Grant Homewood Couple made their way across the driveway, they began hearing car horns.

“My best friend, Katie Tynes, had coordinated this wedding parade,” she said. “All of our Birmingham people started honking, with signs all over their cars. One of our friends’ dads gave us a bottle of champagne. There was rice being thrown, balloons, confetti.”

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic looming over the

Photos by Meghan Murphy

‘Intimate Affair’ Takes on New Meaning

Newlyweds Margaret Anne and Grant Smith were surprised with a parade reception on their wedding day.

weeks leading up to their wedding, and despite the altered plans coordinated at the last minute by the bride and her planner, Meagan Cease of M. Elizabeth Events, there was much to celebrate.

Though both from the Birmingham area, Margaret Ann Fuller was a Mountain Brook girl while Grant grew up in Homewood. She went to the University of Mississippi after high school and he attended Auburn University.

The pair met for the first time when Margaret Anne was between adventures. She had spent a year living in Paris and working as an au pair, and she met Grant when she See SMITH, page 18

A Neighborly Thing to Do Wedding Goes on Despite Pandemic, Complete with Parade

Over the past few weeks, the April 4 wedding ceremony and celebration that Keri McLendon and Charles Hyde had been planning since their engagement in July slowly faded away as the coronavirus pandemic grew.

Keri, a CRNP at UAB’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Charles Hyde kept their original wedding date, but they adapted to a small ceremony attended by a few family members on the clubhouse deck in their Hoover neighborhood of Kirkman Preserve.

After the midday ceremony, as the couple rode off in a classic car, they were surprised to see many of their neighbors standing in their driveways to celebrate the newlyweds.

“We were completely not expecting this at all,” Keri said. “Our neighbors had posted something on the Facebook page about organizing a ‘Unity Day’ and would put up white decorations. We had no idea that they were going to be doing that for us.”

The community organized a surprise “parade” to make the day a bit more special despite the adjusted plans.

“We wanted all of our friends and family to be there, of course, but I think, in an odd way, having all of these people support us who we don’t know was really unique as well,” Keri said.

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

By Emily Williams

As Keri McLendon and Charles Hyde rode off in a classic car, they were surprised to see many of their neighbors standing in their driveways to celebrate the newlyweds.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 17

WEDDINGS

Photos by Emil Wald

Bromberg’s

‘Even More Special’

Couple Moves Up Wedding Date to Beat the Lockdown Evelyn Virginia Wald and Robert Remsen Byrne were married March 17 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in the chapel. But that wasn’t the day they had initially planned, and the event included some significant changes.

“Originally we planned to be married in the sanctuary at St. Francis on Saturday, March 21, with over 200 guests,” said Eve. “As churches began issuing restrictions to services being less than 20 people, we knew that our wedding would look a little different than we had planned.”

As their wedding day grew closer, it became more difficult for out-of-town wedding guests to travel, then health officials began to recommend smaller and smaller gatherings. Not knowing what changes were to come, the couple decided that, before it became impossible to have a ceremony at all, they’d adapt their plans to the world’s new reality.

“On Sunday morning, the week of the wedding, Robert and I finally came to a decision and set the new wedding date for Tuesday, March 17. We also thought it would be fun for our wedding day and anniversary to fall on St. Patrick’s Day!” The Rev. Bob Sullivan officiated the ceremony, and an intimate reception followed at The Donnelly House.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Griner Wald III, of Homewood. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Evelyn Scott Gurak of Vestavia Hills and the late Mr. Stan Gurak, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Griner Wald Jr. of Vestavia Hills. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Kelly James Byrne of Mountain Brook. He is the grandson of Mrs. Jane Bromberg Byrne of Mountain Brook and the late Mr. Paul Matthew Byrne, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Jim Wiley Hudlow of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

“Our ceremony was in the chapel and consisted of just siblings, parents and the bridal party. Father Bob, who married us, reminded me and Robert that our wedding day was more about our new life as husband and wife and the commitment we were making to each other than it was about the big party we could no longer have,” she said. “He was right, and it made the

day feel even more special. We celebrated with a few close friends and family at the Donnelly House afterwards, and it was beautiful!”

Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a lace fitted Lillian West gown. She was attended by Carly Derencz, of Homewood, as matron of honor and Catherine Walker, of Vestavia Hills, as maid of honor.

Bridesmaids were Lucy Catharine Byrne, sister of the groom, of Mountain Brook; Chandler Rodgers, Margaret Sharbel and Mindy Wald, sister-in-law of the bride, all of Vestavia Hills; Caroline Thompson, of St. Louis; and Rachel Ohly of Richmond, Virginia. Makenna Wald and Hadley Wald, nieces of the bride, of Vestavia Hills, were flower girls.

The father of the groom was best man.

Groomsmen were Jordan Wald, and Tommy Wald, brothers of the bride, of Vestavia Hills; Jordan Nickolson, of Austin, Texas; William Byrne, brother of the groom, Ross Kennedy and Sam Williams, all of Mountain Brook.

The couple look forward to a post-COVID-19 honeymoon.

With COVID 19 restrictions looming, Eve and Robert knew the wedding would look a little different than the one they had planned.

Over six generations as a family owned and operated business, Bromberg’s has seen its fair share of trying times, including pandemics, wars and financial upheavals. Through it all the company has remained a favorite destination for gifts for all of life’s most special occasions. Because no matter what difficulties get in the way, there is always a reason to celebrate the love and happiness brought about by engagements and marriages, births, graduations and anniversaries.

The experts at Bromberg’s locations in Mountain Brook (Janice Bowman and Vanissa Hargrove, above) and at The Summit are available to help set a table that will be the focal point of cherished memories now and for years to come.

With an unmatched selection of fine china, casual dinnerware, crystal, silver and home decor, every couple that registers at Bromberg’s will find the perfect combination of gift choices for their

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Bromberg’s offers the most distinctive lines of fine and casual dinnerware from around the world and also locally crafted dinnerware such as Earthborn Pottery.

Bromberg’s Gift Letter program keeps couples from having to deal with returns and duplicate items. For each gift purchased from a registry, a beautiful gift letter is sent to inform the couple.

After the wedding, the couple can redeem the total value of the gift letters they have received for anything they want in the store allowing them to take advantage of special offers, including a free place setting with the purchase of seven place settings.

Other benefits of registering at Bromberg’s include discounts for attendant and hostess gifts and 20 percent off on non-diamond wedding bands.

Bromberg’s is located in Mountain Brook Village, The Summit and BrombergsBride.com.

18 • Thursday, May 28, 2020

SMITH From page 16

stopped in Birmingham on her way to move to Dallas.

Tragedy brought Margaret Anne and Grant together after mutual friend Taylor Harsh died when struck by lightning in Gulf Shores.

“Taylor was one of Grant’s closest friends,” she said.

“I saw him at the memorial service – which was held a few days before the funeral – for the second time in my whole life, and he held me while I cried,” she said.

The connection was instant for Margaret Anne. She knew she had found someone truly special.

“I went home and told my mom, ‘He doesn’t know it yet, but he is going to love me,’” she said, with a beaming lilt to her voice. “And now we’re married.”

They dated from a distance for about a year and a half before Margaret Anne made the move back to Birmingham.

Water or Ring?

Grant popped the big question exactly two years after their first date, on Aug. 30, 2019.

“We love to walk,” Margaret Anne said. “A lot of people like to walk, but it is one of our big things.

Every evening after dinner we would just go for a walk.”

The Friday before Labor Day,

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WEDDINGS Grant suggested they take their walk before dinner. It was out of character, but Margaret Anne adapted.

The couple had discussed marriage before, so when Grant kept bringing up the subject during their walk, Margaret Anne was more focused on her intense thirst. She needed water in an all-consuming manner.

“Our walks are not small strolls,” Margaret Anne said. “It’s about a three-mile loop.”

As the walk came to a close, Grant kept pushing the marriage topic, expecting Margaret Anne to turn around and participate in the conversation.

“He wanted me to say something like, ‘That’s so sweet. Why do you want to marry me?’” she said. “But I just said nothing, nothing except for ‘I’m so thirsty. I’m about to die.’

All while running to the door.”

He was able to stop her at the doorstep, hugging her while all she thought about was getting inside.

“Then he started digging around in a planter,” Margaret Anne said. “I turned around to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’ and he was down on one knee.”

What followed the yes was a bit of a transitional blur. She turned around to see both her and Grant’s parents coming out of the front door to congratulate them.

“I also remember my mom pulling me off to the side and saying, ‘This is so fun, I know, but you’ve got to get in the shower,’” Margaret Anne said, as she was still sweaty from the walk.

When she arrived back at the celebration, clean and hydrated, she was greeted by all of her Dallas friends and Ole Miss friends, who had flown or driven in for the occasion.

BRIDAL REGISTRY AVAILABLE

Back to the Drawing Board

Over the months leading up to the wedding, the couple ended up January looking forward to a sizable affair.

Temporary New Hours: “We didn’t ever intend for it to This is your AD PROOF from the and OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the Monday, Wednesday Friday, 1 be a very big wedding, but we just

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Blessed with a beautiful weather day, the couple wed on the lawn outside of the chapel at Shoal Creek.

have a lot of different friend groups,” Margaret Anne said. “We went to different high schools. He went to Auburn. I went to Ole Miss.

I lived in Dallas, so I have a friend group there.” Tack on parents’ friends, family and everybody’s spouses, and the list climbed to about 300.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, that plan began to unravel.

“We made the decision two weeks before (to scale down),” Margaret Anne said.

“Every day you would turn on the news and we would go from 100 (cap on gatherings) to 50,” she said.

Finally, the ceremony ended up as a 10-person event, including the bride and groom, their parents, two pastors and Margaret Anne’s brother, sister and brother-in-law.

Grant’s brother and his wife were stuck in Philadelphia, and his sister was in Boston, but they were able to join in via FaceTime.

While tears were shed, Margaret Anne said letting go of the big reception and hundreds of guests came as a relief amid so many

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unknowns.

“We never considered postponing the marriage or anything like that,” she said, so they had to embrace it.

Some of the more important details of the ceremony remained, and many of the changes ended up working in the couple’s favor.

“We knew we wanted to have it at Shoal Creek, because that’s where my parents got married,” Margaret Ann said.

Blessed with a beautiful weather day, the couple wed on the lawn outside of the chapel.

Margaret Ann was especially pleased to know she wouldn’t have to walk down the aisle with hundreds of eyes focused on her.

“My mother has always joked that my sister was going to try to walk down the aisle twice in her ceremony, and that I would try to come out when the groom does,” she said. “Well, I walked down the same path Grant did, so I was very happy.”

Throughout the ceremony, she recalls everyone crying, including the groom, while she could not stop smiling.

The couple was married by their church pastor, as well as Margaret Anne’s uncle.

“My uncle is actually my godfather, and he is the same man who walked my mom down the aisle,” she said. “It was so intimate, everyone could hear and everyone just felt so close to us.”

Following the ceremony, Margaret Anne’s “rock star” photographer, Meghan Murphy, took pictures of the pair for about 30 minutes.

Returning to see the parade waiting to celebrate their nuptials was icing on the cake for Margaret Ann and Grant.

“Despite everything, it still ended up being the most special weekend,” she said. “Even though we didn’t have a rehearsal dinner, we still went over to my sister’s house and all of our bridesmaids and groomsmen had taped their rehearsal dinner speeches,” Margaret Ann said. “How special is that? We get to keep this.”

She also never thought she would be making her own wedding reception food.

“Then, here my mom and I were cooking casseroles and quiches for our reception, which was also a really sweet memory for my last night in the house,” she said. She said her mother taught her to love cooking, “and it’s been something that my mom and I have always done together.”

The public celebration ended with the cutting of the cake, and the couple finished off the day by returning to their Homewood house and picking up Gianmarco’s takeout for dinner.

The hardest part, Margaret Ann said, was not being able to have all of their out-of-town friends together for the celebration. But they are working to organize a reception in the fall with a honeymoon to follow.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 19

WEDDINGS Ashley and Andy made the decision amid the coronavirus pandemic that, no matter what, they would still get married on their original April 18 wedding date but with just 10 people in attendance, including themselves.

Whether it is a diamond engagement ring, anniversary earrings or a special piece for your day, JB & CO can help you collect your heirloom.

Photos by Olivia Joy Photography

JB & CO

‘It Was So Joyful’

Couple Scales Down Their Wedding and Finds It Is Just as Perfect Since their engagement in July 2019, Homewood residents Ashley Martin and Andy Echols had been planning and looking forward to a large wedding celebration at St. Paul’s Cathedral in downtown Birmingham.

“We had over 400 people send in their RSVP to the wedding,” Martin said. “We had people coming from near and far.”

The couple made the decision amid the coronavirus pandemic that, no matter what, they would still get married on their original April 18 wedding date but with just 10 people in attendance, including themselves.

At the ceremony, their guests were their parents, Martin’s brother and Echols’ two brothers as well as the priest. The videographer and photographer were able to socially distance themselves in the choir loft.

Martin said the ceremony – conducted by Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church’s associate pastor, the Rev. Frankline Fomukong – could not have been more special.

“It was so joyful,” Martin said. “His homily was incredible. He had us laughing, he had us crying.”

When the couple exited the church, they were surprised by a small group of their family and friends who couldn’t be at the ceremony ringing bells and driving by with congratulatory signs.

“It ended up being the perfect day,” Martin said. “It was what I had originally envisioned, because there were some tears before when I heard that everything was canceled. I was so disappointed. But I feel like God really came through and just blessed us so much on that day.”

Though the April 18 ceremony was smaller than expected, the couple hopes to host a reception in the fall to celebrate with the many intended guests who could not attend.

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20 • Thursday, May 28, 2020

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Room to Grow

Lee Family Lake Martin Home Serves as Office, Classroom and Refuge During Pandemic

By Emily Williams

Photos courtesy the Lee family

D

uring the past two months, the Lake Martin home of David and Tammy Lee has tested the limits of its intended purpose: offering enough space for a full Lee family vacation.

The Lees sought refuge in the secluded lakeside home when the coronavirus pandemic struck the U.S. The Lake Martin home-away-from-home was built with one key ingredient in mind – room for the couple, their four children and their three grandchildren.

“We’ve got plenty of space so people can spread out,” Tammy said. “Everybody got their own bedroom, and everybody got to choose how they wanted their bedroom to look as far as bedding and colors.”

Tyler Lee Martin, Tammy and David’s daughter, is a third grade teacher at Inverness Elementary School and taught at Edgewood Elementary in Homewood before her current position. Martin and her husband, Cale, have two children, Mabry and Crawford.

Kendall Lee is a civil trial attorney alongside her father, both practicing with Parsons, Lee & Juliano. Kendall has a 10-year-old daughter, Addison Lee, who attends Greystone Elementary School, remotely at the moment because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Allen Lee Quinn is a former Edgewood Elementary School teacher who left the position to travel with her husband, Heath Quinn, a former Oak Mountain High School and Samford University baseball player who now plays in the San Francisco Giants’ minor league system.

The Lee’s only son, Peyton, is an athletic trainer with Encore Sports Medicine, where he works with student athletes from Fairfield High School.

While their children were growing up, David and Tammy would spend their time on Lake Martin at the home of David’s brother, Mark Lee, also an attorney with Parsons, Lee & Juliano.

When Mark and his wife sold that house, Tammy began looking for a spot to call their own.

She found it in a lot in The Ridge on Lake Martin.

“I love that it is a safe area,” she said, adding that the neighborhood has sidewalks and streetlights. “It’s its own little community with tennis courts and a swimming pool and then it’s connected to the Ridge Marina, which is a newer marina.”

The Lees’ lake home was constructed with

All of the bedrooms face the lake, Tammy added, “They can lay on their bed and see the lake from every bedroom.”

Some of Tammy’s favorite aspects of the home came from places where she got a great deal.

Yoder Cabinets out of Sylacauga created every bit of cabinetry found in the home.

Tammy would simply find a bathroom cabinet she loved, and the company would deliver something nearly identical.

“He is really talented,” David said. “He did just a terrific job and was very reasonable in price.”

In addition, Tammy said sourcing the granite in the home from Lakeside Stone in Childersburg was a fantastic experience.

“If you ever need stone, that’s where you’ve got to go,” she said. “They beat the prices of anybody around.”

When it comes to decorating and outfitting the lake house, Tammy sought help from her daughters to create a farmhouse-inspired, casual feel throughout the home’s shared spaces.

“We just wanted to go into the house and feel comfortable and casual and not feel like we couldn’t touch anything,” she said.

Vacation Outside the Door

When it is time to clock out, David and Tammy said they typically go into vacation mode.

“We do enjoy getting out on the water most every afternoon,” David said. “The grandchildren really like to fish, so we’ve enjoyed doing that with them.”

The family has also taken to feeding their resident ducks, Doc and Dolly, who have had ten ducklings.

“We can hand-feed the ducks,” Tammy added, laughing.

David noted that it isn’t unusual to see some sad faces when it’s time to go home.

David and Tammy Lee below, built their Lake Martin home-away-from-home, above, “Our youngest granddaughter with one key ingredient in mind – room for the couple and their four children and sometimes cries when she has their three grandchildren. Left, granddaughter Addison Lee. Top, daughter Tyler Lee to leave,” Tammy said.

Martin with her children, Crawford and Mabry.

All of the activity has been quite appreciated as of late and help from Birmingham-based builder Bob Harris a welcome distraction for the Lees and their kids during the pandemic. and takes full advantage of its views.

When they first arrived at the lake to dis“When you enter our front door, a double tance themselves, David and Tammy did notice front door, the view is nothing but lake,” a flurry of activity on the water.

Tammy said.

David recalls that while at the marina waitThe main den area boasts about 20-foot-high ing for their boat to be summerized, one of the ceilings, walls of white-painted pine and an staff members mentioned that, at one point, the enormous wall of windows. marina had 500 open service tickets with people In addition to the den, the main level trying to get their boats serviced. includes two master suites with en suite bathThough the lake has been crowded at times – rooms, a half bath, kitchen, dining area and a especially during spring break, with the beaches large covered porch. closed – the Lees have found that Lake Martin In the lower level of the home, there are has ample space to spread out and socially disthree more bedrooms, a bunk room, a second tance. laundry room and a covered patio area with “It’s so huge that there can be so many peostone arches and, of course, lake views.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

The farmhouse dining table has served as a classroom for grandkids and teachers, study space for Peyton in pursuit of his master’s degree, as well as a courtroom for David and Kendall.

ple, but your docks are so spread out and the houses are not on top of each other,” Tammy said.

It has had its downsides though, mainly that the restaurants were shut down up until a couple of weeks ago.

“I’ll tell you one thing, we’ve done a lot of cooking,” David said.

“We’ve tried a lot of new recipes.”

The grocery store they go to, Captain’s Market, allows a limited number of patrons at a time, and only one family member at a time can go in. Shoppers also are required to wear both gloves and a mask.

Two of the Lees favorite Lake Martin restaurants are Chuck’s Pizza and The Landing. Both establishments remained closed throughout much of the pandemic, opening a couple of

Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 21

HOME

weeks ago for takeout only. Tammy calls it “dock-side pickup,” rather than curbside.

It was a blessing to Tammy when restaurants reopened, as she was growing tired of cooking.

“The good thing is that we have two dishwashers at the lake,” she said. “So, that helps, but when all of the kids come down it is challenging to fit all of those dishes into two dishwashers.”

Company at the Retreat

Since the coronavirus pandemic struck the U.S., the Lees have been spending longer periods of time at the lake house than they have in the three years they have owned the home.

At first, Tammy said, it was just

her and David. The kids and their families pretty much kept their distance.

Eventually, one of their daughters arrived with her children, then another went after the first one had left. David noted that their family has been fortunate to have remained healthy during the pandemic.

“They were taking their turns so everyone wasn’t all here together,” Tammy said. “Recently we have all been together, and it was fine because we’ve all been quarantined, and we made sure to be safe about that.”

Though Tammy muses that David’s blood pressure typically drops about 20 points on the way to the lake, the real world has taken hold of the vacation house, which has become a remote office for the entire family.

The farmhouse dining table has served as a classroom for grandkids and teachers, study space for Peyton in pursuit of his master’s degree, as well as a courtroom for David and Kendall.

“We have a swing bed out there that the kids love to lay on,” Tammy said. “Our granddaughter likes to go down there and do her reading for school; and David was on it the other day doing some of his work.”

“Until I fell asleep,” David interjected.

Tammy prefers to sit at the kitchen table with her back to the lake view.

“If I get outside, I’m going to get distracted,” she said. “I’m fine just See ROOM, page 23

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In Bloom

Seasonal maintenance of the garden is conducted by Oak Street Garden Shop’s shop manager, Kris Blevons.

By Emily Williams A few weeks ago, while the greater Birmingham area was still in stayat-home mode, the small community garden on the Emmet O’ Neal Library lawn in Mountain Brook’s Crestline Village was abuzz.

Dubbed the Better Late Than Never garden, it is a pollinator garden, featuring plants that attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, caterpillars and other creatures.

The name is inspired by its seasonal maintenance, which is conducted by Oak Street Garden Shop’s shop manager, Kris Blevons.

Blevons, who has been with Oak Street for 29 of its 30 years in operation, said planting schedules and maintenance depend totally on how busy she is at the shop.

The history of the small garden began in about 2010, when Oak Street owner Billy Angell approached Emmet O’Neal Library staff with the idea to create a community garden on the lawn as part of the annual Summer Reading Kickoff. The lawn is situated between the library and the

garden shop.

“They had to go to city council, and city council approved it,” said Blevons. “Because he got the city council approval, he laid out the beds and measured.”

Blevons noted that Angell is quite particular about bed measurements, but his initial set-up has since gone wild.

For the first three summers, Blevons estimates, kids helped plant vegetables and other plants in late spring and early summer.

“But it’s so hot over there,” she said. “I think the second time around we tried to put some tents up over there, but it just kind of dwindled off.”

After a summer or two of the garden’s beds lying empty, Blevons approached Angell with an idea to create a pollinator garden.

“I grew up with gardening,” Blevons said. “My whole family, we’re all very much interested in plants.”

The idea was inspired by the wild gardens on her parent’s property in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, near the

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Oak Street’s Better Late Than Never Garden Attracts Life Amid Pandemic

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“You could have a pollinator garden in something as small as a pot on your stoop,” she said. “It’s just something that attracts insects.”

Intended garden patrons could range from birds and bees to ants, so Bevons said steering clear of harmful pesticides is paramount.

“It really needs to kind of take its course,” Blevons said. “You can’t be someone who gets upset if you have a few holes in your leaves, because it’s not always going to be the prettiest, but that’s because you have life there.”

Since Blevons began working with insect-attracting plant life, she has seen a quite noticeable growth of life, especially more birds visiting the space and “tons more honey bees.”

“I think there must be hives somewhere around here, too,” Blevons said.

Celebrating in a Pandemic

To: From: Date:

Oak Street is celebrating its 30th anniversary year during a pandemic.

Celebrating 53 Years Because garden shops are considered ESTABLISHED 1967 essential businesses, Blevons has Jim spent much of the quarantine doing a Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 socially distant “dance” between FAX: 205-824-1246 plants and visitors while outfitting May 2015 bothfor seasoned This is your AD PrOOF from the OvEr THE MOuNTAiN JOurNAl the and new gardeners with materials to complete gardening Nov. 4 2010 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246. projects to pass their newfound free time.

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collecting along the streets of their surrounding neighborhoods.

“This is something that is just really good for the soul,” she said.

“Just nurturing something is good, and if you can get children involved – so many children now are inside and we need to get outside more, I think.”

Advice for the Novice

A great activity to spend time outside with your young loved ones is gardening, Blevons said, which is not only beneficial to your environment but also is educational.

In general, Blevons’ said her best advice for new gardeners is to not be afraid.

If you are just starting out and aren’t sure what direction to take, some of her favorite resilient plants include trailing plants.

Vinca is great in something as simple as a pot, she said, and Blevons sings the praises of an “oddball plant” named gomphrena – which comes in orangey-red, purple and pink shades.

“It is just the most heat-tolerant plant,” Blevons said. “If you just had a spot at your mailbox – those are always tough, hot spots – and you put some gomphrena and some vinca, maybe some zinnias, it would be just a lovely little spot.”

If you have a new area you are planting in, Blevons’ best piece of advice is to prep your soil.

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ly well with a soil conditioner, topsoil,” she said. “Just loosen that soil, then plant, fertilize and mulch.”

She also finds that people often think that’s all they have to do, but plants need to be nurtured like any other living thing.

“Plants need attention just like pets and people do,” she said. “So, water it well. Cut the little blooms when they fade. It makes it look a lot better.

And remember that when a leaf turns yellow, it’s never going to turn green again, so just take it off. Clean it up. Groom it.”

Novice gardeners might be wary when it comes to cutting back their plants, but Blevons said trimming back is something that a number of plants depend on, including the colorful, leafy coleus.

“People will put it in a pot with other things and, all of a sudden, it’s taking over the world and you don’t know what to do,” she said. “Just chop it back. I usually say, ‘Show it who’s boss.’”

Finally, Blevons said if you are ever in a bind, seek help. It could be as simple as an internet search, in which case Blevons suggests you keep an eye out for a .org site, as they are typically university sites that are highly reliable.

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“We actually had a hearing in front of a judge the other day at our lake house,” Tammy said. She even snapped a picture of David, dressed to impress – but just from the waist up. From the waist down, it’s all lakeliving.

ROOM From page 21

sitting at the table on the side that isn’t facing the pretty lake.”

When in town, the Lees’ son-inlaw Heath keeps up his workouts.

“He had to leave spring training to come home,” Tammy said. “They drove all the way home from Arizona. They quarantined themselves for a couple of weeks and then they started coming down to

the lake for two to three days at a time.”

Heath will set up a makeshift batting cage in the driveway or jog to a nearby field to practice throwing.

He’s a professional baseball player,” David said. “Our daughter Allen grew up playing softball, so she can catch and she can throw, but she’s on the receiving end of these long throws.”

The Lee’s son, Peyton, also spends time checking in on his stu-

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HOME dents, making sure they are doing their exercises.

David counts himself “extremely blessed” to be able to continue to work from the lake, though he said it has been quite a transition.

“I’m a trial lawyer, and I’m used to getting out, taking depositions, visiting with clients personally and trying lawsuits. That has been the biggest difference,” he said. “You’re working remotely away from your office. You’re having to conduct meetings via Zoom.”

He said judges have been doing a great job keeping trial dockets moving. David has even started gathering depositions via video chat.

“There’s nothing like being able to talk to a witness face-to-face in a deposition,” David said. “It’s hard to connect with them via a computer.”

When it’s time for a trial, David and/or Kendall dress to impress – mostly.

“We actually had a hearing in front of a judge the other day at our lake house,” Tammy said. She even snapped a picture of David, dressed

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24 • Thursday, May 28, 2020

SENIORS

A Spectacular View

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

The Howards Can Look Back at 63 Years of Family Memories

By Emily Williams Throughout their 63 years of marriage, Jack and Connie Howard have always liked a view.

Jack proposed to Connie in 1965 atop Red Mountain beneath the Vulcan statue. After their marriage at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church on May 4, 1956, the couple lived in a downtown Birmingham apartment before moving to their first family home atop Shades Mountain in Bluff Park.

Today, when the couple sits on the balcony of their Soho Square apartment in Homewood, they have a view of their family business, 18th Street Orientals.

When asked by their oldest son, Kent, whether they would rather see Vulcan or see the shop, the couple immediately responded, in unison, “The shop.”

When reflecting on the past 63 years, Jack and Connie focus on the subject that sets the foundation for their time together: family.

Jack and Connie recently celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary in Soho Square, on the patio of Soho Social just steps from their condo and the store, with their three children, Kent, Jim and Paige Drummond; and four grandchildren, Jordan, Elizabeth, Patricia and Alex.

According to Jim, there has been a Howard conducting business in Homewood since 1968.

It began with a manufacturing representative office on Loveless Street, that Jack set up with his sales partners.

It continues today with the 18th Street Orientals the couple and their son Jim opened in 1986, learning the business through experience while juggling other career paths.

With help from Paige and her husband, Sam Drummond, who eventually took the reins and continue work alongside Jim, the shop weathered the 1987 stock market crash, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2008 recession.

The store is a byproduct of the Howards’ main goal as a couple: focusing on family. That involved time spent together, learning from each other while making memories together.

As a result, Jack said he can see that, not only his children, but his grandchildren have an affinity to put forth their best effort.

“All four of them understand the value of hard work,” Jack said.

Hard work was simply a way of life of the Howards, not only on the job, but in relationships with friends and family.

The Howards built a community of lifelong friends after they moved from their first apartment to their first home atop Shades Mountain.

“We have a group of us who have been getting together for coffee for many years at Green Valley Drugs.” Connie said. They still have a group of four people, who were meeting regularly to catch up and share stories until COVID 19 restrictions were put in place.

Reflecting on their experiences and enjoying the memories is one of the Howards’ favorite pastimes.

Kent noted that all families have their share of stories, and the Howards are no different.

“We’ve got generations of stories,” he said.

“We’ve got enough to write a book … these

Jack and Connie Howard, above center, with members of the Howard family at Jack’s 90th birthday party, recently celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary. The couple were married at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church on May 4, 1956.

great stories that will sustain us.”

Vacationing en Masse

With their children and grandchildren, the Howards have created volumes of shared experiences, whether that be attending the annual Veterans Day parade in downtown Birmingham or traveling to Europe to visit Jack’s father’s hometown in Kent County, England. The couple also has made a pilgrimage to the street where Connie’s father grew up in Scotland.

With their children, the Howards have made countless trips across the United States, down to Mexico up to the Canadian border and beyond.

“We would set sail for weeks at a time,” Paige said, adding that the kids were initially unwilling at times to spend that much time packed into the family Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser.

There was always a theme to the trips.

One year they would trek up to Niagara Falls, and a year or two later they might follow the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail, a trip Jack said was organized in honor of Kent, who “used to wear a coonskin cap all the time.”

The family recalls listening to the 1969 moon launch on the radio while at a campsite.

Trip traditions would begin at the departure, with neighbors gathering to see the family off and then waiting around for a few minutes for them to return because Jack forgot something.

“Another tradition was if we were on vacation and it was Sunday, we were at church,” Kent said. “It didn’t matter where we were, we never missed church on Sundays. We found Our Lady of the Lake, Our Lady of the Hills, Our Lady Next to the Expressway, Our Lady of the Parking Lot.” One of the most memorable trips, Jack and Connie agreed, came one Labor Day weekend.

The family went to church on Sunday and arrived home to pack up for another vacation, complete with a ham.

“We loaded up and drove down to the

Holiday Inn on Highway 31 in Hoover,” Connie laughed.

It was a lean year for the family, and Jack recalls the quizzical look on each of his kids’ faces when he told them, “This is it. This is where we’re going!”

The hotel property included a small lake where Kent and Jimmy were able to fish with bread, which they recall being highly successful bait. For dinner that night, the family went to Joe’s Ranch House - one of the only restaurants in the area where you could get a cocktail on Sunday. It also served the best steak and onion rings in town, according to Paige.

Then there was the time the family ran out of gas and Jack hitched a ride with a truck driver to the nearest service station.

“I remember standing on the side of the road thinking, what if that truck driver is a crook? What if he doesn’t come back? Here I am with three children, stranded,” Connie laughed. “Vacations were sometimes difficult.”

The entire extended family has memories of attending the annual productions that were put

on by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

“I remember when my daddy would take us downtown and we would watch them unload the animals and walk them down to the big top,” Connie said.

Jack added that the big top was always stationed at the Birmingham Fair Grounds, until a historic fire broke out at a Ringling Bros. big top in Hartford, Connecticut in 1944. The fire took the lives of 167 people and injured more than 700, and big tops were a thing of the past.

“I was the circus guy,” Jack said. “I would take the children and then the grandchildren to the circus every year, whether they wanted to go or not.”

The family made sure to attend the Ringling Bros. final Birmingham production in 2017.

Though the annual trek to the circus is a thing of the past, the couple continues to carry on a slumber party with the grandkids – held each Dec. 23 – and the family’s legendary Easter Egg Hunt that has since been adopted by the grandkids.

“Well, there was an incentive,” Jack said.

The key: make sure there is money to be won.

It brought out the spirit of friendly competition, Paige and Kent said, and sometimes the occasional pout or tears. Kent also added that he recalls some definite cheating going on, which Paige added was usually concocted by the adults.

“I’m 62 now and we’ve had one every year,” he said. This year was the first that the kids can recall there being no hunt, due to the pandemic.

Most recently, the family spent Mother’s Day at Paige’s house, and one of the main activities was sharing memories.

“We went around to all of the mothers and children and asked everyone to share something memorable of their mother,” Jack said.

Memories are something that the family has in high supply.

“We have a lot of them,” Connie said. “That keeps us going.”

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

SENIORS

Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 25

Why inpatient rehabilitation can’t wait, even during a pandemic

So much has changed during this pandemic.

Schools and business have closed, and no longer are people sharing handshakes and hugs. Instead, social distancing has become the norm.

Although daily life has been altered greatly

by COVID-19, many things have remained the same. One of those is the need for inpatient rehabilitation.

While many acute care hospitals were forced to shutter some operations as shelter in place orders were implemented across the country, the doors of Encompass Health’s inpatient rehabilitation hospitals never closed.

Despite the pandemic, people will still have strokes and experience other life-changing illnesses or injuries. Many of these individuals can benefit from the intense therapy and around-theclock nursing care that inpatient rehabilitation provides.

“The majority of our patients come to us after a stay in the acute care hospital, where we are finding that volume, in some markets, has not be as heavy as originally predicted,” said Dr. Lisa Charbonneau, chief medical officer at Encompass Health.

That drop in volume can be explained in part because all elective surgeries stopped, but reports from hospitals nationwide indicate a drop in the number of heart attacks and strokes being treated.

“Let’s be clear—that doesn’t mean heart attacks and strokes have gone away during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Charbonneau said. “It’s more likely that people are ignoring the signs and symptoms of these life-threatening conditions in fear of contracting COVID-19 in the emergency room.”

It’s important that these patients still seek

Despite the pandemic, people will still have strokes and experience other life-changing illnesses or injuries. Many of these individuals can benefit from the intense therapy and around-the-clock nursing care that inpatient rehabilitation provides.

prompt medical care during this pandemic, Charbonneau said. After a stay in the acute care hospital, many of them will need rehabilitation afterwards to regain their independence.

But is it safe?

Encompass Health has implemented protocols consistent with CDC guidelines and is assessing the situation daily to protect its patients and employees, Charbonneau said.

“We’re also ramping up our existing infection control protocols that are specific to the inpatient rehabilitation setting,” she explained.

“We are still having therapy in our gyms, but we are social distancing and thoroughly cleaning

equipment after each use. When indicated, we are also conducting therapy within patient rooms.”

Encompass Health restricted visitors at its hospitals to further promote patient and employees safety. Visitors to the company’s two hospitals in the greater Birmingham area— Encompass Health Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital and Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Shelby County—are encouraged to contact the hospital before arrival, as policies may vary by location.

Employees are screened daily for possible signs of COVID-19, as are any essential vendors entering the hospital.

Can rehabilitation wait?

Patients who need inpatient rehabilitation need a hospital level of care, and that care shouldn’t be postponed, even during a pandemic.

“After an acute hospital stay, patients will need help regaining their strength, and in many cases, their cognitive capabilities,” Charbonneau said. “That’s what inpatient rehabilitation is for, and the sooner one receives that care, the more likely they can regain their independence and return to their communities, which is always the end goal in inpatient rehabilitation.”

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©2020:Encompass Health Corporation:1662418B

26 • Thursday, May 28, 2020

SENIORS

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Danberry at Inverness The Unique Choice in Senior Living

In the past, seniors seeking a retirement community Krueger. had few options. Often, it was either an uninspiring Comprehensive health and wellness services for urban high-rise with few outside amenities or an independent living, assisted living and memory care upscale development built around a golf-course or lifestyles are available at Danberry at Inverness, and waterfront with few personal services. they are offered in meticulously designed environBut today’s retirees and tomorrow’s retiring baby ments that invite nature indoors. For example, throughboomers increasingly demand an environment that not out the Danberry at Inverness Clubhouse, nature seamonly is carefree, but also offers them ample opportunilessly blends both indoors and out with fireplaces, the ties to remain mentally and physically active in a atrium lobby, English tea gardens and waterfalls. Here, soothing natural setting. residents can take care of everyday details and enjoy a In other words, they want an address that redefines range of first-class amenities (movie theater, creative retirement. art studio, bridge and card rooms) and services (library, Danberry at Inverness senior living community, mail/communications room). Dining is available in the located at 235 Inverness Center Drive in Hoover, justMOUNTAIN formal dining room and al fresco on the garden terrace. life OVER THE JOURNAl off US 280 and Valleydale Road, is an example of an A Dynamic Approach to Wellness inspiring approach to retirement living that feels The advantages of living in one of today’s wellnessunique from the moment one enters its atrium lobby. oriented retirement communities are many: ample Stained-glass windows and a cascading waterfall set the mood for a retirement lifestyle that emphasizes nat- opportunities to stay as strong and independent as Danberry at Inverness retirement community has been chosen as in the mainstream of activities and ural beauty, vitality and personal fulfillment.oneResidents of the nation’s toppossible, communities staying in 2013 on SeniorAdvisor.com, the premier online ratings events and reviews sitekeeping for senior living communities and a healthy outlook on life. Danberry can choose from comfortable one-, two- or three-bednationwide. at Inverness offers exceptional fitness opportunities all room luxury apartment homes which are appointed The SeniorAdvisor 2013 Excellence Award recognizes senior living under one roof, such “senior-friendly” spa services, with upscale features such as ceramic tile floors, grancommunities that receive consistently high ratings andas positive reviews from residents, families, and visitors.

“Receivingfitness this des ignation a fully equipped center, classes including Tai ite countertops and stainless steel appliances.

English places Danberry in the top one percent of all retirement communities Chi,ataerobics, waterdirector, yogaLori and Pilates, a private seniorgardens and flowering landscapes complete nationwide,” these picsaid Danberry Inverness marketing Krueger. “We are so proud that soheated many—especially residents— friendly indoor,ourresort-style saltwater pool and a ture-perfect residences. consider us to be one of the wellness“Our clinic.

The award-winning Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired residents will tell best of the best.” in Inverness on“We make residents architecture and natural surroundings only addLocated to the you thatsure theyour wish they’dhave every opportuniLake Heather, Danberry at moved here sooner.

They ty to learn, explore and savor life in a whole new peaceful, stress-reducing environment.

Inverness is a senior living carefree, fun-filled way,” said the Krueger.

“In other words, we help them “We believe that Danberry at Inverness offers peocommunity for adults 55 and love older with every convenience and rewarding retiredesign a future filled with fun!” ple over 55 independent living unlike anywhere else and amenity imaginable, ment lifestyle they find one that encourages growth, learning and discovery of including a clubhouse with This community really must be seen to be believed, we love today, visit card rooms, a ballroom, so stopatbyDanberry.

DanberryAnd at Inverness new things about yourself and your environment,” said indoor swimming pool, serving them!”

DanberryAtInverness.com or call 443-9500.

Danberry at Inverness Marketing Director Lori creative art studio, salon/

Thursday, March 20, 2014 • 13

Danberry at Inverness

ABOVE: Residents spending time together at Danberry at Inverness. LEFT: The atrium at Danberry at Inverness is the center of the clubhouse. It connects the common areas and provides a place where residents can enjoy a cup of coffee or a cocktail with friends before dinner.

lori Krueger, marketing director, spa, theater, fitness studio, Danberry at Inverness. innovative wellness programs and much more. Residents enjoy chef-prepared menus and dining with friends in the casual bistro or more formal dining room. Services include scheduled transportation, concierge and weekly housekeeping.

For those in need of a helping hand, 24-hour licensed professional nursing is available on-site in Assisted Living at Danberry, which offers a comfortable and luxurious atmosphere. On-site physical and occupational therapy also are available.

“Our residents will tell you that they wish they’d moved here sooner.

They love the carefree, fun-filled and rewarding retirement lifestyle they find at Danberry,” said Krueger. “And we love serving them!”

Danberry is the flagship senior housing development for the Daniel Corporation and is managed by CRSA®, an LCS® company.

Danberry at Inverness is located on Lake Heather just off U.S. 280 and Valleydale Road in Hoover, 443-9500.

Get more out of life at Danberry at Inverness Residents enjoy: Even more than larger floor plans, • Flexible dining options gorgeous architecture, and • Transportation outstanding amenities—Danberry • Housekeeping at Inverness frees you to create • Fitness Center a lifestyle all your own, with • Wellness Clinic • 24-hour nursing Independent Living, Assisted ARE YOUR VETERANS BENEFITS SAFE? • Indoor resort-style pool Living, and Memory Care all • Full-service salon & spa right here. More peace of mind.

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• G.Creative studio Our speaker is William Nolan, an arts accredited attorney with the VA and a local Elder Law attorney

Congress is in session –

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

Above: lori Krueger, left, marketing director and Jaclyn Gardner, executive director of Danberry at Inverness.

Veterans benefits have been available since WWII... yet there are some in Congress who want to significantly curtail your benefits. If you are a Veteran or the widow of a Veteran, or if you might become a caregiver for a Veteran, please join us for an informative and timely (and free!) presentation on “The Future of Your VA Benefits”.

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 27

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

SENIORS

‘A Good Life’ Turning 101 During a Pandemic

In Mountain Brook Village On Canterbury Road

On May 19, the city of Vestavia Hills organized a birthday parade in honor of longtime resident Joanne Casey’s 101st birthday. Casey was born on May 19, 1919, during the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. When asked how she felt about being 101 years old, Casey said she had not been 101 long enough to answer properly. She joked with one passerby that she was 110. After she was corrected, she said, “I’m not disappointed and I’ve had a good life,” she added. “I’m just cookin’ on all four burners!” A large number of participants paraded vehicles decked out in her honor on a path from Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church to Casey’s street, Southwood Road, while she watched and celebrated from her driveway.

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The Graduates

Mountain Brook High School John Nathan, honor graduate

Obviously, this is not how we envisioned the end of our high school careers going. ...

Although this is certainly a challenging time, I hope that that does not distract this class of 2020 from the fact that we are achieving something great: we’re graduating.

It hasn’t always been easy, but we made it here through hard work, dedication and, most importantly, because we stuck together.

What makes this graduating class so special is their innate camaraderie and desire to see each other succeed.

When one of us stumbles, the rest of us are right there to pick him back up. ...

I am confident that every single member of this graduating class will go on to do amazing things, but my challenge to you all is this: always remember to find some good friends to lean on because a life filled with all the success in the world is nothing if

you don’t have friends with whom you can share it.

Benjamin Harris, honor graduate

Whatever you are, be a good one.

My father lived his life by this saying and for a long time, its true meaning escaped me. I strove to be perfect, but I have never reached that goal.

Only now do I realize the intentional use of the word “good” in the phrase. The point my father tried to impress upon me was not that I needed to be perfect, but that I never have to be.

Instead, I should do what I love to do. But whatever I do, I should give it my all. Life isn’t about being perfect, being the best, meeting the expectations. It’s about doing what you love and giving it everything you’ve got.

I don’t hope that the class of 2020 is the most outstanding, excellent class ever, I hope that we are the class that gives it our all.

Vestavia Hills High School Julianna Perrigo, director of graduation

Martin Luther King once said, “There can be no disappointment where there is not deep love.”

When people would ask me if I was ready for school to be over before this pandemic, my immediate response would be, “I can’t wait to get out of here and be in Auburn.”

PHoto by Whit McGhee/Vestavia Hills City Schools

Editors note: We reached out to local schools and collected graduation messages to the Class of 2020 from some of our areas top ranking graduates, featured student speakers and valedictorians. Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills students are featured here. We’ll include others in our next issue.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

SCHOOLS

… I did not appreciate all the little moments of laughter with my schoolmates. I took for granted the love and dedication my teachers put into every single lesson. …

Being apart has shown us the bonds and unlikely friendships we have formed and grown to miss.

Although this situation is disappointing, it has made clear how special and valuable our high school experience was. …

Class of 2020, while you may not have gotten to nervously exchange corsages with your prom date, … or focus on not falling flat on your faces

in front of thousands as you walk across to shake hands with Dr. Burgess, there are so many experiences that we DID get to have, like winning the Toga Pep Rally, Friday Night Lights with your best friends, going to playoffs for football, getting on the news for starting a petition for no school the day after Halloween (we’re basically all famous), winning the powderpuff (football) game, homecoming week, Sadie Hawkins, (raising) $56,575 for Ady’s Army, hiding the Spirit Stick (does anyone know where it is?), losing our voices at Wallace State, outshining Mountain

Brook’s Student Section at every game, and seeing a new face in the hallway every day.

There are disappointments because of this, we can’t deny that, but these disappointments have brought us closer than ever. Let’s lean on each other and come out on the other side stronger. Life will get better, and, just think, one day we will be a part of our child’s history textbook. …

I know that my love for Vestavia Hills High School and the people it holds has only grown stronger through this. We are a family. We are 1Rebel.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

SCHOOLS

Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 29

Rehab Reality...

by Judy Butler

SPORTS

Hoover’s ‘Dangerous’ Bauder Earns All-State Honor Despite Shortened Season

By Rubin E. Grant

Survivors should receive a medal, not a stigma?

This has always been a problem that I have with AA meetings and most rehabs.

The need to address a group of strangers and announce your name and that you are an alcoholic! I see the point of the reminder that addiction is a slippery slope, but to wear the label publicly is, in my opinion, demeaning. A person who has dealt with addiction and overcome it deserves a medal, not the stigma of being an addict.

We understand this at Bayshore Retreat. Through our approximately 30 hours of weekly counseling, clients are given the tools to deal with ‘triggers’ and other issues that created the addiction in the first place. We all accept the fact that alcohol and various drugs are addictive, therefore the question “why tempt fate?” Most people think “it won’t happen to me”, only to discover YES, it CAN happen to anyone. Addiction doesn’t discriminate. It has no boundaries- neither age, gender, economic status nor color.

We have to understand that alcohol is a poison and some drugs are also… in fact, prescribed and over the counter drugs have disclaimers that will scare you about using them, even if needed for certain reasons.

Back to the original disclaimer: “Survivors should receive a medal, not a stigma?”

Bayshore Retreat is the perfect place to help rid the body of the poison from alcohol and drugs and create a fresh start in life. With only 6 clients at a time, we are also the safest place to do it, especially now with the risks of the Coronavirus.

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the remainder of the high school spring sports seasons in March, it ended the soccer career of one of the state’s most lethal players.

At least that’s how Hoover soccer coach Kris Keplinger described senior forward Sam Bauder.

“As a soccer player, he was dangerous,” Keplinger said. “He created problems for the other teams wherever he went on the field. That took pressure off

PATRIOTS From page 32

and “Lightning Storm” is an account of the high-tech changes in the 1980s and 1990s through the lens of one of the first pioneers of PC technology.

His latest book is “Fighting Patriots,” which tells the story of a brand new high school in Homewood in 1972 and how a 23-year-old, firsttime head coach built a winning football program.

Kirkpatrick began writing the book in 2019.

“It was the 45th anniversary of Homewood’s first state championship and I thought it would be interesting,” Kirkpatrick said.

Kirkpatrick was an end on Homewood’s 1974 state championship

TIERNEY From page 32

a lot of coaches know who she is off the field as well as on.

“The United Soccer National Association, which is separate, named her to the first team All-State. It’s chosen by coaches in the entire state. To make first team in that is remarkable.”

Tierney played in the Alabama High School Athletic Association

COACHES From page 32

Valley High School for the past four seasons.

The Mountain Brook Board of Education approved her hiring May 18.

“Through the interview process, numerous meetings and extensive conversations with contacts within the basketball coaching community — both locally and nationally — we are confident that we have the right coach in Sara Halasz to direct our program,” MBHS Athletics Director Benny Eaves said in a statement.

Halasz played at the University of New Mexico from the 2008-09 year to the 2013-14 year, earning a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in the process. She tallied more than

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

our other players because they were concentrating on him.”

Bauder led the Bucs in scoring in 2019 with 15 goals and 14 assists as Hoover captured the Class 7A championship, earning their first state title since 2003 and finishing with a 19-4-3 record.

He was in the middle of another prolific season this spring with nine goals and nine assists when the season ended. He scored three goals in an impressive 4-0 victory against Auburn, two goals in a 6-1 victory against John

Carroll Catholic and one goal in a 3-1 win against Enterprise, the team Hoover beat in the 2019 Class 7A championship game.

The Bucs had a 9-1-2 record, including winning the platinum division in the Lakeshore Shootout, when the season was shut down.

“That was heartbreaking,” Bauder said, “and sad for me because that’s where my soccer career ended.”

Bauder doesn’t plan to play soccer in college. Instead, he’s going to go to the University of Alabama and concen-

team and later would sign with LSU. The Patriots finished with a 13-1 record. The team featured quarterback Murray Legg, who signed with Alabama, defensive back-receiver Mark Robbins, who signed with Auburn, and the late Rick Powers, a linebacker, who signed with Tennessee.

Young head coach Alvin Bresler made sure to use every player on the roster.

“We kept 42 on the varsity and every one of them contributed somewhere every game,” Bresler once said.

“Fighting Patriots” is told from the point of view of more than 30 contributors who participated in the early years of Homewood’s football program. The group of storytellers includes coaches, players, managers, trainers, administration, band, major-

ettes and opponents.

The 124-page paperback book is more than game highlights, scores and players biographies. It’s the story of an entire community that played a role in the Patriots’ winning a state title in their third year of existence.

“I would talk to people and, as it turned out, the more people I talked to, it became more about the entire community,” Kirkpatrick said.

Bresler likes the way Kirkpatrick weaves the stories together.

“Patrick Kirk is magnificent in his recollections of the mini stories,” Bresler said.

The foreword is written by Michael Gross, who was the Homewood principal at the time. The introduction is contributed by retired Lt. Col. Todd Foreman, a West Point graduate, Mr. Homewood 1976, band member and

drum major for three years.

Foreman writes several sections of the book, including his tributes to coaches, teachers, the community and fellow band members.

“The records that still stand are few, but the memories as they fade haven’t lost their meaning,” Kirkpatrick said. “The things that are important are told in the book.

“The young head coach didn’t just bring together players and coaches, he built the program around the entire community and included everyone as equals striving for a dream,” he said.

“Fighting Patriots” is released through hybrid publishing. It retails for $12.95. It may be purchased at store.bookbaby.com/book/fightingpatriots.

For information, visit www.facebook.com/wade.kirkpatrick.79.

North-South All-Star game in 2019, and this year she was voted one of Mountain Brook’s team captains.

She is a versatile player but found her niche as a defender during her high school career.

“When I was younger, I didn’t have a solidified position,” she said. “I played everywhere. I was a floater.

When I was in the eighth grade, the coach talked to me about where I should play and I ended up at center back.

“I think it helped me as a defender, playing other positions. I have a deeper understanding of the game and more field awareness.”

Johnson raves about Tierney’s talent and skill level.

“She’s extremely consistent,” Johnson said. “You can rely on her. In the games when we were not playing a top opponent, she still maintained the same level of play. It doesn’t matter the level of competition. She approaches practice with an open mindset.

She’s very coachable.

“Her mechanics, fundamentals and technique are polished and consistent.

She does all the simple stuff and has a high degree of accuracy with where she’s going with the ball. In a bit of serendipity, she scored our first goal of the season this year.”

Johnson likes that Tierney will play college soccer at her mom’s alma mater.

“It’s neat to see her carry on the legacy,” he said.

1,000 points and 500 rebounds as a guard for the Lobos. Following her collegiate career, Halasz played professionally in Germany and the Czech Republic before she started coaching.

“I’m just super humbled and super thankful for the opportunity, and thankful for those who supported me along this journey,” Halasz said in the statement. “I can’t wait to get started in Mountain Brook.”

Eaves said coaches familiar with Halasz described her as “humble, incredibly hard-working, an engaging and encouraging teacher of the game, and a bright star in the coaching profession.”

state championship, is leaving the Bucs to become the head basketball coach at Athens High School.

“After the Athens coach, resigned I got a call from some people in (the) community that they would like me to take a look at it closely,” Burkett said in a news conference. “This opportunity came about and I took a look at it.”

Burkett came to Hoover in 2006 from Saks High School in Anniston.

He coached Hoover for 14 seasons, compiling a 313-129 record and leading the Bucs to their only boys state title in 2015. He also led the Bucs to state tournament appearances in 2012 and 2019. Burkett has won 422 games in his career.

football coach at John Carroll Catholic High School.

Mara is a 2011 graduate of John Carroll and replaces Logan Colafrancesco, who compiled a 6-34 record in four seasons. The Cavaliers haven’t had a winning season since Chris Musso guided the team to a 6-4 record in 2010, winning only 14 games since.

Mara played baseball and football at John Carroll and had been an assistant football coach with the Cavaliers.

“I’m pumped,” Mara said during a news conference. “This has been a dream of mine since I was in high school. I’ve been a part of it for 15 years, going to back to playing middle school football. I’ve seen the ups and down and I’m excited to get to work.”

— Rubin E. Grant

Burkett Leaves Hoover for Athens

Charles Burkett, who coached Hoover to its only boys basketball

Mara elevated to Head Football Coach at John Carroll Will Mara will be the new head

Journal file photo by Marvin Gentry

30 • Thursday, May 28, 2020

Sam Bauder

trate on being a student. He is going to study business, focusing on anti-money laundering.

See BAUDER, page 31

From page 30

“I mainly talked to Florida Southern College about playing in college because my dad played there,” Bauder said. “But soccer became more of a job than something that was a sport or something to do to have fun. I will always love it. I just think it was time for a change.”

Even though the 2020 season was cut short, Bauder was voted first-team All-State by the state soccer coaches association.

Bucs senior defenders Richard Ujueta, who earned state tournament MVP honors in 2019, and Carter Mock also were voted first-team All-State.

Junior midfielder Dylan Steely was named to the second team.

Other Over the Mountain players selected to the All-State first team were Mountain Brook midfielder Pirmin Blattmann, Vestavia Hills midfielder Tony Shaw, Vestavia Hills defender Alex Holt, Oak Mountain defender Ryan Webb, Briarwood midfielder Bailey Morman and Indian Springs defender James Tozzi.

Bauder was one of 12 seniors on the Bucs’ roster this spring. He will always remember his career as a Hoover soccer player.

“Honestly, it was more amazing than I could have imagined, especially winning the state championship,” Bauder said. “I had a great time playing with all my friends and playing for some great coaches.”

Moving On

By Rubin E. Grant

Colton Ledbetter probably will always wonder what might have been.

Spain Park’s 6-foot senior center fielder was in the midst of a career baseball season, batting .414 with four home runs, 15 RBIs, 18 runs scored and 17 stolen bases in 16 games when the season came to a screeching halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With 12 seniors, including eight of their nine starting position players and three of their top four pitchers, the Jaguars had won nine consecutive games after a 4-4 start.

“It was very disappointing when the season ended so abruptly,” Ledbetter said. “It was really shocking, too. All the hard work we did during the offseason was, well it wasn’t for nothing, but we didn’t get a chance to finish the season. It was saddening I didn’t get to play my entire senior season with my friends I played with all my life.”

Spain Park coach Will Smith thought he had a team capable of winning the Class 7A state championship.

“We were starting to jell as a team,” Smith said. “The roles were defined and I could see the formation of an exceptional group.”

At the forefront of it was Ledbetter, who some considered the top player in the Birmingham metropolitan area. He was named All-State as a junior after hitting .388 with seven homers, 11 doubles and 33 RBIs in 34 games.

Ledbetter is headed to Samford to play college baseball under Bulldogs’ coach Casey Dunn. Dunn was one of the primary reasons Ledbetter chose Samford.

“Samford was my first offer,” Ledbetter said. “I toured the place — I am not that big on big colleges — so I thought it was a great fit for me.

Coach Dunn is great coach and I wanted to learn from him. Well, actually all of the coaches.”

Ledbetter Ready for Samford After ‘Disappointing’ End to the High School Baseball Season “He’s a very, very talented kid,” Smith said.

“We knew in the eighth grade he would be a good player. He sort of exceeded what we thought he would be. He started as a sophomore and came on strong between his sophomore and junior seasons.

That’s when folks started to notice him.

“What separates him from other players is his athleticism. He can run and hit, and he has quick actions about him in the field and at the plate.”

Ledbetter has been playing baseball since he was 4 years old and in T-ball. He instantly developed a passion for the game.

“It was my first love as Ledbetter was named All-State as a junior after hitting .388 with seven homers, 11 doubles and a sport,” he said. “I like 33 RBIs in 34 games. the way you can make adjustments during the game in the batter’s box or in the the bat. field, and the strategies.”

“I like to think I can do a little of The lefty-swinging Ledbetter is a everything, but what I’m known for is line-drive hitter, using the entire field. hitting,” he said. “I practice hitting all He has gained a solid reputation with the time. It’s what I enjoy the most.”

COVID Makes Future Hazy

Photo by Iron City Studios

BAUDER

Thursday, May 28, 2020 • 31

SPORTS

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Next spring, Ledbetter still will be dealing with the effects of the pandemic. Because the NCAA canceled all of its spring sports, it granted another year of eligibility to players who were seniors in 2020.

Ledbetter had moved from right field to center field for the Jaguars this season and was expecting to play center field when he joined Samford for the 2021 season. But now he’s not so sure.

“I hope I get to play center, but more than likely it will be one of the corner outfield spots,” he said. “They have a couple of senior outfielders coming back because they were granted another year of eligibility because of all this coronavirus stuff. It’s still up in the air whether I play center or not.”

Regardless of where Ledbetter plays as a freshman, Smith believes he will make an immediate impact with the Bulldogs.

“His athleticism will allow him to play early on,” Smith said.

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Hoover’s ‘Dangerous’ Bauder Earns All-State Honor Despite Shortened Season. Page 30

SPORTS Thursday, May 28, 2020 ❖ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Just Like Mom

Moving On: Spain Park’s Ledbetter Ready for Samford After ‘Disappointing’ End to the High School Baseball Season. Page 31

Coaching Carousel

Mountain Brook’s Tierney Headed to Play Soccer at Her Mother’s Alma Mater

Addison Tierney didn’t plan on following in her mother’s footsteps. It just turned out that way.

When she was a little girl, Tierney tried several activities, including dance and softball. One day her mother, Ashley Tierney, asked her if she wanted to try soccer, and Addison said sure.

Little did Addison Tierney know that would put her on the same path her mother had taken.

Ashley Tierney played soccer at Mountain Brook High School and at Rhodes College in Memphis. Now Addison Tierney will be headed to Rhodes in the fall after playing soccer for Mountain Brook.

“I’m following in her footsteps,” Addison Tierney said. “She influenced me a little bit, but in a good way. I made my own decision to go to Rhodes. My dad, Brian, also went to Rhodes. They were both excited when I told them.

“I chose Rhodes because it is the perfect balance of athletics, academics and being able to have a social life. I feel I can balance everything well and because it is a smaller school with a great student-to-teacher ratio,

if I ever need any help, there will be a lot of people willing to help me.

“I also love the city of Memphis, and this was definitely a big factor in my decision, too.”

Tierney is an exceptional student with a 4.18 grade-point average. She also made 32 on the ACT. She hasn’t decided on her major, but she won’t become a certified public accountant, like her mom.

“I’m thinking pre-med,” Tierney said. “Bio-chemistry could be a good fit. I eventually want to become a doctor, perhaps a pediatrician. My dad is an emergency medicine doctor.”

This spring, Addison Tierney, a center back, was having a standout season for the Spartans before it was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mountain Brook had a 7-2-2 record when the season was halted.

It was a double blow for Tierney because, not only did her senior season end abruptly, but she also didn’t get to play a full season with younger sister Breese, who was a freshman on the team. It was the first time the sisters had been teammates.

“We have both played club soccer our whole life, but we’d never been teammates because of the age differ-

Photo courtesy Brian Tierney

By Rubin E. Grant

Homewood’s Esslinger Leaves for Hewitt-Trussville

Tierney played in the Alabama High School Athletic Association North-South All-Star game in 2019, and this year she was voted one of Mountain Brook’s team captains.

ence,” Addison Tierney said. “I was the one most disappointed definitely when the season ended. It was my senior season and it was cut short.

Everybody on the team was sad.”

Players of the Year, All-Star

Despite the shortened season, the Birmingham Metro Soccer Coaches Association named Tierney and Hewitt-Trussville’s Jordan Lynn players of the year in the all-senior A Division.

“I was so excited,” Tierney said.

“It was definitely a surprise. We played only four or five big games.

My mom told me she had a surprise for me and she’s the one who told me.

They had told her first.”

Tierney also was named All-State by the coaches association.

“She had a remarkable senior year, being named co-Birmingham Metro Player of the Year,” Mountain Brook girls soccer coach Adam Johnson said. “We nominate our players and she was voted on by all the other Birmingham area coaches. It’s not a specific category but awarded to who receives the most votes. That speaks well of not just her playing ability, but See TIERNEY, page 30

EARLY DAYS

Fighting Patriots Recounts First Three Years of Homewood Football Program Journal photo by Jordan Wald

By Rubin E. Grant

From left, Michael Gross, Murray Legg, Wade Kirkpatrick and Alvin Bresler.

Wade Kirkpatrick is in the market for a book agent.

He figured the best way to attract one was to write another book.

“I published my first book last year and I needed a second book to get an agent,” said Kirkpatrick, who goes by the pen name Patrick Kirk.

So, as he had done with his first book, “Lighting Storm,” Kirkpatrick turned to a subject with which he was keenly familiar.

Kirkpatrick worked in the PC software business for 30 years before retiring,

See PATRIOTS, page 30

If Homewood’s track and field dynasty continues during the 2020-21 school year, it will be without coach Tom Esslinger.

Esslinger has been named the new Hewitt-Trussville track and field coach. He had coached Homewood’s track and field teams since 2005, winning 20 state championships. He was named the 2017 girls track and field national Coach of the Year.

Esslinger replaces 30-year veteran David Dobbs, who will continue to coach Hewitt’s cross-country team and assist Esslinger in track and field.

“I have such tremendous respect for coach Dobbs and the track and field program he built,” Esslinger said in a press release. “I am so excited for the opportunity to build on the momentum of the program and help Hewitt-Trussville athletes reach their full potential.

“I am extremely thankful to get the chance to be a part of the extraordinary athletic department, school and community in Trussville, and I can’t wait to meet the student-athletes and get to work.”

Esslingler is the son of legendary track coach John Esslinger, who won 46 state championships as the head cross-country and track and field coach at Scottsboro High School.

After Homewood swept the indoor track and field state championships earlier this year, Esslinger gave himself little chance of matching his dad’s titles.

“I don’t know if I can catch him,” he said. “I’d have to coach a long time, but I don’t think I’d go past 25 (years). But it’s been a fun ride so far, that’s for sure.”

Now, that ride will continue at Hewitt.

Halasz Takes Over Mountain Brook Girls Basketball Program

Sara Halasz has been hired as Mountain Brook High School’s varsity girls head basketball coach, the same position she has held at Pinson

See COACHES, page 30

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