2 • Thursday, September 5, 2019
Inside
Murphy’s Law
T ADDICTION COALITION Mayors Turn Their Attention to Vaping in Next Addiction Breakfast PAGE 6
RETAIL RECOGNITION The Cook Store Earns Spot Among 2019 Alabama Retailers of the Year PAGE 7
A DOG’S BEST FRIEND Mountain Brook Students Create A Place for Puppies to Play PAGE 19
PERFECT BLEND Royal Cup Family Member Applying Coffee-Blending Techniques to Rum PAGE 20
ABOUT TOWN 3 NEWS 6 SOCIAL 8 WEDDINGS 13
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
OPINION/CONTENTS
LIFE 14 SCHOOLS 19 FOOD 20 SPORTS 24
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OVER THE MOUNTAIN
J O U R N A L September 5, 2019 Publisher & Editor: Maury Wald Copy Editor: Virginia Martin Features Writer: Donna Cornelius Staff Writers: Emily Williams Photographer: Jordan Wald Editorial Assistant: Stacie Galbraith Sports: Blake Ells, Rubin E. Grant Contributors: Susan Murphy, June Mathews, Emil Wald, Marvin Gentry, Lee Walls, Bryan Bunch, Sam Prickett, Lauren Helmer Advertising Sales: Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald, Gail Kidd, Suzanne Wald Vol. 29, No. 3
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 2019 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.
That’s the Ticket
his was a good summer for movstage director is working with consideries. With “Aladdin” and “The ably less space and a considerably Lion King” coming out back-tosmaller budget, so the images the audiback, it was like a Disney-palooza. ence sees must be condensed. In the While the thermometer hovered at 95 recent film version of “The Lion King,” degrees, I spent many happy hours sitgreat care was taken to make the aniting in the dark with my Junior Mints. mals appear real (other than the fact I also went to see Red Mountain that they could talk, of course). The aniTheatre’s production of “Matilda,” mals in the stage production of “The which was great fun. No Junior Mints Lion King” were people in bright, artisthere, but I really didn’t need them, and tic costumes. The background animals that’s saying something. were giant puppets on wheels. I love live theater. The first producThe remarkable thing is that both Sue Murphy tion I ever saw was “Camelot.” I was versions of the story worked beautifully. probably 10 years old, and when the Movies are like big sprawling novbig velvet curtains parted and the els. They use the tools at their disfirst strains of music rose from the posal to make the audience’s experiI love live theater. The ence bigger and louder to command orchestra pit, I was hooked. Movies and live theater are very first production I ever their full attention. Live theater is different creatures. Movie directors like poetry. The director cuts to saw was “Camelot.” I more have acres and acres of screen to fill. the essence of the story by distilling The actors may be front and center, was probably 10 years it down to its most vital parts. but they’re surrounded by buildings miss the big screen showold, and when the big ing Ifofyou and street signs and specific dish a movie, you needn’t worry. velvet curtains parted Within the year, it will be available towels slung over someone’s shoulder, and every item needs to be true video, and eventually it will make and the first strains of on to the story. Because the audience it to Amazon or Netflix or even a music rose from the gets such a super-zoom view every regular non-paying channel. If you single minute, every soup can label, miss a live theater production … orchestra pit, I was every song on the car radio, every well, I’m sorry. Yes, the play may be hooked. subtle facial expression has to be put on somewhere else, but that parauthentic. If the story includes snowticular production, with that cast and fall, it can’t be filmed in the Sahara. that set and that magical mix of audiIf a scene takes place in a dust storm, the director must ence members, is gone for good. It was a moment in pack up the cast and crew and carry them to a place time, and time moves on. where a lot of dust can be stirred up on cue. There’s a From the previews, this fall will be another banner small town in Illinois close to where my sister lives that season at the movies, and I am squirreling away my a production company sank thousands of dollars into just Junior Mint money in preparation. I’ve also bought seaso they could film a scene where they blew up a gas stason tickets to the theater. I’m going big, I’m going small. tion in a Superman movie. No wonder movie tickets are I’m going all out. so expensive. So, buy a ticket this season. Buy two. Have popcorn In a live theater, the same effect would be accominstead of Junior Mints. There are no real rules —except plished with an offstage blast and a flash of light. The to silence your cell phone.
Over the Mountain Views
What do you think about the new Cahaba River Walk Dog Park? “I like the location and that it’s shaded in parts. I like that they can run around.” Mieke Hemstreet and Avery Cahaba Heights “It’s convenient, I used to drive 20 minutes now I’m only driving 3 minutes.” Bill Nonidez and Perro Mountain Brook “She can run loose and be near the water.” Billy Krueger and Kathryn Shook with Gatsby Mountain Brook “It’s nice and peaceful.” Carol Ann and William Nicrosi with Rosy Mountain Brook