OTMJ 9.21.23

OTMJ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL u OTMJ.COM

SPORTS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

SOCIAL

ANTIQUES AT THE GARDENS | SPECIAL SECTION

Inside

A Diplomat of Decorating UNITY, COURAGE AND RESILIENCE Patriot Day ceremony in Homewood honors 9/11 victims and families PAGE 8

richardkeithlangham.com

FUN ON THE WATER Inverness couple ready to set sail in National Regatta PAGE 10

Richard Keith Langham Relishes His Role as Antiques at The Gardens Ambassador PAGE 18

TIES THAT BIND Bluff Park Art Show is one of the threads that tie the Moore family together PAGE 10

2 • Thursday, September 21, 2023

Inside

Guest Column

F OPA! Greek Food Festival will be celebrating 50 years with food and dance PAGE 4

NEVER FORGET Stair climb in Hoover held to remember the events of 9/11 PAGE 9

READY FOR CHRISTMAS? Samford Legacy League’s annual Christmas tour to showcase five decked-out homes PAGE 23

IPC TOUR IS BACK Holiday House returns for 74th year with in-person tour PAGE 23

ABOUT TOWN NEWS LIFE

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

OPINION/CONTENTS

4 SOCIAL 8 HOME 10 SPORTS

or the past nine months, I have Now here in Alabama, I have woken up every morning in become acquainted with Publix Homewood, Alabama. Geez, Supermarkets – never encountered one how the heck did this in New York. My family sent Grandpa Hamptons, New York, celebrity journalout for a few items, and while waiting ist get here? online, I started a chat with a 20-someThat said, I am indeed so glad that I thing young lady, and after talking about am here. I followed my son to what we each did for a living, she asked Homewood. What a great, highly edume who was the most famous person I cated resident neighborhood with an ever interviewed. I thought about it and absolute commitment to the community said, “Mary Poppins.” To my absolute are the Homewood residents! However, surprise she said, “Who is that?’’

Harrington is definitely the odd bird out Really, a generation that does not Douglas MacKaye here in Alabama. know about the iconic movie “Mary Harrington Let’s start with the weather…is this Poppins,” or know Dame Julie Andrews. the hottest place on earth, I think it chalI had the privilege of interviewing Dame lenges the Gobi Dessert? Two weeks Julie over lunch at the historic American The one thing I ago when it was 97 degrees here, I Hotel in Sag Harbor in the Hamptons. can say without checked the weather in my Hampton’s She brought her daughter with her and town of Quogue, New York, and it was during the interview, my daughter, exception, 76 degrees.

Sterling Bliss Harrington, gave me a Alabamians I am a life-long Episcopalian and call. My wife died very young and I was are some of the found my way to All Saints Episcopal left with a 9-year-old and a 13-year-old, Church in Homewood and now underso every call that came in I took. friendliest, most stand why parishioners wear T-shirts to Dame Julie said to me, “How nice, engaging people I you pick your phone up for your child church. In New York, for the most part, every man wears a suit or sports coat during an interview, good for you! Her have ever met ... with a tie to church. No tie, but name is Sterling, how wonderful!”

Harrington still wears his sear-sucker, I responded, “Better than that, her blue-white striped sports coat. Hey guys, I do get some middle name is Bliss from my maternal Scottish side of looks from the beautiful senior ladies in the pews. At some the family, Sterling Bliss … Shining Peace!” point, this ancient New Yorker will gather the courage to Dame Andrews dropped her knife and fork to the approach one of these Southern beauties. table and said, “That is the most beautiful name I have The one thing I can say without exception, Alabamians ever heard.” are some of the friendliest, most engaging people I have To my surprise, her daughter immediately smacked ever met, and I have literally traveled the world. Besides Dame Julie on the arm and said, “Yeah, and I got numerous visits to Europe, including England, France, Emma?”

Germany, Italy and Spain, I was a member of The National Shakespeare Company, and during the 1982-83 Douglas MacKaye Harrington is a four time Press national tour, I played 44 states and 120 cities in 11 Club award-winning, semi-retired New York journalist months in the United States. Believe me, I know America who recently moved to Alabama to live with his son and and I can say Alabama is a great stay! his family in Homewood.

12 18 28

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.

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN

J O U R N A L September 21, 2023 Publisher & Editor: Maury Wald Copy Editor: Virginia Martin Features Writer: Donna Cornelius Staff Writers: Ana Good, June Mathews, Anne Ruisi Photographer: Jordan Wald Sports Editor: Rubin E. Grant Contributors: Emil Wald, Lee Walls, Bryan Bunch Advertising Sales: Julie Trammell Edwards, Tommy Wald, Gail Kidd

Journal photo by Maury Wald

Vol. 33, No. 4

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 2023 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.

From the Hamptons to Homewood

The O’Neal Library in Mountain Brook’s Crestline Village reopened as of Wednesday. The library has been closed for repairs since the spring after having been flooded by a burst pipe. But repairs have been completed and the library opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to a statement from the director. It is open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Curbside pick-up still is available Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.6 p.m., but it has been moved to the rear of the building. However, the Jefferson County Sewer Department still is working on Dan Watkins Drive, so allow extra time to get to the library and park.

“This has been a difficult summer,” Director Lindsy Gardner said in her statement. “The staff and I are extremely excited to see you in person on September 20!”

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ABOUT TOWN

Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 3

4 • Thursday, September 21, 2023

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ABOUT TOWN

Sunrise Rotary & Vestavia Hills Rotary Clubs

Thank you for your generosity!

2023 Community Cornhole Tournament Leaders Donation Leaders Cahaba Benefits Group Your Choice Senior Care

Cornhole Competition

Winning Team - Speegle Construction Runner Up - Greenhalgh Insurance

2023 Partners

2023 Sponsors & Teams

18th Street Orientals Air Force Won Ascension Episcopal Bradley Core Chiropractic Cornhole Dads Crawford Square Properties Crumbl Cookies Davenports Pizza Palace Donato’s Pizza Langscapes M&M Detective Maized & Confused Meld Financial Rocky Ridge Drug Co Sage Spring Wealth Partners Southminster Presbyterian Taco Mama John Henley State Farm Vestavia Barber Shop Vestavia Smiles Dentistry / Dr. Morgan B. Taylor Vestavia Hills Fire Vestavia Hills Police Vestavia Hill Public Works Wood & Spooner Dentistry Doug & Tina Wilson John Wright

The 50th Annual Greek Food Festival brings three days of Greek food and culture to Birmingham on Oct. 5 to Oct. 7.

The Holy Trinity–Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral brings the event to the city each year offering Greek cuisine, music and dancing.

Greek dancers of all ages also will be performing all three days.

Parishioners cook the entrees and desserts themselves using high-quality ingredients and serve it during the festival along with Coca Cola products and Greek beer and wines. The Greek Market Place will be open to sell Mediterranean and Orthodox souvenirs.

Admission to the open air festival is free, and tents with seating will be set up for diners and people who want to kick back and watch the show.

The festival runs from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. each day. Free parking is available in the former Liberty National parking garage, one block away on Richard Arrington Blvd. between 3rd and 4th avenues.

A drive-thru is available all three days from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Servers will greet you, take your big or small order and deliver it to your vehicle.

SEP 21 - OCT 5 Thurs., Sept. 21 L’Chaim

The Alabama Holocaust Education Center and Medical Properties Trust present an inspirational program, “Here We Are: Songs from the Holocaust,” honoring the memory of Jewish composers who perished in the ghettos and concentration camps during the Holocaust. When: Reception at 6:30 p.m., program at 7:30 p.m. Where: Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus

Sept. 22-24 Human Rights New Works Festival

Red Mountain Theatre is working to

Opa! Greek Food Festival Will Be Celebrating 50 Years With Food and Dance

About 30,000 people attend the festival each year. The Holy Trinity – Holy Cross Greek Orthodox parish was chartered in 1906 and is the fourth-oldest Greek Orthodox parish in the Southeast.

The Byzantine basilica will be open for self-guided tours during the three-day festival, and parishioners will be available to answer any questions. And you can call ahead to schedule tours for school, church or spark world-changing conversations through great art that explores issues and emotions too difficult for words. Now in its sixth year, the festival will feature staged readings of three new musicals; “She Reached For Heaven” “Sam’s Room” and “Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963.”

Fri., Sept. 22 Maestro’s Ball

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra hosts its largest fundraising event of the year, which can raise as much as 10% of the ASO’s operating budget. The evening will include a performance by soprano Aundi Marie Moore, (pictured) with conductor Carlos

Photos courtesy Elaine Lyda

The community responded with $18,065 in donations to support Vestavia Hills Student Scholarships Vestavia Hills First Responders Unless U * Children’s of Alabama Critical Care Transport Team __

other groups.

A portion of festival proceeds will be donated to Children’s of Alabama, Firehouse Shelter and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama. Since 1972, the Greek Festival has donated more than $3 million to local and national charities.

In recent years, charities that have benefited from the festival have included Children’s of Alabama, Magic Moments, The Bell Center, The Exceptional Foundation, The Ronald McDonald House, The Fire House Shelter, Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama, Pathways, Family Connection, The Wellhouse, Jimmie Hale Mission, Safe House, Alabama Kidney Foundation, MS Society, and The Greater Birmingham Ministries.

Sponsors for the event are Tasty Town Greek Restaurant and Lounge, Alabama Beverage, Norton’s Florist, Coca Cola and many more local businesses. For more information and sponsor opportunities, visit birminghamgreekfestival.net.

More information about the church and the Greek community in Birmingham is available on the church’s website, holytrinity-holycross.com under the Our Parish link.

Izcaray. When: 6:30 p.m. Where: Alys Stephens Center

Sat., Sept. 23 Oktoberfest at the Birmingham Zoo

Enjoy seasonal autumn brews, live music and German food favorites, including a chance to build your own brats, at this 21 and older event.

When: 5-9 p.m. Where: Birmingham Zoo

Head Over Teal 5K

The Laura Crandall Brown Foundation will host its annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K in recognition of gynecological cancer awareness month. Races are pet-friendly and a fall-themed family fun festival will follow the run. When: 8 a.m. Where: The Preserve

Flamingo Flamboyance!

Birmingham Zoo Presents ZooGala ’23, Its Largest Fundraiser of the Year

ZooGala ’23: Flamingo Flamboyance! will be coming to the Birmingham Zoo on Oct. 5 with animal encounters, food, an open bar and music by Emerald Empire.

And, yes, a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance.

The Party on the Plaza begins at 6:30 p.m. and goes through 10 p.m. General admission tickets are $250 and available on the zoo’s website at birminghamzoo.com/events. VIP

Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 5

ABOUT TOWN

Experience tickets have sold out.

ZooGala is the zoo’s largest fundraising event of the year and will be held rain or shine. Dress is outdoor cocktail, with no jacket required. It is a 21+ event, and IDs will be required upon entrance.

This year’s ZooGala is presented by First Horizon Bank and hosted by co-chairs Lacey Alford, Stephanie Cooper and Anthony C. Hood.

About 500 animals of 170 species call the Birmingham Zoo home, including orangutans, zebras, elephants, giraffes, lions and endangered species from six continents. The 122acre site is the only AZA-accredited zoo in the state.

The zoo includes the Hugh Kaul Children’s Zoo and Trails of Africa, among other exhibits. Its work with a herd of male African elephants in Trails of Africa established the zoo as a national leader in the care and conservation of threatened elephants.

Journal file photo by Jordan Wald

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Enjoying ZooGala ’22, Wild at Heart, were Lizzy Yates and Leighton Burkett.

Sept. 23-24 Alabama Comic Con Vendors, artists, vendors and fan groups will be on hand for this twoday family-friendly event. When: Sept.

23, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sept. 24, 11 a.m.5 p.m. Where: BJCC

Sun., Sept. 24 Symphony30 Picnic

Join us for one of Birmingham’s favorite fall family events and help raise money for the Alabama Symphony Orchestra’s outreach missions in the community. The symphony will perform a selection of music and guests will enjoy a boxed lunch by Urban Cookhouse with wine, beer, water and tea. Bring your own blanket or chairs. Tickets available through Sept. 22. When: 4 p.m. Where: Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Thur., Sept 28 Meet and Greet and Bingo!

The Friends of the Vestaivia Hills Library are hosting this free event. A great way to meet new people and have some fun. When: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Where: Vestavia Hills Library Community Room.

Sept. 29 - Oct.1 First Light, Second Light, More Light:

An Art Auction Fundraiser with 10% going directly to First Light Shelter and the remainder to help buy new eco-friendly lighting for Edgewood Presbyterian Church. Featuring the congregation’s artisans and artisan friends, artwork will include paintings, photographs, sculpture, handcrafts, and more. When: Fri., 5 - 7p.m.; Sat., 9 - 11 a.m. and 2 - 4 p.m.; Sun. Immediately following worship, three pre-selected items will be sold in a live auction to close out the event.

Where: Edgewood Presbyterian Church

Fri., Sept. 29 Dinnertainment

Expect a night of exceptional entertainment by exceptional people at this dinner theater party, a fundraiser for The Exceptional Foundation. The foundation’s

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ABOUT TOWN participants will showcase their musical and artistic talents through a variety of shows and performances.

When: Cocktail hour at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m. Where: The Country Club of Birmingham

Sat., Sept. 30 Latin American Festival

Birmingham Museum of Art is the site of the vibrant annual Latin American Heritage Festival, whih will honor the culmination of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Dive into the rich tapestry of Latin cultures with a day full of dynamic festivities, including gallery tours, cuisine and familyfriendly art activities. When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Where: Birmingham Museum of Art

Sun., Oct. 1 Cahaba River Fry-Down 2023

The Fry-Down features fun for all ages with a carnival-like atmosphere, live music, amazing food, a climbing wall, hula-hoopers, facepainters, educational games, wildlife demonstrations, a beer garden and more. When: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. Where: Cahaba Brewing Company

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Alabama’s only fully charitable race series is the BHM 26.2 benefitting Magic Moments. Comprised of a full marathon, half marathon, 10k, 5k and Fun Run, BHM26.2’s race series brings exciting courses to the Birmingham Metro area, including a non-looping course. When: 7 a.m.

Where: Veterans Park, Hoover

Tues., Oct. 3 Mountain Brook Community Night Out

Mountain Brook City Hall and the police and fire departments will host a Community Night Out where they enjoy food and drinks and meet with the public safety units. When: 5:307:30 p.m. Where: On the lawn at City Hall YOUR PURCHASE OF A NURSES SAVE LIVES CAR TAG GOES DIRECTLY TO:

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AND ENDOWMENT FUNDS To date, ANF has initiated more than $600,000 in nursing student scholarships.

NURSE PRIDE Nurses are among the most trusted professions for 21 years in a row, according to Gallup. Show your support for friends, family members, and loved ones who are nurses.

NURSES IN NEED In times of crisis or emergency, ANF provides support for Alabama's nurses in need.

LEADERSHIP GRANTS Rewarding and investing in innovations of nursing practice.

Thurs., Oct. 5 Taste of Hoover

Celebrate the variety of culinary styles found throughout the city with samples of delicious dishes from more than 30 of Hoover’s best restaurants. Live entertainment set the mood for this event, which will also include soft drinks and adult beverages. When: 5-8 p.m. Where: Aldridge Gardens

Fri., Oct. 6 Putts for Paws

The Greater Birmingham Humane Society Young Professionals Board hosts the 3rd Annual Putts for Paws golf tournament at the beautiful Highland Park Golf Course. Attendees will have the opportunity to play 18 holes of golf, followed by an awards ceremony. When: Registration begins at 11 a.m. with tee off at 12 p.m.

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Get Out Your Blue Shoes

Live Music and Auction Featured in Mike Slive Foundation’s Blue Shoe Ball Black tie is optional, but blue shoes are a must if you want to attend the Mike Slive Foundation’s Blue Shoe Ball on Sept. 22.

Tommy Brigham, chairman of ARC Realty and a longtime supporter of the foundation, is honoree for the event and ESPN anchor Michael Eaves will be the emcee.

The ball begins at 6:30 p.m. at Regions Field and will feature live music and dancing and an auction where you can pick up items such as sports memorabilia, wine from private collections, packages at local restaurants, merchandise from local stores and experiences – which include trips to Italy and the Gulf, and ticket packages to Wimbledon, the college football championship, SEC football and basketball championships and other events.

Brigham is a philanthropic leader in the city and has been recognized by the Birmingham Business Journal as one of Birmingham’s Most Influential Executives and by AL.com as among the seven most influential people in sports in the state.

“We are excited to host our sixth annual event and kick it up a notch with this year’s Blue Shoe Ball, as well

as to honor our dear friend and executive board member Tommy Brigham as the honoree this year,” said Anna Slive Harwood, executive director of the foundation.

“Prostate cancer affects one in eight men, and Black men are twice as likely to die Tommy Brigham, chairman of ARC from it. This event helps us Realty and a longtime supporter of the raise much foundation, is honneeded funds oree for the event. that will go directly towards prostate cancer research and educational programs to encourage men over 40 to get screened. Prostate cancer is one of the few cancers we can screen for, and early detection saves lives.”

To purchase tickets and donate, visit mikeslivefoundation.org and click on the Programs and Events link. Tickets are $198 each.

Sponsorships, including tickets, are also available.

Neverland Ho!

Children’s Theatre to Take Galagoers on a Grand Adventure Birmingham Children’s Theatre is celebrating 75 years of providing professional theater for young audiences with its annual fundraising gala, An Enchanted Evening.

“Find the second star to the right, and straight on till morning!”

Gala guests will be transported to Neverland with Peter, Wendy, the Lost Boys, mermaids, pirates and more characters for the Oct. 19 gala at The Fennec. They’ll be treated to food, an open bar, story vignettes throughout the room, plentiful photo opportunities and live entertainment from BCT’s artists.

The evening will begin with cocktails at 5:30 p.m.

BCT will be honoring Paul P. Bolus and Jean Pierce during the gala.

Bolus will be recognized for his continued leadership contributions as a former board president, community advocate and fundraiser through contributions from Bradley and St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church as well as personal support from his family.

Pierce will be recognized for her artistic contributions. She has written more than two dozen plays for BCT, including numerous fairytale adaptations that BCT continues to produce every year in the Wee Folks Theatre.

Proceeds from An Enchanted Evening will go directly to BCT’s onstage productions. Tickets are $125 and will be available Sept. 5 at bct123.org/ enchanted-evening.

FALL FESTIVAL COMMUNITY NIGHT OUT | THURS., OCT. 5

The Vestavia Hills Police and Fire Department present this annual event, an opportunity for first responders to network with local businesses, civic groups, churches, schools, and community volunteers in a symbolic stance to promote public safety. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy a night of free family fun. There will be jump houses, photobooth, pumpkin patch, free food and more. When: 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Where: Vestavia Hills City Hall

Journal file photo by Jordan Wald

6 • Thursday, September 21, 2023

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Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 7

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‘The Light of Unity, Courage and Resilience’ Patriot Day Ceremony in Homewood Honors 9/11 Victims and Families

By June Mathews

A

stirring Patriots Day ceremony of honor and remembrance took place Sept. 11 at SoHo Plaza in Homewood.

The cities of Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills joined Homewood in marking the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. City leaders, first responders and representative students from Homewood’s three ele-

‘I was walking to our weekly chapel service, holding hands with two preschoolers and commenting what a beautiful day it was.

As I was walking up to the chapel, I overheard that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.’ mentary schools were among those who attended.

“The images we witnessed and the emotions we carried remain as vivid today as they were back then,” Homewood Mayor Patrick McClusky, (fourth row, far left) said in his opening remarks. “Everyone from every background and from every corner of our nation was affected by the happenings of that morning. We faced the darkness that day but also found the light of unity, courage and resilience that continues to guide us forward. We’re here to celebrate, to acknowledge and to remember.”

In a touching part of the ceremony, keynote speaker Melissa Turnage (second row, far left) of Mountain Brook shared her 9/11 story of loss and forgiveness. Her 27-year-old son, Adam White, was one of 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees lost in the attacks on the World Trade Center.

“He loved New York, and he loved his job,” said Turnage, who lived in Baltimore with husband Ben and their two young daughters at the time. “I spent many wonderful days with him in New York. I would just hop on the train and go up.

“Adam was fun, smart, talented, zany, did not know a stranger, creative, adventuresome, loved his family, and (he) was handsome to boot. He was quite a package,” she said.

On that fateful Tuesday, Turnage was working at St. Paul’s School, where she was the head of the lower school dance faculty.

“I was walking to our weekly chapel service, holding hands with two

preschoolers and commenting what a beautiful day it was,” she recalled. “As I was walking up to the chapel, I overheard that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.”

Having heard of planes hitting buildings before, she prayed during the chapel service for the people involved.

After the service, however, Turnage noticed the principal moving purposefully in her direction.

“He ushered me out of the building, took me aside and told me what had actually happened,” she said.

At that point, she began repeatedly trying to reach Adam via cell phone.

She’d heard by that time that phone service had been disrupted in New York, but she kept trying.

“I tried for a full 48 hours, while his friends were frantically searching hospitals and rescue centers for survivors, hoping to find him,” she said. “I laid on the sofa in disbelief for three days.”

But Adam, she finally realized, was gone.

And yet, after all the heartache she suffered, Turnage offered her Patriot Day audience a strong message of forgiveness.

She told of being asked by a reporter if she thought she’d ever be able to forgive the terrorists, to which she promptly responded, “I already did.”

The reporter followed up with, “How is that possible?”

Turnage had no ready answer.

But as she pondered the question later, the lyrics of a song from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical South Pacific came to mind: “You’ve got to be taught/ Before it’s too late/ Before you are six or seven or eight/ To hate all the people your relatives hate/ You’ve got to be carefully taught!”

“Maybe, just possibly,” she said, “the terrorists were wounded children who had been taught to hate all the people their relatives hated and believed that they were carrying out a mission that would make their relatives proud of them.”

Members of the Homewood Fire Department followed the keynote presentation with a Bell Ceremony, a traditional firefighter signal of honor and respect for a comrade who died in the line of duty.

Soloist for the Patriot Day observance was Lexi Bresnan, (third row, far right) daughter of John Bresnan, Homewood’s longtime fire chief until his death in 2020. She was backed by Homewood High School’s Show Choir on Dolly Parton’s “Color Me America.”

Next year’s shared Patriot Day ceremony is slated to be organized by Mountain Brook.

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

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Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 9

After the ceremony, held Sept. 9, a crowd climbed the equivalent of 110 stories, which was the height of the Twin Towers in New York that fell that day.

Never Forget Stair Climb Held to Remember the Events of 9/11 Hoover sponsored its annual memorial Hoover Climb to Remember ceremony and stair climb recently to honor those who gave their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.

Retired U.S. Army Capt.

Christopher Tanner (right) was the featured guest speaker for the ceremony, and Jonathan Hardison of WBRC emceed the ceremony, held in the Riverchase Galleria Food Court.

After the ceremony, held Sept.

9, a crowd climbed the equivalent of 110 stories, which was the height of the Twin Towers in New York that fell that day.

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

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Inverness Couple Ready to Set Sail in National Regatta

By Rubin E. Grant

L

aura Jelks was 10 when her dad introduced her to sailing. They would go out on their Sunfish boat, a personal-size, beachlaunched sailing dinghy, to sail on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, where Jelks grew up.

Jelks crewed a lot, but once she went to college at Louisiana Tech and

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

FUN on the WATER

‘I think it’s pretty unreal we’ll be hosting since it is a national regatta.’

then got married and started having children, she stopped sailing.

She and her husband, Huff Jelks, settled in Houston for 10 years while he worked as an offshore engineer.

When he switched his career focus, they moved to Birmingham in 1988.

Huff Jelks is a senior structural engineer at Southern Company.

In the 1990s, the Jelks joined the Birmingham Sailing Club, but they weren’t too active because their weekends, which were the only time they could sail, were busy with Laura Jelks’ working as a real estate agent.

She’s now a real estate agent with ARC Realty in Cahaba Heights.

Two years ago, after the COVID19 pandemic moderated, the Jelks decided it was time to return to the water with the folks in the sailing

Photo by Amy Sides

LAURA JELKS

Laura and Huff Jelks, above, will participate in a national sailing competition when the Birmingham Sailing Club hosts The Flying Scot Sailing Association’s 2023 Wife-Husband National Regatta on Sept. 29-Oct. 1.

club. They live in Inverness, and the club, located at Logan Martin Lake, isn’t too far from their home.

“It’s all about having fun,” Laura Jelks said. “There are not a lot of people who do it, but it’s a close group with some wonderful people who welcomed us back with open arms.

We’re having a ball.”

At the end of this month, the Jelks will do something they have never done before. They will participate in a national sailing competition when the Birmingham Sailing Club hosts The Flying Scot Sailing Association’s

2023 Wife-Husband National Regatta on Sept. 29-Oct. 1.

“I think it’s pretty unreal we’ll be hosting since it is a national regatta,” Laura Jelks said.

“I’m kind of excited,” Huff Jelks said. “We sail together all the time, but mostly in club regattas and club races.”

Great Scot!

The Flying Scot sailboat is a 19-foot-long, centerboard spinnaker sloop that will be crewed by a married couple for the five-race regatta.

“Most people who sail them are older because they are a more reliable boat,” Laura Jelks said.

Thirty-five teams from more than 10 states are expected to trailer in with their boats to compete in two divisions, Championship and Challenge, for trophy honors.

The Jelks are both 66-years-old, and they have been married for 43 years. They have a son and daughter and six grandchildren. They will compete in the Challenge division.

“The people in the championship fleet have been sailing for 50 years,”

Laura Jelks said. “We’re going to try to stay out of their way.”

The Jelks will sail in a boat that is unofficially named “Yayi’s Escape.”

“We tried to get my grandchildren to call me Lolly, but it came out Yayi,” Laura Jelks said with a laugh.

“One time my hairdresser asked me what was the name of my boat, and I told him that story and he said I should name it Yayi’s Escape since when we’re on the water we escape from everything else.”

The racecourse will be managed

See SAILING, page 11

Ties That Bind

Bluff Park Art Show Is One of the Threads That Tie the Moore Family Together

B Photo courtesy Brittany Brain

By June Mathews

rittany Brain’s connection to the Bluff Park Art Association was established long before she was born. Her grandmother, Cary Moore, was one of its founding members. Her father, Daniel Moore, later served on its board and participated in its Bluff Park Art Show.

Now with Brain, known professionally as Brittany Carol Moore, comes a third-generation connection to the Bluff Park Art Association.

“I’ve been honored to have shown my art in the Bluff Park Art Show since 2011 and to be on the association’s board since 2021,” said Brain, whose medium is fine art photography. “I’m glad to be Daniel Moore and daughter carrying on my grandma’s legacy in and Brittany Brain collaborated passion for both the show and the associaon a special design for the tion.

60th anniversary of the Bluff “Many of my BPAS memories include Park Art Show.

See MOORE, page 11

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Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 11

LIFE cally gets after a day at the show – satisfied and full of good memories to cherish,” she said.

Close Collaboration

Photo courtesy Brittany Brain

Brain and Moore have collaborated on projects in the past, including a giant wall mural of one of Brain’s photos of the Alabama Theatre for a downtown Birmingham law firm. They also brainstorm ideas on occasion, and every so often, they critique each other’s work.

With similar eyes for design, color, and composition, the father and daugh-

ter function well as a team. And as detail-oriented individuals who strive for perfection, they understand each other. Those very qualities, however, mean that working together can become a time-consuming proposition.

Nevertheless, said Brain, the time they spent on the 60th anniversary project was worth every minute.

“I really enjoyed working with my dad on this, as the Bluff Park Art Show is very near and dear to us,” she said.

“My dad and his brothers grew up in Bluff Park and attended the show every October as a tradition, as me and my

sisters would also grow up in Bluff Park into that same family tradition and hold many beloved memories of the show.

“The design was nostalgic and fun for my dad to work on,” she continued, “and I was honored to be able to contribute a design for the first time.”

The 60th Annual Bluff Park Art Show will take place Oct. 7 at Bluff Park Community Park, 517 Cloudland Drive in Hoover. For more information, visit bluffparkartassociation.org and follow the Bluff Park Art Association on Facebook and Instagram.

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Artist Brittany Brain, known professionally as Brittany Carol Moore, with her grandmother Cary Moore, who was one of the founding members of the Bluff Park Art Association.

MOORE From page 10

attending the show with not only my immediate family, but also with my uncles, aunts and cousins, walking with them to the show from my grandma’s house, just up the hill from the park.”

Granddad Gus Moore was also a proud supporter of the show, volunteering to put signs up all over Shades Mountain and often involving his four sons in the task. After his passing in 1990, Daniel, David, Richard and Billy established the August A. Moore Memorial Purchase Award in their father’s honor, to which mother Cary was added when she passed in 2020.

So for the Moores, the art association is more than a mere connector; it’s one of the ties that bind the family together in their mutual love of art.

At the 60th Annual Bluff Park Art Show on Oct. 7, a piece of family artistry will be on display throughout the show – on T-shirts, posters and other items – in a special 60th anniversary design that Brain and her father collaborated to create.

SAILING From page 10

by a certified race officer from South Carolina with local sailing club members supporting him to set marks that the boats must round to complete the race. Each race requires the competitors to sail upwind and downwind on a two-lap course that typically takes 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete.

Sailboat racing involves careful timing to start at the gun in the favorable position on the line. The first leg after the start is to a marker buoy directly upwind, requiring teams to choose the best angle to steer and side of the course that will provide the most advantage to arrive at the mark the quickest.

The second leg after rounding the

Though creating the anniversary design was Brain’s idea, her dad was all for it and agreed to help. Once the association’s board approved, the project began in earnest.

“Having designed a number of shirts and posters for the show a long time ago, this opportunity meant a lot to me,” said Moore, widely known for his realistic sports art. “I wanted to invest time to help make a special piece of art for the 60th show.”

The idea for the design, said Brain, was to take something familiar about Bluff Park, combine it with something that typically memorializes things, and turn it into something worthy of a significant milestone.

“Hence, the stylized view from the bluff in a stained-glass motif,” she said. “It’s also a wave to the beautiful stained-glass windows of Bluff Park United Methodist Church, where my grandparents attended church for most of their lives.”

Since Brain and her dad treasure the spectacular sunset views from the bluff, as do many, they decided to highlight that feature and title the art “Aftershow Afterglow.”

“It conveys the feeling one typiupwind mark is directly downwind. Spinnakers are used on the downwind leg, but to which side of the boat that this larger sail is set is a team decision.

Right of way rules come into play as boats approach each other during the race. Sailing skill, boat handling, correct decision-making and luck are part of each team’s success.

The Jelks are more interested in enjoying themselves than winning the national regatta.

“We just want to have fun,” Laura Jelks said. “I hope we do well, but it will depend on the wind. If it’s blowing 15 mph or more, we can’t hold the boat and then we’ll be in survivor mode.”

“I don’t know how it will turn out,” Huff Jelks said. “I’m just going to take orders from my wife, like I always do.”

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This is Us … in Style

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Big Oak Ranch Auxiliary Hosts Fashion Show and Luncheon

he Auxiliary of Big Oak Ranch kicked off its 17th year by hosting a luncheon, fashion show and silent auction Sept. 12 at the Valley Hotel in Homewood.

“This is Us … in Style” was a sold out show with 185 guests.

Lunch was followed by the fashion show and guest speakers, Kelli Croyle and Scarlet Stearns.

Local vendors that provided the clothes for the fashion show were Soca, Serendipity, Chicos, At Home Furnishings, Pink Tulip, Bandwagon, Theordora AbbeyLuxe and Bossi Leisure.

Staff and former residents of The Big Oak Ranch modeled the styles.

Some of the lead planning team members were Kristi Wilson, fundraising coordinator; Cheryl Joynt, president; Leigh Moore, silent auction; and Melissa Gunnells, ticket sales.

Table centerpieces, made with various style shoes and purses, were created by a committee headed by Angela McKinney.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the auxiliary’s work for the children of Big Oak Ranch. The auxiliary is a volunteer group that supports and raises money for the ranch’s mission.

As part of its work, the auxiliary buys merchandise for a shop where children at the ranch purchase items with points they have earned, gives them money for their birthdays each year, hosts a housemothers’ Christmas brunch with a gift for each family and hosts a housemothers’ spring retreat.

Since it started in 1974, Big Oak Ranch has provided more than 2,000 children with a solid Christian home. ❖

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

12 • Thursday, September 21, 2023

Cynthia Jones, Suzy Sanders

Scarlet Stearns, Kelli Croyle

Kristi Wilson, Cheryl Joynt, Melissa Gunnells, Leigh Moore

Katie Tapscott, Angela Sciascia

DeAnn Warnick, Pam Smith

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For the Students

Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 13

SOCIAL

The Legacy League at Samford held its Membership Kickoff Luncheon on Sept. 14 at Vestavia Country Club, with Dr. Gary Fenton sharing a homily.

More than 300 people were in attendance at the event, which also included recognition of 2022-23 board members and volunteers, as well as the presentation of the 2023 Lolla Wright Award.

A volunteer fair also was open before and after the luncheon to show attendees how to support the Legacy League’s mission to provide scholarships to students with significant financial need and challenging circumstances.

Fenton is a retired pastor of more than 45 years, including 25 years at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, and author of four books. He now works part-time as senior advancement officer for Beeson Divinity School, helping raise money for scholarships. ❖

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Legacy League Luncheon Encourages Attendees to Support Scholarship Mission

Kasey Fiscus, Madge Noland

Marianne Livingston, Allison Hancock

Kathy Clay, Gary Fenton, Julie and Beck Taylor

Daisy Perrigin, Cheryl Acton, Cindy Anderson

Kay McLean, Fran Duncan

14 • Thursday, September 21, 2023

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SOCIAL

Food for Mind and Body

TRUNK SHOW Thursday, September 28th Saturday, September 30th

See samples of the best of the fall collection, with door prizes and refreshments served.

See the collection presented with informal modeling Thursday at 2 pm

Will Pearson, co-founder of Mental Floss magazine and president of the iHeart Podcast Network, was the speaker for the Hoover Service Club’s luncheon Sept. 14 at the Hoover Country Club.

Service club members and their guests were asked to bring nonperishable food items to the meeting for donation to the Backpack Buddies program, sponsored by Vineyard Family Services. The primary focus of that program is to provide bags of food for school-aged children in the Shelby County area to take home with them.

VFS volunteers pack donated food in bags to take to schools, as well as providing family emergency food boxes, hygiene bags and other essentials.

For their luncheon, members and guests were served baby spinach salads, Caprese chicken with herb-roasted red potatoes and asparagus, and mini–key lime pies. ❖

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Hoover Service Club Collects Food for School Children During Luncheon

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Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 15

SOCIAL

Courtesy

The Hoover Belles with Mayor Frank Brocato, center, and Fox 6 anchor Clare Huddleston, far right.

Back to School Belles

Hoover Belles Focus on Their Image and Branding During Ice Cream Social The Hoover Belles were given a lesson on image and branding during a Backto-School Ice Cream Social on Aug. 13 at the Riverchase United Methodist

Church.

Clare Huddleston, an anchor for WBRC Fox 6, spoke to the girls, who each wrote her own personal brand

statement during the event.

Mayor Frank Brocato welcomed the Belles and encouraged them in their civic service.

The Hoover Belles is a service organization, and its members put in more than 1,000 hours of community service each year.

Whole Scoop in Brocks Gap Village provided the ice cream for the social. ❖

SEND SOCIAL NEWS TO: EDITORIAL@OTMJ.COM

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Sept. 25 - Sept. 30

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Journal photos by Jordan Wald

16 • Thursday, September 21, 2023

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The Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation’s annual event is held to raise awareness of ovarian cancer’s silent signs and symptoms, remember those who have lost their lives and honor those who are battling or have beaten ovarian cancer, according to a press release.

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Walking to Remember

Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 17

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Teams Prepare for Alzheimer’s Walk This Falll Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama held its team pledge kickoff event Aug. 31 for the fall Walking to Remember fundraiser.

The circus-themed kickoff event held at the organization’s Mountain Brook office to help people organize Walking to Remember teams for the walk, which will be Nov. 4.

Honorary chair and “2023 Ring Leader” Susan Womack was on hand to offer motivation and tips for creating a successful fundraising team.

All money raised stays in Alabama

Vanessa Bragg, Susan Womack

to support families here living with Alzheimer’s. Each month, Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama’s programs and services help more than 300 people living with Alzheimer’s.

Among the programs are home delivery of continence products, educational webinars, Zoom support group meetings, in-home respite care, and activity kits and robotic pets to help fill the day. ❖

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ANTIQUES AT THE GARDENS | SPECIAL SECTION

A Diplomat of Decorating Richard Keith Langham Relishes His Role as Antiques at The Gardens Ambassador

T

By Donna Cornelius

to attend the Parsons School of Design and earned a degree in interior design from The hose who attend Antiques at Fashion Institute of Technology. Soon after came The Gardens are always treatan apprenticeship under renowned interior designer Mark Hampton, named by Architectural ed to a variety of speakers.

Digest as one of the world’s Past design Having clients such as top 20 designers of all time. stars who also expanded his have Patricia Buckley, wife Langham education at London’s Study appeared at of William F. Buckley Center for the History of Fine the annual show include lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, the Jr., and Jacqueline and Decorative Arts.

“I’ve always had an affini“Prince of Chintz” Mario Kennedy Onassis – ty for all things English,” he Buatta, decorator Bunny Williams, architect Bobby she once described said.

Back in New York after McAlpine and a host of other him as having a living in London, Langham notables from the decorating worked at Irvine & Fleming, and design world. “sorcerer’s eye” 10 years of experience But there’s one familiar Langham said. “I still gaining in the firm’s American version face who’s been a crucial part of luxe English country house of the event for years: Richard pinch myself.” style. Langham launched his Keith Langham, the AATG own business in 1994 and developed a sterling ambassador. He’ll be back for this year’s show, reputation for creating rooms packed with colors set for Sept. 28-Oct. 1 at the Birmingham and patterns and deftly mixing the old and new.

Botanical Gardens.

See LANGHAM, page 22 A native of Brewton, Langham left Alabama

richardkeithlangham.com

Richard Keith Langham

Gala in the Gardens. Mr. and Mrs. James E. Ard will sponsor the black-tie party, which will honor former Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens board Chairman B. Hanson Slaughter.

Zachary J. Westall is creating a festive entry for guests; it will be in place throughout the show.

Falling for Antiques Annual Show Is Always One of Birmingham’s Most Anticipated Autumn Events

T

he 17th edition of Antiques at The Gardens offers opportunities for those who attend to listen to and learn from design luminaries, to shop for that perfect sideboard or piece of silver, and to support the event’s beautiful setting at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Hosted by Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the annual antiques show will be Sept.

28 to Oct. 1. O’Neal Industries is presenting the event, which includes talks by nationally and internationally known interior designers, floral designers, architects, landscape architects, product designers and experts on entertaining. The show’s design sponsor is de Gournay and textile sponsor is Cowtan & Tout.

Showgoers also can browse among the tempting offerings of 22 dealers who will be bringing furniture, fine art, vintage and fine jew-

elry, silver, rugs and textiles, home décor, and garden accessories. A few of the returning favorites include: • Hedgerow Antiques, an Alpharetta, Georgia, source for 18th, 19th and 20th century antiques from England, France and other parts of Europe.

• Chicago’s Piggy Kitchen, whose curated vintage tabletop, cookware and French-inspired pantry items are a treasure trove for home chefs.

• Roger D. Winter Ltd. of Pennsylvania, which specializes in 18th and early 19th century British furniture and decoration with an emphasis on period dining furniture.

There’s also the fun of discovering dealers who are new to the show.

Shopping hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday.

Events

The show’s first event is a glittering one:

On the show’s Friday schedule are:

Photo courtesy Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens

By Donna Cornelius

Hanson Slaughter, above, is this year’s honoree for Antiques at the Gardens. Slaughter has given many years of leadership to the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, including as chair of the development committee and as board chair in 2014.

• Shop the Show with Michael DiazGriffith, executive director of Design Leadership Network.

• The Red Diamond Lecture Series, featuring interior architect and designer Martin Brudnizki from London in conversation with Mitchell Owens, American editor of the World of Interiors.

• An afternoon panel, “The Art of Tradition,” moderated by Steele Marcoux, editor-in-chief of Veranda magazine, and including Hannah Cecil Gurney of de Gournay, Kemble Interiors’ Celerie Kemble and hotelier Sarah Wetenhall of The Colony Palm Beach.

Saturday’s highlights are:

• An interactive “Love It or Hate It” panel with Anna Brockway, Chairish co-founder and president, hosting interior designers and design experts Aldous Bertram, Paloma Contreras,

See ANTIQUES, page 21

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 19

HOME

Ashford Hill for Henhouse Antiques Ashford Hill for Henhouse Antiques offers unique English, French, Italian and Swedish furniture from the 18th Century to the 21st Century personally selected by owners Libby Hill McGowan and Laura Ashford Gessert, pictured.

“We recently returned from a buying trip in Europe and look forward to receiving our container in early October!” said Laura.

“We are really excited about our container because it is filled with a great variety of accessories that we are only able to get when we go to Europe!” said Libby

The Cook Store “We are a privately owned kitchen specialty shop. We specialize in functional pottery, gadgets, cookware, bakeware, tabletops, and lots more,” said owner Wesley Lassen, pictured with her well known shop dog, Lucy.

The Cook Store has been in Mountain Brook Village since 1975. Wesley has owned the popular shop since 1999—24 years.

“I grew up cooking with my mom so a kitchen shop is a great place for me. It’s a fun business,” Wesley said.

Ashford Hill for Henhouse Antiques is located at 1900 Cahaba Road, 205918-0505.

“Everyone is always happy when they are talking about food.”

According to Wesley the three biggest trends in the kitchen world are: 1. Le Creuset nonstick cookware, cookware and more cookware and Cast Iron and enamel Dutch Ovens 2. Functional pottery 3. Charcuterie boards - all shapes and sizes - use them for everything The Cook Store is located at 2841 Cahaba Road, 205879-5277.

LUCY IS READY FOR FALL ENTERTAINING

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2841 Cahaba Road • Mountain Brook Village • M-F 10-5 • Sat 10-4 205-879-5277 • www.thecookstoremtnbrook.com

King Cotton For more than 51 years, the Haas family has shared the very best in distinctive fabrics, elegant trims, and beautifully crafted hardware. With locations in Birmingham and Montgomery, King Cotton offers a stunning collection of both classic and modern textures, colors, and prints from around the world.

Committed to customer service, King Cotton works with customers one-on-one to curate custom designs that artfully express individual style and personality.

Paige Albright Orientals interior design and art history that serves her “We are seeing slight well in the rug• industry. departure from the modern English Village 1900 Cahaba Road 918-0505 minimalist,” Janet said, www.shophenhouseantiques.com when asked about fall Paige Albright Orientals shares design trends.

“It’s as if there is some an affinity for the slow process of vintage nostalgia with the rug making & passion for sourcing return of velvet furnishings, unique bespoke carpets and textiles. tassels, chunky knits and faux furs. When designed Located in Mountain Brook Village, Paige with a neutral base, rich,To: thecookstore@msn.com Albright Orientals feels like walking into a warm color palettes make From: Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 stunning museum with one-of-a-kind textiles of for lots of cozy comfort Date: for Sept. 2023 Paige Albright Orientals shares an affinity various cultures from all around the world.

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Antique Indian Amritsar circa 1880. See it at this year's Antiques at the Gardens Show.

20 • Thursday, September 21, 2023

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Iron Lotus Interiors Our passion is connecting great clients with selected, tailored, and blended beauty for their homes. Our showroom is comfortably elegant and displays an elevated design scheme, connecting the best of both new and old. The merchandise in our showroom is only a sample of items available. Our target clients value quality and a balanced blend of new and old bespoke furnishings.

The three things we believe that set us apart are

The Village Poodle • Over 50 years of successful art, and antique and accessories procurement experience • Custom and bespoke vignettes that show a complete scheme of original art, décor, rugs, lighting, a proprietary line of custom upholstered furniture, and old and new furniture displayed in blended vignettes • Consultation to fit your needs

Iron Lotus Interiors is located at 238 W Valley Ave. 205-852-1584.

Selected Tailored Blended

238 W Valley Ave. Hours: Monday and Saturday 10:30-2:30 Appointments Welcomed 205-852-1584

To: From: Date:

The Village Poodle is a boutique offering an array of items such as ladies clothing, jewelry, baby gifts and antique chandeliers.

Owner Beverly Ruff, right, has been in business for more than 20 years.

Throughout the fall season you will find a variety of new styles from some of our favorite lines such as Estelle and Finn, Peace of Cloth, Hinson Wu, Finley, Hammitt Bags, Magnetic Me/baby clothing, enewton, Olga King, and Capucine De Wulf.

Antique chandeliers are also a mainstay at the shop.

There are several styles currently hanging such as the 18th century neoclassical chandelier that is pictured.

“Stop by and shop with us. We have a large assortment of gifts, clothing, handbags and other fabulous finds! You may even be greeted by one of our standard poodles!”

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Iron Lotus Interiors Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 September This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the September 21, 2023 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

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HANNA

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 21

HOME

ANTIQUES From page 18

Peter Dunham and Michael DiazGriffith.

• “The Art of Hospitality,” a panel moderated by Margot Shaw, editorin-chief of Flower magazine, and featuring Zoë de Givenchy of luxury brand Z.d.G., chef and host Alex Hitz, event designer G. Blake Sams, and Sybil Sylvester of Wildflowers Designs.

• A floral workshop by Keith Robinson, sponsored by Forest Park’s Shoppe.

Alex Hitz

Sybil Sylvester

Hannah Cecil Gurney

Peter Dunham

The show’s final day, Southern Sunday, features:

• Keynote speaker Richard Keith Langham, show ambassador.

• A panel called “The Art of the Home,” moderated by Hadley Keller, director of editorial for Design Leadership Network with Bill Brockschmidt and Courtney Coleman of Brockschmidt & Coleman Design Studio; architect Stan Dixon; and Keith Robinson, gardener, floral and event designer.

Some talks will be followed by book signings; books will be available for purchase at the Gardens’ Leaf & Petal shop before and during the show.

To buy tickets for the show and special events and for more information, visit bbgardens.org/antiques. You also can follow the festivities on Facebook and Instagram.

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CELEBRATING 90 YEARS To: Dean From: Over The Mountain Journal, phone 205-823-9646 Date: Sept. 12, 2023 This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the Setp. 21, 2023 issue. Please email approval or changes.

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

4500 1st Avenue North, Birmingham | (205) 592-8615

Thank you for your prompt attention.

ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS Montgomery • Huntsville Tuscaloosa • Nashville Memphis • Baton Rouge • Pensacola

22 • Thursday, September 21, 2023

LANGHAM From page 18

He’s been named multiple times to Architectural Digest’s AD-100 and to Elle Decor’s A List.

Having clients such as Patricia Buckley, wife of William F. Buckley Jr., and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis – she once described him as having a

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

HOME “sorcerer’s eye” – was “pretty heavy for someone my age,” Langham said.

“I still pinch myself.”

He said he was still a novice when he worked with the former first lady.

“She knew more than I did,” he said.

Southern Roots

Langham said his interest in design started in his south Alabama

hometown.

“Brewton is a very picturesque little town with stylish houses,” he said.

“That whetted my appetite. And I think I’m more Southern now than when I got to New York more than 40 years ago. The South instills in you a special appreciation for life and beauty.”

Over the years, Langham’s work has been featured in many prestigious publications, such as Architectural

Digest, Elle Decor, Vogue, Veranda and House Beautiful.

“All of that has been very exciting,” he said. “When you work hard, it’s good to have your efforts chronicled for history.”

His creations also have been preserved in his 2017 book, “About Decorating: The Remarkable Rooms of Richard Keith Langham.” It features projects from diverse places such as

“every home is unique because every client is unique.”

New York, New Orleans, Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Jupiter Island in Florida, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., and Memphis.

Although the bulk of his work is residential, one of his favorite projects was in New Orleans for one of the city’s most iconic restaurants.

“I helped create the new improved Brennan’s,” he said.

As the Antiques at The Gardens show ambassador, Langham uses his many connections to help secure speakers. His sister as well as lifelong friends

A native of Brewton, Langham left Alabama to attend the Parsons School of Design and earned a degree in interior design from The Fashion Institute of Technology.

live in Birmingham, so he enjoys returning there – as well as seeing the reactions of those guest speakers who have never visited the Magic City.

“They’re always surprised by Birmingham’s beauty, its people, its architecture and its restaurants,” he said.

He’s also gratified to see how Antiques at The Gardens, now in its 17th year, has blossomed. He credited the hard-working volunteers who year after year make the show a success, including Penney Hartline, Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ director of development. Langham said this year’s chairmen – Jennifer Ard, Jeremy Clark and Kirk Forrester – had “great energy” in making the event a vibrant one, including recruiting prominent people to share their expertise at Acrylic on AATG. “It’s exciting to see how the show has become one of the best in America,” Langham said.

“It’s grown into an elaborate thing, and it’s really something to be proud of.”

LET US PLAN & BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME – the wedgworth team

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109 Hilltop Business Drive Pelham www.GriffithArtGallery.com 205.985.7969

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 23

Photos courtesy Samford Legacy League

HOME

2023 Christmas Home Tour Committee members are, front, left: Lindsey Reed Curl, Sheila Smith, Claire Gwaltney, chairwoman Jan Service, Julie Taylor, Becky Neuberger, Karen Carlisle and Danna Duncan. Back, Mary Margaret Yeilding, Pam Wood, Molly Bee Bloetscher, Cathy Cook, Christy McKiernan, Sharon Smith, Tereasa Rima, Shea Williams, Amy Duffey and JoAnn Smith. Not pictured are Cindy Bembry, P.A. Carmichael and Julie Davis.

Ready for Christmas?

Samford Legacy League’s Annual Christmas Tour to Showcase Five Decked-Out Homes Five homes dressed up for the holiday season will be featured in the Samford Legacy League Christmas Home Tour this year.

The 13th annual tour will take place Dec. 7, and those attending will be able to roam through pop-up shops and be treated to holiday refreshments at the Samford President’s Home, in addition to touring the homes.

“This special holiday event helps fund our scholarships for students dealing with challenging circumstances and who are learning new, successful life skills both in and out of the classroom,” said Jan Service, chair of the tour.

To date, the tour has raised more than $365,000 to help change the lives of students who have endured obsta-

cles such as homelessness, inner city violence, the disability or death of a parent or sibling, foster care, parental job loss, abandonment and parental incarceration. Children of parents in full-time ministry also are eligible.

For the eighth year, ARC Realty is the presenting sponsor for the tour.

Premium sponsors are AllSouth Appliance, Byrom Building,

Community Bank, Firefly Electrical and Mountain Brook Plaza 280.

Homes will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Guests will select their start time and first home during ticket purchase.

Tickets, which will be available later this fall, will be $40 through Nov. 30, then $45 Dec. 1-5; advance purchase is required.

Featured Homes

• Deidre and George Robert Booker, 3105 Roxbury Road, Homewood.

• Liz and Doug Guest, 2065 Magnolia Ridge, Vestavia Hills.

• Sharon and Billy Harvill, 2122 Longleaf Trail, Vestavia Hills.

• Julie and Beck Taylor, Samford President’s Home, 1994 Shades Crest Road, Vestavia Hills, (pictured).

• Kathy and Tommy Thomson, 3121 Brookwood Road, Mountain Brook Learn more about the Christmas Home Tour and the Legacy League at samford.edu/legacyleague.

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Call for a free consultaion: 205-824-3300 Please visit our showroom located: 2130 Columbiana Road, Vestavia Hills BudgetBlinds.com © 2023 Budget Blinds, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Budget Blinds is a trademark of Budget Blinds, LLC and a Home Franchise Concepts Brand. Each franchise independently owned and operated.

HOME

Bring the Outdoors in This Holiday Season Red Mountain Garden Club’s Greenery Sale Offers Live Holiday Decorations

Courtesy Red Mountain Garden Club

Ordering has opened for the 2023 Red Mountain Garden Club’s Greenery Sale.

Among the holiday-themed items available are greenery wreaths, garlands, mailbox toppers, kissing balls and topiaries. Flowers such as amaryllis, holiday bows and food gift ONLINE ORDERING OPENED SEPT. 14 AND WILL CLOSE NOV. 1. TO ORDER, GO TO REDMOUNTAINGARDENCLUB. SQUARE.SITE.

Red Mountain Garden Club members working on the sale include, form left, Ashley Smith, Shannon Blount, Anne Heppenstall, Chollet Still, Susanna Davis and Marilyn Dixon.

Roman BRantley aRt &antiques, Gifts & DecoR 2790 BM Montgomery Street Homewood, AL Store Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 11am-4pm, or by appointment 205.317.1258

items also are available.

Purchases can be picked up Nov. 29 at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Online ordering opened Sept. 14 and will close Nov. 1. To order, go to redmountaingardenclub.square. site.

The club holds the greenery sale each year to support the Red Mountain Garden Club Memorial Garden at the Birmingham Museum of Art. The club has used funds from the sale to support the design, installation and maintenance of the garden since 1982.

Greenery sale chairman this year is Melissa Hagan and the co-chairman is Mary Turner. Kimberly Bean is president of the club.

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Roman Brantley Over The Mountain Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 FAX: 205-824-1246 September This is your AD PROOF from the OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL for the September 21, 2023 issue. Please fax approval or changes to 824-1246.

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OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

IPC Tour Is Back Holiday House Returns for 74th Year With In-Person Tour

Independent Presbyterian Church is reviving its in-person holiday home tour this year, offering tours of three homes and the historic IPC sanctuary decorated for the holidays.

Afternoon tea also will be served in the church’s great hall, which will be festively decorated as well. An assortment of finger sandwiches, homemade treats and sweets made from recipes in the church’s Holiday House Cookbook will be served during the tea, which will run all day.

The event will be Dec. 9. Ticket sales will begin Nov. 1.

Tickets for the tours Afternoon tea also will be served in the church’s great hall, which will be festively decorated as well. will be $40, while the ticket that includes the home tour and afternoon tea will be available for $75. Children are welcome to attend with a parent for $20. More information, visit ipcholidayhouse.com.

Proceeds from the event will help fund IPC’s community outreach, including programs that directly benefit women and children in need.

Three Reasons Why You Should Have A Home Maintenance Plan

If you’re like most people, you worked hard to be able to own your own home. It was probably a major investment that you hope to cash in on one day. However, the investment return you’ll get in the future depends on small investments along the way.

It’s a fact. Well-maintained homes sell for more, often much more! Yet, many people simply think maintenance doesn’t matter. That is, until a small issue becomes a big and costly problem to repair.

Investing in ‘Preventative Maintenance” can 1) prevent costly major repairs in the future 2) keep you safer while you live there, and 3) help you earn the most from the sale of your house when you’re ready to sell.

That is why Trublue developed a maintenance program called “House Care Plus”. A Trublue technician starts with a home inspection then develops a list of maintenance tasks that can be done on a monthly or quarterly basis. At the same time, it helps identify issues as they arise.

Here’s an example of a regular maintenance checklist: 1.Change filters 2.Inspect all plumbing for leaks 3.Change batteries & bulbs 4.Look for signs of rodent or pest infiltration 5.Clean gutters 6. Fix faulty locks and hinges 7.Check home for deterioration and signs of mold & mildew Other services such as installation of security cameras, video doorbells, and even grab bars can make the home safer too. Just remember that while regular maintenance may cost a little today, it can produce major rewards for you later.

Courtesy Independent Presbyterian Church

24 • Thursday, September 21, 2023

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Transformation

Mountain Brook’s Benton Has New Outlook on Running Cross-Country

By Rubin E. Grant

individual titles among a plethora of other crowns.

“We’re close friends,” Benton said. “If Reagan was here, I’d still be in her shadow. We FaceTime all the time. She’s very ecstatic about college.”

Benton plans to run in college.

She likes Baylor and the University of North Carolina but hasn’t decided where she wants to go yet. She plans to study either architecture or dentistry.

“I have always loved art and drawing and looking at things aesthetically,” Benton said. “I am also interested in medicine, but I don’t want to be a doctor, so dentistry is kind of in the middle.”

the 800 meters, clocking 2:12.19.

She finished fourth in the 400 meters with a time of 59.44.

Benton describes herself as a very disciplined and very driven runner.

“Coming into a race, I have a very good idea how I want to run,” she said. “I try not to take it too seriously, but I’m not joking around, either. I try to be upbeat and realize it’s a blessing for me to run.”

Benton finished 20th in the 2022 Class 6A state cross-country meet with a time of 20:10.19.

“I wasn’t in a good place mental-

Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 25

‘I was stressed out. What I was doing wasn’t working. So, I turned to my faith and over the summer everything transformed. I changed the way I was thinking about running and life.’

LUCY BENTON

ly last year, but now I’m looking to the Lord for help,” she said. “Now, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”

The Spartans captured the team Class 6A cross-country title last year and added state titles in indoor and outdoor track and field to complete

the triple crown.

“It’s a goal of ours to do it again,” Benton said. “There’s a good possibility we can do it. We lost some good athletes, but we have some other people stepping up.”

Her cure happened Kennedi is cured of sickle cell disease thanks to a life-changing bone marrow transplant she received from her sister here at Children’s of Alabama. The amazing treatments, discoveries and innovations for pediatric blood disorders and cancer happening here are helping change lives for the children of Alabama, across the country and around the world.

Journal file photo by Jordan Wald

Lucy Benton had a spiritual awakening during the summer.

She had viewed herself as mainly a track runner with cross-country mostly an afterthought. So, she was putting a lot of pressure on herself to succeed in track and in the classroom.

But by the end of her junior year at Mountain Brook High School, Benton was an emotional mess and nearing burnout.

“I was stressed out,” she said.

“What I was doing wasn’t working.

So, I turned to my faith and over the summer everything transformed. I changed the way I was thinking about running and life.”

Random Start Benton, a Catholic who attends Benton became a runner almost Our Lady of Sorrows, changed her outlook about cross-country, deciding randomly. When she was in elementary school, Mountain Brook restartto take the sport more seriously. ed its elementary With her newschool track meet found perspective, after it had been dorBenton roared out of mant for several the gate to start her years. senior year of crossBenton decided country. In her first she was interested race of the season, but wasn’t sure what she set a personal event to enter. She record with a time of talked with her 11:49.28 to win the physical education Warrior 2-mile teacher about it, and Invitational in it was suggested that Alabaster.

She followed that she run the mile up by clocking a In her first race of the season, since so few stuLucy Benton set a personal personal-best dents were entered. record with a time of 11:49.28 18:24.54 to win the “All the grades to win the Warrior 2-mile Chickasaw Trails were involved in the Invitational in Alabaster.

Invitational, one of other events and the state’s most comthere were only six petitive early-season cross-country in the mile,” Benton recalled. “I finmeets, at Oakville Indian Mounds ished in 6:10 or 6:20, and M.K. Park. She won the race by about Malone was the only one who beat seven seconds. me.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Benton “So I quit soccer and joined the said. “It’s good for me to not just see cross-country team.” myself as a track runner first, but to Until this school year, Benton had see I can also be good at cross-counmade her mark in track. In the try.” spring, she finished as runner-up to Benton didn’t fare as well last Riley in the 1,600-meter run with a Saturday in the Trinity/Valkyrie time of 4:57.10 and claimed silver in Invitational at Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky. She finADVERTISEMENT FOR ished 63rd in the girls 5K run with a COMPLETION LEGAL NOTICE time of 19:50.90.

In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama, 1975, as amended, Senior Mary Katherine Malone notice is hereby given that JD Morris was the Spartans’ top runner, finishConstruction Co., Inc. Contractor, has ing 17th in a time of 18:43.30. completed the Contract for drainage Kennedy Hamilton was 26th, clockimprovements of Mountain Brook Jr ing 19:04.80. The Spartans finished High School Drainage Improvements third as a team with 211 points. on Overbrook Road for the State of Alabama and the City of Mountain Hillard Davidson from Ohio won Brook, Owners, and have made with 64 points and Dupont Manual request for final settlement of said from Louisville was second with 114 Contract. All persons having any claims points. for labor, materials, or otherwise in Despite her showing in Kentucky, connection with this project should Benton has shown she’s ready to take immediately notify Schoel Engineering of Birmingham Alabama. the mantle as the Spartans’ top disJ. D. Morris Construction Co., Inc. tance runner this year, now that 5645 Myron Clark Road Reagan Riley has graduated and is at PO Box 70 Notre Dame. Riley won the past two McCalla, AL 35111 Class 6A girls state cross-country

SPORTS

ChildrensAL.org

CURE_Kennedi-OTMJ-Newsprint-6.15x10.25-PROD.indd 1

9/1/23 1:50 PM

26 • Thursday, September 21, 2023

‘Dynamic Player’

SPORTS

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Stella Helms hopes to surpass 1,000 digs and 1,000 kills for her high school career this season.

Briarwood’s Helms’ Volleyball Athleticism Comes From the Bloodlines

McDUFFIE From page 28

designs on playing the sport in college.

But in the spring this year, McDuffie had a change of heart, even though he was named first-team AllState in lacrosse.

“All the schools I was interested in playing lacrosse for were up north and I didn’t want to go that far away for college,” he said.

So, McDuffie went to Mountain Brook head football coach Chris Yeager and told him he wanted to rejoin the football team for his senior year.

Yeager welcomed his decision, much to McDuffie’s delight.

“I am happy he accepted me back,” McDuffie said. “It’s been great. I love being around the guys and being around the coaches. Coach Yeager has been great. They’ve toughened me up and taught me how to be a man.”

Yeager decided to insert McDuffie as the Spartans’ middle linebacker to replace Trent Wright, who graduated after being named the 2022 OTM Defensive Player of the Year.

The decision to put the 6-foot-1, 190-pound McDuffie at middle linebacker came with a little trepidation.

‘Since my dad played professional baseball and my brother plays college baseball, I come from a family of athletes, so it’s in the bloodlines.’

STELLA HELMS

“Since my dad played professional baseball and my brother plays college baseball, I come from a family of athletes, so it’s in the bloodlines,” she said.

Daddy’s Daughter

Helms cherishes being the daughter of a professional athlete. Her dad played for 13 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Florida Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies. He also was a bench coach for the Birmingham Barons in 2019.

“I think it’s really cool,” Helms said. “It definitely helps me to love playing sports. My friends love him.

They think he’s cool.”

Wes Helms has counseled his daughter on the mental aspects of “We were concerned about how quickly he would pick things up,” Yeager said. “The Mike linebacker is the cornerstone of our defense, the quarterback of our defense. But from the spring until now, it’s amazing how far he has come.”

McDuffie played weak side linebacker his sophomore season, but it didn’t take long for him to adjust to the Mike position.

“It’s surprised me how naturally it’s come together, like a perfect puzzle when certain things just look certain,” McDuffie said. “It’s like if we’re going to blitz to the left, then the offensive line slides to the right, so you have to be aware of what’s going on and make the adjustment.”

McDuffie credited Spartans’ defensive coordinator Shane Stearns and defensive assistant coach Buddy Pell, a former Mountain Brook linebacker, as well as Wright for spurring his growth. He also said he studies film every day so he can keep learning and keep improving.

Making Plays

McDuffie plays with such reckless abandon that the Spartans’ opponents probably wish he would have stuck to lacrosse.

“I just like to play aggressive,” McDuffie said. “My teammates know how to do their thing and (that) makes

it easier for me do my thing.”

Yeager marvels at McDuffie’s productivity. He has recorded 57 tackles and four sacks, forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles in four games.

“What he does is, to me, is he just gives continuous effort and he plays

Courtesy

Although her dad, Wes Helms, played Major League Baseball, Stella Helms had no interest in playing on a diamond.

So, softball wasn’t in the equation.

“I never liked it,” Stella Helms said.

“Even when I was little it wasn’t my sport.”

Instead, Helms became a volleyball player. She’s been playing since the third grade.

“Some of the girls at school were trying out for the team at the YMCA, so I tried out, too. I loved it,” Helms said.

Now, a 5-foot-6 senior opposite hitter/defensive specialist at Briarwood Christian, Helms has developed into one of the top volleyball players in the state.

A six-rotation player, she has been on the varsity since she was a freshman. Last year as a junior, she recorded 361 kills, 445 digs, 69 aces and was selected to the 2022 All-OTM Team and to the AL.com Super All-State team.

“Stella is a really dynamic player who is trusted and respected by her teammates,” first-year Briarwood head coach Carly Cline said. “She plays all around the court. She works hard and stays focused. If she makes a mistake, she doesn’t let it bother her. She just moves on to the next play.

“Although she’s only 5-6, she’s quite a jumper and quite a hitter on the

being an athlete.

“He always tells me to push out the negativity and give 110 percent,” Stella Helms said.

Cline believes Helms can play at the next level saying, “Stella has a promising volleyball career ahead.”

But Helms is not sure she wants to play in college.

“I go back and forth,” she said.

“I’m not against playing. I’m still going through the recruiting process.

We’ll see what happens.”

Helms hopes to surpass 1,000 digs and 1,000 kills for her high school career this season. Both would be school records. She already has more than 700 of each.

She also hopes the Lions will reach the state tournament.

“I want to go further than we did last year and get out of the super regional,” Helms said. “For us to do that, we need consistency. We struggled at first this season, but we’re getting better and jelling together.”

Briarwood entered this week with an 11-9 record after splitting its first two Class 6A, Area 8 games last week, losing at Pelham and winning at Helena. This week, the Lions were scheduled to host Ramsay on Tuesday and Hoover on Thursday.

“I think our season is going really well,” Helms said. “With a new coach, I’m trying to be a good senior leader.

We’re a young team and trying to jell.

Everyone is getting to know their rotations well.”

front row.”

Helms said her athleticism comes from the genes. Her older brother Wesley is a college baseball player at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa.

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

By Rubin E. Grant

very violent,” Yeager said. “It’s unbelievable the way he plays. One other thing he does is plays good in space and he covers so much ground. It’s amazing how much ground he covers so quick.

“He has 70 production points.

That’s the biggest we’ve ever had after four games. It’s for tackles, assists, hurries, sacks, interceptions, anything to add production to the defense. You can also have points taken away for missed tackles. To have that in four games is pretty impressive.”

McDuffie also has developed into a leader on the defense.

“He has a very settling personality,” Yeager said. “He gives people around him a lot of confidence.”

The people around him have given him a nickname.

“Some of my friends call me ‘Willie G,’ but most people call me by both names, William Grier,” he said.

What does his mother prefer?

“She’s started to grow on Willie G,’” he said with a laugh.

Title Dreams

McDuffie has recorded 57 tackles and four sacks, forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles in four games.

Since a season-opening 35-10 loss to Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook’s defense has allowed only 13 points while winning at James Clemens (1813) and posting shutouts on the road at Minor (28-0) and at Woodlawn (51-

0) in the Spartans’ first two Class 6A, Region 5 games.

“The defense grew up a lot as a team after the Vestavia game,” McDuffie said. “The defense had to step up and not be pushed around. We had to learn that we had to fight for everything.”

The Spartans (3-1, 2-0) will play host to Jackson-Olin (0-4, 0-2) in another region game Friday.

By sitting out the 2022 season, McDuffie missed a chance to play in the Class 6A championship game last year. The Spartans fell to Saraland 38-17 in the final at Auburn’s Jordan Hare Stadium.

McDuffie hopes the Spartans can make it back to the championship game this season but with a different outcome.

“The team is super motivated,” he said. “We’ve got to keep working and keep grinding. Our end goal is to win the state championship.”

Meanwhile, McDuffie is starting to garner some interest from colleges to play football at the next level.

“I’ve had communication with a couple of schools, but nothing too serious,” he said.

Even so, he’s happy to be playing the game he grew up loving again.

“I’m having a whole lot of fun,” he said. “I’m 100 percent glad I’m back.”

SPORTS

Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 27

Above, Hoover’s Andy Howard looks for running room as Vestavia’s Gibson Bean closes in. Below, Vestavia running back William Tonsmeire picks up yardage as Hoover’s Steele Lowry closes in.

WEEK 4 SCOREBOARD

OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

VESTAVIA High School, Hoover and Vestavia Hills have been rivals. Youngsters grew up playing park ball against each other, and those rivalries continued through 12th grade and then into the ranks of alumni of each school.

The football rivalry was renewed last Friday with the Rebels welcoming the Bucs for a Class 7A, Region 3 battle. And for the first time since 2015, Vestavia Hills won, routing Hoover 26-7.

The Rebels (3-1, 1-1 in the region) used a punishing ground game led by senior quarterback John Paul Head, who ran 32 times for 211 yards and three touchdowns, scoring on runs of 9, 1 and 2 yards.

Place-kicker Owen Simpson kicked field goals of 27 and 35 yards.

Even though Hoover (1-3, 1-1) dominated the rivalry for several years, many said the rivalry is as strong as it’s ever been.

Myra Myles is the Vestavia Hills athletic director. She formerly held the same position at Hoover.

“I think it’s always been there and always will be,” Myles said. “I think that both programs of the kids and the coaching staffs, they’re going to always go after each other just because it’s a pride thing.

“I’ve been on it on both sides of it,” she said, “and it’s as intense, I think in my opinion, as it’s always been.”

Current Hoover coach Wade Waldrop admitted that this is only his second year experiencing the rivalry.

But he’s certain it hasn’t lost its flavor.

“I know it’s a good rivalry, a longstanding rivalry,” he said before the game. “I know our kids are gonna play really hard. I’d say it’s the rivalry.”

The rivalry? More so than Hoover’s relationship with four-time defending Class 7A champion Thompson?

“No doubt. No doubt,” Waldrop said. “This one goes longer. It’s deeper.

These communities have known each other and competed against each other for a long time and just have the most respect for each other. There’s no doubt about that.”

Like Myles, Vestavia Hills coach Robert Evans has experienced the rivalry on both sides. His father was a longtime assistant to legendary Vestavia Hills coach Buddy Anderson, and Evans played for the Rebels, helping them win a state championship in 1998.

“My earliest memory of the Hoover-Vestavia rivalry was as a 7-year-old and my favorite jacket, some Hoover kid stole it, tore it up and then hung it on the goalpost,” he said.

“It goes way deep and personal for me.

But I don’t preach any of that. We just have to play clean football to have a chance to beat a way-more talented roster than us.”

Evans’ career includes an eight-year stretch when he was an assistant coach at Hoover. He coached linebackers before rising to defensive coordinator his final season. During that stretch, Hoover reached the state finals every year but one. The five years he was a

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

From page 28

CLASS 7A Chelsea 21, Oak Mountain 13 Thompson 55, Spain Park 14 Vestavia Hills 26, Hoover 7 CLASS 6A Briarwood Christian 28, Pelham 21 Homewood 43, Calera 21 Mountain Brook 52, Woodlawn 0 CLASS 5A John Carroll Catholic 44, Hayden 6

THIS WEEK’S GAMES Homewood @ Benjamin Russell Hewitt-Trussville @ Hoover Hoover @ Spain Park Carver-Bham @ John Carroll Catholic Jackson Olin @ Mountain Brook Tuscaloosa Cty @ Oak Mountain Spain Park @ Vestavia Hills

coordinator, the Bucs won four state titles.

Then There’s Mountain Brook

Evans said the Hoover-Vestavia Hills football rivalry for years was the standard for high school sports rivalries.

“We know now that is no longer the case,” he said. “Their kids don’t care as much and our kids don’t care as much.

Things evolve and change over time.”

Evans thinks Hoover’s biggest rival today is the other Hoover high school, Spain Park. He believes Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills have the relationship previously reserved for Hoover and Vestavia.

“Part of my goal when I returned two years ago was to bring the rivalry

back,” Evans said. “But we have to win some of these games.”

Last Friday, they did.

“This win was special to me because I grew up not liking Hoover, even though I coached there for eight years,” Evans said. “So I took this game personal. I thought that we were the better

team coming into the game. I wanted to not just win but dominate the game. I’m really proud of our team.”

This week, Vestavia Hills plays host to Spain Park in another Region 3 game, while Hoover returns home to play Hewitt-Trussville in region action.

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‘Dynamic Player’: Briarwood’s Helms’ volleyball athleticism comes from the bloodlines Page 26

SPORTS

Transformation: Mountain Brook’s Benton has new outlook on running cross-country Page 25

Thursday, September 21, 2023 ❖ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Back Where He Belongs Spartans’ McDuffie Wreaking Havoc in His Return to the Football Field

By Rubin E. Grant William Grier McDuffie has loved football since he was a little boy.

He began playing the sport when he was in the third grade and continued to play through his sophomore year at Mountain Brook High School. But before his junior year, McDuffie quit the football team to concentrate on lacrosse.

A midfielder, he helped the Spartans win the 2022 Alabama Lacrosse Championship and had See McDUFFIE, page 26

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

Thank yo Thank you Vestavia Thank you Vestavia for your for yourThank support youyour Vestavia for support

Shopping and eating locally mak Thanks for making Donatos a Shopping and eating locally make all the difference in our comminity.

Thanks for making Donatos a Vestavia classic for overShopping 20 years.and eating locally make all the difference in our comminity.

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The Rebels used a punishing ground game led by senior quarterback John Paul Head, Shopping (13) who ran times for 211 yards three touchand32eating locally makeand all the difference in our comminity. downs, scoring on runs of 9, 1 and 2 yards to knockoff Hoover 26-7 in the Class 7A Region 3 battle.

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etired referee Steve Newton remembers the Hoover-Vestavia Hills football game he didn’t get to officiate.

Ten years prior, Newton’s son played for the Rebels. The father was set to referee when

Hoover hosted its longtime rival.

“That was fine,” Newton said, “because enough years had gone by.”

Or so he thought.

“The Hoover folks called us and said, ‘No. We can’t have him,’” Newton said. “We had to swap referees before the game.”

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The rivalry between the Bucs and the Rebels was that intense.

“It’s always been intense,” Newton said.

“But that’s a good thing. It’s been a clean rivalry, too.”

Dating back to the days when it was Berry See VESTAVIA, page 27

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